Page 15 of Messy Match

His mouth finds a sensitive spot behind my ear that makes me shiver. “You taste like summer,” he murmurs, lips moving against my skin. “Like chlorine and sunshine and everything I’ve ever wanted.”

His declaration isn’t just a sweet nothing; it’s a quiet confession. And the searing truth of it obliterates my reluctance. I let my head fall back, giving him better access as he works his way down my neck. His hands settle on my hips, holding me steady as he maps every inch of exposed skin with his mouth. There’s no rush to his movements, no urgency. Just the slow burn of desire building between us.

“Shower?” he finally murmurs against my collarbone.

I manage a breathless laugh, grateful for the distraction. “Shower.”

As he follows me to the bathroom, I realize through the haze of desire that I was wrong before. With stark clarity, the truth settles deep in my chest. This isn’t about getting Jake Maddingly out of my system. This is about letting him in.

I turn on the shower, cranking the hot water, though the heat between us is enough to light a bonfire. When I spin back, he faces me toward the mirror, his bare chest brushing my back. The contact sends electricity racing across my skin. His eyes are dark with desire, but there’s something else there, too. Something that makes my heart race faster than any physical touch.

His fingers trail up and down my arms as steam fills the room. I reach behind my neck to untie my bikini top with a quick pull of the thin strap. His sharp gasp makes me smile. A growl rumbles in his chest as he reaches around to cup my breasts, his palmslifting and massaging the weight of each as his thumbs stroke the taut nipples. My head falls back against his chest as I watch in the mirror. His lips find my neck, trailing hot kisses down to my shoulder.

“I plan to learn every inch of you,” he murmurs against my skin.

The water is perfectly hot as I step under the spray in the oversized walk-in tiled shower. A second later, Jake’s shorts are on the floor and he’s joining me, squeezing bodywash into his palm and rubbing his hands together. Covered in bubbly lather, he glides his large calloused fingers over my skin as if he’s sculpting me, worshiping every curve. When I try to touch him in return, he captures my wrists gently. “Let me take care of you first.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. That’s what this has always been about, his need to take care of me warring with my need to prove I can take care of myself. But here, in the steam and heat, with water sluicing between us, it doesn’t feel like a battle anymore. It feels like a gift.

His mouth claims mine again, and this kiss is deeper, hungrier. My fingers tangle in his wet hair as he backs me against the cool tile. Every touch, every caress feels like he’s trying to tell me something. Attempting to send a message words haven’t been able to convey.

“Jake,” I gasp, his hands and lips magic on my sensitive skin. “Please…”

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs. And for the first time, I surrender rather than fight him.

What follows is a blur of sensation and emotion. Steam and skin and breathless sighs as his fingers slide along my skin before finding my slit and teasing my clit in languid strokes. My thighs quiver, and I grab hold of his shoulders, holding on as if he’s a steel support beam and I’m close to collapse.

Without a word, he hitches my leg over his hip and, in one smooth stroke, fills me. Our gazes are locked together as he rocks forward, and I can’t help but call out his name, every muscle in my body clenching at the delicious sensation.

I don’t know how long he’s thrusting inside me, slow and deep, only that I’m spiraling higher and higher. His jaw grinds, and his determination is clear as he growls, “Give it to me, Charlotte. Come for me.”

And for once, I do as I’m told. Because I have no choice. Jake has taken me apart, piece by piece, and I finally succumb, screaming his name as the waves of pleasure crash over me.

Afterward, as we catch our breath, he holds me close under the spray. His heart pounds, his arms secure around my waist as he brushes a kiss against my hair. The intimacy of the moment, of what just happened between us, is too much. This was supposed to be about physical release, not emotional surrender. I stiffen and pull away, shutting off the water and grabbing a towel from the rack. Without meeting his gaze, I wrap it around myself, desperate to escape. To not let Jake see how completely he’s dismantled my defenses.

Chapter ten

Jake

Squintingagainstthemidmorningsun, I try to focus on the disc golf basket in the distance and not on the fact that, somewhere in the resort, Charlotte is starting to get ready for the ceremony. And, no doubt, still regretting what happened last night.

Bright-colored butterflies dance over the rough, but I can’t appreciate their beauty. My eyes burn from lack of sleep, and my thoughts are as scattered as the clouds drifting across the sky. The memory of Charlotte stiffening in my arms before wrapping herself in a towel and practically shutting down before my eyes replays on an endless loop. The way she avoided my gaze as she’d mumbled something about needing to get some sleep. The unspoken dismissal had me retreating to my room, where I spent the night staring at the ceiling, analyzing every moment, every touch, every word.

“Dude, you gonna throw?” Mack is sprawled on a bench by the tee, his long legs extended in front of him, beads of sweatglistening on his forehead. “Or are you too busy reliving last night?”

I turn and let the disc fly, watching as it hooks left, splashing into the lake and sending ripples across the surface.

“Smooth,” Levi snickers, fist bumping Mack as they both grin.

Bastards.

I shoot them a glare while Brock checks his watch, purposely ignoring the innuendo.

“Zoe said she ran into Charlotte at the coffee bar this morning,” Levi says casually. “Said she was downing espresso shots like they were water and looked like she hadn’t slept much.”

My steps falter.

“That’s interesting,” Mack calls as I trudge toward the pond’s edge, my shoes crunching against the sunbaked gravel path. “Because Maya mentioned at breakfast that Jake’s little truce with Charlotte seems to be going well. She left the girls in the hot tub after only a few minutes, under the pretense of wanting to get some sleep.”

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