Isle of Sensuality (8 page)

If you wanted something to happen, I certainly wouldn’t protest.

Jake’s words rang in her head, and at that moment she wanted to grab his offer with both hands. How could she not want more of this? If he could rouse so much pleasure from a barely-there touch, what would it be like when he did touch her? When his impressive length was hard inside her?

She swallowed. Her core ached for him. Jake wasn’t her Mr. Right, Caitlyn had no doubt about that, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be her Mr. Right Now. After all, they both wanted each other. Why not make the most of the time they had on the island?

No, he wasn’t her soul mate. She knew that. But he was hot and they had chemistry. What harm could a short fling do? She wasn’t exactly storing her virginity for Mr. Right. The only reason she’d never had sex was because she’d never wanted to sleep with a man. Not Archie. Not any other man she’d met.

Or was it the vodka making her think this way? She knew alcohol could change people. It had turned her father into a monster. Was it turning her into a wanton fool? Or was the attraction she had for Jake some sort of chemical reaction?

Then again, from the second she’d met Jake, he raised her temperature and made her
want.
Why couldn’t she have him? At that moment in time, Caitlyn couldn’t think of a single reason.

* * * *

Jake cursed as he stood with his back against the freezing spray of the shower, his hands braced against the tiled wall. Four hours after he filmed the scene with Caitlyn and his erection hadn’t abated. Not even a little.

All the last twenty minutes spent in the cold shower had done was threaten him with frostbite. Giving up, he switched the tap off, got out of the shower, and slung a towel around his waist. There was only one thing left to try and quell his raging arousal. Whiskey.

Jake left the bathroom. The light rap at the door froze him for a second. After readjusting the towel to disguise the world’s largest erection, he made his way to the door.

Caitlyn. Hell.

“Can I come in?” she asked, her gaze fixed on his chest.

His erection throbbed. “You’re asking now?” he asked in an attempt to lighten the tension pulsing in the air between them.

She looked at his face then. Her eyes a dark shade of emerald. The color they’d been today when she’d wrapped her legs around him, writhing in undisguised passion. The heat burning in his groin rose to torturous levels at the thought.

Get your mind out of your boxers, Campbell.

“Sure.” He stepped aside and she entered. “Would you like a drink?”

Her eyes dipped to his chest again. The heat of her gaze scorched his skin. Why the hell was she here? Was she intent on torturing him to death?

Jake hadn’t forgotten what she’d said earlier in the week. The reason she wanted the love scene dropped. It had made him back off. He’d pulled up his moral shorts and stopped trying to charm her into his bed. Though it had been hell.

And now she was there, in his personal space, when his erection was refusing to disappear and his control was at an all-time low.

“No, thank you.” Caitlyn clasped her hands together while her teeth nibbled her lower lip. Hell, how he remembered the taste of that lip. Not at all sour like he’d initially imagined. Quite the opposite in fact.

“Not that it isn’t a pleasure to see you, but why are you here?” He prayed she wanted to borrow a cup of sugar.

“Well…I…I’ve been thinking.” Her gaze went to the floor. “About how you said…you wouldn’t turn me down if I wanted something to…happen between us.”

His erection swelled painfully as his stomach filled with dread. What did she want to happen? He didn’t do commitment, didn’t even do relationships. He couldn’t give her love or security or even someone to rely on.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He was pleased that his voice betrayed none of his frustration or anxiety.

She lifted her head and her eyes flashed green fire. “Why not? What’s changed?”

You told me you were a virgin.

“I’m sorry, Caitlyn. I’m just not looking for a relationship. I’m not good with responsibility, nor do I want it.”

Caitlyn burst out laughing and he frowned.

“What’s so funny?”

“Who…said…anything about…a relationship?” she asked between giggles.

“What then?” Her fit of giggles made his irritation spike. Was it really so ludicrous to think that was what she wanted from him? Other women mistook sex for intimacy.

Caitlyn wiped away an escaped tear. “I was talking about sex.”

Arousal punched his groin, hard and fast. “You want a fling?”

