A Man to Believe In (11 page)

From his position on the floor in front of the fireplace, Jake handed her the bowl. “Not much left.” He rolled from his side onto his back and positioned a navy-blue pillow beneath his head. Firelight played over the rugged features of his face, creating mysterious shadows.

She fished through the unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bowl, salt and butter clinging to her fingers. “The only ones left are the old maids!”

“Appropriate, don’t you think?”

Cori looked up to find him watching her, a devilish gleam in his eyes. “Explain yourself, mister.”

She watched him loop his fingers together as he slipped his hands under his head and closed his eyes. He’d shed his suitcoat and loosened his tie before stretching out in front of the fire. His gold cuff links lay on the edge of the hearth, where he’d set them before rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. His dark hair bore the tunnel marks that resulted each time he ran his fingers through his curls. He looked so relaxed. Cori felt like a tightly wound spring ready to snap.

“I’m waiting for an answer,” she said.

His eyes still closed, he said, “How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine. You already know that.”

“Have you ever been married?”

She drew her brows together and frowned. “No.”

Jake opened his eyes and rolled back to his side to face her, propping his head on his hand. “I rest my case.”

Cori set the empty bowl beside her and smiled. Two could play this game. “How old are
you
?”

“Thirty-seven.” He grinned. “And
you
already know
that
.”

“Have
you
ever been married?”

“Nope. That makes me a bachelor.” He reached for his wine and drained the glass in one long swallow. “You, on the other hand, are an old maid. According to tradition, of course.” She threw a pillow at him. He ducked, then held up a hand to cease her attack. “But you’re in luck.” His gaze swept over her from head to toe, and she felt a warm glow shoot through her veins. “I have a thing for old maids.”

Cori’s eyes never wavered under the intensity of
his challenging stare. They’d been headed for this since the first time he’d slipped his arms around her waist at the Halloween party. She understood that. What she didn’t understand was why he was holding back. He wanted her. She was sure of it. And she was tired of waiting for him to make his move.

Slowly, she stretched out next to him, then reached over and grabbed his tie. She pulled it toward her, forcing him closer. “Prove it,” she said.

Jake slid his arm around her and pulled her beneath him. “Are you sure? Once I get started, I won’t stop until I’m convinced you believe me.”

“How will you know?”

He brought his hand up and brushed his knuckles across her cheek, thinking it was a miracle he’d lasted this long without touching her, grateful that the agonizing wait had finally come to an end.

“We’ll both know,” he whispered, and lowered his mouth to hers.

Cradling her head in his hands, he nipped gently at her lower lip before drawing it into his mouth. With his tongue he tasted, tested, teased repeatedly, until she finally opened her mouth in surrender, teaching him, with one kiss, the value of patience, showing him, in seconds, what his grandfather had been trying to tell him for years—that anything worth having was worth waiting for.

Jake dragged his lips from hers to plant kisses on her eyes, her cheeks, her forehead, memorizing the feel of her skin, the subtleness of her scent as it whirled around him. He would take his time with her, he decided, and before the night was over he
would know every inch of her body as well as he knew his own. Better.

With a slowness designed to tease them both, he turned his attention back to her mouth. Tenderly, he explored the shape of her lips with his tongue before playfully tugging at the comers of her mouth with his teeth.

Cori sighed against his mouth, frustrated by his gentle assault. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her body tingled with the warm sensations his lips were creating. She wanted more. Much more.

She pushed her hands against his chest until he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. Her breasts crushed against his chest, she gave him a long, slow, satisfying kiss. She felt his fingers wander down her naked back and arched into him lazily.

He groaned. “Do you have any idea how much I want you?” he murmured against her lips.

Her hands braced on his shoulders, she slipped her knee between his legs, pressing intimately against him and staring down into blue eyes stormy with passion. Slowly, she curved her lips into a smile. “I have a very good idea,” she replied, then laughed out loud when his eyes widened at her bold remark.

