Carly Phillips - Body Heat

But unlike her parents, who by definition were supposed to be in Brianne’s life for the long haul, Jake was just passing through. She knew the facts going in; therefore she couldn’t be hurt-right? she asked herself. But no voice answered her with a resounding yes, leaving her to admit she had little faith in her own convictions.

“We’re here.” Jake’s deep voice intruded on her thoughts.

She swallowed hard, lifting her eyes from the carpet and meeting his longing stare. He wanted her. She could see the desire flare in the depths of his gaze, a match for the spiraling need building inside her.

He gestured for her to step into the apartment and she followed, her shoes squeaking on the obviously freshly waxed floor.

“Where to?” he asked before they could descend into awkward silence.

An implicit question, Brianne thought. He was asking her where would she like to make love. As she glanced around, liquid heat pooled low in her abdomen and her heart pounded. Her need for Jake was desperate and all-encompassing, but she wasn’t so sure how she felt about her surroundings.

She took in the white furnishings, the cold marble floors and the gleaming chrome and crystal accents around her. The penthouse, which had once seemed like a luxurious haven, suddenly felt cold and stifling-stark, in contrast to the warm man standing by her side. Where in this austere place could she be with Jake yet be herself, she had no idea. Unsure of what to say in answer to his question, she merely shrugged, hoping he had the answer she did not.

“Well, I’m using my sister’s room and I’d really prefer not to…well, you know what I mean.”

“Oh, I do.” She laughed, further explanation on his part unnecessary. “But my room doesn’t really feel like mine. It’s too…”

“Cold and uncomfortable?” he asked, reading her thoughts.

She was glad he didn’t find this apartment homey and relaxing, either. “Exactly.”

“I honestly don’t know what Rina was thinking. This place is so unlike her.” His brow furrowed in confusion, and Brianne found the gesture oddly endearing, so different from the manner of the focused cop who’d answered her questions and deflected her concerns.

“Me, neither. Rina has this bubbling warmth. I envy her that.” In Jake’s sister, Brianne had seen a freedom of thought and emotion she herself had never had, making her feel almost old in comparison. “But you said her husband liked glitz. Maybe she was making him happy by decorating like this. Maybe it was his presence here that made this place a home for them. And vice versa.” She shook her head and laughed uncomfortably. “Ignore me. I don’t know why I’m rambling like this.”

“Nerves, most likely.” He nailed her with his correct assumption and innate understanding. “But you’re probably right about Rina and Robert. You’re definitely perceptive.” His voice suddenly grew low and urgent. “And I can’t keep my hands off you for a second longer.” Without hesitation, his palms came to rest on her shoulders.

Because his skin was hot, he branded her with his touch. And because he was incredibly male, he made her want more than simple conversation or a burning kiss that ended almost before it began.

“Since my room’s out and your room’s out, I have another suggestion.”

She glanced over his shoulder. “It had better not involve that white couch with the full-length windows behind it.” She laughed lightly. “So which room will it be?”

“Our room.”

As soon as the words were spoken, what had been a light conversation turned into something deeper, stronger and more compelling. The cresting waves of longing she’d held at bay for so long rose furiously inside her. “The gym?”

He nodded. “Full-length mirrors instead of windows.”

Her throat grew parched and she couldn’t seem to moisten her dry lips. “Different views.”

“From different angles. Are you game?”

She’d come this far and she wanted to go much further. Gathering her courage, she raised herself onto her tiptoes and gave him an answer he couldn’t mistake-a scorching kiss on the lips, the kind that told him she was indeed game. For any view, any angle, anything he desired.

DESPITE HER PROTESTATIONS Brianne had an adventurous spirit, Jake sensed. She continually proved him right. First her trip to Victoria’s Secret and now this instigation of a kiss. And what a kiss it was. Her tongue glided over the seam of his lips, then retreated, teasing, tormenting him further. His body was strung tight, had been since he’d laid eyes on the beautiful waitress. Unable to wait another second, he grabbed her hand and led her through the apartment, down the hall and into the gym, kicking the door closed and leaving Norton outside.

The room was the only place in this mausoleum where Jake felt remotely comfortable, the only place he could truly be himself and the only place they’d already marked as theirs. And, for some reason, the place he chose was important to him.

It mattered to her, too, if her bright eyes and warm expression were anything to go by. She snaked her arms around his neck and treated him to a deeper, mind-blowing kiss, this one ripe with passion and infused with need-the same need he felt growing, coming to life inside him. He twisted his hips slowly, deliberately, erotically tantalizing her with his full erection pressing hard and insistent against his jeans. She groaned and arched against him, seeking more relief than he could provide through the barrier of clothing.

Jake wanted nothing between them except bare skin. Her clothes were tight and form-fitting, making it difficult to pull and shift so he could eliminate the impediments and give himself complete access. But once the maneuver was accomplished, his view was incredible, thanks to the mirrors surrounding them and the reflection of light.

“You like?”

A light purple bra with flowered lace exposed more than it covered, and he sucked in a ragged breath. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing not to like.” He traced the scalloped edging with one fingertip, trailing a path over her delicate skin. “And everything to admire.” Cherish, bask in, he thought, lowering his head and replacing his touch with his tongue, tasting her bare flesh.

