Uncharted (Unexpected Book 3) (9 page)

“Jacob Christian?” I scrunch my nose. “It doesn’t rhyme. JC is such a cliché name. JT, TJ, BJ… I don’t like any of them.”

“Call me Jacob then.” We’re lounging in the pool of one of the school gyms, the only place we could swim on a cold and cloudy Thursday. “Unless you have any other suggestions—handsome hunk, the strongest man alive…”

“Jace?” I consider using part of his nickname, but with my own twist. “But you can’t let anyone else call you that name—it’s mine.”

“I’m yours. Isn’t that enough?” A blush heats my face. He says the most outrageous things to me. The bluntness is unfamiliar and it frazzles me each time I hear him say he’s mine, or that I belong to him. Those are, of course, the light ones. When he says “I’m sporting a boner because of you,” my entire body flushes. “You know what I think, Twinkle?” I give him a skeptical glare. “I think you like when I talk dirty.” He winks.

“I don’t like it; you fluster me when you do.” Jacob narrows his eyes and smirks. “Can we not talk dirty? It’s as if you enjoy making me flush every two seconds.”

“As a matter of fact, I do.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Tell me something no one knows.”

“No one?” He nods. “Mae knows everything about me. I’m her eyes to the outside world…” I pause for a second and blurt out my thoughts. “Well, she doesn’t know that I resent her because she’s always hogged my parents’ attention. Even when I was little. She doesn’t know that I don’t want to study business, or be an accountant. I wish I could run away and meet new people, dance in the rain, play with mud, get a tattoo, skinny dip in the lake, and so many other things that would violate my mother’s rules.”

The smile disappears from his face, replaced by a frown. He angles his face to one side as his intense eyes look at me strangely. His unpredictability both frightens and excites me.

“We’ll leave the tattoo shop for Sunday night.” My breath hitches at the mere thought of him planning to take me to a parlor. This is a million times more overwhelming than him touching me the way he did last night. Mom would kill me for even thinking about getting a tattoo—or being touched by a boy. “Stop thinking about your mother, Twink.” He swims to where I stand, grabs my waist with both hands, and sits me on the edge of the pool. “Get ready, I have a plan for the next few days. It includes dirty water and dirty talk.”

“You’re not funny,” I whisper under my breath while heading to the locker rooms.

No, I won’t go to the tattoo parlor, nor will I tempt fate any longer. Fear washes over me as thoughts of what could happen if my mother catches me shoot through my mind. My breathing becomes erratic and the anxiety that appears every time that woman goes into frenzy mode spikes in the worst moment ever.

“Hey.” Jace comes from behind me, and his deep voice calms me with that one word. “As I keep saying, we won’t do anything you don’t want to. That includes skinny-dipping or that tattoo. I never intended to make you have an anxiety attack.”

“I…what if Mom finds out?”

“She won’t. I promise.” His soft lips land on mine. It’s only a peck, but it sends a sweet relief, making my entire body relax. The coolness is back. “Trust me, I’ve set fires and broken fences, and my two scary parents only sent Matthew and me to timeout when they caught us. I think I can handle your mother.”

His grin seals the deal. I’m going to follow his lead and find out what the fuss about living the way I want is all about.

Mae’s email only said, “Stay safe and call if you need me.” The dilemma swirling in my head counts as a need-my-sister kind of call. After the swimming pool chat I had with Jace, he took me to a secluded part of Lake Washington and we went skinny-dipping. It was hard for me to keep my hands away from his body. My tongue almost bled from biting it so many times since I wanted to ask him to touch me again as he had the night before in his bed. To make love to me. My body wanted to become one with his. But a lake wasn’t the place I wanted us to share our first time. After sharing that crazy swim together, I second-guessed my desire and talked myself out of it.

As we’re about to head to bed, I’m confused about what I want tonight.

“What’s going on, sis?” Mae says as she answers the phone. “We agreed you wouldn’t call me. Mom’s going to know we’ve been talking.”

“Is it too early to sleep with a guy?”

“Hmm, did you meet him today?” Maeve thinks I’m staying at the dorm and hanging out with my friends. I resisted telling her the truth, mostly because I’m not ready to fess up about everything. “Because if so, yes. But if you met him last Friday, I’d say go for it. There’re three things you have to ask yourself before you let him in, though: do you like him, is he nice, and will you regret doing it? If you doubt any of those answers, then no.”

“What about love?” She laughs. “It can’t be that easy. You have to love him, don’t you?”

“Yes, it is easy. You romanticize a lot of things. There’s no way you can be in love this soon, and sometimes love comes after a long relationship. Love is learning to live with the man who can’t put the lid down, and stares at the screen more times than he stares at his wife.”

“Our parents?” I almost slam the phone against the wall. They’re anything but an example of what love and a great marriage is all about. They only share a bed and responsibilities.

