Page 20

“You said he’s friendly, right?” Jacob murmurs as he follows me into my apartment building elevator.

I laugh. “Thunder has never met a stranger. He’ll probably lead you to where I keep the knives.”

Jacob’s brows shoot up to his hairline. “Why the knives?”

“I would have said he’d lead you to where I keep my jewelry, but I don’t have anything worth any money. Knives are probably the nicest thing in my apartment. Well, a couple pairs of shoes were fairly costly.”

Jacob slides an arm around my waist, squeezing me into his side. “I happen to think heels are an excellent use of money, darlin’.”

I feel a blush cover my neck as I shyly look down at the floor. I love how Jacob flirts with me, but I’m still pretty awkward, and I’m not sure I even know if I’m flirting back or not.

“Let’s hope Thunder doesn’t bring any criminals to the knives. Speaking of the kitchen, I just want to confirm that you weren’t exaggerating about liking to cook. If so, that really makes me happy,” Jacob says with a hint of a smile.

I nod. “I’m really happy that you like to cook too.”

“I use a meal service for a lot of healthy meals, but when I have down time, I really enjoy cooking. It’s pretty calming. I’m not the best chef out there, but I can handle some easy things.”

“I’ve taken cooking classes to help me learn,” I confess. “My parents wouldn’t let me in the kitchen very much growing up. We had a chef, and my mother worried if I learned to cook, or had too much free time in the kitchen, I’d get fat.”

“I fucking hate that woman,” Jacob mutters under his breath. Reaching my floor, he follows me down the hall. I hear Thunder’s woof as we approach. “Who watched Thunder while we were gone?”

“My neighbor’s daughter, Ainsley. She’s saving for college, and was all too thrilled to make a couple hundred to feed Thunder and walk him a few times a day. Usually I have Thunder at a doggie daycare facility, but they didn’t have room for him on such short notice.”

Perfectly timed, we pass Ainsley, and she tells me she just walked Thunder, and played with him for thirty minutes. As we approach my apartment, I’m hopeful it means Thunder will be calmer.

Unlocking the door, a flurry of yellow fur dances next to me, whining, but then stops completely. Thunder looks up at Jacob for a moment before barking, then leaps into Jacob’s arms. “Woah! Hey, buddy. Guess we’re friends now.”

Thunder licks the entire length of Jacob’s face, making him chuckle. “I told you he doesn’t know a stranger.”

“I hope he’s okay with the pigs,” Jacob comments as he carefully puts Thunder down. “They’ve never had a dog in the apartment, but I rarely let them just wander around. Probably best to keep him out of their room, though.”

“I thought you were embellishing about them having an entire room” I say.

“Yeah, I wasn’t kidding about that. They have an entire room,” Jacob answers, ambling around my apartment. I know his apartment has probably double, or triple, the amount of square feet, but I love my space. Soft purple lace curtains cover the large windows, and little trinkets, from all the places I’ve lived, cover a coffee table and bookshelf. A few of my favorite romance books lay haphazardly on the bookshelf. I prefer to read on my Kindle, but every now and again, I’m so struck by a book that I need to have it on my shelf as a constant reminder of how much I love it.

“This space is so … you,” Jacob says quietly.

My hackles go up. “What does that mean?”

His head pops up, and his eyes widen. “Oh, not in a bad way, Spitfire. I can see how much you love living here. It represents you, and your path to get here. I can imagine you cuddling on the couch with Thunder, undoubtedly under that thick blanket you have across the back, and watching a movie. I can see you happily cooking in this kitchen.”

“Oh,” I whisper.

Jacob approaches me slowly, lowering his voice. “I gotta be honest with you, darlin’. I’m afraid once you get to my apartment, and you see how … bland it is, you won’t want to be there. It’s nothing like this. But I really want you to be with me.”

Looking into his blue eyes, I can see the sincerity in them. “I like that you’re honest about what you’re thinking. You don’t hide things.”

He cocks his head to the side, studying me. “I have no reason to hide things from you. I believe communication is the most important part of a relationship. I hope that you’ll trust me enough to tell me what you’re thinking, too.”

“Okay,” I answer, nodding as a smile breaks across my face. “But maybe we could bring some of my things to your apartment? That way there’s more color.”

“Darlin’,” Jacob says as he pulls me into his arms, “I don’t care what you bring. Hell, bring it all if you want. I just want you .”

Butterflies erupt in my stomach as he places his lips on mine, and I sigh softly into his mouth. One hand comes up to tangle in my hair as I circle my arms around his waist. I’m against the nearest wall before I even realize Jacob walked us there, and he lifts me to wrap my legs around his waist. He nips at my lips as I settle my core against him, feeling his rigid length hit me perfectly. Emboldened, I decide to tell him what I’m thinking.

