Stripping It Down by Alden Jami

and twisted on the bed, trading who was on top, giggling as they got tangled up in the bedsheets. Eventually Kit found herself facing Jake on his lap, rocking against him in a slow, steady rhythm as his hands cupped her ass. He ground against her, holding himself impossibly deep as he swallowed her rising moans in his mouth.
    Curly chest hair rasped her nipples as she rode him, arms looped around his shoulders as she held him tight. Almost without warning her climax gripped her, pulsing through her in long waves as Jake held her close, whispering he loved her, kissing away the tears that leaked out of the corners of her eyes.
    He buried his face in her neck, whispering a soft "yes" as he came.
    ***
    Hours later, Kit lay snuggled up against Jake, unable to sleep.
    Even though she was physically and mentally exhausted, something ate at her conscience, refusing to allow her to escape into sleep.
    Guilt.
    For all the amazing sex she and Jake had had over the past month, this was different. Having Jake on top of her, inside her, knowing that he loved her...Now she understood what all those sappy morons meant when they talked about a spiritual connection.
    Unbidden, Elizabeth's drunken question echoed in her head. Don’t you want to find love, Kit? God help her, she did, and lucky girl that she was, she'd found it with Jake.
    Slipping out of bed, she grabbed her robe and went into the living room, silently closing the door behind her. She knew what she had to do.
    She had to come clean, both with her readers and with Jake, and pray that he forgave her when she told him the truth about her man-eating alter ego.
    Maybe if she put it into writing, it would be easier for everyone to take. She switched on her laptop and began to type.
    Well girls, it's time for me to fess up. Time to let the world know that I, C. Teaser, invulnerable, unshakeable user of unsuspecting males, have done the unthinkable.
    I've fallen in love.
    Crazy, balls out, no holds barred, would move myself to the ass end of the planet and shave my head if he asked it kind of love. I'm even thinking about popping out a couple of gorgeous, green-eyed, black-haired babies. You know how vain I am. The fact that I would even contemplate the risk to my hard-won flat abs should tell you something.
    But alas, it's true. I'm afraid I haven't been entirely truthful with you over these last few weeks. Remember the little stray hound who came begging so sweetly? He's really a prince in disguise and he swept me off my feet...
    Two hours later, eyes gritty and a little nauseated from lack of sleep, Kit sent the column to Tina and stumbled off to bed. She fell into bed, exhausted, smiling as Jake murmured in his sleep and spooned her from behind. As she drifted off she whispered a little prayer to the gods of newfound love, asking them to help Jake forgive her when she confessed the entire mess in the morning.
    ***
    Jake was awakened by the harsh clanging of metal and the rumble of a truck engine that vibrated Kit's entire apartment building. God, he hated garbage day. He squinted at the clock. Five forty-five.
    Kit didn't budge. Not surprising, since he'd felt her get up sometime around two. He'd promptly fallen back to sleep but had awakened briefly again when she'd slipped back into bed around four. Her bouts of insomnia had increased lately.
    I'll just have to do more to tire her out, he thought with a grin.
    The grayish morning light caught the side of her face. He loved watching her sleep, the way her full lips parted slightly as she crushed the side of her face into the pillow. Sometimes, like now, a little furrow appeared between her dark brows, as though she had worries she couldn't escape, even in sleep.
    With a sigh of regret he slipped out of bed and left her undisturbed. As much as he wanted to roll her to her back and wake her by sinking between her legs, it was obvious she needed the rest.
    He slipped on a pair of boxers, grinning to himself as he let himself out of