Kiss Me Read online

  Kaylie scrubbed her hands over her face. Even if Jake wanted to start again, Kaylie didn’t know if she could. There was so much history between them. So many hurts, both big and small, she didn’t know if she could let them go, even if she really wanted to.

  Resigned, she went back to her sketches and tried to focus on the details. The seamstress was expecting her later in the afternoon to give her the designs, choose fabrics, and go over measurements. Kaylie didn’t have the time to brood. She managed to finish her work and got ready to leave. She exited the office and headed to the front room of the shop.

  “I’m headed out, Blair,” she said to her partner.

  Blair watched her for a second. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kaylie.” She walked to Kaylie and gave her a quick hug. “It will all be okay, babe. You’ll see.”

  Kaylie just nodded. “I’ll talk to you later, B,” she said before she headed out the door to her car.

  Two hours later, Kaylie pulled into her driveway. She gawked at the vehicle parked in front of her house. Apparently, Jake wasn’t kidding about coming by that evening. It was barely even six. Tired and annoyed, she grabbed her bag and climbed out of the car. She went in the side door to the kitchen and stopped dead. Jake was standing in front of the stove, obviously cooking. It smelled delicious.

  She just stared at him. “What are you doing?”

  He finished stirring whatever was in the pot and put the spoon down on the stove. Kaylie tried not to grimace when she saw the mess he had made. Jake grinned at her as he wiped his hands on a towel and walked toward her.

  “I’m making spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread for dinner.” He leaned down and kissed her.

  She took in the mess on her stove and decided to appreciate the thought rather than say anything about the destruction of her kitchen. Kaylie threw her bag on the counter by the side door.

  “Thanks, Jake. It smells good.” She blinked as he handed her a glass of red wine. After a sip, she sighed. “That’s even better.”

  Jake went to the fridge, pulled out a big bowl of salad, and set it on the table. Then he went back to the stove to check on the pasta and sauce. Kaylie watched him. She was back to being confused as hell. Draining her glass, she went to the bottle for a refill. Finally she had to speak.

  “You’re earlier than you said you would be,” she remarked.

  He shrugged. “My meeting got cancelled so I decided to make dinner.”

  She didn’t say anything else while he drained the pasta and put everything in a serving dish. He placed the platter on the table and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down, slightly dazed, as he went to the oven and pulled out a baking sheet that held garlic bread.

  A few minutes later, they were eating dinner. The food was good, but Kaylie was distracted. She had been stewing over their night and morning together all day and she was at the end of her patience.

  After picking at her pasta for a few minutes, Kaylie set her fork to the side and took a healthy swallow of wine. “Jake, we have to talk about this morning.”

  He studied her as he chewed. After a sip of his own drink, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Yes. I was hoping it could wait until after dinner, but it’s obvious that it’s bothering you.” At Kaylie’s raised eyebrow, he smiled a little. “Okay, more than bothering you. What did you want to discuss?”

  Kaylie tapped her fingers on the table top. “For starters, what was last night or, for that matter, this morning? I don’t like being in this position, Jake. I really don’t like being so unsure of myself.”

  Jake’s hand reached out to cover her restless fingers. “Kay,” he sucked in a breath, obviously trying to choose his words carefully, “I know what I want and I want you. I know we can’t pick up where we left off, it’s been too long, but I want to see if we can build something as the people we are now. The real question is this: what do you want?”

  Kaylie grabbed her wine with her free hand and drained her glass for the second time that night.

  Jake sat back, releasing her other hand. “That isn’t exactly a response.”

  She set her glass back on the table with a sharp click. “I’m not sure how I feel, or what I think.” Kaylie sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “Jake, it’s been years. I don’t know if I can move on from that or trust you again.”

  The expression on his face was both earnest and fierce. “Kaylie, I think we’ve both grown up a lot, wouldn’t you agree?” He waited until she nodded. “I’ve learned from my mistakes, one of those was walking away without talking to you. I’m asking you to give me some of your time and to give me a chance. To give us a chance.”

