Letting Go Read online

  “Hey, dickless,” Jake said to Lance when he finally looked up. “Out of my bar.”

  Lance frowned. His eyes crossed as if the room were out of focus.

  “Where’s Sarah?” His words slurred together.

  “Not your business.” Jake moved closer to the table. Several of the guys at the table shifted worried looks between Luc and Jake. “Now get out.”

  “Oh that’s too bad,” Lance said. He reached for the blonde next to him and squeezed her tight against him. “Wanted to show her what a real woman could do.”

  Several of the men at the table laughed nervously.

  Jake could feel the vein in his neck throb slightly as he tried to maintain his control. This asshole was not worth jail time.

  “Last time. Get out before I throw you out.”

  The friends around all stood and started to shuffle toward the door, which Luc had kindly opened for them.

  “Come on.”

  Lance got up and stumbled around to Jake’s side.

  “Good luck, man.” Lance smirked at him. “You’re gonna need it with that frigid bitch.”

  Jake felt the rage start to boil over. He reached his meaty arms out and grabbed the shit by the scruff of his shirt.

  “Wanna say that again?” Jake said. He pulled one hand back, ready to fly at the hint of something nasty, when his head suddenly reeled from a blow. The blonde had picked up a nearby pitcher, half full of beer, and tossed it at him, clocking him on the side of his head.

  The shock made him release his hold, and Lance slumped onto the panicked girl.

  “Out,” Jake backed up to let them get by and pointed to the door. The quiet controlled rage was almost worse and the two quickly moved out of reach. His temple throbbed where a lump formed.

  As they passed through the door, Luc tried to hide his grin. Jake, still dripping wet and angry, watched the two leave.

  “I’ll just make sure they get to their cars without any trouble.” Luc’s grin grew. “Maybe you should go change. I’m sure Sarah would be happy to help.”

  He winked at Jake and closed the door behind him.

  Sarah sat curled up on the couch in Jake’s office. It had been quiet out front, and she was dying to know what was going on. Not that she wanted to cause Jake trouble, but it would have been a treat to see those two in action.

  The door to the office swung open, and Jake charged in.

  “What hap—” she began.

  She watched captivated as Jake pulled the bottom of his shirt up to his face and wiped. The hard plane of his stomach rippled with the movement. A bead of liquid dripped from the end of his hair onto his stomach before disappearing in the trail of hair leading to the front of his pants.

  She licked her lips when her mouth went dry and glanced up when he went still.

  His eyes locked with hers. She shivered at their heat.

  Keeping his eyes on hers, he slowly lifted the shirt off and tossed it to the corner.

  Sarah wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She had never seen a huge man like him up-close. Once again she found herself wet and wondering if he was huge all over. Everything previously indicated that.

  “Shit,” he said and sat down in his office chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and placed his head in his hands. “Not smart.”

  Sarah found the capacity to talk again.

  “Did something happen?”

  Jake raised his head up and shook his head.

  “Oh, he’s long gone.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said. Sarah stood and placed herself in front of Jake and stared at his drippy head. She noticed the pale streak of red running down his neck. Quickly, she dropped her knees.

  “Oh my god. What happened?”

  She gingerly touched the lump. His jaw twitched from the touch. When he brought his fingers up and they came back stained with blood, he looked a little surprised.

  “Guess she got me pretty good.”

  “Who got you? The bitch he was with?” Sarah jumped to her feet. “Someone should teach her some manners.”

  Jake’s hand shot out as she pulled toward the door.

  “It’s fine. They’re all gone, and this is no big deal. First time getting hit with a pitcher, but at least it wasn’t a pool cue.”

  Sarah’s eyebrow’s knitted together with worry.

  “The hell it’s fine. What if you have a concussion? You need to lie on the couch.”

  She grabbed his hands and pulled until he stood. She shuffled him over to the couch and shoved him down.

  “Now you just rest, and I’ll get some ice.”

  With that she walked out the door.

