The Case For Temptation (About That Night... Book 1) Read online

  Jacob studied her before adding a scoop of ice to the shaker. “Not my responsibility.”

  “Meaning, you’d done your job.” Had brought down the kill.

  “Meaning, if you turn your back on the truth, spread malicious lies, and you come up against me—prepare to pay the price.”

  Jacob didn’t seem agitated. Rather, he looked determined, like Teagan’s oldest brother Cole when he was stuck in commander in chief mode. Wynn could be the same way. Focused, Grace called it. Even Dex, the chilled middle brother, could switch on that don’t mess with me trait when need be.

  Frankly, the entire family—and their goliath media and news corporation—was known for keeping its eye on the target. Never letting a prize get away. Way too intense for The Wild Child, even if Teagan’s father reminded her every chance he got that she shared the same name. That the same blood ran through her veins. He’d said that she couldn’t hide from who she was. DNA didn’t lie.

  While Jacob screwed on the shaker’s lid, Teagan joined him behind the bar. “Mind if I try?”

  He handed it over. “Be my guest.”

  She gave the shaker a few slow rotations before going to town. As ice clinked and liquid swished at warp speed, Jacob’s eyes widened.

  “I’m all about protein shakes, not cocktails.” She put a hand on her heart. “I swear.”

  After she poured the mixture into their glasses, he proposed a fitting toast. “To the truth, the whole truth.”

  Teagan touched her glass to his. “So help me, God.”

  She sipped then sighed. Fresh and light and...yeah...

  About that toast.

  “I need to come clean,” she said, setting her glass aside. “I have a confession to make.”

  “Well, if you need a good lawyer...”

  She returned his lopsided grin then admitted, “This is actually a first for me, too...being here with you like this tonight.”

  His smile changed. The look in his eyes, as well. “As in, two people who just met leaving a party together?”

  She nodded. “Needing to be alone for an hour or two.”

  That amber gaze turned ravenous again. When he stepped closer and a hot palm skimmed beneath the back of her hair—when his head deliberately angled and lowered over hers—it didn’t matter that he wasn’t what Teagan thought she wanted, needed, maybe even deserved. As his mouth covered hers, there was only one certainty that seemed to shine through. One truth that couldn’t be denied.

  She was indeed her father’s daughter. A Hunter by name. In many respects, a Hunter by nature. And tonight, damn it all, she was hungry, too.

  Two

  There were times when things felt good. Felt right. There were others when forces conspired or stars aligned and what happened was out of this world.

  Like now, Jacob thought, being here with this woman who had come out of nowhere and left zero doubt as to what she was thinking. Where they were heading. Her words alone would have sufficed. The definite yes in her gaze was the icing on the cake.

  Let’s do it.

  As Jacob claimed the first kiss, he felt her dissolve, her two arms coiling around his neck. After blindly setting his glass on the counter, he caressed the curve of her hip while his tongue swept the seam of her lips and they parted. Then she craned up on her toes and pressed her breasts against his ribs. As the kiss deepened and her fingers knotted in his hair, he only grew more certain.

  They would need way more than an hour or two.

  When Jacob drew away, he kept his gaze on her lips. “Things aren’t going too fast?”

  A smile played at the corners of her mouth as those gorgeous green eyes drifted open. “Not for me.” As she nodded, a waterfall of blond hair cascaded over her shoulder. “How about you? All good?”

  So good. Particularly now that she was flicking open every shirt button down to his belt and tracing arcs over his pecs with her nails. Needing to keep up, he found the zipper at her back and eased that baby all the way down. As the gown slipped and rustled into a glittering puddle around her heels, he worked the shirttails from his pants and cast his shirt to the floor. Then he brought her close and claimed her mouth again.

  Only now that wasn’t nearly enough.

  He bent at the knees and caught her around the waist. Then, inch by inch, he lifted her until her silver heels fanned the air a foot above the ground. And that’s how he carried her to his bed. Step by step.

  Kiss by kiss.

  * * *

  From the minute Jacob had held her on the dance floor—like they’d been the only ones in the room—she had looked forward to this moment. Getting her out of that dress so fast had been a pleasant surprise. When he’d lifted her up against him, his mouth fused to hers the whole time, Teagan wondered just how good this could get.

  She was vaguely aware of leaving the light behind...of moving into the bedroom. He adjusted his hold on her waist to throw back the covers. Then, he laid her down on the cool, crisp sheet.

  As his lips left hers, she let her arms fall and curl around her head. Siphoning a giddy breath, she took in the sight of him crouched above her. Light filtered through from the main room. In the soft shadows, the strong angles of his jaw and Roman nose looked more pronounced. Those lidded amber eyes seemed to glow. When he smiled, the thrill of anticipation shot straight to her core.

  His voice vibrated through to her bones.

  “There’s something I need to do.”

  She plucked at the sheet above her head. “You don’t need to ask permission.”

  He came closer. “Are you sure about that?”

  She felt a rush of heat. The need to groan. Arching toward him was pure reflex, one that didn’t seem to surprise him at all. When he didn’t move, she told him again as she bent her knee and brushed her leg against his.

  “Yes, Jacob,” she said.

  Yes, yes, yes.

  He eased back, slipped off one heel, then the other, and dropped both her shoes to the floor. When he flicked on a bedside light, the glow was warm and teasing—perfect for taking in his cut torso. But he was still wearing pants while she was pretty much naked. Not a whole lot to hide, including the scar she’d seen reflected in bathroom mirrors half her life. The jagged line was too long and high for an appendix op, and too prominent to go unnoticed for long, particularly given the way Jacob’s lidded gaze was devouring her now.

