“No one is expecting us back,” Jake said.
“Except for Emma. But she can wait.” Caley pushed up on her elbow and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “So we could do it again?”
“Yeah,” Jake replied. But then his smile faded and he cursed softly. “No. I only had one condom.”
“There are other things we could do,” Caley suggested.
“Really? I always loved your sense of adventure,” he replied, grabbing her waist and pulling her beneath him.
His mouth came down on hers and Caley lost herself in his kiss. There were a lot things she’d never tried in the bedroom. But with Jake, all her inhibitions seemed to dissolve at his touch. She didn’t feel vulnerable with him, she felt powerful. She didn’t have to worry about what he wanted or needed because he wanted nothing more than to give her pleasure. She could let go and enjoy his body without sacrificing a part of herself.
They had been friends first and now they were lovers. There would be no going back.
“NO, DON’T GO,” Jake said, pulling Caley back into his arms. “Not yet. Stay a little longer.”
Caley glanced over her shoulder at him, snuggled beneath the covers of his bed in the boathouse. They’d officially been lovers for twenty-four hours and the sneaking around was already wearing thin.
After dinner at the Lamberts’, Caley had offered up some silly story about working on their toasts for the wedding. They walked down to the boathouse and the moment the door closed behind them, they were tossing aside clothes and tumbling into Jake’s bed.
Jake had spent last night in Caley’s bed at the inn, sneaking out in the early morning hours so that he could get back to the boathouse before anyone noticed him missing. They were two adults and yet there were moments when Jake felt as if they were teenagers.
“Don’t you think it’s odd?”
“What?” Caley asked as she continued to dress.
“What we’re doing is perfectly legal. Between consenting adults. And we have a variety of locations to choose from. We shouldn’t have to worry about getting caught.”
“It would complicate things,” Caley explained. “There would be questions and speculation and expectations. I just want this to be about you and me and not our families, all right?”
Jake nodded. “So do you want me to sneak into your bed tonight?”
Caley grabbed her jacket and reached into the pocket, then withdrew a key, dangling it in front of his face. “I got you your own. Just don’t let Emma see you come in. She’s been going to bed early, so come over as soon as you can get away.” She gave him a quick kiss, then pulled her boots on. “Are we agreed on our plan?”
Over the course of the past day, he and Caley had come up with a strategy to test Sam and Emma’s commitment to each other. They’d discussed all the pitfalls and problems that couples encountered on the path to everlasting love and had put together an obstacle course for Sam and Emma to navigate. “Operation Wedding Trashers is ready to go.”
“We’re not trying to trash their wedding,” Caley said. “We’re just testing the depth of their feelings. Nothing more sinister than what a good marriage counselor would do.”
“Except we have absolutely no professional qualifications or practical experience in marital matters.”
“No. But we do have relationship experience,” Caley said. “That should count for something.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, now fully dressed in all her cold-weather clothes. “So tomorrow night I’m going to take Emma to Tyler’s with me. There are always lots of single guys there to dance with and I’ll make sure she drinks plenty of cocktails.”
“And I’m taking Sam out for some fun. There’s a strip club out on the interstate. I figured we’d go there.”
Caley’s eyes went wide. “Really? Is it one of those clubs where they take off all their clothes?”
“Almost,” Jake said. “Just G-strings, shiny poles and lots of dollar bills.”
“So you’ve been there before?”
Jake shook his head. “No. But I’ve heard about it. Brett and a bunch of his college buddies went there for his twenty-first birthday. Does it bother you that I’ll be looking at naked women?”
“Of course not,” Caley said.
“Because it would bother me if you were out looking at naked men.”
“Maybe I should see if I can find a strip club for Emma and me to go to. There has to be one somewhere,” Caley said.
“There’s only one body I’m interested in seeing naked,” Jake said. “And that would be yours. You don’t have to worry. After what we’ve had together, a hundred naked women aren’t going to get me excited.”
“Good answer,” Caley said. She lay down on top of him and gave him a more thorough kiss. “Later.”
“I’m counting on it,” he said.
She walked to the door, sending him a smile before she slipped out. Jake listened to her footsteps on the stairs. He crawled out of bed, wrapping the comforter around his naked body, then peered through the curtains to watch her run across the lawn toward the Lambert house.
The boathouse was now a cozy little haven. The heater had been running all day and though it was a bit chilly inside, it was comfortable. His mother had given him a down comforter and Brett had turned on the water so the bathroom was functioning. The accommodations were almost perfect, and almost completely private.
Jake flopped back down on the bed and closed his eyes. He’d made love to his fair share of beautiful women and each time he’d searched for that connection, that spark that might prove he’d found the right one. In the past twenty-four hours he’d realized that it was there with Caley. Maybe it had always been there.
But what did that mean? They lived in different worlds, lived different lives. Though he wanted to believe that love would conquer all, Jake certainly knew the realities of a relationship. Caley had made it clear that their affair would end when she went back to New York. Though he planned to do everything in his power to convince her otherwise, Jake had to prepare himself for the probability that it would be over at the end of the week.
He had known it would be difficult before, but now that they’d become lovers, it would be impossible. Surely, it wouldn’t be easy for her, either. Her desire for him ran just as deep and Jake sensed that with every touch, every kiss, the bond between them grew stronger.
And if Caley left him, if things between them ended, he didn’t think there would ever be another woman to take her place. In the back of his mind he’d always compared the women he met to Caley. He hadn’t been aware of that fact until now. They’d been smart, but Caley had been smarter. They’d been beautiful, but she had beauty they’d never possess. He’d grown up wanting her and only her. Now that he’d had her, he was left to deal with the fear of losing her.
Jake threw his arm over his eyes and cursed softly. A knock sounded on the door and he sat up, surprised that she’d returned so quickly. He waited for her to come in, but she knocked again. Jake grabbed his boxers and pulled them on, then crossed the room and opened the door. But Caley wasn’t standing outside. Sam was.
His brother peered inside. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Jake said, stepping back to allow Sam to pass. “What’s up? It’s late.”
Sam began to pace the width of the room, his shoulders tense, his expression grim. Then, he sat down on the edge of the bed and nervously twisted his fingers together. “I did like you told me. When I drove Emma back to the inn tonight, I told