  She was still confused. “Why, Jake?”

  He groaned. “I told you this morning, Kay, I’m tired of trying to find who and what I want when I’ve already had you. It’s hard to move onto something better when you’ve already had the best.”

  Kaylie felt herself softening. He was saying everything she wanted to hear, all the right things. “Okay, Jake, let’s say I’m open to…trying again. How do you think we should do that? I don’t even know where to start.”

  His face relaxed a bit. “We’ve already started, Kay. Last night was great. So was this morning. We can just take it easy. Have dinner, go to the movies.”

  Kaylie arched an eyebrow at him. “Spend the night?” she asked.

  This time Jake grinned. “I hope so.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We’ll see.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll just wait until you fall asleep on the couch and stay anyway.”

  “Fine,” Kaylie sighed, “we can do some sleepovers, but I reserve the right to kick you out if you snore, drool, or disturb my sleep in any way that I don’t like. Oh, and if you’re mean to my cat.”

  Jake laughed uproariously. “I think I can agree to those terms.”

  “And this means we’re exclusive, right?” Kaylie said, folding her arms over her chest. “No dating other girls.”

  He grew serious. “Yes, it means we’re exclusive. I’m not much for sharing.”

  “Me either,” she said smugly. The smirk left her face. “Are we really going to do this?” she asked.

  “I want to,” Jake answered.

  Kaylie let out a breath. “I do, too. I guess it’s a deal.”

  She shrieked when Jake jumped out of his chair and dragged her out of hers. A few seconds later, the room was upside down as he tossed her over his shoulder.

  As he strode down the hallway, Kaylie yelled, “What are you doing, you idiot?”

  His hand landed on her ass in a sharp smack and she yelped. “We’re going to celebrate.”

  Kaylie’s breath left her body in a whoosh when he threw her body on the bed. She started laughing as he began stripping off his clothes.

  “In a hurry?” she asked.

  Down to his boxer briefs, Jake put his hands on his hips. “Yes. Now, take your clothes off or be prepared for them to be ripped.”

  Still giggling, Kaylie yanked her shirt over her head and started to wiggle out of her jeans. She’d lost her shoes somewhere between the kitchen and the bedroom. She had barely stripped down to her underwear when Jake pounced on her. His kiss was voracious and Kaylie forgot all about undressing. Their tongues tangled and she couldn’t stop running her hands over his skin.

  Kaylie bucked her hips and shoved at Jake’s shoulders until he rolled over, pulling her on top of his body. Her mouth left his and moved down his chest, to his abdomen. She chuckled under her breath when his stomach muscles clenched beneath her lips. When her tongue flicked the tip of his erection, he hissed. Enjoying herself, Kaylie wrapped her hand around him and ran her tongue up the side of his cock. His hands grasped her hair and pulled it away from her face as she began to suck him gently.

  After a few minutes, Jake tugged on her hair. “I want to be inside you, Kaylie.”

  She smirked at him. “You were.”

  He responded by grabbing her wrists and pulling her up his body so that she now straddled
his hips. Kaylie gasped as he put her hands the headboard above him, forcing her to grip the top.

  “Don’t let go,” he stated.

  Kaylie shivered. Usually if a man bossed her around, bedroom or not, she would kick him in the nuts. However, it appeared that a bossy Jake really did turn her on. She clenched her hands around the smooth wood as he tugged her panties down her legs, forcing her to stand on the bed. When she lowered herself onto his hips again, Jake unhooked her bra and pulled the straps down her arm. As soon as he finished, he moved her hands back to the headboard with an intense look that let Kaylie know she wasn’t allowed to move yet. With her hands wrapped around the wood, she felt strangely vulnerable even though she was practically riding him.

  She moaned when he lifted his head and his mouth closed over her nipple. He pressed a hand between her shoulder blades, causing her back to arch. When his teeth bit down lightly, Kaylie couldn’t stop the strangled sound that escaped her throat. She hadn’t realized before that a little bit of pain could heighten the pleasure.

