Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) (15 page)

His fingers sunk into her hair, gripping the back of her head as he groaned softly, his tongue brushing across the crease of her lips. She turned her head a little, a moan leaving her mouth as it opened. He took full advantage of her parting and slipped his tongue into the softness of her mouth, Kari groaning at the taste of him finally being hers to enjoy.

The kiss was long and needy, both of them taking and giving until he broke it, his eyes glossy and full of passion. Pressing his forehead to hers, he closed his eyes, but she couldn't. She stared at the angelic structure of his face, his long eyelashes tickling her, his warm breath driving her mad. He moved back just a little and looked down at her.

"I love you, baby," Jake whispered softly, a quick kiss to seal the deal.

Hot tears burned her eyes and she just nodded.

She loved him too.

Chapter 17

Kari's dream stayed with her as she got ready for another day of trying to figure out life while living it at the same time. She dressed in a pair of gray slacks and a silky blue shirt, taking the time to fix her hair and makeup just perfectly. She needed an excuse to stop by and see Jake because chances of them running into each other were slim to none - or were they?

Her friends joked and laughed in the kitchen, her brother's grumble causing her to smile. She walked in and grabbed a mug of coffee to go, talking for a minute and then heading out. Kari sat in her car for a few minutes, digging through her camera bag to make sure she had everything she needed. Her new assignment at the paper was to take a few photos for a large centennial festival that would happen in late April. They wanted to show the historical parts of the town and feature the new growth in the last fifty years or so.

"Where is my lens cap?" She moved everything out of her camera bag and sighed. Not having the piece would leave her camera lens open to being scratched, and they were far too expensive to allow for that. "And yet it's been like this for the last few days. Idiot."

She got out of the car and walked around to each door, opening it and digging around in parts of the car to check and double check for the piece. With no luck, she got back in the car and drove to the office. Surely she had left it on her desk or in the break room or something.

She parked and grabbed the bag, pulling it onto her shoulder and hustling to the front door. Remembering her coat was something she rarely did and yet she hated to be cold. She opened the door and walked in, the place much too quiet. "Anyone here?"

Dumb question. The door was unlocked, genius.

Martha popped her head out of the break room. "I'm here. Cliff's wife went into labor earlier this morning, so he's at the hospital."

Kari smiled and walked toward her boss. Martha laughed and returned the smile. "That's great news! Is everyone doing okay?"

Martha nodded. "Yeah, they're doing great. Labor went well and the little boy is healthy and whole."

"Can't ask for much more." Kari moved to the door of her office, walking in and talking over her shoulder. "You haven't seen my camera lens cover, have you?"

"Nope." Martha moved into the doorway and leaned against it, her large body filling up most of the opening. "You heading out to take pictures today?"

Kari looked over her shoulder as she moved papers around her desk. "Yeah, I just really need to find that cover. My lens gets scratched and I'm screwed."

"Where have you been lately? Just the school or have you taken other shots?"

Kari plopped down in her chair, thinking. "Hmmm... I guess you're right. It must be at the school."

"Gives you a reason to see the handsome coach again at least?" Martha smiled and waggled her eyebrows.

This was true...

"Very true." She stood and walked to the door as Martha backed up. "Do you know what he eats for breakfast?"

"Ummm, I wish?" Martha laughed and walked back toward her office with a loud whimsical sigh. "I love young love."

"We're not in love. He has my camera part."

"You're damn glad he does too, aren't you?" The older woman turned and lifted an eyebrow.

Kari laughed again, nodding. "That I am."

*

Jake tried to shake the angst that pressed against his spirit, his dreams the night before a swift reminder why being anything for anyone was a bad idea. His parents might have had a relationship that most would die for, but all of his had left him beaten up and hating life.

"Fuck 'em," he muttered, hating the sound of his disdain as he parked and got out. Grateful for the ability to cover up insecurity, he righted his shoulders and walked down the hall of the school, waving and greeting everyone as if everything was fine.

