"Please what?" Jack lowered his head and looked up at me through his lashes, a glint in his eye.

I moaned again, I couldn't help it. "Please touch me," I managed, too far gone to feel embarra.s.sed by my plea.

He pressed his lower body harder against me. His fingers brushed across a tight peak.

I inhaled swiftly. Then his warm hand palmed my whole breast, capturing a nipple and rolling it between his finger and thumb. The sensation was incredible.

"More," I gasped.

He made a sound low in his throat, drew my hands above my head, and held them tight in one hand. The other arm came under my arched back, holding me up as he lowered his head and sucked a nipple into his hot mouth.

Holy s.h.i.t, I thought, as l.u.s.t hit me like a Mack truck. Every sensation I was feeling was more intense than the last. I was a complete slave to it and completely lost in it. The aching between my legs had reached an insistent sharp throb that was hardwired to every pull of his mouth at my breast. The lower part of my body surged toward him, trying to move his leg between mine.

Jack groaned and shifted, his thigh coming up to press against the apex of my legs.

I flexed, rubbing myself against him, trying to create some friction.

"G.o.d, you're killing me," Jack hissed.

"Likewise," I said between breaths.

He let out a low chuckle and took my mouth again, kissing me deeply. Then he rose up and worked my shirt up over my head and arms.

I went to help but he held my hands tighter.

"No," he said, pulling my shirt up over my head as far as my wrists and wrapping it securely around them.

My heart thumped, but I knew I could break free if I had to.

"I have to do this, because if you touch me right now, I won't be able to handle it."

My insides lurched at the heady feeling his words inspired. My upper body was now completely bared to him. I wanted to feel a shy embarra.s.sment, but his hot, raking gaze was making molten heat pool through me.

His mouth found mine again, and I kissed him back fiercely, making up for the fact that my hands couldn't touch him.

"But I want to touch you," I said between breaths and kisses.

"In time," he whispered in my ear. He trailed wet kisses down my neck and throat to my chest.

Jack took his time licking and nipping at each nipple, driving me to a gasping point. I was writhing and arching against him.

One of his hands ran down my side and over my pajama'd thigh, hitching me up hard against his leg.

I whimpered as his fingers trailed over my bottom and between my legs. I was sure he could probably feel how hot I was for him through my pajamas. I tried to move against his hand.

He tensed and his breath came out forcefully. "G.o.d," he croaked.

I knew the feeling.

He pulled his hand back up to my chest.

I wanted to grab it and press it against where I needed it most. He kissed me again, slowly, deeply and pulled away, shifting off me slightly.

I opened my eyes to him watching me. He was flushed, his green eyes intense. It was a mesmerizing sight in the dimming red glow of the dwindling fire. Both of us were breathing hard. He ran a hand down slowly from my neck to my hip bone, and then dipped inside my pajama pants below my navel. I held my breath, but his fingers slid back out and up to my belly.

"Please ... I want ... I need ... " I didn't know how to ask, but I needed Jack not to stop.

I knew that every pause, every slowing down, and every hesitation was him making sure I was still doing this willingly, almost like he wouldn't trust himself to stop if he wasn't paying attention. The knowledge made my heart swell in my chest.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut tight and swallowed before his mouth came down to mine again, kissing me deeply and slowly like he was deliberately trying to hold back the pace.

But thank G.o.d, he wasn't stopping. His hand slid back down my belly and inside the loose waistband of my pants.

My breath was shallow, my body tense, as he lightly ran his hand around my hip, cupping the bare sensitive skin of my b.u.t.tock. Instinctively, I lifted a knee up.

I moaned a breath as his fingers trailed back around the top of my thigh and into the crease between my legs. Squirming against his hand, I tried to bring it to me, and he chuckled softly against my lips. I nipped at his mouth with my teeth in frustrated retaliation.

Everything moved pretty fast after that.

He growled against my mouth as his fingers found my wetness and slid down over my sensitive nub, plunging inside me.

I cried out and arched up.

"f.u.c.k," Jack gasped. His tongue plunged into my mouth too, mimicking his fingers as they slid out of me and back inside, his thumb rhythmically sliding over my hot b.u.t.ton.

I whimpered and moaned and gasped into Jack's mouth. My wrapped hands came down locking his head to me as we devoured each other, my hips thrusting against his hand shamelessly.

His breathing matched the quickened pace of his sliding fingers.

"Feels ... so ... good ... " I panted out between kisses, and he groaned in response, sliding deeply into my mouth again. Suddenly it was too much. I was splintering apart on an explosion of sensation. I held tight to Jack's head with my arms as he captured my cries into his mouth, my body shuddering and clenching against his hand, his palm pressed hard against me.

