AllTangledUp (8 page)

And she wanted Jesse. She wanted to see where this might go.
It could be a disaster, but it could be everything she’d ever dreamed of.

She’d take the risk.

Her cameraman was speaking to her again, and she made
herself refocus on him. “What was that?”

“I think we’re ready to wrap for the day.” He took his
equipment over to a big black case and began loading it. “The guys are closing
up shop and heading home.”

She blinked and looked around. The slant of sunlight in the
garage told her it was almost evening. When had it gotten so late? She spied
Dean putting away a few tools. “Do you know where Jesse is? He disappeared this
morning.”

She didn’t mention that she was the reason for his
disappearance, but she was guessing Dean knew.

He slanted a quick, incisive glance at her. “He’s in the
office.”

“Thanks.” She turned to walk in that direction.

“Lola?” Dean’s voice brought her up short.

She looked back over her shoulder, impatient to get to
Jesse. “Yes?”

“Be sure what you want before you go in there.” His
expression hardened, became unforgiving. “I’ve never seen my cousin like this,
and I don’t want you jerking him around. He got enough of that from—”

“From his mom? I know. And I know what I want.” She
shrugged. “Him.”

“Then go get him.” A small smile touched his lips, lit eyes
that were as green as Jesse’s.

She grinned back, butterflies taking flight in her belly as
she approached the office. He’d said to come to him, that he wanted her. She
clung to that knowledge, praying he wouldn’t change his mind. Ever.

Sucking in a steadying breath, she raised her fist to knock
and found her hand was shaking. She lowered her arm, and instead of knocking,
she put her fingers on the knob and turned it. The door swung in, the hinges
emitting a small creak.

Jesse sat bent over his desk, rifling through some papers.
“Dean, do you have the invoice for—”

He stopped when he glanced up, and she watched his muscles
tighten. She held on to the doorknob like a lifeline and managed to squeak out,
“Hi.”

“Come on in.” He set the paperwork down and leaned back in
his chair, his casual pose belying the tension that still hummed in the room.
“Did you need to go over something for
Revved Up
?”

“No. Nothing for the show.” She stepped into the room and
shut the door behind her, then walked over to the desk that faced his. Dean’s
desk. She perched on the edge of it, and subtly wiped her sweaty palms on her
slacks. “I came to talk to you about what you said earlier.”

If anything, his body grew tauter. “What about it?”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. How did she
tell him what he needed to know, how scared she was that she’d end up broken
and adrift again, why she’d run from his offer of more than sex when she’d
wanted to agree so badly she could taste it?

“Lola?” he prompted, one eyebrow arching.

“I love you, too.” There. A good place to start. The most
important place. “I didn’t mean to, and I didn’t want it, but I do. So much.”

His other eyebrow rose to join its twin, a bit of humor
sparking in his gaze. “That’s good. I think.”

A laugh straggled out of her. “Yes, it is.”

He leaned forward, but didn’t relax. “I hear a ‘but’ in
there.”

“But I’m scared. I’m not good with relationships, haven’t
been since my parents died. If I depend on a man, he might leave or die on me,
and then I’ll have to pick up the pieces of my life again.” She closed her
eyes, swallowed. “I’m strong enough to do it. I survived once, but…it’s damn
hard to look that kind of possibility in the face again.” Opening her eyes, she
saw he’d risen to his feet, his expression softening with the sympathy that
she’d rejected when she’d told him about her parents’ death. It gave her the
courage to continue. “If I give in to this thing between us…”

“You open yourself up to that possibility.” He came around
his desk and sat on the front of it, so there were only a few feet of open
floor separating them. “I understand.”

“Do you?” God, she hoped so, because she wasn’t sure she
understood it entirely herself.

“I’ve never committed to a real relationship before, never
even thought I’d want to. After what Mom put us through? Fuck, no.” He ran a
hand through his hair, leaving it in furrows. “You think I’m not scared
shitless?”

That brought her off Dean’s desk, and she took a few steps
toward Jesse’s side of the room. “You are?”

