Full Bloom (15 page)

"My turn," Jacob muttered, starting to peel off her blouse.

"No, not yet." She caught his prowling fingers in both hands and held them still. She smiled up at him with a sensual promise. "You're wounded and out of action tonight. I'm in charge." She unbuckled his belt and found his zipper.

"Did you learn this in your assertiveness training class?" he asked with deep interest as he stepped obediently out of his slacks.

She looked down at the hard, thrusting shape of his manhood outlined by his white briefs. The knowledge that he wanted her, that his body was vibrating with his desire, inspired her. Her fingers trailed over his shoulders. "My instructor insisted we all learn to improvise so that we would be able to handle any occasion that arose."

"Something is arising, all right." Jacob captured her questing fingers and guided them down below his waist. He held her hand against him, letting her feel his readiness. "Think you can handle it?"

She touched him intimately, cupping him gently. The heat of him filled her palm, and she shivered as her own desire flared. She drew a deep breath and then wriggled her fingers free of his insistent hand. "I graduated at the top of my assertiveness training course," she assured him. She took hold of the dangling ends of his tie and boldly began to lead him down the hall to her bedroom.

For the first time Jacob balked. "Uh, Emily, this bit with the tie may be overdoing things a little. I feel like a bull being led out of his stall." He chuckled slightly and started to pull the tie out of her grasp.

Emily tightened her hold on the silk strips. "Think of yourself as the spoils of battle."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Little witch" was all he said, but his hand fell away and he allowed himself to be led into the bedroom.

Emily was delighted with the small triumph. It was the second one this evening. "First a blue ribbon and now a taste of real power," she said with a soft laugh. "What an evening."

"Just so long as you don't try to pin that ribbon on me," he growled.

"Don't worry. I've got more interesting things to do to you than pin ribbons on you." She led him into the white-on-white bedroom and pushed him lightly onto the bed. He went down obediently under her hands. She stood looking at him, trying to think of what to do next.

He sensed her uncertainty and grinned invitingly. "Tell me about these interesting things you're planning to do to me."

The teasing element in his voice was enough to goad her into further action. Emily gave him an up-from-under look through her lashes and then, feeling more daring than ever, began to undress herself. The gray fire that leaped into his eyes was ample indication that she was on the right track.

Jacob said nothing as first her blouse and then her skirt slipped to the floor, but his eyes roved over her with unmistakable possessiveness. When she began to slip off her bra and panties, there was nothing humorous left in his expression. He was aroused and hungry for her.

"Come here, witch," he ordered softly when she stood nude before him. He did not move from where he lay back against her pillows but he held out his hand in a not-so-subtle command.

Emily ignored the extended palm. She smiled at him, instead, confident now of her power over him. It was so good to know that she had the same effect on him as he had on her. Paying no attention to his imperiously outstretched fingers, she moved closer to the side of the bed.

"There's no rush," she said, aware of the fire in her own pulse. He looked so big and powerful and sexy lying there sprawled across her bed. She could hardly believe he was hers.

"No rush? Lady, I'm burning. If you don't come here and make love to me right now, I'm liable to find out firsthand what's meant by spontaneous combustion."

Emily felt herself turning hot and languorous under his intent gaze. Her knees were getting weak. If she did not climb onto that bed with him, and soon, she would probably collapse.

"I wouldn't want you to go up in flames. Not just yet," she assured him as she moved down beside him on the bed. She could feel the sexual tension in him from one end of the bed to the other. Her fingers made small circles around the flat, masculine nipples. Then she allowed one of her legs to tangle with his.

He shuddered heavily and looked up at her with a combination of frustration and demand in his eyes. "Are you by any chance turning into a tease?"

"What if I am?" She picked up one end of his tie and trailed it through the hair on his chest.

"Then I'm a doomed man. I'll never survive being teased by you tonight. My physical condition is just not strong enough. I'm weak and wounded and at your mercy. Have pity."

"Well, since you put it that way, I suppose I can be generous."

