Meant to Be Yours Read online

  She looked up to confirm her theory, which gave her exactly half a second to prepare herself for the impact of his lips on hers.

  Her first impression was of heat. His mouth was warm, as was his body, but she was on fire. Need erupted long before he deepened the kiss. Just pressing against him, having him hold her and holding him back was unbearably arousing. When he actually got busy with the kissing part, she wasn’t sure if she was going to melt, scream or fall apart right there in the parking lot.

  His tongue stroked her bottom lip. She parted, then groaned when he slipped inside. They circled and danced and explored. She raised herself on her tiptoes to get a better angle. He nipped her lower lip, then ran his hands up and down her back.

  Everywhere he touched blazed with hunger. She was nearly shaking with need. He might not know much about weddings, but he sure could kiss and right now that was the superior skill.

  But just when she was really getting into it, Jasper pulled back. He was breathing heavily and looked slightly dazed.

  “That was unexpected,” he murmured.

  “Good unexpected?”

  He cleared his throat. “You have to ask?”

  “Just checking.”

  They stared at each other. Here it was, she thought. The moment of reckoning. She could wimp out and walk away or she could be strong and self-actualized by asking for what she wanted.

  “Come home with me.”

  The words came out more question than statement, but she’d said them, so good for her. Unless he said no. Then she would die—right there in the parking lot. They would find her stiff body in the morning and no one would know what had happened.

  Jasper raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

  She hunched her shoulders. “I’ve used up all my courage, so I can’t ask again.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not looking for you to repeat the question. I’m confirming this is what you want.”

  She looked at him, starting at his very large feet and working her way up. It was too dark in the parking lot for her to be sure, but she was fairly confident he had an erection. She took in his broad shoulders, his handsome face and then thought about how sad and lonely her girl bits had been.

  “This is what I want,” she told him.

  That corner of his mouth turned up again. “How far is your place?”

  “About six minutes from here.”

  “Then we’d best get going.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  SEVEN MINUTES AND maybe twenty seconds later, they were in her small apartment. Renee managed to turn on the lamp by the door and kick off her shoes before Jasper reached for her. Their lips clung even as he tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. It was impossible to pull off her shirt while kissing, but they tried before finally breaking apart.

  “Bedroom,” she said, thinking of the box of condoms she had in her dresser. A box she’d bought when she’d moved to town and never had the opportunity to open until now.

  Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and saw Jasper had pulled off his shirt, leaving his broad chest bare. He was muscled and male and she couldn’t help moving closer and pressing her mouth to his warm skin.

  She’d barely had a chance to do more than register the slightly salty taste of him when he was unfastening her bra and reaching around to cup her breasts. The feel of his fingers against her hungry flesh was perfection. He caressed her curves before brushing against her tight, sensitive nipples. At the first stroke, her breath caught. At the second, she cried out as pleasure burned through to her center. She was already wet and swollen. In seconds she shifted to downright desperate.

  “Bedroom,” she said weakly, still thinking of that condom and him inside of her and oh, please could they get on with it.

  “You are focused on getting up there,” he said, his voice teasing.

  She managed to open her eyes and look up at him—a challenging task considering how he was playing with her nipples, rubbing them between his thumb and fingers and then squeezing just tightly enough to make her groan.

  “Unless you walk around with protection in your pocket which, I confess, will make me think less of you, we should head to the bedroom.”

  “Well, damn. You’re right.”

  Before she could say anything, he shifted, bending over and then scooping her up in his arms. She shrieked at the sudden loss of control and grabbed on to him.

  Renee couldn’t remember the last time she’d been carried. She assumed she’d been maybe eight or nine. Yes, she was small, but she was mighty and she didn’t take kindly to being—

  He lowered her onto her bed. Before she could complain that she did not enjoy being picked up like a sack of potatoes, he lowered his head and drew her left nipple deeply into his mouth. He flicked his tongue against the taut skin before sucking hard enough to make her writhe with need and delight. Heat poured through her. Wanting grew until she couldn’t think about anything else. Even as he shifted to her other breast, she was unfastening her jeans and pushing them off.

  He drew back and watched her. “That much of a hurry?”

  “It’s been decades.”

  “You’re not old enough for it to have been decades.”

  “It feels like decades.” She pointed to his jeans. “Take your clothes off.”

  He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

  He stood and quickly did as she requested. Renee gave herself a moment to study his naked body. The man looked good and was, ah, well proportioned.

  “Condoms?” he asked.

  She rolled over to get them out of the far nightstand drawer. When she shifted back, Jasper returned to the bed.

  “How would you like this to go?” he asked.

  “Fast.”

  He chuckled. “What I meant was you’re kind of small and I’m a big guy. Until we figure out what works best, do you want to be on top?”

  She had a brief image of impaling herself on his erection, sliding down until he filled her all the way.

  “Done,” she said, tossing him the box. “Hurry.”

  “You’re bossy.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s part of my charm.”