  Jake slid a hand between them and slipped a finger inside her, all the while using his teeth and tongue on her breasts. She squirmed on top of him, desperate to move her hands, to touch him in return, but somehow she kept her grip on the headboard. She felt his cock at her entrance as he rubbed against her. One of his hands moved to her hips to steady her as she sank down on his erection.

  Kaylie felt her head drop back as he filled her. She started to move her hands from the headboard to his shoulders, but he bit the inside of her breast lightly.

  “Don’t move your hands, Kay.” His voice was deeper and rougher than usual. It made chills break out over her skin. She instantly decided that she loved the bossy side of Jake, at least in the bedroom.

  She tightened her grip on the headboard again. Jake wrapped both his hands around her hips to control her movements. He bent his knees and started thrusting into her, lifting her before slamming her down. Kaylie moaned so loudly it was almost a scream. Jake took her hard and rough until the orgasm felt like it was ripped from her body. As she went over the edge, she did scream. Vaguely, she heard Jake groan as he came with her.

  When Kaylie came down, she realized she’d let go of the headboard and had buried both of her hands in Jake’s hair. Her face was tucked into his throat. They were both breathing hard. Her bones felt as though they had melted, so she remained sprawled out on top of Jake and kissed his neck. If he wanted her to move, he would have to shove her off.

  “Wow,” she sighed.

  Jake chuckled. “Wow is right. I think my brain is scrambled.”

  Kaylie smiled against his skin. She squealed when he rolled over and hauled her off the bed with him.

  He smacked her butt. “Let’s get cleaned up and finish eating dinner. I’m starved.”

  She rubbed her ass and scowled at him. If he had let her lay there for much longer, she would have fallen asleep, so she wasn’t too happy with how his rough treatment ruined her relaxed state.

  Jake just looked at her frowning face and laughed. He steered them into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Kaylie grabbed a hair band and bundled her hair on her head just before he dragged her into the stall. She sighed as the warm water washed over her skin. As irritated as she was with him, the shower felt wonderful.

  After soaping and rinsing quickly, Kaylie stepped out of the shower and dried off. She went back into the bedroom to grab some pajamas and stopped short when she saw a duffel bag in the corner. When Jake came out of the bathroom, she just turned and stared at him.

  “You’re very sure of yourself aren’t you?”

  For a moment, he blinked at her before his eyes fell on his bag. He grinned. “Yep.”

  Kaylie shook her head and rolled her eyes. The man was a pain. They would definitely have to work on his over-confidence issues. Instead of griping, she went to her dresser and pulled out some clothes.

  Five minutes later, they were camped out on the sofa, watching television and eating cold spaghetti. Once they were done, Kaylie did the dishes while Jake cleaned the stove, counter tops, and the table. The man made great spaghetti, but his mess was huge. After they were done, they went back into the living room with their wine and assumed the same position they had the night before; Jake on his back on the couch, Kaylie lying on her side next to him and Beans curled up by his legs.

  Kaylie idly stroked his chest, not paying much attention to the television program they were watching. She was thinking about how many things had changed in her life in less than a week. Now, she was lying on her couch with Jake when she never thought she would be with him again. She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him.

  “We really are doing this, aren’t we?” she asked.

  Jake looked at her strangely for a moment. “Yes. Why do you look like you’re confused?”

  She made a face at him. “It just seems surreal. I’m a little worried I’ll wake up and realize that I’ve been drooling on my couch and I dreamed all this.”

  He smiled a little and hugged her tighter. “No, you’re not dreaming. I think we’re finally both where we need to be.”

  She looked into his dark eyes. “I just don’t want to rush into anything, Jake.”

  Jake frowned at her for a second. “It’s been years. How is that rushing?”

  Kaylie cupped his face. “Exactly. We haven’t been together for years. We’ve both changed. I’m just saying that I want to take it slowly and not jump into something based on our past rather than who we are now.”

