Prologue
. . .
Jake - The Fourth of July
“You’re staring.”
Natalie Cruz doesn’t even look at me when she says it. She’s leaning against the railing of my deck, watching the fireworks explode over the Hollywood Hills like she has all the time in the world. The display paints her skin in shifting shades of red, blue, gold.
“I’m appreciating the view,” I counter, moving to stand beside her.
She turns her head toward me, her dark eyes sharp and assessing, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “Is that what you’re going with?”
“I could lie and pretend I haven’t been watching you all night.”
“I prefer the honesty.” She takes a sip of her champagne, her gaze steady on mine. “It’s refreshing.”
Below us, my backyard is packed with people. Music thumps from the speakers as laughter carries on the warm night air. I’m supposed to be hosting, mingling, and making sure everyone has what they need, but instead, I’ve spent the last two hours tracking Natalie’s movements.
We’ve crossed paths before at industry events and mutual friends’ parties. Each time, there’s been this pull between us. This awareness. But she always slips away before I can do anything about it. Until now.
Tonight, she came to my party.
“You want to get out of here?” The words come out before I can second-guess them.
She arches an eyebrow. “That’s very direct, Mr. Reyes.”
“Jake. And I thought you appreciated honesty.”
“I do.” She sets her champagne glass on the railing, then turns to face me fully. “Lead the way.”
My heart kicks hard against my ribs as I guide her through the house, past clusters of people, and up the stairs to my bedroom.
I close the door behind us, muffling the party noise below, and then back her against it.
The scent of her hits me. Jasmine and something darker, woodsy.
Sandalwood, maybe. It’s been driving me insane all night, every time she laughed at something I said, every time she leaned in close.
I trace my thumb along her jawline, watching her eyes flutter closed. “I’ve been thinking about this. About you. What you’d taste like. The sounds you’d make. How you’d feel.”
“Jake?” My name comes out breathy, needy, and something primal sparks in my chest.
“Yeah?”
“Less talking. More action.”
I kiss her. Hard and deep and claiming. She melts against me and slides her hands up my chest, scraping her nails across my shirt. She tastes like champagne and apple pie. Sweet and sharp and addictive.
My hands find the zipper at the back of her dress. I drag it down slowly, feeling the fabric loosen under my fingers. She makes an impetuous gasp against my mouth, and I smile.
“Patience,” I murmur against her lips.
“I don’t have any.”
“I can see that.”
The dress pools at her feet, and I pull back to look at her.
Jesus Christ.
No bra. Just black lace panties and expanses of smooth skin. She’s lean but curvy in all the right places. Small, perfect breasts with pink nipples already hard. And there’s a delicate tattoo on her ribs: a crescent moon with wildflowers twining through it. Witchy and feminine and absolutely her.
“You’re staring,” she says, but there’s no self-consciousness in her voice. Just heat.
“You’re stunning.” I reach for my shirt, pulling it over my head. “Fucking perfect.”
Her hands immediately go to my chest, fingers tracing the lines of muscle I’ve earned from early mornings boxing at the gym. Her touch sends ripples of electricity down my spine, making my dick grow even harder.
“Your body is insane,” she breathes, her palms flattening against my pecs, sliding down my abs, and I press against her, letting her know I feel the same about her body.
I grab her by the hips, lift her, and walk her over to my bed. She gasps, legs automatically wrapping around my waist. The bed dips under our combined weight, and I brace myself above her.
“You sure about this?” I ask, even though it’s killing me to give her an out.
She rolls her eyes. “Jake, I swear to God, if you get noble on me right now, I will leave.”
“I’m not getting noble. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“I’m a big girl. I know what I want.” She hooks her leg around my hip, pulling me closer. The friction makes us both groan. “I want one unforgettable night. I want you. So stop overthinking and fuck me already.”
The crude words in that smoky voice nearly undo me.
I kiss her again, cutting off whatever smartass comment she’s about to make next, and pour everything I’m feeling into it. She melts against me, her nails sliding over my back and digging in hard enough to sting.
When I finally pull back, we’re both breathing hard.
“Okay?” I ask against her lips.
“More than okay. Now take your pants off before I do it for you.”
I stand up long enough to shed my jeans and boxer briefs, and her eyes go wide when she sees me. I’m already hard as steel, and the way she’s looking at me makes it worse.
“Holy shit,” she mutters.
“Is that a compliment?”
“Definitely.” Then the softest whisper to herself, or maybe to me, “Please know how to use that thing.”
A soft chuckle escapes as I crawl back over her, settling between her thighs. “Oh, I do. But first, I’m going to make you come with my mouth.”
“Fuck,” she breathes.
I trail kisses down her throat, feeling her pulse jump under my tongue. She arches into me as I move lower. The hollow of her collarbone. The swell of her breasts. I circle one nipple with my tongue, and she gasps, fingers tightening on my shoulders.
I move to the other breast, giving it the same attention, and she writhes beneath me. Her skin tastes faintly of salt and summer and something sweet.
“Jake, please.”
“Please what?”
“Touch me. Taste me. Stop teasing and just—” Her words cut off in a moan as I slide my hand down her stomach.
I hook my fingers in those black lace panties. She lifts her hips, and I drag them down slowly, watching her face the whole time. The flush spreading across her chest. The way her teeth catch her bottom lip.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I tell her, meaning every word.
I toss the panties aside and settle between her legs, pushing her thighs wider. The scent of her arousal hits me, and my mouth waters.
“Don’t tease,” she warns, but her voice is unsteady now.
“I’m not.” I press a kiss to the inside of her thigh. “I’m savoring.”
Then I put my mouth on her, and she cries out.
I take my time. Learning what makes her gasp. What makes her hips buck. What makes her knees squeeze my head hard enough to hurt. She’s responsive as hell, and I’m memorizing every reaction. When I slide two fingers inside her, curling them just right, her whole body arches off the bed.
“Oh god, yes, right there.” Her words tumble out, desperate and raw. “Don’t stop, that feels so fucking good.”
I don’t let up. I pump my fingers faster, seal my lips around her clit and suck, and she shatters above me.
“Jake, fuck, I’m coming, oh god—”
Her thighs tremble against my shoulders as she rides it out, gasping my name. I’ve never seen anything hotter in my entire life.
Before she can catch her breath, I’m reaching for my nightstand, grabbing a condom from the drawer. My hands are unsteady as I tear it open and roll it on.
She props herself up on her elbows, watching me with dazed eyes. “That was…”
“Just the warm-up.” I crawl back over her, and she reaches up to pull me down into a kiss. She can probably taste herself on my tongue, and that makes everything hotter.
I reach between us, lining myself up. “Look at me.”
Her eyes meet mine as I push inside slowly, letting her feel every inch of me as I watch her face the entire time. Her eyes flutter closed. Her mouth falls open. And the feel of her, tight and wet and perfect around me, I know I’m completely ruined for anyone else.
“Eyes on me,” I say, my voice rough.
She opens them, and for a moment, everything else falls away. It’s just us. Just this.
“Move,” she breathes. “Please, Jake, I need you to move.”
I pull almost all the way out, then drive back in. Hard. Deep. She gasps, nails digging into my shoulders.
“Like that?” I ask.
“Yes. Fuck, yes. Harder.”
I obey, setting a rhythm that has us both panting. She matches me thrust for thrust, her hips rolling to take me deeper. I can feel the sweat building between us, hear the slap of skin on skin, the headboard hitting the wall with each thrust.
“God, you feel so good,” she moans. “So fucking deep.”
I slide one hand under her ass, angling her hips higher, and she cries out.
“There, right there, don’t stop, please don’t fucking stop—”
Outside, fireworks explode in cascades of color, lighting up the room and framing her perfect gorgeous face. I can’t look away from her. The way her eyes go unfocused or the way her lips part. She’s looking at me like I’m giving her everything she needs.
I can feel her starting to tighten around me, her breathing getting shallow and desperate. It’s getting harder for me to hold back my release.
“Touch yourself,” I tell her. “I want to feel you come around me.”
She slides her hand between us without hesitation, her fingers finding her clit. The moment she touches herself, she moans, and I nearly lose it.
“That’s it,” I encourage, my voice rough. “Make yourself come. Let me feel it.”
“Jake, I’m so close, I’m so—oh fuck—”
She comes hard, clenching around me, her whole body going taut as she cries out. The sight of her, the feel of her pulsing around me, pushes me over the edge. I bury myself deep and let go, pleasure flooding through me so powerfully I see stars.
For a long moment, neither of us moves. Just breathing. Hearts pounding against each other.
Finally, I pull out and deal with the condom, then collapse beside her on the bed.
“That was…” She trails off.
“Yeah.” I turn my head to look at her. “It was.”
She sits up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. I watch as she starts gathering her clothes, and something tightens in my chest.
“You’re leaving?”
“That’s usually how these things work.” She pulls on her panties, then reaches for her dress.
“It doesn’t have to be.” I sit up, keeping my voice casual even though my pulse is racing. “You could stay. We could order food. Talk. Go for round two.”
She pauses, dress in hand, and looks at me. For a second, I think she might say yes.
“Fuck, the zipper broke.” And just like that she’s shifted back into a guest at my party. Like nothing even happened in this room tonight. I watch as she looks down at my shirt on the floor and bends to scoop it up. “I’m stealing this.”
“Keep it.” The words come out rougher than I intend.
“This was fun, Jake.” She finishes dressing, folding the dress so it’s a skirt, tucking the T-shirt to make the outfit look like it was intentionally designed to be worn that way, then looks around for her shoes.
I stand, pulling on my boxers. “For the record, I’d like to see you again.”
“Jake…this was a one-time thing. I don’t do complicated.”
“Who said it would be complicated?” She doesn’t respond and I scramble to walk her to the door, opening it for her. “If you change your mind…”
She rises on her toes and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “I won’t. But thank you. For tonight.”
Then she’s gone, disappearing down the hallway toward the stairs.
I close the door and lean against it, running my hand over my head and down my face. Fuck.
My sheets smell like her. My skin still tingles where she touched me. And I already know that one night isn’t going to be enough.
I don’t care what she said.
I’m going to see Natalie Cruz again.