Intimate (21 page)

He gazed at her with such a soft smile on his face, it made her nervous. Finally, he nodded. “I'd like that,” he said. “I'd love to bring you back here during harvest. If you're not in the Bahamas on some important shoot, or maybe the Swiss Alps.”

“I don't ski well enough for the Alps. They'll have to find someone else to model their après ski wear.” She laughed, and then realized she'd done a lot of laughing with Jake. Her gaze landed on his mouth, on the curve of his lips.

Almost as much laughing as kissing.

She held up the plastic bag with the cheese and crackers. “How do you want this?”

He seemed to shake himself. Maybe he'd been thinking what she'd been thinking. Their thoughts were so often aligned.

“Let's arrange the tray with a few grape leaves. Here's an opener if you want to get that cork out and pour about an inch in each glass. I'm going to set up a couple of reflectors to even out the shadows.”

It took them about ten minutes. Kaz arranged the tray with the glasses and wine bottle surrounded by grape leaves and a few wild daisies, then she positioned herself on her side, resting on one elbow with her knee bent forward, the other leg stretched out, the glass in her hand.

She tilted her head, blinked slowly, and smiled seductively at Jake.

He stopped, dead in his tracks. “Can you hold that look?”

She licked her lips and batted her eyelashes slowly. Deliberately. Lowered her voice and whispered, “Give me a good reason. I'm sure I can.”

“You're trying to kill me, aren't you?”

“Never. I want you alive. And hard. I really want you hard.” She licked her lips again.

Jake crouched down to get the shot lined up. Then he groaned, stood, and rearranged himself in his loose-fitting cargo pants before going down on his knees once again.

Still looking through the lens, he added, “Kneeling to take a shot is a lot easier without a boner. Just sayin'…”

“Then don't look at me.” Kaz twirled a grape leaf across her lips.

“I have to. That's what Marc's paying us for. I look at you, you look gorgeous.”

She laughed. It really was fun to tease him. “I'm doing my job. Just lying here…”

“Looking and talking way too sexy for your own good. And mine, too.” He tilted his head and studied her for a moment. “I'd like to see more of the chains. Can you arch your back so the underside curve of your breasts will show more? That way the chains have a nice flow to the visible ring in your navel, and it shows off more of your tat.”

She arched, probably more than he expected, but she'd always been limber, and it was fun to throw him for a loop. The steady click of the camera had her shifting her position, using her imagination to come up with poses that showcased the tiger eye stones to their best advantage.

She slowly shifted until she was sitting upright with one knee up, the other folded beneath her, and her head turned to one side, her cheek resting on her knee. From that she stretched out on one knee with her other leg bent until her toes almost touched the back of her head.

The camera clicked steadily as she slowly went back into the original position, lying on her side with the glass of wine in her hand.

Jake snapped a few more shots, checked the screen on his camera, and smiled. “You are absolutely magnificent. I think I've got exactly the ones I needed.”

Then he looked at her again, and this time there was so much heat in his eyes that Kaz imagined the slow sweep of his gaze leaving scorch marks across her skin.

“Of course, there are more I want,” he said. His voice was even hotter. “I'd love to have a few of you for my personal stash.”

“Anything in particular?” She lifted the cropped top high enough to expose her breasts.

She heard the hiss as Jake sucked in a breath, but his camera was up in an instant.

Glancing around, she made sure there was no one working in the vineyard, then slowly pulled the top over her head.

Jake didn't say a word, but the steady sound of the camera let her know he was still shooting. Slowly, she slipped the skirt over her hips, taking her thong along with it. Naked, lying beneath the brilliant spring sunshine, she felt stronger, more self-confident than she could ever recall.

It wasn't the fact she'd exposed herself to the man and his camera. It was all about choice. He hadn't asked her to do this. She'd made the decision on her own, to give him this gift, a bit of herself to remind him of what they'd shared.

There was no sound. The camera was on the tablecloth beside Jake's knees. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “No more pictures?”

