- -
- 100%
- +
“Buckle up,” he said.
Caley turned to him. “I think we need to get one thing clear. I’m not in love with you anymore. Any crush I might have had as a teenager is long gone. So don’t act like you have me wrapped around your little finger, because you don’t.”
Caley turned to stare out the window, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. She was usually so careful about her choice of words. What was it about Jake that made her act like a petulant teenager? Why did he always have to challenge her?
Jake threw the truck into gear and headed up the hill to the end of the driveway. The SUV easily handled the deep drifts and the slippery conditions. But she wasn’t about to give Jake the satisfaction of being right.
“You were in love with me?” he asked. “When exactly was that?”
“Years ago,” she murmured. “For about a week. It’s all a very vague memory.”
“So you aren’t even slightly attracted to me now?” A grin quirked at the corners of his mouth.
“No,” she lied.
He considered her answer for a long moment. “Too bad. Because I’m still kind of attracted to you. Yeah, I know. Surprising, right?”
“Still?” Caley asked, stunned by his admission.
“Yeah, still. Hey, I always thought you were hot.”
Caley laughed out loud at the audacity of his comment. “Please,” she said.
“No, I did. I do. Come on, Caley, look at yourself. A guy would have to be crazy to think otherwise. You’re beautiful and sophisticated and smart.”
She wasn’t sure whether he was teasing her or telling the truth. But it did make her feel better. Caley smiled.
“All the guys were madly in love with you that summer before you left for college.”
“Now you are lying. But go on.”
“I told them you were taken.”
She frowned at him. “But I wasn’t. Why would you tell them that?”
“They were only looking for one thing and I just didn’t want them putting the moves on you. I didn’t think you were ready for that. And maybe I felt a little possessive.”
“You were the reason I left for college a virgin.”
“Believe me, I would have loved to help you out on that one, but I wasn’t sure I’d be the right guy for the job.” He paused. “I’d assume you solved that problem a while ago.”
Caley giggled. “Are you asking if I’m a virgin? I’m twenty-eight years old.”
“I was talking about finding the right guy. Teddy mentioned that you’re living with some lawyer.”
Caley opened her mouth, ready to tell him that Brian was probably moving his stuff out of their apartment as they spoke. But admitting that would leave her with no defense against seduction. “Yeah. We’ve been together for a couple years. What about you?”
Caley didn’t want to hear the answer. She wanted to believe that the only woman on his mind was her. But that would be unrealistic. Jake was an attractive, successful man.
“No one special,” he said. “I guess I was saving myself for you.”
She bit her bottom lip, focusing on the road ahead. Why did he say things like that? Was he testing her? Jake had always enjoyed teasing her, but this was different. It was as if he was daring her to take his words seriously.
They drove for a long while in silence. She took out her cell phone and began to text another message to her assistant.
“Do you take that thing with you everywhere?”
“I need to be available. People are counting on me.”
“The rats would continue to race even if you weren’t running alongside them. Take a break. You’re supposed to be on vacation.”
“Partners don’t ever really go on vacation,” she said. Still, she tucked the phone back into her pocket, leaving the message unfinished.
A question nagged at Caley’s brain, a question she never thought she’d have the nerve or the opportunity to ask. But it needed to be answered. “If you were so attracted to me, then why did you turn me down that night?”
He smiled, but kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead. “You’d just turned eighteen. I was almost twenty. I didn’t think it was the right time. It was your first time and I figured that should be perfect. I wasn’t sure I would be able to do that for you.” He glanced over at her. “I did you a big favor, Caley. I didn’t want you to regret your first experience.”
Caley sat back in the seat and stared out the window. Though his words did a bit to soothe the memory of her humiliation, she had a hard time believing Jake was that noble. “I was devastated,” she said.
He reached over and slipped his hand around her nape. Her pulse quickened and Caley felt a rush of desire as his fingers tangled in her hair. “I’m sorry,” he replied, gently forcing her to look at him. “But, if it will make you feel better, I’d be glad to do the job now.”
She saw the wry grin on his face and Caley couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll let you know.”
“Hey, I’ve been told I do an admirable job in the sack.”
