Irresistible Lies (14 page)

“Thank
you.” She smiled at him, feeling close to tears. It was finally going to be
over. She would never have to see Jamie again. “This is such a huge relief. You
have no idea.”

“You’re
welcome.” He smiled, pleased at her reaction, and leaned down to give her a
quick kiss on the lips. “Listen, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

She
was happy. Mostly, she was relieved.

But
maybe just a little sad, too.

JAMIE
WAITED PATIENTLY in his hotel room for Grace’s arrival.

He
had spent the afternoon meeting with investors, one of whom seemed ready to
make a deal. He was in such a good mood by the time he got back to his hotel
room that he decided the time was right to call Grace and make her see him
again.

He
lied and told her he needed her help running a meeting, but he didn’t feel bad
about it. She never would have agreed to see him otherwise. He was already in
deep with the lies anyway, and at this point he knew he was down to the wire. If
things with Grace didn’t turn around soon, he would be heading back to New York
without her.

He
watched the news for about an hour, killing time. When she was ten minutes
late, he called for room service and ordered a meal for them, complete with a
bottle of wine. When she was fifteen minutes late, he started feeling anxious
and began pacing the room, removing his tie in the process.

At
twenty minutes late he heard a knock on the door, and his heartbeat picked up
speed.

Jamie
threw on his most charming smile and opened the door. Grace stood there in full
work attire, her long hair in a tight bun. She was wearing a black pencil skirt
that almost reached her knees with a silky lilac blouse tucked in.

Visions
flashed through his mind of him slowly stripping off her clothing, letting her
hair down and taking her right there on the floor.

“Hi,”
she said, looking up at him with those sultry brown eyes that made him want her
even more. “Where’s your tie?”

“I
took it off. Please, come in.”

Jamie
stepped aside so Grace could move into the room without brushing past him. He
watched her as she looked around, evaluating the two-room suite that was his
home for the time being.

“Nice
hotel,” she said finally. “Where is everyone?”

“Not
here yet.”

“Oh.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t I late?”

“Yes.
Why are you late, by the way?”

She
looked away. “I had to stop home after work to see... Caroline about something.
What does it matter? Everyone else is late, too.”

He
nodded. “It appears to be a trend in Virginia.”

“Hmm.
Well, at least it gives us more time to prepare. Who are we meeting with? Give
me some background.” She took a seat on the white couch in the living area and
put a stack of folders on the coffee table, ready for work.

Jamie
thought maybe it was time to come clean before he dug his hole any deeper.
“Well, actually...”

He
was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“That
must be them,” Grace said, smoothing her skirt and crossing her legs.

“Uh,
yeah.” He turned to open the door, wondering who could be knocking.

“Room
service.”

Right.

He
watched in silence as a waiter wheeled a covered cart into the room.

Grace
looked on, confused, but said nothing. The man set up the food and opened the
wine, but still Grace said nothing. Jamie waited for the moment when something
in her mind would click and was grateful that he was able to tip the waiter and
get him out of the room before it happened. If she was going to be mad, that
was fine, but he didn’t want to give her the opportunity to storm out.

“What
is this?” she asked as he closed the door. “Are we having dinner? Why didn’t we
just go to a restaurant? Why are there only two dishes?”

He
turned to face her and watched as her confusion changed to realization. “Before
you freak out,” he said, “I can explain.”

She
stood up, enraged. “Jamie, what the hell! Do not tell me that this was all some
elaborate ruse to get me here. I will kill you.”

He
leaned against the door, partially so she wouldn’t be able to make a break for
it. “I just want to have dinner with you, Grace. I want to talk.”

“You
lied to me!”

“What
choice did I have? You refuse to see me if it isn’t work related.”

She
was gritting her teeth. “Maybe there’s a reason for that, you idiot. Take a
hint. I don’t want to see you.”

“Grace,
please.” He didn’t want to fight anymore. This wasn’t like them. They never
used to be like this. “Give me a chance. It’s just dinner.”

She
took a deep breath, and he saw a range of emotions flicker across her face.
Uncertainty, hurt, anger, and then something else. “I can’t. It’s too late. We
can’t fix this.”

