Under the Covers Read online

  With a disgusted sniff, he finished putting the postcards in the rack, then went back to the stockroom to work on the flannel shirt shipment that came in.

  Someone would get wise to them eventually anyway, and then he’d have to listen to all that crap about Beth again. He knew his past was still a topic with the locals, but they’d finally quit offering up their helpful advice, and he wanted to keep it that way.

  Beth’s leaving town with Buster the morning of their wedding had been no picnic, but he’d managed to convince himself that it was better than finding out later, after they were married, that she still had feelings for her old flame. Because if Buster hadn’t come back a month before, she might have gone through with the wedding, even knowing that she didn’t love him.

  “Women”, he grumbled, knowing he was destined to never understand them.

  He glanced to the side where he’d found Jane standing amid the latest shipment, her face flushed pink from embarrassment. A grin slide over his lips at the memory. She didn’t want to go out with Riley, which in his book, was worth remembering. Looks and charm weren’t important to her, nor the money, or she’d be all over their local tycoon. He didn’t only own Atwater Realty, he owned half of Main Street, and had been trying to buy Jacob’s store for years. Then again, she could be avoiding Riley for other reasons. Broken heart maybe, or a man back home where she came from, could be any number of reasons.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he muttered. Thinking on her was a pure waste of time and energy. He had work to do. Fall stock was coming in, and he had to get it all itemized and ready to go on the shelves by the end of August.

  The bell of the door jangled, and he put down his work and turned to take care of his customer, doing his best to ignore the slight jolt that went through him in the hope that it was Jane coming back for more than just advice.

  Chapter Three

  The following day, Jane wished Riley would come along so she could have an excuse to hide in Jacob’s stockroom again and see what he would do. Had he really meant what he implied? And how would she react if he did?

  Eager, she thought with a wicked grin.

  Her last relationship had been tepid at best in the bedroom. She’d been relieved when her father said it was time to move on. Derrick always chose where they were going to eat, what movie they were going to see. He planned it all, right down to how many orgasms he would give her. Which pretty much amounted to less than one, if there was such a thing. Sometimes she’d fake it just to get him to finish and leave.

  Her brow furrowed with the thought. How could she have been so apathetic?

  With a derisive chuckle, she placed another bolt of fabric on the shelf. She’d always gone with the flow, allowing the men in her life to drag her along in their wake, never contradicting them, never voicing her opinion. Somewhere along the line, she supposed, probably after her mother died when she was little, she’d resigned herself to just doing what she was told. She didn’t want to lose her father, her only family. After all, he didn’t have to keep her. He could’ve dumped her in foster care in one of the many towns they’d lived in, but he hadn’t.

  No, instead he dragged her from town to town, always chasing the latest get-rich-quick scheme, and with her in tow. She couldn’t even remember how many places they’d lived, how many schools she’d gone to.

  By the time she’d finished high school, she started working alongside him in whatever new thing he was selling. But he’d done his best, and she had a lot to be grateful for. After all, she had him to thank for finding Kings Gap.

  Her gaze strayed out the window to the sleepy little town. This was where she wanted to be, where she belonged. Although they’d just been traveling through like always when she saw the historic southern homes down Main Street, the refurbished shops and buildings along the city center, the slow but steady activity by the townspeople, she knew it was home. And somehow, she thought Dad would approve.

  Movement on the street caught her attention, and her smile wavered at the sight of Jacob sweeping the entranceway in front of his store.

  Her father’s last words echoed in her ear. “Live life, Jane. Don’t let a moment slip by without relishing every second,” he said, then closed his eyes. Too many cigarettes and fat-filled meals along with the strain of chasing some elusive dream had taken their toll. And yet, she wondered if he hadn’t lived his life exactly as he wished.

  And maybe she didn’t need Riley Atwater.

  But she did have a load of work to do before tomorrow. Staring at her gruff neighbor, the way his biceps flexed as he swept, and the appealing cut of his jeans across his butt, were not going to get the store ready for her grand opening.

