A Man to Believe In Read online

  She pushed her hands against his chest until he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. Her breasts crushed against his chest, she gave him a long, slow, satisfying kiss. She felt his fingers wander down her naked back and arched into him lazily.

  He groaned. “Do you have any idea how much I want you?” he murmured against her lips.

  Her hands braced on his shoulders, she slipped her knee between his legs, pressing intimately against him and staring down into blue eyes stormy with passion. Slowly, she curved her lips into a smile. “I have a very good idea,” she replied, then laughed out loud when his eyes widened at her bold remark.

  Before she could blink, she found herself beneath him again. His mouth came down on hers in a demanding kiss that left her breathless. He trailed kisses along the ridge of her jaw, then turned his attention to her neck, his tongue lingering on her throat. She ran her hands through his hair and drew in a ragged breath, filling her nostrils with the spicy scent she’d come to associate with him.

  Until that moment she hadn’t been completely sure she was doing the right thing. But when Jake lifted his head and gazed down at her with heartrending tenderness, her doubts melted away.

  Jake framed her face with his hands. He had never seen anyone so beautiful, never felt such a strong need to possess. He took her mouth in a fast, hard kiss.

  “This is going to be one helluva night,” he whispered.

  Moving off her, he stood up, then drew her to her feet. He ran his hands down her sides and over her hips, savoring the way the clingy material molded to her curves, then pulled her against him, fitting their bodies tightly together. Slowly, he drew his fingers up her thigh, where the slit in the jersey allowed him access. “Did I tell you how much I like this dress?”

  “You said it was nice,” Cori reminded him, smiling.

  “I lied.”

  She felt his hands at the nape of her neck, his fingers working loose the three tiny buttons that held the backless creation together. “It’s sexy.” One button gave way as he whispered the words into her ear. “Sensational.” She felt a curious sense of relief when the second sprang loose from its loop. “A real knockout.” The final button slipped free.

  He drew the dress down over her shoulders, then stepped back, and the top half fell to her waist. His gaze raked over her shoulders and breasts before returning to her face. He slipped his hands inside the material gathered at her waist and eased it down over her hips until the dress fell to the floor. Then he rolled her pantyhose down her legs, pulled them off and tossed them aside, leaving her standing before him in nothing but a pair of lacy white panties.

  “I feel so vulnerable,” she whispered, somehow managing to resist the urge to cover herself while he devoured her with his eyes.

  He drew her back into the safety of his embrace. “I won’t hurt you. I want to protect you.”

  His hands wandered down her body, his thumbs grazing the sides of her breasts, sending shivers to her toes. She dug her fingers into his arms and wondered how much longer her legs would hold her up.

  “Lord, Cori. I have a great imagination, but it didn’t even come close. You’re so beautiful.” He pulled her to him. She felt the heat of his erection burn into her. “And I want you so damn much, I hurt.”

  She rubbed against him. Her skin met with smooth material from her breasts to her thighs, reminding her that he still wore most of his clothes.

  “I wonder if you look as handsome naked as you do fully dressed,” she teased, suddenly needing to slow the tension building between them. “Let’s find out.” Reaching for his tie, she discarded it without delay.

  Jake looked down at her, an indulgent smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Would you care to place a bet?”

  Cori rolled her eyes. “You’re so cocky.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” he murmured, his voice suddenly serious again. He took her hand and pressed it against the proof of his statement.

  She slid her palm over him, relishing the knowledge that she had done this to him, that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  Impatiently, she pulled his shirt up and free of his pants, eager to find out what she thought she already knew—he would be nothing short of magnificent. She remembered how he’d looked when she’d met him—dressed as a pirate, naked to the waist. Smiling inwardly, she decided she hadn’t seen nearly enough of him that night.

  Her fingers trembled as she tried to hurry. When she finally had the shirt open, she whisked her hands over his shoulders and sent the garment tumbling to the floor.