“Stop
saying that. It’s bullshit.”

She
moved toward him, her arms crossed over her chest. “No. You’re not listening.
It’s too late. I’m with Charlie now. I’m his girlfriend.”

Grace
said it so matter-of-factly, yet her words hit him in the chest like a physical
blow.

“You’re
serious about him?” Jamie asked, watching her carefully.

“Yes.”

“You
love him?”

She
briefly hesitated. “Yes.”

“Liar.”
He saw the truth in her eyes and seized onto it with everything he had. “You’re
a terrible liar. At least you are when it comes to me.”

Grace
laughed without a trace of humor. “Right, who am I kidding? I can’t keep any
secrets from you.”

“You
can’t. So stop trying.”

Jamie
reached her in two long steps, pulled her closer and tilted her chin so she was
looking up at him, right in his eyes.

“Do
you have any feelings for me left at all?” he asked.

“Don’t
ask stupid questions.”

“That’s
a yes.”

“What
does it matter?”

“It
matters.”

She
pushed against him halfheartedly and glanced at the door. “Jamie, this is wrong.”

“How
so?”

“We
can’t keep doing this. We shouldn’t.”

“I’m
not concerned with that. I’m concerned with what you want, Grace.”

She
looked up at him, her lower lip trembling slightly. “What I want?”

“Yes.
Tell me the truth now.” He lowered his voice, almost to a whisper. “Do you want
to leave?”

“I...”
He felt the tension in her body and wondered why she refused to let it go, let
him take care of her. She looked so small and so confused, and it tugged at his
heart. “I don’t know.”

“So,
trust me,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. “Because I do.”

Chapter 13

Jamie
parted Grace’s lips with his, ever so gently. She didn’t kiss him back, but she
offered no resistance.

Her
mind was in turmoil. Part of her wanted to leave, but a bigger part of her
wanted to stay and see what would happen.

Jamie
increased the pressure of his kiss and brushed her tongue with his, and she
reflexively started to respond. He placed one hand on her waist and the other
on the sensitive base of her neck, sending little shivers down her spine.

He
moved his mouth to the corner of her lips and kissed his way to her earlobe.
She gave a little sigh of pleasure when he reached the column of her neck and
made his way down, and he responded by tightening his hold on her.

“Don’t
fight it,” he whispered, his hand brushing over her breast. Although her blouse
covered her, she felt the contact throughout her entire body and squeezed her
eyes shut.

When
he kissed the exposed top of her breast, her desire turned into a physical
ache.

“I
can’t fight it anymore,” Grace whispered, giving in. “I don’t want to.”

Their
eyes met. Without words, she gave herself to him, knowing that this was
inevitable. They were going to make love. There was no more thinking,
reconsidering, or changing minds.

Jamie
lifted her up easily and tossed her gently on the bed, moving so that he was on
top of her. She felt the heavy bulge of his arousal against her, and it only
increased her own. She undid the buttons of his shirt as quickly as she could,
practically tearing it off of him.

“Jamie,”
she breathed, marveling at his chest. It was just as she remembered—solid
as a wall. She ran her hands over it, bringing back old memories, then shifted
her exploration to his muscular arms, remembering their strength and how safe
she used to feel when he held her in them.

She
propped herself up so that she could kiss the familiar territory, enjoying the
feel of his muscles rippling in response. He stopped her after a brief moment
and pushed her gently back down, grinning at her.

“Not
so fast, sweetheart,” he told her, his blue eyes dark with desire. “I want to
see you.”

He
pulled her blouse over her head so that only her thin, silky black bra
remained. He ran his hands over her breasts while his eyes scrutinized every
inch of her.

 
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
she asked breathily, feeling her nipples harden. He pinched them through the
fabric with his calloused fingers, increasing the throbbing between her legs.

“Shh,”
he whispered, kissing and caressing the exposed parts of her breasts and
driving her wild. Clearly unsatisfied, he reached underneath her and unhooked
the bra, pulling it off so that there was nothing between them.

There
was a pause as he stared at her. “Grace?”

“What?”

He
cupped her full breasts in his hands, weighing them. “These are not how I left
them.”

