Chapter 66
Jake shifted closer, until only the metal edge of his tailgate was separating us. Then he palmed the side of my face, but didn't lift it. He simply waited for me to look up.
"So you know," he said, his voice softer and a little deeper, "I liked it a lot that you tried to kiss me that night."
Then he leaned in. My hand on his belt shifted, grabbing his waist. My other one found his collarbone. I'd been aiming for either his chest or neck, and ended up somewhere in the middle. But none of that mattered when his mouth softly brushed against mine, pressed, then parted.
And I forgot to worry about the rest. I stopped fretting about how Jaxon had hurt J.D. I stopped feeling like I was being greedy for doing this, ignoring my guys, and everything else. The moment my tongue touched his, all that mattered was this moment right here.
I felt when his fingers pressed deeper, sliding into my hair. I didn't care when my hat slipped off, falling into the bed of his truck - but I did notice when he grabbed his own and tossed it the same way without removing his mouth from mine.
What started soft, gentle, and almost tentative, grew. The first pass of our mouths was a chance to explore, test, and learn. The next teased. After that, I began demanding.
The hand on his collarbone moved high enough to grab his shoulder, pulling him closer. Jake obeyed, pressing his free hand down on the tailgate to hold himself up as he leaned in, and in some more - yet the whole time, the other one held my face, treasuring it like he couldn't help himself.
I could feel my pulse pounding. I needed him closer, so I hooked a leg around his ass and gave a real big hint - but it didn't work. It did earn me a sexy little sound that was somewhere between a moan and something a bit more wild.
"If you don't stop that," he whispered against my mouth, "I'm going to climb up there with you and make a scene in the bed of my truck."
I stole one more kiss, then lifted lids that felt heavier than they should. "Or you can take me back to my place?"
His eyes dropped, taking in all of me. "Could." But he shifted back. "Cody, what are we doing?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "Right now, I'm trying real hard to not think too much."
He nodded once as if accepting that. "And tomorrow?"
"Jake, I don't know!"
"Still friends?" he asked.
Which made me smile. "Yeah. Hell, I'm still friends with Ty. Maybe I'm just easy like that."
"Oh, that is not the word I'd use," he promised, then stepped back and offered me his hand. "Let's go see this fancy suite you're in."
I hopped off the end of the truck, he grabbed our hats and closed the tailgate, then we headed for our doors on opposite sides.
Even better, when he climbed behind the wheel, he had to yank at his jeans a bit before buckling in.
Yeah, that ridge was visible, and while I kinda wanted to reach over and grab it, I wasn't quite that wild and crazy.
Not yet.
He started the truck, but pulled out his phone and started typing. Curious, I looked over with a raised brow, but he said nothing until he was done and tossed his phone down into the cup holder.
"Who was that?" I asked.
"Ty," he explained. "Made sure he knew I was taking you home - and that you're sober."
"Yeah," I assured him. "I am."
"Good." Then he finally pulled out of the parking spot. "So, is this where I shouldn't ask what this is because I might spoil the mood?"
"Jake, I don't know what it is."
He nodded, accepting that. "Me either, Cody. In truth, none of this makes sense. I should be scared off by those other guys of yours, but I'm not."
"And I should be content with them," I pointed out.
"Yeah, but I think that part's true." He glanced over, then pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.
"Besides, there's nothing wrong with being horny.
I won't be offended if you just need to scratch an itch and those two deserve some time alone.
" He chuckled. "And I seriously suck at setting the mood. "
"Same," I agreed. "Or maybe it's ok that we're both bad at it?"
I swore something in him relaxed. It was more than just his shoulders, and a tiny little curl appeared on his lips. It wasn't quite a smile. More like a pleased look that meant I'd just done something right.
"Well, is this the point where I try to be all chivalrous and pretend we're going back to your place to have a relaxing chat?"
"Nope," I decided. "This is me resisting the urge to tell you to drive faster."
His foot pressed down on the gas. Not excessively, but as we meandered the city streets, he was passing the other cars beside us. Finally, just when I was starting to feel that awkwardness - an awareness of what I was actually doing - creep in, he turned into the hotel's parking lot.
"That is going to be a long and slow ride up the elevator to the top," he said before turning off his truck.
"Yep," I agreed, grabbing my hat and hopping out on my side.
