Sleepless in Manhattan (24 page)

“She talked about them, too.” Chase drank. “She thinks Paige has what it takes to make a big success of this.”

“She does. She’s incredible.” Jake saw Matt glance at him and shrugged. “What? Your sister can juggle more balls than an acrobat and her attention to detail is astonishing. She stresses out a bit, that’s all. Keeps her phone by the bed and makes notes in the middle of the night.”

Matt gave him a curious look. “How do you know she keeps her phone by the bed?”

“She told me.” Jake covered his mistake smoothly. “We share an office, remember?”

“You gave her office space, but I didn’t realize you spent enough time together to be familiar with each other’s work patterns.”

“She occasionally runs things past me.”

“In that case you need to tell her to chill a little. Urban Genie isn’t going to fold if she takes a night off. She’s working too hard. I hardly ever see her and she’s missed movie night three weeks in a row. Come to think of it, so have you.”

“I’ve been busy.”

Chase finished his beer. “After what happened, I’d like to see her make a big success of this. And not just because Star Events deserves to have some serious competition. Does she need backing? Because I’d be prepared to—”

“Don’t even suggest it.” Matt potted the ball. “My sister takes independence to a whole new level. If she hasn’t done it by herself, she thinks it doesn’t count.”

“Matilda was horrified when she discovered they’d all lost their jobs. Whose idea was it to set up on her own?”

“Jake’s. At the time I didn’t agree. I thought it was too soon.” Matt flicked him a glance. “But you were right.”

Jake reached for another beer. “I’m always right.”

“Not always, but this time you were. I’ve never seen her happier. She bounces into the house and she’s smiling from dawn to dusk.”

Jake shifted uncomfortably. He was pretty confident he knew why Paige was smiling, and Urban Genie was only part of it. “I’m glad she’s happy.”

“You’ve given her a lot of time. Been patient.” Matt’s expression was serious. “I haven’t thanked you enough for everything you’ve done for her. You’ve given her a lot of time and attention.”

Knowing just how much time and attention he’d given her made Jake sweat. Guilt rubbed over his skin like sandpaper.

“Forget it.”

It was time to be honest with Matt. He wished they’d just told him after that first night, as he’d wanted to. What was he going to say now?

I’m having sex with your sister.

That one would earn him a black eye before he’d finished the sentence.

Guilt mingled with irritation.

Hell, she was happy, wasn’t she? Surely Matt should be pleased about that.

He’d tell him the truth. It wasn’t as if that much time had passed. They’d only been seeing each other a few weeks.

“So how about you, Jake?” Chase stood up and put his beer down, ready for his turn. “Which woman is occupying your time right now?”

“That’s a good question.” Matt’s gaze was speculative. “He’s been very quiet about his love life lately. Whoever it is, she’s taking up more of his attention than usual.”

Jake stirred uneasily. “I don’t have a love life. I have a sex life.”

“You’ve been seeing the same woman for a while.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m in love. Just means the sex is great.” So whatever he had with Paige had lasted longer than any of his other relationships. So what? Why the hell would he walk away from great sex? Jake stepped up for his turn and kept his eyes fixed on the ball while he tried to rationalize his actions. Paige understood him.

She understood that they were having fun.

In fact she was close to his perfect woman. Sexy, good-humored and happy to live in the moment.

Matt strolled around the table. “Whoever she is, she’s got your attention. She’s obviously hot—that goes without saying. Blonde or brunette? Give us a hint. And why haven’t you brought her over to Romano’s?”

Because she already spent as much time at Romano’s as he did. And each time they went there as a group it became harder to behave as if nothing had changed. He no longer remembered what “normal” was. How he’d behaved before they’d taken intimacy to a whole new level.

The truth was he hadn’t thought it would last this long. Normally when he began a relationship he was already planning when he’d end it.

But none of his relationships had felt as good as this one.

Jake took the shot. Missed, and glared at Matt. “Laugh it up, why don’t you?”

“Don’t worry, I will.” Matt grinned. “Your mind is elsewhere, which is lucky for us. Whoever she is, we salute her. For the sake of my bank balance, I hope it never ends. Now pay up, you two.”

What happened when their relationship
did
end?

Would he still see her? Of course he would still see her.

They were friends.