  The unhappy look on Jake’s face cleared. He nodded. “I understand what you’re saying, but how slow are we talking?”

  She shrugged. “How about we revisit this in three months? If things are going well, we take the next step, whatever that may be. If not, we accept that we’ve both changed too much. Maybe then we’d be able to actually move on.”

  “Okay,” Jake answered, “I can accept that but I reserve the right to bring up the future between now and then. I’m not going to do this if we’re pretending there’s an end date.”

  Kaylie nodded. “That’s fine with me.”

  “Good. Can we just relax now?” Jake asked.

  She laughed. “I guess.”

  Kaylie let him pull her head back down to his shoulder. She still didn’t pay much attention to the television show he’d picked out, but she felt happier than she had in years. Hope filled her as she snuggled closer to Jake and drifted off to sleep.

  Epilogue

  Six Weeks Later

  “Kaylie, get a move on!” Blair bellowed.

  Kaylie emerged from her bathroom, scowling at her best friend. “Stop shouting, Blair. I’m ready.”

  Her best friend put both hands on her hips. “I’ve been waiting for your slow ass for twenty minutes. The boys have been waiting in the living room for half an hour.”

  Ignoring Blair’s obvious annoyance, Kaylie went to her dresser and spritzed perfume on her wrists and neck.

  Her friend sighed loudly. “Kay, this is just a double date, not a state dinner.”

  Kaylie turned to face her. “That’s easy for you to say. With Jake’s schedule, we never get to go out. He always has to cancel or reschedule because of work stuff. I think we’ve been out on actual dates three times in the last six weeks. So, for me, tonight is a special occasion.”

  Blair rolled her eyes. “Just hurry up.”

  Kaylie went to the bed and grabbed her clutch. “I’m ready. Let’s go. What are you waiting for?”

  They both giggled as they left the bedroom and went down the hall to the living room. The guys were sprawled out on the furniture, each drinking a beer. Kevin grinned when he saw them come in.

  “I think the wait was worth it, Jake.”

  Kaylie smirked at Blair when Jake said, “Hell yeah.”

  They all left the house and loaded into Blair’s sedan. When they arrived at the restaurant, the maitre d’ seated them immediately. The meal was fantastic, as was the company. Kayli
e loved seeing her brother and her best friend so happy. She even enjoyed hearing their good natured bickering in regards to their wedding. Blair wanted something small and elegant, but Kevin didn’t want to wait. He wanted to go to Vegas. When Blair looked to her for help, Kaylie just shrugged and laughed when her friend gave her a go-to-hell look. Jake was quiet all night and she wasn’t sure what was going on. Blair and Kevin didn’t seem to notice, but Kaylie couldn’t help wondering if maybe something was going on with him.

  After the night they agreed to wait three months, things had been fantastic. They argued just like any couple, but Kaylie even enjoyed that. Jake never fought dirty. He always stayed on target and never raised his voice. When they were getting along, which was the norm, they had fun. They laughed and played and just enjoyed each other’s company. It was better than it had been before.

  That’s why Kaylie was a little freaked at his behavior tonight. He was so quiet and distracted. As dinner wound down, Jake remained quiet, but Blair and Kevin seemed even more upbeat and excited. Kaylie grabbed Blair and dragged her to the restroom to “freshen up” while the men paid the check.

  While she touched up her make-up, Kaylie glanced at Blair out of the corner of her eye.

  “Blair, did Jake seem weird to you tonight?”

  She watched her friend hesitate as she swiped lip gloss on her lips.

  “I think he’s okay, Kaylie. Kevin said things have been crazy for him at work, maybe he’s just tired.”

  Kaylie put her make-up back in her purse. Blair was right, things had been hectic for him at work the last few weeks. He had several open cases that he was working and he had been coming home late almost every night.

  “You’re right,” she sighed. “He has been busy. Maybe we should have cancelled for tonight.”

  Blair put an arm around her shoulders. “Kay, honey, everything is fine. Don’t make trouble where there is none.”