“I’ve never been with a man who’s pierced before. Well, before you,” I blurt out against his lips.

“What?” Jacob asks, the word harsh as his breath hits my face.

“Well, I haven’t. My experience is pretty limited. So I researched it. Yours. I mean your piercing. I learned way too much about penile piercings, to be honest, and somehow that led to me learning about female piercings, and holy moly, there are a lot of options down there. But for yours, it suggested I’d enjoy it best if you were behind me? So I’d like to do that. Sex. The behind kind. Wait! Not the behind kind. Not that sex. I’m so not ready for that. Oh my word. Can I just be put out of my misery right now?”

“Fucking hell, Spitfire, you are an absolute treasure,” Jacob blurts out before throwing his head back in laughter. My face burns in complete humiliation. I attempt to loosen my legs from around him so I can go hide in the bathroom, but his arms clamp down on my thighs, his hands on my ass. “No. You’re not running away. I don’t know anything about piercings, other than my own, but if that’s something you’re interested in, I can learn. What we had last night was phenomenal, darlin’, and I’m not rushing you into anything else, even the behind kind. But you are right, you’ll feel it best if I’m behind you. The piercing will hit your G-spot that way. And I want you to always trust me to hear your thoughts. You don’t have to act around me, Becca. I don’t expect the perfect version your family expected. Just you, baby. I just want you.”

Not knowing how to respond, I pull him toward me for a kiss. He kisses me softly, slowly, and so tenderly that I feel tears pool behind my eyelids. It’s an odd juxtaposition to go from talking about G-spots and piercings, to feeling like he’s getting ready to make love to me. The hand that was wrapped up in my hair slides around to cup my cheek, and I’m immediately a puddle of goo.

“Where’s your bedroom, darlin’?” he asks against my mouth. I point down the short hallway on the other side of the kitchen, and Jacob takes off, his legs making long strides across the short distance. He stops at the doorway, looking down at Thunder, who faithfully trotted behind us. “Sorry, buddy. Adults only this time, but I promise we’ll make it up to you.”

Shutting the door, Jacob doesn’t look around. His eyes are solely focused on me, and I can’t look away. His gaze is intense, and now that I know what he can do in the bedroom, I’m all too excited to experience it again. He kneels, placing me on the edge of the bed, and begins removing my shoes and socks. I quickly begin unbuttoning his shirt, then spread my hands across his pecs. He really is beautiful.

“Arms up,” he whispers huskily, and I oblige. He removes my shirt, then pulls my bra straps off my shoulders. I reach around to unhook it, letting it fall into my lap. “You are so fucking spectacular, Becca. I don’t think I’ll ever get over feeling like this. I can’t believe you’re mine.”

Goosebumps erupt as his fingers leisurely stroll along my skin, and I whimper softly. “Please, Jacob.”

“Please, what? What do you need, baby?” he asks, leaning in to place a light kiss on my collarbone.

“I need you. I need you to make love to me.”

He lets out a muffled curse as he rests his forehead against mine. “I hope this doesn’t scare you. I really hope you don’t freak out. But I can’t not tell you. I’m falling for you, Becca. And hearing you say you need me to make love to you? It’s like my dreams just came true. I’m not letting you go. Whenever this drama is done with your family, I’m not letting you go.”

I’m falling for him. I know it. But I can’t say the words. Every man in my life has failed me, for one reason or another, and I’m petrified Jacob will do the same. Instead, I pull him to me again, kissing him deeply. He helps me remove my pants, then slips out of his. Climbing onto the bed above me, only our underwear separate us, but now it’s not so much about sex. It’s about the connection we’re both feeling, whether I’m able to verbalize it or not.

We make out like teenagers for an ungodly amount of time. I find myself paying attention to his body, and reactions, to see how I can make him unravel. Jacob likes it when I suck on his tongue, and when I drag my fingernails up his spine. He really loves when I scratch his scalp, and the guttural groan he lets out whenever I nibble on his lower lip tells me he’s a big fan of that move. Without stopping a deep kiss, we each slide our underwear off so we’re fully skin to skin.

When Jacob suddenly sits up, I let out a sputtering, “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all. Just want to try something.” He grabs my arm, pulling me up, then motions for me to climb in his lap as he sits on the edge of the bed. Once I do, I realize how intimate the position is. He’s all I see. Feel. Hear.

I wonder if our heartbeats are in sync, and if he can hear mine pounding.

