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  He was silent, waiting for her response. She could see the tension in his shoulders as they tried to climb up his neck. She smiled. “Good, because I don’t share either.”

  He lifted her hands to his lips, kissing the knuckles, then rubbing his thumbs over them. “So, how’d you manage to stay a virgin this long? Are the guys you know all idiots?”

  She laughed. “No, not all of them. I was busy. I had graduated high school early and had my Masters by the time I was twenty-two, and I was interning with Brundel and Schein. Then, the guys there, well, they don’t like me much. Plus, most of them are married and the younger ones were always in competition with me for jobs. I did go on a few dates, but there came a point where, well… I had waited so long anyway. It just felt like I should make sure I really wanted someone before I took that step. And I never have.” The “until you” was silent, but understood.

  * * * * *

  “You know we’re going to make love. You won’t be a virgin much longer.”

  “I know.”

  “Why did you leave last time?” He had to know why she hadn’t stayed with him. “I had already promised I wouldn’t take you, what were you afraid of?” He rolled onto his side, propping his head on his hand. He wanted to see her face, her eyes. He grabbed her hand in his other one. He needed to touch her.

  She blinked, looking confused by his question. “I wasn’t afraid. You left… No, you ran out of the room.” She turned her head away, her red cheeks showing her embarrassment. “I thought…” she took a deep breath and blurted, “I thought I’d done something wrong.”

  Jake froze, his hand squeezing hers. He knew he was probably hurting her, but he was trying to tamp down the anger. He was so stupid. She was an innocent. It had been so long since he'd been with someone with as little experience as she had that he didn't remember. It would never occur to her why he’d left so quickly, why he’d had to get out of there. How could he be such an idiot? He finally managed to get words out, although they sounded a little deeper than he would have liked. “You didn’t do anything wrong, not even close,” was all he could manage.

  Now she rolled over onto her side, looking at his face.“Then I don’t understand. I thought, maybe, I was too…”

  When she didn't seem like she was going to continue, Jake prodded, "Too what?"

  “Too, ummm, eager.”

  “God, you really are innocent aren’t you?” He put his hand on her cheek, lifting her chin to look right into her eyes. “You were perfect, absolutely perfect. That’s why I left.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Jess, you make me crazy. Seriously crazy. Even now, lying here, talking to you, I’m harder than hell, and I haven’t even touched you.” He saw her eyes go wide and glance down to his groin. He felt his erection jump. “Feeling you, your body clenching around my finger, I almost embarrassed myself, coming in my jeans like a damn teenager. I had to go…relieve some pressure…before I broke my promise and pushed inside you.”

  Her silver eyes sparked fire. “You went to…” her voice trailed off.

  “Masturbate? Yes.” She looked shocked. “Would it surprise you to know that I’ve done that very same thing every damn day since you got here? Including last night and again this morning?” Her surprised eyes got even wider. He laughed, pulled her close to him, her head resting on his arm. He thrust his hips against her. “It obviously hasn’t helped.”

  Chapter 21

  She could feel his erection pressing against her and her body rushed to catch up, moisture pooling between her legs, her breasts getting heavy and tight. She looked up, eyeing his mouth, her tongue peeking out to lick her lips. She heard him groan.

  “Do you think of me when you please yourself, Jess?”

  She shook her head no. When his expression turned dark, she realized he’d misunderstood. “No, I don’t masturbate.”

  He froze again. “Ever?”

  “No, never. I never really understood the point. I told you, I had never really wanted anyone until you. Sex, even by myself, seemed pointless.”

  “So, the first time you ever had an orgasm was…”

  “With you.”

  Jake groaned again, rolling away. He got up and started pacing.

  “Please stop walking away from me. I’m finding I don’t particularly like it.”

  Jake turned, smiling ruefully. “I need a little control, a little perspective here, Jess. You’re even more innocent than I thought you were. We need to take this slowly. And that’s gonna be hard for me. It's been a long time.” He walked over and lay back down by her, a little farther away.