* * * *

Caitlyn immediately sobered at the rough timbre of Jake’s voice. God, she was so nervous she’d giggled like a little girl. After spending hours debating whether or not coming to his villa and proposing a short-term affair would be wise, her newly found hormones had won out. As well as her unfulfilled frustration from earlier that day.

To hear the words on his lips made her tummy swirl with nerves.
Fling.
It sounded foreign and exotic and so unlike anything she would ever do.

Wasn’t that why she became an actress? To escape who she really was, even if only for a little while? There were thousands of courses she could have studied at university, but acting had appealed the most. The thought of getting to think like someone else for the better part of the day was exhilarating. It meant she wouldn’t have to be Caitlyn Hart and could leave her baggage at the door. Now she could do it for real.

So why
was
she having second thoughts? This was another chance to step away from who she was, another distraction from her life, and it would be glorious if today was anything to go by. Plus, Jake knew she was a virgin. Caitlyn wouldn’t have to explain that. She knew deep in her bones he’d be gentle and patient. He had been both since she’d met him.

Pulling all her courage together, she said, “Yes. That’s what I want.” She couldn’t meet his eyes though. The nerves were making her shy.

Jake cupped her chin and tilted her head up, making her look at him. His jaw was tense and his eyes serious. “Are you sure that’s all you want, Caitlyn? It’s all I can offer.”

She knew that already. Her tongue fused to the roof of her mouth so she nodded. He blew out a breath and pulled her against him. Caitlyn’s hands went to his pecs and immediately they bunched. She inhaled the fresh scent of his shower gel and longed to trace her tongue along his skin to see if he tasted as clean as he smelled.

She tore her gaze away from his impressive chest and looked up. The knee-melting grin was back and an answering smile spread across her face.

Then, as suddenly as his smile came, it was gone. “How much of that vodka did you drink?”

Caitlyn pulled free from his arms. “I only had twoshots. Are you suggesting I’m drunk?” Was she? She felt in control, but…

“No. I just…I didn’t think you were much of a drinker and well, two—”

“That was hours ago. This afternoon in fact. If you don’t want to be with me, Jake, fine. But don’t accuse me of not knowing what I want.” Especially since the doubt crows had hovered for hours.

He pulled her back into the circle of his arms. Caitlyn placed her palms on his shoulders, intending to push away, but she quivered at the feel of silky skin covering hard muscle.

“Hell, Caitlyn, you have no idea how much I want this. I’ve dreamed about you all bloody week,” he said right before his mouth came crashing down on hers.

The feel of his lips was like a shot of some intense drug. Sensation rippled through her body and her heart beat double time. She felt every sweep of his hands with tingling awareness. His breath tasted delicious on her tongue and Caitlyn heard the low growl in his throat. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled herself flush against him, pressing her aching nipples against his chest.

A dim part of her mind noted she was wearing too many clothes. The sensations were only a fraction of what she knew they could be. Impatiently, she released him and tugged at the hem of her top. She only managed to lift it a bit before his firm grip around her wrists halted her.

“Not here. Bedroom.”

She nodded eagerly, dying for his hands to be on her skin. Jake swung her up into his arms and his mouth came down on hers. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist. The hard ridge of his arousal pressed against her flimsy leggings and her panties grew moist.

Jake carried her out of the hall and into one of the rooms. He placed her on the floor in front of a huge bed covered in white sheets. She barely glanced at the dark, cloudy sky beyond the patio doors, the impressive metallic furniture, or the thick, colorful rug. No, Caitlyn’s attention was glued to the impressive tent in his towel.

“We’ll take it slow,” he assured her. It sounded to Caitlyn like he was trying to convince himself.

Caitlyn didn’t want slow. She felt like she’d waited forever for this. For a feeling so powerful it pushed away all the bad memories, all of the weight on her shoulders, and kept it far from her mind. Again, she reached for the hem of her top and managed to pull it up past her midriff before he stopped her. She frowned at him.

Jake’s chuckle sounded strained as he went to his knees before her. “Slow.”

His breath brushed the naked skin on her stomach and she gasped. His hands ran over her exposed flesh as his lips trailed feather soft kisses across her hips. Heat raged through her body and flared hotter at the secret valley between her thighs. She wanted his touch
there
. Everywhere.