“Yeah.” His gaze was more earnest than she’d ever seen it.
“But this is too good to walk away from. I know not every woman is like my
mother. My aunt isn’t. Andi’s not. I’ve just never let myself tangle up with
one of the good ones before.” He snorted, his tone turning ironic. “Too wary of
falling for the first one I messed with.”

Which was exactly what had happened.

“I know exactly what you mean.” If she were totally honest
with herself, she’d admit that was probably how she’d ended up dating so many
jerks. There was no way she’d commit to any of them for long, so her heart was
safe. No risk. She’d thought Jesse was more of the same, just the way he
thought she wasn’t the kind of woman he’d fall for. They’d both been wrong. “I
don’t know what’s going to come of this. I don’t know if we’ll be together for
forty years or four months. I just know I love you and I want to be with you.”

“That’s what I want too.” He held out his hand to her,
waiting for her to take it, waiting for her to be ready, just as he had that
first day at the cabin. It was just what she needed. God, she loved him.

Setting her hand in his, she let him draw her forward into
his arms. The cessation of pain was so sharp it brought tears to her eyes. It
felt good to be here with him. Right. Everything settled into place. “I want to
make this work, Jesse. I don’t want to leave you.”

“Thank God.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck and
she stroked her fingers through his hair. They stood that way for long moments,
giving her the chance to savor the way her body fit against his. He felt so
good. “I love you, Lola.”

It was the most natural thing in the world when their lips
met, the soft sweetness soon burning into a sharper need. It was always like
this with them. She hoped it always would be. Their tongues twined, the kiss
deepening. Tingles rippled down her skin, and his hands cupped her hips,
pulling her tight to his body. Some of her muscles loosened and others went
taut, readying her for sex. His erection prodded her belly, making her cunt
contract. Their ragged breathing echoed in her ears. She craved him so much.
Cream flooded her sex, she pressed herself closer to him and moaned against his
lips. They’d drowned themselves in sensuality over the weekend, so going an entire
day without touching him, tasting him, had been intolerable. She was addicted.

His hand coasted up her side, curving inward to cup her
breast. Her nipples tightened with anticipation, rasping against her lace bra.
Excitement sped her heartbeat, heat shimmering through her. He closed his hand
over her breast, his fingers zeroing in on the beaded crest, pinching and
twisting. Her breath caught and she arched into the contact, craving more,
craving that connection she’d only ever found with him.

“More,” she gasped.

A low groan was his only answer as he began tugging at her
clothes. She did the same with his, pulling his shirt from his pants to
unbutton it. Skimming her hands up the plains of his chest was a tactile
pleasure. The crisp hair there tickled her palms, and she flicked her nails
over his flat nipples. His swiftly indrawn breath made her smile, as did the
way he attacked the button on her trousers. She tugged her top over her head
and let it drop to the floor. A squeak erupted from her throat when he latched
onto her breast, sucking her through her bra. The hot wetness of his mouth, the
nip of his teeth, had her up on tiptoes, her fingers digging into his arms to
hold herself steady.

“Jesse, Jesse, Jesse,” she chanted.

He turned them to pin her against his desk, his leg wedging
between hers. She arched into him, riding her pussy on the hardness of his
thigh. His palms curved over her ass, squeezing, pulling her sex into fuller
contact with his leg. Her clit burned with sensation as she ground herself down
and he flexed the muscles in his thigh. It was too much. She couldn’t take it.
Flames licked at her core and juices wept from her pussy. She wanted him inside
her.

Shoving his shirt off his broad shoulders, she tilted her
hips to help him push her pants down. Her panties went with the slacks, she
stepped out of her heels and she was bare except for her bra. Yes. Her hands
went to his fly, but he beat her there, wrenching open his jeans and shoving
them halfway down his thighs.

“Good enough,” he rasped.

He cleared off the desk with a rough sweep of his arm and
then lifted her onto the battered surface. She gasped as the cold metal met her
overheated flesh, the contrast intensifying both feelings. It took only a
moment for him to slide on a condom, then he stepped between her thighs.

