Twin Fantasies (21 page)

“Oh, Jake, yes.”

He slid another finger inside her and stroked in circles, stimulating all kinds of interesting sensations. She grasped his cock again, pumping him in time with the circles of pleasure he stirred within her. He curled his fingers and stroked her vagina, finding her G-spot. He eased her back against the tile wall.

Her breathing accelerated as the pleasure increased. With infinite patience he stroked her, up and down.  “Oh, that’s so good.”

She gasped for breath. Warm water rushed over her left shoulder and streamed down her body.

“Yes. Oh, yes.” Flashes of intense joy followed by spikes of bliss shot through her; then they coalesced into one brilliant sweep of overwhelming pleasure in a powerful, mind-numbing orgasm.

Before it waned, he slid his hands around her thighs and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him as he drove into her in one deep, hard thrust, propelling her toward heaven.  She clung to his wet shoulders as he pounded into her, her wail of pleasure echoing around them in the tiled shower stall.  He grunted and held her fast against the wall. She felt his hot semen filling her womb and she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, welcoming every drop.

She nuzzled his neck, then across his shoulder, and reveled in the heat of his body and the warmth of the water still streaming over them.

After they rinsed off, he patted her dry with a big blue fluffy towel, then helped her on with his robe. The phone warbled in the next room.

“I’ll get it.” Jake planted a kiss in the crook of her neck.  She watched his fabulous retreating butt as he walked into the bedroom totally naked. She wrapped a towel around her hair and twisted it on top, then followed him into the other room.

Jake held the receiver out to her, his expression sour.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“Ryan.”

Ryan.
Oh, God, she’d forgotten he was going to call. He’d said he wanted to see her tonight.

She shuffled toward Jake, then sighed and tucked the robe tighter around herself as she took the receiver from Jake’s outstretched hand.

“Hello, Ryan.” She shoved one hand in her pocket and gazed down at the spiral telephone cord.

“Hi. How are you doing?” he asked.

“Fine.” Her gaze flicked up to Jake, scowling on the other side of the room as he pulled on a pair of pants. She sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Is everything alright?”

“Uh-huh.” She understood that her tight words didn’t make it sound like everything was alright, but she was self-conscious with Jake staring at her. Her free hand stroked back and forth over the smooth burgundy-and-navy patterned duvet.  “Jake’s right there, isn’t he?” Ryan asked.

“Yes.” ‘

“Listen, Jenna. I really need to talk to you about something.  I’ve checked into the Marriott downtown. Would you join me for dinner?”

She lowered her voice. “Ryan, you promised Jake you’d leave us alone for a month.”

“That’s right,” Jake grumbled in the background.  “I know. I wouldn’t have broken that promise if it wasn’t important. Please, Jenna, I drove all the way here.” She ran her hand over her face and glanced up at Jake.  Noting the tight line of his mouth, she stood up and paced a little, then turned toward the window.

“Yeah, okay. What time?”

“I’m leaving right now to pick you up.”

“What’s going on, Jenna?” Jake demanded.

She covered the mouthpiece.

“Ryan needs to talk. He’s coming over to pick me up for dinner.”

Jake reached for the receiver. “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded into the phone. “Yeah?” He stood in silence for a moment, scowling. “Yeah.” A few more seconds passed and Jake’s scowl deepened. “Okay, fine, but I’m driving her over.”

He grabbed a pen and paper from the bedside table.  “What’s the name of the restaurant?” His fingers clenched around the pen so tightly Jenna was sure it was going to snap.  “I don’t think so.” He tapped the pen on the paper. “Yeah, I’ll say it’s private.”

He glanced at Jenna, then he turned away.  “Damn it, Ryan. Don’t put me in this position.” He listened for a moment longer, then slammed down the phone.  He glanced at her, his lips a tight line.

“Is there a problem?” she asked. From what she’d heard on this side of the conversation and Jake’s reaction, she had a pretty good guess what Ryan had suggested.  “He wants you to eat in his room.”

Bingo.

“Says he needs to talk to you
privately.”
He took her hand and locked gazes with her. “You don’t have to go, Jenna.” She squeezed his fingers. “Yes, I do. He and I dated for over a year. He asked me to marry him and at one point I said yes. I won’t deny him dinner and a conversation.” His expression went grim. “Will you deny him sex?”

“Jake!”

He tugged her into his arms and held her tightly against his body, his hands firm against her back.  “I’m sorry, baby,” he said as he stroked her hair. “I just can’t stand the thought of you making love with him.” He tipped her chin up. “I love you too much.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“And I love you.”

His eyes softened and a smile spread across his face. He drew her close for a sweet, tender kiss. Ardently, his lips moved over hers in silent persuasion.

“Does that mean you’ve decided between us?” His dark eyes, so filled with hope, stared deep into hers.  “ I . . . uh .-. .” Queasiness undulated through her.  She sank onto the bed. He sat down beside her and took her hand.

“Jake, I do love you, but—“

“But?” Alarm skittered through his eyes.

She squeezed his hand. “I’m worried that you’ll grow bored of me.”

Puzzlement crinkled his features. “Why the hell would you think that?”

“Because yesterday morning you were so wrapped up in your papers you hardly noticed me. I mean, I understand that everyone needs time to themselves, but it
was
the morning after the first time we’d ever made love. It just set off warning bells, that’s all.”

“Jenna, I wasn’t ignoring you.”

She stared down at their joined hands. “It certainly felt like it.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t want to tell you this. I didn’t want to make you feel bad.”

Her eyes widened and her stomach tightened. He took her hand between his. “I wasn’t ignoring you, I was trying to deal with my own feelings. I was hurt.”

“Hurt? I . . . I don’t understand.”