“Kind of a bad example of love, but yeah.” The sound of melancholy is knitted in her voice. Poor Maeve. She has always been caged in by Mom. “Love is when you accept everything and both know that…it takes more than two dates. Usually one falls while the other searches for better pastures. Live in the moment. Forget about feelings.”

“Mom will kill me if I have sex.”

“Mom won’t know. Do it because you really want to, not because you’re being forced to. Forget about our mother, please.”

“Love you, Mae,” I whisper.

I watch Jace from the corner of my eye while reading the same first sentence of the book I borrowed from his brother’s room. It’s a stormy night, but I can’t hear the sky thundering because they are in the middle of a music-writing session. The entire room is filled with black speakers that are positioned in all four corners, and there’s a big one close to the drums. They use the fourth room to store all their equipment—not that they use it often, as they have access to their father’s recording studio. However, tonight isn’t the right night to go out. Neither has much experience driving at night, and with the addition of rain, they don’t want to expose me or themselves to a bad situation.

Either way, I’m happy watching him in his element. Making his guitar screech. His calloused fingers strum the strings fast. The fingers of his right hand move at the same rapid speed over the fretboard, the ripples of his arms marked with every movement his hands make. I lower the book and drool as I stare at him. He and his brother are arranging a song for one of the bands that their father produces.

“Can we continue tomorrow?” Jace slaps his hand on the guitar; the strings stop the vibration and a big thumping sound comes out of the black amplifier that stands close to the microphone. “My girlfriend and I are heading to my room.”

What? He’s noticed me staring at him?

“Gag.” Matthew rolls his eyes. “Are you skipping tonight’s call?”

Jace ignores him and places his guitar on the stand. He approaches me, bending down. His strong hands encircle my waist, and he lifts me up from the floor.

“Jacob Christian?”

“Nah, I texted the princess earlier and promised to call her Monday.” He kisses the back of my neck. “Kendrick is playing in Austin and will stay around for the weekend, so she’s going to ignore us, anyway.”

I don’t ask who Kendrick is, and I assume
the princess
is their sister. With that last word, we march to his room and I suddenly have another rush of freezing liquids running through my veins.

“You want to talk?” He shuts the door and locks it. “One moment you’re serene and the next your back is a bunch of knots. That face goes from pleasant to frightened, and from desire to panic.”

My insides go all fuzzy. My skin tingles while a warmth runs over it. I’m breathless; he read me. “How do you know?”

“I’ve learned how to read you. If only you could understand that you mean more to me than words can speak, more than the notes in my guitar can express, and more than what the sun is to Earth,” he replies with that confidence he carries as a second skin. “Twinkle, one look was plenty to know that I liked you, a day is all it took to learn that I wanted to know more. Now I am sure about us. That I’m falling for you. We have four nights left. Please, erase everything from your mind and live within the minute as if it’s the last we’ll be together.”

I reach out. He takes my hand and pulls me to him. “This is the first time, it’s important. You mean so much too, but I fear that when I leave, we—”

“Shhh.” He places a finger on top of my lips. “Let’s make this perfect. The best first time in the history of the world.”

His lips meet mine. A fire ignites my entire body and the sweet warmth that is usually produced is now a blazing inferno. His hands start moving, gliding up and down my body until they find each other on my lower back. He urges me closer to him. Not even air can pass between our bodies.

“Be mine, my beautiful Twinkle.” He breaks the kiss, his lips run along my jawline, and murmurs into my ear. Taking micro steps, he pushes me all the way to the edge of the bed and stops. “Unless you think you’ll regret it.”

Maeve’s three questions come to me. The answers are simple: I do like him, he is nice, and I won’t regret it. I trust him.

“I think I’m falling for you too, Jace.” His breath-catching sound speeds the beat of my heart. Those blue eyes I’ve learned to read illuminate as they dance for me. “I wouldn’t regret you.”

Jacob pulls up the hem of his shirt, peels it off, and tosses it on the floor. He follows the same steps with mine. A smirk appears on his face as his eyes stare at my naked torso, clad only in my bra. He lowers his head and his lips touch my shoulder, spreading small kisses along my collarbone, my neck, all the way to the other shoulder.

I help unbuckle his jeans, as he unfastens my capri pants. My clumsy hands fight against the zipper and when I win, I slide them down. I’ve seen him in only his boxers, but right now, it’s different.

“That’s an intense look, Twinkle.” He stares at me, placing one hand behind my back, the other encircling my waist, and lowers me down to the bed. “Let’s hope those Internet videos taught me something.”

“What?” Shock forces my mouth open. He doesn’t acknowledge my question; instead, he slides down my pants, leaving me wearing only my white cotton underwear. “Porn?”

“Hey, a man has to research some if he wants to please his girl.” He’s dead serious about it, and instead of finding it annoying that he watched porn, I find it endearing. Must be those soft puppy eyes. “I took notes, but this will be done with finesse. You and I will never do it porn-style, unless you ask for it later. Of course, I’ll have to learn new moves—in the name of research.”

