Love Like You've Never Been Hurt, page 22
“Ooh, this could get messy,” she laughed.
“I’m hoping so.”
He dipped a finger into the chocolate and dabbed it onto her lips. Holding her eyes, he licked it away then nibbled on her lower lip before he slowly explored her mouth with his own. Emma felt the now familiar ache for him between her legs, her breasts tingling, hopeful for his touch. She was so glad she hadn’t freaked out over that phone call earlier and his mad dash back here had probably been simply to pile up the pillows. She wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on this, on having Jack, strawberries and melted chocolate all in the same bed with the whole night ahead of them. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he kissed her and when they finally came up for air she couldn’t deny that it was love in those gorgeous eyes that were looking at her. Nor could she deny that she loved him right back. It scared her; she had no idea what to do with it, but she loved him with all her heart and soul.
“What is it, Em?”
“Nothing.” How could she speak those words to him when she didn’t know what they could mean?
“OK then.”
He fed her another strawberry, a little frown on his face. But she knew how to distract him by now. She slid her hands inside his shirt and stroked his abs, loving the way the hard muscles trembled at her touch. A look of lust replaced his frown. She removed his shirt, smiling at him mischievously. She dipped a finger in the warm chocolate and coated his nipples then delicately lapped them clean with her tongue.
“Oh my God, Emma,” he groaned, reaching for her, eager to return the favor.
She pulled away and smiled at him. “You’re beat, remember? And you made dinner. I think perhaps you should lay back and let me work tonight.”
She wanted to make this about his pleasure as he always did for her. He’d been so gentle and understanding in loving her. She may not be able to say the words he wanted to hear, but she knew she could show him with her body. She stood and undressed before him, loving the way he devoured her with his eyes. He reached for her again, but she pushed him back down on the pillows.
“Lie back and relax.”
She covered his nipples with the chocolate again and as her tongue licked him clean her hands unfastened his belt and jeans. Even as he kicked them off she took hold of him and began to stroke gently as she kissed her way down his stomach. She dabbed some chocolate on the very tip of him. He gave a low growl as she flicked her tongue over.
“Mm, tastes good.” She kept up her stroking as she took him into her mouth. He tensed and lay completely still.
“Em, stop, I don’t want...”
Keeping her mouth close to him so the breath of her words fanned him, she smiled up at him. “I do want, Jack. I want chocolate.” She smeared it all over him, amazed as he grew even bigger and harder in her hand. She gently sucked at the end of him, “And I want this. Anyway, this is between me and him,” his cock surged in her hand, “and he doesn’t want me to stop, do you?”
She addressed the question to his erection and returned to her task of cleaning away the chocolate with her tongue. Jack moaned and lay back. She felt him relax, pleased he was giving in to her. She held him in both hands and trailed her tongue up him over and over again.
His hands tangled in her hair, “Oh God, Emma!” His voice cracked on her name as she took him deep in her throat and swirled her tongue over him. She raised her gaze to see him and their eyes locked as he thrust his hips up. Again she felt totally empowered as she commanded his release and he gave in, letting her carry him away as he cried out her name and his love. When she came back up beside him, his chest was still heaving. He wrapped her in his arms. “Oh my God, Emma!”
“You like?” she smiled, pleased with herself.
“I more than like!” He nuzzled his lips to her neck and his fingers found her heat. “Will you ride me, Baby?” he pulled her on top of him. “Let me do the work this time?”
“You sure you want me up here then?”
“I want you right there.” He sat up against the pillows, carrying her with him. Bringing his knees up behind her he brought her face to face with him. “Hi,” he smiled.
“Hello.” As she sat astride him he kissed her long and hard, filling his hands with her breasts, making her moan though the kisses, amazing her by how quickly she could feel him grow hard again. Without leaving her lips he stroked his hands down to her hips and lifted her ready to receive him.
“Lean back on me, Baby.”
She leaned back against his legs and gasped as he thrust up inside her. In this position he was deeper than he’d ever been. She marveled again at the size of him. He held her hip with one hand, steadying her to receive his thrusts, while with his other hand he sought her heat, stroking the sensitive flesh even as she stretched around him. At the pressure of his thumb against the bud of her arousal, she felt the heat tear through her as she came. He’d hardly gotten started as she rode the sensations that carried her away. As soon as she opened her eyes she found him smiling at her and his fingers returned to their work. She couldn’t believe she was so close again already as he circled his thumb.
“Jack,” she moaned as he carried her stroke by stroke through her second orgasm.
When she returned to earth he was still smiling at her.
“Come with me, Baby?”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“You can.” His eyes were filled with a mixture of lust, love and determination as he placed both hands on her hips and pulled her down to receive his thrusts. She felt him pulsating inside her, growing hotter and harder at every stroke. The intensity of his emotion and the sheer size of him made her feel as though he filled every fiber of her being. He moaned and she felt him explode inside her, and every fiber exploded with him as he swept her away through a third mind-blowing, soul-stealing orgasm. As she collapsed onto his chest his arms came around her once more.
