Page 50 of Take Me Home

“No. I don’t,” I said, breathier than I intended. Jake lifted a gentle hand to my shoulder, turning me to face him. His hazel eyes were borderline syrupy, examining my face curiously, gaze hooded and sex-drenched.

“Good,” he said simply. A Dawn-soap-scented hand went to my neck, fingers light over my pulse point, tracing where my collarbone disappeared into my shirt. My breaths were short and shallow. My heart pounded.

“What are you doing?” I asked, breathless. The corner of his mouth tugged upward in a cocky smirk.

“What I wanted to do all day yesterday,” Jake said, rubbing his lips together, eyes going to my mouth. His words went gravelly. “Don’t you want to know what we’d feel like together?”

“I shouldn’t,” I managed, but the tone was weak. I hardly believed myself.

“Shouldn’t,” he said slowly like he didn’t understand the word. “But do you want to?”

I felt like I was floating, my stomach fluttering. It was just the two of us on the farm. If there was any time to give in, it was right then. Jake’s eyes were back to mine, soft, falling to my lips. His breath skittered over my jaw until his hand landed there.

“I can’t stay away from you,” I whispered.

“Good,” he said again, not even flinching. “I don’t want you to.”

“I’m such bad news for you,” I warned.

He gave a soft chuckle at that. “You think I can’t handle you? Because I think I could.” God, that voice. That sultry, clothes-already-off voice. “The question is, do you want me to?”

I stood, breaths shaky as he studied me, still so close.

“Use your words, baby,” he rumbled out, low. “Do you want this?” Encouraging but still somehow dark. Playful but serious. His gaze darted between my mouth and my eyes, waiting for my answer. Desire hung in the air thicker than the Fourth of July humidity. My stomach tightened with anticipation and sheer nerves.

“Yes.”

With that one, simple, tiny word, we crashed together. The strength of his arms sealed me to him as I clutched the sides of his shirt in my fists. Those full, plump lips I’d been admiring all summer were finally on mine, holding like they’d never let go. Small things caught my attention. His upper lip was rough where he hadn’t yet shaved. He smelled of sweat and salt and motor oil and best of all, him. My hand moved to the back of his head, needing him closer. We met each other with just lips, testing the waters with soft, sensual kisses that tested my ability to stay upright. Getting to know each other. I longed to tear into him, but it was almost like he needed the tenderness first. Then like we both felt the right time, our tongues met.

A tangle of tingles went through my belly as I first noted his taste, sweet and cool. The tenderness turned furious and frantic, ravenous and wild. Jake was a hell of a kisser. He raked his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck, first caressing, then lightly tugging. The pauses between each contact were full of suspense, knowing we’d be going back for more, but not knowing when the snake would strike. I sucked at his lower lip and he growled into my mouth. At that moment, I wanted it all — his hands everywhere, his fingers teasing me,himinside me.

The hand holding me to him drifted to the bottom of my t-shirt, lifting it to dance over my hip bone. I whimpered, delighting in his delicate touch. My body was loose under his hands, seeking only his mouth and his body and more ofhim.

“Baby,” he moaned softly against my lips, his hands at my neck and hip. My head dropped back into his hand and his mouth moved to nibble on my neck. Lust flared inside me, hot and fast. Why did we still have clothes on?

Then, a car door slammed. I froze.Caleb.

“Fuck,” I panicked, untangling myself from his grasp. “Fuck, Jake, I can’t—”

“Darce.” Jake reached for me as I backed away, touching my hand to my lips. Despite the summer’s heat, my body felt cold somehow, no longer in his embrace.

“I gotta go,” I said, scrambling backward out of the tack room and colliding with Caleb.

“Hey!” Caleb said, good-natured. He stopped me from falling backward. “Whoa there! You alright, Darcy?”

“Yeah, yeah, definitely,” I said quickly with a laugh, dusting myself off like I actually had fallen. “Did you, uh, have a nice holiday?”

“Yeah, it was good,” he said. “My mom was happy to have all of us there. Partied a little hard last night with my friends, though. Still feeling it.”

Caleb looked me up and down. “Did you work on the tractor or something?”

“What? Why?” Panic tinged my voice with a maniacal laugh spilling out behind it.

“You’ve got grease all over your shirt,” he said, reaching for my forehead. “And a little streak here.”

At that moment, Jake stepped out of the tack room, looking disheveled.

“Caleb,” he said with a nod, a rare expression of pissed off on his face.

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