“She started demanding money after she found out I was pregnant with Graham’s baby.” Blowing out a breath, Jack let go of her shoulders and ran his fingers through his hair. “Let her go to the media. Who cares if Graham Stone’s squeaky-clean reputation is ruined? After the pain the bastard put you through he deserves to be ruined.”
“It’s not that simple.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she rubbed them like it was a chilly winter’s day. “It’s my reputation too. I’ve worked hard for what I have. If this got out, there’s no doubt in my mind Graham would portray me as the one who threw myself at him and tried to wreck a happy marriage.”
A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw as he spoke through tight lips. “No one would believe that.”
She scoffed. “Graham is Australia’s top journalist and he’s climbing the ladder overseas. My God, I hear he’s friends with Oprah. Of course people will believe him over a small gift shop owner looking for five minutes of fame.”
His dark expression didn’t change.
She cupped his face in her hands. “Thank you for caring so much.”
His eyes softened, but his lips remained in a tight line. Pulling him toward her, she placed a light kiss on his lips. It was only meant to be a friendly ‘thank you’ kiss. But as she pulled back and looked into his piercing green eyes that burned through to her soul, she needed to pull him back for more. Any more questions would have to wait. She wanted to forget the past and concentrate on the present. Concentrate on the man standing so strong and warm in front of her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body up against him. He groaned,
and she felt him harden against her stomach. She quivered, and her body melted around him.
Jack’s lips found the side of her neck, and he slid his tongue along the sensitive skin. Heat shot wild fire through Lauren’s veins, and her breathing grew choppy. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head to the side.
His hands traveled in a slow, blistering trail up the side of her body, and as he reached her breasts he brushed his fingertips underneath the curve. A tingling sensation shot through her breasts, causing her nipples to peak as she waited for more. As if reading her mind, he cupped them in his hands and stroked his thumbs over the raised buds. She sighed, but it sounded more like a groan, and every nerve ending sizzled with the heat their bodies generated. The sensation explosion too much for Lauren to take.
Jack backed her against the wall, the extra support helpful if she wanted to stay on her feet, lowered his head, and replaced his hand with his mouth. Trembling, she inhaled sharply. God, she would have thought she’d died and gone to heaven but his mouth was anything but holy. It was thoroughly sinful.
As Jack continued to suck and nibble, the warm wetness of his tongue dampened the thin fabric of her top. His hand then descended a slow and torturous path to another hot spot. When his fingers found their mark, her legs gave way. Jack wrapped an arm around her waist just in time to catch her before she melted into a puddle of jelly on the floor.
As Jack steadied her on shaky feet, his quick, nibble fingers flicked open her blouse and bra. Closing his eyes, he drew in a couple of breaths, like he needed a moment to keep himself together. After a few painfully long seconds he lowered his head and covered her breast with his warm mouth. Lauren cried out and arched toward the tongue circling her nipple.
“God, you’re beautiful.” The sound of his voice was rough and sexy.
He picked her up, and of their own free will, her legs wrapped around his waist and her breasts pushed up to his face. But instead of taking her up against the wall like she thought he was going to do—something she wouldn’t have complained about—he made the few steps into the living room and dropped her on the couch.
For a moment he stood over her, his breathing deep and raspy like he’d just run up ten flights of stairs. Her top was open, her breasts exposed, and his heated gaze traveling over her body filled her with satisfaction. Making no effort to cover up, she reveled in the dark, hooded expression on his face.
She could tell by Jack’s clenched jaw that he was holding back, giving her a moment to decide whether to go through with it. A hundred reasons why she should put a stop to it ran through her mind. Would he walk away after he’d gotten what he’d wanted? Could her heart cope if that happened? But she wanted him, so much so that if he didn’t join her on the couch soon she would climb up him. Actually, that sounded like a great idea.
She caught his hand and pulled him closer, but he still didn’t lie down with her.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” It sounded like it strained him to ask.
Was she sure? Yes.
Would she have regrets? Maybe.
But right then her mind had closed for the day and her body was open for business. In answer to his question, she dug her fingers in the waistband of his jeans. He sucked in a shaky breath as she pulled him on top of her.
He chuckled as he landed on her, but as soon as their mouths fused together, the laughter turned into a low, hungry growl. Her hands trembled as they traveled down the length of his hard body. When she found the zipper of his jeans his muscles tightened, and Lauren was happy to find he’d gone commando. Lifting his erection out of his jeans, she slowly stroked the hard length.
Dropping his head onto her shoulder, he sucked in a jagged breath. “You’re killing me. I wanted to take my time with you, but if you keep touching me like that, I’m afraid it will be over before the good stuff starts.”
“It gets better?” She bit him playfully on the chin. “I can’t wait.”
“You will have to wait until round two because I need to be inside you now!” A vein pulsed as he clenched his jaw.
Her body vibrated with excitement at the promise of doing this more than once. Their hands were a blur as they removed only the clothing that restricted the access they needed.
A condom seemed to appear out of thin air and he rolled it on. He entered her fast and hard, and Lauren cried out. Stopping, Jack’s body stiffened above her. A frown creased his forehead as he looked down at her.
“Are you okay?” He gritted his teeth. She could see it was taking all his self-control to