  She turned, snuggling into his chest. She didn’t want to take anything slowly, but maybe he was right. She really didn’t know him all that well. “So, tell me more about your family, your childhood.

  Jake took a deep breath. After a minute, he started talking again. He ran his hands through her hair while he told her all about his parents, growing up on the ranch, Marsha. “How did you and Cody get to be friends? You guys seem like total opposites.”

  She felt his smile against her hair. “We are. Believe it or not, Cody used to be a lot bigger than me. When we were in second grade, I was the littlest kid in class. The biggest kid in class was Hank. He was, of course, the class bully. He and I got into it one day after school. God only knows what it was about. Cody came to my rescue, punched Hank right in the face, giving him a bloody nose. We all got detention for a week. Somewhere in there, Cody and I became friends.” After a deep breath, he asked, “So, tell me about your family?”

  Jess immediately tensed and tried to redirect him. “I’d rather hear more about you and Cody. He seems like the kind to raise a little hell. Did you join him, in your younger years?” She tried smiling at him, knowing it was stiff.

  Thankfully, he let it slide, for now, and regaled her with stories of bar fights, school fights. Crazy horse rides, crazier women. Jake had even gone on the rodeo circuit with Cody for a year. After a little while had passed, she started to relax against him once more. Then he asked again.

  “Jess, tell me about your family? Please?”

  She sighed. She knew she’d have to tell him, but she really didn’t want to talk about them. She didn’t want to let them in this place. This ranch was a haven for her, somewhere she could just be herself. She didn’t want them here.

  “They’re not bad. Not really. I had everything, more than everything, growing up. And, in their own way, they love me. But, it was nothing like your childhood. My family comes with expectations. Lots of them. And I didn’t fit. Not any part of it. I didn’t look right, too curvy, too much hair, and then, my eyes…no one else in my family has eyes this color, so my dad always wondered if I was really his. But we couldn’t talk about that. My whole family is long and lean, very GQ. And then there was me. They’re very composed, very calm. As you’ve seen, I’m prone to displays of temper. I liked to play in the dirt, run our horses, ride bareback through the woods, not in competitions. I think I’m just a disappointment to them. And it got worse when I went to college. I was supposed to finish school, come home and get married.” She felt Jake’s arm tighten around her shoulder. “Not to anyone specific, I wasn’t engaged or anything. That was just what was expected. I wanted a career. And not even an acceptable career. If I’d wanted to deal in antiques, or take business classes to help my husband, or even be an interior designer, that would have been different. But, to be an architect…well, that’s just one step up from construction worker, and definitely not acceptable. They’re fine. Good people. I’m just not like them.”

  * * * * *

  Jake wondered if she knew how much was revealed in her words. All of a sudden, the contacts, the horrible clothes, all the insecurities made sense.

  “I like it here. I’m comfortable here. I can just be myself, and that’s okay. I don’t want to talk about them anymore, okay?”

  She was clearly uncomfortable, having told him all that she had. He wanted to see her relax an
d smile again. It was time for a new topic.

  “Okay. Can I say, I really like that I can see your eyes now. I’m glad you threw the contacts away.” He leaned and kissed her nose.

  “Me too. I figured everyone would ask stupid questions, or comment on how weird they are, but no one has said anything. I forget about it most of the time, although I’m still shocked when I catch sight of myself in the mirror.”

  There was no way Jake was going to tell her that he had threatened their lives if anyone asked her about it. He strongly suspected that Mike had done the same to his crew. He liked seeing her emerge. He wanted her to be comfortable here. It was becoming more and more important to him, although he refused to look too closely at why. “Your eyes aren’t weird, Jess. They’re beautiful. And I love that I can see what you’re feeling.” He leaned in again, this time kissing her lips, softly, gently. There was no way he could prepare for his response or hers.