“I love you, Emma.”
“I love you, Jack.”
The words came straight from her heart before her mind had chance to censor them. She tensed, immediately regretting that she’d spoken them out loud. Jack flipped her over and lay on top of her, brown eyes shining happily.
“Run that by me one more time?”
She sighed; there was no point denying it. “I love you, Jack.”
He kissed her long and deep. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”
“Jack, don’t get carried away. I didn’t mean to say it.”
He looked down at her, smile gone. “You’re not saying you don’t love me?”
She shook her head.
“No, you’re not or no, you don’t?”
“No, I’m not.”
His smile returned. “Then nothing else matters.”
“But, Jack, I don’t know what I can do with it.”
“What do you want to do with it?”
“Right now I want to run and hide, it scares me so much!”
“But you haven’t run yet, Em. You’re still here. You came to me,” he grinned, “came for me, came with me. Told me you love me and you haven’t run away!”
She couldn’t help but smile at the triumphant look on his face. “I can’t exactly run. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have two hundred pounds of man lying on top of me.”
He looked down and laughed, pretending surprise. “Why, yes you do. Isn’t that handy?” He made no effort to move. “Baby, you don’t have to know what to do with it. That’s how love works, we can figure it out together. Just relax. Keep giving me chance to show you that I’m for real. Show you all that we could share?”
She nodded.
“You have to know how happy it makes me?”
She nodded again.
“Tell me one more time?” he asked, eyes crinkling in that sexy grin.
She wrapped her arms around him and looked into his eyes. “I love you, Jack.”
“And I love you, Baby.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Do you really have to go?”
They’d had breakfast and Emma was getting her things together, ready to head to the city.
“You know I do. Can’t you come too?”
He thought about it for a moment. He could probably see Meyers next week, but he needed to finish last night’s phone call with Laura. He needed to get over to the mall where he had some important shopping to do, too. Could he do that in the city if he went with Emma?
“It’s OK,” she said, “I know you’ve got work to do, probably best not. I’ll try my hardest to get back tomorrow, but really I think I will have to stay till Saturday morning.”
“And condemn me to two nights alone, in this thing?” he joked.
“You’ll survive.”
“I suppose.” He pulled her close for a lingering kiss. “You drive safely, my little Mouse and hurry back to me.”
“I will.”
He walked her out to her car. He wanted her to tell him again that she loved him, but he didn’t want to say it first just so that she would respond in kind. He still couldn’t quite believe that she’d come so far so soon. Although he knew he still had an uphill climb ahead, he felt that it was all possible now. It would just take time and patience on his part.
She put her bag in the car and kissed him one last time. Her green eyes met his. “I do love you, Jack.”
“And I love you, Baby. With all my heart.”
As he watched her drive away he smiled to himself. This was going better than he’d dared to hope. While she was gone he had some important business to take care of. He pulled his cell phone from his back pocket.
“Laura? Hey Sweetie. Sorry about last night. Yeah, Emma showed up earlier than I expected.”
After talking to Laura he decided to go and see Gramps before he did anything else. If this was going to work it was really important that the old guy be on his side. After that he should still have time to get to the mall and back before his meeting with Meyers.
He found Gramps sitting out on his front porch, drinking coffee and eating doughnuts.
“Want to join me, son?”
“I’d love to.”
Gramps brought him out a coffee, “Help yourself,” he said nodding toward the doughnuts.
Jack smiled, “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. After last week those things have lost their appeal.”
Gramps grinned at him. “Yeah, but it all worked out, eh son?”
“It did. And in big part thanks to you. I’ve been wanting to thank you.”
Gramps tapped the side of his nose with his finger. “Say no more.”
Jack smiled gratefully, glad he didn’t have to spell it out, though he had been fully prepared to.
“So, what brings you out here, she gone into hiding again?”
“No, sir. She’s gone down to the city, but she’s not hiding. She’s doing her very best to face her fears and give me a chance.”
“That’s good to hear. So what’s the question? I can see plain as day you’ve got one and it’s a big un ain’t it?”
Jack nodded; only the biggest question of his whole life. He looked the old man in the eye. “Sir, I’ve come to ask your permission to ask her to marry me.”
Gramps smirk faded and he looked away. Jack’s heart sank. Surely he wasn’t going to say no?
“Jack, you’re a fine man. I like you, I think you know that.”
Jack nodded, not sure he wanted to hear the ‘but’ that he knew was coming.
“Nothing would please me better than to see you marry the girl.” He smiled at the thought, “That sure would make an old man happy, but I’m guessing you haven’t heard her thoughts on marriage?”
“I have.”
“And yer still asking my permission?”
“She’s blaming marriage for what Rob did. A marriage is defined by the two people that make it. For Emma and me it would be great.”
