Page 71 of Work It Out
No. She wanted him to strip naked and let her ride him until her thighs gave out. And she had killer strong thighs.
She held up her lemonade. “All set, thanks.”
A crooked grin. A flirty wink. “Whatever you say, cupcake.”
The way he said her nickname had shifted. It always sounded a bit risqué, but it was positively pornographic now. Forevermore, the only thing she’d be able to think of when he called her cupcake would be the low moan he’d make lapping up all her icing.
No one had ever heated her blood the way Jake did. Before he’d returned to Bigbone, she’d started to wonder if she was too damaged to feel that kind of excitement. If he’d given her nothing else, he’d laid that fear to rest.
“Christopher,” Quin shouted. “Christopher!”
Jake’s eyes never left her. “Gramps.”
“You’ll be with Rayah Summers, son.”
A wide grin split his too tempting mouth. “Yes, sir.” More quietly he added, “And I can’t wait.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
November 7
Bigbone Community Facebook Group
Rigged! The whole thing is rigged, I tell you. Quit making my life hell just because I called your meatloaf dry, Jean. I said I was sorry.
-Carlos
Jake desperately wanted to bustle Rayah out the door before Gramps dismissed everyone and the socializing resumed, but he also wanted to avoid a tongue-lashing from anyone but her. So he waited. Gramps adjourned the meeting with a reminder that the Hunt started at eight sharp the next morning. Thirty seconds later Granny was on him, shaking her head andtsking. “I don’t like it.”
“What’s that?” Jake asked, though he had a feeling he knew.
“They’re starving you.”
Rayah stared at Granny as if she’d lost her mind. “He crammed fifteen hundred calories in his gut in the last hour alone.”
“He’s too skinny.”
“I— He—”
“I’m fine, Granny. I actually need to lose a few more pounds before I’m camera ready.” He pulled the hem of his shirt up and patted his belly. “See, no six-pack yet.”
Granny rolled her eyes, muttering about not understanding kids today. Rayah’s eyes, however, were locked on his exposed flesh.
Shit. He had to get out of here. If she kept looking at him like that—like she wanted to lick every inch of him—the situation in his jeans would get awkward. Granny rambled on, but Jake took the calculated risk of interrupting her with a kiss to the cheek. “See you in the morning.”
She plopped her hands on her rounded hips. “Excuse me, young man. We need your help cleaning up.”
“Granny, I’ve been up since five and worked out like twenty hours today,” Jake began.
“Four,” Rayah coughed. “Total.”
He frowned down at her too-innocent expression. “It felt like twenty.” He switched his frown to his grandmother. “And if you’re worried about someone trying to kill me, malnutrition is the least of your concerns. You need to talk to your boytoy.”
She waved that off. “Blaine’s a sweetie. He’s just trying to help you.”
“And I’m not?” Rayah demanded.
“Oh, no. No more catfights tonight.” He turned Rayah toward the side exit because it was closest. “’Night, Granny!”