“That’s because all the women you sleep with are too blinded by your pretty face. They’d say anything to keep you in their beds.”
Jake pulled the truck over to the edge of the road and threw it out of gear. “My charm worked pretty well on you this morning.”
“I was asleep.”
“You said my name.”
She shrugged, trying to maintain a cool facade. It wasn’t working. Her hands were trembling and she felt a little light-headed. “Well, it won’t work anymore. Go ahead. Kiss me. You’ll see, I won’t have any reaction.” It was a feeble challenge and she knew he could see right through it. But she didn’t care. She wanted to kiss him again and she couldn’t wait any longer.
To her surprise, he accepted her challenge. Before she could even take a breath, he grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her. At first, the kiss was full of frustration. But then, he softened his touch and slipped his tongue between her lips.
Caley grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him toward her, until he was sprawled across the console, his hands furrowed through her hair. They couldn’t seem to get close enough, tearing at each other’s clothes, searching for something more to touch. Though she knew she ought to put a stop to it, the taste of him, the feel of his body against hers was exhilarating, like some crazy carnival ride that frightened her and thrilled her all at once.
He slipped his hand under the waist of her pants and clutched her backside, pulling her hips against his. He was aroused and Caley enjoyed the fact that he couldn’t resist her any more than she could resist him.
“What the hell are you doing to me?” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. “You have a boyfriend. You’re living with him.”
“We broke up,” she murmured, nuzzling her face into the curve of his neck.
Jake grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back, staring down into her eyes. “Don’t play games with me, Caley.”
“I’m not. I swear, we broke up. It’s over.”
Jake dragged his thumb over her bottom lip. “Can we just stop pretending then? I’m man enough to admit that I want you. And I think you want me, right?”
“Maybe,” Caley murmured.
“Not maybe,” he said, shaking his head.
“All right. I’ll admit that there is an interesting attraction between us.”
“So what are we going to do about it?”
Caley frowned. “I don’t know. It could be complicated.”
He drew back, then grinned. “When you figure out what you want, you let me know,” he said.
Caley gasped softly. Was that it? Wasn’t he supposed to pull her into his arms and kiss away all her doubts? Or seduce her without any regard to her reservations? He wasn’t supposed to drop the ball back in her court!
“I will,” Caley said softly.
Jake straightened, sliding back behind the wheel. “We should probably get going.”
When they reached the small bridal shop in the village, Jake parked, then hopped out and circled around the front to open her door. The Burton boys had always had impeccable manners.
“Watch out,” he said, as he grabbed her waist. “It’s slippery beneath this snow.” His hands lingered on her hips as his gaze fell to her mouth.
They stood there for a long moment, frozen in place, their breath clouding between them. Then Caley pushed up on her toes and touched her lips to his. “I’m not playing games with you,” she whispered. “I just felt like kissing you again.”
“I know how that feels,” he replied. His arms slipped around her waist and he pulled her body against his. Jake brought his hands up to her face and gently cupped her cheeks as he returned the kiss. But the sound of laughter brought an end to their momentary pleasure. Caley turned to watch two teenage girls in the midst of a snowball fight.
“It’s no one,” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear.
“If we do this, we can’t let anyone know,” she said.
“I never kiss and tell,” he said.
“I’m serious. It has to stay just between us. And it has to be just sex. Nothing more.”
“Friends with benefits?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ll be right back,” she said, glancing over at the bridal shop.
“I’ll come in and wait,” he said.
“Is that wise?” she asked.
“I’m not going to seduce you in a public place,” he said. “And I don’t think Miss Belle is going to go running to our parents to tell on us.”
He followed her to the door, then pulled it open for her, placing his hand on the small of her back as she stepped inside. It was a simple gesture, but Caley realized that Jake was taking any opportunity offered to touch her.
The owner of the shop, Miss Belle, greeted them both, then drew Caley along to the fitting rooms in the back. She stopped and turned to Jake, motioning to him. “Are you coming, too?”
“Oh, no,” Caley said. “He’s not my—well, he’s just a— I don’t think he’d be interested.”