Kari being in his face the last few days had shaken up desire in him again, and honestly, he didn't know what to do with it. The old him would have already pinned her to a wall and kissed his way to her heart, but that was then. He'd matured some and had more than his share of shitty relationships. They seem so new and shiny in the beginning, and then one day you woke up and found out that perhaps you were the only one being faithful.

"Bitch," he muttered under his breath, walking to his office and closing the door. He picked up a lonely basketball and threw it hard, the object smacking the wall and bouncing back at him. He hated Bethany, which he knew was a sure sign that he still loved her. Three years of loving her from afar. He'd heard she'd gotten engaged to the dude she'd cheated on him with, but he'd lost track of her then - on purpose.

Kari would be the same. They'd become friends and then it would blossom. She was exactly his type, and had stolen his thoughts and desires since the wine aisle incident. His blood percolated at the thought of undressing her, letting his hands memorize the soft curves of her body, the taste of her lips on his. He growled loudly, chucking the ball again.

"Stop it. This isn't going to happen. Until you get your fucking head on straight and let go of Bethany, this isn't happening." His anger deflated, leaving him tired. He walked to his large leather chair and sunk down in it, the sound of it accepting his weight almost soothing. A knock at his door had him slipping on his facade and sitting up.

"Come in." The cheerful sound of his voice sickened him.

The door opened and the secretary stuck her head in. "Someone up front is asking about a camera lens? You have any idea if the cute little camera girl from the paper left her cap here?"

He stood up a bit too fast, his heart beating violently in his chest. "Is she up front?"

"Who?"

He laughed, wanting to scoff at the woman. "Kari, the photographer from the paper."

"Oh! Yeah, sorry. She wanted to come back, but I wasn't sure if you were in class."

"Let her back. I have about fifteen minutes. I have the lens cap." He smiled as she shut the door, his head dropping as he pressed his hands to his desk.

"What to do... what to do... fuck me."

Kari felt like crap stopping by Judy's Bakery, but she needed something to take with her and had reconciled the fact that Sicily's shop wasn't opened yet, and Sicily had asked her to - sort of.  She got out of the car and walked quickly to the door, turning to make sure the coast was clear before slipping into the small bakery.

The smell of sticky goodness rose up around her and she breathed in deeply, her stomach rumbling from lack of sustenance. An older woman her grandmother's age looked up from behind the counter as the large bell on the door above her jingled. Every door in town must have a bell. Kari smiled at the thought.

"Hello, dear. How can I help you this fine morning?"

Kari walked toward the large glass case, the pastries filling her gaze and making her decision all the more difficult. She had the worst sort of sweet tooth - one that demanded a fix more often than not. She smiled at the woman, a little confused at the conflicting information she'd received about 'Judy'.

"Can I have one of everything?" She smiled as the lady's face stretched into a wide grin.

"I've considered making that a staple on the menu. Just about everyone who walks in asks for it. I wasn't very good at economics in school, but the odds seem to be in my favor."

Kari laughed and pointed to the muffins. "I'll take a few of those and a few donuts as well. Just throw in anything that you know will melt the heart of a boy I'm chasing."

The woman winked and went to boxing up some treats. Kari couldn't help but dig a little, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"So, are you the 'Judy' on the door or..."

"No, my daughter would be that Judy. She bought the place and pretends to run it, but it's really my baby, I guess. She wouldn't care if it burned down as long as she got her insurance money out of it."

"Oh..." Kari mumbled and moved to look at the small coffee mugs. That changed things. To undermine a rich bitch of a baker who was their mom’s age and just out to rule the world was very different than hurting the business of a little old lady. Kari glanced over at the woman and almost felt sick at wanting to help Sicily kick Judy's out of business.

Crap.

