No Dress Required (4 page)

Afterward, they’d cuddled up and watched more TV, sharing dozens of kisses in interesting places before she’d dropped off around four. Though Jake wished he could take her up to bed and sleep beside her, he didn’t feel right about doing that in his sister’s place. They’d already violated Alexa’s couch, which he was tempted to ask his sister to bronze.

He tucked a blanket around Noelle’s shoulders. Her blond hair curved around her cheek and her long lashes fluttered in sleep, making her look as innocent as he’d always imagined her to be.

He grinned. The streak of wickedness she’d been hiding was a definite bonus.

Restless without Noelle’s voice and laughter to keep him company, he went downstairs to his sister’s fitness room. If he was pulling an all-nighter, he might as well make the most of it. Better to spend those hours working out than turning over how he could possibly be falling for a woman he’d known most of his life after only a few hours.

Fine, that wasn’t the whole truth. He’d loved Noelle—platonically—since they were kids. She’d been like another sister to him until, somewhere along the line, he’d stopped thinking about how to slip garter snakes in her sleeping bag and started wondering how her soft, generous mouth would feel under his.

Now he knew. And nothing would ever be the same.

He pushed himself through a session on the treadmill and the rowing machine, then did a long set of reps on the weight bench. Instead of feeling tired, adrenaline pumped through his bloodstream. And never more than when he heard a creak on the stairs and looked up to see Nellie standing there in her bra and panties.

Though it couldn’t be later than five a.m., she looked wide awake. And completely irresistible. “Hi,” she said, toying with the little ribbon between her breasts.

“Hey.” Perspiration poured off his body. He mopped up the sweat on his face, trying not to think about how he must look. “Get some sleep?”

“Mmm-hmm.
You
didn’t.”

“No.” As she bounced down the stairs, he willed his eager dick to remain at ease. Lost cause. She was just too damn pretty and smelled too damn sweet when she sauntered up to him and slid her hand under his damp T-shirt. One caress and he was as hard as the iron he’d just pumped.

“You’re hot.” She leaned up and licked his mouth open, her eyes gleaming. “FYI, I stole one of Alexa’s condoms.”

Jake groaned and stared up at the recessed lights in the ceiling. He wanted, more than anything, to make love to her. Even though he would’ve wished for something different for their first sexual experience, preferably something involving a bed and more romance than the glitter ball on TV, there was no going back. They could only go forward.

But before they did, they had to talk because he wasn’t letting her go. Hopefully, she felt similarly. If not, at least there would be one barrier not crossed between them. One thing he wouldn’t have to remember and regret. If that made him a coward, so be it.

Jake took a deep breath. “We can’t do it like this. It’s not right.”

“Sure it is.” Her smile faltered slightly as she pressed her softly rounded breasts against his chest. It took all his strength not to groan again. “We’re ready to rock and roll…aren’t we?”

His first inclination was to talk her out of it. He was the older, wiser one. The one who knew best, yada, yada. She didn’t know what she wanted and hadn’t thought things through. If they had sex, she’d probably be full of remorse when she woke up and it would be his fault that he hadn’t realized she’d just wanted to do something wild and daring—

Except her eyelid was twitching, the nerves there as jumpy as the bunnies on the shirt she’d been wearing earlier. She must’ve figured he’d turn her down, if not for this reason then five others. But she was still taking the risk. Still putting herself out there.

Tonight wasn’t only some lark to her. The truth of that shone back at him from her eyes, and if he ignored it, then he would lose a hell of a lot more than his pride.

He cupped her cheek, and the weight of the past year—Maureen leaving, his feelings of inadequacy, coming back to town to see if it still held a place for him—fell off his shoulders like the snow still coming down outside. In her hopeful expression he could see his future, even if he couldn’t quite envision it yet.

They fit together. Though he’d never consciously let himself consider pursuing her, kissing her tonight had been all the evidence he needed to realize his folly. How could he have looked everywhere else when where he belonged was right here, in her arms?

