“There were things she wanted to do that she hasn’t done. Things she was afraid to do. I don’t ever want to feel that way. Listening to her made me so relieved I’d gone ahead with Urban Genie. It’s thanks to you.”
“You would have done it yourself. All I did was speed up the process.” He prowled around the kitchen, restless. “Paige, we need to tell Matt.”
“I agree.” She took it as a positive sign that he wanted to tell her brother. It meant he wasn’t planning on ending it anytime soon. And now she understood why he seemed on edge. Matt was his closest friend, and it wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. “When do you want to tell him? Sunday? Eva is cooking. We’re both invited.”
“Probably not something to be done in public. I’ll talk to him privately. That way when he decks me, no innocent bystanders will be harmed.”
“Why would he deck you?”
“Because I’m doing this.” He hauled her hard against him, holding her thigh to thigh. He brought his mouth down on hers in a lingering kiss that robbed her legs of strength. It didn’t matter how he kissed her, whether it was slow and smoldering or rough and ravenous, the sensation went straight from her head to her toes, taking in all the parts of her body along the way. It unbalanced her and made her head spin. Tonight there was a desperation in him she hadn’t felt before. She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, exposing hard muscle and the strong contours of his body.
“Are we in a hurry?”
“Yeah, we really are.” His mouth brushed across her jaw and down her neck.
She closed her eyes. “Any particular reason?”
“I want you. Is that a good enough reason? Sex with you is—it’s—” He sank his hands into her hair and took her mouth with his. “Do we have to talk about it?”
“No—” her legs were weak “—but I’m going to burn the food and then you’ll think I’m a terrible cook.”
“I won’t think that, but if it bothers you, turn the heat off.”
She did just that, and then felt his hands on her, stripping her clothes off so fast she wondered if they were going to make it out of the kitchen.
“If you distract me, dinner will be delayed.”
“I don’t care.” He scooped her up and carried her through to the bedroom as if she weighed nothing.
“I can walk.”
“I know, but that would spoil my fun, and I didn’t get a workout in today.”
“I’m not sure I appreciate the implication that I’m heavy enough to be someone’s workout.”
He dropped her gently in the center of the bed and came down on top of her, pinning her to the bed with his weight.
I love you.
The words were in her head but she couldn’t quite say them.
Not yet.
“So you let Matt win?”
“No. He won on his own.” He unbuttoned her shirt with impatient hands.
Paige barely heard him. He was kissing his way across her shoulder and down to her breast, and her skin was alive with sensation. He removed her bra with ridiculous ease and then traced the shape of her with his hands.
She moaned. “Jake—”
“You’re so beautiful.” He lowered his head and closed his mouth over the tip of one breast, tasting and teasing until she found it impossible to stay still.
“I forgot to ask—” He raised his head, his eyes glinting in the fading light. “Did a guy from an investment trust call you? Because I gave him your card.”
It was impossible to focus with the weight of him pressing down on her and his hand moving over her body.
“You expect me to talk about work when you have your hand where you currently have your hand?”