“I’ll come,” Jake said, sending Caley a playful grin. “I’m very interested.”
Caley took the dress into the fitting room and slipped out of her clothes. Though the dress didn’t look like much on the hanger, when she put it on it was another story. The silky fabric clung to every curve of her body; the modest neckline plunged to a deep V in the back; the long sleeves fitted to her arms. She slipped out of her bra and then turned to examine the rear view. Emma had gotten the sizing perfect and had chosen a dress that would look stunning for an evening wedding.
Caley pulled open the fitting room door and stepped out. Jake had been sitting on a bench and the moment he saw her, he quickly stood, a tiny gasp slipping from his lips.
“Wow,” he murmured. “That’s some dress.”
Caley smoothed her hands over her hips as she turned. “It is nice, isn’t it?”
“Are you wearing underwear?”
She gave him a stern look. “It’s too clingy.”
“So, you’re not going to wear underwear. Where the hell am I supposed to put my hands when we dance?” he asked. “This is going to be a problem.”
“Are we going to dance?”
“You’re the maid of honor and I’m the best man. I think it’s a rule than we take at least one turn around the floor.”
Miss Belle hurried up and studied Caley critically. “We’ll bring the sleeves up a bit. I’d assume you plan to go…without?” She pointed to Caley’s chest.
“Do I have a choice?” Caley asked.
“Well, we have the stick-ons.”
“Can we see some of those?” Jake asked, a worried expression on his face.
Caley shook her head. “This will be fine.”
Miss Belle held out a shoebox. “Try the shoes so I can check the hem.”
Caley grabbed a shoe from the box and tried to put it on, but couldn’t keep her balance in the long dress. Jake slipped his hands around her waist and steadied her as she put on the dyed-to-match pumps.
“Perfect,” the shopkeeper said. “I’ll be right back.” Miss Belle hurried off to answer the phone, leaving Jake and Caley alone at the rear of the shop.
“Perfect,” Jake repeated.
“Stop saying things like that to me,” she murmured. “Sometimes I feel like you’re playing with me.”
He shook his head. “It’s how we are, Caley. It’s how we’ve always been.”
She turned and walked back to the fitting room, and Jake followed close on her heels. When she stepped inside, Caley tried to close the door behind her, but Jake slipped inside, then leaned back against the door.
“In all the time that I’ve known you, have I ever lied to you?” Jake asked.
Caley stared at her fingernails. Until that night of her eighteenth birthday, Jake had been the one person she knew she could count on for unadulterated honesty. “I don’t think so.”
“Who told you to take the toilet paper out of your bra the night of the Fourth of July dance at the park? Who told you you looked like a giraffe when you started wearing those platform shoes? Who told you not to go out with Jeff Winslow because all he wanted to do was feel you up?”
“You did,” Caley said. “But I went out with Jeff Winslow anyway. Of course, he did try to feel me up.”
“See?”
“Just because you never lie to me doesn’t mean that you don’t have the capacity to hurt me.”
He took a step toward her, then reached out and touched her cheek. “Does that hurt?”
Caley drew a shaky breath. It felt so good to have him touch her, his fingertips leaving a warm imprint on her skin. She shook her head. This time she wouldn’t make it so easy for him. This time she’d resist him.
Jake took another step closer and kissed her softly on the forehead. “How about that? Tell me it feels good.”
She swallowed hard, then sighed deeply as he kissed her temple. Did she have the strength? And was it wise to try and resist? It really didn’t seem worth the effort. “Yes,” she said. “It feels good.”
He hooked his finger beneath her chin and tipped her gaze up to meet his. And then he kissed her, his tongue teasing at her lips before gently invading her mouth. But it wasn’t like the kiss in the truck. This kiss was slow and sensuous, meant to melt all her resolve. Caley wrapped her arms around his neck and surrendered, enjoying the rush of heat that coursed through her body.
His hands slid down her waist to her hips, then circled to smooth over her back, left bare by the cut of the dress. Caley’s mind whirled as she tried to remember every detail of the kiss, forcing herself not to slip into some hazy state of desire. But in the end, it was impossible to maintain her composure. Jake seemed determined to prove that he was quite possibly the best kisser in the entire world.