"Shhh," Jack soothed. He gave small chaste kisses along my mouth and cheeks and neck. "Shhh," he whispered into my ear as I still shuddered through my release.

I clamped my lips between my teeth to keep from crying out any further.

His fingers slid slowly in and out, drawing out the sensation as I clenched around him. Jack's harsh breathing against my neck matched my own, before he leisurely withdrew his fingers and drew a trail of wetness up my belly.

My heart still thudding, my eyes flickered open as I watched him lean up and paint my moist arousal around one of my nipples. Then dropping his head, he drew it into his mouth. The shocking action punched another wave of heat through my belly.

There would be no going back from sleeping with Jack Eversea. If I hadn't been clear on that before, I knew it now.

All the experience in the world wouldn't have changed the fact I knew deep down to my soul the kind of heat created between Jack and me was stratospheric. It was the kind of energy women who read thousands of romance novels yearned for and rarely got and certainly nothing like the times I had touched myself. I wondered, fleetingly, if I would ever bother again. He felt it too, he had admitted as much. And that had been ... before.

I broke my wrists out of the bonds of my t-shirt and clutched him to me.

He laid his damp forehead down on my chest, and I could tell he was forcing his breathing to slow down.

I ran my hands down his back. He must be painfully turned on if what had happened to me was any indication. For a moment I felt nervous. I wanted to ... relieve him ... but didn't know how to ask. And I wasn't ready for him to be inside of me. Not yet. I wanted it, but I wanted to delay that point of no return just as fiercely. I would belong to him then. Body, heart, and soul, and I still wasn't sure if he was fully mine in return. That thought terrified me and cooled the flow of lava coursing through me.

But Jack had asked me to take a chance on him. I tried to swallow my shadow of doubt.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at me, a small furrow appearing between his eyebrows.

I nodded and smiled gamely. "After that? Who knew you were so talented with your hands, Mr. Eversea."

He winked, and his dimple appeared. "I told you I was good with my hands ... you just a.s.sumed I meant for construction purposes." He pressed a small kiss on my nose.

"Oh my G.o.d, your elbows must be in agony from this hardwood floor!" I was suddenly very aware of the fact I had been completely caught up in a tsunami of feelings. If the roof had blown off the house, I wouldn't have paid the least attention. Embarra.s.sment crawled up my cheeks as I came to terms with how I had just wantonly come apart in his hands.

"That wasn't foremost on my mind ... but now that you mention it ... " He rolled to the side. "Hey, now what's with the blush?"

"I ... well, that was amazing ... I'm sorry I didn't even ... couldn't even ... " Well, this was awkward. I had no idea what I was trying to say.

"Hey," he turned my face to him. "That was the hottest freaking thing I've ever experienced. I actually am physically trying not to think about it, because I'm dying here. Do you have any idea how f.u.c.king s.e.xy you are?"

"Will you sleep here tonight?" I blurted on a whim to cover my reaction to his words, perhaps. "I mean stay in my bed ... not ... " I took a breath. "Just to sleep, I mean." G.o.d, where the h.e.l.l was my mind? Somewhere stuck in the bunched up blanket I was sure, because it sure as heck wasn't in my head. I couldn't articulate a d.a.m.n thing.

"I'm not in any condition to walk right now, anyway, although the rain could double as a cold shower." He laughed and kissed my forehead. "Yeah, I'll stay. I'd like that."

He helped me to my feet, as I clutched one arm across my bare chest, and handed me my shirt.

I quickly pulled it on.

"Is there anything down here you need to take care of?" he asked.

Apart from him? From under my lashes, I took in his body, head to toe. But my roving eyes and my traitorous blush gave me away again.

He groaned. "Seriously, Keri Ann. You'll be the death of me. And now that I understand what that blush means, the question is," he c.o.c.ked his head to the side, "just what naughty idea were you having in my bathroom the other day?"

d.a.m.n, I knew he wouldn't let that go.

"I'll never tell," I said, shaking my head.

He leaned in, a smile on his beautiful face and gave me a quick kiss before sweeping me up, one arm under my knees.

I squealed and grabbed onto his neck.

"Hold on," he said,and headed for the stairs.

T W E N T Y T H R E E Jack took the stairs two at a time in the dark. I saw Joey's door was safely closed. I didn't ask how he knew where my bedroom was first try. He had been in my house alone for several days.

