A Fresh Start for Two (10 page)

He kissed her, a soft tender kiss that shot straight to her core. This man was more than she could ever have imagined. He pulled back and said, “Let’s go to dinner. I’m looking forward to Canandaigua Lake.”

“No.”

He quirked his brow at her. “No?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay. You tell me when you’re ready.”

“Make love to me, Jake.”

Chapter Ten

His eyes flooded with shock, but there was the unmistakable fire of desire in them, too. “Julia, believe me, there’s nothing I’d rather do right now, but I feel like I would be taking advantage of you. You’re vulnerable right now, and when I make love to you, it needs to be for the right reasons.”

She traced a finger down his perfectly chiseled jaw line. “I wanted you at the race track, but you did the honorable thing and said I needed to break up with Vincent first. Vincent and I are through, so no more waiting. We can go to dinner after.”

“Are you sure?”

“Jake, don’t you see? We could drive down the street and get into a car accident like my father did. My ex-boyfriend could hurt both of us, and then where would we be? I don’t want to lose you before experiencing what it’s like to be in your arms. I know I sound overly dramatic, but that’s where my mind’s at right now.”

Jake’s mouth descended on her lips in a ravenous kiss, his tongue twisting with hers until her knees buckled. He tasted like heaven to her—strong and masculine, but with a touch of cinnamon. She kissed him back, wanting to let him know how much she wanted this, how much she wanted him. His lips trailed down her neck, and she lifted her chin to give him better access, his kisses searing a path across her collar bone as his hands reached for her bottom and pulled her up tight against him, enough for her to know how much she excited him. Her hands found their way under his shirt and met his rock-hard abs and she moaned with pleasure, panting with excitement at how it would feel to have this man above her, inside her—his lips all over her, everywhere possible.

And then she would return the favor.

***

Jake dug his hands into her hair with a growl as his lips met hers. The one moan of pleasure she’d made had gone straight to his dick, and any remaining control he’d possessed had flown out the window in a flash. He backed her up against the wall and pinned her there with his body, wanting her so bad it scared the shit out of him.

His hands slid down over the back of her short dress and he groaned when they met the silky skin of her thighs. She flung her arms around his neck and struggled to get closer. Hell, but her passion lit a fire in him like no other. He hoped he could control himself long enough to see her climax first.

His hands slid up past her thighs, only to meet with more sweet flesh and a thong. He moved his fingers around to the front to find her clit, and groaned in satisfaction when he found her wet and hot already, just waiting for him.

She pulled her lips from his. “
Now
, Jake. I want you now.”

His lips trailed a path down her neck and he nipped her collarbone. “Take that dress off.”

He unzipped the back to help her and it flew through the air. Then he unclasped her bra and it followed the dress. For a long moment Jake stood and stared at her in awe, unable to move. “Julia, you’re beautiful, every inch of you is beautiful.”

“Hurry.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom before undressing faster than he’d previously thought possible. He slid on the condom.

“Please, Jake,” she whispered, her voice husky.

As his mouth moved to her nipple and brought it to a taut peak she reached for him and helped him plunge into her slickness. He grasped her sweet bottom with both hands, thrusting deep before picking up the pace. He groaned in sheer ecstasy as she wrapped one leg around his waist.

It wasn’t long before her cries of pleasure echoed in his ear, and he erupted, knowing this was better, she was better, than anything he had ever experienced before. He was lost in everything that was Julia.

As soon as he was capable of moving again,
speaking
again, he rested his forehead on his hand, and still panting, said, “Julia, I’m sorry. I should have brought you into my bedroom.”

“I’m not, that was amazing.” She kissed his chin and grinned. “Absolutely amazing.” Her hand brushed his cheek. “But I will take the bed for the next round.”

He picked her up in his arms and swung her around once before carrying her into the bedroom, bouncing her while she squealed. He set her carefully on the bed, and said, “As you wish,” and then covered her with his body. “I hope I don’t disappoint.”

***

Jake had made reservations at the Finger Lakes Inn on Canandaigua Lake. Julia had heard it was a fantastic place to eat, actually a five-star restaurant, something the owners of The Brooks Inn where she worked were always trying to achieve. She wore a black and white print dress and simple black heels.

Jake, dressed in a white shirt and tie, opened the car door for her in the parking lot, then took her hand and helped her out. Together they walked into the foyer, and she drank in the view—there was dark polished wood everywhere, huge windows overlooking the lake, and the tables were set with crisp white tablecloths. Still, while the place was lovely, Jake was much more pleasing to her eyes.

“May I help you?” the hostess asked.

“Yes, I have reservations for two for dinner. The name is Ramsay.”

“Of course, Mr. Ramsay. Your table will be ready in a few minutes. Would you care to have a drink outside on our lakeside deck while you wait?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“Go right straight through, the door is at the end of this hallway. The bar is right outside.”

Julia couldn’t help but stare at everything as they walked through the main section of the restaurant. A server passed her with a tray of food that made her mouth water. She giggled when she noticed Jake’s gaze follow the tray across the room.

She leaned to whisper in his ear. “I’m sorry. I made you wait for dinner.”

“That was the best appetizer I’ve ever had, babe.” He kissed her cheek and she blushed, still clinging to his hand as they stepped outside and moved toward the bar.

Julia hadn’t ever experienced anything like what she and Jake had just shared. Lovemaking—there was no other word for it. He had made the sweetest love to her, and she had almost cried out of sheer joy.

“What would you like to drink?”

“A white wine would be nice.”

The bartender set a napkin down in front of her. “Which one? We have a nice Riesling, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel. Here’s our wine list.”

“I’d love a White Zin, please.”

“And for you, Sir?”