In fact since he’d stopped trying to keep her at a distance, they were as close as they’d been when she was a teenager. Closer, because the sex had given everything a different dimension.

When they’d had enough of the sex, they’d still be friends.

And since he wasn’t near having enough of sex, it wasn’t worth dwelling on.

Muttering protests, Chase reached for his jacket. “If I carry on hanging out with you I’m going to need to go back to working eighteen-hour days. Talking of which—” he threw a bundle of notes at Matt “—I need some rooftop landscaping for a building in Tribeca. Big project. Are you interested?”

“That depends. Are you expecting me to take my fee out of that lump of cash you just handed me?”

“No.”

“In that case, yes, I’m interested.”

“Good.” Chase flung his jacket back over the chair. “Because I want your company to do the work. Are you busy this weekend? You’re welcome to join Matilda and me at the beach.”

“A weekend sailing in the Hamptons. Now that’s tempting.” Matt slid the money into his pocket. “Jake?”

“Not me. I’m busy.” He kept his head down, careful not to reveal that it was Matt’s sister who would be keeping him busy.

Right now she was probably waiting at his apartment.

He’d given her his key.

Not that the gesture had meant anything. It was convenience, that was all.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Life is an unpredictable mix of sunshine and showers. Always carry an umbrella.

—Paige

P
AIGE
GREETED
THE
doorman in Jake’s apartment building and headed for the elevator, her arms loaded with so many bags she could barely see where she was going.

She felt the weight of the key in her pocket. Not just the metal, but its significance. The knowledge that Jake had given it to her made her light-headed.

She was pretty sure he had never given his key to a woman before.

That had to mean something, didn’t it?

It was evidence that he trusted her, that she was important to him.

Just how important was something she intended to find out. Maybe he hadn’t expressed deeper feelings, but their relationship had changed; she knew it had. And she knew not just because of the confidences they’d shared, but because of the way they were together.

What made their relationship special was the fact that they knew each other so well. They already knew everything there was to know.

And one thing she knew about Jake was that he loved Italian food, which was why her bags were filled with plump, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and a bottle of good olive oil.

She’d hung around Romano’s enough for Maria to have taught her a thing or two and she was ready to show off her skills. He wasn’t the only one who could make a delicious meal.

Balancing the bags, she stepped out of the elevator, opened the door to Jake’s apartment and let herself into the spacious loft. It was a thoroughly masculine space, where soft leather and polished wood were wrapped by floor-to-ceiling glass offering views spectacular enough to make the most jaded New Yorker stop and gasp.

She knew how hard Jake had worked to get here and she admired everything he’d achieved.

Paige paused for a moment, drinking in the silver gleam of the Hudson and the twinkle of lights on the Brooklyn Bridge. Then she dumped the bags on the kitchen counters and started unloading. Jake’s love of technology was evident in his living space. Lights, temperature and sound system were all powered from a central control that he could program from anywhere in the world.

It was fortunate she shared his love of technology, she mused, or she wouldn’t have had a clue how to turn the lights on, let alone operate the stove and make a tomato-and-basil sauce to go with the fresh pasta she’d picked up at the market.

She slipped a bottle of champagne into the fridge to chill.

Tonight was going to be romantic. Special.

And when the moment felt right, she’d tell him how she felt.

She was chopping garlic and a heap of fresh basil when the door opened and Jake strolled in.

Sunlight gleamed off his dark hair and his eyes glinted silver gray. Even though she saw him regularly, he could still make her catch her breath.

He threw his keys down on the nearest surface, toed off his boots and she knew instantly that something was wrong.

“Bad day?”

He glanced at her, and then at the half-prepared food on the counter. “You’re cooking? I thought we were going out to eat?”

“I thought it would be nice to stay in. It’s been a long week and we’re both tired. Anyway, I owe you a meal. You cooked for me last week.” She knew better than to push him. If he wanted to tell her what was wrong, he’d tell her. She was well aware that there were parts of his past he didn’t like talking about, and she respected that. “There’s champagne chilling, too.”

“Are we celebrating something?”

“Another account for Urban Genie and a successful event today.” She added the chopped tomatoes to the pan. “Both leads came from the event I ran for you. I can’t thank you enough for letting us organize that.”

“You were the one who did the work. But if you want to thank me, I can think of a few meaningful ways.”

“How was your pool evening with Matt and Chase?”

