The Other Side - J. D. Robb [125]
“What will it take?”
“Some kind of spark. It’s a guy and girl thing. We connected, didn’t we?”
“Did we ever.” She sighed. “Do you remember that long walk in the rain?”
He grinned. “How could I forget it?” He snapped his fingers. “That’s it.”
“What?”
“A walk in the rain. Maybe that will get their juices flowing.”
Vanessa scanned the sky. “There’s not a cloud in sight.”
He scowled, then brightened. “I’ll call on Gram. Maybe she has some pull upstairs.”
In a shimmer of light the old woman appeared beside them. “I heard what you said. Are you certain you want rain, Teddy?”
“Gram.” Ted hugged his grandmother just as a fierce black cloud gathered overhead. He looked up. “Are you some kind of genius?”
“Like you, I’m just an incurable romantic.”
Without warning, the cloud opened up, and a drenching rain began to fall.
“Oh.” Because the open garage was closer than the front door, Christina raced through the rain to the garage, with Jake running along behind her.
The two were laughing as they shook rain from their hair. Jake’s plaid shirt was plastered to his chest. Christina’s silk dress clung to every line and curve of her body.
Embarrassed to be caught staring, each turned away.
Seeing it, Ted shouted, “We need more, Gram.”
Just then there was a tremendous burst of thunder that shook the very foundation of the garage.
With a cry, Christina flung herself against Jake.
His arms encircled her, and he drew her close. With his mouth to her ear he whispered, “Wow. That was quite a boomer. But it’s okay. We’re safe in here.”
Despite the delicious shivers that raced down her spine at his whispered words, she did feel safe. Safe in the circle of his arms. It wasn’t just his deep voice, calmly reassuring her. Or his strong arms, offering her shelter. It was this man. This quiet, competent man who stirred her in a way that no other man ever had.
She lifted her face. “I’m not usually afraid of storms. Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He stared down into her eyes. “It gave me an excuse to hold you.” His arms tightened. “And I’ve been wanting to hold you for a very long time.”
Her pulse started racing like an out-of-control train. “You have?”
He nodded. “Yeah. And not just hold you.”
She saw his gaze lower to her mouth and could feel the heat of his kiss even before his lips brushed hers. “I’ve been wanting to do this for such a long time.”
Her heart seemed to stop as his mouth moved over hers, tasting, touching, until she could feel her toes curling. In fact, she could feel him in every part of her body. A body that was now tingling with awareness.
There was such hunger in his kiss.
She answered with a hunger of her own, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself so close to him she could feel the wild pounding of his heartbeat inside her own chest. The barely contained passion in him fueled her own, causing her to sigh and give herself up completely to the pleasure.
He changed the angle and took the kiss deeper, while his strong, clever hands moved along her spine, igniting a fire that raged like an inferno through her veins. When his fingers moved upward to encounter the swell of her breasts, his thumbs teased and stroked until she was straining against him.
“Jake.” The word came out in a rush of heat.
He framed her face with his big hands and stared with naked hunger into her eyes. “Say that again.”
“What?”
“My name.”
She sighed. “Jake. Jake.”
Inflamed, his fingers tangled in her hair, and he drove her back against the wall, all the while kissing her until they were both breathless.
Outside, thunder roared and lightning streaked across the sky, while wind and rain battered the roof. The two people inside the garage were too lost in the excitement of their newly discovered passion to take any notice of the storm.
Jake lifted his head and filled his starving lungs with air. “Do you know how much I love hearing you say my name?” He lowered his