  His chest rose and fell with the effort of breathing. She pressed her lips to his skin. Her tongue licked and teased. When she drew his nipple into her mouth, he moaned.

  “You’re killing me,” he managed to say, and pulled her away before placing her hands around his neck. “Hold on, sweetheart.” He curved his hands around her hips and lifted her. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist. The cool metal of his belt buckle pressed through her thin lace panties. She gasped and arched her back.

  Bending his head, Jake took her breast into his mouth, paying her back in kind, circling the peak with his wet tongue until the rigid tip ached for more. His teeth nipped playfully before his mouth closed over her again and he sucked deeply.

  Cori had never known such intense desire. Her head fell back and she closed her eyes, gripping his shoulders, kneading his muscles as they flexed beneath her fingers. His hot mouth continued its torture until she thought she would melt.

  “Jake, stop! I can’t take any more.”

  He raised his head and pierced her with a smoldering gaze. “Say it again. Tell me to stop and I will. I promise.”

  She shook her head and whispered, “Please, don’t stop.”

  He slowly set her down, letting her body rake against his, creating a delicious friction every inch of the way. “Finish undressing me.”

  She removed his shoes and socks first, fumbling with the laces because her hands were shaking with excitement. Next, she unbuckled the belt that had pressed against her so intimately only minutes before. The button at his waist slipped from its hole easily. Her hands trembled as she carefully drew the zipper down.

  With only a moment’s hesitation she shoved down his pants, and he kicked them off. He stood before her, completely, gloriously naked.

  She stepped back, taking in the full length of his body in one swift glance. With the firelight enhancing the bronze color of his skin, he looked like an Aztec god, she decided. Strong, powerful, worthy of respect. It was dangerous for a man to look this good. Dangerous, exciting, wonderful, spectacular.

  Jake folded his arms across his massive chest and gave her a bold grin. “Well, what’s the verdict?”

  Cori laughed. “Oh, Jake. You are cocky.” She shot a meaningful glance downward and smiled. “But I have to admit, I like what I see.”

  “Me too. Except for these.” He hooked his finger in the lacy band of her bikini panties and pulled her closer. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “They’re very sexy.” With his finger he traced the pattern of lace to where it disappeared between her legs. “But they’ve got to go.” In one smooth move he swept the sheer fabric away.

  Jake lowered her to the floor. He captured her mouth with his, parting her lips with his probing tongue. She whimpered softly, welcoming his invasion, eagerly meeting each hungry thrust as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

  He committed to memory the taste of her, the smell of her, the way she reacted to his slightest touch. Her body moved against him in a lazy rhythm, quickly bringing him to the brink of losing control. Rolling onto his back, he wrapped his arms around her, taking her with him.

  “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” he whispered hoarsely. One by one he pulled the silvery pins from her hair. She shook her head, and the red-gold waves tumbled free, skimming his chest with aching softness. Savoring the way her hair tickled his skin, he closed his eyes. When he opened t
hem again, she was watching him, her gaze filled with honest desire.

  “You are, without a doubt, the sexiest woman I have ever known. Come here.” He sunk his hands into her hair and pulled her head down until her lips met his. He ravaged her mouth with his tongue while his hands played over her body.

  His fingers met with soft skin and smooth curves. In slow motion he eased her onto her back. He drew a line with his finger from her throat to her navel and back up to her breast. With his thumb he caressed her nipple until it puckered into a tight peak, then took possession of the rosy nub with his mouth. His hands slid down her body. His lips followed in their wake, lingering at her waist to nip gently at her hipbone. He couldn’t remember ever wanting to please a woman the way he wanted to please her.

  Cori tried to hold her body still as his hands and mouth moved over her with skillful intent, but each kiss, each caress, made her crave more. His uninhibited lovemaking left her breathless. Her own unrestrained responses stunned her.

