The Wager (28 page)

“Everything I needed to hear,” Jake said honestly. “Everything I didn’t want to hear. He said your smiles should outnumber your tears.” Jake wiped away a few of her tears with his thumb, brushing them across her cheek. “He said I should treasure you as a partner, not just a lover.” Jake held her fingers to his lips and kissed every single one. “It’s almost as if he knew I would screw up, but loved me regardless.”

“Jake, that’s what love is.”

“Love.” Jake smiled. “Love isn’t effortless; it hurts. When I watch you my chest feels like it’s going to explode, when you touch me I feel it everywhere, when you breathe I hold my breath until you exhale. Love is hell, it’s torture, it drives a man insane, and it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever felt. I feel like I just jumped into a burning building… but Char, you’re my water. I just need to know one thing.”

“What?” She whispered.

“Will you come to my rescue?”

Without answering, Char went up on her tiptoes and kissed Jake’s mouth. Her tongue met his, slowly pushing into his mouth as he tentatively kissed her back. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him onto the bed.

“So help me God, Jake Titus, if you leave me a thank you note after tonight, I will hunt you down and kill you.”

Jake threw his head back and laughed. “Does that mean you love me?”

“Nope.” Char winked. “That means a woman scorned isn’t a pretty sight.”

“Oh.” His face fell.

“But.” She shrugged. “I guess since we’re confessing.” She dropped the rest of her clothing to the floor and stepped out of it. “I’ve loved you since I first saw you.”

“You loved me when I was five and hid in my parents’ bedroom because the fireworks were too loud during Fourth of July?”

“You had blonde hair.” Char remembered aloud. “It’s dark now, but when you were little, you had the blondest hair. I remember thinking I wanted to touch it because it was so pretty.”

Jake smiled, saying nothing, as his eyes drank her in.

“I wanted you to be my first kiss,” Char admitted, crawling onto the bed and straddling him.

Jake leaned up and whispered across her mouth. “How about I just be your last?”

“What are you—”

“I love you… I am in love with you.” Jake gripped her face between his hands. “I want everything with you, all of you…”

He swept her up in a hungry kiss and ran his hands down her hips, tugging her toward him. His lips blazed a trail down her neck as he worshipped her body, eyes closed. He did everything by touch as he slowly moved down her hips to her legs and then back up again until he was cupping her breasts.

Licking his lips, he removed his hands and pulled away from her.

“Jake?”

“Not like this.” he walked over to the lights and flipped them on.

Char moved to cover herself. “Don’t.” Jake shook his head. “I want to see all of you, I want this…” He watched her lips. “I need this to be different.”

“Jake—”

“You aren’t a notch,” Jake said. “Char, you’re not a damn notch in my bed post, you’re not just some girl. This isn’t a drunken moment we’re going to share. This isn’t another one of my playboy nights. I have nothing to offer you but me, and I want nothing in return but every piece of your heart.”

Char gave him a slow nod.

“Say it,” he said in a hoarse voice.

“You have it,” Char whispered.

“What do I have?” He walked slowly toward the bed.

“My heart.” Char leaned up on her knees. “Me, all of me, every damn piece. I want you to have it all.”

When he reached her, he closed his eyes. “I swear, I’ll never let go.”

“When did you turn so romantic?”

“I don’t know.” Jake pulled her into his arms. “When did you get so damn beautiful that it makes me want to spout poetry?”

“Kiss me.”

“Nope.” Jake gently pushed her away. “I’m going to take this slow.”

“Please take it fast,” Char whined, feeling the loss of his touch like a cold wind against her body.

“No.” Jake’s fingertips grazed her chin. “I want to savor you.”

Char gasped as Jake tugged her face to his and licked her lower lip, then sucked on it, his tongue slipping past her teeth to taste her. “God, you’re amazing.” He mumbled against her lips as he nipped at her mouth and explored every single crevice of her face. Hands roaming all over her, it was impossible to think or do anything except respond to him as he coaxed her, touched her, loved her.

With a sigh, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed, gently laying her across it. He pulled away, and watched her, his eyes darkening with need, yet he held himself back.