  He put on the condom, then motioned to his covered dick. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  She supposed she should spend a minute thinking about the fact that she barely knew the man, yet here she was, naked and prepared to do the deed. While she’d never been particularly prudish during sex, she wasn’t exactly wild, either. Maybe it was because there was no emotional risk, or maybe she was simply that horny, or maybe it was Jasper himself. At this point, she genuinely didn’t care.

  She straddled him and positioned herself over him, then closed her eyes as she slowly lowered herself. He was long and thick and filled every inch of her in the most delicious way possible. She shifted that last bit all the way in, then let her body remember what all this was about.

  Jasper swore. She looked at him.

  “What?”

  “You.” He swore again. “You’re naked, sexy as hell, all-in with how it feels and I’m just supposed to lie here without losing it like some kid? I’m not sure I have that much willpower.”

  Really? Really? She smiled. “So this is arousing?” She wiggled a little, then contracted her muscles.

  He inhaled sharply. “That is not a game you’re going to win. Not if you want what I think you want.”

  He had a point, but she couldn’t help teasing him with another squeeze. He groaned.

  She laughed. “Okay, I’ll stop, for now. What if I do this?”

  Without thinking, she slipped her fingers between her parted thighs and found her swollen clit. She’d only meant to tease him with a quick show of her touching herself, but the second she rubbed herself, her need climbed from desperate to unbearable. The combination of her touch and the fullness of him
inside of her was too much to resist. She told herself she had to stop, that she couldn’t do that kind of thing in front of him, but the sensations building inside of her were powerful and amazing and...

  “Don’t stop,” he said quickly. “Renee, don’t stop. Please.”

  She looked at him and saw him intently studying her. His pupils were dilated, his body stiff. He moved his hands to her hips, guiding her up and down in the rhythm designed to take them both over the edge.

  Still watching him watch her, she rubbed harder, faster, with each circle, she brushed against the base of his erection, she felt how hard he was, how ready.

  “Tell me it’s not going to take long,” he breathed.

  “It’s not.”

  She was so close already. Her orgasm was just there, on the fringes. Still holding his gaze, she moved up and down faster and faster. She could feel her breasts bouncing, her face flushing, her release getting closer. Need built and built until she was overwhelmed and had no choice but to give in to her orgasm. She cried out, her body contracting around him, forcing him over the edge. His hands tightened on her hips, holding her still as he pushed in even farther, pressing against the very heart of her and groaning as he came.

  Renee stayed where she was for a few seconds. Reality returned and she had to face the fact that she was naked, straddling a man she barely knew and his penis was still inside of her.

  Just as her afterglow was about to crash and burn in a sea of humiliation, Jasper smiled at her. It was a very self-satisfied male smile that spoke of his own pleasure at everything that had happened.

  “You’re not all that,” she said, shifting off him and standing. Her legs were a little shaky and she’d been stretched every which way, but she had to admit, she felt good. Better than good.

  “I’m all that and so are you.”

  He got up, as well. They cleaned up and went looking for their clothes. Once they were dressed, Renee braced herself for the speedy departure. It was what guys did, or so she’d been told. This was her first one-night stand. No regrets, she told herself. She wasn’t looking for anything but easy sex. She was a disaster at romantic relationships and knew the smartest decision was to avoid them completely. Jasper had given her everything she’d wanted.

  “Got any beer?” he asked when he’d tugged on his T-shirt.

  “I do.”

  She moved toward the kitchen. As she passed him, he reached out and lightly stroked her arm. They paused to stare at each other. One corner of his mouth turned up in a boyish half smile that left her feeling oddly...floaty.

  She grabbed a bottle for each of them and they went into the living room. So he was going to stay for a bit. That was unexpected, but nice. Really nice.

  He settled on the sofa. She hesitated a second before sitting in the chair opposite. While snuggling next to him sounded appealing and something she could get into, she didn’t actually know him that well. The truth of the statement nearly made her laugh.

  Sex?

  Why, yes, thank you. Now what was your name again?

  “Something funny?” he asked.

  “Um, no. Just thinking about stuff.”

  He studied her for a second. “You know I’m not the marrying kind, right?”

  She’d nearly taken a sip of her beer. Grateful she hadn’t, so she wouldn’t choke to death, she set the bottle on the coffee table between them and stared at him. So much for feeling floaty.

  “What are you talking about? The marrying kind? Why would you say that? Why would you think it? Who do you think I am? I don’t want to marry you. It was just sex. It was good sex but it wasn’t in the—” she held up both hands and made air quotes “‘now we have to get married’ category.”

  She didn’t know if she should stand up for emphasis or just glare convincingly.

  Jasper grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just, you plan weddings for a living.”

  “That is my job, not who I am. You write about people getting murdered. I don’t assume you’re planning to murder me. Not the marrying kind. No wondering you’re not in a relationship.”

  “Hey, don’t judge.”

  “That line deserves judgment.”

  “Can I have a do-over?”

