Causing Havoc (29 page)

whispered, "It's nice out here at night."

Briefly, Jacki closed her eyes. And in her mind, she saw him in his goofy green lizard boxers, a

substitute for trunks. He exuded consummate power. Iron muscles, bold tattoos, and so much

confidence made him dangerous, especial y to her common sense.

She had to be insane to put herself in the position of being alone with him like this.

As if he'd read her thoughts, Gregor's palm moved over her shoulder, then turned her to face him.

"Everythin' okay, sugar?"

Not even close. Drawn against her wil , Jacki moved her bare feet nearer to his. "Why wouldn't it

be?"

"Dunno." He caught both her shoulders, restraining her with gentleness. "But you're quiet, and a quiet woman is enough to set my hair on end. It's a bad sign. A very bad sign."

A nervous chuckle threatened. "Real y? And why's that?"

"It means you're thinkin' of things." His hands moved up to her throat, rough fingertips rasping against her delicate skin, leaving gooseflesh in their wake. "Probably reasons you shouldn't be here

with me. But I'd rather you just go with the moment."

Her heart hammered so hard, it felt like pain. Bravado, Jacki told herself. Be audacious. Be brassy.

Be what Gregor expected.

Tilting her head back, Jacki smiled up at him. "And what would the moment be?"

The dark night couldn't hide the glitter in Gregor's eyes.

"This." He bent, and his mouth moved briefly over hers.

Feather light. Cautious. Sweet and easy ...

For about three seconds.

Then he groaned and hauled her flush to his big body, unleashing al that awesome sex appeal on

her.

Having her flesh smashed up against his gave her firsthand knowledge of how he felt burning hot

and rock solid. And ... dynamic. Electrifying.

As her feet left the ground, Jacki braced her hands on his wide shoulders, and she thril ed at the

taut, bulging muscles. Oh God, he was so much more man than any man she'd ever known or even

imagined.

While his mouth ate at hers, he cupped one big hand under her bottom, lifting her up and into him so

that a long, solid erection dug against her bel y.

She jerked her mouth free. "Gregor ... Wait."

Breathing audibly, he rasped, " 'Kay." Two more sucking breaths, then a ragged:
"How long? "

She could blame nervousness for making her giggle. She was not the giggling kind. These days, she

didn't have a single thing to giggle about. "I don't know. I just. . . This is a surprise."

Slowly Gregor lowered her down his body until her feet touched the decorative tiles framing the pool.

"What is?"

Jacki flagged a hand around them, showing her helplessness with her feelings. "This. Being here

with you and running everything at light speed."

Like a badly wounded animal, Gregor dropped his head back and groaned. Lifting both hands, he

scrubbed them over his face.

She'd angered him. Maybe he felt she'd been a tease, led him on.

But she hadn't planned to.

They would have gone out after he finished working with Dean. But then Jacki realized that Aunt

Lorna planned to stay out late with her friend, and Cam wouldn't be home until wel after midnight.

Seeing a movie or having dinner didn't real y interest her.

But staying home to swim with Gregor, taking the opportunity to get to know him better, did interest

her.

At the time.

Cocking one hip, Jacki folded her arms under her breasts. "Maybe you should leave," she sneered.

"I hate hearing a man suffer so dramatical y."

Gregor stepped back. He dropped his hands.

Waiting for his irritation, his accusations, Jacki met his gaze directly.

"Sorry."

"Say what?"
Jacki stared at him in the darkness.

He made a frustrated sound. "You heard me, darlin'. I'm sorry, damn it."

"You are, huh?"

"I know better than to rush a woman. Y'al like things slow and easy."

"Y'al ?" He could be such an ass. "Gregor, there's a chance, a slight chance, that this evening can be salvaged."

He went stil . "You got my attention."

"But I swear, if you plan to compare me to whatever type females you've been with, it's the very last time we'l talk."

Silence reigned. They watched each other. With comical wariness, Gregor moved in. "Okay. I know

I somehow offended ya. I got that much. But can you clear things up for me so I don't do it again?"

