Page 34 of His Fake Fiancé

The thought that this is what always happened when it came to Jake started up in the back of her mind, but she pushed it aside. “Not always,” she said, and she smiled. It felt tired, but at least it was genuine. “Just most of the time.”

He chuckled and then reached over and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. The urge to lean into the touch washed through her, and she was almost too tired to fight it. At the last second, she managed to hold back.

She didn’t know whether she gave herself away or what, but Jake ran his fingers along her cheek, until he was cupping the side of her face. This time, she didn’t have the strength or the will to fight, and she leaned into the touch with a sigh.

He rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone. Unbidden, she made a soft noise in the back of her throat. He was staring at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. She wanted to close her eyes, to sink into the touch and the feeling and the moment, but she was afraid to move. There was still a chance this was a dream and she didn’t want it to end.

“Claire,” he said, and it came out as more of a breath than anything else. And then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

She was expecting the kiss this time, but it still sent a shock of electricity racing through her. His lips were unexpectedly soft, the kiss gentle, tentative. Gone was the cocky swagger, and in its place was something almost unsure.

An ache bloomed in her throat and for a split second, she wanted to cry. But she wanted this more, so she kissed him back. Moved her lips against his. Tilted her head, leaned into his palm.

He took the hint, deepening the kiss. Moving his mouth against hers, coaxing and teasing. And oh, she was so taking the bait.

She brushed her tongue against the seam of his lips, eager now to taste him. He opened immediately. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, against his. He tasted like booze and sin and the most decadent dessert she’d ever tasted, all rolled into one. She moaned, inching forward, suddenly needing to get as close to him as possible.

He growled and wrapped his arm around her, hauling her against him. It was a bit awkward given their position on the sofa, but she wrapped herself around him the best she could. Pressed herself against the solid, muscled length of him.

His tongue dove into her mouth, seeking and sparring with hers. And she kissed him back just as hard, suddenly feeling like she was a starving woman who’d just been presented with a feast. Diving in head first, consequences be damned.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, forcing him down so he was laying on the couch with her stretched out on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him, keeping one hand on her lower back, sliding the other one slowly up her spine until he could comb it through her hair, cradling the back of her head. He used that hand to tilt her head, deepening the kiss even further.

The kiss turned hotter, more insistent. Lips and teeth and tongues clashing. Jake slid his hand down over her butt and squeezed. A noise she’d never made before slipped from her, and her entire body jolted.

She wanted to sink into him, let everything else melt away. Instead, she pulled away from the kiss with a gasp. Her lips tingled… actually, her entire body tingled with the need to keep kissing him, to keep touching him. She licked her lips and his gaze followed her tongue. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. The desire to lick it, to run her tongue over his skin, to see what he tasted like on the outside, was almost too much to resist. But she did. Even though it was probably the hardest thing she’d ever done.

He squeezed her butt, and she moaned, the sound dirty, even to her own ears.

“Jake?” His name came out partway between a groan and a gasp.

“Hmm.” He lifted his head to lick and nibble at the tender bit of skin just below her ear. Goosebumps exploded across her skin and without thinking, she turned her head to give him better access.

“We can’t do this.” Her voice was strained and breathy.

He squeezed her butt again and she made that unrecognizable noise in the back of her throat once more. Her hips shifted of their own accord, rubbing against him. The hard length of his erection pressed against her belly and she wanted so badly to rock against it. But she couldn’t. Not right now.

“Why not?” His words were muffled against her neck. His lips and tongue were doing such distracting things to her skin. If she didn’t get her head screwed back on straight, she was going to do something she’d probably regret.

With a strength of will that surprised even her, she pushed up and away from his talented mouth. Even though she should probably get off of him, she couldn’t quite bring herself to do that just yet—she wasn’t a saint for God’s sake—so just pushed herself into a sitting position. It may have not been the smartest thing she’d ever done.

Her new position made it so she was straddling him, her knees on each side of his lean hips. He slid his hands around her so they rested on her hips. The touch burned her through her yoga pants.

He stared up at her, his blue eyes hooded and dark in the shadows. His lips were plump from the kiss, his cheeks pink. He looked good enough to eat, and her soul screamed for her to grab a spoon.

But no, this was important.

He squeezed her hips and shifted his, his erection rubbing against her. A sizzle of electricity streaked through her, making her tingle from head to toe. She gasped and her hips rolled against her will, chasing the friction, the feeling. He dug his fingers into her hips and shifted again, this time his movement more deliberate.

“Jake,” she said, although it came out as a gasp this time. She fell forward, catching her hands on the sofa on either side of his head. Her hair slid over her shoulders, creating a curtain around them.

“What?” He caught his lower lip between his teeth.

He was so fucking sexy. Of all of the times she’d imagined this moment, this was not how it played out. This was both way better, and infinitely worse. She was being torn in two, and it was her own fault. But it was what needed to be done. “We can’t do this.”

“I disagree.” His voice had a husky, sexy quality that rolled through her like a caress. As if to prove his point, he flexed his hips.

She made an incoherent sound and shook her head. “Don’t do that.”