  “Sexually or conversationally?”

  An eyebrow rose, as his expression shifted to slightly predatory. “Give me a few minutes and you can have both.”

  “You wish.” Although in truth, she thought it was a good idea, too.

  “I kind of do.”

  They smiled at each other. There was a moment of silence, but this time it was comfortable.

  “How’d you end up here?” she asked. “You don’t strike me as a Happily Inc kind of guy.”

  “My car broke down. I was living in LA and I had just driven to New York to visit my publisher and agent.”

  “You drove from LA to New York and back? Why didn’t you fly?”

  “I didn’t fly well back then. I still don’t like it, but I can do it.”

  Why wouldn’t he fly well? Oh, right, she thought. While she didn’t know the details, she’d heard rumors about his time in the military and how he’d escaped without physical injury but still had suffered from significant PTSD.

  “So you were stuck in town while they fixed your car?” she asked.

  “I was. It was an old clunker and it took a while to get the parts shipped in. I stayed at one of the hotels.”

  She picked up her beer and grinned. “Oh, please, please tell me you stayed at the Sweet Dreams Inn.”

  “Why would you care about that?”

  “I want to picture you hanging out in one of the themed rooms. The princess room or the Heidi room or the woodland creature room.”

  “There’s a woodland creature room? Why?”

  “It’s fun. I’d love it.”

  He shuddered. “That must be a girl thing. For what it’s worth, I was in the pirate room.”

  “I know that one. It’s nice.”

  When she’d first taken the job in Happily Inc, she’d made it a point to visit all the local businesses that supported the wedding industry. She wanted to be able to offer recommendations because she knew what she was talking about. To that end, she’d toured all the rooms at the Sweet Dreams Inn, so she knew the pirate room was actually fairly masculine, with a huge sailing ship doubling as a bed.

  “But still—no little woodland creatures to keep you company?” she asked, her tone wistful.

  “I’m afraid not. Argh.”

  She laughed. “Okay, I’ll accept the pirate room. So you were stuck in town and decided to stay?”

  “I didn’t have a plan. I drove around to kill time. The people were friendly enough. I was here over a Monday night, so the clerk at the front desk suggested I head to The Boardroom for game night.”

  “And you were hooked?”

  “I was intrigued.” He shifted so he rested his bare feet on the coffee table. “I contacted a local real estate agent about places on the market. I knew I wouldn’t want to live in town, so I wasn’t expecting much. My house is the first place we saw. I looked at a half dozen more, realized I’d already found what I wanted and made an offer.”

  “And here you are.”

  His gaze locked with hers. “Here we both are.”

  She felt the tension rising between them. It was nice. Sexy and insistent. Inside, heat began to build.

  “So I’m not looking for a relationship,” she said. “I haven’t ever had good luck in the romance department.” Which was putting it mildly, she thought. Her love life had been a disaster, and while she wanted to say it was her mother’s fault, in truth there were other reasons.

  “Giving up on your own happily-ever-after?” he asked.

  “Pretty much.”

  He lowered his legs and rested his feet on t
he floor, then put his beer on the table. “But a woman has needs.”

  His tone was low, sexy and intriguing. Renee felt herself flushing. Stupid red hair, she thought with a sigh. “A woman does. As does a man.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  She kept her gaze on his, even though she desperately wanted to look away. “But, ah, I’ve never really done anything like this before.”

  “Had a sex-only relationship?”

  She winced. “Could we not call it that?”

  His voice turned teasing. “But you do want me to be your booty call.”

  In for a penny and all that. “Yes.”

  He nodded slowly. “So you’d be using me for sex?”

  “I could say the same thing about you.”

  “I didn’t ask you to be my booty call. I don’t know.” He raised and lowered his shoulders. “I’ve never been anyone’s sex toy before.”

  “You didn’t really just say that.”

  He dropped his gaze to the floor. “I feel used.”

  “Just stop it. No one believes that for a second.”

  He looked at her again and grinned. “Sex without the promise of anything more,” he said. “I’m in.” His smile faded. “Having said that, I’d like to keep things exclusive. Otherwise it gets confusing. Unless you want to invite one of your friends to join us.”

  “What?” she shrieked.

  He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I’m kidding. I know them too well. Worse, I know the men in their lives. It would be weird. So just you and me, for as long as it’s good for us, then when it’s over, we walk away. No regrets, no bad breakup.”

  It sounded so mature and modern, she thought. And was exactly what she wanted. And while she was fully aware that it could all end horribly, because her boy-girl things always did, at least she was starting from a position of clarity and honesty.

  “Agreed,” she said firmly, raising herself on tiptoe so she could kiss him. “Now, if it’s been long enough, I think I should let you use me for sex. To keep things fair.”

  “I like how you think.”

  He pulled a condom out of his jeans pocket and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I grabbed that from your bedroom. I say that so you don’t think less of me.” He grinned. “Your sofa is very comfortable. Why don’t we start here and see where things go.”