When he got close enough to touch her, Jacki held up a hand.

He halted.

But he was so damn big, so imposing, that he might as wel have been lying atop her, because she

felt him that much.

Her lungs constricted, but she sounded reasonable enough when she said, "For your information,

going fast was working for me."

Bending his knees a little, Gregor lowered himself enough to look her in the eyes. "Yeah?"

"It was working too wel ." She touched his chest; she couldn't help herself. "That's what got to me."

He put his hand over hers and started breathing heavier again. "Could you maybe explain that?"

Jacki took a turn at groaning. "Tel you what. Why don't we swim a little, maybe give you a chance to cool off. You can clear your head and then we'l talk."

She felt his skepticism before he said, "Dream on, darlin'. Alaska couldn't cool me off right now."

"Let's try it anyway." And with that, Jacki turned and made a sleek dive into the darkness of the pool.

The tepid water closed over her, caressing places already sensitized by Gregor's attention. When

she broke the surface, he was there, grinning at her.

"Hi." He chuckled at her surprise. "You swim like a snail."

Such a big loveable lug ...
Loveable?
Jackie slicked back her wet hair. "Better?"

"Not a smidge." He tread water easily. "C'mere."

Dangerous. "Why?"

"I wanna touch you."'

She shouldn't. . .. "Okay."

The second she reached him. he closed his mouth over hers. This kiss proved softer, less invasive

—but just as pleasurable. It lul ed her. And it didn't take Jacki but a minute to realize he supported her weight in the water.

Lifting heavy eyelids, Jacki saw that he'd eased them to the shal ower end of the pool without her

noticing. With his legs so much longer than hers, he stood on the bottom when she couldn't.

"I didn't mean to rush you before."

He said that so sweetly, Jacki forgave his cracks about women in general. "It's okay."

"And if I compared you to other women, then that was just stupid."

"I agree."

"You're sure as hel different enough."

"Uh . .. thank you. I think."

"Different is good." His hands settled on her waist. "I took one look at you and felt like I do when gettin' choked out. Al blurry and weak in the knees—but determined, too."

That made her smile. "Have you been choked out very often?"

"Nah. I'm pretty good. Not on Havoc's scale, yet. But I'm gettin' there."

Jacki pushed back from him. Her brother again? If this was another ploy to get a match with Dean,

she'd drown Gregor. "I do
not
—"

"Yeah." He snuggled her right back up close to his body. "I don't want to talk about him, either."

She would have protested that, but Gregor kissed her again, more with need than finesse, and

damn, she loved it.

Everything about him excited her unbearably.

When she wrapped her arms around his neck, he grew bolder, gliding his fingers over her hip.

Mouth stil lingering on hers, he whispered, "This tattoo makes me hot."

"Real y?"

"Thinkin' of you gettin' it, how you probably squirmed, and how you'l squirm some more when I'm

kissin' you right there...."

Oh God. "It's ... it's a pretty tattoo. Not a sexy one."

"You're pretty." He drugged her with kisses, al the while trailing his fingers gently over her skin. "And sexy."

"Gregor..."

His fingertips teased over the crotch of her bikini bottoms, shocking her, thril ing her.

He groaned for her. "Damn, sugar. Tel me you're ready, please. Before I explode."

Jacki wanted to retreat before she embarrassed herself. And she wanted to wrap her legs around

him and beg him not to stop.

Al she could do was shake her head.

"No?" His mouth left a damp trail along her jaw to her throat to her ear. In a disappointed whisper, he asked, "Not yet, huh?"

She felt like a fool. "I want you, Gregor. I real y do."

"But?"

Jacki licked her lips and prayed he wouldn't laugh at her. "I'm a virgin."

He didn't laugh.

He
scoffed.

Smiling at her, one hand tangling in her hair, he teased her, saying "Okay, then. Whatever you say,

baby. I'm game."

Her blood went cold. "Game?"

"Whatever turns you on." He kissed her-—and didn't notice that she remained frozen and stiff.

"Should I coax these skimpy bottoms off you then?"