When his hand moved to her breast, she moaned softly. He grazed his thumb across her nipple, bringing it to a hard peak, sending a wild wave of pleasure coursing through her. When he finally drew back, Caley was dizzy with excitement. Her breath was coming in quick gasps and her pulse was pounding in her head.
“If that ever stops feeling good, you just let me know and I’ll stop,” Jake whispered. He kissed the tip of her nose, then walked out of the fitting room, closing the door behind him.
Caley stumbled back until she leaned against the mirrored wall for support. Her trembling fingers touched her lips and she felt a smile growing there. After all these years, it was hard to believe that all her fantasies about Jake might just come true.
There was something powerful pulsing between them and it didn’t look like either one of them had the capacity—or the will—to stop it. And that made it all the more exciting—and dangerous.
“THE BURTBERT SNOW BOWL begins in fifteen minutes!” Brett called.
Jake and Sam looked over their shoulders at their brother and gave him a wave. “We’ll be ready,” Jake shouted.
They sat on the stairs that, in the summer, led down to the dock and the beach they shared with the Lamberts. The lake was frozen over and covered with snow, but Teddy Lambert had cleared an area big enough for skating or a pick-up hockey game.
Jake stretched his legs out in front of him and watched the last of the snowflakes drift lazily through the air. The storm was over and everything was covered with a sparkly powder. “So you’re getting married.”
Sam smiled as he traced a pattern in the snow with a stick. “That’s what I hear.”
“I gotta tell you, Sam, I was surprised when I heard you were engaged to Emma. But then when I heard you were getting married so quickly, I was kinda shocked. A month and a half is a pretty short engagement, don’t you think?”
“Maybe.”
“How much time have you two really spent together?”
Sam shrugged. “Three summers, here at the lake house. And then I visited her in Boston over Thanksgiving and we got together during Christmas break in Chicago and we just decided we didn’t want to be apart anymore.”
“Why not live together then?” Jake asked. “Give yourself some more time.”
“Because Emma wants to get married,” Sam said.
“What do you want?”
“Why so many questions?” Sam asked, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice.
“That’s my job as your best man. To be sure you’re making the best choices.”
“I want what Emma wants. I want to make her happy,” Sam said.
Jake hadn’t been thrilled when he heard about his little brother’s plans to get married, but he chalked that up to surprise. But now that he had a chance to spend some time with Sam and talk to him, Jake realized that twenty-one was far too young to take such a giant step.
He’d spent the last ten years working his way through a variety of females, trying to figure out what made them tick, enjoying the full spectrum of pleasures in their beds. But it was only in the past year that he’d really come to understand what he needed in a relationship and the kind of woman he wanted to spend his life with. Sam hadn’t even started on that journey and already he was tying himself down. How could anyone know they were in love at that age? Neither Sam nor Emma had experienced anything of the world yet.
“You’re not even finished with college,” Jake murmured.
“Emma graduates in the spring and she’s just got a few independent study courses, so she’ll be spending more time in Chicago. I’ll finish at Northwestern at Christmas next year and then I’m thinking about law school. If we get married, we can start planning our lives together—and she can support me while I’m getting my law degree.”
“You can do all that without getting married,” Jake said.
Sam groaned, then leaned back on his elbows, staring out at the wide landscape of the lake. “Maybe I should have asked Brett to be my best man. Or Emma’s brother Teddy.”
“Marriage is a big step, Sam. You have to get married for the right reasons.”
“What reasons would those be?”
“Because you can’t imagine living without her. Because every time you look at her, you have to touch her, just to make sure she’s real and she’s yours. Because she’s the first thing you think about in the morning when you get up and the last thing you think about before you go to sleep.”
Jake drew a deep breath. This was the sum total of his knowledge about living happily ever after. It was what he’d decided it would take to tempt him into settling down for the rest of his life. And oddly enough, Caley seemed to meet all those requirements.
A shiver skittered down his spine. Women were supposed to confuse lust and love, not men. Still, Jake couldn’t ignore his feelings. Things weren’t the same as when they were kids. There was something deeper…something stronger drawing them together now.