He shook his head. “I wanted to see you with my eyes, not through the filter of a lens. You're beautiful, Kaz. You're beautiful and you make me laugh, and you make me so damned hot. I will never forget these past few days.”

She rolled over to her hands and knees and crawled close to him. “Well, if you do, you'll have pictures. And I certainly hope you keep your promise not to share those, or I will be forced to hire a hit man. And they don't come cheap.”

“Never. Though after this ad campaign and the commercial you're doing for Fletch, you should be able to afford one.” He pulled her forward into his lap, and she wrapped her arms around him, locked her legs behind his back. “I will never share them with anyone.” He kissed her, sealing the deal.

She kissed him back.

Then he lay beside her on the red tablecloth, stroking her side, her flank, the curve of her bottom, until her skin tingled and her nipples ached. It didn't take him long to get rid of his clothes, to dig through his camera case and find the condoms, but she was more than ready for him when he finally rolled on top of her and filled her with a single long, hard thrust.

They'd tried all kinds of crazy positions last night, some so absurd they'd ended up giggling. Then there'd been the absolute showstopper that gave Jake a cramp in his leg. They'd decided not to try that one again.

Kaz liked this best, though why they called it the missionary position made no sense at all, unless she thought of making love with Jake as a religious experience. Which it was.

Dear God, it really was.

It was definitely perfect for making love in a vineyard. She looked up into those dark, dark eyes and the tousled hair falling across his cheek, at the sheen of sweat on his perfectly muscled chest and the way his biceps flexed as he held himself above her, and she knew it couldn't get any better.

They fit together perfectly, his long legs tangled with hers, his narrow hips nestled between her thighs. The ground beneath the cloth was covered in thick grass, but it was still rocky and rough. Kaz no longer noticed. They might have been lying on the softest bed in the world rather than a tablecloth hidden between rows of ancient grapevines.

When her climax took over her body, when her mind and her heart, her entire being, was suddenly thrust into a connection with Jake she'd only dreamed of, Kaz was inordinately proud of the fact she didn't scream the words lodged in her heart. She didn't blurt out the truth and admit something she'd been trying to deny, that in a very brief few days, she'd fallen head over heels in love with R. Jacob Lowell.

That wasn't in the contract. Not part of the deal at all, but she'd treasure these past few days, this perfect time with him.

*   *   *

“Damn. I didn't expect it to be so crowded.” Jake glanced around the full restaurant, at the busy staff and the line of people waiting to be seated.

“Hey, Jake! Hi, Kaz. Good to see you back.”

He and Kaz turned at the same time. It was Luke Borelli, the owner who'd been bartending the night before. He was a fan of Intimate wines, in fact, he featured them quite proudly on the wine list.

“This place is hoppin'.” Jake shook his hand.

“Tourists. There are always events on weekends. You and Kaz here for dinner?”

“We were hoping to, but I didn't make reservations. It looks like a long wait. We're both beat, so we'll probably go grab a pizza or a sandwich.”

Luke poured a beer for Jake and handed a glass of Chardonnay to Kaz. “On the house,” he said. “And if you don't mind a table in the bar, you can be seated right now. We've got some great specials.”

Jake glanced at Kaz.

“Hey, it works for me,” she said. “I need food, and it smells wonderful in here.”

“You got it. C'mon.” Luke led them to a small table in the back, a semiprivate booth out of traffic.

Kaz slid in against the wall, and Jake took the seat across and smiled at Luke. “Thank you. This is perfect. I'm surprised no one grabbed it.”

“It's where I sit during the day and do my paperwork. The bar isn't crazy then. I think I'm going to be too busy tonight to sit, so for now it's all yours.” He handed them each a menu and went back to the bar.

Almost two hours later, after consuming more excellent food than either of them probably needed, Jake covered his mouth to hide a yawn.

Kaz laughed. “I think that means I'm beginning to bore you.”

“Actually, it means I haven't been this relaxed in ages.” Relaxed, if he didn't count the simmering arousal that had kept him at a low burn all evening. He was certain his blood pressure had gone down as his contentment level went up.

