Checking It Twice (2 page)

Sending up a silent prayer for strength, he released the doorframe. “All right, I’ll take you home.”

“Thanks, I owe you one.” Leaning sideways, she flipped open the glove compartment and fetched a CD. She caught his frown. “Road tunes.”

He knew her musical tastes enough to be worried. One glance at the label confirmed his worst suspicions. “Making me sit through the Chipmunks’ Christmas album is beyond cruel, Jana.” Then again, he couldn’t find a better boner killer than being serenaded with squeaky rodents.

She hopped from the Mustang, and after securing the lock, crooked her arm through his. “Where is your yuletide spirit?”

Grumbling in response, he led the way two rows over to his Lincoln Navigator. He assisted her into the passenger seat, desperately trying to concentrate on anything but the sweet, feminine scent playing havoc with his senses while she took her time unbuttoning her coat. A moment later, he dashed to his side of the vehicle and buckled himself in before pulling out of his parking spot.

Soon enough, he discovered caroling chipmunks weren’t nearly as much of a libido buster as he’d hoped. Not when they were up against the potent allure of Jana in full-scale-seductress mode. Every shift of her long legs and jiggle of her breasts within the confines of her too-tight sweater murdered another of his brain cells. It was a damn miracle he wasn’t reduced to a mindless, drooling fool by the time he pulled into her driveway.

“Can I entice you into coming in for a nightcap?”

His dick eagerly bobbed against his fly, giving a resounding
Hell yeah
to the invitation. “How about a rain check? I’ve got an early morning ahead of me.”

“Please? Just a quick one. Besides, I have to give you your present.”

“You can give it to me later.”

Determination replaced her cajoling expression. “If you don’t come in, I’m going to start singing along with Alvin.”

“Jana—”

Flicking the dial on the radio, she cranked up the volume and began belting out an off-key duet that probably had all dogs in a two-mile radius howling in agony. Hard to say who was the worst singer—her or the squeaky rodent.

Groaning, he killed the engine and pocketed his keys. “This present better be damn amazing.”

Offering a mischievous chuckle that made him infinitely nervous, she ripped off her seat belt and shoved open the car door. By the time he reached her front porch, she’d unlocked her house and turned on the living room lights. Half expecting her to tackle him to the floor and give him a lap dance or some equally nefarious, sanity-blowing activity, he cautiously stepped inside the entry. He was relieved to spot her hunkered next to the mountain of gifts arranged around the huge evergreen tree he’d helped her cut down the week before. “Jesus. Did you buy something for everyone in the tri county?”

Glancing over her shoulder, she stuck out her tongue at him. Even that playful act made his cock rigid.
Monahan, you are severely warped.
Unfortunately, that was all too true. Hence his need to keep his vigilant resistance of Jana on high alert.

She started to reach for one of the packages but stopped short. “Wait, I’m not wearing my Santa hat.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have—”

Ignoring him, she leapt to her feet and hurried down the short hallway to the master bedroom. Heaving a resigned exhalation, he paced the carpet, his wary focus glued to the beckoning front entrance—and escape. A Leavenworth inmate had nothing on the desperation he was currently experiencing.

The ticking of a nearby clock added to his strained nerves as he planted himself in place and tweaked the bridge of his nose. “I need to get a damn grip.”

“Hmm?”

He’d been too preoccupied with calming his racing pulse to notice Jana’s approach. Dropping his hand, he swung his gaze in her direction. She stood less than two feet away, wearing the most outrageously sexy getup on God’s green Earth. Considering some of the outfits he’d seen her in, that was saying a lot. Lust nailing him square in the groin, he raked his stare over the red satin number she was poured into. The top consisted of a halter that tied into a bow between her delectable breasts. A matching skirt with a white-furred trim barely toed the scant line separating it from indecent exposure. Her creamy, smooth skin and luscious curves knocked the breath from his lungs. She was the living embodiment of sex and everything he craved to the depths of his soul.

