He took a few steps closer to her.
Be a man. His self-directed thoughts were now very hard to ignore. Pretend it doesn’t make a difference to you either way.
It was best that Jacob continued to think she was engaged. It would make everything much easier.
“Thank you,” she finally replied.
His brow lowered. “You’re not inside with your husband-to-be, toasting your wonderfully average futures.”
She looked at him sharply. “Are you making fun of me?”
He paced back and forth in front of her. “Everybody pulls out all the stops to have a regular, normal life. Sounds like the perfect 1950s sitcom to me. Very exciting stuff.”
“You’re upset.”
He stopped moving, then laughed at that and it sounded hollow. “Strangest damn thing, but I’ll admit it. I am upset.”
“Any specific reason, or just upset in general?”
“Purely selfish reasons and nothing I’m particularly proud of.”
She looked over at the black car parked in the shadows and saw that the driver’s side door was open. She’d be willing to bet that he’d been about to leave when she had inadvertently interrupted him in her quest for fresh air.
She chewed her bottom lip. “I really should get back—”
He closed the remaining space between them and shut off any further words with a kiss that she didn’t even attempt to resist. His tongue swept into her mouth as the kiss deepened and became more passionate. Her hands were in his hair, on the sides of his face, moving down to his chest, where she finally managed to force him back a bit.
“Whoa,” she said breathlessly.
He had the audacity to look proud of himself. “You taste so good.”
“I need to get back to the party. They’re going to wonder where I went.”
“I’ve been thinking, Amanda, about everything that’s happened between us.”
She blinked. “And what have you been thinking?”
“That I’m glad it happened. I’m glad we’ve had the chance to get to know each other better.”
“Is that so?”
He nodded, his dark, sexy gaze never leaving hers. It made things low in her belly ache with need.
“I tried to resist,” he said. “I gave you some time alone to figure things out. But I know that it’s not going to work. And I frankly don’t give a good God damn if you’re engaged to some other guy, I can’t get you out of my head. If that makes me a selfish bastard, then so be it.”
“But, the curse—”
His jaw set. “Right, the curse.”
“Did Patrick tell you his hypothesis of what the curse actually is?”
“No.” His expression held guarded curiosity. “What did he say?”
She nervously looked around, expecting to be interrupted by someone from her party at any moment, but there was no one but the two of them. “He said he thought it might be a spell to reveal true feelings. Catherine’s aunt was a witch who apparently was a bit of a matchmaker.”
“Interesting.” He was quiet for a moment. “So when two people meant to be together get in the path of this clock, they can’t ignore how they really feel any longer?”
She shifted her feet. “He was speculating only.”
“You think?”
“Patrick is great and smart, and I know he cares about what happens to us, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily right about this.”
“So you still don’t think this could be real, what we have between us?”
She raised her eyebrows. “This insanity that makes us act like sex addicts?”
“Yeah,” he grinned. “That.”
“No, I don’t think it’s real.” She made a move to walk away from him. She’d wanted privacy so she could clear her head. Well, her head was clear and now she wanted to go back to the buzz and activity—and, well, safety—of the party she could hear muffled through the thick brick back wall of the pub. She couldn’t deal with this. It was too much and the confusing emotions were beginning to choke her.
“If you’re worried I’m going to say something to David about us, you don’t have to be.”
Her mouth was dry. “You mean like how you told him I’m clairvoyant?”
He sighed. “I was just attempting small talk with your perfect fiancé. How was I supposed to know you’d never shared that particular detail of your life with him?”
“You weren’t.” She couldn’t very well blame Jacob for that. It had been her own mistake that finally came back to bite her in the end.
She turned away from him.
“Amanda—” Jacob captured her hands in his before she could get far and brought them to his lips. “Maybe this is only magic. Hell, it would make more sense then. I’ve never felt anything so strong, so hard to resist, in my entire life. Try to tell me you don’t feel the same way.”
She bit her lip instead of answering.
He studied her for a moment, and then looked down at her hands. Most specifically her left hand, and he rubbed his thumb over her ring finger. “Where’s the bling?”
“The what?”
“The bling. The engagement ring. Why aren’t you wearing it?”
She felt the compulsion to tell the truth well up inside of her. “Because I said no to him.” She grimaced. “Shit.”
His eyes widened. “You said no?”
She couldn’t help but nod her head. Damn that need to tell the truth! As long as Jacob phrased something in the form of a question, she had to be completely honest with him. It was like a whacked episode of Jeopardy.
She was definitely doomed.
JACOB honestly couldn’t believe it. He’d been certain, absolutely no-doubt-about-it certain, that Amanda and David were engaged. As soon as David pulled out the ring in the bar, he’d left. He hadn’t waited around to hear the verdict, since he was sure it would be a yes.
The fact that it wasn’t completely stunned him.