  Shaking off the lust-filled haze settling over her, she returned to her work with renewed vigor, and by the end of the day, savored the feeling of a job well done. All she needed to do tomorrow was open her doors and put out the easel sign announcing her grand opening.

  She moved to the door and peered through the large pane of glass, picturing just the right spot for it. But as she studied the old bricks, her gaze slipped upward to land on Hayes General Store. It was time to make a decision. Visit the lion in his den, and hope like hell he hadn’t been bluffing, or go to bed anxious about tomorrow and sexually frustrated about Jacob Hayes.

  She chewed at her bottom lip for several minutes, the lackluster relationships she’d had in the past parading before her eyes. She had to admit, they were as much her fault as theirs. What she wanted and what she tended to do and say were rarely in line. If her father hadn’t died, she wouldn’t be surprised if she’d still be tagging along after him. Never in all her years had he ever asked her what she wanted, if she was happy. And that, it would seem, had carried over to the few boyfriends she’d had.

  “I suppose there’s something Freudian about that,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on the store across the street.

  Would Jacob be a giving lover or a selfish one?

  She freed her lip, nearly numb from her chewing, and sighed. “The only way to answer that question is to find out for myself.”

  After making sure her shop was locked up, she hurried outside and around the building then climbed the stairs up to her apartment with giddy excitement. She took a quick shower, taking extra care to be certain she was silky and smooth all over, then scooted across the street just before he closed for the evening.

  As she slipped inside, she saw him standing behind the counter ringing up an elderly couple’s purchases. Likely the last of the sightseers who had come through on a tour bus that afternoon.

  His gaze darted in her direction for half a second before jumping back to his customers. She couldn’t tell a thing by the expression on his face, and feared she’d made a horrible mistake. But she was in this thing now, committed to the outcome, whatever it was. Because if she didn’t find out for sure if he’d been serious or not, she’d lie awake all night thinking about him—again, and she couldn’t afford to be slow for her big day tomorrow.

  Still, as she hesitated by the door, debating her escape, the setting sun beamed in through the window, and cut a streak of light across his stern features. She couldn’t hold back her sigh.

  From the first day she’d seen him, she’d thought him ruggedly handsome, but she suspected that most women didn’t see him that way. It was hard to get around the grim line of his mouth, the curt tone, the direct stare, but there was something deeper, something intriguing about him. And perhaps she saw a familiar loneliness in him. Word was he didn’t date anyone local, so that would leave her to believe he’d been doing without sex for some time. Just like her.

  He was what she wanted—needed, and hoped like crazy she wasn’t about to make a complete fool of herself.

  While he finished with the tourists, she took a circuitous route to the stockroom, making sure they were the last customers in the store. She had little doubt that he’d seen her duck into the room as he bid the elderly couple goodnight.

  The front door clanged sh
ut and the bolt was thrown. His heavy footsteps echoed amid the silence, shortening her breath as he moved closer. She stood frozen among the stacks of boxes, her gaze transfixed on the last row, waiting for him to emerge. Soon she would have her answer.

  The moment he stepped through the doorway, his gaze met hers. They stood there staring at one another for several interminable seconds, neither uttering a word. Then he moved closer.

  Resisting the urge to fidget, she clenched her fists tight where they hung by her sides and gazed into his chocolate eyes, hoping he could read her thoughts, because although she’d had the nerve to come this far, she wasn’t brave enough to say what she wanted.

  “I told you not to come here again. I told you what would happen,” he said, his voice low and firm.

  She nodded, unable to speak, half from the confirmation that he hadn’t been joking, and half from wild anticipation.

  “You stay, you don’t tell anyone about me. About us,” he said.

  Her brow furrowed as she found her voice, but his next words stopped her from speaking. “I’m nobody’s fall guy. You come here for me and you, not because of Riley or anyone else. And it’s just for sex. If that isn’t what you want, leave now.”