Before she could blink, she found herself beneath him again. His mouth came down on hers in a demanding kiss that left her breathless. He trailed kisses along the ridge of her jaw, then turned his attention to her neck, his tongue lingering on her throat. She ran her hands through his hair and drew in a ragged breath, filling her nostrils with the spicy scent she’d come to associate with him.

Until that moment she hadn’t been completely sure she was doing the right thing. But when Jake lifted his head and gazed down at her with heartrending tenderness, her doubts melted away.

Jake framed her face with his hands. He had never seen anyone so beautiful, never felt such a strong need to possess. He took her mouth in a fast, hard kiss.

“This is going to be one helluva night,” he whispered.

Moving off her, he stood up, then drew her to her feet. He ran his hands down her sides and over her hips, savoring the way the clingy material molded to her curves, then pulled her against him, fitting their bodies tightly together. Slowly, he drew his fingers up her thigh, where the slit in the jersey allowed him access. “Did I tell you how much I like this dress?”

“You said it was nice,” Cori reminded him, smiling.

“I lied.”

She felt his hands at the nape of her neck, his fingers working loose the three tiny buttons that held the backless creation together. “It’s sexy.” One button gave way as he whispered the words into her ear. “Sensational.” She felt a curious sense of relief when the second sprang loose from its loop. “A real knockout.” The final button slipped free.

He drew the dress down over her shoulders, then stepped back, and the top half fell to her waist. His gaze raked over her shoulders and breasts before returning to her face. He slipped his hands inside the material gathered at her waist and eased it down
over her hips until the dress fell to the floor. Then he rolled her pantyhose down her legs, pulled them off and tossed them aside, leaving her standing before him in nothing but a pair of lacy white panties.

“I feel so vulnerable,” she whispered, somehow managing to resist the urge to cover herself while he devoured her with his eyes.

He drew her back into the safety of his embrace. “I won’t hurt you. I want to protect you.”

His hands wandered down her body, his thumbs grazing the sides of her breasts, sending shivers to her toes. She dug her fingers into his arms and wondered how much longer her legs would hold her up.

“Lord, Cori. I have a great imagination, but it didn’t even come close. You’re so beautiful.” He pulled her to him. She felt the heat of his erection burn into her. “And I want you so damn much, I hurt.”

She rubbed against him. Her skin met with smooth material from her breasts to her thighs, reminding her that he still wore most of his clothes.

“I wonder if you look as handsome naked as you do fully dressed,” she teased, suddenly needing to slow the tension building between them. “Let’s find out.” Reaching for his tie, she discarded it without delay.

Jake looked down at her, an indulgent smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Would you care to place a bet?”

Cori rolled her eyes. “You’re so cocky.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” he murmured,
his voice suddenly serious again. He took her hand and pressed it against the proof of his statement.

She slid her palm over him, relishing the knowledge that she had done this to him, that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Impatiently, she pulled his shirt up and free of his pants, eager to find out what she thought she already knew—he would be nothing short of magnificent. She remembered how he’d looked when she’d met him—dressed as a pirate, naked to the waist. Smiling inwardly, she decided she hadn’t seen nearly enough of him that night.

Her fingers trembled as she tried to hurry. When she finally had the shirt open, she whisked her hands over his shoulders and sent the garment tumbling to the floor.

His chest rose and fell with the effort of breathing. She pressed her lips to his skin. Her tongue licked and teased. When she drew his nipple into her mouth, he moaned.

“You’re killing me,” he managed to say, and pulled her away before placing her hands around his neck. “Hold on, sweetheart.” He curved his hands around her hips and lifted her. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist. The cool metal of his belt buckle pressed through her thin lace panties. She gasped and arched her back.

Bending his head, Jake took her breast into his mouth, paying her back in kind, circling the peak with his wet tongue until the rigid tip ached for more. His teeth nipped playfully before his mouth closed over her again and he sucked deeply.