She rocked her hips upward. “Inside me. Inside me, please.”

“Hell, yes.” He hooked her knees over his arms, holding her
legs high and wide. The blunt probing of his cock made her whimper with need.
He filled her slowly, easing into her tight sheath. Her sex throbbed around his
cock, the muscles clenching as if to draw him deeper. A shudder racked his
body. He groaned, the sound harsh and loud in the room. Then he stopped.

Embedded in her cunt, stretching her exquisitely, he remained
still and let the anticipation and tension build. His gaze gleamed as he
watched her, knowing it was driving her crazy. She wanted him to
move
.

“Jesse!” She writhed against the hard plane of his desk.
“Don’t make me wait. I need you.”

White teeth flashed in a wicked smile and he nudged his
pelvis into her, the rough hair between his thighs stimulating her clit. She
mewled in delight, her pussy fisting once in response. He choked on a breath
and finally,
finally
gave in. Bracing his palms on the desk, he leaned
over her and forced her legs wider. He withdrew in the same unhurried motion as
he’d entered her, then he thrust into her cunt. Hard. Their skin slapped
together and she moaned.

It didn’t take long for him to pick up speed, and each
penetration pushed her toward the blissful oblivion she craved. Her hands
scrabbled against the desk, looking for something to hold onto. She gripped the
sides of the metal surface, using it for leverage to press herself into his
thrusts. Letting her eyes drift closed, she focused on the pure sensation that
rocketed through her body.

“Look at me, Lola.”

She obeyed and her gaze was snared by the intensity in his.
He hid nothing from her, and she could see the same hope, love and need burning
in his gaze that she felt. Her breath caught, emotion exploding through her,
twisting with her lust to become something more powerful than she’d ever
experienced before. And she let him see it on her face, hid nothing, gave him
what he’d given her. It was perfect.

His chest heaved as he sucked in air, and sweat slipped down
their skin in rivulets. Climax beckoned, making her limbs quiver. Still, they
didn’t look away from each other, riding out the firestorm together. His cock
filled her again and again, the angle just right to make her scream. He reached
between them, flicking his finger over her clit in time with his thrusts, and
she catapulted into orgasm. Her inner muscles contracted around his dick,
milking the length of him. Her back bowed on the desk, a broken cry spilling from
her lips.

Lust flushed his face, tightening the skin over his sharp
cheekbones. His rhythm grew less smooth as he rode her against the desktop, his
cock powering into her. One, two, three more times and then he froze,
shuddering as he came. “Lola!”

A protracted moment stretched between them while they
watched each other come. The lash of need, the rush of orgasm—she could see it
all on his face, knew he saw the same on hers. They were in this together, just
the way they should be.

He let her legs loose and she propped her feet on the edge
of the desk. Leaning heavily on his elbows, he rested his forehead between her
breasts, panting for breath. She cupped her hands around the back of his skull,
her fingers in his sweat-dampened hair. After long minutes had passed, he
lifted his head to look at her, a quiet smile on his face. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She grinned, even as happy tears filled
her eyes. “We’ll make this work, I promise.”

The sound he made was rough, and he pulled her close. “I
promise, too.”

What more could she ask for? Not one damn thing. She might
not know what the future held for them, but she was smart enough to hang on
tight and enjoy the ride. With any luck, they’d keep this thing running for a
long, long time. Forever, if she had her way.

About Crystal Jordan

Crystal Jordan began writing romance after she finished
graduate school and needed something to fill the hours that used to be eaten
away by homework. She is originally from California, but has lived and worked
all over the United States. Currently she serves as a librarian at a large
research university in the Rocky Mountains and writes paranormal, futuristic
and erotic romance.

Crystal welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

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Also by
Crystal Jordan

All Revved Up

Black
Opals

Ellora’s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

All Tangled Up

ISBN 9781419937132

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

All Tangled Up Copyright © 2012 Crystal Jordan

Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky

Cover design by Fiona Jayde

Photos: AndyZ/Shutterstock.com

Electronic book publication October 2012

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