In the Market for Love - By Nina Blake Page 0,38
her full height and faced him.
He slid his arms around her waist so his fingertips lay on the bare flesh of her exposed back. Her hands were on his upper arms, their muscular strength obvious beneath her touch. She twisted her arms up around his neck and tilted her head towards his, her lips parted as she waited to taste him.
As he dipped his head towards hers, she savoured the moment. Filled with heady intoxication, the night air closed in around her and she remembered the thrill of the last time he kissed her. She knew exactly what was coming.
He nibbled her lower lip and she let out a little cry at the unexpected delight. His lips brushed against hers, whetting her appetite even more.
Jake held back the full power of his passion, building the kiss up slowly as he pressed his mouth against hers gently at first. Then he ran his tongue along her lips and taunted her by seeking only the soft tip of her tongue, refusing to give himself swiftly.
All at once, his arms curled more tightly around her and their mouths collided as he plunged his tongue inside, burying them both in a deep reverie. Their bodies writhed against each other, both of them desperate to express the longing that surged deep within them.
His hardness pressed against her. She pulled him closer. Everything else in the world disappeared and there was only the two of them, consumed by passion, desire burning through their bodies.
She was no longer marketing manager or colleague or friend. She was all woman.
Jake pushed her against the railing and she flinched, pulling back from him. Her hands gripped his neck tightly as she clung to him.
“I’m afraid of heights,” she said.
Her words didn’t begin to describe her fears. She recalled the giddy heights to which he’d taken her with their first kiss. She was afraid he’d sweep her to an even greater summit and she’d plummet to earth with a crash.
“I know,” he said. “You don’t need to be. I won’t let you fall.”
He spun her around so she was no longer leaning against the railing but against his superior weight. Now she was in a safer position away from the edge of the balcony. Safe for a while anyway.
“You’ve been putting a wall up between us but every now and then the barrier comes down and I get to see the real Rachel,” he said.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
It was too hard to admit the truth to herself let alone anyone else, and she was still coming to terms with it.
“You’re so careful all the time,” he said. “Too careful. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you but you wouldn’t let me in. When you lower your defences I get to see the real Rachel. Like now, the Rachel who kissed me. It’s as though you hide that person because you’re afraid of getting hurt.”
“Isn’t everyone?”
“I’m not going to hurt you. I made one mistake. I’m not going to do that again. I’m not going to let you go.”
He dipped his head towards hers. A current of hot desire shot up her spine. He pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her again.
His hands slipped over her waist, hips, bottom. He made her feel like a woman. Made her want more.
He peppered little kisses onto her throat. She arched her neck. He pulled her closer, his massive form pressing against her. She felt crushed, the air sucked out of her lungs. Breathless, she took in short bursts of the cool night air.
“Jake…” Her gentle whisper rippled through the air.
She felt the exquisite aftertaste of the kiss and his breath, hot and moist near her face.
His arms were still wrapped around her but more loosely than before. She dropped her hands down to his waist, slowly sliding them inside his jacket down the contours of his rugged chest.
“You’re cold,” Jake said, noticing the goose bumps on her arms. “You can have my jacket.”
He released her and took off his jacket.
“No, I’m not. Quite the opposite. I’m hot. That’s the whole problem.” She a small step back. “But I can’t do this right now. I need a bit more time.”
“Time for what, Rachel? Time to build up your defences? Change your mind?”
She looked up at him. “No, I only just found out you’re married, remember? Because you didn’t tell me. It’s a lot to take in. I have to get used to it.”
“Life is short. You of all people