Page 73 of Work It Out
As soon as he made it past the curvy portion of the drive, Jake slipped his hand into hers. When she threaded her fingers with his, his chest relaxed, and he breathed deeper. He brought their twined hands up to kiss the back of her palm. Her heated stare lit up his every nerve, but he didn’t dare return it.
Gravel crunched under their tires as he turned onto the drive that led to her cabin. God, he loved it here. Stars blanketed the sky by the thousands just for them, or so it seemed. Sometimes the illusion was more than enough.
He put the car in park, but when Rayah started to pull her hand from his, he held tight. She settled back in her seat, her shoulders squared. “I need to know where you’re at.” Jake watched his thumb run over her knuckles. “I’m going to be real honest. If I go in there, I’ll be all over you. If that’s not what you want, that’s cool. I’ll go to Granny’s or Pierce’s. Hell, I’ll sleep in this extra-large gerbil cage. The cold might do my dick some good. Tomorrow, I can be as civilized as you want. Tonight…” He shook his head. “I’m way too raw tonight.”
Rayah eased her hand from his, and he contemplated the logistics of kicking his own ass. He shouldn’t have said anything. Except it was true, and he’d never—
Frigid air flooded the car. The door slammed shut behind her.
She’d left.
He banged his head against the steering wheel. Idiot.
Another gust of cold air swept in as the driver’s door opened. “Careful, you might knock loose something important.” Jake turned his head to the side without lifting it from the wheel. The moonlight made her dark hair shimmer and her skin glow. “Come on, Jake.”
And still he hesitated. “Be sure, cupcake. Be really fucking sure.”
She bent down, though she didn’t need to bend far before she was face-to-face with him. Her brown eyes were steady, serious. She pushed the hair away from his forehead with one delicate hand. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
That was all he needed to hear.
…
Rayah gasped as Jake’s mouth came down on hers. She wasn’t sure how he’d pulled his tall frame from her tiny car so quickly, but before she’d fully processed what was happening, Jake had her in his arms and his mouth on hers. She wrapped herself around him like a baby koala, but she wasn’t worried. Jake had a hand on each of her butt cheeks, and he clearly had no intention of letting her go.
Cold wood pressed against her back and keys jingled. Jake ripped his mouth away, but Rayah set hers to work on the strong corded muscles of his neck. She took the opportunity to move her hands to his shoulders. His trapezius muscles had become a thing of beauty, and his biceps were so big now, she wouldn’t be able to circle one with both hands.
She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t attracted to all his new muscles and tight ass, but it went deeper than aesthetics. He’d overcome so much to get where he was. When she looked at the burgeoning ridges of his abs, she saw his willpower and resolve. The bulge of his triceps reminded her of the way he trained hour after hour, working his butt off for his dream. She remembered the million times he’d quite literally crumbled under the strain and the way he always, always got right back up again. That determination was sexier than all the muscles in the world.
Except maybe those oblique muscles, the ones that made notches at his hips. Those were freaking hot.
Jake gripped her tight as the door flew open behind her. “Vic?” he called out. “You here?”
When no answer came, a pang of guilt hit Rayah in the chest, but didn’t last. How could it when he smiled down at her like a hungry wolf? Next thing she knew, they were in her room and he set her on her feet. Her heart thundered in her chest. She wanted this, God she wanted this, but…
Jake’s hands slid to her shoulders and squeezed. “Hey, cupcake?” She smiled as he tipped her chin up. That wasn’t a dirty, sexy “cupcake.” That was a sweet, flirty “cupcake.” And she loved that she knew the difference. “You still with me?”
She’d expected him to rip her clothes off the second the door closed behind them. In truth, she’d been counting on it. She should’ve known he wouldn’t let her take the easy way out. Holding her gaze with his own, he slid the flannel from his shoulders, then reached back with one hand and pulled his T-shirt off. She licked her lips. His chest was beautiful. He wasn’t superhero ripped yet, but she loved him like this, with a hint of softness. She’d known enough hard men in her life.
His fingers slipped under the hem of her sweater, tracing the waistband of her jeans, tickling her belly button. He moved with excruciating languor, inching her top up to expose her tummy, then her ribs. His thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts, and she fought for air. He paused there for a long moment before she realized what he was doing. He waited for her to raise her arms. He would’ve stood there all night if that was what she needed to be ready.
Rayah pulled her lower lip between her teeth and raised her arms.
Big, warm hands slid up, up, up, until cool air tickled the mounds of her breasts, and then her sweater was gone. Suddenly, Jake was the one panting. “Damn, cupcake.” He held one breast in each hand, though she overflowed his palms. “Where have you been hiding these beauties?”
Nerves jangled in her stomach, but she’d spent years being ashamed of her body. There was no place for that now, not here and never with this man. “Sports bras and minimizers.”
“Why?”
His horrified question made her giggle. “I told you, they aren’t always an asset. They get in the way and—”
“Never again, babies,” he cooed to her breasts as he dropped to his knees. “I won’t let the mean lady squish you anymore.” He leaned forward and kissed the top of each breast.
“Oh my God, Jake. Quit talking to my boobs!”
“Shhh, we’re having a moment.” He nuzzled his face between them. “Don’t you listen to her. I’ll take excellent care of you both.” One finger slid under the lace edge of her bra, grazing her nipple and fanning the fire in her veins. “At least this bra is pretty and holds you gently. I’ll buy you more like this. I promise.”
She laughed so hard it shook his head. When his hands stole around her back and worked the clasp free, the sound died in her throat. The straps slipped over her shoulders—one, then the other—before the entire garment fell away.
