Page 55 of Raging Fires

Chapter Twenty-Six

He kissed her again, his mouth soft and tender on hers, teasing at her top lip, her lower lip, and then settling in to kiss her long and deeply. Kelli’s knees went to jelly. Her hands went to his waist to steady her, but the feel of his smooth, warm skin beneath her fingers made her even shakier. His lips left hers and he nuzzled her neck, his hot breath on her skin sending shivers through her.

“Jake, don’t.”

He lifted his head and looked down at her, his lips quirking up in a half-smile. “Is that a ‘don’t’ don’t? Or a ‘convince me’ don’t?”

Kelli let out soft little huff of a laugh. “Jake…” She curved her arms around his waist and leaned into him. His chest and abs were rock hard, his skin smooth, and his heart was pounding so hard that it vibrated through her, too. He smelled so good, so him. Everything inside her was sizzling. It had been so long. And Jake’s kiss was so tempting, the feather glide of his fingertips up and down her back so arousing. She felt the pulse of his growing erection against her, and that increased the ache deep inside her.

“I can’t. I can’t go through it all again.” It took all of Kelli’s willpower, but she pushed him back a few inches. Enough that she could breathe. Think. Trying to get over him had taken her years. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d ever done it. Either way, she couldn’t just jump back in—not now. Not with her home and her livelihood at stake. The Blue was the only thing she had left that was hers. She couldn’t lose it by messing up this fake marriage. Even if it suddenly didn’t feel very fake at all. “We’ve got think of The Blue. The rules. We came up with them for a reason.”

“No.” Jake pulled back farther, fire flashing in his eyes. “You came up with them for a reason. Because nothing matters to you more than Pops’ bar. And you knew you couldn’t trust yourself around me. You knew how wet I make you. That I know exactly the tempo you like. That every time you look at my mouth, you’re imagining it between your thighs. My tongue flicking back and forth until you scream.”

Kelli knew it was written all over her face. He was right. Her mind was going all hazy just thinking about it. She was pulsing inside, and the only thing that would satisfy her was Jake. Jake buried inside her. Jake on top of her. Jake behind her, pounding deeper and deeper.

“Look at how hard your nipples are.” Jake’s gaze was almost a physical touch, and they tightened even more. “You can’t pretend around me. Not anymore. Tell me the truth, Kelli. Tell me you don’t want me.”

“Kelli couldn’t reply. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide her treacherous body.

“Tell me you don’t want to feel me inside you.” He took a small step closer. Her brain told her to pull back, but if anything, she leaned forward. “Tell me you want me to go; tell me that all you want from me is to follow your rules.”

Everything inside Kelli screamed that she didn’t want that at all. The idea of him leaving right now, of having this need go unfulfilled for the next year—just the idea was excruciating. She couldn’t actually imagine living through it for months and months. Would it really hurt this one time to let her discipline slip? Just do what she so wanted to do and forget about the aftermath? But she had to be strong.

“That’s what I want.” She moved to the side so he could go.

“You’re so full of it—and if you think you’re not, you’re lying to yourself. And we both know it.” Jake grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter.

Her stomach and chest were tight. She wasn’t sure if she needed to scream in anger or break down in tears. Maybe both. Or maybe she just needed Jake to scoop her up and throw her on the bed.

“Jake, wait!” He was opening the door already. Another con of a small house. He didn’t close it or even turn back around, but he did freeze in place when she spoke.

God, she was going to regret this in the morning. Kelli ran to him and he turned at the sound. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him like she’d been dreaming of doing ever since he’d walked back into her life. Wrapping her legs around him, she moved her hips against him. He groaned low in his throat, but didn’t break their kiss. Instead he swung around, pushing her back against the door so it closed firmly. She used the hard surface to push against, grinding harder into him where he was pressed between her legs. Jake broke off their kiss finally and trailed his tongue down her neck.

“If you keep doing that I’m going to take you right here. Probably break this old door.”

“Do it.” Kelli rasped. “I don’t care.”

“No. I’m taking my time tonight.” Jake pulled back to look into her eyes. “You’re not getting out of this that quickly. Who knows what stupid thing you might decide tomorrow morning.”

“Screw you, Jake.”

“Oh, you will.” He smiled, cocky as ever.

His strong forearm went under her ass, supporting her weight easily as his other hand captured her hip, pulling her as close to him as possible. He carried her down the hall and into her bedroom as if she weighed nothing. She may not have liked all the hours he put in at the gym, but it certainly paid off. Kelli had never had another boyfriend who could throw her around like Jake. And he had stamina for days.

All those thoughts flew from her head though as his mouth caught her bottom lip, sucking it into his warmth. His tongue flicked over her lip and he gently teased her with his teeth. She opened her mouth and invited him in. He lay her back on the bed without breaking their hungry, desperate kiss. Jake’s hand stole under her shirt and he groaned against her mouth as his fingers grazed her bra that was pulled tight across her nipples. Kelli let out a muffled cry of pleasure and he released her mouth, whipping off her shirt.

“Good to know you weren’t expecting to sleep with man-bun.” Jake grinned, looking down at her plain satin bra.

“Hey, this is a perfectly nice bra and very expensive, I’ll have you know.” Kelli tried to frown but the amused twinkle in Jake’s eyes was making it difficult.

“But I know you. And I know all the very sexy flimsy lace bras you wore for me.”

“Maybe I’ve matured.” She said haughtily.

“I certainly hope you haven’t matured out of the sexy lingerie phase. Though clearly I don’t need it to find you unbelievably sexy.” His hard pulsating length confirmed his words.

Jake bent his head and sucked one nipple into his mouth, fabric and all. Kelli groaned as the texture of the wet satin against her skin created an amazing kind of friction. He pulled back and the air-conditioned coolness in the room made her nipple spark with a whole other sensation. It was like Jake had run an ice cube over her. But in a very, very hot way. He flicked his tongue back and forth over the bud and Kelli wriggled under him. She wanted to feel him between her legs. Feel his heavy weight pushing into her. She moaned as he teased her.