His blood began to burn again.
“What is the matter with you?” Jane asked, rolling her eyes. She stood half-naked in front of him, while he was fully dressed and loitering in the bedroom doorway. “Please don’t tell me you’re still thinking about Ryan and me.”
“I…” He cleared his throat then opened his mouth to continue, but the words that came out were ones he’d been trying not to think about since he’d witnessed the sparks between Jane and Evans. “I was actually considering inviting him back here with us.”
Jane’s blue eyes widened. “What? Why?”
“So he could fuck you.” His voice thickened. “So we could fuck you.”
Her breasts rose as she sucked in a sharp breath. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because…because it would get you out of my system,” he burst out.
Painful understanding dawned on her face. “You want to see me with another man. You want to think of me as a slut, don’t you?” Her tone softened. “That way you could hate me. And if you hate me, then you wouldn’t have to like me so much, right?”
He didn’t answer, his throat suddenly going dry. Damn her. Why was she so fucking perceptive? She’d completely called him out. Figured him out. And she was right. When he’d seen the flicker of arousal in her eyes while she’d been standing with Ryan, the jealousy had come fast and fierce. Jealousy he shouldn’t be feeling over a woman he’d only known a week. Sex for eight days, that’s all he’d wanted out of this. But he’d gotten much more. Too much more.
“Well, you know what?” Jane said with a sigh. “I don’t think it would have made a difference.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Seeing me with Ryan wouldn’t make you hate me.” Very methodically, she unclasped the front of her bra and threw it aside, revealing her big, mouthwatering tits. “I think it would have turned you on.”
He shook his head. “I would’ve strangled him.”
She shook her head right back then removed her thong. She moved naked toward the bed. Offered him a tantalizing view of her firm ass as she bent down to open the top drawer of the nightstand. She pulled out a condom and the tube of lubrication they’d been using the past week. “You would have loved it,” she corrected, her blue eyes sizzling with heat. “Come on, Becker, tell me it doesn’t turn you on, the thought of Ryan’s cock plunging inside me. Tell me you don’t get hard thinking about him inside my pussy, while you fuck my ass.”
His dick turned to marble, pushing against his zipper. Damn it. Damn her. She was right. Despite the relentless jealousy pulsing through his veins, he was aroused.
Jane eyed him knowingly then shot a pointed look at his bulging erection. “That’s what I thought.” She licked her lips, desire and anger battling on her beautiful face. “Come here, Becker. Take your goddamn clothes off and come here. Let’s see how much it turns you on.”
It was almost like a magnetic force was drawing him to her. His body was taut, muscles straining as he did what she asked and shucked his clothing. He walked over to her, naked, his cock eagerly jutting out at her.
Her touch wasn’t gentle as she gripped his erection. “I want you in my ass,” she said in a throaty voice.
Becker’s pulse sped up like a racecar tearing toward the finish line. “Are you serious?” he choked out.
“Dead serious.” She teased his tip with her index finger, rubbing the drop of precome. “And I want you to pretend he’s here with us.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a stern look. “You started this, Beck, and we’re going to finish it.”
She gave his cock one last caress, then lowered herself onto the bed and tossed him the condom. He rolled the latex onto his stiff shaft and joined Jane on the bed, reaching for the lube. He squirted a hefty amount into his palm then flipped her onto her stomach and began to stroke her. Kneaded her firm cheeks with his hand. Circled her puckered hole with his finger, got it nice and slick. Jane gasped when he slipped the tip of his finger into her ass. “Want me to stop?” he said hoarsely.
“No, keep going.” She moaned as he pushed his finger deeper inside. “Yes, Beck, keep doing that.”
His heart pounded in his chest, his groin so tight with anticipation he could barely move. Fuck, he wanted to be in that tight ass. He stretched her with his finger, rubbing lubrication over the delicate opening. A second finger entered the mix, then a third, until Jane was moaning wildly. She was on her hands and knees, but when he poised himself behind her, she rolled onto her side and said, “Like this. I want you to imagine him here with us, fucking me from the front while you’re thrusting from behind.”