“I don’t disagree with you, son. I know the truth of what you’re saying. Hell, I lived it for forty-five years, a wonderful marriage with a wonderful woman. I just don’t know that you can convince Emma of the truth of it,”
Jack sighed, “I don’t know that I can either, but I’ll die trying. I guess that’s what I want your permission, and your blessing, to do.”
“That’s the easy part. You can have them by the bucket load.” He patted Jack on the back, “I’m guessing a man like you would have a plan. What have you got in mind?”
Jack told him what he was planning and when he’d finished, Gramps sat smiling. “You’re a smart one, son. How could any woman say no?” His eyes darkened. “If any woman could though, it’s Em.”
“I know, but I have to try.”
“Well, I’m with you all the way. I’ll help any way I can.”
“Thank you.”
“No, son. Thank you. I’m not going to be around forever. It’s been weighing on me heavy that when I’m gone she’ll have no one left. I mean, she’s got the gang and they’ll always be there for her, but no one of her own. No one who will love her and look out for her like I do, like you do.”
“I just hope she’ll let me.”
Emma had spent the afternoon with Carla in a totally non-productive meeting about a movie she knew would never get off the ground. Why, oh why, had she even agreed to come? Old habits were hard to break, she supposed. When Carla set up a meeting, she came running, even though all she really wanted these days was to be left to write her novel, up at the lake – with Jack. She hoped tomorrow’s session helping Brad go through his spec script would prove to be more worthwhile.
As she let herself into her apartment she felt as though she’d been away from it for months, not just a couple of weeks. She was so grateful to Holly for keeping an eye on the place for her. Her friend had left a note propped on the kitchen counter.
Call me when you get in – if you’re not too tired. Holly x
She picked up the phone.
“Hey, how are you?”
“I’m great. I got done early with Carla so I’m home already. Do you want to come over for dinner?”
“Of course I do. I’ll take your cooking over mine any day of the week.”
“Come on over as soon as you’re ready. I’ll get to work.”
She ran to the grocery store on the corner, another of the reasons she loved her apartment. She picked up some chicken breasts and everything else she would need and was home again within fifteen minutes. As she chopped mushrooms her cell phone rang. Jack.
“Hey you!”
“Hey Baby. How did your day go?”
She told him about the meeting with Carla. “It was a big waste of time really.”
“Well, I’m glad she didn’t offer you some tempting project to drag you back to the city for any longer than this. One night is enough.”
“Two, remember?” She was still hoping to leave tomorrow evening, but she didn’t want to say so in case her work with Brad ran on.
“Two then, but I know you’ll be back for sure on Saturday.”
“I will. How about you, how did your day go?”
“Oh, I’ve been real busy. I got lots of important business taken care of,” he sounded very pleased with himself.
The doorbell rang. “Hold on. Holly’s at the door.” She let her friend in.
“I’ll let you go then, Babe. Say hi to Holly for me. Can I call you tomorrow?”
“Yes, please.”
“OK, I love you, Babe.”
“I love you too, Jack.”
As Emma hung up Holly’s face was a picture. “Did I really just hear you say that?”
Emma nodded.
“Well, what the...? Less than a week ago you were convinced he’d only wanted you for the sex and had then done a runner.”
“I know, I know. But then a dear friend of mine gave me a severe talking to and told me to grow up. I’ve been working on doing that and this is the result. Thank you.”
Holly gave her a big hug. “You are most welcome. I can’t believe that our little chat led to this. Want to tell me all about it?”
“There’s not really much to tell, Holly. Other than I am scared to death. Almost every instinct I have is telling me to run like crazy, as far and as fast as I can away from him. But part of me wants to run to him. At the moment that part is winning, but I don’t know for how long.”
“Well, good for you, girl. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Hm, about getting you up there. I would like to get back tomorrow if I can get done early enough.”
“I can drive myself then, early Saturday morning. I really do need to work on that.”
“Yes, you do, but not this weekend. I fixed you up with a ride, just in case.”
“A ride?”
“Yes, Pete is happy to bring you with him if I have to leave early.”
“Emma!”
“What? It makes all kinds of sense. I can get back to Jack and you two can get to know each other on the way up.”
“I’ve never met the guy.”
“You’ll love him. He’s great company.”
“Perhaps so, but you don’t want the first time you meet a person to be on a four-hour road trip!”
“It’ll be fine. He really doesn’t mind. He’s glad to help me out.”
“And what if I mind? Does he know you’re trying to set us up?”
Emma grinned, “He has no clue!”
“Oh, Em!”
“Say you will? Of course, if you really don’t want to then I can leave Jack all alone for another night and stay until Saturday, just so that I can take you.”
Holly laughed, “Great, don’t give me much choice, do you?”
“Is that a yes?”
“That’s a yes, but I’m not happy about it.”
“Oh, you will be. Seriously, Pete is great fun, a really nice guy. There are so few of us real people in this town, we have to stick together.”
“Well, I guess that’s true.”
“I already gave him your number so he can call and arrange to pick you up though there’s still a chance that you’ll be coming with me if I can’t get out of here tomorrow.”
“Ok, whatever works.”