"Okay, dear. Here's your stuff. It will be eight bucks and I'll throw in a coffee for you and your beau." She smiled and worked on the coffee while Kari dug in her purse for money. She'd have to help Sicily figure out a better way to go about bringing success to the new bakery. No way could they sabotage this one. Kari almost laughed at her thoughts. Sabotage? What were they going to do? Sneak in and put ants in the flour and hair in the sugar?

Ridiculous.

She gathered her stuff and thanked the lady, walking out to her car and focusing hard on balancing everything. The drive to the school took less than ten minutes, but she spent another ten talking herself into having the courage to get out and actually go see him. What if he wasn't there? What is he didn't have the camera lens?

"It's going to suck when he did have it and turned it in to the front desk. I'll go in looking like someone who's hoping to see him and get denied." She silently cursed herself and got out, walking to the front of the school like she owned the world. Her stomached turned violently when the secretary informed her that she'd go ask.

Kari just nodded and sat on one of the small chairs in the lobby. She held one of the coffees in her hand and the bag of treats in her other. Her coffee was cooling in the car no doubt, but she didn't want to juggle the liquid with the chance of making a fool out of herself. She could manage to find another way to do that without involving hot coffee.

The secretary reappeared and smiled. "He said he has ten minutes, and does have the cap. Come on back."

Kari sighed with relief and stood, her emotions taking on a whole new level of concerns. She tried to focus on the artwork that lined the walls from the kids, but she went over how to start the conversation over and over again. Just be cool? Ask him for lunch? Coffee? Sex?

No! Not sex!

They stopped in front of this door, Kari not even realizing they had traversed across the gym floor. She smiled at the lady as she opened the door. Kari slipped in and smiled softly at him.

Jake stood and smiled at her. "Hey. I meant to tell you yesterday that you left the cap, but I was so thrown off when I got to the house and you were there that I forgot."

She shrugged and walked to his desk, extending the coffee. "No worries. I figured it was my turn to play stalker."

He laughed and took the coffee, motioning for her to take the small chair across from him. "This for me?"

"Yeah. I figured if I was going to be creepy then it would be best served with muffins and coffee."

He laughed and sat down, pulling the top off the coffee as his eyes moved about her. Her heart skipped a beat, but she took a seat and opened the top to the box, pulling out a pecan roll and holding it up to her lips, breathing in deeply.

"Wait! That one is my favorite," he said and reached for it.

"Oh! Sorry." She extended it to him and he laughed, sitting back.

"I'm just kidding. I love muffins, but it's nice to know that you’re willing to share."

She narrowed her eyes at him and grumbled. He laughed and reached for a muffin, taking a large bite and groaning. She thought she might choke on her pastry as it got stuck in her throat. He was so far beyond delicious that the box of treats held nothing on him. How had she put herself in this position?

"So the camera cap is in my truck. Let's eat this and then we'll go grab it." He licked his lips and she stifled a shudder. Why was eating so sensual all of a sudden?

Her eyes moved across the fullness of his lips, the dark gaze of his eyes, the lines of happiness and laughter in the crease of his mouth. A smiled touched her lips as she put the pastry down, butterflies dancing in her stomach.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, tilting his head slightly before taking another bite of his muffin.

"I was thinking that I'm glad you have my camera cap." She sat back and wiped her mouth with a small cocktail napkin. His eyebrow rose and she righted herself.

"I just mean that without it, the lens would get scratched and they are so expensive," she added quickly.

He laughed and pushed the rest of the muffin in his mouth, standing and stretching. "That was the best breakfast I've had in weeks. Come on, let's get your stuff before the kids come piling in here."

She stood, sadness tugging at her. What had she expected? To spend all morning watching him eat muffins? However delightful it sounded, she needed to get to work and he had class.

"Sure." She grabbed her bag and followed him out as they walked across the gym floor. He looked down at her and smiled.

"You look good today."

She blushed as warmth spread across her chest and raced up her neck. "Thanks. Just another day in the office."

He held the door as she went through, his words sweet as he whispered, "Lucky office."