A full-blown belly laugh escapes me. He joins in. Even if he doesn’t deliver the best, this is a memorable moment. Sharing a great laugh and trying something different. I love the way Jace can relax me so easily. How does he know what I need so completely?

Jacob’s laughter subdues. He climbs on the bed and gives me a glance that emits a soft, loving wave. Maybe this is the difference between what he watched and what we’re about to do. Propping his elbow on the bed, he uses his free hand to unclasp my bra. Those eyes stare in admiration and hunger. Tonight, I’m not the fat girl; I’m precious. Hypnotized by his burning stare, I don’t notice when he moves, but the warmth of his body becomes an intense heat as his skin touches mine. His mouth takes possession of mine. It’s a kiss unlike any other we’ve shared. This one has that soul-sucking
I’m giving myself to you
style that I’ve heard rumors about but never thought I’d experience.
Take me, but give yourself to me. We’re becoming one.

“Are you sure, Twink?” His soft voice murmurs close to my ear. I shiver as his breath hits the sensitive area. I whimper at the loss of his mouth, but nod once as my lips take what’s theirs—his mouth.

His long fingers splay on top of my chest, his hands glide up and down. My shaky hands decide to copy the movements, imitating most of what he does to me—until one of his hands reaches the elastic of my panties. I’m not bold enough to do that yet. Maybe later, or tomorrow. But soon. I want him to feel as special as I do when he touches me, when he kisses me. The way he cares for me just as he strokes my arm, my breast, or pushes his finger inside me.

A throaty whimper escapes the moment one of his fingers slides inside me. Another one joins as he leaves my lips.

“Trust me, Twinkle, I got you.” I remain quiet as his mouth, his tongue, and his hands touch every corner of my body. “We have all night.”

It’s a journey he takes with leisure. My body trembles as his tongue flicks my nipples, his hands cup my butt, and his mouth sucks my neck, my belly, and my breasts. He places kisses on my arms, behind my knees. I arch the moment his tongue traces a line on the inside of my thighs, as his hands pull down my granny panties. I draw in a breath as his hot mouth kisses my heat.

I’m ready to fall, but he keeps me on the edge of the cliff. Kissing, licking, and sucking while three of his fingers slide in and out of me. I lift my hips against his mouth, trying to match the pumping rhythm of his fingers to relieve the ache that his touch is building. The fire he’s creating combusts in me, makes my entire body feel like it is made of molten lava. Stars explode in my head as my body liberates all the energy he created with his touch. I scream nonsense and beg him to love me. This is better than yesterday, and I want more of him.

“Please, Jace,” I plead. “Love me.”

He reaches for something on the night table—a square. Right, protection. The process makes me hungry, as he covers every inch of his hard erection with the rubber.

“Tell me if you want me to stop, or if I’m hurting you.” His sweet request erases any doubts I would’ve had. “Open your legs wide for me.”

His chest is on top of mine, as I wrap my arms around his neck. His arms create a sort of cocoon protecting us. I concentrate on his eyes, the tenderness they communicate, and enjoy the prelude.

JACOB

I’ve jumped from a bridge wearing nothing but hooks and huge rubber bands. I’ve glided a plane, jumped from one while wearing a parachute that could’ve been faulty. I dig extreme sports and I’ve never feared breaking anything. However, as my dick presses against her entrance, I’m frightened. For her and for myself. What if I hurt her? What if she breaks my heart?

Her eyes shine and I know in my heart this is right. That no matter what happens in the future, this moment will forever be ingrained in our souls. I push myself inside. Fast, to make it hurt only once. As I break her barrier, she cries out, and I scowl.

“Sorry, Twink.”

“I’m okay,” she whispers.

We remain still for a few breaths, our eyes locked on each other’s stares. My body wants to move, my cock throbs inside her waiting for some friction, but I refuse to hurt her. It’s not until her hips relax against the mattress that I understand my hesitation. Her body wasn’t comfortable.

“Can I move?”

Pria does first, and I take that as a yes. I sway my hips while sliding in and out, creating a lazy friction. She wraps herself around my body as I continue with the invasion. Her whimpers overwhelm me; I want to hear her scream. I want her to call out my name. To be one with me.

“This feels incredible,” I groan. “Can you take me faster and deeper?”

“Yeah. Fast.”

As my pace picks up, her hips match my thrusts. The moment is like a perfect meteor shower during a clear night. I see each one falling, illuminating the sky and entering the atmosphere, igniting the dark heavens.

“Kiss me.” She doesn’t have to ask twice.

As our hips meet, so do our mouths. I thrust inside her mouth, my tongue taking control of another longing kiss where I suck Pria’s essence and surrender myself to her. It’s only a matter of seconds before I feel that wrenching pleasure and explode inside her. I still, my breath hitches, and my muscles quiver as I continue riding the wave of ecstasy. Her insides squeeze me, her voice calls out my name, and tonight I belong to someone—and she belongs to me.