  All of a sudden, the fire raged between them. He shouldn’t be surprised, it happened every time he touched her, but the intensity still startled him. He grabbed her, sliding her body on top of his so he could feel her pressing against him.

  She wiggled up, slipping her hands into his hair as she thrust her tongue in his mouth. She dropped her knees down beside his hips, bringing her wet heat tight against his erection. Jake groaned, thrusting his hips up to match her movements. He’d never had such mixed emotions about an article of clothing before, but right now he wasn’t sure if he loved or hated her jeans. He desperately wanted to rip them off and bury himself inside her, but he knew he needed that barrier. Her first time would not be rushed, it would not be on a blanket in the woods. It would be romantic and he would have more self-control. Somehow. He thrust his hips against her again, then pulled her up his body so he could feast on her breasts.

  He closed his lips over her nipple, right through the fabric of her shirt. It still wasn't enough.

  Jake rolled her over, pulling her tank up and over her head while he went. He pushed her bra down, in too much of a rush to actually remove it. He bent his head to suckle her nipple, first one then the other, into his mouth. He felt her hips rising to meet him in a motion as old as time. Her responsiveness made him crazy. Desire filled every cell of his being. He felt himself thrust his hips against her thigh. God, he was going to lose it. He raised himself back up, pressing his mouth to hers, bringing them back core to core. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pressing against him as she whimpered. She twisted her hips again, then again, her pace increasing with her need. He felt her cry against his mouth as she nipped at his lower lip.

  “Jess, oh God, darlin’ you need to stop.” Jake groaned, his hips thrusting against hers again, beginning to match her rhythm.

  She cried out, “Aaahhh, yes. Please…”

  He looked at her, knew she was close to orgasm, and he felt his shaft pulse, throbbing with need. He was pressing so hard against his jeans he thought he might break the zipper. He had to stop her before he came.

  “Jess, honey,” he groaned, trying the pull her legs from around his waist. “Please, stop…I’ll give you release. I promise… Just stop.” His hips pressed against hers again.

  “Oh, God, yes. Please Jake…harder.” She threw her head back, so lost in passion, she couldn’t even hear him.

  Seeing her like that, her eyes glazed over, was more than he could take. His cock bulged, ready to burst. He would make her come and he would pray for control. He pulled her thigh, adjusting the angle slightly, and pressed his shaft directly against her center. She screamed and writhed against him. He thrust again, and again, faster and faster. And she matched every twist. Finally he felt her body tighten, every muscle preparing for release. When she threw her head back and cried out, he felt her still as the contractions began, her nails digging into his back. Still he pushed against her. When she lifted her face and pressed her mouth against him for a long, deep tongue dueling kiss, he lost the battle. He groaned, thrusting his hips against her, hard. Once, twice, then his own orgasm ripped through his body. Jake felt the waves pulse through him, spilling his seed in his jeans. He came harder than he ever had.

  After a few minutes, he rolled off her, pulling her with him so she was still pressed against him, but lying beside him.

  Jake knew he should be embarrassed, humiliated by what had just happened to him. Yet, it just felt right. Natural that she could do that to him. She felt so perfect in his arms. Later he would question this too, question his response to her, but for now it was perfect. When he could finally speak he asked, “Do I need to apologize?”

  Jess laughed softly against his shoulder. “For what?”

  He smiled. “For attacking you. I really hadn’t planned that.”

  “I know. Neither did I. Can I ask, ummm, did you…?”

  She left it hanging there. He knew what she was asking, but oddly, wanted to hear her say the words. “Did I what?” He smirked down at her as he pulled back to see her face.

  She turned beet red. “Did you…” she gulped, “…well, did you orgasm?” She looked straight into his face.

  He could tell she was a little embarrassed, but not enough to stay quiet. “Yes.” He couldn’t resist teasing her a little. “You made me come, fully dressed. No one, not even as a horny teenager, has managed that. Do you want to see the mess you made?”