Smiling, he dove his fingers into her hair and fanned it out around her head, combing through it over and over again as if hypnotized by the way it felt around his fingers.

“I’ve dreamed of this you know.” Jake said. “of the way your hair would look against this bed, against satin sheets, against anything really. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

Char opened her mouth to speak but he shushed her with his finger.

His head descended as he kissed her neck and then moved up to her ear, licking the tip and then blowing into it, causing goose bumps to flare across her body.

“So responsive.” His lips moved across her jaw and down her neck to the other ear. He repeated the process, and then placed a wet kiss in the middle of her chest, and blew softly across the wetness as her body once again flared to life, every nerve on edge, waiting in anticipation for his next move.

His hands were warm as they cupped her butt and slid her down on the bed. The heat from his body scorched her as he hovered over her, and his eyes never left her face as he moved his hands from her hips to her thighs. “Tonight, it’s not about me. It’s about you, only you.”

“But—”

And then all conscious thought left her as Jake’s hands worked their magic with her body. When she cried out, he placed a kiss on her forehead, and then her eyelids, and then his hands massaged down her thighs to her calves, and back up to her shoulders. It was like living in the best erotic dream of her life; every kiss, every sensation was like a drug.

When he finally pressed into her, she was so on edge that she couldn’t help but scream his name.

And that’s when his self-control, aching slowness, and all around patience snapped and in its place there was a wild, possessive man in love, who was doing everything in his power to claim her as his.

“I love you,” he whispered as their bodies moved together, sweat causing them to slide against each other.

Char’s world exploded—it changed. Colors were brighter, feelings were tighter, and her soul joined with his.

“Forever,” he whispered, out of breath. “Mine forever.”

They must have fallen asleep. Jake hadn’t been able to stop after the first time, or the second. Damn, he was lucky to have enough energy left to lift his head. The rest of the wedding party probably assumed he was pouting. That couldn’t be further from the truth: he was elated, sated, still aroused—hell, how was that possible? He drank in the sight of Char’s creamy skin, the way her chestnut hair fell over her shoulders. Incredible, she was incredible. He sighed and looked out the window. The sky was dark. Jake bolted out of bed when he heard voices coming down the hall.

“Char!” He nudged her. “Wake up!”

The sheet fell from her.

War raged inside him. Take her again or chance that the door was unlocked and his grandmother would see firsthand what happened when he was sent to his room with a dead sexy girl.

Grandma yelled something.

Fear won out. “Hurry!” He jumped out of bed and threw her dress at her.

Jake grabbed his pants and shirt and put them on as fast as he could. By the time the knob turned he was trying to straighten the bed.

The door opened.

Char sat at the edge of the bed and folded her hands. Jake joined her and exhaled.

Grandma burst through the door. “Where have you two been?”

“Here.” Jake cleared his throat. “You’re the one who sent us here to begin with.”

Travis and Kacey followed Grandma into the room. Oh great. Jake tried to keep the guilt from his face, but Travis’s knowing glance told him he was doing a really crappy job of looking innocent. Was it his fault that he couldn’t keep himself from smiling like he’d just won the lottery? He felt his smile widen; well hell. May as well embrace the fact that he wasn’t hiding anything from his brother.

“What were you two doing… alone?” Grandma folded her arms, her bracelets jingling on her wrists at the contact. “No hanky panky, right?”

“No, ma’am.” Jake shook his head and cleared his throat. “We were just playing—”

“Charades.” Char nodded.

“With two people?” Grandma’s eyes narrowed as she looked behind Char toward the bed.

“Sure.” Jake choked on his laugh—naked charades, classic. “It’s a new thing.”

Travis groaned loudly. “Damn, I wish I was playing charades.”

“Find your own partner!” Jake snapped.

“It’s not the partner that’s the problem; it’s the game warden.” He glared at Grandma.

“Are we still talking about Charades?” Grandma asked innocently.

“Yup!” Char offered a fake laugh. “It’s… uh, the game just got intense.”

“I bet it did,” Travis grumbled.

“Who won?” This from Kacey.

“Me,” Jake and Char said in unison.

“How many times did you play?” Kacey asked, but was nudged in the ribs by Travis. “What?”

“Not helping.”