  She blinked, not sure how to answer, no longer sure this was such a good idea. But then if the sex was no better than before with her other boyfriends, it would be simple enough to end without any guilt. And if it was better than anything she’d ever experienced, then, well, she’d just have to live with a fabulous memory. Although she still had the Riley issue, this could be just what she needed.

  “I want this,” she said, her voice faint and quivering, but she’d said it nonetheless.

  His gaze grew heated, as he slid one arm then the other around her. She knew he could feel her shaking as she lifted her hands to his shoulders, but hoped he would think it was more from excitement than nervousness. As he lowered his head, the air seemed to crackle.

  “You sure about this?” he said, his voice low and husky, his breath fanning her lips.

  “Positive.”

  As his lips met hers, the unexpected intensity of his kiss sent a wave of heat racing down the center of her body to stop at the juncture of her thighs. Their tongues tangled, their breaths mingled, and she felt lost in the sensuality as he devoured her.

  His hands roamed her body and tugged up her blouse. Breaking the frenzied kiss for a few seconds, he yanked it up and over her head, then returned to her lips. As he feasted on her mouth, she slid her hands to his waist and tugged his shirt free. Within moments, it too lay beside hers on the floor and their fevered flesh came in contact with one another. A growl reverberated in his chest with the connection, and she answered with a moan of pure pleasure.

  There was little doubt that she’d made the right decision. He was fit and firm. She ached for the feel of the hair peppering his chest to brush her swollen nipples, and reached for one of her bra straps.

  “Wait,” he said, stopping her hand, and a rock dropped in her stomach.

  Had she’d gone too far, wanted too much? Had he changed his mind? She stood frozen, not sure what to do or say.

  Gripping her by the waist, Jacob put some space between them, and noticed the hesitant look in Jane’s eyes. She was nervous and unsure of herself, but he had the feeling that deep down there was a little spitfire inside her, and he planned on bringing that woman out—even if it killed him.

  The way she’d returned his kiss and rubbed against him, had him hard as a rock. But there were a few things he needed to do before they could go forward. And they were definitely going forward. Only her telling him flat out no would stop things now.

  “Don’t move,” he said.

  “But—”

  He yanked her forward and kissed her hard, then hurried back through the doorway to the main part of the store. After a quick glance back over his should to make sure she hadn’t decided to duck out on him, he grabbed what he needed.

  In just under two minutes he returned to the stockroom with a sleeping bag under his arm and a box of condoms. He found her turned away with her arms wrapped around herself, and her head hung down. He hoped like hell she hadn’t changed her mind.

  Silently moving closer, he flicked out the sleeping bag and let it fall to the floor beside her feet. He tossed the box of condoms on top of the makeshift bed for good measure. Her head lifted, but she continued to hug herself and remained turned away. If there had been the slightest doubt left in her mind as to what was about to happen, things were now crystal clear.

  Easing up behind her, he slid his arms around her bare waist and pressed his aching cock against her ass. He lowered his head to kiss her shoulder and felt a shiver ripple through her. She sucked in an unsteady breath, as he worked his way across her skin to her ear.

  “Say it again. Tell me you want this,” he said, his voice raw with need.

  Her hands slid free of the grip she had on herself and clutched at his forearms. “I want this.”

  He squeezed her tighter against him, and her head fell back against his shoulder as he nuzzled her neck, savoring the sound of her panting breaths, the feel of her shivers of anticipation, the heat of her delicious skin. More than anything, he wanted to rip away the rest of her clothes, bend her over a stack of boxes, and drive into her heated core. But for their first time—and there would be others—he needed to curb his appetite, or else he’d frighten her with his enthusiasm. They weren’t complete strangers, but they didn’t know that much about one another, and the last thing he needed right now was for her to turn tail and run because he was an over-aggressive lover.