He knew that she wouldn’t have told him the truth if he’d given her any other choice. Why was that? If she’d turned David down, the man who represented everything to her that Jacob himself wasn’t—i.e., a normal guy who didn’t give her any trouble—then what did that mean? Was she admitting that it wasn’t what she wanted anymore?
There was only one way to find out.
He pressed up against her and felt her tense, but she didn’t try to pull away from him. “I have a couple more questions for you, Amanda.”
A sliver of dread moved through her gaze. “Please, Jacob, don’t make me say anything.”
“Anything you might regret?”
She nodded.
He flinched. He didn’t want to force her to do anything. The thought was painful to him. “Why would you regret the truth? That’s what I’m getting at here. All I want is the truth.”
“The truth when I’m feeling all vulnerable doesn’t mean it’s the real truth.”
“What are you, a lawyer?” She was so logical about everything he had to grin. That only succeeded in making her angry.
“No, not a lawyer,” she answered truthfully. “Let go of me.”
He did immediately and she let out a sigh of relief.
However, he wasn’t finished yet.
“Do you want me?” he asked, bracing himself for her reply.
“Yes.” She cringed and glared at him. “Please stop that.”
A swell of dark pleasure moved through him at the answer. He studied her for a long moment. His gaze flitted from her beautiful but strained face down her luscious body, her long bare legs, then back up again.
He struggled to breathe as he willed himself to ask the question he desperately needed the answer to. “Are you in love with me?”
“Yes.” Immediately, her eyes bugged with shock at her reply.
Yes? She’d said yes?
He was so stunned by the answer that he couldn’t speak for a moment.
Amanda was in love with him. She’d answered truthfully—she had to. H
e wasn’t sure what answer he’d expected, but he hadn’t expected one so certain and decisive.
She looked distraught. “Dammit, Jacob. Why are you doing this?”
“Do you hate me for making you answer that question?” he managed.
“No,” she replied, averting her gaze.
Amanda tried to keep her emotions in check. To have everything she was feeling out on the table must have made her feel incredibly exposed.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t be doing this. It’s not really very fair, is it?”
“No, it’s not.” She swallowed and her eyes locked with his.
“Do you want to go back to the party right now?”
She shook her head. “Not yet.”
That truthful answer was a surprise. Even more of a surprise when she placed her hands flat against his chest. Her full, red lips were slightly parted and there was no mistaking the expression of desire on her face.
He ran his hands down the sides of her waist and hips before he raised his gaze to hers again.
“Do you want me to make love to you right now? Right here?”
“Yes.”
“We’re alone right now, but anyone could walk back here at any moment.”
“I don’t care.” She touched his face, his cheekbones, forehead, jawline, his lips. The heat from her fingers seared into him.
“Say it out loud,” he breathed. “Just so we don’t have any misunderstandings.”
“Make love to me, Jacob. Right here. Right now.”
His mouth met hers again and he kissed her long and slow and it grew deeper and harder. His hard cock strained painfully against the front of his jeans.
This wasn’t normal, this way he burned for her. It wasn’t average, the way his body ached for her. It was magical. He wanted her more than any other woman he’d ever known before and the thought actually scared him with its intensity.
She could hear the truth of his thoughts, he saw it in her eyes.
“I want you,” she managed. “So much.”
She made a small sound of protest when he pulled away from her touch.
“What’s wrong?” she asked breathlessly.
“Nothing,” he said. “Everything. Damn, I don’t know anymore. I don’t know what’s right, what’s wrong. What’s real and what’s not. And I don’t really care.”
He took her hand and led her over to his car, kissing her deeply as his hands moved up her warm silky thighs under her dress. She gasped against his lips as he brushed his fingers against her panties. He couldn’t help but grin.
“You’re already wet for me,” he observed.
She just nodded.
He glanced around to ensure they were still alone, then made short work of the panties, pulling the lacy bit of fabric down her long, lean legs. She pressed up against the hood of his car. He didn’t normally like it when anybody touched the machine, let alone sat on it, but he was willing to make a very big exception for Amanda.
He pushed up the gauzy material of her dress to bare her smooth legs. She didn’t protest at all as his hands moved up her thighs, followed by his mouth as he left a trail of kisses on her creamy flesh. He pushed the dress up high enough to expose her glistening sex to the night air and silver moonlight.
“Damn,” he said, overwhelmed by the feel of her, the scent of her, and when he swept his tongue over her hot sweet core and she bucked against him, the desire only grew. She was soft and wet and tasted like dark honey. He moved his tongue over her again, feeling her hands clutching at his shoulders and upper back.
She began making a low keening sound deep in her throat that only served to make him go slower, tasting her deeply, before sliding his tongue along her inner lips and circling her clit. His hands kneaded her thighs, pressing them wider apart, before he moved his right hand to her wet cleft, slowly sliding two fingers inside her while he continued to stroke his tongue over that delicious pink bud.
“Jacob!” she gasped, and then let out a harsh cry as he felt a shudder ripple through her entire body.