“Jake, please.” A dim part of her mind wondered if he was intentionally torturing her. Still, she couldn’t summon the appropriate fury. Her body had taken on a mind of its own and she was lost in the feel of his hands, skimming over her skin, turning her insides to an inferno of want.

Finally, he rose, pulling her top over her head. The air felt cool against her burning flesh and she shivered. Jake’s gaze molded to her breasts and she waited for the embarrassment to come. Waited for discomfort. Fear. Nothing came but more want. His flaming eyes open half mast only made the heat inside flare hotter.

“Wow,” he exclaimed before dipping his head down and feasting on her nipple. Jake’s free hand tweaked the peak of her other breast and a rush of moisture flooded between her thighs. She let out a feral moan, but it wasn’t even enough to shock her back to her senses and for that she was glad. Twining her fingers thorough his silky blond waves, she arched into him.

Once her other breast was treated to the same, torturous exploration, Jake slid her leggings to the floor. The hitch in his breathing made her smile and filled her with confidence. He didn’t have to tell her how attractive he found her, his actions spoke for him.

Feeling bold, she pulled the towel from his waist and let it drop to the floor. Her gaze latched on to the silky flesh of his erection and she longed to reach out and wrap her hand around the thick length. Before she had the chance, Jake grabbed her hips and pulled her close against him. His lips nibbled the sensitive flesh at the base of her throat. Heat spiraled through Caitlyn and her breathing grew labored.

“You did this to me. It’s been like this all day.” He groaned against her skin, and she smiled at his words. He
wanted
her. The evidence was right there pressed against her stomach like a hot brand. God, how she wanted him.

Jake had her off the floor again and placed her on the center of the bed. A chill went through Caitlyn when he left her there, but before she could ask what he was doing, he pulled a foil packet out of a drawer and returned. The throb at her center grew uncomfortable, exactly like it had this afternoon and she reveled in the thought that soon she’d know what would follow the intense pressure.

After joining her on the bed, he slid down her body, trailing kisses across her stomach, and again her fingers flew to his hair. She couldn’t believe how aware she was of him, every inch of him, the spicy clean smell of him. It had never been like this with Archie. Or anyone.

Jake slipped further down her body and pried her thighs apart. His warm breath brushed the curls at the apex between her thighs and ice trickled through her veins. This was too much, her chest felt tight. She was too exposed. Too vulnerable.

“Jake, stop.” Caitlyn didn’t even care that her voice sounded tiny. His head rose and she clamped her thighs shut.

Concern was evident in his hungry eyes and she almost wished she hadn’t spoken. But lying there, naked on the bed, more exposed than she’d even been in her life, terrified her. She couldn’t do this.

Chapter 6

An array of creative curse words played through Jake’s mind, each one directed at himself. It had been seventeen years since he’d made love to a virgin, and at the time had been one himself. His vow to take things slow and make sure Caitlyn would be comfortable was a test of his shaky self-control.

From the moment the word ‘sex’ had poured from her lips he’d wanted to rip her clothes off and take her against the wall like an untamed animal. Seeing her huddle the top sheet against her body, with eyes wide and pale skin, he used the last ounce of strength he possessed and moved to lie beside her with one arm around her torso.

“What’s wrong, Caitlyn?”

“I…it felt…I don’t know.” Her gaze, though still fogged with lust, pleaded with him.

“Shhh. We don’t have to do that yet. Is this okay?” With one hand twined in her hair, Jake pulled her head toward him and kissed her as soft as a whisper. He pulled back after a second and his whole body throbbed in bitter protest.

“Yes.” She sighed and leaned closer.

He tried to chuckle, but it sounded strangled. “Then let’s try that for a while.”

Again, his body violently rejected the idea, but he didn’t want to scare her off. This fiery siren who’d been so brave when she’d come storming into his villa over a week ago, calling him an inconsiderate ass, was so damn sexy, and he didn’t know how to
not
want her. If slow was what she needed, he’d try his hardest to make sure his body stayed in check.