Page 16 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)

CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHO YOU DATE

“ T hat’s a lot of beer.”

“Too much?” Talia asked on Tuesday. She’d sent a picture of a few cans and said she picked some up when she was visiting Elias, but it didn’t show she had a case of it that she brought over today.

“It’s never too much,” he said. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. How much do I owe you?”

She laughed at him. “Really, Jace. Do you think I paid for it? I used to work with Elias. We went to his house for dinner on Sunday and I asked him for some beer. He told me to take what I wanted in his house and that is what I did. I just mixed and matched.”

“I appreciate it. Did he ask who it was for?”

“He did. I got a lot of questions about the mysterious man I’ve been on a few dates with this weekend.”

“The same.”

She’d sat down on his couch, but turned to stare at him. “You’ve been dating a mysterious man that I don’t know about?”

He squinted at her joke. “Hardly that. I went to dinner at my father and stepmother’s on Sunday. My father saw your car at my house on Saturday a week ago when he was going to pick up some tools. He didn’t stop.”

“Oh. How come you’re just saying something now?”

“It hasn’t come up and isn’t a big deal.”

“Got it,” she said, her head dropping down some.

“I didn’t mean it that way.” His natural words he’d used all the time hurt her and it bothered him more than it ever had before.

“I know. I’m trying to figure this thing out. My mother is asking a lot of questions about who I’m on a date with.”

“You didn’t tell her?”

“No.”

“Why?” Was he not good enough? Who was he kidding? He was positive they’d think he wasn’t.

“Because my mother saw you. She already went over to talk to you once. Do you want her to do it again? Around other people?”

“Not really.” At least she grinned at that reply.

He didn’t want too many to know he was dating someone younger.

Actually, he didn’t care so much about the age part.

He realized it had more to do with her family. His feelings of self-worth and how they’d judge him and his background. Where he came from.

But more importantly anyone who thought he might be after something from her brother or anyone else in the family.

“Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you want anyone to know I’m here? Is it because of my age? Who I am or that you’re talking to other women?”

“Stop right there,” he said, putting his hand up. “There are no other women.” It just reminded him of what Janey said. “The age thing isn’t as big of a deal as I thought. At least I hope not.”

“It’s not in my eyes.”

“Good.”

“Then it’s because of my last name. You don’t want people to know you’re dating me and they will think you hit it big?”

He sighed. “Isn’t that why you are cautious about who you date?”

“It is. Am I right?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She moved over and crawled into his lap. “Good answer.”

“What are you doing?” he asked when she put her hands on his cheeks and her mouth lowered to his.

“I’m kissing you and hoping it leads to more.”

“Because I answered the way you wanted me to?”

She gave him a smacking kiss and then sat back, her knees on the side of his hips.

“Yes. I know you’re not after me for my name.

I don’t have much to offer other than I’ve got a decent job.

People don’t understand that. West is the one with the money, not me.

Does he take care of his siblings? Sure, he does.

I’ve got no school debt, no car loan, nothing.

I’ll admit those things, but it’s not like West is always going to buy me cars.

Just this one, like he did the rest of my siblings when they finished college. ”

He snorted. “That’s all nice.”

“I’m sorry if you didn’t have those things.”

“I’m not going to lie. I had it rough when it was my mother and me.

When my mother married Jeremy she didn’t have to work as hard, but I still didn’t get things like a car.

I worked to buy the one I had and she cosigned the loan.

My father paid it off though and for the schooling I didn’t finish. I felt like shit over that.”

“Considering he went seventeen years without knowing of your existence and not paying child support, he might have felt it wasn’t much.”

“He had felt that way. He’s given me a lot.”

Jace wouldn’t say his father bought him his first truck when he started to work for the family business. Or set up a retirement fund for him and dumped a shit ton of money in it and called it back support his mother never received. There was no arguing.

His father was a stand-up guy and hated that his mother had struggled for all those years on her own.

The illusion of a deadbeat dad his mother put in his head for years had been shattered, leaving him with mounting anger toward her. He’d never have the chance to get it off his chest.

“Good for him. And whatever is going through your mind or causing you to be the way you are, just remember you came from him too.”

“I’ll never forget it.”

She got back up on her knees. “Jace. I’m not looking at where you came from, just like you say you aren’t with me.”

“I don’t just say it, but mean it.”