“Jake?” she asked, voice wobbling. “Say something. Please.”

“Nellie,” he murmured. He couldn’t call her Noelle right now. She was his Nellie. Swallowing hard, he feathered his fingers over her face. They kept moving when he heard his sister’s unintelligible yell upstairs, followed by a succession of slamming doors and quick steps down the stairs. Both he and Nellie glanced toward the stairwell as Alexa appeared, looking as model-fresh as if she’d just rolled out of bed after a full night’s rest. No cushion creases on her face, that was for sure.

“Knew you were here somewhere,” she said triumphantly, her expectant expression shifting into a frown. “I was going to ask why the cops are in my driveway but now I have a better question. Where the hell are your clothes?”

…

“You really slept with my best friend.” Alexa shook her head and stared into the guest room where Nellie dozed. His sister stood ramrod straight, the poster child for a fifteen-hour energy drink. “You truly are a horndog, aren’t you?”

“We didn’t sleep together.” Jake winced at Alexa’s piercing look. “Not exactly. And it’s not about sex.”

“Oh really? Then what is it about? I asked you to come up here and make sure none of my party guests showed. I didn’t ask you to play naked spin the bottle with my closest friend.”

“Keep your damn voice down,” he muttered, wondering for the millionth time how a woman who always smelled like flowers could possibly be so overbearing.

“She won’t hear us. She’s out for the duration. You know how she hates talking to official types.”

“Yeah, I do.” He rubbed his hand over his eyes and tried to erase the hollow-eyed image of Nellie from the night she’d rushed home to find her family’s house in flames. She hadn’t looked much different last night or this morning. On top of all the police questioning, the experience of the carjacking itself had probably shaken her right to ground.

He shuddered. God, if that guy had had a real gun…

“Well, she’s going to get her car back and they have all her stuff. She’ll be fine.” Alexa flipped back her long dark hair. “Long as you don’t give her all new problems, Romeo.”

Jake released a long breath. “Give me some credit, would you? I would never hurt Nellie.” Not intentionally.

“Then why did she keep giving you wounded doe eyes while the cops were here? What were you talking about when I came into the basement?” Alexa held up a hand. “Never mind. TMI.”

“I’ll make it right. I just need a couple hours. Can you give us that?”

Alexa crossed her arms over her chest and tapped the toe of her black pumps. Drill sergeants had nothing on his stickler of a little sister, even after the trip from hell. “You care about her, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” Jake snapped. He should be talking to Nellie, not his sister. He had to tell her how he felt, even if he wasn’t sure yet how things would play out. They had time to decide. But he needed her to understand what she meant to him.

“Okay,” Alexa said finally, nodding and stepping back. “House is yours for the afternoon. Use it wisely.” She patted his arm, her lips lifting in a smile. “I’m glad you’re going for it. You think I’m completely clueless as to how you and Nellie look at each other?”

“We do?”

“Somebody here’s clueless, but it ain’t me.” Grinning, she pivoted and strode away. “Seriously, Jakey, put on your damn shoes. Your big clown feet won’t win you any points.”

He stared down at his bare toes and shook his head. Leave it to his sister to coax him right out of a mood. “Thanks, kiddo.”

Quietly, he stepped into the guest bedroom and shut the door. He turned, mentally reciting what he’d say, but those rehearsed words vanished when he realized Noelle was leaning up on one elbow, staring at him.

“You’re up,” he said, noting the cell phone beside her on the bed.

She nodded and didn’t speak. Probably a first between them. Conversation had always happened easily and often. Taking a deep breath, he moved toward the bed and sat down on the edge. “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine.”

God, he hated seeing her unhappy. Since Jake was pretty sure
he
was the cause, it was ten times worse. “You were on the phone?”

“Yeah. Cass from work called to tell me Goldman’s is staying open. Sales this fall were stronger than ever.” She ran her fingertip along the edge of her phone. “At least I’ll have my job.”

