Secret Love - Brenda Jackson [25]
If he were to get mixed up with Diamond, Jake admonished himself silently, there would be hard feelings and regrets. And there would be emotions to deal with. There was no way he could take anything lightly with this woman. Nor would there be any way he could keep things separate. He had a gut feeling that with Diamond it would be all or nothing. And that was something he did not want with any woman.
“It’s not going to work, Diamond,” he finally said.
Diamond knew exactly what Jake was referring to and didn’t pretend otherwise. He was stating the obvious—the strong sexual attraction between them. She shook her head sadly. “I know.” She hesitated for a moment before saying, “But I don’t know how to stop it. You are quite a challenge, Jacob Madaris. I’ve never been faced with anything like this in my life.”
Jake nodded. Neither had he. He hadn’t been this hot for a woman in years, if ever.
“There has never been anyone I’ve felt such an attraction to, Jacob,” Diamond continued. “I know it won’t work. I know it’s even crazy to think otherwise. I didn’t come here for this. I came here for three weeks of rest and relaxation. Not three weeks of being in heat like one of your cows.”
Jake couldn’t help but smile at what she’d just said. He, in turn, had been just as bad. He’d been like a lusty bull who’d gotten the scent of that heat and wanted to mate.
Diamond saw his smile and frowned. “This isn’t funny, Jacob. Since we know it won’t work, what are we going to do?”
Jake’s smile widened as he studied her for a long spell. The woman was too open and too straightforward with her feelings. She wasn’t acting coy about anything or trying to place the blame at his feet. She was acknowledging that whatever was going on between them was mutual.
“I could say it’s just an overabundance of lust in our system, and one surefire way to get it out of there is one quick roll in the hay,” Jake finally said, his gaze still locked on hers. “But a part of me, Diamond, the part that’s aching right now, refuses to let me believe that anything I do with you can be quick.” He let his gaze travel over her slowly. He saw her watching his eyes, knowing she saw the heat and the desire in them. Then he saw hers darken likewise. In addition to his ache, he suddenly felt this horrendous pull in his gut. That need he’d recognized earlier became fierce and took his senses away.
“I want you,” he said, following her lead by being open and straightforward. “I want you, too much to be quick. I’d want to savor the moment, to feed on it and prolong it. I doubt very seriously if I’d be able to stop with having you just once. I’d want you again and again and again.”
Jake’s voice had the honesty and sensuous warmth Diamond wasn’t ready for. The texture of his words, as well as the words themselves, seeped through to the very core of her. Her body became electrified, sensitive and achy to his words. In her mind, she saw them rolling in the hay. And like him she didn’t see them being quick about it. She saw him taking his time and making slow, hot, unadulterated love to her. She saw his body mating with hers over and over again, taking no time out in between to rest, using all his strength, all his physical exertions, his keen focus and abundance of energy to pleasure her.
“Jacob, I—”
Diamond didn’t finish what she was about to say. Jake didn’t let her. He leaned over and captured her mouth with the heat of his. Effortlessly lifting her from her seat into his lap, he continued to kiss her.