She felt like screaming. Her voice, however, was calm to the point of being frigid. "You can get your hands off me, that's what you can do."

Out of sheer confusion, Gregor released her.

Angry, hurt, and mortified, Jacki paddled fast and hard to the edge of the pool and climbed out.

"Jacki?" She heard him thrashing through the water, belatedly coming after her.

She whirled back toward him, thankful for the darkness so he couldn't see her tears, and she

couldn't see his surprise, maybe even his hilarity. "Do you real y think I'd lie about it, you big jerk?"

He stunned her by flattening his hands on the edge of the pool and vaulting straight out.

Jacki backed up, but in two long strides Gregor stood in front of her. "It doesn't matter to me."

"What doesn't?"

"If you are or aren't a ... you know. A virgin."

Jacki laughed with scorn. "You can't even say it."

His unease was palpable. "I said it, damn it."

"But you don't believe it," she sneered right back, "even though I told you I am."

"Okay, fine. You are."

"I wasn't asking your permission."

"Jesus, woman." He towered over her, heaving, furious, frustrated. And desperate. "What the hel do ya want, anyway?"

Jacki didn't have an immediate answer to that. But she knew what she didn't want—and that's exactly

what Gregor gave her. She turned her head away.

"Look at you," he snapped. "You reek sex, and you know it."

"Reek?"

"And I'l be damned if I've ever seen a virgin with hair or makeup like yours."

Her teeth snapped together. She moved closer to him. "Are you saying I dress like a slut?"

"No! God, no." His hand gripped her waist. "I'm sayin' you look like a woman who knows what she wants, and that's what I figured you to be. If you say you aren't, fine. No problem. Doesn't matter."

Jacki snickered. "Right. It doesn't matter now because you see your chance to get laid slipping

away."

He threw up his hands. "Hel , yeah, that's part of it."

"The biggest part."

He jutted his jaw toward her. "The biggest part is tentin' my damp soppin' boxers right now, thanks to you." He crowded in until she felt his hot breath when he said, "Care to take a look?"

She did and then wished she hadn't. "Go home, Gregor."

"Home is Nevada."

Jacki's heart clenched so hard, she gasped with the discomfort of it.

"But I told your brother I'd help with the roof, and that's what I plan to do." Gregor snatched up a towel and wrapped it around himself. "
I'm
a man of my word."

He said that with accusation, as if she weren't. "
I'm
not a man!"

"Can't prove it by me." And with that parting shot, he left.

Jacki stood there, rooted to the spot until Gregor disappeared into the dark of the night. She stil

stood there when she heard his car roar to life, then pul away. He didn't burn out. He didn't squeal the

tires.

He was a jerk, but not that kind of jerk.

And he was gone.

With nothing left to do, she picked up her own towel and went inside. Her only comfort was that he

said he'd be back to finish the roof.

But as she went up the stairs in the silent, empty house, she wondered how long would that take?

Another day, two at the most.

Jacki had always known that she'd be lousy dealing with a sexual relationship. When she acted like

herself, men expected things of her. And she couldn't act any other way. It just didn't sit right with her.

So for that reason more than any other, she'd remained a virgin. It wasn't morals or fear or a

religious conviction.

No guy had seemed worth the hassle of explaining.

Except that with Gregor, it had felt different.

Apparently she'd been wrong. Nothing new in that. Over the last year she'd been wrong about a lot of

things.

Within minutes, Jacki had changed and gotten into bed. But she didn't sleep. She couldn't.

She already missed Greg or, damn it, and he hadn't even left yet.

* * *

door. If he knew Simon, and he did, he'd show up sooner rather than later. Only two years older than

Dean, Simon had it together in a way Dean couldn't even imagine. He had a steady woman in his life,

a place he cal ed home, and family galore.

For Simon, things were black and white the way they used to be for Dean—before Cam had thrown

herself against him and acted thril ed to "meet" him.

Now he stayed more muddled than otherwise. He changed his mind faster than a politician, let

emotion rule his decisions, and deliberately enmeshed himself with a woman who had nothing in

common with his life.