Accounting for Lust (6 page)

Cassie ignored his comment, unlocked the doors and slid in behind the steering wheel. When she gunned the engine and closed the door, Jake hurried to the passenger door. It took him several seconds to fold his large frame into the small car and the second time he bumped his head, the swearwords he so carefully avoided slipped out. Not even their shoulders touching could ease the claustrophobia he suffered in the small space.

“Monday we use my car.” He grumbled as he grabbed onto the door handle when Cassie zipped around the corner. “This thing is a bloody menace.”

Cassie stole a sideways glance at man boxed in beside her. His head
dented t
he
soft top
roof and he pulled his knees up higher than the dashboard in order to fit his legs in the small
foot space. Changing gears was a bitch
with his big frame squeezing her shoulder, sending sparks of awareness through her body. Never before had her car felt so small. When he swore for the second time, a giggle escaped. Maybe she should take the top down. No, let him suffer. She ignored the little voice that asked why he should suffer when he had done absolutely nothing wrong.

Hysteria. It had to be the stress of the day catching up with her. Why else would she want to laugh, cry and have sex with him at the same time. Either that, or she was going stark crazy.  She sobered up quickly.
Now was not the time to become unglued. Not
with what Joshua had told her today. 

Forty minutes later
,
she pulled the car into the garage at her apartment and waited for Jake to unfold his huge frame from the car. Jake held her arm when she entered the stairs and proceeded up before her. She didn’t miss the way he unclipped the latch on the holster of his sidearm before they entered the stairwell and a tremor ran through her, reminding her there was more at stake than her libido being in overdrive.

They reached the apartment without incident and when Jake held out his hand for the key, Cassie
obliged
. Nor did she object when he told her to wait at the door while he scanned the apartment. She breathed a little easier when they shut the door behind them and she could switch on the kettle.

“We’ll have someone watch the apartment during the day when you’re not here to make sure no surprises waits for you.”

Cassie nodded and
sank down in one
of the oversized chairs
with her mug of coffee
. Kicking off her shoes, she pulled her feet under her. Jake took off his jacket and Cassie watched mesmerized as the muscles played under his white shirt. Images of her slipping a similar shirt off his shoulders intruded and she forced herself to concentrate on getting him out of her apartment.

“What else do you need me to do?”

Jake met her eyes and the fire burning
his
turned her insides to mush. She had to get him out of here before she made a complete fool of herself. He upset her equilibrium and ma
d
e her wish for things she couldn’t have. Or could she? She broke the contact and stared out of the window, not seeing a damn thing.

They had uncomplicated sex before and she handled it well. Didn’t she? If they kept all emotions out of the deal, why couldn’t they have it again? What was she thinking? She couldn’t get him out of her mind after the first anonymous encounter. How was she going to find another man to satisfy her ever again if she had a repeat performance? A vibrator can do only so much.

Maybe the next time will be horrible and she would be able to rid her body of the notion that only h
e
can provide satisfaction. They say repeti
tio
n
bred boredom
. She liked boring. Boring was safe. Boring meant no emotional upheaval and no hurting.
You’re playing with fire
, the voice in her head screamed and Cassie sighed. Maybe she was.

“Just go about your normal routine so that we can assess the risks and try and take precautions.”

Cassie jolted and the coffee spilled over the brim
,
drenching her jacket. She carefully placed the mug on a side table and rose from the chair.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. If that’s all that’s required, I guess it would be fine.” She started to remove her jacket but a muffled sound from Jake
halted
her fingers on the second button. Her eyes flew to his and the heat in his scorched her to her soul.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled and hurried bare
foot
to her bedroom. With trembling hands
,
she took off her clothes and pulled on her oldest pair of tracksuit pants and an oversized top. Brushing her hair and pulling it into a ponytail
,
she cast a quick glance in the mirror. Good. She looked and felt like a slouch. Maybe the heat between them will abide now.

Returning to the lounge, she avoided his eyes and busied herself with retrieving the mug of coffee and hugging it with both hands. “I suppose now that you’ve seen the layout here, I will see you again on Monday?”

A smile slowly spread over Jake’s face. “Scared?”

Cassie’s head snapped up. “Of what? You?”

Jake shrugged. “Of what might happen if I stayed.”

The air grew thick in the room and Cassie struggled to breathe. Electricity charged the room and she expected to see sparks appear at any moment. Hell yes, she was scared. But not of him. Her own reaction to Jake, even when he was dressed in black pants and white shirt with his come- to- bed eyes, scared the living daylights out of her.

“Whatever gave you that idea? You’re here to protect me from the bad guys who probably by now have decided it wasn’t worth their while to pursue me any further. I see no reason for you to stay when the job is done. At least until Monday.”

Cassie took a sip of her now luke-warm coffee and prayed he didn’t notice the tremble in her hands. He had to leave before she made a fool of herself. She never knew she lacked self-control where sex was concerned. Her body screamed for release with the pulse between her legs increasing in intensity by the minute. The tips of her breasts chafed against the inside of her lace bra and she ached to take it off.

“I’m staying.”

“Why?”

“It’s my job to protect you. I can’t do that when I’m on the other side of the city.”