Kaz had the better seat for people watching, and she'd kept up a steady commentary about the diners coming through the bar, which appeared to be the main entrance to the restaurant. She'd worn a cropped top that showed glimpses of her butterfly tattoo if she raised her arms at all. Jake was really going to miss that tattoo. He couldn't tell if she'd worn any chains.

Then Kaz yawned and they both laughed. Jake stood and helped her to her feet, paid for their dinner, and they both thanked Luke before heading down the street to their room. As they walked through the quiet evening, he thought of their conversation tonight, about the combination of his ad campaign and Fletcher Arnold's for the South Bay winery.

Whether she was ready or not, Kaz could easily become a household name after both campaigns went public. He already thought about her as if she were his, but that wasn't going to happen. He'd worked so hard to build a new life, one free of RJ Cameron and his awful choices. If he and Kaz ever became an item, his secret would be out. He had no doubt he'd be judged and found guilty. Again.

He didn't want to lose her. Couldn't keep her. But neither could he keep himself from saying what he was thinking. “Ya know, Kaz, I'm thinking your little sister would be loving what you've done with your life so far. How do you think she'd take the news of your doing two major ad campaigns? And your mom, too.”

Kaz tilted her head and stared at him. Then she sighed and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, but she didn't look away.

“Jilly would love every minute of it. But Jake? I've been lying to you.” She let out a deep breath and bit her lips together. Then she said, “My mother isn't really dead. She's in prison. She's a drug addict. She snatched Jilly out of the front yard and was driving away when she ran a light and a truck hit her car. Jilly died. My mother survived, but she had a number of priors and ended up with a twenty-five-year to life sentence. She won't be eligible for parole for years.”

Too stunned to say anything, Jake held tightly to Kaz's hand. She told him more, staring at the ground as they walked back to the B and B.

“She was in and out of my life. When I was little, I wanted so much for her to love me, but she always loved the drugs more. I was ashamed she was my mother. I hated her. The last time she came back to Dad, she was pregnant and homeless. The child wasn't my father's, but he told my mother she could stay if she'd submit to regular drug tests. Things were pretty good while she was pregnant, but within weeks after Jilly was born, she was using again. Then she left when Jilly was a few weeks old.”

She slanted a sweet smile his way. “Those were the best years ever. They lasted until Jilly died, but I was so lucky to have my little sister for those seven years. I hated my mother so damned much, but then I realized she wasn't worth the wasted energy. Hating someone takes up too much space in your heart.”

They'd reached the B and B. At the top of the stairs, Jake turned and pulled Kaz into his arms. There really were no words. Nothing to answer her grief, nothing that would fix what she had gone through.

The loss of the little sister she'd loved so much.

How the hell could he ever tell her his story? Kaz's honesty was a painful thing. She deserved the same from him, but the minute she realized the whole truth, that in some ways he'd been no better than her mother, she would despise him, too. He wouldn't be able to blame her.

But he wanted more from her. Wanted to know more of the story, even as he debated how little of his own he was willing to share.

He was such a fucking coward.

 

CHAPTER 13

“Why?” Jake stopped in front of the door to their room, looking as perplexed as a man possibly could.

Frowning, she tilted her head and stared at him. “What do you mean, why? Why did I raise my sister? Why did my father ever take the woman back?” She laughed.

It was either that or cry. She missed Jilly. Missed the life they'd built after her mother abandoned the family for the … what was it? Seventh? Maybe the eighth time?

“Why did you tell me your mother was dead?”

He unlocked the door and she stepped ahead of him into the room. “That's the simplest ‘why' to answer. Because it was easier than having to explain the whole story. Jake, I've never told anyone what I've told you tonight. We never even told Jilly her mother was alive. The saddest thing is, Jilly might be alive if we had. Dad and I agreed that was our biggest mistake, not telling her the truth, that our mother was just gone, that she was sick, that if she ever came back, she wasn't safe, and that Jilly was never to go anywhere with her without asking Dad or me, but we had no reason to believe she'd ever return. It took her over seven years to come back, and that was the day she stopped in front of our house and saw Jilly playing in the front yard with her friends.”