Page 95 of In Her Eyes

I run my hands down his chest and slide them under the hem of his shirt. His stomach muscles contract at the first touch of my fingertips on his skin. I move my splayed hands up his chest, touching as much as I can, learning him. I grab the hem of his shirt and drag it up. He breaks the kiss just long enough to help me pull the shirt off.

His hands mimic mine and do the same, slip under the shirt he gave me, and in one move remove it. We’re both bare from the waist up now. His gaze takes me in and lingers on my breasts. He doesn’t touch them as I expected—not yet. Instead, he pulls me to him, our chests flush, and kisses me again. My bare skin on his bare skin is almost more than I can take. My nipples are so hard, they hurt. The brush of the hairs on his chest adds another layer of sensation.

He pulls away from me, our breath rapid and erratic. “You’re still sure?”

“Yes.” I don’t hesitate. “I have never been surer of anything in my life.”

He turns and moves to lay me down on the couch and comes on top of me. “Hmm, déjà vu.”

I laugh. Yes, three weeks ago, we were in this exact same position, but outside instead. I can’t believe it’s been that long. If we hadn’t been interrupted, we could have been doing this all along.

He holds himself off me with one hand and explores my skin with the other. His hand is soft and rough at the same time. He cups one breast and then the other. Then lowers his head and takes a nipple into his mouth while his fingers play with the other. I arch my back and run my fingers through his hair. Pull him toward me. I need more. I need to feel all his skin against mine.

I tug at the waist of his sweatpants. “Jake?”

He lifts his head to look at me and then stands up. Every cell in my body screams its protest as cool air chills my skin. I miss his touch. He takes my hands and pulls me. One second, I’m standing, and in the next, he’s holding me, my legs wrapped around his hips, and his hands holding my bottom. From the kitchen counter, Kojak watches us, and I swear that cat is smirking. Jake carries me with ease, his footsteps quiet on the carpeted steps. His bedroom is at the end of the hall, large and open, with slate blue walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. The French doors open to a balcony and the lake beyond, now barely visible through the pouring rain A king-sized bed sits against the darker blue accent wall.

Jake holds me with one hand while using the other to pull back the bed coverings. Crisp white sheets meet my back when he lays me down. I scoot over and make room for him. The waist of my sweatpants unrolls and slides halfway down my hips. I’m nearly naked now. Jake stands at the side of the bed and watches me, his chest heaving with even breaths.

I smile. “You’re a little overdressed for this party.”

He nods at my pants, just hovering over my pubic bone. “So are you.”

I move my hands to the fabric. “I can fix that.”

“No, let me.” He kneels on the bed, his hands slide up my outer thighs until he hooks his fingers in the waistband, and tugs down. I lift my hips just enough for the pants to get past my butt. He stops and drags a breath in when the fabric reveals more of me. His gaze fixed on the spot between my thighs.

I lie back and watch as his eyes devour me. My skin heats everywhere his gaze touches. He’s so beautiful. Messy hair, red and swollen lips, chest heaving, the ridges in his stomach contracting with each breath. The bulge in his sweatpants grows bigger. His gaze finds mine again. Those eyes . . . they’re dark with lust. The storm inside him and me rivals the one outside.

He pulls my pants off, steps off the bed, and tosses them on the floor. His thumbs hook on the side of his own pants now.

I go up on my knees. “No, let me.”

He stops, and I move closer to him, hook a finger on the inside of his waistband, and slide it to his hip. Do the same with the other hand. I pull the band out and down to free his erection. It bobs once and juts out between us. I slide the pants down his thighs, and gravity does the rest.

My turn to drink him in. Lean muscles and taut skin, abs I want to lick, and the dips of the V point directly at his cock. And it’s a thing of beauty. I never thought of a penis being beautiful before, but I can honestly say his is.

I take him in my hand—the moment my fingers wrap around him, he closes his eyes, and a little moan escapes his lips. He pushes into my hand, and I stroke him. Once, twice, three times.

His hand covers mine and stops me. “This party will be over before it starts if you keep doing that. I’m about to embarrass myself like a green boy. Lie back down, please.”

I pout but scoot back and lie on my side. Jake lies down next to me. We reach for each other at the same time. I lean back, while he hovers over me, and we kiss. Not as hungry as before, but just as intense. There’s a calm and gentleness to him now, like all doubts have vanished, and we are secure knowing this is right. We danced around our attraction and the ethics of getting involved for weeks. Now, the doubt is gone, and this is the moment we give in.

His mouth moves down my jaw, neck, and collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses. He nuzzles and kisses the space between my breasts. I reach for him, smoothing my hands over every inch of skin I can reach. I rake my nails through his hair, neck, shoulders, and back. His muscles flex when I scratch his sides. He trails kisses down my body, over my belly, hips, and more until he settles over my center. His shoulders push my legs apart as he makes room for himself.

I hold my breath in anticipation, but what I crave doesn’t happen just yet. Jake teases me with kisses and nibbles on one thigh, then the other. He brushes his cheek into the spot above where I want him the most, the scrape of his whiskers over my sensitive bud creating sensory overload. His breath comes in hot, and then, just when I’m about to scream in frustration, his lips find me.

Chapter47

Jake

I inhale her.I taste her. I devour her. Outside, the rain drums on the roof and runs down the windows, but that can’t muffle Ava’s moans when I finally get my lips and tongue on her, in her. It’s the sweetest of sounds.

Under me, her hands grasp the linens and twist them. Her hips undulate under my touch. She doesn’t wait for release to come to her. No, she hunts it down. I’m the giver, and she’s the seeker. We meet halfway in this game of give and take. And I can’t wait to make her scream.

She’s frantic, her hips moving faster, harder. Her husky voice murmurs my name incoherently. I hold her thighs and latch on.

She explodes on my tongue. Her back arches, her hands fist the bedding, her mouth opens into a silent scream, and her entire body goes rigid. I hold on, giving her more and more. Wave after wave racks her body until, with a final cry, she falls back into the bed and goes completely still. Her body is spent and relaxed. Her chest rises and falls with the force of her breathing, and tears stream down the corners of her closed eyes.

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