  He kissed his way across her stomach and down her legs, his tongue teasing first her ankles, then her toes, and finally the arch of her foot. She wondered how much more she could take before she begged him to be inside her and make her complete.

  “Do you have any idea how much I want you?” she managed to whisper, remembering the husky sound of his voice when he’d asked her the same question moments earlier.

  Before she could take another breath, he slid one finger into the moist heat between her legs. “I know exactly how much you want me, sweetheart. And I promise you won’t be disappointed.” Pushing himself up with his arms, he positioned himself between her thighs, then froze. “Oh, Lord, Cori. We’ve got a big problem.”

  She slid her hand between their bodies and grasped him, tenderly squeezing his rigid flesh. “I know.”

  “That’s not the problem.” He moved off her and collapsed on the floor, throwing his arm across his eyes. “I’m not prepared,” he told her with a groan.

  It took her a moment to realize what he was trying to tell her. When she finally understood, she let out a long sigh.

  She’d been so wrapped up in the erotic feelings she was experiencing, she hadn’t given a thought to the possibility of getting pregnant. Jake, on the other hand, had managed to control himself enough to stop when he realized he couldn’t protect her. Now she had one more reason to care for this man, one more reason to think of him as special.

  Cori looked over at him. She had to smile. He looked absolutely miserable. Tenderness flooded through her.

  “I think I can solve our problem,” she offered quietly, and rose to her feet, no longer self-conscious about being naked in front of him. “Don’t go away.”

  She returned from the bathroom a minute later and dropped a small box on the floor, then sat down beside him.

  Jake recognized the blue package immediately. He picked it up, noting the red and green ribbon and the Christmas gift tag on the front. “To Cori,” he read out loud, “just in case you decide to take my advice—you’ll be safe. Love, Marsha.” He raised a questioning brow, wondering why in hell Marsha was buying condoms for Cori.

  Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled. “Marsha thinks I should be having more … fun.” The way Cori emphasized the last word left no doubt as to her meaning.

  Jake didn’t like anyone giving Cori that kind of advice. He tore off the ribbon and opened the lid, then ran his fingers over the packets, making a quick count from front to back. A strong feeling of satisfaction shot through him.

  “An even dozen,” he said quietly, not bothering to hide his relief. “You haven’t been having much fun lately, have you?” She shook her head, and he watched a pink flush spread over her cheeks. He leaned forward and kissed her deeply. “Tonight, we’re going to see that you do.”

  He lowered her to the rug and covered her mouth with his in a punishingly sweet kiss, wanting more than ever to bring her pleasure. Again he kissed her eyes, her cheeks, her shoulders, her breasts. His tongue licked and played over the taut skin on her stomach, then teased her red-gold triangle of curls before dipping lower.

  Cori arched into him as his mouth moved over her. He pushed his hands against her thighs and she spread her legs for him in wild abandon, taking everything he was offering, accepting his gift without embarrassment. His finger took the place of his lips as he brought her closer to completion.

  “That’s it, sweetheart,” he murmured, “let yourself go”

  She heard his tender words of encouragement, and heat raced through her body to the center of her being. Suddenly, she shuddered uncontrollably. Her body clenched his finger as one spasm after another tore through her, leaving her weak. She felt him kiss his way up her body, and then his mouth covered hers. She wrapped her arms around him.

  “I need you inside me,” she whispered into his mouth. “Now.” She reached out and patted her hand on the floor beside her until her fingers found the blue box. Her hands trembled as she tried in vain to open one of the foil packets.

  Jake moved off her and took the shiny envelope, tearing it open. “You can do it next time,” he promised with a low sexy chuckle, “when you aren’t in such a hurry.”

  A moment later he eased into her.

  With incredible effort he held his body perfectly still, giving her body time to adjust to him. “It’s been a while for you. Are you okay?”