He took a staggering step back, the pulse he’d valiantly tried to normalize revving into hyper speed. “J-Jana, what the hell are you doing?”

“Giving you your present.”

“While dressed like Ms. Porno Claus? I don’t think so.”

She plopped her hands on her hips. “For your information, I’m a naughty elf.”

You can say that again, baby.
“Whatever you’ve got cooking in that evil head of yours, it won’t work.”

“I’m only giving you your gift.” Rolling her eyes, she stooped and snatched one of the festively wrapped packages. “Unlike some scrooges, I’m even going to let you open it now.” Walking toward him, she held out the present.

Not daring to take his focus off her in case she tried something funny, he cautiously accepted the container and fumbled with the fabric ribbon and bow.

She grinned, her sparkling eyes more than conveying that she was fully aware of how much she was affecting him. “You know, it’s usually easier to open those things if you look at what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, I’ve got it handled.” Somehow he managed to rip the foiled paper free. After that he was forced to glance at the box he held. He blinked at the set of Wusthof chef knives, his previous frustration over her sneaky and sexy machinations vanishing. “Jana, you shouldn’t have. This is way too generous.”

“So help me, if you say you can’t accept them, I’m going to kick your freakin’ ass. And trust me, that’s gonna be difficult to do in these platform heels.”

He ran his thumb along the edge of the box, the emotion filling his chest bittersweet. A few weeks ago he’d taken her window-shopping at the ritzy new mall that’d opened up in Sterling Heights. Obviously she’d caught him wistfully ogling the knife set and returned later to buy it. The knowledge that she would do something like that for him increased the odd pressure against his breastbone. Tempting as she was in her naughty elf
Fuck Me
ensemble, the sweet, generous woman standing before him with hope and love shining in her eyes was the biggest threat to his armored defenses.

He’d never known someone like Jana, so open and giving in every way possible, even right down to her heart. He wished with his entire being that he could give back a fraction of what she offered. Most of all, he wished he could be the right man for her and not one who would ultimately hurt her when he walked away. Even if he weren’t leaving for Vegas, there still wasn’t a future for them. He knew himself too well to feed himself any lies regarding his emotional baggage.

“I—I did get the correct set…right?” A cloud of worry and uncertainty shuttled across Jana’s face, and she chewed her lip.

That show of vulnerability punched him in the abdomen. “Yeah, it’s perfect. But from now on, no more expensive presents.”

Her expression cleared, and she graced him with a blinding smile. “Does that mean I have to send back the Lamborghini?”

His chuckle breaking free, he pulled her in for a hug. Too late, he realized his tactical mistake as Jana’s lush curves molded against him.

She slipped her hands beneath his jacket, snuggling into him. The nearness of her invaded his senses. Battle-rammed his defenses. His arms reflexively tightening around her, he hugged her close. It was a simple enough gesture shared between friends, but in his case, it meant so much more. Intimacy didn’t come easy for him. Until Jana entered his life, he rarely let down his guard enough to share that side of himself. The only other person who’d broken through his barriers had been Nick.

And look where that got you.

Jana’s expression was a dreamy-eyed invitation that wrapped around his heart and squeezed. “Stay with me tonight. Please.”

The desire to give in nearly knocked him to his knees. It would have been easy enough to give in to the fierce urge firing through him. Forgiving himself in the morning? Not so much. “Jana, I can’t. We’ve already discussed this.”

“And I’ve already told you not to worry about what Bram thinks. For Pete’s sake, my brother isn’t going to fire you for having sex with me.”

If Kevin weren’t moving to Vegas, it might have been a genuine possibility. Particularly since Bram had seen him at Club Arabesque on more than one occasion and knew about his kinky side. To be honest, he was a little surprised Bram apparently hadn’t spilled the beans to Jana about that. Still, he’d caught every single one of Bram’s covert looks of warning whenever the man saw him with Jana. Decoded, they amounted to
Keep your dick in your damn pants
.

