The Storm Inside (28 page)

He pulled a fake smile onto his lips and gently took my arm, tucking it into his elbow. “Would you like a drink before we get started?”

“Absolutely.”

Jake actually chuckled and patted my hand before taking a deep breath and walking me across the room to the bar. It was a good sign that underneath he was upset, but fine.

The evening took off from there. We socialized our pants off. Unfortunately any hope I’d had of a tryst of some kind seemed to have been dashed by Sebastian. Jake was stiff and as far from romantic as I could imagine. Normally he’d be whispering naughty things in my ear or allowing his hand to graze my ass or breast when people weren’t looking. We’d be giving each other bedroom eyes and sexy smiles.

Not tonight. We were all business.

It hurt to see us like that. It was wrong for so many reasons. It wasn’t
us
. We weren’t the ‘all business’ kind of couple. We were the couple that at the very least was caught making out in the corner. We were the couple that couldn’t stop holding hands because we couldn’t bear the idea of being separated.

Instead Jake was holding me possessively, as if I might run off. He seemed to have a hand on me at all times. My elbow, my hip, my hand… all tightly held against him.

I was so disappointed and it was starting to show. I couldn’t keep faking the smiles and forcing the conversations.

Thankfully Greg saved the day.

“Eve, do you have any idea how hard Jake worked for Tom?” Greg asked, tossing back an appetizer and grinning. Greg was blonde and a little rough around the edges, but one of those guys you warmed up to immediately.

I shook my head smiling up at Jake, “No, he doesn’t tell me much about himself when he talks about being over there.”

“Well,” Greg leaned in toward me, “the kid would work every minute of every day if we let him. He didn’t have an off switch. Three other companies tried to woo him away, even though they knew he was Tom’s nephew.”

I squeezed Jake’s arm and he actually smiled. He shrugged his shoulders, “Gotta learn somehow.”

Greg snorted, “I knew right away I wanted to work with him if he ever decided to come back. All he had to do was say the word.”

“And it’s been everything you hoped for?” Jake asked half joking.

“And more. You’re gonna make me rich all over again, Jake. I love you man.”

Apparently Greg had a funny streak.

“What does he actually do at work, Greg? He’s always in these fantastic suits…” I stepped back and put my hand to my chin like I was judging him in a fashion show.

Greg smacked Jake on the back, “He’s our cover model, I send him in to land the projects we might not get. They take one look at Mr. Handsome with his rough voice, listen to his brilliant presentation, and beg
us
to work for them. You should know, Eve,” he winked at me. Greg was as bad as Jake. They were both cocky bastards.

But I couldn’t deny that was pretty much how Jake’s presentation went for me. “True, true. I was pretty much a home run, though. That wasn’t fair.”

“Seriously Eve,” Greg took me by the elbow and leaned in to my ear, “the student has become the master. He oversees all our engineers, takes every single one of them under his wing and turns them into beautiful little butterflies. Well, that is when we can get him out of his workshop.”

Jake stood tall and straight, swirling his whiskey in one hand while watching Greg and I talk about him, only his eyes moving as he studied us. “Alright, that’s about enough. I can’t leave the two of you alone together, ever. I have a feeling some sort of conspiracy might be unleashed on me.”

Greg snorted, “You’ll never see it comin’. Am I right, Eve?”

I nodded emphatically. I was up for planning a conspiracy against Jake anytime. Especially if it involved Greg’s wicked sense of humor.

He walked off toward the bar and for the first time all night Jake actually pulled me against him. I melted, savoring the moment in case it disappeared as fast as it arrived. His hand wandered up to my hair and he kissed my forehead before pressing his own to the spot he’d just kissed. “I’m sorry.”

I looked up at him through my lashes, “For what, exactly?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed, “Everything. Being an ass, not having any fun… this wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go. You are in this sexy dress and here I am…”

I ran my thumb along the smooth skin of his freshly shaven cheek, “Flirt with me for the rest of the night and all will be forgiven.”

His fingers traced along the skin of my neck, taking my breath away. “You wore the necklace?”

“It’s my favorite piece of jewelry. This amazing guy gave it to me and I can’t seem to take it off…”

His arm came around me and he roughly pulled me up off the floor, kissing me hard. I sighed into the kiss as relief flooded me. This was my Jake.

“So it’s true, Jake Spencer and Eve Daniels really are the hottest couple in Tampa.”

I turned to find Tanner Stevens smiling up at us. Tanner was short, a mere five foot nine inches tall, red haired and a little round. And he’d been my favorite accountant with the Ray’s. That was, until he left three years ago to join a big investment firm.

“Tanner…” I smiled and patted Jake on the back letting him know I wanted down.

Tanner opened his arms and let me hug him, “I’m still single, Eve. You could always leave tall, dark, and handsome for short, red, and rich…”

I laughed and pinched his cheek. “You were always my favorite. Jake this is Tanner, he used to work with me.”

I was infinitely relieved to see Jake’s smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Tanner placed his hands on his hips and eyed Jake, “He’s not nearly as dreamy as you described him. I was expecting Superman and a cape or something… but this, this is just James Bond.”

Tanner was incapable of saying anything straight, everything had to be a joke or an over exaggeration.

“She’s mentioned me?” Jake asked suddenly very curious.

Tanner snorted, “Of course she has. You were
Jake
. And I don’t know if you two are aware of it, but you are the buzz of town. All I hear about is how hot the two of you are. Handsome and beautiful and having a great time. Count me jealous. And now that I’ve seen it in person, I’m sick to my stomach. If I didn’t love my Evie so much I’d hate you.”