  Jake groaned at his stupidity. He had ten years on her and a world of experience. What the hell did a kid know about real life? He should just retreat upstairs to his bed and forget the whole day. Catching a girl on the rebound was a dumbass move.

  He threw his arm over his eyes and tried to remember the last time he had even been with a woman. It wasn’t like he didn’t have needs, but the bar had taken a great deal of his time. Jake groaned when he realized he was going to have to find some way out of this room without ripping Sarah’s clothes off.

  “Does it hurt that bad?”

  Jake jumped when he felt her breath on his skin. He could feel his cock swell with her sweet smell drifting over him.

  She gingerly placed the ice in the towel on the lump. He lay frozen as she stretched her arm across his chest, her breasts firmly against his side. When he focused on her, he could feel her quick intake and two firm peaks form against his side.

  She licked her lips. Her eyes became hooded with lust. She leaned toward him and gently placed her lips to his. Jake could feel his resolve slipping as she tested the water. He broke completely when she tentatively nipped at his bottom lip.

  A hand snaked to the side of her face, sliding down her neck and around the back of her head. Jake pressed his lips firmly against hers and licked the seam. He groaned when she opened and he thrust his tongue in. His cock pushed painfully against his jeans, and he was certain if he didn’t do something about it soon, there would be a permanent zipper imprint.

  Sarah broke the kiss and began trailing open-mouthed kisses along his neck. When she reached the flesh of his chest, she nipped and licked her way down. Her fingers followed in the wake of her mouth. When she had reached his stomach, she brought her face back to his for a carnal kiss.

  Her hand hit the button of his pants. Jake realized where things were headed. He pushed Sarah back onto her knees and sat up on the couch.

  “What’s wrong?” Sarah leaned toward Jake. His breathing came heavy as his head rested in his hand and his elbow propped on his knees. “Is your bump bothering you?”

  Sarah reached out to touch the bump but stopped when Jake raised his eyes to her.

  “No,” he said slowly. He sighed and threw himself back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He looked back at her. “You know this isn’t a good idea right?”

  “And why is that?” Sarah crossed her arms under her breast, ready for war.

  “First of all, I’m your boss.”

  “Fine. I quit.”

  Jake sighed. “I thought you needed this job?”

  “I do, but I can find another.” She leaned in closer. “We have something. You know it.”

  “Okay, well how about that I’m ten years older? We are worlds apart in life experience.”

  Unfolding her arms, Sarah leaned in even closer, nearly resting on his knees.

  “Oh really. It’s eight years, and I’ve got a world of experience, you just haven’t bothered to ask.”

  Jake arched his brows.

  “You know the reason I love this job so much? It means that I can be home with my mom during the day. When it’s time for me to work my aunt is nearly home for the evening.”

  Sarah watched as Jake’s eyebrows came together in concentration. She knew she had been tightlipped about her mother, but it just wasn’t some
thing she wanted to explain to everyone.

  Jake leaned in and took hold of her hands. Worry was written all over his face, and she felt guilty for not telling him sooner. It had just been easier to let him think she was like Lance, carefree and self-absorbed.

  “What’s wrong with your mom?”

  Sarah sighed. She hated the idea of him knowing. The pity would come, and suddenly she wouldn’t be the woman he wanted to ravish but a problem to help solve.

  “Multiple sclerosis. It started when I was a kid and my dad was still around. She started getting terrible headaches. My dad would complain that she was just being lazy.” Sarah’s eyes misted remembering all the fights they had. “Finally she went in and after some testing, came back with MS. Dad couldn’t handle it and split soon after. But this was only the start of it all. She eventually started to get excruciating pain. Not all the time but it would come on suddenly. Sometimes there’s numbing, which was even more annoying. She’s lucky though. Mostly she’s able to control it with medication. We’ve been lucky enough to have most everything covered by insurance and grants, but there’s always something to buy.”