“The night before, just before you fell asleep . . .”

“Yes?”

He sighed.

Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. What had she done? Suddenly, a dim memory wobbled through her brain. Her jaw dropped open and she covered her mouth with her hands.  “No, I didn’t. ..”

“You called me Ryan.”

“Oh, God. Oh, Jake.” She stroked his cheek, her eyes pleading with him to forgive her. “I’m so sorry.”

He hugged her to him.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to make you feel bad.”

“But I told you.”

He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it.  “You didn’t mean to. Look, Jenna, you’ve been through a lot, I know that. I’m only mentioning it now because . . .” He slid his hands to her shoulders and drew her around to face him.

“Because I’ll be damned if I’ll let you believe I’d ever be bored with you. Or neglect you. I love you too much.” He brought his lips to hers, and in that loving, tender kiss, she knew she’d found the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

AS JAKE NEGOTIATED the car through the highway traffic into the city, Jenna’s thoughts turned to Ryan.  How could she face him now that she knew she was in love with Jake?

She ran her finger along the dash then fiddled with the button on the glove compartment door.

She glanced over at Jake and watched his profile flickering in and out of light as cars passed in the opposite lane. Jake definitely loved her and he would make time for her, and she knew he would make a fabulous father when the baby came.  With Jake being the baby’s true father, things really had worked out for the best.

Except for Ryan.

Her heart sank a little as she realized it wasn’t fair to keep Ryan’s hopes up. Somehow, tonight, she had to find a way to tell Ryan that it was over between them.  If only she didn’t have to choose.

JAKE PULLED up in front of the hotel. A doorman in an elaborate burgundy and gold uniform opened the car door for Jenna. Jake walked her into the lobby, his arm around her waist. Jenna spotted Ryan immediately, walking toward them.  “Jenna.” Ryan leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.  He rested his hand on her lower back and drew her away from Jake.

“I’ll come back to pick you up in two hours, Jenna,” Jake said firmly.

“I’ll drive her back,” Ryan responded.

“I don’t think so.” Jake glared at his brother.  Jenna put her hand on Jake’s chest. “It’s okay, Jake. Ryan can drive me.”

Jake scowled but didn’t argue with her. He did pull her into his arms and kiss her, hard and passionately, leaving her breathless. Before he let her go, he murmured against her ear, “Remember that while you’re up there.”

Ryan narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. He took Jenna’s arm and led her to the elevator. A few minutes later, he opened the door to his room on the eighteenth floor.  A suite, actually, she saw as she entered. Decorated in soft shades of brown, punctuated with the odd splash of tomato red in the artwork and silk flower arrangements, it looked quite elegant. She sat down on the light beige leather sofa.  Ryan pulled a wine bottle from a silver ice bucket on a stand and poured two glasses.

“It’s nonalcoholic wine,” he explained as he handed her one. “I went ahead and ordered dinner. It’s getting late and I didn’t want you to have to wait for food, with the baby and all. Shall we?”

He gestured toward the window. Plates covered with silver domes, tall tapered candles, and stemmed glasses filled with ice water sat on a round table overlooking a spectacular view of the city skyline.

He pulled out her chair and once she was seated he removed the coverings from the plates. Wonderful aromas had her mouth watering. He had a large T-bone steak with broccoli and baked potato. He had ordered her chicken Marsala, small pieces of chicken in a sauce with the distinct flavor only Marsala wine could provide. It was one of her favorite meals, reserved for special occasions.

She smoothed the green linen napkin over her lap.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” she asked.  He lit the tall, tapered candles standing in silver holders on the table.

“Let’s enjoy our meal first, then we’ll talk.”

She nodded, rather glad because she was very hungry.  “I phoned you a couple of times after I checked in but no one answered,” he said as he picked up his knife and fork.  “Did you and Jake go out?”

She hesitated and her cheeks flushed. “No, I. . . uh . . .  was in the shower.”

His smile faded as the implication hit him. After all, Ryan hadn’t answered the phone either. She concentrated hard on her plate. Well, what did he expect, given the situation when he’d left the house?

They ate the rest of the meal in silence.

After dinner she settled in one of the armchairs, not wanting Ryan to cozy up beside her on the couch.

He poured steaming tea from the silver thermal pot into a cup and added milk and sugar. He handed her the cup and saucer. The aroma of Earl Grey wafted to her. Another favorite.  He sat on the couch across from her.

“How are things going with you and Jake?” he asked.  She stirred the tea with the teaspoon he’d left on the saucer, even though he’d already stirred it for her.  “Good. Really good.”

“Not too good, I hope.”

She laid the cup down on the coffee table.

“Ryan . . .”

“No, I just want to know, are you actually starting to consider Jake over me?”

Guilt shuddered through her. She sucked in a deep breath and released it with a sigh. She knew she had to tell him tonight, and now he’d given her the opening.

He slammed his fist on the table.

“Damn it, you are.”

Her fingers twined around each other. “He loves me.”

“Do you love him?” He held up his hand in a halting gesture.

“Never mind. Don’t answer.”

He pushed himself to his feet. “All my life Jake has always won the girl.” His fists clenched as he paced back and forth across the room. “Well, not this time. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you and him alone out there again.” “I promised Jake a month,” she said weakly. Tears prickled at her eyes.

“He’ll have his month, but I’m going to be there, too. I’m going to fight for you.”

He looked so fierce, and all for her. She’d never seen him so adamant. Not even about the business. But she didn’t want to be a prize to be won for the sake of settling old scores.  “Ryan, this isn’t about winning against your brother. This is about love . . . and life.”

His gaze locked on hers, hard and intense.

“Don’t you think I know that?”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN