Somebody's Lover (6 page)

“If you want, Mitch and I can
finish up here tomorrow and you and David can start the Bentonville job.”

Jace didn’t suggest doing it the
other way around. David hadn’t partnered him since Lou died. It was Mitch or
Dad. Always.

His dad removed his cap and
scratched his head. “Nope. We’ll stick to the schedule.”

In other words, he didn’t trust
Jace alone with Mitch, even if they’d only be finishing the clearing, hauling
and mopping up.

Together, they watched Mitch and
David complete with synchronous teamwork. At one time, Jace had worked that way
with Lou, each anticipating the other’s moves. Timing and skill. You counted on
each other to be there.

He hadn’t been there for Lou that
day. He’d been sleeping off too much partying the night before, and Lou had
started without him.

Jace glanced at his dad, wondering
how often he thought about that day. Hell, most likely every day. Dad had been
the one to find Lou before Jace got there. His brother hit the femoral artery
with the chain saw, though God only knew exactly how it happened. Alone in the
midst of a nine-acre lot, Lou had been gone in a matter of minutes.

His father never said one bad word
to Jace, never accused Jace of breaking his trust, of letting his brother bleed
to death all alone. But Dad also never scheduled a job that put Jace alone with
one of his brothers.

Shit. Jace popped another bottle of
water and dug out the sunscreen tube for his father.

“You hungry?” his dad asked,
smoothing a palm of SPF 30 on the back of his neck.

“I’ll make the run,” Jace offered.
The job wasn’t far out of town, so they weren’t packing lunch. “Sandwiches
okay?”

“Sounds good.”

His brain crammed full of
everyone’s preferences, Jace took off, calling in the order so it would be
ready when he arrived.

The moment he set the cell phone on
the seat beside him, he started thinking about her. Taylor. Her shimmering
hair, her nipples and the way she stroked him with her tongue.

Like yesterday and the day before,
she’d consumed his daydreams. He’d have thought the relief he’d given himself
last night would have lessened the tension. Instead, he kept remembering the
heat in her voice on the phone.
Do it. Now.

Considering his thoughts of a few
minutes before, he should have felt guilty for thinking about her. He was too
far gone for that. His guilt over Lou would never be over, but wanting Lou’s
wife was a whole different matter. That guilt could be relegated to the back
corner of his mind with the simple tactile memory of her mouth taking him to
heaven.

Damn. Just like that, his pants
were too tight, and his cock rock hard.

There was time before the sandwich
order was ready. Just enough time. He picked up the phone and punched in the
office number, hoping she was working today.

Taylor answered instead of his mom.
He took it for a sign. “What time are you picking up the kids?”

“One. It’s a short school day.”

He glanced at his watch. Plenty of
time. “Meet me at your house. Leave now.”

“You know I can’t do that.” She
lowered her voice. “And you promised.”

“That was for Friday. This is for
now. Meet me.” He’d beg if he had to.

She was silent so long, he dredged
up pleading words.

Then she simply breathed her answer
in his ear, “Fine,” and cut the connection.

He didn’t have a condom on him. He
doubted she would have one in her bathroom cabinet. For what he planned on
doing to her, he wouldn’t need one.

* * * * *

Lie number three. Taylor felt
awful. Wasn’t that what criminals and addicts did? Said they were sorry, but
kept right on doing it?

“I’ve got a couple of errands to
run before I pick up the kids. I’ll take this stuff with me and finish it at
home this afternoon while the boys are doing their homework.”

Her hands trembled as she stuffed
papers into her briefcase. Eleven-forty-five. She’d have to leave for the kids
in exactly one hour. Lord. She hadn’t had a quickie since before she and Lou
were married. Lou always said marriage and babies put a damper on that sort of
thing.

But with Jace? The anticipation was
overwhelming, the fear and guilt debilitating enough to make her light-headed.

“See ya tomorrow,” she called as
she barreled out the door. She hadn’t even looked at Evelyn. She felt like she
had a neon sign flashing LIAR over her head.

Lies and sneaking around never did
anyone any good. And sneaking around with Jace? She didn’t even want to think
about the family’s reaction.

Just until Friday. It would be over
then. They’d have their fill of each other. She’d have her thrill. And things
could go back to normal.

Jace’s truck was in the driveway.
She pulled in beside it. Leaving her purse and briefcase on the seat, she raced
up the walk to the open front door. She heard water running in the kitchen. Her
heart pounded, her skin blazed, and when she saw him standing by the sink, she
almost threw herself at him.

He’d sluiced himself under the tap.
Water dripped from his hair down his naked chest. After years working
out-of-doors, he was tanned and muscled and exquisitely delicious.

“I’m sweaty. Want me to take a
shower first?”

He looked good enough to eat. And
he smelled of honest sweat, all male heat. And suddenly she was so damn
frightened she couldn’t breathe. As much as being near him turned her inside
out, so did the fact that the family wouldn’t understand.

“This is crazy, Jace. You can’t
call me up at work like that anymore.” She put her hands to her flaming cheeks.
“Good Lord, Jace, you’re Lou’s
brother
.”

The sexy smile on his face died,
and his eyes darkened. “I know that real well, Taylor. But at least I’m not
some hick you picked up in a bar.”

He’d neatly sliced and diced her to
pieces. “Do you have to remind me about that?”

“Yeah, I do. Because I can’t stand
the thought of you doing it again.” He turned, shoving his hands through his
damp hair, his muscles rippling.

His desperate words wrapped
themselves around her heart. She needed to be desired this way. A nameless guy
she found in a bar could never do this for her. She weakened, wanting to reach
out to him.

After a deep breath, he faced her.
“Look. I’m here. You’re here. The damage, if there is any, is already done.”

They were together. Alone. Whatever
Evelyn was going to think she was already thinking it. Heat rushed through her.
He was hers for right now. She could do all the things she’d dreamed of. She
could fill herself with him.

Something lurked in his eyes. Lust
and something else. Fear. As if her answer meant more than he wanted to say.

She closed the few inches
separating them and plastered herself to his body. “My turn,” she whispered.

He pulled back at her abrupt
turnaround, his hands on her shoulders holding her away. “Taylor?” Just her
name, as if she’d caught him off guard. Maybe he thought he’d have to work
harder to get her to do what he wanted. But she had so many wants of her own.

She tugged his hand down, bunching
the material of her skirt to mold his fingers against her center. “Make me
come.”

He froze, his fingers unmoving. She
tracked the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. Then finally, endless
moments later, his breath fanned her face as he murmured. “Jesus.”

Cupping her face, he took her lips,
then her tongue. He was wet and hot, and she went up on her toes to wrap him in
her arms. Oh, he could kiss. He kissed like he couldn’t get enough, plunging
deep into her mouth, retreating, coming back for more. He walked her backward
until her butt hit the table.

She’d worn another shortie T-shirt,
her usual summer wear, and a thin bra. He slid a hand up from the bottom to her
beaded nipple. She moaned. Then, pushing the chair aside, he put his hands to
her waist and lifted her to the table. “I’m gonna make it so damn good.”

She arched into his fingers. “Yes.
Please.”

He shoved his hands up her skirt,
holding her butt. “Up.”

She rose, and he whisked her
panties down her legs. She wriggled, and together they got her skirt up over
her hips. He pushed her legs apart and stepped between them.

“You are so pretty down there.”

No man had looked at her in three
years.

Jace leaned his forehead against
hers and trailed a finger along the crease of her thigh, then across the curls
there.

“I want this,” he whispered, then
slipped inside to touch her clitoris.

She nearly shot off the table, the
feeling so intense it was almost an orgasm.

“Easy, baby, it’s gonna get
better.”

He caressed the hard nub. She bit
her lip and dug her fingers into his arms. “Oh God, Jace.” Closing her eyes,
she let her head fall back. Tiny sounds, a moan, a quick breath.

He slid a finger inside her,
keeping his thumb on her clitoris. Pulling her legs up, she locked her feet
behind him and leaned back until her head touched the tabletop. His touch was
nothing like her own. It was rough, callused, extra texture, extra sensation.

“Look at me.”

She lifted her head, opened her
eyes. His gaze was bright with heat, his brown eyes black with passion. He
stroked her. She leaned forward to loop her arms around his neck.