Jacob shifts slightly, and I feel him notched at my entrance. Pushing in slowly, his eyes never leave mine. I forget to breathe as he fills me, feeling so overwhelmed with pleasure and lust. It feels so right, and that scares the hell out of me.

I shimmy my hips a little, then gasp when I feel his piercing hit a deep spot inside me. Jacob grabs hold of my waist, picking me up before slamming me down again. Over and over he moves me along his shaft, and my orgasm builds. Then everything stops again.

“You wanted me to hit it from behind, so stand up,” Jacob grunts, his face covered with a sheen of perspiration. I stand, then look down at his lap.

“Wow,” I breathe.

“What?”

“I’ve never seen one like this before.”

“You saw mine last night, darlin’. It’s the same dick.” While his voice is deadpan, a hint of a smile twitches on Jacob’s face, and his eyes sparkle with amusement.

“But I didn’t see it covered in me,” I blurt out, and the amusement fades from his eyes.

“Turn around and back up,” he demands, his voice a full octave lower. As I do what he says, unsure what is about to happen, I wonder if when he said, “hit it”, did he mean spanking? I really don’t think that’s my kink, but I don’t know how to explain that. “Put your legs up on each side of me. Like before, but backwards.”

Oh.

I carefully position my legs as Jacob’s arms encircle me, pushing my back against his front. His breath is hot against my ear. “This also means I have better access to your tits and your clit. How many times you think you can come before I do?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” I wonder aloud.

“No, I’d like you to take a gander at a guess.”

“Two.”

Jacob laughs. “I’m thinking at least four.”

“Jacob, I don’t think I’ve come four times when I’m masturbating, much less with someone else —” I lose my train of thought when he pushes inside me, and that piercing slides right across my G-spot. My head drops back to rest on his shoulder as I’m completely overcome by the wave of pleasure that hits me. When he slides in again, he simultaneously pinches my clit and one nipple, and I immediately come.

“That’s one,” he grunts. He continues to manipulate my body, and I am a quivering, sweaty mess. Orgasms two and three are of the same caliber, and I’m close to passing out. The intensity of the barbell sliding along my G-spot is unlike anything I could ever imagine.

“Jacob, no more,” I murmur, unsure if my voice is loud enough to be heard. Honestly, I may have only said that in my head.

“You’ve got one more in you. You’re coming with me this time,” he responds, his voice strained as his thrusts pick up in speed. He grabs my neck to turn my head, kissing me harshly as his other hand finds my clit again. I scream into his mouth as I come, then completely black out.

“Earth to Becca. Come on, darlin’. I need to see those pretty eyes.”

Eyelids slowly opening, I peer up at a serious Jacob. “What happened?”

He lets out a relieved breath. “You passed out. Scared the hell out of me, Spitfire.”

“I thought you said you knew when a woman was about to pass out,” I murmur.

“It’s different because it’s you,” he responds quietly.

I stretch my arms above my head, and notice my body hums with pleasure. “I’m not even a little bit sorry.”

“I’m not surprised. Told you I could get four out of you. We’ll have to work up to six, but I think we can do it. I’m more than willing to practice,” he says, a cheeky glint in his eye.

“What a gentleman,” I tease. A muffled bark sounds from the other side of my bedroom door, and I gasp. “How long have we been in here? I should walk Thunder.”

“How about I walk him while you pack up some things for the two of you?” Jacob offers.

“Oh, I assumed you’d want me to move in sometime later. Not today,” I say nervously.

“We’re both off today, so it makes the most sense to get you over there and somewhat settled. I have to leave for another away trip in a couple days, and I want you in my building before then.”

“Why?”

“Security is tight there, and I have a parking garage that’ll be safer for you. There’s even a dog run and park for Thunder on one of the roofs.”

“Seriously? On a roof? I’d be a nervous wreck on a high rise roof with a dog,” I confess. Thunder is my baby. I’d be inconsolable if something happened to him.

“No, it’s on the third floor, I think. It’s above the building pool and gym. Thunder will like it. Some of my teammates that live in the building have dogs, and they all say it’s nice and convenient. Really great for winter storms too.”

I’m quiet as we both get off the bed and dress. Too many questions stream through my head. If and when this ends, how does it play out? Should I keep my apartment as a precaution? How will Thunder handle moving? Am I really in danger in my building, or is Jacob just being a little overdramatic about my brother?

“Darlin’,” Jacob says softly, sliding an arm around my waist. “I want you with me. You’re my wife. I want to wake up every morning next to you, and cook dinner with you whenever I can. I can’t wait to see your makeup cluttering the bathroom counter, and have your shoes next to mine at the door. Please.”

God, he’s so sweet.

I’m not sure what I did to deserve a man like Jacob, but I don’t want to give him back.