AllTangledUp (6 page)

He chuckled. “More power to you.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. What was the catch? She’d had
variations of this conversation with men she’d worked with
and
men she’d
dated, and none of them had ever laughed about the philosophical approach she’d
adopted. Her looks were what they were, and they had pros and cons like
everything else in life. “You’re not going to call me shallow? Say I’m wrong
and should wear a full burqa so men aren’t tempted by me?”

“It’d be a shame to cover you in a burqa.” He pulled the
basket of peanuts in the middle of their table closer to him, plucking one nut
out to crack it open and pop it in his mouth. “Why would I tell you to change
anything you’re doing now? Your methods apparently work for you.”

She stared at him, knowing she shouldn’t be so dumbfounded
by his reaction, or lack thereof, but she’d had to face resentment and
hostility from men and women for most of her life, just because she was nice to
look at. No one outside her family had ever just accepted her. It confused her
and made disquiet roil in her belly. “You surprise me.”

“Don’t worry.” He popped another peanut into his mouth, offering
her a wink. “You’re not the first woman to assume I’m an ignorant,
chest-thumping grease monkey.”

She couldn’t prevent the laugh that burst out. “Touché.”

* * * * *

Jesse grinned as he watched Lola do an uninhibited little
dance in the middle of the bar. He wasn’t the only one who noticed. Every man
in the place had been pulled into the drama of the race with her, as she’d
tensed every time another driver rubbed her sister’s bumper, whooped when Casey
passed another car.

Lola was a sight to behold. And the thing that killed him
was she didn’t even seem to notice or care about the effect she had on all the
men in the saloon. His mom would have milked the attention for all it was
worth. Lola had focused totally on her sister’s race.

“She finished ninth!” She pumped her fist in the air, then
smiled when she glanced down at him. Grabbing his face, she popped a quick,
hard kiss on his mouth. “Holy shit, do you know how awesome that is for a
rookie?”

He nodded. Yeah, he knew enough about NASCAR to understand how
big this was. Though he was having more fun watching her do a victory dance
than anything else.

Her cell phone rang, and she swooped down on it. “Casey! Of
course I watched it! Don’t I always? I’m so
proud
of you, baby sister.”
She paused, and Jesse could hear shouting and excited chatter on the other end
of the line. “Okay, go talk to the press and try not to swear on national TV.
You’ll make granny roll in her grave.” There was laughter in response to that.
“Love you, Casey. Drag Uncle Buddy out to celebrate after. Bye!”

“I take it she’s happy.”

“Over the moon.” She tapped the screen to end the call and
slipped the phone back into her purse. “As she should be.”

The smile that creased her cheeks was the most open
expression he’d ever seen on her face outside of bed. It was clear how much she
loved her family, and that was something that resonated with him. He’d worked
damn hard to build his family’s legacy, enjoyed that he could work with his
cousin every day because of the Kasen business.

Cars and family. Who knew two of the things that were most
important to him would also rank so high for Lola? She could have spent the day
in bed, wallowing in her own pleasures, but instead she’d insisted on making
sure she’d been there for her sister the only way she could from halfway across
the country. It shook the image he’d formed of her in his head. The real Lola
had depth and character, layers that fascinated him. He wanted to know more. He
just plain wanted more.

He sat back in his chair. “Ready to go back to my place, or
did you want to flirt with the bartender a little more?”

A smoky laugh rolled out of her. “I don’t think I have a
pressing need to flirt with anyone right now. I’m all yours for the rest of the
weekend. No more interruptions.”

He liked the sound of that way too much. She was
all his
this weekend. He wondered what that might be like all the time, knowing that
she was always
his
, no matter how many men fell over themselves trying
to please her. It was a dangerous, temping thought.

Far too tempting.

“All right, let me check out those fancy indoor restrooms
you promised me and then we can get back to the cabin.” Sultry heat flashed in
her gaze. “And get back to what we were doing before the race.”

The sinful expression on her face was enough to scramble
what was left of his brain. Watching the sway of her hips as she walked toward
the short hallway that led to the saloon’s one bathroom did nothing to help his
restraint. He lasted all of thirty seconds before he was up and following her.