Luckily, I'd lit a candle in a hurricane jar next to my bed after the power first went out. I ducked my head into his neck and inhaled the scent that was fast becoming my all time favorite as he entered my room and headed straight for the bed. I had never really felt dainty before, or wanted to for that matter, but being held in Jack's strong arms as he effortlessly moved about holding me, was a novel and not unwelcome feeling.

"Man, you have a lot of books," he said, depositing me on my bed.

"I like to read." I shrugged and nonchalantly grabbed the fourteen books caught up in my bedclothes and put them on the chest of drawers that doubled as another bedside table.

"Me too, actually. I get it. Can I borrow the light to go to the bathroom?"

I handed him the hurricane jar and told him where the spare toothbrushes were, and then lay back in the dark room. The thought of sleeping next to him all night roused all those d.a.m.n b.u.t.terflies inside me. I wondered if I'd be able to sleep at all.

He came back, handed me the lamp, and I quickly went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Catching sight of myself, I did a double take and groaned. d.a.m.n. My hair had started drying and coming out of its pony. I looked horrific with wisps and kinks and teased pieces all over the place. I quickly pulled it loose and ran a comb through it. Since it was still damp, I'd probably look like a witch by morning. I quickly braided it to minimize the damage, brushed my teeth, and walked back to the bedroom.

Jack was lying under my comforter on his back with his eyes closed and his head cradled on his arms. I paused a moment to mentally capture the picture of Jack in my bed. It really didn't compute. He opened an eye.

"What?"

I lifted a shoulder. "Just looking at you."

"And what do you see?"

"A gorgeous man in my bed," I said simply. That didn't begin to cover it.

He reached over and flipped back the cover for me. "You see a lucky guy who gets to share a bed with a gorgeous girl."

I scoffed lightly. "Right. Plain girl next door is more like it." I climbed into the bed, keeping a few inches between us and rolled to face him.

He frowned at me. "You are more beautiful with your bare makeup-free face than most of the girls I know after four hours in the hair and makeup trailer."

I didn't say anything for a few moments. Finally, I managed a small thank you. Jack responded by reaching an arm out and dragging me to him, turning me, and pressing my back against his chest. He curled his muscled arm over my waist. I snuggled into the curve but stiffened when I felt his erection pressing against me. I bit my lip against the urge to turn in his arms and finish what we'd started earlier.

"Just ignore it. I am," came his m.u.f.fled voice in my hair. "Night, Keri Ann." Then he inhaled deeply and kissed my shoulder. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying very hard to comply.

Sometime in the night I woke up utterly aroused and with Jack completely wrapped around me. My head was on his one arm, and his other was across my midsection. I listened for his breathing in the dark, expecting to hear the deep and steady rhythm that would tell me he was sleeping.

Then I felt the soft rhythmic caress of his thumb on my belly where my t-shirt had ridden up. That must have been what had gotten me hot and bothered and awake. I waited, willing him to continue. His body was hot at my back and one of his legs was hooked between mine, and then I felt his breath at my neck before he touched his lips to my skin.

I sighed, and with sleepiness making my inhibitions less bossy, gently moved his hand further up inside my shirt to cradle my breast.

He tensed for a moment before his thumb continued its movements, this time skimming across my taut nipple.

I bit my lip and involuntarily arched slightly into his hand as he hissed out a breath and pressed his hard arousal against my bottom, hitching his leg further up between mine.

His breathing was hot and heavy against my neck, matching my own, and I rocked against him as the deep throbbing inside me picked back up from earlier as if it would never be satisfied. He groaned, and his arms tightened around me and pressed me down against his leg.

An unrecognizable sound of pure need and l.u.s.t escaped me. Why did I have to wear pajama bottoms and a t-shirt? Why wasn't I wearing some cute little spaghetti strap night-shirt with no panties? Before I could talk myself out of it, I untangled myself from Jack's leg to push down my pajama bottoms. There was just something about being in a dark room, and being in a drowsy state, that made all my inhibitions and nerves fade away.

"Stop, Keri Ann. Please," Jack whispered against my ear and stilled my hands.

It was like a bucket of cold water. I was instantly mortified.

"I want you too much. You have no idea." He squeezed me and kissed my shoulder.

I wasn't sure how to respond. His words were a soothing balm for my pride, but I still felt like a heel. Self-doubt crept in and left a heavy calling card in my heart, and I cringed at myself in the dark. Nice one, Keri Ann ... you offer to get naked for a guy, and he turns you down, with an 'it's not you, it's me' line.

He rolled me over and kissed me softly on the lips before moving a little distance away. Although he still kept an arm across me, I felt bereft. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and thought about counting sheep.