Nicholas."
"Ah, yes. Nicholas." Jake straightened.
"You have to take Nicholas back home."
"But what if it weren't like that, Sarah? What then?" His fists pressed on either side of her face against the door. "If we're talking about fairy tales, wouldn't that be a swell one? Happy ever after and all that?"
Sarah felt the brush of his crisp leg hair against her thigh.
"Weren't you the kind of little girl who curled up under that oak tree out there with your illustrated Brothers GrimmV His fingers slid to her hair. "I can see you out
there, you know, dreaming your dreams, your legs dangling over the edge of your swing. Did you dream of a knight on a white horse coming to sweep you off your feet?"
He slipped the strands of her hair between his fingers and she turned her head away. A Jake bent on serious tempting was a very dangerous Jake. All her bones had turned to jelly.
"I'm not a knight on a white horse, Sarah, but I could sweep you off your feet." Low and rough, the words invaded her senses. "I could make you forget about fairy tales for a while." His thumbs touched the skin of her eyelids. "Wouldn't you like that, Sarah, being swept off your feet?"
His face was so near that she couldn't think. Oh, yes, she could see how she'd like having Jake sweep her off her feet, leaving her no time to think of consequences, no time to think of the future. He could do it, too.
He smiled and touched her nose with his. "Eskimos kiss like this. Nice, isn't it?"
"Hmm." She'd never known her nose had so many nerve endings and all of them connected to some aching place inside of her. "Very." She rubbed her nose against his.
"See how easy it would be, sweetheart? See how nice?"
"But nice isn't quite the word, Jake." She turned her head.
"No? And here I'm trying so hard to be a nice guy." His lips moved near her ear, and the tip of his tongue touched the rim. Briefly. Too briefly.
"Ah, that's nice, Jake." She shivered.
"I thought it might be." He chuckled as his elbows bent and he lowered his chest to her, his hand sliding to the back of her head and tugging at the braid of her hair, urging her head back.
Her heart was racing and her mouth was dry. She'd never wanted a kiss in her life the way she wanted Jake's kiss. His lips hovered over hers, waiting.
It was the waiting that did it. Her pulse thundered so hard that she couldn't hear anything except her own heart. She
leaned forward, met his lips with hers, surrendered to the wild surge. And then she opened her eyes. Sharp with desire and judgmental, Jake's intent eyes pierced her to the depths of her being, so much hunger and emptiness and caution looking back at her.
He couldn't know how naked he was. Sarah drew back. She wasn't ready for Jake and his hunger. The stakes were too high.
"No, Sarah?" His lips moved lightly against hers. "Perhaps you're right." He lifted himself away. "But it would have been nice, I promise you." His smile was rueful, frustrated.
"I know." Already Sarah regretted her decision, but the moment had passed. She'd finally gotten smart. She was in no shape to take on Jake Donnelly.
Jake drew his finger lingeringly down her throat. "Get out of here, Sarah, while I can still remember why I should let you."
"But—"
"Now. Because if you stay, I won't let you go a second time. I won't remember that it's not nice to seduce little girls who dream of knights on white horses, sweet Sarah, so go while you can." He opened the door and shoved her out.
Sarah looked at the closed door for a second, her whole body aching, feeling the lure of Jake's longing and need. Her lips trembled on her whisper, "You're a fraud, Jake Donnelly." Her fingers burned where they brushed the door. As she turned to her room, she heard Jake call out the window to Nicholas.
Gathering up underwear, sleepshirt and socks, Sarah stretched. She couldn't remember being this drained in years.
She couldn't get Nicholas out of her mind, and Jake-sure, Jake was shaking her world like a
"Ah, yes. Nicholas." Jake straightened.
"You have to take Nicholas back home."
"But what if it weren't like that, Sarah? What then?" His fists pressed on either side of her face against the door. "If we're talking about fairy tales, wouldn't that be a swell one? Happy ever after and all that?"
Sarah felt the brush of his crisp leg hair against her thigh.
"Weren't you the kind of little girl who curled up under that oak tree out there with your illustrated Brothers GrimmV His fingers slid to her hair. "I can see you out
there, you know, dreaming your dreams, your legs dangling over the edge of your swing. Did you dream of a knight on a white horse coming to sweep you off your feet?"
He slipped the strands of her hair between his fingers and she turned her head away. A Jake bent on serious tempting was a very dangerous Jake. All her bones had turned to jelly.
"I'm not a knight on a white horse, Sarah, but I could sweep you off your feet." Low and rough, the words invaded her senses. "I could make you forget about fairy tales for a while." His thumbs touched the skin of her eyelids. "Wouldn't you like that, Sarah, being swept off your feet?"
His face was so near that she couldn't think. Oh, yes, she could see how she'd like having Jake sweep her off her feet, leaving her no time to think of consequences, no time to think of the future. He could do it, too.
He smiled and touched her nose with his. "Eskimos kiss like this. Nice, isn't it?"
"Hmm." She'd never known her nose had so many nerve endings and all of them connected to some aching place inside of her. "Very." She rubbed her nose against his.
"See how easy it would be, sweetheart? See how nice?"
"But nice isn't quite the word, Jake." She turned her head.
"No? And here I'm trying so hard to be a nice guy." His lips moved near her ear, and the tip of his tongue touched the rim. Briefly. Too briefly.
"Ah, that's nice, Jake." She shivered.
"I thought it might be." He chuckled as his elbows bent and he lowered his chest to her, his hand sliding to the back of her head and tugging at the braid of her hair, urging her head back.
Her heart was racing and her mouth was dry. She'd never wanted a kiss in her life the way she wanted Jake's kiss. His lips hovered over hers, waiting.
It was the waiting that did it. Her pulse thundered so hard that she couldn't hear anything except her own heart. She
leaned forward, met his lips with hers, surrendered to the wild surge. And then she opened her eyes. Sharp with desire and judgmental, Jake's intent eyes pierced her to the depths of her being, so much hunger and emptiness and caution looking back at her.
He couldn't know how naked he was. Sarah drew back. She wasn't ready for Jake and his hunger. The stakes were too high.
"No, Sarah?" His lips moved lightly against hers. "Perhaps you're right." He lifted himself away. "But it would have been nice, I promise you." His smile was rueful, frustrated.
"I know." Already Sarah regretted her decision, but the moment had passed. She'd finally gotten smart. She was in no shape to take on Jake Donnelly.
Jake drew his finger lingeringly down her throat. "Get out of here, Sarah, while I can still remember why I should let you."
"But—"
"Now. Because if you stay, I won't let you go a second time. I won't remember that it's not nice to seduce little girls who dream of knights on white horses, sweet Sarah, so go while you can." He opened the door and shoved her out.
Sarah looked at the closed door for a second, her whole body aching, feeling the lure of Jake's longing and need. Her lips trembled on her whisper, "You're a fraud, Jake Donnelly." Her fingers burned where they brushed the door. As she turned to her room, she heard Jake call out the window to Nicholas.
Gathering up underwear, sleepshirt and socks, Sarah stretched. She couldn't remember being this drained in years.
She couldn't get Nicholas out of her mind, and Jake-sure, Jake was shaking her world like a
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