He braced a shoulder against the wall for the few minutes it
took Lola to open the door. She jolted when she saw him, her eyes widening in
surprise. “Wha—”

Not letting her finish, he crowded her into the bathroom and
slammed the door behind them. With a quick flick of his fingers, he locked it.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, groaning
at the contact. “I want you.”

Her breathing hitched, and he could see her pupils dilate.
She licked her lips. “Here? Now?”

“Always.” And then he feasted on her lips.

God, she craved the taste of him. The joyful high from her
sister’s race fizzed through her veins, and the way he’d primed her by stroking
her back and shoulders coalesced into an unstoppable need. He shoved his tongue
into her mouth and she sucked on him, biting just hard enough to make him jolt.

His hands skimmed over her breasts to squeeze the heavy
globes and tweak her nipples. Fire sparked to life within her, a liquid heat
that sluiced over her body and centered between her thighs. Wrapping her arms
around his neck, she thrust her fingers into his hair, loving the texture of it
against her palms. He moved down to her skirt, pulled the denim up until it
bunched around her waist. It wasn’t comfortable, but she didn’t care when he
snapped one of the strings that held her panties together and slipped a finger
in to tease the lips of her pussy.

She threw her head back. “
Jesse
. Hurry!”

“Whatever you want, honey,” he growled.

The heavy rasp of his zipper sliding down made her heart
leap, excitement twisting inside her. Jesus, they were in a
bathroom
.
This was fucking insane. But it was par for the course this weekend. The hard,
hot rod of his cock brushed against her thigh and a single moment of reality
returned. “Condom?”

He paused. “Shit.”

“Uh, I think you can get one right over there.” Pointing to
the condom and tampon dispenser mounted on one of the walls, she tried to keep
in a chuckle, but it emerged as a snort anyway.

He didn’t bother to hold back, laughter spilling from as he
left her to fetch some protection. “Thank God bar owners are prepared for
people doing drunk, stupid things.”

“Someone has to be responsible.” She held out a hand to him.
“Now slide on your responsibility and get over here.”

That did nothing to stop his laughter, and his hands fumbled
for a moment before he was able to sheath himself in the condom. But then he
was there, pulling her up into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around him.
Her panties had twisted awkwardly, but they were out of the way enough to do
what she had in mind. She gave him a little smile. “Since we are in a bar
bathroom, can we…not touch anything? I don’t even want to know what else people
have done in here before us.”

“Too dirty for you, princess?” His grin was more playful
than mocking, and his hands squeezed her ass, easily holding her up.

“There’s dirty and there’s dirty.” She arched a bit,
positioning herself to take his cock inside her. “I only like the kind that
guarantees an orgasm.”

“Orgasms are good,” he agreed.

Standing in the middle of the room, he pressed upward and
eased his grip on her so gravity would impale her on his cock. The feel of him
stretching her was amazing, and she was so wet the slide was sheer, erotic
pleasure. Digging her nails into his shoulders, she moaned.

“Hold on tight.” He leaned back a bit, then lifted her a few
inches and let her drop again.

She tensed her legs to help, raising and lowering herself on
his cock while his hands held her hips. She had no idea how he managed to keep
them upright, but she wasn’t going to stop and ask. They moved together
seamlessly, groaning each time he pushed into her. The head of his cock hit her
in the just right spot and tingles exploded over her limbs. Her breathing grew
sharp and frantic, her heart pounding so loudly in her ears, it drowned out all
other sounds.

The muscles in her thighs burned from the strain, but she
ignored the pain. The drive toward climax held her too tightly in its grip for
her to stop now. Her clit slapped against his pelvis on every downward pass and
each impact made sensation bolt through her like a strike of lightning. She was
so close, she could feel orgasm shimmering just beyond her grasp.

The ragged edge to his breathing told her he was just as
close as she was, and that spiked her lust even higher. She loved how they
could turn each other inside out. It was crazy and powerful and like nothing
she’d ever felt before. His dick filled her to the limit and her pussy clenched
around his shaft. Stars burst behind her eyes and she knew she wouldn’t last
much longer.

“I’m going to come, Lola. Come with me.” It was a command, a
demand, and it sent her right over the edge.