He glanced over at Sam. “I’d hate to think you’re doing this to please Mrs. Lambert and our mother. All that Burtbert shit is really silly. We can still be one big family, even if we aren’t technically related.”
“It’s not about that,” Sam said.
“What is it, then?”
“We just want to start our lives together.”
“I know it seems like you’ll never get enough of her, but that kind of desire doesn’t last. It’s not all about sex,” Jake said. “There has to be something more.”
“Oh, we haven’t had sex,” Sam said. “Emma wanted to wait until we got married.”
Jake gasped. “You haven’t— I mean, not even a little?”
“Well, a little. But not the whole way.”
Jake groaned and buried his face in his hands. “How can you possibly make a decision about the rest of your life when you don’t even know if you’re compatible in the bedroom?”
“Lots of people wait,” he said. “And it’s not like I haven’t done it. And Emma has, too. We just haven’t done it together.”
“Well, maybe you should,” Jake said. “Just to make sure.” Hell, he’d never even tried to regulate his own desires for women—and since Caley had arrived back in town, Jake didn’t even feel in control of his libido. How did a guy just put those feelings on the back burner? Wasn’t it scientifically proven that abstaining wasn’t good for the male body?
He took a deep breath. “Why not just wait a little longer? It couldn’t hurt.”
“I love her,” Sam said. “And she loves me.”
“I love Emma, too,” Jake said. “And Caley and Teddy and Adam and Evan. The Lamberts are like our family.” Jake sighed softly, searching for another argument that made sense. Who was he to try to explain what went on between a man and a woman? Hell, he couldn’t begin to fathom his obsessive attraction to Caley. All he knew was that it felt good when he was with her, so good that he never wanted to let her go.
He pushed to his feet and offered his little brother a hand. “Come on. If I know Brett, he’s going to want to strategize before we get the game going. The last time we played football with the Lamberts, they beat us bad. They’ve got Evan’s wife now and she’s gone through natural childbirth three times. She’s no wuss.”
“And Caley plays like a guy,” Sam said.
“Don’t worry about Caley, I can handle her. You just take care of Emma.”
Sam grinned. “Until we’re married, she’s still a Lambert. And the enemy.”
They walked up to the lawn, now covered in a foot of powdery snow. After a few minutes, all the players were congregated at the center of the field. When Jake saw Caley, he gave her a wave and she returned his greeting with a hesitant smile. She looked so cute bundled up against the cold that it didn’t take more than a moment for his mind to begin a fantasy of slowly peeling off all those layers of clothes. Jake drew a sharp breath and closed his eyes. Now was not the time to think about getting naked with Caley!
Once everyone was gathered, Brett raised his hand. “Welcome to the first, and possibly only, Burtbert Snow Bowl. In the tradition of our annual summer Toilet Bowl football game, we have decided to bring back the time-honored trophy.” He pulled a toilet plunger from behind his back and everyone laughed and clapped, surprised to see the trophy after so long.
“The last time this was awarded was eleven years ago last summer and, according to the inscription, it was won by the Lamberts.”
“On a touchdown run by Caley,” Jake said. He looked at her. “Remember? Adam threw you the ball and you just took off down the field. No one could catch you.”
She gave him an odd look. “I don’t remember that.”
Jake shrugged. “I do. It was a great play.”
He slowly walked around the perimeter of the crowd as Brett went over the rules, stopping when he stood behind Caley. His gaze fixed on Sam and Emma. “They look happy,” he murmured. “What do you think?”
Caley glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yes,” she replied.
Brett pointed to the list of winners, written on the wooden handle with a marker. “Our captains today will be Sam and Emma. By my count, we’ve got even teams with Evan’s wife, Marianne, and Ann’s husband, John, so no one has to sit out.”
Teddy disagreed. “We have three guys and three girls and you’ve got four guys and two girls. You call that even?”
“John just had knee surgery last year,” Brett said. “And Marianne played college soccer. I’d say it’s even.”
The coin was flipped and the game began. Brett played quarterback for the Burton team and when he went out for a long pass to Ann, Caley stepped out in front of her and snagged an interception.