Jake was only a second behind me, having grabbed his phone. When we reached the back side of his truck, he shoved his grey hat back on his head then opened his arm, offering me a space at his side.
I took it, feeling his hand gently rest on my waist. His arm was across my back, and I was tucked up nicely against his side. He was taller than J.D. and Tanner, but not by much. Shorter than Ty, but I was pretty sure he was broader.
And I liked it.
I liked that I could tell the difference, that it was ok to be doing this, and most of all, that I was doing this. I also liked Jake, but it was the exciting and fleeting kind. The new sort. The confusing and scary kind that made me feel like I was taking a real big risk, even if I knew it wasn't.
We made it into the hotel and across the lobby in silence. When we reached the elevator, Jake leaned in to press the button. A moment later, the doors opened, revealing a completely empty car waiting for us, and instead of letting me go, Jake stepped in with me, keeping me against his side.
But I had to pull away to hit the button for the thirty-third floor. He shifted, moving behind me to wrap his arms around my waist, then leaned into my ear.
"So, do I need to start warming you up all over again?"
"Fuck that," I said, turning in his arms to pull off his hat and kiss him this time.
I felt his lips curl into a smile, and then he pressed in. My back found the wall of the elevator at the same time his tongue found mine. Oh wow, this boy could really kiss, and a little warm-up was definitely giving him a little confidence.
"I'm following your lead, cowgirl," he breathed before kissing me again.
And I could handle that. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, I turned, pressing his back against the wall, and stretched for his mouth. He made a sound that could only be described as a purr, and moved his hands to my waist, guiding me closer.
So close, I could feel that hard ridge pressing into my belly. Yeah, I liked that. I fucking wanted that, and for once I wasn't going to worry about what anyone else would think. I was going to cowgirl up a bit and get buck wild.
Then the door dinged. I turned to check the floor, surprised to find we were already at the top, then stepped back.
"So, something like that?" I taunted before turning and walking off the elevator. "C'mon, Jake. Keep up."
"Oh, yeah," he muttered, following me off willingly. "Girl, you are pushing all my buttons now."
"Bossy?" I asked.
"Confident," he corrected. "Driven. Unstoppable, unashamed, and unafraid."
My feet paused and I turned back to face him. "Jake, I'm not those things."
"Yeah," he said, catching up with me, wrapping an arm around me, and propelling me toward my door, "you are.
There's this quote I've always liked. It says, 'do it trembling if you must, but do it.
' To me, that sounds a whole hell of a lot like you, and the trembling part does not negate that you keep fucking doing it, Cody.
Whatever 'it' you've set your mind to this time.
" He smirked as he paused at my door. "Especially if that 'it' is me. "
"Tonight, it is," I promised as I unlocked the door and pushed it open.
He stole his hat from my hand, mine from my head, and tipped his head for me to enter first. I did, and he kicked the door closed behind us, then dropped both hats upside down on the kitchen bar. I saw as he scanned the room, but it was quiet in here, which made me think I knew where my guys were.
"So, what now?" he asked. "Need to tell them you made it back?"
I debated it for a split second, then found the easy answer. Pulling out my phone, I sent a message to our group chat.
Cody:
Made it home, have company. Taking the other bedroom. Hope that's ok?
Then I silenced my phone and headed for Jake. "Come leave your clothes on my floor, cowboy."
Stepping into him, I stole another kiss, and not just a sweet little peck. Nope, I wanted to feel the way he held me again - and he didn't disappoint. This time, both of his hands found my face, cradling it as he both kissed me and walked me backwards.
"Same room?" he asked.
"Yeah," I breathed before he stole my lips again.
And again, and again. He savored me, devoured me, and teased me higher with just his mouth. He distracted me from how far I had to walk, but the moment we were in that room, he let go to close the door, bathing us in nearly complete darkness.
"Whoa," he said around a chuckle. "Where's the light switch?"
"Uh, by the bed, I think." And I tried to head that way.
Once, I kicked the edge of the bed, but at least it let me know where I was.
It was soft enough not to hurt. Patting around, I finally found the night table, then the light a moment later.
Turning it on, I looked back to find Jake watching me with the kind of hungry expression that couldn't be faked.
"Before we do this," he said, letting his eyes run down my body, "tell me what happens tomorrow?"
"Uh..."