“Nothing yet, thank you.”

Once she had her wine glass, Jake said, “Would you like to stroll toward the water?” They headed down the deck, moving out onto a dock that was set up for guests traveling by boat, though there didn’t appear to be anyone around today. “Is your wine okay? You had a strange look on your face when you ordered it.”

“Vincent didn’t like it when I ordered White Zin.”

Jake glanced at her, a look of sympathy crossing his face. “I heard a bit of that conversation at the restaurant. But why not?”

“He said it wasn’t for serious wine drinkers. I like others, too, but White Zin is my favorite.”

“Then White Zin is what you should have.”

He stopped and leaned over the railing, overlooking the lake in all its splendor.

“Jake, did you grow up on Orenda Lake?”

“Yeah, we did. I was thinking of all the times Ryan and I would get into trouble on the lake. We put our poor mother through quite a lot.” His mouth took a different twist.

“Aren’t they fond memories?”

“Yes, they are, but…”

“You love your brother, but something’s wrong between you two.”

He nodded his head and stared at the water lapping on the rocks in front of them. “Things haven’t been the same between Ryan and me since the army. I was just thinking about how much I miss him.”

“I’m sorry, Jake. It must be hard for you. Does it bother you not to live on the lake anymore?”

“No, I always have the inn to go to. We have jet skis and a couple of boats. Ryan lives on the water, too. But I don’t think I’d ever want to leave Orenda Lake.”

“It’s so beautiful. I would love to go swimming some time. We never had much of a chance to enjoy the lake.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Well, then. We’ll have to correct that. I’ll take you boating, teach you how to water ski. Have you ever driven a jet ski?”

“No. I hate to see what I’d do with one. Can’t I ride with you?” She set her drink on the railing and wrapped her arm around his waist. Whatever cologne he had on smelled wonderful. She peeked over his shoulder, listening to the water lapping on the shore, still not ready to let him go. It took her aback to see what looked like an angel sitting in an oak tree not far from shore. She straightened to get a better look before realizing the visual effect must have been the result of all the flickering white lights decorating the tree.

Deciding to believe it was an angel anyway, she silently thanked her guardian for changing her world from terrible to wonderful in a matter of days. The Lord was definitely looking down on her.

***

Jake and Julia met Lucia at the Student Union for lunch on Sunday. As soon as they arrived, Jake headed to the counter to buy them a tray of nachos to share. He stood in line waiting for service, thinking about the night before. Fantastic. Amazing. He and Julia had been explosive in bed together. He had suspected that the day at the race track, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise. What
did
surprise him were the protective feelings she inspired in him. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight. Vincent would be back, he was sure of it, but when?

Dinner had been delicious. He had ordered a steak that came with mashed potatoes and broccoli; she had seafood with asparagus and rice. The food was outstanding. They would definitely return one day.

He carried the tray back to the table and he and Lucia started munching.

“You aren’t eating anything, Julia?” Lucia said after a moment, through a mouthful of chips. “These are delicious. Thanks for buying, Jake.”

“No, I’m not hungry.”

Lucia gave her a surprised look. “You’re not? You couldn’t have eaten much at home. In fact, you never seem to eat breakfast.”

Julia blushed.

Jake grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Well, she had breakfast this morning.” And how gorgeous she’d looked snuggled up next to him. He had stared at her for a long moment before getting up to make breakfast. There had been no urge to pull himself out of his bed, as was his usual tendency. He had wanted to wrap himself around her and protect her from all the ugliness of the world.

Lucia’s eyes widened. “Chica? Tell me.” She glanced back and forth between Jake and Julia. “Finally?”

The shade of Julia’s cheeks went from a light pink to a deeper red. “Jake made me scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.”

Lucia’s face lit up. “And how was it?” She waggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“Wonderful. He’s a great cook.” She sighed and stared down at her notebook.

Jake almost laughed, but sensing her genuine discomfort, he grabbed her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Thank you. We had a nice dinner on Canandaigua Lake last night, too.”

“The scallops were so good,” Julia said, closing her eyes, as if she were trying to summon up the decadent flavor. “I’ve eaten more in twenty-four hours than I ate all of last week.”

Jake’s hand moved over to brush her hip. “If that’s the case, I’ll need to take you out more often.” He winked at her, and she giggled and sat up straight.

“Come on guys, we need to finish this project.” Julia glanced at Lucia for support.

“Yes, we do. We’ll get an A, I’m sure. When we submit it to him, we’ll include the link to your Pinterest page. But we still need to come up with a name.” Lucia tapped her pencil as she stared at the nachos.

“J & L Accessories,” Jake offered.

“Yes,” Lucia said. “I like it, and since you’re the design genius, Julia, I’ll let the J come first.”

“Sure. I like it, too.” Julia bounced in her chair, a huge grin on her face.

“It’s alphabetical,” Jake added, knowing better than to show favoritism. “Let’s get going on the six month income statement. Since we have the other months done, this should be quick. Lucia, why don’t you finish the total sales figures you dug up from comparable businesses? You can work on the cost of goods sold, Julia, and I’ll work on the expenses. Then we’ll finish the balance sheet and see if this is a feasible business venture.”

About two hours later, all three of them stared at their results.

Lucia spoke first. “Did we do this right?”

Jake said, “I think so. I got the same calculations. You agree, Julia?”

“Yes, that matches what I got.”

“Wow.” Jake said. “You ladies really need to open this store and the website. That’s a lot of money.”

Julia and Lucia jumped up and down, squealing and hugging each other.

***

Later that evening, Jake dropped Julia off at work. He gave her a sweet kiss and then watched her as she strolled inside, showing that same protectiveness that she so appreciated.