Anytime Darlin' (22 page)

He opened the passenger door of his Jeep and helped Devlin inside. She sat so still that he reached around her and fastened her seat belt.

“You all right?” Jake asked, beginning to feel a little concerned.

He pulled away from the curb. Dev was asleep within two minutes. She turned her face toward him, resting her cheek on folded hands. Jake thought she looked like an angel. He drove smoothly, reluctant to disturb her. Keeping her carefully wrapped in his jacket, he strode through the lobby and hit the elevator button. In a few moments, he reached their room. When Jake laid Devlin on the bed and pulled his jacket away, she didn’t stir. He gazed at her, innocent, looking very much like the morning he first saw her. Her face was pale tonight. Just as he remembered, her thick lashes cast dark shadows against her cheeks. Devlin was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Four years ago, she’d told him she felt like a tree falling in the forest. She’d wondered if anyone could hear her. Jake heard her. She just didn’t quite believe it. But she would soon.

Jake removed her shoes and the dress. Thanks to him, that was all she wore. He laughed aloud as he pictured the gardener finding a pair of black silk panties in the morning. Jake tried hard not to move Dev any more than necessary, but the very feel of her skin inflamed him. She lay helpless in sleep, naked and exposed beneath his intense gaze. He looked, God how he looked, but he didn’t touch. Jake could feel his cock throbbing. He wanted her again, and if she stirred at all, against his better judgment, he knew he would take her. Devlin lay still, so he covered her with the sheet and headed to the bathroom to make himself ready for bed.

When he finished, he tossed his clothes over a chair and climbed into bed beside her. Wrapping an arm around Devlin’s shoulders, Jake pulled her against him. She made a soft noise, snuggling into his chest. Jake smiled in the dark. He reveled in Devlin’s warmth, her kitten softness, the way she molded her body against his.
This is the first night I’ll spend with the woman I love
, Jake mused, growing drowsy as he listened to her quiet, regular breathing. He looked forward to many more.

Devlin stretched like a kitten too, Jake learned, when she woke up in his arms. And she made delightful little mewing sounds when she did it. He pulled her closer, reminding her where she was. Without a word, she turned toward him, her hands roaming his chest and stomach as if making certain he really, truly existed. Then Devlin smiled. She put her lips on him, showering him with light butterfly kisses. Tasting him, inhaling him, rubbing her sensitive lips against his equally sensitive bare skin. She slid on top of him, propping herself up on his chest, her legs spread on either side of his narrow hips, his morning erection cradled in the very center of her body.

“So you’re still here,” she said with a grin, her blue eyes sleepy, curls tumbling over her face.

“I’m still here,” Jake agreed, matching her grin with one of his own, sliding his erection between her legs.

“Payback time,” Dev teased. “Spread your legs.”

“Mmmmm, I like it when you’re forceful.”

Devlin laughed as she lifted herself up and slid her body onto his length. He groaned and spread his legs beneath hers while she pulled hers together, holding him even tighter within her warm body.

“Oh God,” Jake moaned, running his hands up and down her arms. “You feel so good.”

“Really? Are you sure you like it? Because I can stop anytime.”

“No,” Jake breathed, moving his hands lower, over her satiny thighs. “Don’t stop. Whatever you do, baby, don’t stop.” He thrust upward.

Dev sucked in a breath. “Uh-uh. Don’t move. Let me do the work.”

“Whatever you want,” Jake replied, his voice hoarse.

He concentrated on holding his lower body perfectly still beneath Devlin while she rode him, urgently. Her lovely breasts with their tightly puckered nipples thrust above him. Jake couldn’t resist playing with them, hearing Dev moan her appreciation. Jake loved the soft noises she made when he touched her. Feeling her inner heat press close along his cock and hearing her cry out his name brought him close to orgasm, but Jake bit his lower lip. He wasn’t quite ready yet. He flipped her over onto her back, spread her legs with his knees, and thrust hard. He needed to bury himself deep within her. Devlin didn’t protest. She came. Jake followed soon after.

* * * *

The two of them, ordered breakfast, put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and spent the morning playing. They never moved beyond the confines of the suite.

After breakfast, Devlin pushed her plate away and poured them both some juice. She looked at Jake over her glass. He grinned, that wolfish, predatory, sensual grin of his. Dev felt it all the way to her toes. Jake McKenna was a very dangerous man. She couldn’t resist him. Devlin decided an overdue conversation was in order.