“I lost.”

“You never lose.”

“I lost tonight.”

Was that what was wrong? “Were you distracted?”

Jake gave her a long look, and then nodded. “I had a few things on my mind. So what was the event today?”

“Thirtieth birthday party.” She checked the pan and lowered the heat. “It went well. Eva and Frankie did most of it. I just smoothed and soothed.”

And dreamed. And made decisions about her own future.

A future she seriously hoped would have Jake in it.

He opened the champagne and poured. “What form does smoothing and soothing take at a birthday party?”

“Mostly reassuring the victim that she doesn’t have wrinkles, that it isn’t all downhill from here and that her life is not over.”

“At thirty? That’s a concern?”

“There were things she wanted to do that she hasn’t done. Things she was afraid to do. I don’t ever want to feel that way. Listening to her made me so relieved I’d gone ahead with Urban Genie. It’s thanks to you.”

“You would have done it yourself. All I did was speed up the process.” He prowled around the kitchen, restless. “Paige, we need to tell Matt.”

“I agree.” She took it as a positive sign that he wanted to tell her brother. It meant he wasn’t planning on ending it anytime soon. And now she understood why he seemed on edge. Matt was his closest friend, and it wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. “When do you want to tell him? Sunday? Eva is cooking. We’re both invited.”

“Probably not something to be done in public. I’ll talk to him privately. That way when he decks me, no innocent bystanders will be harmed.”

“Why would he deck you?”

“Because I’m doing this.” He hauled her hard against him, holding her thigh to thigh. He brought his mouth down on hers in a lingering kiss that robbed her legs of strength. It didn’t matter how he kissed her, whether it was slow and smoldering or rough and ravenous, the sensation went straight from her head to her toes, taking in all the parts of her body along the way. It unbalanced her and made her head spin. Tonight there was a desperation in him she hadn’t felt before. She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, exposing hard muscle and the strong contours of his body.

“Are we in a hurry?”

“Yeah, we really are.” His mouth brushed across her jaw and down her neck.

She closed her eyes. “Any particular reason?”

“I want you. Is that a good enough reason? Sex with you is—it’s—” He sank his hands into her hair and took her mouth with his. “Do we have to talk about it?”

“No—” her legs were weak “—but I’m going to burn the food and then you’ll think I’m a terrible cook.”

“I won’t think that, but if it bothers you, turn the heat off.”

She did just that, and then felt his hands on her, stripping her clothes off so fast she wondered if they were going to make it out of the kitchen.

“If you distract me, dinner will be delayed.”

“I don’t care.” He scooped her up and carried her through to the bedroom as if she weighed nothing.

“I can walk.”

“I know, but that would spoil my fun, and I didn’t get a workout in today.”

“I’m not sure I appreciate the implication that I’m heavy enough to be someone’s workout.”

He dropped her gently in the center of the bed and came down on top of her, pinning her to the bed with his weight.

I love you.

The words were in her head but she couldn’t quite say them.

Not yet.

“So you let Matt win?”

“No. He won on his own.” He unbuttoned her shirt with impatient hands.

Paige barely heard him. He was kissing his way across her shoulder and down to her breast, and her skin was alive with sensation. He removed her bra with ridiculous ease and then traced the shape of her with his hands.

She moaned. “Jake—”

“You’re so beautiful.” He lowered his head and closed his mouth over the tip of one breast, tasting and teasing until she found it impossible to stay still.

“I forgot to ask—” He raised his head, his eyes glinting in the fading light. “Did a guy from an investment trust call you? Because I gave him your card.”

It was impossible to focus with the weight of him pressing down on her and his hand moving over her body.

“You expect me to talk about work when you have your hand where you currently have your hand?”

“You mean here?” His hand stroked higher, lingering in the dark shadows of her thighs. “Or maybe here?” His fingers slid over her with intimate skill, touching her in a way only he knew how to do.

She was breathless. “Can we talk about work later?”

“Sure. Or we can stop talking altogether.” He brought his mouth down on hers, kissing her with raw possession and devastating skill.

He drew her arms above her head, laced his fingers between hers and held her trapped. He lowered his head fractionally, teasing with his mouth and with his gaze. “I’ve got you where I want you. No escape.”