Jana deliberately brushed her hipbone against his erection, making him suck in a harsh breath. He loosened his hold on her and dropped his arms. This was just one more sanity check to remind him why touching her was too much temptation to handle. “I don’t want to destroy our friendship.”
And break your heart when I leave.

Stubbornness blazed in Jana’s eyes. “God, that is so fucking
stupid
!” She jabbed a finger in the middle of his chest. “What difference does it make if we engage in some horizontal gymnastics? It’s not going to change the way I feel about you,
or
our friendship.”

“Sex complicates things.” In a big way, in his case.

“Oh dog’s balls. My brother sleeps every night with his best friend.
Both
of them, to get technical about it. And their relationship is going great.”

“The key word in there is relationship, Jana. That’s why it’s working for them.”

“I’m not asking you to move in or marry me, you idjit. Just fuck my brains out.”

Another ragged breath lodged in his esophagus. Her palm flattened on his sternum, stroking him through the starched cotton of his navy Oxford. He gripped her fingers, stalling their enticing motion. “No, you want more than that. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me.” And that, more than anything, was what terrified him and kept him away. He’d made the reckless decision once before to pursue a relationship he knew he ultimately couldn’t commit to. The resulting disaster
had
destroyed the only real friendship he’d known at the time. He damn well wasn’t going to let Jana be another casualty to his fucked-up psyche. “Trust me, one day you’ll thank me for telling you no.”

The uncensored hurt that washed over her stricken features was like a fist rammed into his gut, but it was nothing compared to the guilt that would plague him if he fucked her and walked away.

Her eyes became suspiciously misty, making his heart cramp.

“Jana, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—” The remainder of his apology fell victim to the unexpected crush of her soft lips over his. He was completely unprepared for the kiss and his body’s knee-jerk reaction to it. His cock thickened, and every nerve ending he possessed buzzed like he’d stepped on a live wire. A hungry groan tumbled free before he could corral it.

Jana’s lips parted beneath his, and her bold tongue stroked inside his mouth, playing over the tip of his. She tasted like sunshine and sex. Every one of his fantasies brought to life. His cock bobbed against his fly, straining in Jana’s direction. The rest of him instinctually followed his dick’s lead.

She moaned, the sweet, uninhibited sound quickly becoming his newest addiction. He wanted to hear it again, over and over. A tempting visual flashed through his mind—Jana stretched beneath him, her delectable ass raised and his hands massaging the full weight of her breasts while he fucked her from behind, hard and deep, losing himself in the snug, wet heaven of her pussy until they were completely strung out on each other.

As if she’d plugged directly into his thoughts, she coaxed his hand to the front of her halter. The soft, plump hill of her breast fit perfectly beneath his palm. His thumb brushed the pebbled peak of her nipple, stiffening it even more beneath the satin of her top. Her knees bumped against his, nudging him backwards and onto the couch. A second later, she straddled his lap and guided his free hand to her other breast. Her tongue a teasing glide along his, she rocked against his erection. He was too drunk on the seductive taste of her to comprehend her wily maneuverings until it was too late. The warning bells had a motherfucker of a time outshouting the lust roaring through his system.

His hands reflexively molded around her breasts—one last torment—before he forced himself to let go of her. “We can’t do this.”

Her lips still rosy and swollen from their kiss, Jana slid a glance toward the obvious bulge tenting his zipper. “Why? You want me. And I sure as hell want you. So stop listening to that stubborn brain of yours, and rock my panties off.” Her eyes twinkled with one hundred degrees of wickedness. “Oh wait, I’m not wearing any.”

She would have to fucking inform him of that. “You’re making it hard for me to do the right thing.”

“Good. I like making it hard.” Nipping his bottom lip with a kittenish purr, she wedged a hand between them and squeezed his erection.

He jerked. “Damn it, Jana.”

Her chuckle pure evil, she began stroking him through the placket of his trousers. Scraping her teeth along his chin, she worked her way to the underside of his jaw and licked him before sucking hard enough to leave a hickey. Her nails grazed along his zipper. “I want to take you in my mouth. My pussy. Everywhere.”