Jill Shalvis - Simply Irresistible

That made two of them.

He kissed his way down her throat, and she gave a low, sexy gasp when he got to the spot where her neck met her shoulder. Her eyes slid closed, and she shuddered with the intensity. “You taste good,” he murmured.

“Like chocolate-vanilla swirl?”

He lifted his head as she opened her eyes, opaque with hunger and desire. “Like woman.” Her hair was wild, a few curls clinging to her face and dancing in the wind, calling to him. Needing to touch her, he raised a hand to stroke her hair back, and she flinched, hard.

Shock had him going still, fingers hovering near her forehead, but she went even more still. Slowly he lowered his hand. “Maddie-”

With a quick, single shake of her head, she took a giant step back, her eyes shuttered from him. I have to go.”

“Okay.” His brain raced, trying to figure out what had just happened. She’d acted as if he’d meant to hit her, which was crazy-he wouldn’t.

Ever.

But someone had.

That was clear. So was the heat that rushed to her face, knowing her involuntary gesture had just given her away.

Feeling sick for whatever she’d been through, sicker still for reminding her of it if only for a second, he stepped back. “Maddie-”

Tightening her lips, she bent for her purse, then turned away, walking back toward the street. “I really need to go.”

Letting out a long, careful breath, he gave her a head start. He was quite certain that she’d like him to vanish entirely, but he couldn’t do that. There was nowhere to go but back up the pier. So he followed, doing his best to give her the space he figured she needed.

Maddie walked fast down the pier, not slowing until she came to the Ferris wheel. Too bad her life couldn’t be as simple as going round and round…

“You okay?”

Turning, she faced Jax, who stayed about five feet from her, hands in his pockets. “I’m fine.” A little white lie that didn’t count because she wanted to be okay. “About that kiss. I shouldn’t have-We can’t-” She blew out a breath and went with honesty. “Obviously I’m not in a place to start anything up.”

“I’m getting that. It’s okay, Maddie. I’ve been there.”

She doubted he’d ever let anyone take advantage of him or hurt him, but she didn’t want to talk about it. He was giving her an out, which she was going to take. Turning, she started walking. Not surprisingly, he kept pace. “I’m going back to the inn,” she said. “Alone.” She glanced over at him, not knowing what to expect, but it wasn’t the quiet intensity she found. And it certainly wasn’t feeling her own heart skip a beat.

They passed the ice cream shop, and the guy who’d served her waved at Jax. “Hey, man. Hot chocolate tonight?”

“Sure. A large to go, Lance. Thanks.” He paid, then exchanged the warm cup for Maddie’s shake. “For your hands,” he said and guided her off the pier and onto the main street in front of the Love Shack.

A cute blonde burst out of the bar, teetering a little on her heels, laughing with a pretty brunette. “… and he wanted to drive me home!” she exclaimed.

“Well, you said you wanted to get laid,” the brunette said.

“Yes, but look at me! I’m a nine tonight, maybe even a ten. And nothing less than an eight takes this body home-” Catching sight of Jax, she threw her arms around him. “Hey, sexy! Haven’t seen you around all week. You working hard, or hardly working?”

“A little of both,” Jax said, steadying her.

“Join us for a nightcap,” Blondie said, slipping her arms around his neck.

Maddie looked down at herself. Yeah, okay, so she was dressed as a four, tops, but she wasn’t invisible.

A cab pulled into the lot, and Blondie smiled. “There’s our ride. Jax?” she murmured throatily, tugging his hand. “You coming?”

He shook his head, and Blondie and Brunette sighed in joint disappointment, then slid into the cab and vanished into the night.

“You could have gone,” Maddie said after a minute. “Wouldn’t want to hold you back.”

“From…?”

“A threesome.”

He arched a brow. “Is that what you think I want?”

“Well, it does seem to be the top male fantasy.”

“Maybe I’m content with my current company.”

She felt herself soften in spite of herself and decided it was all the emotion of the day. The wind was kicking hard now, but Jax’s jacket was protecting her, and she was content to just stand there. “Are you cold?” she asked, really hoping he wasn’t.

“I’m good. Let me drive you to the inn.” He gestured toward a red Jeep.

“What about your bike?”

“Both mine. But the Jeep’ll keep you warm.”

“I don’t know.”

He met her gaze evenly, his eyes dark and warm, quietly assessing. “It’s a long walk.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “But taking a ride from a stranger would be even more stupid than kissing one.”

“I can provide references if you’d like.”

“From Blondie and Nine-Maybe-Ten?” she asked.

He burst out laughing, and the sound sent heat slashing through her. Sliding his hand to the small of her back, he walked her to the Jeep. “I think I can provide better than that for you.” He opened the passenger door and waited while she hesitated. Gallant superhero, she wondered, or smooth bad boy who’d just managed to talk her into his lair?

Hard to tell.

She buckled herself in. The interior of the vehicle was dark, and he wasn’t giving any hints as to his thoughts while he put the Jeep into gear and headed out of the lot.

She stared out the windshield, thinking that so far, superhero and smooth bad boy seemed to be running neck and neck. Not that it mattered, not when deep down, she secretly wanted both.

Jax pulled up to the resort, and they both eyed the dark buildings. “Problem with the electricity?” he asked, idling the Jeep.

She hoped not. “I don’t know.”

“Your sisters are here?”

“I don’t know that, either.”

Jax thrust the Jeep into gear again and drove around to the back of the inn. Maddie held on to the dash and gulped. “This isn’t the part where the big bad wolf eats me, is it?”

He sent her a mischievous glance. “What is it with you and things eating you?”