“I don’t want to escape.” She stared into his eyes and what she saw there made her heart race. She knew, with utter confidence, that he loved her. It was in his eyes. In his touch. In all the small things, like the way he listened and paid attention. All the million tiny ways he tried to make her life easier.

He cared.

He slid his hand under her hips, lifting her against him as he thrust into her and she moaned, deep in her throat, all her thoughts blending together in an incoherent mess.

She couldn’t concentrate when they made love. Could think of nothing but the heavy thickness of him and the delicious pleasure he conjured with each thrust. He left no part of her untouched or unexplored. With knowing fingers and consummate skill he unwrapped, discovered, experimented, took liberties no man had ever taken before and she urged him on because this was Jake, her Jake, and she couldn’t remember a single day of her adult life when she hadn’t been in love with him.

Unbalanced, shaken, she unlocked her fingers from his and rested her hands on his shoulders, dragging her fingers lightly over the hard swell of muscle. She often forgot how strong he was because with her he was always so gentle.

He paused, his eyes holding hers. “Are you all right?” His voice was rough and sexy, his breathing as unsteady as hers.

“I’m always all right when I’m with you.”

He lowered his mouth to hers again, kissing her with explicit intent as he shifted position and brought another gasp to her lips. He drove into her and she moaned, shifted and stirred with each movement of his body and each slide of his clever hands. He touched, teased, swamped her senses with sensation until her only focus was pleasure.

He drove her higher and higher until her world exploded. It was raw and real, the connection between them so deeply personal that her feelings refused to be contained. It was as if something had been unlocked. Released.

“I love you.” She’d worried about when to say it, but in the end the words spilled from her unplanned. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

“Yeah.” He smiled, eyes closed. “Glad it was good for you, too.”

It was a typical Jake response.

“I’m not talking about the sex. I’m talking about the way I feel about you.”

“Honey, some women see God, others see love, but either way it amounts to the same thing. Sex that good can make anyone emotional.”

She frowned.

Did he really not understand the reason it was so good between them?

Reining in her frustration, she raised herself up on her elbow. “I love you, and loving you has nothing to do with the fact that you know all the moves in bed. Yes, the sex was good, Jake, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I love the way we are together.”

His eyes opened. His smile disappeared. “Paige—”

“I love you.” She spoke quickly, unable to hold her feelings in any longer. “I love everything about you. I love your mind, your laugh and the way you listen. I love the way you employ people no one else would touch. I love that you’re so passionate about things. I love how loyal and protective you are to your friends. To Maria. My brother. And most of all I love the way you are with me. I even love that you protect me, even though it drives me insane.” It was only as the torrent of words and feelings slowed that she realized he hadn’t said anything. He lay ominously still, his gaze fixed on her.

And she felt the first shoots of doubt spring to life inside her.

The longer the silence stretched, the bigger the doubt grew.

She’d freaked him out.

She shouldn’t have said anything. It was too soon. She should have let things ride a little longer and waited for him to come to the conclusion himself instead of bashing him over the head with it. But how long was long enough? When you were as sure as she was, what was the point in waiting? Life could be unpredictable, she knew that. You needed to seize the moment.

But by seizing the moment had she ruined everything? “Jake? Say something.”

He stirred. “Something? We both know what you want me to say, Paige. That’s how this game works, isn’t it? You tell me you love me, and either I don’t say it back and therefore we break up, or I say it back and we stumble along together until one of us decides that in fact we
don’t
love the other anymore, and then we break up. Either way, we break up. Generally I prefer that to happen sooner rather than later. It’s cleaner for everyone concerned.”

“Cleaner?”

“Yeah. The deeper the roots, the harder it is to dig them up.”

“Roots are a good thing. They keep you secure.”

“There’s nothing secure about love.” He pushed the covers back and sprang from the bed like a tiger who had just discovered that someone hadn’t locked the cage. “Love is the most unpredictable thing out there. It’s just a word, Paige, and words are easily spoken.”

“It’s not just a word. It’s a word that comes with a whole lot of feelings. Important feelings.” She paused and breathed deeply. “You haven’t had a great day—I get that. It must have been difficult with Matt, so we’ll tell him Sunday and we’ll just talk about this another time.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about. And there’s nothing to tell Matt.” He snatched at his jeans, pulling them on. “I don’t know what you were expecting from me, but whatever it is I can’t deliver.”