“Jake just happened along.” It was obvious her sister wasn’t buying it.
“No, I was watching out for her.” Jake’s blunt confession settled over them and Sapphire watched her sister, wondering what she would say. Topaz seemed momentarily speechless, but quickly recovered.
“What do you mean you were watching out for her?”
Sapphire decided it was time for her to intervene. “That’s between me and Jake.” He gave her a grateful look and came over to stand beside her. After a moment’s hesitation, he lifted her out of the chair and then sat with her on his lap. Once she was settled, she continued. “I honestly thought that was the last I’d see of Ivan.”
“I didn’t.” Anger tinged Jake’s voice. “I saw the look on the bastard’s face. He felt she owed him and I knew he’d try to collect.”
“We need to call the cops and lodge a complaint.” Topaz reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
“No.” Jake shook his head adamantly. “I’ll handle Gregor.”
Topaz hesitated. “I think we need to contact the authorities.”
John placed his hand over his fiancée’s. “Let Jake handle it.” He turned to his brother. “You are handling it, I assume.”
“Oh yeah. I planned to live and let live if he left Sapphire alone, but I’ve got enough information to fry his ass, if not with the authorities, then in the media.”
John smiled. “The personal project you were working on last week?”
Jake gave a curt nod.
“What do you mean you’ve got enough information to fry his butt?” Sapphire was totally confused.
Jake ran his hand up and down her arm and she was glad for the heat. She was chilled right to the bone from her experience. “I told you that Ivan Gregor wasn’t a good man, babe. His business dealings are suspect.”
“How did you dig up information?” Topaz demanded.
“You don’t need to know.” Jake’s blunt reply fell like a ton of bricks, leaving no doubt that was all he’d say on the matter.
“You going to take care of it or do you want me to?” John asked his brother.
Jake shook his head. “I’ll handle it this evening. By day after tomorrow, Gregor will have enough trouble trying to keep his ass out of jail to even think about bothering Sapphire.”
“You guys are scary, you know that?” Topaz stood and walked toward Sapphire, bent down and kissed her forehead. “But I’m glad you’re on our side.” She glared at Jake. “You take care of my little sister.”
“I plan to.” Jake didn’t flinch when Topaz kissed his cheek, but Sapphire noticed the flush creeping up his neck.
“Come on, woman. We need to leave these folks alone.” John hooked an arm around Topaz and led her to the door.
“Call me tomorrow morning and we’ll go out for breakfast.” Topaz waited until she’d nodded her agreement. It was only then she let John lead her out the door, shutting it behind them.
Jake stared down at her. “Are you really okay?” His hands were gentle as he touched her cheek.
“I’m fine, thanks to the stranger, whoever he was.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and felt something hard press against her hip. Jake was aroused. As tempting as it was to try to seduce him, she needed answers first. “You know that guy, don’t you?”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
She shook her head. This was too important to her and to them. If Jake couldn’t be honest with her then she didn’t know what that meant for their relationship. She needed him to be truthful to her.
“He’s a buddy of mine. I called him after the confrontation with Gregor. He’s been watching him ever since, which is why he was close by when Gregor tried to take you. He called me as soon as he saw you and, luckily, I was on my way home.”
“You had him following Ivan?” She couldn’t quite wrap her head around that one. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“Sapphire.” Jake threaded his fingers through her hair. “Don’t you know I’ll do anything to protect you? Nothing is more important to me than your safety.”
Her heart skipped a beat and her insides practically melted. For a man like Jake that was practically a declaration of love. “Promise me you’ll tell me from now on if you’re going to do something like that.”
Jake pressed his lips together in a firm line. Oh, he didn’t like that idea one bit. “You have to be honest with me about stuff like this, Jake.” They couldn’t have such big secrets between them or they would eventually drive them apart. As it was, she felt as though she hadn’t yet penetrated the wall he’d built around him. She knew he wasn’t consciously keeping her out. It was an ingrained habit to keep everyone at arm’s length, but she wasn’t just anyone. She was the woman who loved him.
Jake studied Sapphire and knew they were at yet another crossroads in their bumpy relationship. He was just glad she didn’t seem overly angry with him and seemed to understand his motives. He tried to make her see his point of view. “You’d have only worried if you’d known.” His first and only priority was protecting Sapphire.
“Yes, I would have worried, but I wouldn’t have been so scared to death when Ivan confronted me either. Not if I’d known there was someone watching.”
He conceded her point. “I’ll deal with Gregor and hopefully we’ll never have to handle a situation like this again.”
Sapphire sighed. “That’s not a promise.”
“It’s the best I can do, babe.” He tilted her chin up and brushed a kiss over her lips. “Your safety always comes first.”
She lowered her head and panic gripped him. He’d tried to show her this past week that he could be gentle, that he could court her the way she deserved. Now he was wondering if he’d gone about things all wrong. Maybe he should have spent that time solidifying their physical relationship.
No, he had a plan and he had to stick to it. This was too important to fuck up. He wanted to kill Gregor for frightening and threatening Sapphire. But since he couldn’t actually kill the bastard—Gregor’s sudden disappearance would raise too many questions and Sapphire would always wonder what he’d done—he’d make sure Gregor was no longer a problem. He was good at dealing with problems.
Although there was one problem that was persistent and nothing he did changed that fact. His cock had been rock-hard this past week, no matter how many times he’d jacked off. Not having sex with Sapphire was keeping the appendage primed and ready.
He tried to think of something else, anything else. His gaze fell on the grocery bags dumped just inside the front door. “You were going to make dinner for me?” He loved the idea that she’d wanted to surprise him. What was even more shocking was that he didn’t mind that she’d planned to invade his space without asking. With any other woman he’d have been pissed off. Of course, none of the other women he’d dated ever even knew where he lived. Sapphire was different. He liked having her here. Her presence made his apartment feel more like a real home.
It struck him like a bolt of lightning that was the reason he liked being at her place. It felt like home.
Her hand kneaded his shoulder through his shirt. “Hmmm, I’d planned to cook dinner, but now I have another idea, a better idea.”
His heart thumped heavily against his chest when her hands moved down his torso. “What do you have in mind?” His voice was hoarse and rough with arousal.
Her hand slid between their bodies, down his chest toward the front of his jeans. He sucked in a breath when her fingers skimmed over his cock. His well-thought-out plan of taking his time got chucked out the window. The hell with courting her, he wanted to fuck her. He could adapt his plan. He could do both. Yeah, that sounded good to him. Fuck her, then court her.
He could still see Gregor’s hands on her, taste the metallic tang of fear in his mouth at the thought of the bastard hurting Sapphire. Jake needed to know she was safe, that she was his. Needed to reassert his claim.
He took her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of her surrender as she opened under his sensual assault. Her soft moan fired his libido, which was already set to explode any second. Their tongues tangled and twined. Their breathing deepened. He kept his hands on her waist while hers roamed up and down his torso, always coming back to his aching dick. His jeans were so tight he feared by the time he undid them he’d have permanent zipper marks on his shaft.
“Take me to bed.” Her soft plea shattered any control he had left. He stood with her still in his arms and carried her down the hallway to his room.
Chapter Twelve
Jake couldn’t get the image of Gregor threatening Sapphire out of his mind. The son of a bitch had tried to get her in his car. What he would have done with her when he got her there didn’t bear thinking about. Yet he couldn’t stop his mind from playing out various scenarios.
Gregor didn’t know how lucky he was. The only reason he was still alive was because Sapphire was safe with him. If he’d succeeded in taking her, Jake would have killed the fucker and dealt with the fallout. Sapphire was
his
.
Her head rested on his shoulder as he carried her, her arms linked around his neck. His throat tightened at the trust she showed him and had given him from the first time they’d been together. He cherished it and knew how special it was.
The bedroom was wreathed in early-evening shadows, but it wasn’t quite dark yet. There was plenty of light to see by and Jake needed to see every inch of Sapphire’s lush body. He set her feet down on the floor next to his king-size bed and her arms clung to him briefly before she reluctantly let him go.
She reached for the hem of her blouse, but he stopped her. “Let me.” He wanted to unwrap her like a present, slowly exposing every inch of her sweet body to his view. She belonged to him and he planned to take very good care of her.
“Okay.” She dropped her hands back by her sides and waited. Her breathing was shallow and she nibbled on her lower lip, her sharp white teeth worrying it.
He wanted her so badly his hands were trembling when he reached for her. His large fingers seemed incredibly clumsy as he slid one button out of its hole and then another and another until her blouse was open. She was wearing a rosy-colored bra that cupped and lifted her breasts in an enticing manner. He covered the lacy mounds with his hands, testing their weight. Her nipples were erect and stabbed at his palms.
“Jake.”
That was all it took, his name barely a whisper, a plea. He leaned down, opened his mouth and took one fabric-covered tip inside. He laved his tongue over it and soaked in the erotic moan that fell from her parted lips.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, and he found he loved the possessiveness in her grip. He growled and shifted his attention to her other breast but this time he pulled down the fabric of her bra and exposed the naked bud before lapping at it with his tongue.
She groaned, her nails digging into his scalp, demanding he pleasure her. He’d do more than that by the time the night was done. He wanted her screaming his name over and over as she came, begging him to fuck her until they were both exhausted and spent. His cock jerked in agreement.
He shoved her blouse down her arms and she removed her hands from him long enough for him to rid her of the garment. Her bra was next, leaving her naked from the waist up.
Jake leaned back, enjoying the erotic picture she made. “Take down your hair.” She wore it up or clipped back most of the time, but he loved the way her hair fell almost to her waist in wide curls that begged a man to run his fingers through them.
She reached up, making her breasts sway enticingly as she removed the clip. Her hair fell around her shoulders, one strand falling over a lush breast. He shifted the curly lock to one side, brushing against her nipple as he did. Sapphire sucked in a breath, her eyes wide and luminous as she watched him.
“Now your jeans.” He undid the button and zipper and shoved the stiff fabric down her thighs. She braced herself on his shoulders and stepped out of them. He quickly yanked off her panties and socks as well, leaving her totally naked.
He knelt at her feet and stared up at her. She was a goddess, unmatched by any other woman. Her skin was pale in the twilight, her dark-brown eyes liquid with arousal, her full lips slightly parted.
Jake ran his hands up her legs and over her curvy hips. Her waist dipped inward and then he moved his hands outward, cupping her breasts once again. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and leaned into his touch.
He had to have her hands on him and he had to have it now. He surged to his feet and ripped his shirt over his head. His boots, socks, underwear and jeans quickly joined his shirt on the floor. Naked, cock hard and ready, he let her look her fill, stopping her when she reached for him.
He shook his head. “Not yet.” He patted his bed and waited while she climbed onto the mattress, then he stretched out on it beside her and stacked his hands behind his head, linking his fingers together to keep from reaching for her. “Touch me,” he commanded.
Sapphire licked her lips, hardly knowing where to begin. This was the first time in their short relationship that Jake had allowed her free reign to touch him as she wanted. Usually he told her what he wanted and how he wanted it. Of course, even this was a demand, but one she certainly didn’t mind fulfilling.
Feeling brave, she swung her right leg over his thighs and settled on top of them. His eyes were as blue as ice, but nowhere near as cold. They were more frozen fire. His lips were tight together and a muscle twitched beneath one eye.
There was no sense of being self-conscious, not with Jake. Sitting on top of him, totally naked, seemed natural. “Sapphire.” His tone was gravelly and she sensed his patience was wearing thin.
She closed her hand around his thick cock, curling her fingers over his shaft. It pulsed, alive and hungry. Her hand glided up to the top of his erection and she ran her palm over the moist tip, letting it dampen her skin. The muscles in his thighs turned to steel beneath her.
Sapphire released his cock and leaned forward, resting her palms on his chest. Her hair fell over her shoulder, caressing his skin as she moved downward, touching and kissing the hard planes of his body, teasing flat brown nipples. His penis brushed against her stomach, demanding attention, but she didn’t want to hurry, not yet. She was enjoying the way her nipples rubbed over his torso, sending shards of pleasure through her all the way to her pussy. She shifted slightly, rubbing her sex over the hard muscles of one of his thighs, wetting his skin with her arousal.
“Sapphire.” This time her name was a warning.
She sat back, smiled and took his cock in her hand once again. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath and she began to pump. His shaft was so firm and alive, almost hot. Using her free hand, she cupped his balls, gently rolling them with her fingers. He groaned and his eyes shot open, ablaze with lust. She smiled at him and once again rolled the sensitive sac between her fingers.
Muscles coiling beneath her were the only warning she got. Once second she was on top of him, the next she was on her stomach with him kneeling between her legs. “Up on your hands and knees, babe.” His hand rested against her stomach as he helped her assume the position he wanted. His throbbing cock pressed against the crack of her ass and her pussy clenched hard, wanting it inside her.
Jake caressed the length of her spine before cupping the cheeks of her butt. “I love your ass.” Hot breath brushed over her skin just before his lips caressed the firm mound. She shrieked a moment later when his teeth nipped at her. He rubbed the sting away with his tongue and did it again. Heat flooded her core and she moaned.
He laughed, a deep masculine sound filled with pleasure. She wanted to see his face and raised herself enough to glance over her shoulder. He looked like some pagan god getting ready to claim his sacrifice—darkly tanned skin, blond hair, handsome and more than a little dangerous.
Long, clever fingers delved into her pussy, pushing into her molten sheath. Her head fell between her shoulders and she panted heavily. “That’s what I want,” he crooned. “So hot and wet.” His fingers tunneled in and out, curling slightly when they withdrew. “Come for me.” He hit her sweet spot and she cried out, her entire body clenching around his fingers. “Fuck yes,” he groaned.
Her orgasm swept over her and heat flashed through her body. Her vaginal muscles rippled and she cried out as pleasure filled her. But Jake wasn’t done. Before her body had a chance to recover, he fitted the thick head of his cock to her opening and pushed, stretching her slick channel as he forged his way inside. Jake gripped her hips and used short, hard thrusts to get past her initial resistance until he was buried as deep as he could go. He ground his pelvis against her ass, his balls hitting her pussy with each stroke.
Her fingers curled into the comforter and a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. “Yes,” she cried and came again, her slick channel gripping his cock hard. He held her while her body spasmed, but when she recovered enough to have her wits about her, she realized he was still hard.
Jake settled back on his knees and lifted her off the bed until she was completely upright in his lap, her back to his chest. The position drove him even deeper, made him feel even bigger. The muscles of her pussy rippled and stretched to accommodate him. His hands cupped her breasts.
Her head fell back against his shoulder in complete surrender. He gave a low growl and nipped her shoulder hard enough that she knew he’d leave a mark. She shuddered and his arms gripped her tighter.
While his cock pulsed inside her, he toyed with her nipples, tugging and rubbing them until she thought she’d go mad. She hooked her arms around his neck, giving him total access to her body. He didn’t say anything, but she knew she pleased him when his cock jerked and his fingers tightened around her breasts.
One of his hands slid down her torso and delved between her thighs. He found her clit and brushed it with his thumb. She arched into his touch, loving the way he made her feel.
“Tell me what you want,” he ordered.
Sapphire knew him well enough now to know what he wanted, no, what he
needed
to hear. “Fuck me, Jake. Take me.”
His hands closed around her waist and he started to thrust, short, hard stabs that had every nerve ending in her pussy alive and wanting. He shifted his grip to her breasts and leaned forward slightly, leaving her feeling as though she was falling. She started to put her hands on the bed for support, but he stopped her.
“No, keep your arms locked around my neck. I won’t let you go.”
Trust. It all came down to trust. Sapphire kept her arms locked around his neck and held on as he powered in and out of her molten core. She’d already come several times but knew that wouldn’t stop her from coming again.
Jake’s entire body tensed and then she felt the hot flood of his seed filling her. He leaned back into a seated position and fingered her clit, teasing it until the combination of that and his pulsing cock sent her plummeting over the edge.
She cried out his name, embracing her orgasm, shaking with desire as he continued to grind his pelvis against her, wringing every drop of pleasure out of the sexual act.
They were both panting hard and their skin was practically sticking together in spots, but he didn’t let her go. Jake turned and fell onto the mattress, staying buried inside her. She didn’t mind. With his arms locked around her and his cock still throbbing within her, she was surrounded by Jake, by his caring. And he did care about her. Of that she had no doubt. Whether or not he could ever admit to loving her was another thing altogether.
“You okay, babe?” He brushed a kiss over her ear and she shivered.
“I’m very okay.”
A low laugh vibrated in his chest. “You’re more than okay. You’re spectacular.”
She smiled into the growing darkness. Jake was always complimenting her, so much so that she no longer harbored any doubts about herself as a woman. His cock hardened within her again and Jake began to thrust, gently this time.
“I didn’t use a condom.” He kept thrusting. “This is the second time that’s happened.”
She’d noticed he’d felt hotter and her orgasm was more intense, much like that morning a week ago. “That’s okay. I’m on the Pill and I’ve never had sex without a condom before so I’m disease free.” That was one thing she didn’t need to worry about.
He froze behind her. “You’re on birth control?”
“Hmmm.” She snuggled closer to him, needing his warmth as the perspiration on her skin began to dry, leaving her slightly chilled. “I saw my doctor before I tried to seduce you.”
She could feel his lips curving against her shoulder. “Lady, you’re full of surprises.”
Sapphire felt mysterious and sexy and powerful. “I am indeed.”
“Then I guess we don’t need to worry about this.” He started moving his hips and lifted one of her legs over his thigh for better access.
“Already?” She couldn’t believe he was recovered enough to go again.
“Oh, babe. I’m just getting started.”
Time lost all meaning as the night closed in around them. Jake couldn’t get enough of Sapphire, needing to claim her again and again to know she was safe and she was his. She didn’t protest. Indeed she gave herself completely over to him. It was such a turn-on that it kept his dick hard for hours.
He had her ride him until she came, then he put her on her back, hooked her legs over her shoulders and fucked her until they both came. Then he piled several pillows under her head, cupped her breasts together, fucked her that way until he came in her lush, talented mouth.
And he couldn’t count the number of times he went down on her. He loved the taste of her, even better, he loved the taste of him on her. Like a primitive animal, he wanted to mark her entire body with his seed.