covering me.”
He wrapped one arm around her, and she curled into a ball, cuddling into him. “And here I was thinking you’d have plenty of objections,” he said.
“To feeling you inside me?” she asked with a hint of boldness that seemed to startle even her. “Of course not.” She let out a laugh.
“I meant objections to the lack of furniture. The lack of…everything.” Once again he was struck by how much he cared about what she was feeling.
She turned and stroked his cheek. “There’s no lack of anything. There never is with you. In one night you’ve given me so much.”
“Like what?” He was truly curious. Other than great
She nestled her head into his shoulder and sighed. “Well, there’s the obvious.”
He nodded.
“But there’s something else. Did you know I’ve never had a real date before?”
That surprised him. “I thought you’d been in other relationships.”
“I was. One or two to alleviate the loneliness when things got too overwhelming. But it was always something I fit into my schedule, something that was rushed and never made me feel any better than I had before. But tonight you took me out on a real, planned date.”
“For ice cream. It was no big deal.” But Jake lied to himself, he knew. He’d given plenty of thought to where he could take Brianne. He’d wanted someplace memorable, and though he’d thought of the spot because of a sexy picture he’d seen in a magazine, he’d chosen the place because of Brianne. He’d known in his heart not only that she’d appreciate the chance to indulge in a frivolous treat but that she’d remember him favorably because of it.
“It was a very big deal.” She wriggled out of his embrace so she could look into his eyes. “And I think you know it.”
He damn well did, and he wasn’t just thinking about their so-called date. He’d been married and in love once and he’d been in casual relationships before and since. All paled in comparison to what he’d experienced with Brianne, from looks across a room to the most intimate act imaginable. Jake was a cop, a law enforcement officer, and it wasn’t in his nature to deny or lie to himself, professionally or personally. And he knew he hadn’t had sex tonight-he’d made love with Brianne.
She sighed and seemed to go boneless beside him, her hair tickling his nose and the scent of strawberries lingering in the air. He wrapped his arms around her waist, but his heart pounded fast and furious as he tried to absorb the implication of how much he cared for this woman who was wrong for him in every imaginable way.
For one thing, she intended to move at the end of the summer. He couldn’t fault her for wanting to be near the brother she raised and he had no desire to stand in her way by admitting his growing feelings or asking about hers.
And despite the fact that Brianne understood the value of money more than did most people, Jake still feared he couldn’t provide her with all she needed, all she might desire.
And even if he could get past the scars of his marriage, there was something Jake could never overcome. Brianne would never accept what he did for a living. Even if she came to believe differently, one day she’d give up on him the same way his wife had. And though he wasn’t sure he’d continue being a cop, Jake’s joy and his livelihood would always be tied to some kind of law enforcement. It was “reckless” behavior that Brianne couldn’t understand. Behavior that she admitted reminded her of the pain she’d struggled to overcome.
Brianne was his fantasy. At his suggestion, they would have a short-term relationship. A summer fling. Yet when he let himself think about losing her, the pain was blinding.
“There’s one last thing you did for me,” she said, her words muffled against his chest.
“What’s that?” He was eager to put these unexpected emotions and thoughts out of his head and enjoy the time they’d agreed upon.
“I asked you to take me home and make me forget all my ridiculous fears. You really know how to satisfy a woman’s request.” She snuggled closer, and though his body warmed to her touch, his mind rebelled against everything she’d just said.
He’d planned to make her forget, but he hadn’t intended to suffer an amnesiac lapse himself. Yet he had. He’d come back to this apartment, made love to his fantasy woman,
Including Brianne.
Louis was aware of Brianne. How or to what extent, Jake hadn’t a clue. But thanks to Brianne’s relationship with Jake-perceived or otherwise-she’d become a valuable commodity to Ramirez.
It was too late for Jake to protect her by outwardly pretending Brianne meant nothing to him in the hopes that Ramirez would back off. It was also too late to keep Brianne out of his life. Not only did he want what sacred, limited time they could share, but he needed her around to keep her safe. Having her watched wasn’t enough. Jake needed to be involved in her life.
But he couldn’t level with her. Since he’d become privy to her painful past, there was no way in hell he could let Brianne in on the fact that, thanks to his job, a dangerous criminal was watching her…and probably planned worse.
The irony was glaring. As Jake had anticipated, his personal and professional lives had escalated at the same time. But he hadn’t planned for them to become irrevocably intertwined.
A PATHETIC WHINING NOISE woke Brianne. She opened her eyes and blinked hard. The morning sun shone bright, its golden rays basking her face in heated warmth. She found herself snug in her own bed, Jake curled next to her. They’d made love, and the experience had changed her forever. He’d become a part of her, and wherever she went she’d take Jake with her. Inside her heart, if not by her side.
Last night came back to her more clearly. She remembered them walking down the hall to her room. “Better your bedroom than my sister’s bedroom palace,” he’d said.
She’d already sensed his discomfort with the overly large and formal apartment, and she was glad to see his taste ran to the more mundane, like her own. She mentally kicked herself for caring what they had in common, when their differences were too great to overcome.
The whine sounded once more, and she realized Norton was closed out of the bedroom and probably needed a walk. She rolled over, glanced at the clock and bolted upright in bed. Norton wasn’t the only one who needed to get out of the apartment.
“I’m late.” She tossed the covers off her and started to rise, hating the air-conditioned chill but having no choice. Jake stopped her, catching her around the waist, and pulled her back into the downy, warm comforter. Back into his arms.
“Where are you running to?” he asked, nuzzling his nose into her cheek.
“Norton needs to go.”
“I took him an hour ago. He’s fine, just jealous.”
And she hadn’t felt Jake leave the bed? She must have slept more soundly than she realized. She was certainly more relaxed, more sated…The red lights on the clock caught her eye once more, and she groaned. “I still need to get to work.”
“Don’t go.” His palm came to rest on her stomach, his hand splaying wide, his skin hot and warm against her flesh.
Her pulse leapt and her insides coiled into a tight, tempting knot of desire. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve dragged myself out of bed because I couldn’t justify staying home?”
“I’ll give you justification.” He slid his hand downward, his fingers resting on her feminine mound. Slick moisture trickled between her legs, while a pulsing, pounding awareness started slow and grew until it enveloped her.
“Stay home with me, instead.” His husky voice echoed in her ear as his arm snaked out and he reached for the phone, dangling it in front of her eyes. “Come on, Brianne. Call in sick.”
She wanted to. She yearned desperately to shed the years of automated behavior and the obligatory need to follow a set schedule. She bit down on her lower lip. “I’ve never called in sick unless I was deathly ill.”
“Then, do it this once. Give yourself a well-deserved treat.” One finger dipped lower, teasing her with the beginning of the intoxicating waves he was so good at creating.