Childbirth
could do that to you. She was too aroused to care that they were entering into
dangerous territory. “Bigger?”

“Much
bigger. Don’t get me wrong, I like them. I like them a lot.” He moved his mouth
down and tugged at her nipple with his teeth, making her arch her back for
more. “It’s just unexpected.”

“Don’t
over-think it,” she told him, her breathing ragged. “There’s more for you to
enjoy.”

He
seemed to accept that as an answer and busied himself getting to know her
changed shape, touching and kissing her breasts in the ways he knew she liked.
He lavished attention on her tightened nipples with his mouth, nearly bringing
her to ecstasy. She whimpered despite herself, desperate for all of him.

“I’ve
missed this,” he told her, his voice laced with desire. “The sounds you make
when I touch you.”

“Jamie,
don’t make me wait.” She didn’t care that she was begging. She ran her hands
down his chest and unbuttoned the waistband of his pants, making him groan. “It
has been too long.”

But
he stopped her and pinned her hands back to the bed. She moaned in frustration.

“I’m
afraid you’re going to have to, sweetheart.” He grinned devilishly at her.
“You’ve made me wait five years.”

“You’re
mean,” she whined, past the point of caring about how desperate she sounded.
She hadn’t been touched like this in so long, and with every kiss Jamie was
bringing her body back to life. She craved him like she had never craved
anything before. “Jamie, come on...”

He
ignored her pleas. “You know what else I’ve missed?” He pushed her skirt up and
moved his fingers between her legs, brushing them against the damp satin
barrier that covered her sex. “The sound you make when I touch you like this.”

She
moaned, and he increased the pressure of his fingers on her most sensitive
place, stroking her and watching her reactions. When she couldn’t take it
anymore, he slid down her skirt. She parted her legs wide, more than ready to
take him inside of her, and he removed the skimpy, final barrier.

She
waited for him to remove the rest of his clothes, but he didn’t. Instead he
kissed her inner thighs, teasing her with his caressing fingers and the feel of
rough stubble against soft skin.

“I’ve
missed touching you like this.” He slid his finger inside of her and she
clenched around him, closing her eyes.

“It’s
not enough,” she said, even as her whole body shivered. “I need more.”

“More?”
He moved his finger slowly in and out of her, torturing her.

“Jamie,
please. It has been too long.”

“How
long has it been, Grace? How long has it been since someone has made love to
you?”

She
opened her eyes to look up into his turbulent ones. “Years.”

“Since
me?”

She
nodded.

His
hand stilled, and she saw the surprise on his face. “That’s just
beautiful
.”

He
leaned down to kiss her, ravaging her mouth possessively. His tongue swirled
with hers in an erotic dance, leaving her breathless.

“Do
you know what that means?”

“What?”

“That
you’re mine,” he said, biting at her bottom lip. “No one else’s.”

For
some reason, she found that incredibly sexy. She was pretty sure that if he
didn’t take her soon, she would lose her mind.

“Jamie,”
she begged. “Please.”

He
slid his body over hers, nothing but skin against skin. “If you want it,” he
told her, swinging her on top of him effortlessly, “take it.”

She
didn’t hesitate, knowing exactly what she wanted. She undressed him, sighing
contentedly when he was finally naked. He was perfectly sexy, perfectly Jamie,
hard with desire for her. Seeing the evidence of his arousal made her feel
powerful, beautiful and wanted.

She
stroked him gently with her hand, re-familiarizing herself with an organ she
once knew intimately. He moaned and ground his hips against her.

“Now
who has to wait?” she said cheekily.

“Don’t
you dare tease me now,” he warned, narrowing his eyes at her. She squeezed him
in her hand and he moaned again.

“Maybe
I will, maybe I won’t.”

She
would have stretched it out longer, driving him as crazy as he had driven her, but
she couldn’t wait to have him. She lowered her hips on top of his and he
entered her in one smooth motion, grabbing her waist and pulling her even
closer to him.

“Oh,
Jamie,” she cried out. She felt every inch of him inside of her, filling her
completely.

So
this was sex. She had thought she had forgotten what it felt like after five
years of celibacy, but her body remembered. At least it remembered Jamie. She
couldn’t believe how much she needed this feeling. Even if she wanted to, she
wouldn’t be able to stop now.