  He slipped one hand down across her stomach to the top of her jeans, then to her mound. Her moans were sweet music to his ears. With a flick of his wrist, the top button was undone and the zipper slid open as he moved his hand inside her panties.

  He slipped a finger inside on a staggering groan. “God, you’re so wet.” Slowly, he moved in and out, relishing the slick hot feel of her.

  She tentatively put her hand over his as he explored her.

  “Tell me what you want, what you need,” he said.

  “I—ohhhh.”

  “Tell me,” he demanded, slowing his hand, easing away.

  “Harder, faster,” she said, her voice nothing but a raspy plea, as she pressed his hand against her, encouraging him to go deeper.

  She lifted onto her toes with a quivering gasp, as he drove two fingers into her delectable body, and proceeded to tease the tender nub with his thumb, pushing her higher and ever closer to a climax.

  Her blunt nails clawed at his arms, her body trembled against him. Just the sound of her moans and the feel of her hot juices dripping between his fingers had him on the edge. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if he joined her.

  “Do you want more?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she gasped.

  “How much more?”

  He growled low and long as she pushed back against him, driving her perfect ass against his straining erection.

  “All of it. Now,” she said.

  He grinned at her command, the spitfire inside her breaking free. Perhaps he didn’t need to curb his appetite after all.

  Taking her hand from atop his, he guided it down into her panties. She gasped, but didn’t pull away. He coaxed her fingers into playing with the delicate jewel between her thighs.

  “Hold my place,” he said, easing away.

  “Jacob?”

  “I’m right here. I just need to get some protection.”

  She started to remove her hand, but he quickly returned her to her work. “Don’t stop, baby. You’ve got to keep my place warm and ready for me,” he said, his lips against her ear.

  “I don’t think that’s really an issue.”

  He chuckled at her teasing tone and continued to help her stroke herself. “If I didn’t want you so badly right now, I’d enjoy watching you get off on your own.”

  She let out a tiny laugh. “Then you’d better hurry.”r />
  As much as he hated to do it, he released her hand, but kept his eyes on her the entire time as he fumbled for the box of condoms. She was glorious to watch, but he wanted inside her. Watching wouldn’t be enough—this time.

  In seconds he had his pants down and his cock covered. With a quick jerk, her jeans fell to her knees, exposing her glorious ass and he had to pause for just one little taste.

  She gasped as he nipped sharply at her right cheek then teased the tender spot with his tongue. “Jacob, I’m almost there. Play later.”

  With a chuckle, he made a path up her body with his mouth while moving in behind her. She bent slightly, granting him better access to her hot center. He couldn’t slow down. Grabbing her by the hips, he plunged deep inside. With a sharp breath, she arched her back and his eyes rolled back in his head in perfect pleasure. They fell still for a few moments, savoring the sudden connection, then she eased over the boxes before her and grabbed hold, waiting.

  Feeling his blood quicken at the sight of her so ready and willing, he began to move. He relished the feel of her hot slick walls clenching him tighter as he drove into her again and again. The edge grew closer with every thrust, their moans echoing throughout the old general store, and for a fleeting moment, he wondered if their passionate cries could be heard outside. But that was the last coherent thought he had, as they both fell over the precipice into absolute ecstasy.

  Panting, Jacob leaned over and rested his sweat-dampened forehead against the space between her shoulder blades and listened to her rapid breathing. If it was this good their first time, he couldn’t help but wonder how good it would be after learning one another’s pleasure spots.

  He pressed a kiss to her back, relishing the taste of perspiration on her skin, as he eased out of her then disposed of the used condom. One hand still on her hip, he coaxed her upright. Her head fell against his shoulder and he kissed her temple.

  “I think we should get more comfortable,” he said.

  She turned her head to look at him with her eyes wide and her lips parted as if to speak, but not a word came out. He couldn’t resist the stunned almost innocent look on her face, when she was anything but, and dove in for a long drugging kiss to which she responded fervently.