A jolt of arousal shot through him. The picture she’d just painted wasn’t supposed to turn him on, damn it. Yet it did. It fucking did.
Becker slid down and pressed himself into the graceful curve of her back. His balls were heavy, aching with the need for release. He shoved Jane’s unruly red waves off her neck and kissed her nape, swirling his tongue over the little hairs there. She whimpered and wiggled her ass into him. She was slick from the lube, slicker from the sweet juices soaking her pussy. When he slid his hand between her legs and felt the moisture pooled there, he couldn’t help but slide into her pussy for a few languid strokes. They both groaned, and Becker pushed in deeper, thrust harder, cupping a firm ass cheek with one hand and teasing her puckered hole with his other. He slid his finger inside, and she was so tight, he was paralyzed with lust. Fuck, he needed to be in there.
Sucking in a breath, he withdrew from her pussy, pressed his tip against that tight rosette and eased his cock inside.
Jane let out a cry of pleasure. “More,” she begged.
He gave her more, sliding in another inch, but it still wasn’t good enough for her. Moaning, she pushed her ass out and forced him to fill her completely. Becker nearly fainted from the incredible sensation. She was so goddamn tight, it felt like a hot fist clenching around cock.
Jane shifted, her hand moving between her thighs, and then he felt pressure against his cock and realized she was fingering herself while he was buried in her ass. “Do you feel that?” she whispered.
He couldn’t make his vocal chords work, but managed a groan.
“Imagine it’s him.” He felt her slip another finger into her pussy, at the same time his cock pumped in and out of her ass. “Can you see him, Beck? Can you see him pushing his cock into me?”
God help him, but he saw it. He saw Ryan’s hips moving against Jane, saw Ryan’s features taut with unrestrained pleasure. Each time she pushed her fingers deeper, he imagined it was Ryan’s cock inside Jane. His pulse shrieked in his ears, his chest heaving from each ragged breath.
“You like it, don’t you?” she said softly.
“Yes,” he squeezed out.
“It turns you on.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Becker closed his eyes and lost himself in Jane, thrusting into her with long, frantic pumps. Her husky moans drove him wild. So did the forbidden images swimming through his mind. Another man in bed with them. Another cock bringing Jane pleasure. When she began to shudder from orgasm, Becker let himself go too. He couldn’t last long, not inside that unbelievably tight channel, not when Jane was writhing and moaning in the sexiest fucking way. His climax slammed into him, searing through his blood and pulsing in his balls. He couldn’t stop coming, couldn’t stop driving in and out of that sweet ass.
When the pleasure finally ebbed, he felt shell-shocked. Jane’s back was soaked with sweat, sticking to his own sweaty chest like glue. His heartbeat was out of control, his breathing unsteady. And when Jane finally rolled over so they were face to face and kissed him, he was nothing but a pile of mindless mush. Unable to think or breathe or move.
“Did it work?” she murmured against his mouth, brushing her lips over his again.
He found his voice. “Did what work?”
“Did you get me out of your system?”
> He met her gaze, and the vulnerability he saw in her blue eyes made his heart squeeze. Had he gotten her out of his system? He wanted to laugh. Yeah, right. If anything, he wanted her even more. He’d never come that fucking hard. While fantasizing about another man screwing the woman in his bed, no less.
A wave of unease swelled in his gut. Christ. What was he doing? Since the moment he’d met Jane, he’d been acting on impulse. Having sex with her in an elevator. Agreeing to a fling. Considering threesomes, for God’s sake.
This wasn’t him. He wasn’t that guy. He was thirty-two years old and all he wanted was to settle down, damn it. Find himself a sweet, loving wife, have a couple of kids, build a nice, stable life for himself.