“I’m not letting my mind circle the wagons while I guess the next step. I know what I want. You’ve been clear where you stand. I’m good with that for now. When I’m not good with it anymore, you’ll be the first to know and the ball will be in your court.”

“Meaning if you want more and I don’t give it, you’ll move on?”

“Yes. I’m not playing games. I’m a big girl. Just tell me you’ll always be honest with me, and I’ll respect that.”

“I’ll never lie to you, Talia. I’ll never cheat, play games, nothing. You’ll always get the truth out of me when it comes to us.”

He wouldn’t add he’d give the truth about everything in his life. He didn’t know how much he’d tell her but knew he’d already confessed more to her than he had any other woman he’d spent time with.

“That is good enough for me,” she said. “Take me to your room if you want.”

He stood up. “Oh, I want. I want a lot and have for weeks.”

She laughed. “Me too. I had to come to terms with it on my own.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant by that but knew it wasn’t the time to ask.

She wrapped her legs around his hips and he took his stairs two at a time to get to his room.

Her legs slid down when he got close to his bed, but her arms stayed around him.

“Tell me what you want?”

“I want you to make me burn,” she said, rubbing against him.

“That’s a given.” He pulled her navy T-shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor.

She did the same to him, his shirt off and landing next to hers.

“Oh boy. I’ve been dreaming of this and nothing could have prepared me. You are in some seriously good shape.”

“So are you.”

His hand went to the button on her jeans shorts, undid them and let them drop down. They were barely covering her anyway, but she was left standing there in a pair of cotton panties that matched her bra.

He should have figured she’d be girly enough to do that.

“Do you like my set?” she asked. “I put it on for you.”

“I do. Do you always match?”

“You’ll have to find out another time. How about we get the rest of these clothes off?”

“Sounds like the best suggestion I’ve heard in a long time.”

He stepped back when her fingers brushed his belly while she went for the button on his shorts.

He undid them and dropped them away himself.

She removed her bra and slid off her underwear while his back was turned to get a condom in his bathroom.

His feet halted at the sight of her standing naked with her hands on her hips, her blonde hair floating over her shoulders, a few strands in the front and lying over a breast.

“Do you like what you see?” she asked seductively.

“That’s a stupid question.”

Talia held her hand out. “Give me the condom. I want to put it on you. I need to touch you.”

“Not this time.” He was way too worked up. The touch of her on his cock would send his control spiraling.

He lowered his underwear, watched her eyes drop to what was exposed, then ripped open the package and covered himself.

“Don’t make me wait much longer.”

“Get on the bed.”

“Are you going to order me around?” she asked, turning to do as he said.

“Do you want me to?”

“I might like it.”

“Then we’ll try that another time too.”

He put one knee on the bed, then the other, hovering over her while she inched up on his pillows.

His hand went between her legs and found she was soaking wet.

“I told you I was ready for this,” she said. “How many times do I have to tell you to not make me wait? I don’t think you listen well.”

Jace laughed, his mouth slanting over hers, his body lowering, finding her opening and slamming in fast.

She arched up and moaned.

He pulled out and rammed in again.

“You want it like that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she said. “Just like that.”

He gave it to her the way she asked, her back arched, gasps escaping every time he went deep, her muscles squeezing him internally as if she was going to suck him in.

Sweat was dribbling down his back. His control was waning.

His lips hovered over hers. “Tell me you’re close.”

“So close,” she said. “Very, very close.”

He went in deep, stayed there and did short jerky motions, her grinding against him and squeezing him so tight he wasn’t sure he could pull out if he wanted to.

Fuck no, he never wanted to leave this place.

Her nails scratched his back. The sounds flowing out of her mouth grew louder and then she came all over him.

Hard, pulsing, squeezing, causing him to slam into her again and again until there was nothing else left in him to give.

He collapsed on top of her.

“I need water. You’re the one that made me burn.”

“Why don’t you carry me to your shower and we can both cool off?” she said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever worked out that hard before. My ab muscles hurt.”

He laughed. “It was damn good, wasn’t it?”

He stood up and had her in his arms. She weighed almost nothing. She was a little thing next to him and he started to worry that he might have been too rough.

“It was fabulous and I’m counting the minutes until we do it again.”

So was he and he wasn’t sure he could seriously say that about anyone else in his past.