He wanted more. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t get enough. But she pulled his face up to hers and kissed him, openmouthed, wet and deep.
“I guess I can’t pretend that I don’t want you anymore,” she whispered. “The proof is in the mind-shattering orgasm.”
“You can pretend,” he replied hoarsely. “But I might not believe you.”
She kissed his mouth and chin and down his throat, working her hands up under his shirt. He was so hard it was painful, and when she unzipped his pants and pulled him free, he nearly came as she slid her tongue over the head of his shaft.
He swore loudly and he saw her smile at that.
“Not just dreaming now, are we?” she asked.
He shook his head, feeling the sweat breaking out on his forehead. He tried to control himself as she took him in her mouth, sucking and licking him in slow, even strokes from the base to tip. She held him firmly in one hand while the other caressed his balls. When she ran her tongue over them each in turn he almost exploded.
“You’re killing me,” he groaned.
“Are you saying that you like this?” She grinned and looked up at him.
She was killing him, and she was finding it funny. That sounded like Amanda. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and let the pleasure she was giving him wash over him. He’d had no idea how talented that little mouth of hers was. He’d had a brief preview in their shared dream, but that hadn’t come close to preparing him for the real thing.
Since he didn’t want to finish this way, although it was definitely a great way to begin, he leaned over and coaxed her up to her feet.
“Problem?” she asked. Her face was flushed but her eyes sparkled with life. She knew what she did to him. Obviously the ability to read his mind while she had him in her mouth was a definite advantage for her.
“No problem,” he breathed, and kissed her again. He’d never been so hard in his life.
He moved her so that she was facing away from him and toward the trunk of his car, and then pressed a hand against her back. She leaned forward without protest. He pulled her skirt up over her hips.
“Jacob—” She looked over her shoulder at him. Her voice was breathy with need. “Please. I need you inside of me.”
He was all thumbs as he fumbled for a small foil packet from his wallet, ripped it open and rolled the condom on. Then he positioned himself against her and heard her moan in pleasure as he slowly sheathed himself inside her.
He was sure she wouldn’t be getting a very good reading on his thoughts at the moment because he currently was incapable of any coherent thought. She felt better than anything. Anyone. He honestly didn’t think that he could ever grow weary of how she made him feel.
He brought her up so that her back pressed against his chest, and he slid his hands down the front of her dress, pleased that she was braless so he could take her full breasts in his hands as he thrust into her heat, in and out, in and out.
He swore again, trying to hold back his climax for as long as he could. “Amanda,” he groaned. “You feel so good, I can’t take it.”
“Yes,” she gasped in reply. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
But he couldn’t hold back for much longer. After only a couple of more ecstasy-streaked minutes he reached the end of his restraint and felt the dark waves of pleasure roll through him like a runaway train. He let out a hoarse cry as he came and collapsed against her, still touching her, still needing to be close to her.
Her mouth found his and she kissed him for a full minute before pulling away a little. She nibbled at her bottom lip and actually managed to look bashful.
“What’s with the innocent act?” he asked, with a weary smile.
She shook her head and kissed him again. “I…I never would have done anything like that right here, right next to O ’Grady’s…but, I couldn’t stop myself. It’s always so intense with you.”
“I’ll take that as a com
pliment.”
She smiled a little. “Especially when I give in to it instead of trying to resist the magic.” She touched his face, and slid her thumb over his bottom lip. Her gaze was soft. “I think I’m definitely going to miss that.”
Her lips brushed against his again and he already felt the stirrings of another erection, but he pushed those sensations away for the moment. “What do you mean you’re going to miss that?”
She smiled and moved her hand down to take his semi-erect cock in her hand and stroked it slowly. “I’m going to miss the way you make me feel. How you feel inside of me.” Another kiss. “I want you again. Right now.”
He straightened up and stepped away from her, then tucked himself back into his pants and buttoned his shirt.
Her smile faltered and she pushed her dress back in place so it fell to just above her knees. “What’s wrong?”
“You still don’t think this is real?”
“No.” The truth left her full lips and his heart sank.
“I see.”
She frowned at him. “You know this is a spell.”
“Right.” He blinked hard and tried to ignore the rising frustration in his chest. “So you broke up with your boyfriend, refused his proposal, all because of a magic spell that makes you horny for my body.”
Her cheeks flushed. “You think I broke up with him because of you?”
He scowled at her. He didn’t have to reply. She easily read everything that currently rushed through his mind.
She clenched her teeth. “For your information, it had very little to do with you, Jacob. I broke up with him because I realized that I wasn’t in love with him. I can’t marry somebody I’m not in love with.”
“You said you were in love with me,” he said. “Would you marry me?”
“Yes,” she replied, then swore under her breath. “Why do you do that?”
“Just trying to figure out the truth.”
“Okay, Jacob, yes. Yes. I am in love with you. I want you so much I can barely function.” Her voice broke a little. “And at this very moment I would agree to spend the rest of my life with you.”