“Kiss me while I fuck you this
way,” he demanded.

She loved that word on his lips.
Dirty. Tantalizing. Want and need and craziness all rolled into four letters.
She pressed her mouth to his. He sucked her tongue and pumped her with his
finger. Hard, fast. When she came, she screamed. Into his mouth. Rocking
against his hand, driving the feeling on and on.

She shuddered in his arms when it
was over. “Oh Lord, Jace. That was so good. I can’t tell you how good.”

He smoothed her hair back from her
face and forced her to look at him. “It’ll be even better when I use my
tongue.”

She turned her wrist to look at her
watch. Grabbing her arm, he held her. “Don’t look at that goddamn watch. We
have time. I won’t let you be late for them. But I will taste you. And I will
make you come in my mouth.”

Pushing lightly on her chest, Jace
set her back against the table, then hooked a foot around the chair, and pulled
it up. Sitting, he soothed her inner thighs with his palms, then spread her to
receive him. Taylor leaned on her elbows to watch him.

“So pretty.” He blew on her. She
moaned and bit her lip. “Beg me, Taylor. Beg me to kiss you here.” He traced
the tip of one finger across her clit and down her slit.

“Please, Jace. Put your mouth there.
Please.”

He wanted her to beg. He wanted to
hear her say his name in that soft, breathy voice. He’d dreamed of tasting
Taylor for almost half his life, dreamed of making her come the way she just
did. Lost to herself, completely his.

For one panicky moment there when
she’d told him to make her come, he’d been afraid that reality could never be
as good as the dream. Now he knew it could be so much better.

She jerked when he put his tongue
to her. Moist and tangy and hot, he sucked the juice of her last come, then
drew her clit into his mouth. She moaned and writhed. He pulled both legs over
his shoulders and grabbed her hips to hold her to him.

He’d been with women. He’d enjoyed
them. But no woman had ever been like this for him. Using his tongue and lips
to drive her wild, he took her with his mouth, and he gave her everything he
had. Her soft curls tickled his nose. He burrowed deeper. Her moans and cries
hardened his cock to a monumental ache.

When he left her today, he wanted
her to remember this, wanted her to carry the memory with her day and night.

Her fingers found their way into
his hair, twisting. She rocked against his mouth. Panting, she said his name
over and over. Her thighs tightened around his head, and the first quake of her
orgasm began. He sucked on her, hard, worrying the nub of her clitoris with his
tongue, and she exploded with sound and taste, flooding his mouth with the
sweetness of her orgasm. He took it all, every cry, every moan, holding her to
him until her pleasure was so great, she couldn’t take it anymore.

Then he raised his head and looked
at her. Her breasts rose and fell with her erratic breath. Her lashes rested
against her flushed cheeks. He leaned down, blew on her once more, then swiped
his tongue across her clit.

She jerked. “Oh Lord, no more. I
think I died.”

Jace stood, then pulled her upright
by the arms. Her head lolled on her neck. Boneless. Weightless. In the ecstasy
of orgasm. He put her limp arms around his neck.

“Oh, Jace.” She opened sleepy,
lazy, replete eyes.

Dipping his head, he kissed her,
gave her the taste of herself on his tongue, then pulled back. “Monday was
mine, today was yours, Friday, we’ll come together when I’m deep inside you.”

He’d tasted her. She’d tasted him.
He didn’t have to be inside her to know he’d never get enough of her. She
filled his heart the way her taste filled his mouth. She pushed him to
extremes, to the point where he’d risk anything to have her.

Only Lou’s memory stood in the way.

* * * * *

True to his word, Jace made sure she
left the house in time to pick up the boys. Her legs still felt wobbly, and she
kept gulping air as if she couldn’t get enough.

Lordy-Lord, she’d gotten everything
she was looking for that night when she ventured out on the wild side. She
simply hadn’t figured she’d find it with Jace. She hadn’t imagined he could
take her the way he had, make her feel such glorious sensations.

This morning, she’d thought about
doing a no-show Friday night. Now that was out of the question. Right or wrong,
she craved what Jace could give her. She wanted to feel him inside her. She
needed the memory when Saturday morning, and the rest of her life, dawned.