Jacob's mouth curved with satisfaction. "Somehow I thought you might be." He drew a hand down her back, exploring the gentle contours there before moving his palm lower. He tightened his fingers around her hip.

It was Emily's turn to shudder. She nestled closer to him and began dropping light, soft kisses down the length of his body. Jacob twisted his hands in her hair and watched her through passion-slitted eyes.

"That feels so good," he growled. "Honey, you don't know what you do to me. So good."

All thought of teasing him fled. Emily was beyond playing sexy games now. She was thrilled with his response and trembling with the force of her own. Her kisses became deeper and more intimate. She explored the inside of his thigh with soft fingers until he was rumbling far back in his throat.

"Are you purring?" she asked, lifting her head briefly to meet his eyes.

"Not yet. But I think I will be soon." He reached down to grasp her shoulders and ease her down on top of him. "Make me purr, sweet witch."

She smiled dreamily and fitted herself carefully to him. He was large and hard and he filled her with a slow, aching thoroughness. Emily sank down onto him, mindful of his sore ribs, anxious to give him what he wanted without hurting him in the process.

"Gentle as a flower," he whispered with aching longing as he lifted his hips and drove himself more deeply into her.

Emily gave herself up to the sweeping passion, loving him as gently and completely as she could, glorying in the tenderness and the underlying power that was so much a part of him. Together they raced for the heights and threw themselves over the edge, only to be caught and cushioned by the warm, sensual currents of release. And when at last it was over, Jacob did, indeed, purr.

Emily was the one who felt like purring the next morning when she awoke in Jacob's arms. The room was full of rare Seattle sunlight, and the man lying beside her was hers. She hugged the knowledge to herself with glee. She was having an affair with Jacob Stone and she was happy. She had no way of knowing how long her good fortune would last, but she had decided not to look too far into the future. She would grab what happiness she could with both hands and enjoy it now. She propped herself up on one elbow and gazed down at her man.

Jacob stirred and yawned, his arm tightening around Emily. He opened his eyes and saw her smiling down at him. A slow grin etched the hard line of his mouth. "What are you looking at, sexy?"

"You."

"Like what you see?"

She toyed with the crisp hair on his chest. "It'll do until something better comes along," she retorted flippantly.

"Is that right?" he asked with unexpected roughness, turning over on his side to pin her beneath him. "Are you expecting something better to come along soon?"

Emily blinked, realizing he had not taken the joke well. "I was just teasing, Jacob."

"I know." He threw one leg over hers. "But some subjects are off-limits when it comes to early-morning jokes. Replacing me is one of them."

She arched her eyebrows. "I'll remember that."

"You do that." He kissed the hollow of her throat, his hand closing over one of her breasts.

She realized he was not teasing her in return. There was a hard current under his words. Emily slid her fingers deep into his tousled hair. For the first time she wondered if he might be feeling insecure in their relationship. It was hard to imagine Jacob Stone feeling insecure about anything. "Jacob?"

"Hmm?" He was kissing the valley between her breasts.

"Were you really going to apologize first to me yesterday?"

"Yeah. I was going to get on my hands and knees." He dipped his tongue into the small hollow of her stomach and smiled to himself when she trembled delicately. "But you beat me to it. I'm going to make it up to you, though. You deserve a proper apology and I'm going to see that you get it."

"Interesting. How do you plan to do that?"

He raised his head and looked down at her intently. "I'm going to take you away for a few days. We'll go to the coast. Rent a cabin. Just you and me."

Emily's eyes widened in surprise. "What about my shop? Jacob, I haven't planned any vacations in the near future. I don't know if I can get away on a moment's notice. You know how it is when you run your own business."

"Diane can handle things for a few days, can't she? We'll call her this morning and tell her she's going to be on her own for a while. She won't mind. You must have left her in charge before."

"Well, yes, it's just that I hadn't planned—" Emily broke off, frowning slightly.

Jacob brushed her mouth with his own. "I want you all to myself for a while, honey. We need some time alone together. Time to talk. Time to plan."