A small scream broke from her throat, and the walls of her
sex closed around his dick. Goose bumps shivered over every inch of her skin,
and a hot wave of climax crashed over her. He fucked her harder, driving toward
his own end, and it dragged out her orgasm, each thrust hitting her G-spot. Her
pussy clenched in rhythmic pulses that made her eyes roll back.

He slammed inside of her one last time, pulling her to the
base of his cock as he ground himself against her clit. They both cried out,
and he shuddered with climax. An aftershock of orgasm went through her,
euphoria hitting her in a rush. Giddy laughter spilled from her and she buried
her face in his shoulder. He smelled of sex and sweat and Jesse.

“You okay?” He smoothed a hand down her hair.

“Mmm-hmm. Never better.” It was the simple truth, and it
shook something deep inside her. When had she ever felt this good, connected
this quickly with a man she actually
liked
, who treated her well and
actually listened when she talked? Never.

And she couldn’t keep him. She couldn’t depend on this
staying good. Nothing ever did. For some unfathomable reason, that made her
want to cry. She held him tighter and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of him
cradling her in his arms. Just for a little while longer, then she’d let him
go.

Chapter Five

The next morning, Jesse sat on the back porch, his chair
tipped on its hind legs, his feet propped on the railing. He cradled a mug of
coffee in his hands as he stared out at the wide expanse of the lake. Dawn
broke and shot light over the water, making the waves sparkle. He sat there
thinking for a long time, facing a few truths.

She wasn’t like his mother. His mother had been shallower
than a puddle, relying on her pretty face to get her whatever she wanted and
never wanting to work for anything.

Lola might be pretty and she might use that to her
advantage, but that was where the resemblance ended. She didn’t
expect
anyone to hand her anything. She worked hard, she knew her shit and she clearly
loved her family. He couldn’t imagine her bailing out on anyone she cared
about.

And he wanted to be one of those people she cared about. He
wanted it badly.

The thought made his hands grow slick with sweat, and he
clenched his fingers around the coffee cup. He hadn’t had a serious
relationship in his entire life, never able to commit to someone, knowing he
could end up as devastated and alone as his old man. It had been a pretty
powerful deterrent. Until now. Until Lola.

Which meant he had to do something about it.

* * * * *

Lola found him lounging on the porch, bathed in the rosy
golden light of sunrise, his brows drawn together in thought. It made her chest
tighten to look at him, he was so gorgeous. All she had on was his T-shirt, and
she tugged on the bottom of it before she shrugged and stepped out to join him.
They only had a few hours left, and she wasn’t going to worry about a random
boater on the lake who might see her half-naked.

“Mornin’, sugar.”

“Hey.” He turned his head to look at her, a tender smile
curving his lips and making her heart skip a beat. He held out his coffee mug.
“Want some? There’s a fresh pot on the counter, but I’m willing to share.”

Accepting the cup, she curled up in the chair next to his
and took a sip, sighing as the liquid caffeine hit her system. He reached over
and she gave him back the coffee. He grinned at her, set the mug on the floor
between them, caught her hand and twined their fingers together. They sat
together in silence for long moments, holding hands, and the sweetness of it
was lovely. She wished there were a way to keep this feeling, to keep reality
at bay forever.

Jesse squeezed her fingers. “I was thinking…”

“I knew I smelled something burning.” She rolled her head
against the chair until she could see him.

“Funny girl.” He shifted, looking uncomfortable for a
moment. “No, I was thinking this weekend has been really good.”

Something in his tone made her stiffen. “Yeah…”

“What if we didn’t limit ourselves to just this weekend?” He
turned to face her fully. “What if we wanted this to be a longer-term thing?”

Emotion bloomed within her, hot and beautiful. The word
yes
formed on her lips, but she clamped them shut before she did something
incredibly stupid. Reality returned with an ugly crash. If she wanted to be
taken seriously with the network, she had to work twice as hard as any other
producer. The last thing she needed was to demonstrate how unprofessional she
was by getting caught screwing around with one of the men on her show.

“And how would that work? Hiding it from our coworkers,
sneaking around? My concerns about us haven’t changed. Nothing has changed.”
Liar. Big, fat liar.
Everything
had changed…except their circumstances.