“Jake, there’s something we need to discuss.” She paused. “Actually, there are a lot of things we need to discuss, but I think we should begin with one.”

She had Jake’s complete attention.

“I’m…I’m not on birth control pills.”

Jake smiled that smile of his. “I figured.”

“And nothing. I have no problem with the fact that you’re not on the Pill.”

Devlin rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t play innocent. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“C’mere, darlin’.” He crooked his finger at her.

Against her better judgment, Devlin rose to her feet and approached Jake’s chair. He pulled her onto his lap, nuzzling her neck.

“Don’t borrow trouble,” he told her. “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

“It doesn’t bother you?” Devlin persisted. “I think we’ve been terribly irresponsible.”

“No, I think you love me. And I think you find me irresistible,” laughed Jake. “Dev, I’m as guilty as you. I’ve never done it without a condom before. Even when I was a teenager, I used a…Well, that’s not entirely accurate. Once, a long time ago when I was very stupid and very young, I didn’t use a condom. But that was the only time.”

“So, you’re saying you find me irresistible too?”

“Yes, darlin’. I do. Utterly irresistible.” He wrapped his arms around her.

“What’s this about sex when you were a teenager?” Devlin teased. She knew Jake was experienced. She accepted it. Nonetheless, a tiny part of her was envious of every other woman who had known him as she did now.

Devlin attempted to glare at him, but she had a feeling she just looked cross-eyed, because Jake burst out laughing. He pulled her tighter.

“You”—he paused, taking a breath—“have absolutely nothing to be jealous of. Yes, I’ve been with other women. But practice makes perfect, right? They were all practice for you, Dev. I have never, ever considered asking a single one of them to marry me. It never even occurred to me to get married until the day I met you. But, baby, you were seventeen years old and had a lot to deal with. And I was nowhere near ready to settle down. I had to wait until I was ready and then hope against hope you would be available.”

“But what if I wasn’t available?”

“Then I would have waited as long as I had to. Or I would have left you alone. If you made it clear you didn’t want me, I’d have walked away. It would have broken my heart,” Jake said. “But, I would have walked away.”

“Jake, I just spent the better part of four years wanting you, looking for you, hoping for you, hoping for this. Yes, I had a lot to deal with. I still do. None of that has disappeared. It may be easier to live with, but it’s still inside me.”

Devlin smiled as Jake tilted her chin up, looking into her eyes. “I know, honey. I know. But now you don’t have to live with it alone,” he said. “Are you ready for me? Are you ready for this?”

“What about Paris?”

“I was going to Paris because you didn’t appear to be an option. It’s an amazing opportunity. I won’t deny that. But I have ability. I’ve made a lot of connections in Chicago. I can work on my own. Besides, after wanting you for so long, how could I possibly walk away? I love you. And God knows I can’t show up in Paris pregnant.”

Devlin held up both palms as if they were a scale. “Let’s see. Paris. Jake. Paris. Jake. Paris. Jake. Hmmm, I can’t decide. Change places with me, and we’ll see how much you weigh,” she said with a grin.

“Oh, you are a very bad girl,” laughed Jake.

Devlin winked at him.

Jake glanced at the clock. “We have a couple hours before we need to pick up the ice for the barbecue and get to the rehearsal. What would you like to do?”

Dev giggled. “You need to ask?”

“Apparently not.” Jake tilted her head back and brushed his lips over hers. “But we do need to discuss a couple things.”

“Now?” asked Devlin.

Devlin and Jake dozed in the warm sun. The morning had become afternoon. They both knew they needed to get ready, but neither felt like moving. Jake was the first to stir.

“It amazes me how quickly you fall asleep,” he commented, gently tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“Oh, this isn’t typical for me,” said Devlin, somewhat embarrassed. “I guess I’m just making up for lost sleep. I don’t normally sleep very soundly. I haven’t for years,” she answered, “not since…”

“Not since William Franz,” Jake finished for her.

Devlin looked at him. “Not since William Franz.”

“Yet you live alone,” said Jake.

Devlin considered her words for a moment. “Yes, I do. I live alone to prove to him—to prove to myself, I guess—that, despite him, I’m still standing. I don’t want my fear of him to control me. That’s always what he wanted, you know, to control me. If I live in fear, then he wins.”

