Page 9 of Handling Skylar (Hope Parish #5)

JAKE

I woke up with a hard on. Not just an average one, but one that ached like a son of a bitch.

I wanted to roll over right now and find Sky warm and soft against me.

I wanted to tell her exactly what I wanted to do to her every step of the way, then I wanted to do her every step of the way until she was sobbing into my mouth, begging me for more.

I wanted to taste every fucking inch of her.

Dammit, I wanted to hit something that would make my hand hurt so I could somehow dissipate this anger that I woke up with, anger I went to bed with. Anger all the time.

I shouldn’t have danced with her, drove her home, kissed her.

Those were reasonable things to do, but suddenly I wasn’t feeling very reasonable, and every thought in my brain was winding around to how could I get closer, get my hands on her, get her into my bed, have my way with her until this inconvenient need went away.

It wouldn’t go away.

I knew it with every tortured breath I took, my body needing release.

Needing her until my blood pounded. The sensuous memories wouldn’t stop and it all just jacked me up more.

It was the closeness, the way she was so easy and free.

How she had told me to put the top down and listened to every word I said, focused on me. It was a fucking heady rush.

Then we’d gotten to her place and she’d been all windblown and sexy, the way she looked at me clear as fuck that she wanted what I wanted. Then we were too close, and she let out that soft, weary breath full of her pent up longing.

And the sweetness of it just about did me in. I closed my hand around my dick, pumped my hips and groaned low and deep.

I wanted the sweetness of her in my mouth, wanted her sweetness on my tongue, to lick her mouth, and every other place on her body. Just lick her until she came, then take her and make her mine.

I was damn near electrified with the memory of the closeness of her body, all those sensuous, silky curves pressed up against me, all that cowgirl in-your-face charm working me over. I stroked myself, the muscles of my stomach flexing and rippling at the pleasure.

I needed something cold, like a shower—but all I felt was heat. Heat of the moment, sexy hot woman heat, brain melting into my shoes heat.

Fucking doomed heat.

I’d said her name, softly, like that could possibly save me from what I was feeling. Then my hand had come up to cup her cheek—mistake number two—and it had been all gravity and falling after that.

I shifted my overheated body and groaned when the feel of the sheet sent waves of pleasure across my dick, coalescing into the throbbing tip. I ran my hand over myself and groaned again. The wan light of the sun slanted across my big bed telling me that dawn was only moments away.

Here I was, only hours from church and I was thinking about fucking Sky hard and oh-so-good.

A light sheen coated my body, my breath harsh, my fingers moving up and down my cock until the aching pressure in my balls only added to the building pleasure.

She had been so take-my-breath-away beautiful, looking up at me with that wild tumble of black hair framing her face, her skin so soft, her gaze so full of longing and locked onto me like she was drowning.

She’d whispered my name and it had been game over.

I’d understood. I’d wanted and needed anything she could give, everything I’d been without, and she had been holding on to me like she was never going to let me go, had me up real close and personal.

I’d felt the rise and fall of her breasts on every breath, and so help me God, it had fogged up my brain, given me a bad case of tunnel vision, with her the only light at the end—those hazel eyes rimmed in thick black lashes and smudged with purple shadow, that soft, soft mouth, her lips slick with apple tasting lip gloss.

I thought I was stronger than this.

But not last night. Not when I’d been walking a razor’s edge between this breath and the next.

Once , I’d told myself, kiss her once .

Just once to see me through.

I’d been asking for trouble, more trouble than I could manage—and I’d known it.

Handling Skylar would burn me in many, many ways.

But that hadn’t been enough to stop me.

Holding her gaze, I’d lowered my lips to hers and watched her eyes drift closed in readiness for my mouth. It had been all so damn easy and been all so damn complicated at the same time. She’d held her breath, the sensual heat of her had drawn me closer and closer—cowgirl wild.

I’d taken my time, an eternity, barely touching my lips to hers, wanting to hold every breath of her inside me, to savor every intimate moment until I pulled away. That had been my plan.