A nervous laugh burst from her, and he let loose a smile that was just wicked enough to boost her pulse and scare her at the same time. “Tell you what,” he said silkily. “If I ever get the chance to eat you, I promise you’ll like it.”

Her stomach quivered. Her body had other reactions, too, but she kept them to herself as he pulled up to the cottage, where the windows were lit.

“How did you know to come back here?”

“I spent time out here as a kid. Once, with Ford and Sawyer, I TP’d the entire place.”

It didn’t surprise her that he’d had a wild youth. She suspected he’d had a wild everything. “You did?”

“Yeah, and Sawyer’s father beat the shit out of us when he found out, and then turned us over to your grandpa. Instead of handing out our second ass-kicking of the night, he made us clean up our handiwork and paint the entire inn. He was a good guy.” He flicked his gaze to the cottage, and she followed his line of sight to where both Chloe and Tara stood inside, staring out the window.

“They don’t look very happy,” he noted.

“Yes, I tend to have that effect on people.”

His callused hand slowly slid up her back. When she started because she was looking out the Jeep window and not expecting the touch, he very gently touched the back of her neck. Warmth engulfed her.

“I don’t know,” he murmured very quietly. “You did a decent number on me tonight.” His thumb swept over her nape, urging her to look at him.

One of them leaned in, she wasn’t sure who, but suddenly her hands were on his chest and his hands were sliding up her arms, pulling her in as close as she could get with the console between them. “My sisters-”

“Can’t see inside the Jeep.” He kissed her once, and then again-small, brushing kisses that weren’t enough, not even close, but when she heard a soft moan and realized it was hers, she pulled back.

“Yeah,” Jax said, studying her intently. “I like this look on you a lot better.”

“What look?”

“Heat. Desire. Not fear.”

It took her a second for the words to register. When they did, she turned to open the door to get out, but he gently pulled her back and kissed her again, deep and hot. Her eyes drifted shut as she gave herself over to it, to him, and what he made her feel. He was such a good kisser, and his taste, his touch, his scent, the heat off his body-it all combined together so that she couldn’t talk herself out of having this moment. She needed this moment. She deserved this moment, and, giving herself permission to enjoy it, she slid her hands over every part of him that she could reach, absorbing the groan of approval that rumbled from his throat.

“Haven’t made out in a car in a damn long time,” he said when they broke apart, his voice low and gravelly.

“Me either.” In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever made out in a car. She looked around. “We steamed up the windows.”

He slid a hand over her shoulder, up her throat, his thumb skimming her pulse point. “We steamed up a lot of things.”

Yes. Her body was humming with it. She ran her gaze down his body, past his broad chest, the flat abs she wanted to lick, and the button fly of his Levi’s, which were strained over an intriguingly large bulge. Her gaze flew to his, which was both scorching hot and just a tad bit amused.

“I have to go in.” But she didn’t move. Well, actually, she did. She moved to give his mouth better access to her throat, which he took full advantage of, his lips rubbing slowly back and forth over her skin. “B-before they… Oh, God,” she whispered. “Before they come out here to investigate.”

He had a hand at her waist, beneath his jacket and her sweatshirt, his fingers gliding over the bare skin of her belly, and she let out a shaking breath. “You’re going to have to take your hands off me, or…”

He met her gaze, his eyes dark and heated. “Or?”

Or she was going to crawl over the console and straddle him. “You don’t play fair.”

“I don’t. You should remember that.”

Telling her body to behave, she extricated herself from both his hands and the Jeep. “Thanks for the ride.”

And the kiss…

He opened his door. “I’ll walk you in-”

“No, don’t.” She didn’t want to explain this. She dashed out of the Jeep and made her way up the rickety porch, but the door opened before she’d reached it.

Chloe stood there, a small smile on her lips as she peered past Maddie at the Jeep. “Who’s that?”

Maddie watched the brake lights of the Jeep as it vanished into the night. “Jax Cullen. And that’s all I know,” she said before Chloe could ask anything else.

Well, except that he had a voice that went down like smooth whiskey, a way of looking at her that tended to get her to say more than she should, and oh, yeah, he kissed like heaven on earth.

“I want a Jax,” Chloe said.

“You didn’t even see him.”

“No, but I can see the look he put on your face plain enough. Nice jacket.”

“I forgot to give it back.” Maddie, Maddie, Maddie, she told herself. That’s a big fat lie. You didn’t forget. You wanted the excuse to see him again.

“I drove through town three times,” Chloe said. “I never found a Jax.”

Maddie slid her a look. Perfect dark red shiny hair. Cute, sexy clothes. Tight, toned body. An arresting face with piercing green eyes that said Trouble with a capital T, and that she was worth it. “There’s no way you have a hard time attracting men.”

“It’s not the attracting that’s the problem. You ever try to have sex with a third wheel in the bed?”

“Um, no,” Maddie admitted. “I’ve never-”

“I meant my asthma,” Chloe said dryly. “But good to know how your mind works. My asthma is the third person in my bed. And it usually kicks ass.”

“You mean you can’t-”

“Not in mixed company, or I end up needing an ambulance for the ensuing asthma attack.” She sighed. “I really miss co-partnered orgasms.”

“Oh, my God, will you get over the no-orgasm thing?” Tara said, coming up behind them. “Some of us never get them.”

“Never? But you’re married.”

“Okay, so never might be an exaggeration. The point is, there are more important things than sex.”

“Name one,” Chloe said.

Tara lifted a bottle of wine.

“A close second,” Chloe admitted. They moved through the living room as the wind rattled at the living room windows. The shag carpet had once been some sort of blue but had faded to a dingy gray, looking like a dead lawn that hadn’t been watered in two decades.