  When Sarah looked up at Jake, he was stared at the door. Burning a hole through it with his angry glare.

  Sarah sighed.

  “Listen, I’m sorry to lay this all on you.” Jake turned to her, confusion clearly written all over his face as she stood. “It’s obvious that I like you, but I’m not going to push.”

  Jake flew off the couch as Sarah turned toward the door. He’d be damned if he would let her slip away after everything she had just told him. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

  “What do you mean by like?” he asked. He could feel the heat bloom on his face.

  “Uh, well, I just…You are a great guy. You’ve worked hard to make this place successful. Not only that, but you are so great with everyone who comes in.” Sarah took a breath and closed her eyes. “You’re just so different from everyone.” When she opened he eyes, Jake could see the fire.

  “Lot of people who aren’t too happy with my brand of different.” Jake laughed bitterly. “Actually, most are just afraid of me.”

  Sarah placed her hand on his bicep and moved closer. His muscles twitched at the contact.

  “You aren’t exactly easy to get to know.” She slid her hand across his chest to rest over his heart. “If you opened up, people would see what I see.”

  Sarah’s hand trembled. He could be so complicated and standoffish, but there was so much good in him. She just wished everyone got to see that side.

  When he looked up she saw for the first time a vulnerability that had never been there. This was a wounded man in more than one way.

  Her heart slammed in her chest as she slowly snaked her hand up his chest and around his neck. She pushed herself up on tiptoe and leaned in. When her lips met his she savored the gentleness.

  At first she was afraid he might push her away. The kiss lacked much of a response on his, end and when he put his hands on her shoulders, she readied herself for the letdown.

  His fingers tightened. Suddenly she found herself crushed again the solid wall of his chest. His hungry kisses devoured her. When their tongues met, she groaned. He tasted like mint and alcohol, which only heighten her sense.

  A gasp slipped out when she found herself being pressed against the door. She hadn’t even known they had been moving.

  Roaming hands skimmed the sides of her breasts as they worked their way down. The overload caused her to break the kiss and lean hear head back against the door. Jake moved to worshiping her neck, nipping and placing open-mouthed kisses along the way.

  Sarah pressed closer when Jake’s hands found their way to her ass. His hard length pressed against her stomach as his thigh slid between her legs and pressed against her aching mound. Testing the waters, she moved herself up and down on her tip toes against him. A low groan rumbled near her ear. The sound was exhilarating and made her want to cause it again.

  She hiked her leg up but huffed in frustration. His height was just too much for her for her to complete the contact the way she would like. What she really wanted was to look at him the next time he groaned like that.

  Unwinding her hands from his neck, she slipped them down his chest. It felt smooth and different than she had ever expected. The muscles under her palm twitched as she worked her way down. When she reached his nipples, she playfully tweaked them. He hissed. She noticed he had stopped his ministrations on her neck and watched her with a burning desire. This time, when she rose on her toes, she watched his face as it contorted into an almost pained look.

  He leaned in for a burning kiss. She once again threw her arms around his neck. When his hands found the back of her thighs, they trembled with need. Jake broke the kiss.

  “Wrap your legs around me.” His commanding nature and gentle touches were nearly her undoing.

  Jake grabbed the backs of both thighs and lifted her up. Strong legs wrapped around his middle, her warm heat snug against his throbbing cock. Too long like this, and he would likely lose his himself.

  Sweet little Sarah was now the one taking charge. She raked her teeth along his neck as her lower half squeezed in even tighter. They rocked into each other. His hands worked their way under her flimsy dress and gripped her bare ass. He groaned again as she hit her sweet spot and shuddered against him.

  Pushing her hard against the door, he slid his hand out and her dress up so he could see where they met. The blue scrap of fabric barely covered anything. He moved her panties out of the way and touched the sensitive bud. Sara arched against the door. Her pert breasts shoved near his face. He leaned down and covered the clad pointed nipple with his mouth. A groan slipped out, sending a jolt to his already throbbing cock and nearly sent him over the edge.

