Under The Covers. Crystal Jordan

of them pulled a chainsaw out of the bed of the truck, and Dayna pointed at the right tree and got out of their way. The manly men could get sticky tree sap all over themselves as they cut it down. They didn’t need her help. She hopped in the driver’s side of Jake’s truck to escape the chill wind.

      Within ten minutes, the tree was loaded and tied down. The teenager waved off a ride as he went to help another customer. Jake tugged open the door and leaned his shoulder against it. “You’re in my seat.”

      “This is a very pretty truck.” She turned her most endearing smile on him, sliding a reverent hand over the steering wheel. She’d always loved big, shiny trucks, but they were totally impractical in a city like LA. So she’d always had a sensible sedan. Because she was usually sensible. Except in the last twenty-four hours. She squashed that thought—it wouldn’t help to remind herself that everything she’d done recently was out of character for her.

      Jake fished his keys out of his pocket. A grin that she could only describe as pure evil curled his lips. He dangled the key ring from one finger in front of her. “You wanna drive it, sweetheart?”

      Lust wound through her at just the thought of controlling the big red monster. “Yes.”

      “It’ll cost you. A kiss.”

      She arched an eyebrow at him, letting a mocking smile curve her mouth. “Maybe I don’t want to drive it that much.”

      “Yeah, you do.” He set the keys to jingling, taunting her. When she didn’t budge, he tucked the key ring back into his pocket and plucked a batch of something green off the dashboard, twirling the stem between his fingers. “Because you need a little extra incentive…they just so happened to have been selling mistletoe at the farm’s entrance.”

      She wrinkled her nose at him. “Jake—”

      “Come on, it’s a Christmas tradition. Don’t be a Scrooge.” He held the mistletoe over her head, his smile tempting her, inviting her to give in. That’s what Jake was—pure, sinful temptation.

      She wanted to give in to that temptation. To him. Everything inside her swirled in chaotic dances of lust and longing. Betrayed by her own body. The desires she’d usually suppressed with Nathan wouldn’t be still for Jake. She wasn’t the one-night-stand kind of girl; she certainly wasn’t Jake’s kind of girl. She was a nice girl—always had been, always would be. Jake was naughty. Wanting him was…It was stupid. It was dangerous. It was irresistible.

      She reached for him.

      Curving her fingers around his wrist, she tugged down the hand holding the mistletoe and turned in the seat to face him. With gentle pressure, she pulled him forward until her breasts pressed against his chest. He watched her quietly, letting her direct this. He must have known she needed to take this first, totally sober step on her own. The man seemed to know her better than she knew herself sometimes. It was a disturbing thought. One she’d examine later.

      Lifting her free hand, she slipped her fingers around his neck. His soft, short hair slid like silk against her palm, making her shiver. She pulled him down until she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. She licked her lips, and his pupils dilated as he followed the motion. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

      And then she did it.

      Pressing her lips to his, she tilted her head to increase the contact. His goatee prickled against her skin. Electricity coursed through her body, and pure heat followed in its wake. It was better than she remembered. She flicked her tongue out, tracing the seam of his lips, probing for entrance. He groaned and opened his mouth. His hands tightened on her hips for a moment, yanking her flush against his body.

      She wrapped her legs tight around his trim waist, moaning when he thrust against her through their jeans. The friction was enough to send her nerve endings screaming but not enough to fulfill her. Her sex dampened with utter want, her muscles fisting on nothingness each time his cock rubbed against her clit. The hard movements of his body were an exquisite contrast to the slow, worshipful way he kissed. Both actions made her blood rush through her veins, made her heart pound and her breathing speed to desperate little pants.

      He broke away, dropping his sweaty forehead against hers. “If we don’t stop, I’m going to fuck you right here, right now.”

      “Okay.” The chilly wind was like being wrapped in ice, while Jake’s fiery heat branded her everywhere they touched. She shuddered, fisted her fingers in his hair, and lifted his head up for another kiss.

      The sound he made was halfway between a groan and a chuckle as he unhooked her legs from around his waist and stepped back. Her body screeched in protest, and she clenched her fingers to keep from reaching for him. She could see his erection straining against the fly of his pants. She wanted him inside her, thrusting hard.

      “Stop looking at me like that. My control’s hanging by a thread here.” He dropped his key ring into her lap, tossed the crushed mistletoe to the snowy ground, and walked around to the passenger side.

      Scooting into position, she closed the driver’s door and clipped in her seatbelt. Jake hauled himself into the passenger seat. Sweat gleamed on his forehead, and he still breathed roughly. He adjusted the heater vents to point away from him, sliding out of his down vest and dropping it on the floorboard. It left him in just a long-sleeved, waffle-patterned undershirt. He pushed up the sleeves and braced an elbow next to the window. She tilted her chin toward him. “I didn’t say no.”

      “Sweetheart, I really want to get naked with you again, and stopping now means you might not stop later. You’d have been embarrassed if we got caught with our pants down in a Christmas tree farm, and you wouldn’t have let me talk you into sleeping with me again. Imagine the gossip about that if you didn’t like the idea of getting drunk in public last night.”

      That made her grin. “Self-preservation of your sex life?”

      A crack of laughter sounded from him, and he shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. She could still see the clear outline of his erection, and her hands itched to reach out and stroke him. She jerked her gaze away as he spoke. “Yeah. My sex life, your dignity. It’s a win-win.”

      That was actually…thoughtful of him. She’d never expected the big, bad Jake Taylor to give a damn about what mattered to her long enough to put her wants above his. It was startling. There was a lot about him that she hadn’t noticed before. She cautioned herself not to examine anything too closely. That was a dangerous road to let her mind wander down. Anything that happened between them was temporary. Nothing could come of this, but her body burned with a fire only he could put out. Maybe she should let him. Just once more. Her mind rebelled at the thought. No. No way in hell. It was something her mother would do, which meant Dayna wouldn’t. Her hormones had other ideas, cajoling with her rational side. Maybe he wasn’t the kind of guy for her, and she wasn’t staying long enough to find out what else they might share besides animalistic chemistry, so what could it hurt to try it one more time? Yes. No. Yes. No. She didn’t know. She always knew what she was doing and when she was doing it. She always had an organized list. She always had a plan. But not this time. Not with Jake.

      Oh, God. She was in so much trouble.