He frowned, letting go of her hand. “Why would we have to
sneak around? Would you be ashamed to be dating me? It’s one thing to hide that
you’re just fucking someone, but I was thinking of this as more than a quick
shag whenever we could grab it.”

“You were?” She made her tone as dubious as possible.

“Yes.”

“And then what happens when we break things off? Then it
becomes awkward for everyone to work with us.” She shook her head, folding her
arms protectively over her breasts. “It’s not a good idea. We had our weekend
and that probably wasn’t a good idea either, but it’s done. We can’t go back
and change things now.”

The blood had slowly drained out of his face as she spoke, a
muscle ticking in his jaw. “I see.”

“Don’t be upset, Jesse. This is what we agreed to.” She
despised the pleading note that had entered her voice. Who was she trying to
convince the most? Him or herself? Pain knifed through her, and she hated to
reject what he was offering. They fit so well on so many levels, and if things
were different—

She cut off the thought. No. Things would never be
different. Her decision had been made before she ever came to his little
mountain Shangri-La—back when she was clear-headed and logical.

“I know.” He swallowed, glanced away. “I just… Wow, we
really weren’t on the same page. I wanted to move into something deeper, and
you’re wishing you could go back and erase that we ever happened.” A short
laugh huffed out of him. “I read that wrong, didn’t I?”

“That’s not…Jesse…” She reached for him, couldn’t stop herself,
but he recoiled.

“I need to stow the boat before we leave today. I should
probably take care of that now.” He stood abruptly, vaulted over the porch
railing and walked away without a backward glance.

She clamped a hand over her mouth and told herself she had
no right to cry.

* * * * *

He’d been a fool. Anger at himself and at her roiled through
him as he strode toward the cabin, made him want to put his fist through the
nearest wall. Even then, the rage couldn’t mask the ache that spread within him
like a bruise. For the first time in his life, he’d wanted more than a couple
of days to burn up the sheets with a woman, and she didn’t want him for
anything else.

But that was the problem. He’d seen the split second of
utter longing on her face when he’d first mentioned the idea of a real
relationship. She’d covered it quickly, buried it under justifications, but he
knew what he’d seen. Deep down, she wanted this as much as he did, but she was
too damn scared of it ending badly to even try.

The irony there was a bitter pill to swallow. Before now,
hadn’t that always been his role? Anything that got too heavy made him bolt.
And he knew nothing he said was going to change her mind, just as no words had
ever changed his mind before now. She either wanted it enough to try, or she
didn’t.

She’d already been clear on her decision, but that didn’t
stop the agony that pounded through him. It shouldn’t hurt this bad for
something that had lasted so short a time, but if it hadn’t been powerful, he
would never have wanted to keep it. He shook his head, shoved a hand through
his hair.

Mounting the porch steps, he pushed through the back door
and drew up short when he found her in the kitchen, still wearing only his
shirt. She rinsed out their coffee cup in the sink, hunching her shoulder as if
she couldn’t bear to look at him. That just pissed him off even more, and he
was across the room in two seconds.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, crowding her forward
into the kitchen counter. She sucked in a breath. “What are you—”

Not bothering with a verbal response, he slid a palm down
her stomach and between her thighs, delving into her cunt. Her hand clamped
over his wrist, her nails digging into his flesh, but he ignored her, flicking
his fingers over her clit, which hardened for him. He could smell her desire,
feel the way her pussy grew slick. The way her hips began to undulate, pushing
into his touch, made a fierce smile stretch his lips. He used his free hand to
grab the hem of her shirt and jerk it over her head, leaving her naked as he
threw it to the ground. Her body stiffened, but he thrust two fingers into her
channel, and a high scream pierced the silence.

“Bend forward. Grab the sides of the sink.” The command was
guttural, his voice a mere growl. “I’m going to fuck you hard.”

It would be an act of pure possession. He knew it, and so
did she. That she didn’t even protest told him a lot, probably more than she
would have liked. She gripped the edges of the sink and leaned forward, a
quiver running through her.

