“Holy Moses…” she said in one long breath.
He tightened his hold and nipped at her earlobe. “When you’re with me…” He kissed the back of her neck. “How about if mine is the only name coming off your lips?” Her breathing quickened again. He pressed both hands to her cheeks, hard, his thumbs against her jaw—a last chance for her to beg off. He wanted to be gentle, but gentle left the boat the minute she said he didn’t need an invitation. Indecent thoughts he’d tried to stop himself from pairing with Jenna raced through his mind. If he was going to be with Jenna, really be with her, he needed to know she could handle—and wanted—him before he tasted that sweet mouth of hers.
But when he looked into her beautiful eyes and felt her eager body, it struck him like a ton of bricks.
She was there with Charlie. She wasn’t his to claim. No matter how much she felt like she was, or that he was practically salivating at the thought of kissing her, she wasn’t his to enjoy. Pete did not want to share Jenna.
He forced himself to bring his mouth to her ear again.
“When you’re done with your boy, Jenna, and you want me. Just me. You let me know.” His voice sounded rough and gravelly, laden with frustration.
Releasing her was the hardest thing he’d ever done, until he took a step back and unfurled her fingers from his jeans, breaking their connection altogether. Jenna let out a loud breath, panting, her eyes slowly refocusing on him.
“Wha—? Why?”
It was a fair question, and the anger in her beautiful eyes was fair, too. He wanted to take her in his arms and devour her, but he wouldn’t. Once their lips touched, she was his. And he was hers. All Pete had to offer her was the truth.
“I don’t share well. Not you, Jenna. I can’t share you.”
He felt her hot stare follow him as he stepped away; then her hand clutched the back of his jeans and she yanked him back. Pete was a formidable presence against her petite frame. He turned with her efforts and Jenna threw her arms up, coming up short of his neck, which almost made him laugh because she was so stinkin’ cute, all hot, bothered, and ready to devour him. But laughter wasn’t on his mind as he gripped her waist and lifted her easily so she could do what she pleased. He was powerless to resist the love he felt for her. Jenna’s arms circled his neck as he backed her against the wall and sealed his lips over hers in a hard, deep crash of a kiss. She met stroke after insistent stroke of his hunger. She buried her hands in his hair, her nails digging into his scalp as they deepened the kiss. Her legs wrapped around his waist, holding her up, freeing his hands to grope. Her body was supple. Sheer perfection. She could darn well handle him, and now he knew she wanted him, too. Just him.
With one powerful arm around her waist, the other feeling her up—yes, feeling her up, because there was no other way to describe the way he took what he’d been wanting, what he’d tried to ignore for too long—he turned with her in his arms and lowered them both to the padded bench behind them. It was all he could do not to take her right there. She rocked her hips against him, and he grabbed a handful of her sweet behind, holding her tighter, until he could barely think.
“I’ll see where she went.” Bella’s voice sailed around them as they made out like horny teenagers.
Footsteps descended the stairs, and Pete knew he should pull away, but Jenna was intoxicating, grabbing his hair, kissing him like he was the very oxygen she needed to survive. He wanted to stay right there, kissing her, loving her.
“What?” Bella’s voice again, coming closer.
Nooooo.
He tore himself from Jenna, leaving her gasping for air, sprawled across the bench. He lifted her to a sitting position and then plopped down beside her, hoping his arousal would somehow magically deflate, and knowing there wasn’t a chance it would.
Bella was looking behind her, up toward the deck. She turned, her eyes darted between them, and worry shifted across her features. “Oh. Shoot.”
There was no way for them to hide the urgency of their need. He was sure it dripped from their pores. Jenna’s hair was a tangled mess, her cheeks were flushed, and he was pretty sure he looked the same. Pete ran his hand through his hair and turned his attention to Jenna. He wasn’t about to try and explain to Bella. She knew exactly what was going on, but he didn’t want Jenna to be embarrassed, and the last thing she needed was for Charlie to find out. Charlie. Pete bit back his distaste that Jenna had come with Charlie and that now he’d have to relinquish her to him again. He ran his fingers through her hair until she looked more kempt, then cupped her cheeks and stared deeply into her eyes.
“Jenna,” he whispered, and rested his forehead against hers.
“Holy moly.” Bella took a step toward the stairs, then turned back.
Pete waited for Jenna to say something, and when she didn’t, he kissed her cheek and took her hand in his. “Go out with me tomorrow?”
She nodded, a slight smile on her lips, and in her eyes was pure, unadulterated desire that snuck inside him and softened his rough edges. Only then did he realize what he’d been too thick to see for all these years. Jenna didn’t need words. She didn’t need to be aggressive like the women he was used to, telling him that she wanted him, staking claim to him in a way that left no doubt. There was more want in her eyes, more real emotion, than any woman had ever verbalized. How could he have been so blind for so long? Jenna was the perfect combination of confidence and sweetness, and tomorrow could not come soon enough.
JENNA FELT LIKE she’d sprouted wings and jumped from the top of a tower. She was soaring, weightless, among the clouds. Pete placed her hand on her thigh and covered it with his own, and then he smiled. Oh, how she loved his smile. His lips. The man could kiss—and hold, and touch, and, Oh gosh. I like you. I like you so darn much.
“Are you okay?” His voice was tender and caring.
She nodded, or at least she thought she did.
“I don’t want you to have trouble with Charlie, so I’m going to go up to the deck, but, Jenna, I need you to know that leaving you is the last thing I want to do.”
“Maybe so, but go. Please go,” Bella urged as she shot another look up the stairs. “You two look like…Forget it. You know what you look like.”
Pete’s eyes never left Jenna. She felt protected and cherished in a way no man had ever made her feel with nothing more than a kiss, a touch, and a thoughtful tone.
“Okay?”
She forced herself to nod. When he rose to his feet, he took her next breath with him and she longed for him to return.
Pete stopped beside Bella. “You know I don’t want to leave her.”
Bella pushed him toward the stairs, her eyes frenzied. “Yes. I know. Now get up there before she gets in trouble.”