Cori had never known such intense desire. Her head fell back and she closed her eyes, gripping his shoulders, kneading his muscles as they flexed beneath her fingers. His hot mouth continued its torture until she thought she would melt.

“Jake, stop! I can’t take any more.”

He raised his head and pierced her with a smoldering gaze. “Say it again. Tell me to stop and I will. I promise.”

She shook her head and whispered, “Please, don’t stop.”

He slowly set her down, letting her body rake against his, creating a delicious friction every inch of the way. “Finish undressing me.”

She removed his shoes and socks first, fumbling with the laces because her hands were shaking with excitement. Next, she unbuckled the belt that had pressed against her so intimately only minutes before. The button at his waist slipped from its hole easily. Her hands trembled as she carefully drew the zipper down.

With only a moment’s hesitation she shoved down his pants, and he kicked them off. He stood before her, completely, gloriously naked.

She stepped back, taking in the full length of his body in one swift glance. With the firelight enhancing the bronze color of his skin, he looked like an Aztec god, she decided. Strong, powerful, worthy of respect. It was dangerous for a man to look this good. Dangerous, exciting, wonderful, spectacular.

Jake folded his arms across his massive chest and gave her a bold grin. “Well, what’s the verdict?”

Cori laughed. “Oh, Jake. You
are
cocky.” She shot
a meaningful glance downward and smiled. “But I have to admit, I like what I see.”

“Me too. Except for these.” He hooked his finger in the lacy band of her bikini panties and pulled her closer. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “They’re very sexy.” With his finger he traced the pattern of lace to where it disappeared between her legs. “But they’ve got to go.” In one smooth move he swept the sheer fabric away.

Jake lowered her to the floor. He captured her mouth with his, parting her lips with his probing tongue. She whimpered softly, welcoming his invasion, eagerly meeting each hungry thrust as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

He committed to memory the taste of her, the smell of her, the way she reacted to his slightest touch. Her body moved against him in a lazy rhythm, quickly bringing him to the brink of losing control. Rolling onto his back, he wrapped his arms around her, taking her with him.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” he whispered hoarsely. One by one he pulled the silvery pins from her hair. She shook her head, and the red-gold waves tumbled free, skimming his chest with aching softness. Savoring the way her hair tickled his skin, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, she was watching him, her gaze filled with honest desire.

“You are, without a doubt, the sexiest woman I have ever known. Come here.” He sunk his hands into her hair and pulled her head down until her lips
met his. He ravaged her mouth with his tongue while his hands played over her body.

His fingers met with soft skin and smooth curves. In slow motion he eased her onto her back. He drew a line with his finger from her throat to her navel and back up to her breast. With his thumb he caressed her nipple until it puckered into a tight peak, then took possession of the rosy nub with his mouth. His hands slid down her body. His lips followed in their wake, lingering at her waist to nip gently at her hipbone. He couldn’t remember ever wanting to please a woman the way he wanted to please her.

Cori tried to hold her body still as his hands and mouth moved over her with skillful intent, but each kiss, each caress, made her crave more. His uninhibited lovemaking left her breathless. Her own unrestrained responses stunned her.

He kissed his way across her stomach and down her legs, his tongue teasing first her ankles, then her toes, and finally the arch of her foot. She wondered how much more she could take before she begged him to be inside her and make her complete.

“Do you have any idea how much I want you?” she managed to whisper, remembering the husky sound of his voice when he’d asked her the same question moments earlier.

Before she could take another breath, he slid one finger into the moist heat between her legs. “I know exactly how much you want me, sweetheart. And I promise you won’t be disappointed.” Pushing himself up with his arms, he positioned himself between
her thighs, then froze. “Oh, Lord, Cori. We’ve got a big problem.”

She slid her hand between their bodies and grasped him, tenderly squeezing his rigid flesh. “I know.”

“That’s not the problem.” He moved off her and collapsed on the floor, throwing his arm across his eyes. “I’m not prepared,” he told her with a groan.

It took her a moment to realize what he was trying to tell her. When she finally understood, she let out a long sigh.