Butterflies exploded in my stomach at the knowledge that Jacob was waiting for me right behind that door. Dragging in a deep breath, I slowly exhaled, lifted my chin, and went in.
Jacob was sitting behind the desk in his private office looking at paperwork when I opened the door. He looked up, his lips stretching into a smile when he saw it was me.
“Good morning,” he said. “I’m glad you could come in so early. I hope I’m not keeping you from anything.”
I held up the coffee like it was a peace offering and closed the door behind me. “Not at all. I actually felt a little bad about visiting you so early and so soon after you took the case.”
He laughed, pushing back that lock of hair that always seemed to fall over his forehead. “You never have to worry about that with me. I meant to text you to thank you for coming out with us yesterday. Allie hasn’t stopped talking about it. Now I get to tell you in person.”
“Here.” I lifted his cup toward him.
“Thanks for the coffee too,” he said.
“Katie is the same. We both had a wonderful time.” I didn’t think too much before adding, “I’m actually surprised by how much I enjoyed myself.”
Standing from his chair, he walked around the desk with his eyes locked on mine. I knew he was probably just coming over to get his coffee, but my heartrate spiked anyway. As he came to stand in front of me, I smelled the woodsy cedar and pine scent I’d come to associate with him, and nearly moaned out loud.
How does he smell so damn good?
The butterflies in my stomach intensified, and I was suddenly so very aware of how close he was standing to me. He lifted his hand to take the cup, our fingertips brushing before I managed to release my hold on it.
The brief contact made my breathing hitch and my gaze drop down to his incredibly kissable lips. It would be so easy to lean into him, to get a taste of the man I might’ve hated at first but had always been so very attracted to.
Now that I knew what kind of person he really was, it was even more difficult to keep my lips and hands to myself. He was wearing a crisp white button-up shirt that was so fitted that it showed off his lean muscles almost better than they might look when he was naked.
Aww shit. I shouldn’t have thought about him naked.
As soon as the thought about what he might look like naked hit, it was impossible to shake it. I suddenly had visions of him slamming his lips down on to mine and pulling me into his arms, right up against that hard body.
He would be hard all over.
“Yeah, I had a great time too,” he said, an unfamiliar breathless quality to his voice. It jerked me out of my fantasies, but I still pulsed with need between my legs, and it was like I could feel my racing heartbeat in my clit.
Jacob cleared his throat, his free hand moving to the small of my back. “Would you like to have a seat? I’ve got quite a lot to update you on in terms of our strategy going forward.”
The way he looked at me with a burning, molten heat in his eyes didn’t make it seem like he was thinking about business, regardless of what he was saying. His fingers flexed on my back, and even though I obviously—but unfortunately—still had my shirt on, sparks traveled up my spine, lifting the hair on my arms as they shot through me.
He’s so close. So hot. And he smells so freaking good. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think about anything other than kissing him.
When his tongue came out to swipe across his lips, my own lips parted. I was so torn between whether I’d rather be looking at his mouth or into his eyes that my gaze flicked between the two again and again.
At this point, it had to be obvious what I was thinking about. I still hadn’t moved a muscle to take a seat, nor had I said anything to explain myself. Words, Laurie. Find them, use them, then move.
My problem was that I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to speak for fear of ruining the moment between us.
I’d never felt anything like this, and it was exhilarating. Addicting. I wanted him so badly that my nipples were as tight as they’d ever been and I had to shift on my feet to press my thighs together.
As if that one tiny bit of movement snapped him out of the trance we’d been locked in, his hand on my back twitched and his eyelids dropped closed. A massive wave of disappointment crashed into me.
That’s it. It’s over. He’s going to move away.
He opened his eyes again and looked straight into mine. I didn’t know what he saw in them, but he set our coffees on a side table and let out a quiet groan before he snaked his arms around my waist and smacked me into his chest just like I’d imagined minutes ago.
One of his hands came up to wind its way into my ponytail. He gave it a sharp but not painful tug. My face lifted up, my lips still parted from before.
Our gazes were glued together in that moment, and I could’ve sworn I saw a flicker of satisfaction in his before he slanted his mouth over mine.
Jacob kissed me like he’d made a study out of the skill and had received a Master’s degree in it. If he hadn’t received it yet, I would’ve been willing to sign off on it myself if I could’ve. He was just that good at it.
It wasn’t only his lips involved in the kiss. It was so much more than that. I was enveloped in his muscular arms. Every time he pulled back even just a little, his nose brushed against mine. His broad chest was firm and hard, and he had one palm resting on the back of my neck while the fingers of his other hand squeezed my hip.
His tongue stroked mine with expert movements that were both possessive and dominating. I moaned when he nipped at my lower lip with his teeth, arching into him to feel the hard planes of his abdomen pressing up against me.
My breasts were flattened against him as it was, but I still wanted to get closer. Circling my arms around his neck, I threaded my fingers into his soft hair, pushed back that lock I’d noticed so many times, and kissed him back with every ounce of passion and need flowing through my veins.
I’d never been kissed like this. My knees had never gone weak simply from having someone’s mouth over mine.
A low hum of pleasure rumbled in his chest, his hips grinding against me. My breathing hitched, and I couldn’t quite get it back, but I also wasn’t trying too hard.
I was desperate for him. Breathing couldn’t be a priority when it meant I’d have to let go of him or stop kissing him for even a second.
From the feel of things, I wasn’t the only one getting so caught up in the kiss that it felt like I might spontaneously combust if he didn’t start touching me soon. The rock-hard bulge in his pants where he was pressed up against me, his heart hammering right along with mine, and the soft noises he kept making made it pretty clear he wanted the same thing I did.
Without breaking the kiss, he walked us backward until the backs of my thighs hit his desk. His right hand left me, and I felt it move behind me before the sound of papers crashing to the floor rang out in the silence of his office.
He lifted me up in a smooth motion to set me down on the desk and didn’t waste any time getting his hands back to where he wanted them. His fingers trailed down between us, and I shivered when he cupped my mound over my skirt. My head dropped back and a louder moan ripped out of my mouth.
When my gaze met his again, those dark eyes were filled with heat and carnal desire. He flashed me a devilish smile before burying his head in the crook of my neck to lick and nip my skin while his hand started massaging me below.