Her response was a rush of air and a moan of contentment, as he followed a damp path across her heated skin. Her shudder shook him as well. Had he ever before felt the way he did now? Wanted a woman’s pleasure more than his own?

Jake knew the answer to both questions, and it scared him. He knew he’d have to deal with it sometime, but, for now, the heavy beat of arousal overrode all thought and emotion.

His hand came to rest beneath her breast, cupping the fullness and allowing him to move from the lacy edging to the nipple peaking in a hard ridge beneath the flowered sheath of material. As he drew the distended tip into his mouth and nipped lightly with his teeth, it hardened even more, and the grip he held on his control nearly shattered.

Apparently, she felt the same because her hands went for the snap on his jeans. He lifted his head and met her gaze, not wanting her to feel as though she had to go faster to please him. “I promised you slow.”

“That was before we…came this far.” A blush stained her already made-up cheeks.

He grinned. “I never said fast wasn’t good, too.”

God knows, his body would appreciate it if he picked up the pace, but he needed to tell her a few things first. Not just how much he wanted her, but smaller details, too. Things that would let her know she wasn’t just someone he’d screw and forget. She held a special place in his life and his heart, he forced himself to acknowledge, and sleeping with her was the answer to every dream he possessed.

“Do you know I loved watching you while you worked at the café? You had on no makeup, just a thousand-watt smile, and I could have watched you all night.” The flush on her cheeks deepened, and he brushed his knuckles over her reddened skin. “You’re gorgeous with makeup, but you’re one of those special women who doesn’t need it to make an impression.”

Her eyes lightened in wonder and appreciation. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, Jake. Waitressing wasn’t exactly a job I looked forward to after working all day, but once you showed up…well, all of a sudden I couldn’t wait to start my shift.”

“Glad to know the feeling was mutual, sweetheart.”

She bit down on her lower lip. “There’re lots of mutual feelings flowing between us right now.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” He stepped closer, allowing her to feel his groin push against her.

The desire to remove her clothes was as quick and furious as the need she inspired. She shed her tight leggings and revealed a pair of lacy underwear, a complement to the barely-there bra. Remembering how he’d tasted the material around her nipple, the need to do the same to the lace panties and feminine secrets beneath grew like an insatiable hunger deep inside him.

Before she could reach for his shirt, he dropped to his knees. “You might want to grab on to something right now.”

“You’re naughty,” she murmured. But the excited gleam in her eyes told him she desired everything he wanted to give and more.

He waited till she reached for the exercise bar running across the mirrored wall and then inched closer to trace the elastic edge of her underwear with his tongue. The taste was so decadent, her feminine scent so erotic, he nearly came without being inside her-hell, without even being touched, something that spoke of her incredible power over him.

He snaked a path with his tongue, first following the boundaries set by her panties and going no farther, teasing her with delicate strokes. But when her legs quaked and he felt her lean more strongly against the wall for support, he grew bolder and slowly lowered the scrap of silk to her thighs, allowing himself to taste her dewy essence.

Her shuddering moan was all the encouragement he needed to dip his tongue into her heat and attempt to draw from her everything he could, give to her everything he had.

Brianne leaned her shoulder against the hard mirrored wall and opened her eyes for a moment. She glanced down at Jake, his dark hair in stark contrast to her white skin, his strong hands holding on to her thighs and his mouth doing miraculous things to her long-deprived body. She knew she’d been alone but hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been, how empty she’d felt, until Jake possessed her. His arms holding, his hands caressing and his mouth giving to her in ways she’d never experienced before.

Without warning, delicate licks of his tongue were suddenly replaced by bold strokes that made her feel warm and cherished, yet uncontrollably aroused. Each lap was designed to take her higher, closer, and she held on to the bar for support, trying desperately to control the waves rushing through her at lightning speed. But there was no controlling the inevitable, no controlling Jake.

Passion enveloped her, and as she rolled her head to the side, a long, drawn-out groan escaping her throat, she caught a glimpse in the mirror. She saw in erotic detail Jake on his knees, holding her thighs apart, his head dipped in between, worshiping her body in ways no man had ever cared enough to do before. The sight was all it took to send her over the edge.

She shut her eyes and gave herself up to sensation, to the need he had created. And just as the first wave hit, encompassing her body in shuddering bliss, she felt the slide of him inside her, one finger filling the empty space, his thumb pressing hard and deep on exactly the right spot, increasing the magic and prolonging the explosive climax he’d given to her.

It took a while for the rippling sensations to subside, and when they did, Brianne found Jake standing by her side, staring into her eyes. “I’ve never, I mean no one’s ever…” Her words trailed off.

He grinned. “Then, I’m glad I did.”

“Me, too.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw and the barely leashed desire in his eyes told her that he’d satisfied her but he was by no means fulfilled.

Strangely, Brianne understood. Although he’d satisfied her in one way, in another she was still aroused, still felt an emptiness only he could fill. She felt free to indulge those yearnings and give back to him at the same time. Thankfully, he didn’t argue when she reached out to help pull his shirt up and over his head. Male ego versus male desire. No contest there, Brianne thought wryly.

Nor did he utter a complaint when she splayed her fingers over his chest to savor the feel of his coarser, so-masculine flesh. Emboldened, she unbuttoned his jeans and helped him push them, along with his boxers, down to the floor. He kicked the encumbering clothing aside and stood before her completely and gloriously undressed.