Ripping open his fly, he shoved his jeans down and kicked
them out of the way. He slapped her ass, and she gasped but didn’t move. Nice.
He dropped to his knees behind her, taking in the view of her pussy, so slick
with juices for him she was dripping.

A breath shuddered out of her. “I…I…”

Lola, speechless. There was a first. He snorted and nipped
at the lower curve of her buttock, making her jolt.

Bracketing her hips, he held her in place while his flicked
his tongue over her clit. The muscles in her thighs jumped, and she squirmed a
little, so he tightened his grip. He closed his mouth around her hardened nub
and suckled hard. Lola’s cry echoed in the room, moisture gushing from her
cunt, and he smiled against her flesh. He ran his tongue up and down her slit,
lapping up her cream.

The taste of her was feminine and musky, coating his lips.
And he’d never have a moment like this again. Pain speared through him, but he
shoved it away. Time enough for that later. He moved his fingers inward and
teased the tiny rosette of her anus. She shuddered and moaned, and he drove his
tongue into her pussy, fucking her with his mouth. He sank one digit into her
ass, thrusting slowly. Then he added another. Her inner muscles contracted
against his lips, her moans growing louder and more desperate.

Slipping upward, he replaced his hand with his mouth,
pressing his tongue into the pucker of her anus.

“Oh my God!” She screamed then, and he felt orgasm thrumming
through her body.

Now. He had to take her now. Had to leave an indelible mark
on her that she’d never forget.

He reached for his discarded jeans, fumbling for his wallet
and the condom inside. His hands were actually shaking when he slid the rubber
on. He jerked to his feet, more than ready.

“
Please
, Jesse.” Lola’s hips rocked backward, her
body bent in total submission. “Please, please, please.”

He liked hearing her beg, far too much. He slipped his
fingers between her thighs, gathering the hot cream there and trailing it up to
lubricate her ass. He used one palm to swat the fleshy part of her upper thigh,
making her squeal. With the other hand, he began to work his fingers into her
anus, widening her passage for him. She froze, then slid her legs further apart
for him.

“Jesse,” she breathed.

The soft pleading in her voice was a heady aphrodisiac for
him. He loved this. Every second of it. Grasping his cock, he rubbed the head
between the cheeks of her ass, easing the first inch into her rear channel. She
quivered, arching her back to give him as much access as he could want. He pressed
forward and retreated, sliding deeper into her with each thrust. It took
everything he had to keep from pounding into her hard and fast the way his body
urged him to, but he wanted to hold on to these last precious minutes, wanted
to hear her scream his name before he was done with her.

He hilted his cock in her ass and paused to let her adjust
to the invasion.

“Don’t stop,” she gasped. “Make me come.”

Holding on to his control with a death grip, he slowly
withdrew and sank back inside her. It was a tight fit, and that all by itself
was a turn-on. Molten lava flowed through his veins, and each time he entered
her, he burned hotter. He picked up speed and force, the slap of his stomach
meeting her backside echoing loudly in the kitchen. Their heavy breathing and
low groans added to the carnal symphony. The way she arched and writhed each
time he penetrated her anus told him exactly how close she was to climax. He
fucked her ass harder, wanting to push them both over that edge. Reaching
beneath her, he flicked his fingers over the hard little nub of her clitoris.

“Jesse!” She cried out, and the walls of her ass closed
tightly around his thrusting cock. Low, animalistic moans spilled from her and
he knew she’d reached orgasm.

Letting go of his control, he thrust deep into her anus,
rolling his pelvis against the curve of her backside. Heat roared through him.
His balls drew up and come spurted from his cock. He emptied into her and the
sounds of her pleasure only drove his climax onward. It went on forever and
ended far sooner than he’d have liked. The best sex of his life, and it had
only gotten better each time they fucked. And now it was over, and the
realization crashed his high.

Her legs buckled and he caught her against his chest,
savoring the feel of her for one final moment. Then he forced himself to let
her go. Unlike his father, who had never really let go of his mother, even
after she left. But Jesse couldn’t do that to himself. As much as he wanted to
hold on, if that wasn’t what Lola wanted—if
he
wasn’t what she
wanted—then there really was no point, was there?

It could have been amazing between them. It might have been.
And the not knowing was what would haunt him the most.