And instead, he’d yet again wound up with a woman he couldn’t have any of that with. Jane was an incredible woman, yes, but she wasn’t going to be the sweet, loving housewife he desired. She was ambitious, determined to win that Pulitzer of hers. And she’d admitted more than once this week, when he’d broached the subject, that she had no desire to have kids any time soon. So what was he supposed to do? Wait around for another fourteen years the way he’d done with Alice?
“Becker?”
Jane’s soft voice brought him back to reality. He realized he hadn’t answered her question. “No,” he confessed. “I didn’t get you out of my system.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “Pity.”
Ignoring the heavy weight pressing down on his heart, he released an unstable breath and said, “But I think I know how I can.”
Confusion crossed her face. She let out a breath of her own, suddenly wary. “We’re actually still on this topic? I’m leaving in three days, Beck. Let’s just enjoy the time we have left.”
“I…can’t.” He swallowed. “It’s not fair to either one of us, if we continue this…this fling, or whatever the hell we’re calling it now. Three more days won’t make a difference. In the end, I still don’t want a relationship.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”
He faltered. “What?”
Slowly, she disentangled herself from his arms and sat up. Her bare breasts heaved with each breath she took. “You do want a relationship. This entire week, you’ve dropped hints about it, about the kind of life you want to have.” Jane’s cheeks turned pink with anger. “The life you described, well, it obviously requires a specific type of woman. In other words, not me.”
He swallowed again, fighting a pang of discomfort. “Jane, I think you’re amazing, you know that.”
Her eyes flashed. “Amazing, but not good enough, right?”
Before he could respond, she flounced off the bed and grabbed her dress off the floor. She threw it over her head without bothering with undergarments, and as she tied her halter back together, she shook her head at him, looking disappointed. “You’re an idiot, Becker.”
His nostrils flared. “Why? Because I want a different sort of relationship this time around? I’ve already been with one career-minded woman who didn’t want to settle down. I can’t do it again.” He locked his gaze to hers. “Tell me, Jane, what kind of relationship do you want?”
Hesitation flickered on her face. Finally she sighed and said, “I want to settle down. One day.”
Becker couldn’t stop the burst of disappointment that went off in his chest. Perpetually honest, that was Jane. Though, even if she’d tried to lie and convince him their life goals were aligned, he would’ve been able to see through her. Jane was very easy to read. Probably because she wasn’t capable of lying.
“So why drag this out?” he asked softly, rising naked from the bed. He found his jeans and pulled them up to his hips, zipping them up. “I like you, Jane.” His features twisted. “I more than like you. Fuck, a few more days and I can see myself half in love with you.”
Her throat bobbed as she gulped. “I know what you mean.”
“That’s why we need to end it now.” His chest constricted the second the words came out. “We want different things out of life. Giving ourselves three more days to get even more attached is a bad idea.”
She didn’t answer for a moment, and when she did, there was a gleam of sadness in her eyes. “You’re right.” She paused. “I’ll just gather up my stuff and head back to my room.”
Becker eliminated the distance between them and gently took hold of her arm before she could move to the door. “Hey, you can’t just hurry off. Can we at least say a proper goodbye?”
Jane gave a faint smile. “You just fucked me in the ass. Can’t that be our goodbye?”
His mouth twitched. Damn, he really would miss her bluntness. He swept his gaze over her, taking in the sight of her tousled red hair, messy and sweat-dampened from the sex they’d just had. The way her blue dress slid over each curve of that petite body. Her full lips, red and bee-stung from their kisses. She’d never looked more beautiful.
“C’mere,” he said gruffly, reaching for her.
Jane hesitated then allowed him to take her into his embrace. He held her tight, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo, smiling when her hair tickled the tip of his nose. Then he dipped his head, placing a tender kiss on her mouth. She kissed him back, her tongue darting out for one brief moment to meet his, then retreating.
“It’s been fun,” she said lightly as she stepped out of his arms.
“More than fun,” he corrected. He shifted awkwardly. “Will you send me a copy of the magazine when your article comes out?”
