“Are you tired?” he asked.
She nodded. “Exhausted, really. But I was ready to stay if they needed me.”
At his pickup, he held open her door. She slid into the passenger seat and watched him as he walked around to the driver’s side.
“I may sleep all day,” Jake said. “If you’re hungry, I know an all-night diner if you want to stop and get something.”
“I need sleep more than I need food.”
“So do I. We’ll just drive straight to my cabin and crash then,” he said. “Thanks for helping.”
“I was glad to do something to help,” she answered, too aware of him so close beside her. His disheveled appearance just added to his appeal, and his broad shoulders gave him a look of strength and being capable of getting things done.
Lost in thoughts about Jake, she was silent as he drove back to his cabin. Everything about him amazed her. They had barely spoken in all the years they had been neighbors. Barely spoken until yesterday. Now she responded as if they were longtime friends, which they definitely were not. She figured their time to be civil to each other was definitely limited and that he was being courteous because she had lost her home in the fire. And maybe because of their kiss. That thought stirred another sizzle in her, and she drew a deep breath.
At his house he walked down the hall with her, his boot heels scraping on his hardwood floor. At the door to her suite, he turned to her. “Let’s go look, make sure you have everything you need.”
She gazed up into his brown eyes. He still had tangled locks of black hair falling on his wide forehead. “I’m fine. I was here yesterday afternoon and I checked. I don’t need anything. I’ll sleep in one of your T-shirts you loaned me.” She looked down at her sooty jeans. “I just want out of these clothes.”
“Can I help you there?” he asked, startling her until she saw the twinkle in his eyes, and she laughed as she shook her head.
“I think I can manage all by myself this time,” she couldn’t resist adding, flirting a little. He was smiling, but when she said, “this time,” something flickered in the depth of his eyes.
“I’ll remember to ask again,” he said, his voice changing and getting deeper with a slight rasp.
“I should resist,” she said solemnly and meant it. She shouldn’t even flirt with him. She definitely shouldn’t kiss him.
“We’re entitled to a little fun after the day we’ve had.” He reached out to touch her shoulder, his fingers light as a feather. “Thanks again for helping today,” he repeated. “A little help can make a big difference.”
She drew a deep breath as she looked into his brown eyes that held unmistakable desire, and her heart drummed. Her pulse jumped because there was no mistaking the hunger in his gaze. He wanted to kiss her. Common sense reminded her that she should turn away right now, ignore the need she felt, resist the intense awareness of his hand on her shoulder, of how close he stood, as well as the consuming look in those midnight eyes holding her in his spell. He smelled like smoke and had smudges on his cheek and shirt, but she didn’t care. She wanted his kiss with all her being. She stopped worrying about consequences or the ancient feud.
“Jake,” she whispered without even thinking about what she was doing. His arm slipped around her waist and she placed her hand so lightly on his chest, barely touching him, yet conscious of the contact. He was warm, hard and muscular. Her heart raced. “You know we shouldn’t,” she whispered, yet she leaned slightly toward him. Her lips tingled as her gaze lowered to his mouth.
“Yeah, I know,” he answered in a husky voice while at the same time his arm tightened around her and he drew her closer.
“I can’t resist you,” she whispered again. She tilted her face up, looking at his mouth and then back to his dark gaze. She was hot, tingly, wanting him with all her being.
“Come here,” he said in a voice that was the same as a caress. He tightened his arm again to hold her closer as his other hand went behind her head. She had her palm spread on his chest and felt the rhythm of his heart. He was looking at her as if he wanted to devour her.
While her own heart pounded, her lips parted as she stood on tiptoe to turn her mouth up to his. Slipping her arm across his shoulders, she drew his head down to kiss him. The stubble on his jaw was rough and prickly, but she barely noticed. Her heart raced as his lips moved so lightly on hers, and she moaned softly.
She wrapped her arms around his strong body and clung tightly to him. His waist was narrow, his belly flat and hard.
Moaning softly, she thrust her tongue over his. She felt on fire with wanting his hands and mouth all over her. Right now, she was lost in another fabulous, stormy kiss that made her want to be in his arms for hours.
He shifted, running his hand down her back, pulling her tightly against him. She felt his thick erection press against her, and she shivered as he deepened the kiss, fueling her own blaze.
She clung to him, aware of his hand sliding down her back so slowly, slipping down over her bottom.
She tried to hang on to common sense, knowing that if she didn’t stop him, they would be in his bed making love soon.
She moved slightly and pushed against him just a bit, but he raised his head to look at her.
Gasping for breath, she stepped back to put space between them. “We can’t,” she whispered. “We have way too much bad history between us.”
Her heart pounded because his dark eyes were filled with desire, his lips slightly red from kissing her. She longed for him, wanting his hands and mouth all over her, but she was still able to pull her wits together enough to know that if she wasn’t careful, she would upset her solitary life and get hurt badly, maybe a hurt that would last a lifetime. Jake was unique, desirable. At the same time, there was no way to ignore the fact that he was at the center of the feud she had grown up living in daily.
“We better say good-night,” she whispered, turning away from him before they kissed again.