“I’d feel better if you had a big, mean dog.”

Devlin mumbled, “Yeah, you and just about everyone else.”

Jake raised his eyebrows.

“I haven’t been able to get a dog. Dogs weren’t allowed in the town house in Chicago, and up until recently, I haven’t stayed at my house in Iowa longer than a few months. Besides, I guess it’s a moot point now, isn’t it? Anyway, I keep a loaded gun next to my bed. It was my grandfather’s shotgun.”

Jake whistled softly.

Devlin grinned at him, propping herself up on an elbow. “I told you a long time ago, I know how to shoot. So what happens now, Jake? We haven’t really had a moment to talk about it.”

“Yeah, we’ve been kinda busy.” He smiled. Turning toward her, he toyed with the ring on her finger. “When did you plan to fly back?”

“Wednesday. I wanted to spend a couple days with Katie and maybe help Mary out a bit.”

“Can you reschedule? I’d like you to come meet my folks and see the ranch. We can do some riding, fishing, swimming, whatever you want. My mother wants to meet you. She’s the one who told me to go after you four years ago.”

“She did? Did you listen to her? Go after me four years ago, I mean?” Devlin asked.

“Yeah, I did,” Jake confessed. “But you were already gone.”

“Sorry. I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have left without an explanation. What did you do?”

“Got stinking drunk, that’s what I did. Woke up with a nasty hangover.” Jake looked for a moment as if he wanted to add something. Then he shook his head. “We need to get dressed, or we’ll be late for the rehearsal.” He kissed her and started to climb out of bed.

Devlin pulled him back down. “Jake,” she said, “tell me about your plans. Mike said you bought some property in Idaho. That you’re building a cabin.”

“Yeah,” he answered. “I’ve got four thousand acres in the Stanley Basin, in the shadow of the Sawtooth Range. You’ll love it, Dev. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Miles of open grassy meadows, year-round running streams. Rugged mountains right in your backyard.”

Devlin could hear the excitement in Jake’s voice.

“I haven’t started building the cabin yet. All I’ve got out there is a trailer. And the place won’t be on the grid for a couple more years, so right now, it’s kerosene lanterns and a generator. But the grass is thick, the water’s sweet, and my dad and my brother and I have talked about splitting the herd. They’ll give me two hundred head to start. I’ve got the plans drawn up for the house and the barn. I need to drill a well and put in a septic system. Could take a while. In the meantime, I was thinking I could remodel the summer cabin on my folks’ place.”

Devlin hated to interrupt, but she needed to ask him. “What about my house? It’s all remodeled. It’s perfect for two people.”

“It’s in Iowa,” Jake said.

“What’s wrong with Iowa?” Dev bristled. “You can work in soil conservation in Iowa as well as you can in Montana. Better.”

“No mountains. And it would be a damn long drive to Idaho to work on the cabin. I’m not a farmer, Devlin.”

Devlin laughed. “I’ll tell you what, let’s go meet your folks, and you can show me the summer cabin. We need to take this one step at a time, Jake McKenna.”

He flipped her onto her back and loomed over her, a big grin on his face. “You’re willing to consider it?”

“I’m willing to consider just about anything, provided you smile at me like that.”

Jake’s grin widened. “I’ll have to keep it in mind.”

“Have you seen animal tracks on your property in Idaho? In the winter?” Devlin asked. “Rabbits and deer and foxes?”

“Yes, darlin’.” Jake kissed the tiny scar at the base of her throat. “And cougar tracks and bear tracks and coyote tracks and moose and elk.”

“In that case, I guess I maybe could live there,” she said. “You’re sure you’ve seen tracks?”

Jake looked into her eyes and grinned. “Very sure.”

Beth made a beautiful bride, and Devlin had never seen Mike so happy and content. The bridesmaid dresses were a big hit with the female and male guests alike. As was Devlin’s ring. Before the ceremony, Mike gave her a big bear hug.

“Welcome to the family, sis!” Clapping Jake on the back, he said, “I have dibs on the job of best man.”

“I think you should postpone any plans for a wedding,” Mary interrupted, playing the role of Devlin’s big sister. “What about the internship in Paris?”

Devlin didn’t answer. Instead she picked up Katie and whisked her away on the dance floor, leaving Jake to argue their case with Mary.