For the record, I’d noted that what had happened was totally my fault.

It had been all me, all the way, from the first crumbling of my outer wall of defense all the way through to my total surrender.

I’d kissed more women than I could remember, literally.

So many beautiful faces running together over time had made a hash of some of my memories, but I’d never kissed Skylar Bransom.

Just the smell of her was enough to get me hard and the taste of her…

My entire body shuddered with a fierce, roaring urgency, stunning in its intensity. I was under her complete power and command.

My stomach muscles clenched, and I dug my heels into the mattress, panting as my climax surged. My hips bucked, sending me to a shuddering orgasm.

After I came out of the shower, I shaved and tried to deal with my hair, but it wasn’t cooperating, getting too long.

I absently thought I’d need a cut soon. Snagging my phone, I saw that I had missed three calls from Anna Kate.

I threw the phone on the bed and got dressed, tucking it into the back pocket of my dress pants.

Slipping into my suit coat, I headed downstairs and had breakfast. My phone buzzed two more times, but I ignored both calls.

In church an hour and a half later sitting next to my parents, my mind on how my life had just gotten so complicated, my gut and my mind both in turmoil. Anna Kate had the connections and the social status I needed, but Sky connected to me on a level that was deeper than any woman I had ever met.

Two days passed and the phone calls from Anna Kate got more frequent. I still didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure I knew what I was doing.

I had no idea I was headed over to my sister’s place until I pulled into the driveway.

Her car was gone, but Brax’s truck was there.

I wasn’t sure what to do, the restlessness in me making me crazy.

He came out to the porch, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Hey, huckleberry. Your sister isn’t here. She went—”

“I came to see you.”

His brows rose. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“I want to expand our store.” And, the orchard, but I wasn’t ready to talk about that yet.

“Oh, yeah. Come on in and tell me what you have in mind.” He held the screen door open, and I went inside. Brax and I often sparred with my reach being much better than his, but that boy had quite the left hook.

I could smell cinnamon in the air. I settled down on the sofa.

He moved some toys from the seat of a chair and sat across from me.

A few years ago I couldn’t even imagine the angry guy he used to be, a father, married to my sister and all that he had been was still there, minus the skirt-chasing and the anger.

I wondered how he had let it go. “I think with the addition of your sauces, we could expand to include more items, including specialty items and much more. Give it a more general store feel. People enjoy variety and we have more to offer than just nuts in this town.”

“Sounds like a great plan to me. Have you run it by your daddy?” Anger twisted. “He told me to run it by Chase,” I growled.

“That’s a good idea. He’s made a success out of his own…store. You look pissed. Why?”

“Everything is always about Chase.” My tone was filled with resentment. “He couldn’t take the time to hear me out. I always feel dismissed.”

“Maybe that’s your perception and not fact.”

“You’ve never had to deal with a daddy.” The moment the words were out of my mouth, I said. “Damn, Brax. I’m sorry. That was out of line.”

He looked away, then back at me, his tone subdued.

“I have dealt with my daddy, Jake, and I get it. You’re trying to find your way within your family and in your own life.

But leaving unresolved issues between you and Chase is only going to cause more heartache for your sister and your parents, not to mention what it’s doing to Chase.

I don’t understand what happened between you, but I would be lost without my brothers, so I can’t relate.

All I can say is forgive him, Jake, before you lose too much more time.

It’s no secret that I would kill for River.

I don’t want to see her unhappy, but I also need to tell you to pull your head out of your ass. ”

“What?”

“Anna Kate isn’t going to make you happy.

You are respected in this town, but that harpy doesn’t respect you.

I’ve seen the way she treats you. You deserve better than that.

Someone who’s part of your life, not a fixture.

Anna Kate only cares about one thing. Your money.

You stand to inherit a fortune. Do you want a sham marriage? ”

“No,” I said immediately. I wanted the lasting and loving relationship my parents had. I was caught off-guard. I hadn’t really thought about that before. Damn Brax and his sage advice.

“Then what are you doing?”

It was my turn to look away. “I have no idea.”