  He was smirking at her. All of a sudden her shyness was gone. She stood up, walking with a little extra swing as she went to get her tank top from where he’d thrown it. “Not unless you want me to make another one.”

  He laughed out loud. He couldn’t help it. She was amazing. Truly amazing. He watched her tug her shirt back on, then come to sit next to him again, this time sitting cross legged like a child. He couldn’t resist. He sat up, crawling toward her, he took one hand, slid it between her legs, palming her sex through her jeans. “Soon, Jess. Soon, I’ll be inside you, and you’ll be writhing against me, begging for more.” He kissed her, a soft teasing kiss. When he pulled back, he saw the fire back in her eyes.

  She twisted her hips against his hand then met his eyes, returning his gaze, heat for heat. “If I beg, so will you.” She grabbed the back of his neck, pressed a long deep kiss, then let go and stood up. “Let’s pack this up. I think we need to get back before someone sends out a search party.”

  Jake thought about her last comment on the ride home. He was fairly certain she was right. He would end up begging, and it wouldn’t be long before he did.

  Chapter 22

  Over the next weeks, things between Jake and Jess settled into a routine. Jess started getting up earlier in the morning, Jake a little later, so they could have breakfast together. Or at least coffee. It was still too early for Jess to eat. Then they would head out to their assorted business for the day. The evenings were filled with laughter and kisses. Lots of kisses. Sometimes they would sit out on the porch swing, other times they would stay and watch TV with the group. One night, they’d even gone on a long walk, just the two of them. She found the night sounds on the ranch soothing. And each night, he would walk her to her room and drop her at her door with more kisses. Heated kisses.

  She knew people at the ranch had noticed the change between them. No one had commented directly, but she could see the looks passing between them. She worried that the closer they got the more it would hurt when she had to leave. But for now, it was wonderful.

  They’d gone into Evanston again that week. They went back to the design center they’d been to before. Then they went to several other smaller stores she’d found online, and one they just drove past. They had found the perfect sinks for the master bath, and some great tiles for the other bathrooms. They had argued, this time a little more peaceably. He insisted on buying things she liked, when she wanted him to pick his favorites. The arguments were loud and heated, but tinged with laughter. She had no idea why he wanted her opinions, but she knew this house would look amazing when she was done.

  Jess had taken on a lot more p
rojects at the house. Mostly out of a need to be constructive. This project was nothing like the norm. She usually had several large projects going at any given time. Since she was seeing this one through, beginning to end, she found she had too much free time. So, she kept busy. She’d always done well with construction work. She had some skill at it, she’d just never had time to use it. Now she found herself involved in as many projects as Mike would allow. Short of actually putting up the wall, she was involved in everything. And would be even more involved as they got to the interior projects, like tiling and cabinetry. She had a vision and wanted to make sure every detail fell into place.

  She was also finding that she really enjoyed working with her hands. She had an idea forming; it had occurred to her that first day while she was at dinner with Jake, and as she’d considered it this past week or so, it seemed even better. Almost perfect in fact. She’d called Cindy the day before, and she’d agreed. Now, she just needed to talk to Mike. She was hoping to find time for that sometime in the next few days.

  And tonight, everyone was going into town again. Another night of dancing and revelry. She was really looking forward to it. She’d already decided what she would wear as well as what she would wear underneath it. She’d picked out her skimpiest black lace lingerie. She truly hoped Jake would get to see it.

  She checked her watch, headed around to find Mike. It was time to let everyone knock off for the day. As she walked into the house, she found Mike already cleaning up, and the others doing the same.

  “Hey, you heading into town with all of us?” Jess smiled at Mike, waving at some of the other guys on the crew.

  “Yeah, probably. Are you and Jake going? I figured you’d stay here.” He wiggled his eyebrows, leering suggestively.

  She laughed. Trust Mike to jump right to the suggestive. But she really liked the casual use of her and Jake together. Probably more than she should. “We were planning to go, yeah. We can always get to the eye wiggle later.”