“Sure.” Jane bent down and collected her underwear from the floor. Tucking it into her purse, she glanced around at the other items of clothing strewn across the room and smiled ruefully. “Can you toss everything else into the duffel I brought over and have it sent to my room?”
“No problem.” His throat suddenly felt thick, tight. “I’ll see you around, Jane.”
“See you around, Becker,” she echoed.
She slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the room. As he heard the front door click shut, Becker realized they’d just spoken the same parting words they’d said that first day, when they went their separate ways after the elevator encounter.
Last time, the goodbye hadn’t stuck.
This time, he had to make sure it did.
Chapter Six
Jane woke up the next morning to the sound of her cell phone chirping out a tinny rendition of a Bon Jovi song. It was her sister’s ring tone, which was the only reason she forced herself into a sitting position and grabbed the cell phone from the bedside table. She hadn’t spoken to Liz since she’d driven down to San Diego from LA, and she wanted to make sure her older sister was doing okay. Being held hostage in South America wasn’t an easy experience to forget, though Liz kept acting like it was no biggie.
“Hey, Lizzie,” she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
“Hey, Janie,” her sister teased. “Did I wake you?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry, I had to get up anyway.” She shifted the phone to her other ear and climbed out of bed.
“How’s the writing going?”
“At the moment, it’s not. But I’m planning on sitting down and finishing the first draft today.”
“Did you end up getting the interview from Thomas Becker?”
Jane ignored the pain and regret that filled her belly. “No, he didn’t agree to it.”
“I thought that would happen.” Liz chuckled softly. “He seemed like a very private man.”
“He is.”
“But that body, it’s to die for, isn’t it?” her sister said with a dreamy sigh.
Another spark of pain. Yep, Becker’s body really was amazing. But not as amazing as the rest of him. She’d spent nearly a week with him, which had been plenty of time to get acquainted with his other attributes. Like the gentle way he brushed her hair off her forehead. His rare smiles and even rarer burst of laughter. His serious intelligence. The way he accepted her completely, appreciated her candid nature and total lack of inhibition.
> Except…he hadn’t completely accepted her, now had he? She hadn’t been enough for him, when it mattered. Irritation nipped at her throat. His ex-wife had screwed him up pretty badly, and now he was going out of his way to find a woman who probably didn’t even exist. This wasn’t the 1950s anymore. Chances were, he’d have a tough time finding that perfect, childbearing housewife of his.
Not that it was any of her business. She and Becker were over. The fling had ended. And now she needed to focus on other things, namely writing her article and going back to LA.
“Listen,” her sister was saying, “Mom and Dad are planning a party for Ken’s birthday. We’re using one of his photos as the cover of the invitation, but Mom wanted you to write the text.”
Jane bit back her surprise. Her family never made much of an effort to acknowledge her writing career. Sure, scribbling the text for an invitation wouldn’t showcase her writing or anything, but it was the first time they’d bothered to include her in something. A rush of warmth filled her heart. Maybe almost losing Liz had made her parents realize their younger daughter was important too.
“Tell Mom I’ll call her when I get back to LA,” Jane said. “I’ll be happy to help out.”
“Good.” Liz’s voice softened. “You sure you’re okay? You sound…sad.”
“I’m fine,” Jane lied. “Just busy.”
“Well, finish up that article and come home already. We’ll go out for lunch when you get back, okay?”
“Okay.”
The two sisters hung up, and Jane drifted into the bathroom. After she brushed her teeth and took a quick shower, she put on a pair of denim shorts and a yellow tank top, and headed to the dresser across the hotel room, suddenly feeling a burst of inspiration. Talking to Liz had reminded her of the reason she’d come here in the first place. She picked up the laptop case sitting on the dresser and carried it over to the sitting area, which consisted of a tiny table and semi-comfortable chair. She pulled the computer out of its case, booted it up, and got to work.