Emily searched his eyes. "Time to plan?"

"There are things we need to discuss," he said gently. "We can't continue much longer with me down in Portland and you up here. It'll drive me nuts not being able to live with you. I want you with me on a regular basis. Come with me to the coast where we can be alone to talk it all out."

Emily caught her breath. "You're moving very quickly," she whispered.

"I've waited a long time for you. I don't intend to waste any more time." His warm, hard palm slipped down over her stomach and into the soft hair that concealed her feminine secrets. He claimed the hidden territory, finding the moist warmth that was already gathering there. "Let me take you away for a few days, sweetheart."

Emily stirred languidly beneath his touch, her body responding to him with an immediacy that still took her by surprise. He wanted to be alone with her to discuss their future. She was terrified of any such discussion. A few minutes ago she had been giving herself a stern lecture on the subject of living for the present and not even thinking about what lay ahead.

But a trip to the coast with her lover sounded wonderful. And if he wanted to discuss their future, perhaps she would let him. After all, she was entitled to a few daydreams. Happiness blossomed within her. She tightened her arms around his neck.

"All right. Yes. Yes, please, Jacob. I would like that very much."

"We'll leave this morning as soon as you arrange things with Diane." He bent down to kiss away any protest she might still feel inclined to make.

But Emily wasn't putting up any more resistance to the idea of going away with Jacob for a few days. In fact, she wasn't putting up any resistance at all. Instead she was gathering him to her, wrapping her legs around him as he moved to sheath himself deeply within her welcoming warmth. After that there was no more thought of resistance at all.

An hour later Emily stepped into the shower, aware of a few sensual aches in regions of her body that were not yet accustomed to Jacob's passionate lovemaking. She turned her face up to the hot water and closed her eyes for a long, blissful moment.

She was going away for a few days with Jacob. It seemed to Emily that the world was a very good place that morning. She tried to concentrate on what to pack for the short vacation at the beach and as her mind turned to more prosaic matters she remembered she needed a new blade in her razor. It wouldn't do to leave on a passionate vacation with her lover without first shaving her legs. She left the water running as she quickly stepped out of the shower and went to open a drawer near the sink.

She was standing there, dripping, trying to find the new blades without benefit of her glasses when she caught the soft, muffled sound of a man's voice.

Emily turned her head toward the door, wondering if Jacob was talking to someone on the phone. Perhaps Diane had called. It would ruin everything if Diane was phoning in sick.

Emily opened the door and leaned out into the hall to call a question to Jacob. He was talking in a low, intent voice, but she caught a few of the words and they froze her in her wet tracks. Jacob was not talking to Diane. He was talking to her brother.

"No, I can't prove a damned thing, Drake. But I don't believe in coincidences. It's not as if people get attacked in Emily's garage on a regular basis. It might have been a piece of bad luck. God knows I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time on previous occasions. But this time I'm a little suspicious. I'm not going to let Emily take any chances. She's too vulnerable and Morrell knows it." He paused, listening. "No, you won't be able to reach us. I don't know yet where we'll be staying. Don't worry about it. I'll contact you. I'll keep her out of the way for a few days while you and Giff make your move."

Emily was vaguely aware that she was creating a large, damp spot on her white carpet. She was also cold. But she could not seem to find the strength to move back into the steamy warmth of the bathroom. She listened to the remainder of the call with fatalistic attention.

"How the hell should I know what approach you should take? I don't work for you anymore, remember? My only interest in all this is keeping Emily out of the way. You want some free advice? Try digging around the Satterly deal. There was something off base about that right from the start. We knew that. Check with Satterly's administrative assistant. He's the kind who will talk for a price. I've used him before. If you look hard enough, you should be able to find something you can use."

Emily finally recovered control over her muscles. She walked slowly into her bedroom, the shower still running behind her, and reached for a terry-cloth robe. She belted it in place and went down the hall to the living room where Jacob was just completing his phone call.