  Her answering smile sent shivers down his spine. She clenched around his hard flesh, welcoming him. The sweet contentment he felt sheathed inside her rocked him to his soul. He whispered her name over and over and felt her move against him in a slow, steady rhythm. Her fingers dug into the small of his back as she pulled him closer.

  “Slow down, sweetheart. I don’t have much control left.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t. It feels too good. Too good.”

  “Oh, Lord, here we go.” Unable to hold off the inevitable any longer, he grasped her hips and lifted her up, plunging into her again and again. “Open your eyes, Cori. Look at me.”

  He gazed down at eyes filled with passion. Her lips parted, she cried out his name. Her back arched, and she trembled beneath him as she fell over the edge a second time. Her body closed over him repeatedly.

  He couldn’t hold back any longer. Finally, he let himself go, calling her name over and over, whispering words of love.

  Seven

  Cori finished pulling on her aqua velour warm-up suit, then sat cross-legged on one corner at the foot of the bed. Her elbow on one knee, she rested her chin in her hand and watched Jake as he slept. She knew it wasn’t polite to stare, but went ahead and did it anyway. Breaking one minor rule of etiquette was the least of her worries.

  After weeks of trying to resist her attraction to Jake, she’d finally given in to it, finally broken her long-standing rule about not getting involved with a man on anything but a purely social level. Finally convinced herself she could have it all, that she could care for a man, have an intimate relationship with him, and still maintain the physical and emotional independence she’d worked so hard to acquire.

  Last night she’d been so sure of her decision, but looking at it in the cold light of day, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Being with Jake—making love with him—had felt like the right thing to do, the natural thing to do. She’d felt no hesitation when he’d joined his body with hers. In fact, she’d felt suddenly and completely whole for the first time in a very long time.

  Which was why she was so plagued with doubts this morning.

  As she looked at him, Jake rolled over onto his stomach. The covers slipped down, giving her an unobstructed view of his shoulders and back. His waist and hips, narrow in comparison, were still hidden from her, but she knew what she would find if she reached out and drew off the blue floral sheet—more muscles than she’d ever had intimate contact with in her life.

  Her gaze wandered farther down to where his feet dangled off the end of the bed. She smiled. He may have wanted to be in her bed, but he certainly did
n’t fit in it, she concluded. He might regret having spent the night with her when he awakened stiff and sore from sleeping on a sofa bed designed to accommodate a body only half the size of his.

  Not that they’d done a heck of a lot of sleeping. She recalled the many times she’d dozed off, exhausted and content, only to be coaxed back to consciousness by warm fingers tracing lazy patterns across her back, by persuasive lips leaving moist kisses on the backs of her knees, her hips, at the base of her spine.

  Each time they’d made love they’d shared secret thoughts and desires, discovered new, exciting ways to please each other, experienced a greater sense of fulfillment than the time before. Each time, she fell a little bit more in love.

  In love? Automatically rejecting the notion that she had broken her most important rule, she slid her feet into pale pink moccasins and stood up. She retrieved her purse from the kitchen counter, then quietly let herself out the back door. If she hurried, she’d be able to run down to the bakery for fresh pecan rolls and be back before Jake woke up. And maybe the crisp morning air would clear her head and allow her to think more rationally.

  She climbed into her car, secured the seat belt across her lap, and turned the key in the ignition. A click-click-click sound greeted her.

  “Wonderful. Another dead battery.”

  With a sigh she went back into the house to call for a tow truck. At least she didn’t have to spend time looking up the number. She had it memorized.

  Through his sleep-fogged brain Jake couldn’t place the origin of the low, rumbling sound. It seemed to be coming from somewhere inside his head. He pictured a motor boat, a distant dot of speed splitting the glassy surface of a lake moments after sunrise. The noise intensified, and he decided it wasn’t coming from a dream. It was too real—and practically on top of him.

  Reluctantly, he cracked one eye open, only to see a big ball of orange fur. He wondered why Cori had left a pair of fuzzy slippers on the pillow just inches from his face.