Cassie shook her head, but Jake quickly continued. “The only time I will leave is if you call Joshua and tell him you fired me.”

Checkmate.
Joshua made it abundantly clear that he will quit if she refused protection. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and resisted the urge to fling the mug against his head. Why did he have to be so calm when she was torn apart by . . . what? Fear? Irritation? Cassie silently acknowledged to herself. There was no other way to describe it. It was pure lust. And she had to deal with it. Professionally. Calmly.

“Very well.” She rose from the chair and headed down the short passage. “I’ll ready the guest bedroom for you.”

Before she disappeared into the room, Jake took out his mobile and punched in some numbers. She shut the door when he started to speak in hushed tones. If he had a lover he had to explain to, she’d rather not hear.

The evening dragged and after Matt delivered Jake’s car and clothes, she prepared a light dinner of salad and steak. They ate in strained silence and Cassie wanted to shout with relief when she dropped the last dishes into the washer. Although it barely turned seven, she was exhausted.

“I’m turning in. Please help yourself should you need anything.”

She didn’t wait for his reply and closed her bedroom door behind her. After a quick shower, she shut the curtains, popped a CD into the stereo and slipped into bed. She shut her eyes, but image after image of her wild night in Mauritius played before her eyes. Every nerve ending
paid attention
and her memory replayed Jake’s god-like physique like a refrain in her mind.

Sighing, she listened for movement in the apartment. She creaked open the door, but Jake was not in sight. Good. Returning to bed, she drew open her night stand and selected a soft vibrator. The light traffic from below should drown out any noise the toy could make.

Selecting a silicone based lubricant, she switched
on
the toy and shut off the light. Dragging the vibrator down her neck she circled the sensitive peaks of her nipples without touching them. In her mind, Jake dragged his hands down her shoulders with feather light touches, until he cupped both breasts in his large hands. She arched her back as the rest of her body reacted to the imagery.

Her free hand squeezed and kneaded her breast. Her mouth tingled as she remembered the feel of Jake’s lips on her hers.
She sighed and
pinched a painfully tight nipple
.
T
he result reverberated to her toes. She became lost in the memory of that night and the room faded.

Jake stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his hips. Grimacing, he stared at the bulge his erection made against the white of the towel. Cold showers didn’t always help. Hell, he doubted it w
ould
ever help where Cassie was concerned.
Why she had such an effect on him, he
failed to
understand.

He was no saint and had his fair share of sexual partners after Sarah’s betrayal.
None of them memorable.
Why Cassie lingered in his memory after such a long time, he
had no idea
. Sure, the sex was the best he ever had, but he had had good sex before
.

His penis throbbed painfully and he changed his train of thought.
Cassie lay
next door
, alone in a very big bed.
Keep your hands off, buddy. You have work to do
. He dressed in boxers, towel dried his hair and strode into the kitchen.
Sparing a glance at the closed bedroom door,
he sighed. He might as well make himself some coffee.
The night was still young.

A
strange sound
penetrated the silence as he reached to switch on the kettle. He froze and listened. Above the noise from the street below
,
a soft purring drifted in the air. Jake cocked his head to the side and walked to the window. The sound seemed to fade and he
strode
to the passage
until he s
topped in front of Cassie’s bedroom door.

There it was again. The moan . . . and the purring.
Was she in pain? Dared he intrude?
He slowly depressed the handle and opened the door a fraction. His erection sprang into action at the sight that met his eyes.

In the dim light filtering from the adjacent bathroom,
Cassie sprawled on the bed. Naked. Aroused. And in the throws of passion. Alone. His mind ref
used to form coherent thoughts while heat suffused his body. He should probably close the door and
mind his own business
. He should . . .  but his eyes remained fixed on the scene before him.

Her hand stroked the sides of her breast while she
made circled
the hardened nipple of the other breast
with the vibrator.
She arched her
spine
and stroked the flat of her stomach, her hand moving lower, leaving a shiny trail
of lubricant
behind. Slick, hot.
Oh man, he was in trouble
.

The lips of her cunt parted as her fingers sought the small stub of her clitoris. With two fingers
,
she
spread
the engorged lips and
teased her clit.
She dipped her fingers lower and spread her legs offering him a full view of
cleanly shaven
heaven. When she moved the purple vibrator lower to rest softly over her now enlarged clitoris, Jake
opened
the door.

Cassie’s
movements stilled. She stared at him with droopy eyes
.

“Don’t stop,” he ground out
.

Their eyes held. Shame, indignation and desire mirrored in the depths of hers. The air crackled with pent-up tension. For breathless seconds he feared she would ignore his plea. Then her shoulders relaxed and she lowered the toy to her pussy.

Jake exhaled and
shrugged out of his boxers. He moved over her, not touching her, leaving enough room for her to continue her ministrations. Then he lowered his mouth to hers
. Her tongue met him stroke for stroke and Jake struggled to hold on to his control.

Cassie pushed against his shoulders and broke the kiss. “Roll over.”

She trailed hot kisses from his collarbone to his nipples. He arched up as she gently sucked on each one and then he nearly came off the bed as she lightly nibbled on one sensitized peak. His
erection throbbed as
she moved lower, straddling him and pressing her cunt into his face.