I smiled, “But you do love me…”

He nodded and hugged me to him again. “Jake, you are a lucky man. Eve isn’t just a pretty face—she’s fucking brilliant. There was a reason she was my favorite and it had nothing to do with the juicy gossip she so wonderfully fed me on a daily basis.”

“Please tell me more.” Jake said with a raise of his eyebrow.

Tanner was so excited to talk. He was vibrating and animated, his hands moving with every word he said. “Every report was perfect, under budget, and brilliant. Did you know our approval ratings jumped twenty-five percent after she became Director?
Twenty-five
percent. That’s huge. No one’s ever made a leap like that!”

I shook my head, “But…”

He grinned at me and winked, “She’s never dropped a point. Ever. Trust me, I still check in with my people.”

It felt kind of nice to have someone singing my praises; I liked looking good at what I did to Jake. “If you ever need any help with your finances, Tanner is very talented when it comes to money.”

Jake nodded, “I will keep that in mind.” He held out his hand, “Do you mind if I take my brilliant girlfriend out for a dance?”

Tanner made some sort of noise I thought was supposed to sound like a yes, clapping his hands and shooing us away.

Chapter 22

“A dance, huh?” I cocked my eyebrow and looked at him sideways. He had a glint in his eyes and I didn’t see dancing in our future.

At least not that kind.

“Do you have any idea how hot it is to hear how amazing you are? To know that you’re on
my
arm?”

I shook my head, my eyes locked onto his dark stare.

He paused, pulling me against him, “Hot.” The muscles in my belly clenched and I started to throb. I wanted Jake… now.

“Bathroom?”

He nodded silently and smiled crookedly, pulling me down the hallway.

The minute we were inside he set down his half empty whiskey glass and locked the door. Then his hands were on either side of my head as he leaned into the door, “It is so fucking hot to know I have the woman everyone wishes they had.”

I pulsed. I was so wet already and all he’d done was say amazing things about me. Of course there was also his proximity- his scent was intoxicating. His spicy natural scent mixed with his cologne was making me dizzy as he dipped his head down and gently brushed his lips along mine. I was a liquid mess as I pressed myself up against the door. I needed it to keep myself up.

“You look so beautiful tonight, Eve.” He moved his soft lips over my jaw to my ear where I loved his kisses so much. My body kept throbbing, wanting more, but Jake was quite content to tease me, building up the desire inside me. I could barely catch my breath I was panting so hard.

He trailed his feather-light kisses down my throat and to the soft tops of my breasts. He paused and ran his fingers over them, his breath catching and hitching, “Fuck, Eve.” His eyes were wild.

I frantically found my zipper, “Help me?”

His breath caught again as his hands slid my zipper down, softly caressing the skin beneath, “Like heaven, Eve. Your skin is like heaven. I can’t see straight when I touch it.”

I stepped out of my dress and he folded it carefully, placing it over the towel bar on the wall.

He actually shivered when he turned to look at me, “Dear God, woman. Are you trying to kill me?” I was braless, only wearing black lacey panties and black high heels.

I shook my head slowly, “I just know what my man likes.”

I think he might have growled on his way back to me—his hands and his mouth tantalizing me as he moved from my mouth down my body, kneeling in front of me. He pulled my panties to the side, hooking them out of the way with his thumb, and dove between my legs. I called out as his fingers disappeared inside me, I hadn’t expected such a sudden invasion, but I liked it. I liked his excitement. I liked feeling like us.

He teased me only for a moment before pulling his fingers back out and licking them, groaning. “Oh baby, I’ve been waiting all night for another taste of dessert.”

I shuddered as his mouth moved over me, his tongue and his fingers teasing me, pulling me closer and closer to climax, my fingers weaving through his hair, my leg over his shoulder. “Jake,” I rasped, “I want you. I want you inside me.”

Jake shot to his feet, “Yes, ma’am.”

I was suddenly alone and empty, my body pulsing and throbbing without his touch and all I wanted was him. I wanted us locked together when my body climaxed. His pants fell to the floor and his cock sprang free. Jake grabbed me and hauled me up onto the counter, my hands frantically moving down his buttons, looking for his skin beneath. I wanted to touch him, too.

And then he was inside me, I closed my eyes and sucked in a surprised breath. Even with as wet and ready as I was, his sudden invasion took my breath away. “Are you alright?” he breathed, his eyes rolling back and his jaw going slack.

“Hard. I want it hard, Jake.”

His eyes flew open to meet mine. “Yes, ma’am.” He gripped me around the hips and slammed into me again and this time I actually cried out. But I didn’t care. It was probably bad that I didn’t—anyone could be on the other side of the door. The only thing I cared about was what we were doing right then.

My hands ran up his naked torso, under his shirt, and gripped onto his shoulders as he took me on the counter. The feeling was overwhelming; every thrust took my breath away and sent my heart rate skyrocketing.

“You’re killing me, do you feel yourself?” he gasped.

I did, I knew exactly what he meant. My whole body was vibrating and contracting around him. I was so close to orgasm and yet not going over the edge. It had to be torture to feel me squeezing around his cock like that.

“Come on baby, let me hear you.”

I’d been on the edge of release for so long, I had no idea what would tip me over, but I needed to figure it out. And then Jake slowed, releasing his grip on my hip and sliding up to my neck. His fingers wrapped around to the nape of my neck, and he tilted my head to look at him, “I’m here, baby. Look at me. This is just you and me.” He moved slowly in and out. In and out. His thumb running back and forth across my cheek, and his green eyes burning into mine.

I came, my jaw falling open as my body shattered, and our eyes stayed locked. Jake was absolutely transfixed, watching me come until he couldn’t hold back any longer, and then he came, too. Hard, powerful thrusts followed by a shudder and complete relaxation.

He folded me against him.

“Eve, that was… amazing. You were so beautiful…”