Hello, self-centered jerk.
He should know about the store gossip already. “I didn’t realize the store was in danger of closing.”

“Well, you haven’t exactly been an active part of my life for a while.”

“You’re right.”

“That’s it?” Frustration leaked from her voice. “Just ‘you’re right’?”

His stomach twisted as he pried the yellowed photo out of his back pocket and handed it to her. Sometimes tangible proof was all that mattered. “I know you’re getting your pictures back, but you should have this one, too.”

She gripped the ancient photo of her as a small child holding hands with her Nana and swallowed audibly. “Where did you get this?”

He shrugged. “You must’ve left it over at our house when you and Alexa were going through old photos. I found it when Mom and Dad were cleaning out the attic a few years ago.” And he’d kept it for himself, selfish bastard he was. At least where Nellie was concerned. “It took me forever to get it out of the little plastic picture sleeve in my wallet. It’s been in there so long, it basically became part of it.”
Part of me
.

“I loved this shot. I always figured it had been lost in the fire.” Absently, she fingered the worn edges. “Why did you keep it?”

For the longest time, they just looked at each other. He would’ve answered, had he had the ability to speak.

She cleared her throat and looked away. “Guess it’s time to go pick up my car, since it’s past twelve.” When she started to get up, he reached for her shoulder. She shook her head and pushed his hand away. “Don’t.”

“Why?”

“You said it wasn’t right for us to sleep together, so it’s not right for you to touch me. Not yet.” Carefully, she set aside the photo on the nightstand. “Maybe in time we can go back to the way things were.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

Nellie looked at him, her eyes huge and swimming with emotion. “You don’t want even that?”

His heart lurched as if she’d slapped him. Rather than answer, he drew her across the bed and into his arms, covering her mouth with his lips and swallowing her soft cry. Whether it was in protest or pleasure, he didn’t know. All he knew was she felt like she’d been meant for his arms.

The less than roomy full bed would barely hold the two of them but he didn’t care. He had to have her now. “I’m going to undress you. Tell me if you want me to stop.”

She pressed her hand against his chest, holding him back. “What does this mean?”

The words caught in his throat. Words that would likely cause him pain if she didn’t feel the same. At least he could keep his dignity if he didn’t tell her. But he had to be honest, with her and himself. “I never expected this. I’m not ready.”

What a cop-out. Worse, it was another quarter-truth between them. Ready or not, he’d already fallen. Onto big, jagged rocks that impaled his heart.

“Because of Maureen?”

God, no. Because of you. You’re so much and I don’t know if I’m enough.

Mutely, he shook his head and closed his eyes, opening them when her lips molded to his. Her bunny T-shirt and panties disappeared quickly, as did his jeans, shirt, and underwear. Only when he was lying on top of her with his forearms bracketing her flushed face did he remember the condom that had provided such an impediment the night before. He’d have to get up and find one. Eventually. Right now, he had all he needed right here.

Languorously, he bent down to suck each of her nipples, continuing until they bloomed deep red. His fingers took up the rhythm while he trailed kisses up her throat. The faintest trace of vanilla tickled his nose as she bowed back and pressed her head into the pillow, thrusting her breasts up with such fervor that he groaned and caressed them with his tongue. It still wasn’t enough. He slid his hand between her legs and another groan erupted when her slick heat met his palm. How could he go slow when she felt this good?

“I’ll do better later,” he promised, spying the object he sought on the nightstand. Sitting right there for anyone to see.

Like his little sister.

His face warmed. Jesus. “Did you—is that—“

“Shh. I put it there right before I fell asleep. She never saw.” Nellie’s husky laughter made him feel like he was the younger one all of a sudden.

Maybe he was embarrassed, but she wasn’t. She just reached for the latex and slid on the condom, a single tremor of her hand the only giveaway that she might be more nervous than she seemed.