  He glided her down his body until her feet hit the floor. She turned to him, confusion and hurt written clearly.

  “Let’s go upstairs.” Jake stepped back so he could open the door. He could see her hesitating. “Unless you want to call it a night.” He hitched an eyebrow up in challenge.

  “No,” she said. “I want to be with you.”

  Sarah put her hand into his.

  The simple gesture speared him right to the heart and he nearly threw himself at her once again. Her gentle tugging forced him move.

  The upstairs apartment was modest but clean. This shouldn’t have surprised Sarah since Jake was never one for a mess downstairs, but in her mind all men were slobs. At least, all the men she had known.

  Although he had said she should make herself at home, she wasn’t exactly sure how to do that. When he went to take a shower, she thought her heart would finally go back to normal. Instead she roamed the apartment a nervous wreck. She threw her purse on the grey over stuffed L-shaped couch and turned to look at the elaborate TV system. Sarah smirked. Apparently somebody liked his TV. She roamed the living room aimlessly, picking up pictures on nearly every surface. Anticipating his return was almost as intense as being with him.

  It wasn’t until she spotted a picture of Jake and Luc, over the mantel of the fireplace, that she could focus on something else. There were several men in the photo. All were smiling despite the camo attire, a parched and arid mountainous landscape behind them.

  Sarah nearly dropped the photo when Jake spoke from behind her.

  “Some really great men from my unit.”

  She spun around with the photo still in hand. Her breath caught.

  Once again he was naked from the waist up. Little droplets of water dripped from his hair. Unlike his usual black slacks or black jeans, Jake wore a more relaxed fit that hung low on his hips.

  Sarah licked her lips as she thought about tracing the line of hair that led into those pants.

  Her eyes sprung back to his and were captivated by the hunger she saw.

  “Last chance,” he said. Jake moved forward in a predatory way. “I get ahold of you, I’m gonna strip you down and lick every piece of flesh I come ac
ross.”

  Sarah shuddered at the image. Looking him in the eye, she took a bold step forward.

  Jake rushed forward and swept her into his arms. Several quick strides and they were in the bedroom. He dropped her on the four post bed. She squealed. When he didn’t join her, she looked up only to catch him staring at her.

  “What’s wrong?” She went to cross her arms over her middle only to have them pushed back again.

  Gently, Jake took the photo she was still holding and placed the frame on the bedside table. He knelt beside her on the bed and started to gingerly undo the buttons to the flimsy dress. Slowly the fabric fell away, revealing the naked flesh beneath.

  Jake lay next to her and reveled in the satin-like feel of her skin. Her bra was made of the same sheer blue fabric as her panties. The hard pebbles beneath marked her ample breasts. He could see how affected she was by the quick rise and fall of those beautiful breasts.

  After flicking the latch on the front of the bra, her breasts sprang forward. Jake ran his hand slowly down the valley. Just barely touching the fleshy sides. Then he slowly traced around the areola, causing the surface to pucker further.

  Sarah could feel the moisture leaking out and soaking her panties.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “Please what?” She could feel his hot breath brush across her breasts and looked over at him.

  “Touch me.”

  He pounced. Sucking and tugging at her tender flesh. She lifted her hips off the bed. He clamped down on her nipple and began flicking his tongue back and forth. Her fingers threaded through his still damp hair as she tugged him closer to her. When he leaned over to give the same treatment to the other breast, his fingers probed her slick heat.

  Jake pushed the damp panties to the side and slid his finger along her delicate lips. The smooth bare skin nearly did him in as he explored her. He ran his finger back and forth along the seam of her slick folds. He pulled back from her breasts to watch as he stroked her pussy.

  He worked up and down but never slipping into the wanting depth. Each time his finger met with more sweet honey. Sarah grabbed his arm, digging her nails in as she pumped her hips up and down. Her other hand pinched and rolled her nipple. It was the most erotic thing he had ever seen.