“Sorry.” She muttered while Jake saw Char hold up four fingers.

Kacey gave her a thumbs up.

“Not that any of my ridiculous grandsons are paying attention to me.” Grandma walked over to the chair where Char’s bra was hanging and sat.

Jake’s eyes widened in horror.

Travis chuckled.

Kacey swiftly walked behind Grandma and pulled the bra onto the floor. “I’m paying attention, Grandma.”

“I just, I needed to tell Char and Jake before it was too late.”

“Too late?” Char asked. “For what?”

“An annulment, of course!” Grandma shouted. “What else would I be worried about?”

Jake’s mouth opened and then closed. “Why the hell would we need an annulment, we aren’t married.”

“About that.” Grandma played with a thread on her shirt. “It seems the document you signed, in the bride’s and groom’s spots… technically, you’re husband and wife.” She lifted her shoulders into the air. “Oops?”

“Oops?” Jake repeated. “Oops, my ass! You planned this!”

“How dare you!” Grandma stood. “Even I wouldn’t stoop so low as to trick my favorite grandson into marriage.”

“I was your favorite this morning.” Travis clearly felt the need to add.

Grandma ignored him. “You’ll just have to stay married. After all this family doesn’t believe in divorce and by the state of Char’s hair I’m guessing you’ve already”—Grandma had the good sense to blush—“played Charades.” Then as if remembering she was Grandma and truly possessed no censor looked at Char. “Tell me, dear, how
was
the game?”

Char blushed and reached for Jake’s hand. “Life altering, earth moving, soul searching.”

Jake’s heart beat a little faster at her admission; she’d repeated what he’d said earlier. Oh to hell with it. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed the hell out of her. Their lips met in a frenzy. He broke the kiss too soon, grinning like a fool.

“Show off.” Travis grumbled.

“Oh, honey, once you’re married tomorrow you can play all the Charades you want!” Grandma patted Travis on the arm. “Who knows maybe your Grandma will have a little time for game night over at Mr. Casbon’s.”

“Dear God, I hope not,” Jake mumbled under his breath.

“Well.” Grandma, seeming very pleased with herself, rose from her chair. “Now that that’s settled, back to business. Jake, you and Char are in charge of making sure the cake topper gets to the caterer and don’t forget about your dance.”

Jake swore.

“I feel so much better suddenly,” Travis said in a smug voice.

“Dance? What dance?” Kacey asked

“Don’t ruin the surprise.” Travis directed her toward the door and flashed Jake one last eager smile.

“Off to bed you two!” Grandma pushed Travis and Kacey out of the room. “They’re married. You, however, have one more night to spend alone before you can play your little games.”

“I hate you, Jake.” Travis called as he was ushered out of the room.

“Sleep hard, Travis!”

He was flashed the bird before the door closed behind Grandma.

“She planned it.” Char shook her head. “That menacing woman planned the whole thing.”

Jake sat back on the bed and laid down. “She should be given an honorary degree from Harvard or something.”

“I wonder if they have degrees in manipulation,” Char said aloud.

“Not manipulation. It’s like the art of war.”

“I bet in another life she was a general,” Char agreed.

There was silence for a moment. Jake reached for her hand. “I had this really romantic speech to say and then all of a sudden I realized I didn’t eat any dinner and now I’m starving. Want to go downstairs and raid the kitchen?”

“Yes.” Char jumped off the bed. “I didn’t even finish my wine at dinner!” She seemed horrified.

“Those poor children in Africa. I can’t believe you wouldn’t finish your wine. You know they don’t even have wine over there.”

“Very funny.” Char shoved past him and ran through the door. Grandma was already busy positioning her chair in the middle of the hall.

Something barked.

Jake winced. The bark got louder; he looked down. Holy shit, Grandma had bought an Ewok.

“What’s that?” He pointed to the offending animal and prayed he was hallucinating. The thing was way too small and annoying to be a guard dog.

“He’s my protector.” Grandma reached down for the puppy. “Aren’t you Charles Barkley? Aren’t you?”

“You named him after a basketball player? I didn’t even know you watched basketball.”

Grandma shrugged. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me. And I find that man… fascinating. He’s so large and commanding, if you get my meaning.”