She
moved her hips, pulling him deeper inside of her.

“I’ve
missed this most of all,” he said, looking up at her with burning eyes.

“So
have I,” she whispered, moving against him in a slow rhythm.

He
moved her long hair aside so that it was no longer covering her breasts and
cupped them in his large hands. Her already sensitive nipples tightened. She leaned
forward to kiss him, stilling his movements. He met her mouth in a passionate
frenzy, their tongues tangling and arousing each other further.

He
pulled away, breaking the kiss, his eyes dark with desire and need. “Enough,”
he told her. “My turn.”

“For
what?” she asked him, eyes wide.

In
answer, he flipped her over so that she was on her back, him still inside of
her. He thrust his hips, inserting himself deeper, and she cried out.

She
dug her nails into his broad, hard shoulders. “Don’t stop, Jamie.”

In
answer he picked up speed, giving them both what they wanted. She wrapped her
legs around his waist and held on for the ride, so lost in sensation she
couldn’t keep her eyes open.

He
drove her to the edge and she could feel herself going over. He held her
fiercely, and she knew he was going with her.

“Look
at me,” he demanded. “I want to see you.”

She
opened her eyes to meet his and felt everything snap into place, back to the
way it had been when they had first made love and the way it was every time since.

She
gripped him tighter, feeling the first wave of ecstasy ripple through her body.

“Oh,
Jamie.”

“Grace...”

He
thrust hard into her, one last time, and passion swept them away. She was
fairly certain she had never experienced something so exquisite in her entire
life.

“You’re
amazing,” he said, his breathing ragged as he came down from the height.

“That
was incredible,” she whispered.

Jamie
kissed her sweetly before detaching himself from her, but he kept his arm
draped possessively over her waist. She snuggled closer to him on the bed,
already missing his warmth.

For
the first time in a long time, Grace felt a flicker of hope come to life inside
of her. This was the Jamie she remembered. This was the man she had fallen in
love with.

She
had been thinking so negatively about everything since he had walked back into
her life, and now she was realizing that could have been a mistake. There was
no reason they couldn’t get back together and make things work this time. There
was no reason she couldn’t give him another chance.

It
was up to them. If they wanted to put the past aside, they could do it. They
could move forward.

They
had the power here, not fate, not the stars, not Caroline and her opinions.
Being with Jamie was a choice she could make.

This
moment of clarity filled her chest with something that felt suspiciously like
happiness, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“What
are you thinking about?” Jamie asked her. His smile was wide enough to rival
hers.

“Just...
everything. This was unexpected.”

“In
a good way?”

She
placed her head on his chest, in the spot that had always been hers. “I think
so.” She listened to the steady beating of his heart. “What do you think?”

“This
is the happiest I’ve been in a very long time, Grace.”

“Really?”

“Yes,
really.”

He
wrapped his arm tighter around her.

“So,
what happens now?” It was the one question she really wanted answered. Forget the
past. Forget everything. Did they have a future? Was this real?

Jamie
ran his fingers through her hair over and over, lost in thought. “I have an
idea.”

“Tell
me.”

“It
will probably sound crazy.”

“I
don’t care. This is already crazy. Just say it.”

“Okay.
Move with me to New York.”

“What?”

“Move
back to New York. Work at the brewery. Let’s give this a real shot.”

She
pulled herself up to look at him straight in the eyes, wondering if he was
serious. He didn’t look like he was kidding, not at all.

“That’s
moving kind of fast, isn’t it?” Even as she asked the question, she knew
exactly what she wanted to hear. She wanted him to tell her that it wasn’t too
fast, that he loved her and that that would be enough for them this time.

He
just grinned. “It’s not like I’m asking you to marry me, Grace. We can take it
slow. I just don’t want us to be in a long distance relationship. Come to New
York with me. We can date and do all the things couples do.”

“Oh.”
Okay, well, slow could work. She could make that work.

Except
for the fact that she had a son. She couldn’t very well move to New York and
hide him. If Jamie was going to be with her, he was going to have to be a
father. Slow would have to become quick real fast.