  If he frowned and asked—What the hell happened there?—she would tell him straight up. Fell off my bicycle when I was a kid. Moving on. But he didn’t seem to notice, even when he knelt over her again and his head gradually went lower.

  While the tip of his tongue slid along her panty line, one big hand skimmed up her side until his thumb came to rest under her breast. When his mouth slid even lower and he nuzzled her through the patch of white silk, that thumb brushed higher, grazing and flicking and teasing her nipple.

  Teagan gripped the sheet, closed her eyes and arched up again.

  Sparks were flying, the majority of them having a party under his lips. Then—dear God!—he used his teeth. Every pulse point in her body instantly contracted and hummed.

  His next words were matter-of-fact.

  “This has to go.”

  Her underwear?

  She was ready to rip her panties off herself when he lifted her behind with one hand and eased down the silk with the other. He kissed that part of her before the tip of his tongue delved deeper, tickling and twirling until she was wound up so tight, she could barely think. When he raised her hips higher and slid a finger inside, she gripped his hair as a warning.

  Don’t stop.

  She imagined she felt him smile against her before he eased away, taking that final scrap of clothing with him—down her thighs, past her calves, off her feet. After finding his wallet, he set a foil packet on the bedside table then ditched his shoes a
nd pants while she pressed back into the sheet and took in the show.

  He braced his long, rock-solid legs so they were slightly apart. His hips were lean and mean, but it was where the lines converged that drew her gaze like a magnet. As he came forward again, setting one knee on the mattress, one hand on the sheet, she pushed up and met him halfway. Their mouths came together as his free hand curved around her back and she held on for all she was worth.

  When his mouth finally left hers, he hummed out a breath then looked into her eyes, smiling.

  “You said something earlier.”

  She grazed her toes up the back of his calf. “You mean about not needing to ask?”

  “About needing to be alone for an hour or two.” He tasted her lips again and stayed close. “Not long enough.”

  She traced a fingertip around the shell of his ear. “Are you watching the clock?”

  He grinned. “I’m watching you.” He dropped another lingering kiss at the side of her mouth. “Stay till morning?”

  Was he kidding?

  Of course she would stay.

  He rolled on their protection and positioned himself above her. When he pushed inside, she quivered and lost every bit of her breath. In the shadows, he studied her for a long moment before he started moving and slow-kissing her lips.

  As he caught her thigh and wrapped her leg around the back of his, she gripped his neck and surrendered it all. And when his thrusts grew faster—when the friction turned white-hot—she squeezed him tighter, bit her lip harder, and came apart like she’d known she would.

  Like she never had before.

  Three

  The smell of fresh coffee woke her.

  Blinking open sleepy eyes, Teagan remembered she wasn’t in her own room. The bed looked like a tornado had torn through. Shoes and clothes were strewn all over the place. Jacob Stone was gone from the bed, but his musky scent, and the memories, were everywhere.

  Burrowing back into the bedclothes, she circled her head with her arms. What an amazing night! The most intense, and beautiful, of her life. From the instant they’d met, those dark, dreamy looks had grabbed her. Accompanying him from the wedding reception to this suite...

  Well, it was always going to end this way—with them twined up together, naked in bed. The decision might have been impulsive, but the reality of making love with Jacob Stone had proved to be more than spur of the moment. It was breathtaking, liberating, and she would do it all again in a heartbeat.

  Grinning, Teagan caught her lower lip between her teeth.

  Exactly how long was it before her flight?

  Getting to her feet, she picked up on the aroma of pancakes and was suddenly so hungry, needing to refuel. But if Jacob walked through those bedroom doors this minute, she would happily snack on him instead. This was—he was—the wake-up call she’d needed.

  She’d always prided herself on being strong. Resilient. Then a few months ago she’d suffered a miscarriage, and a relationship she had valued died, too. Now, heading for the attached bath, she felt relief. She could finally look back on that time as a hard lesson learned.

  Years after the childhood accident that had left that scar, she’d been told she would likely never conceive. Following her recent loss, however, that prognosis had been modified. Should she become pregnant again, the probability of an early first-trimester spontaneous abortion was high, which had made her feel even worse.

  But this time spent with Jacob had helped her turn a corner. She would always remember the pain—physical, mental and emotional—but she had grieved long enough. She could still live a meaningful and happy life.

  Just not the one she would have chosen if she’d had any say.

  * * *

  Jacob heard the shower shut off and waited for Teagan to stroll into the main room. When she did, she was wrapped in an oversize hotel robe, long, damp hair free of salon curls and her beautiful face scrubbed squeaky clean. She took him in, too, in his gray T-shirt and weekend drawstring pants, before studying the room service feast he’d ordered up.

  She laughed. “Well, someone’s hungry.”

  His gaze lowered to her mouth. “Always.”

  They each moved forward until he was close enough to repeat the scene that had gotten things started last night. After sliding a hand around the back of her neck, with great purpose and pleasure, he tasted those sweet lips again.

  But this kiss was different. Because it would be one of their last? Or the start of something more? Something new?

  He gradually broke the kiss but didn’t step away. Being this close again, he felt recharged. Ready for anything, including finding more time to please this woman in every conceivable way.

  But first...

  “We need coffee.” He reached for the silver service pot. “At least I do.”

  As he poured two cups, she held up a hand. “No sugar for me.”

  He handed Teagan’s cup over then dropped two lumps into his own, as well as an inch of cream. Chugging back a mouthful, he pulled out a seat for her before grabbing a strip of crispy bacon.

  Let the feast begin!

  After pulling in her chair, Teagan inspected a glass-covered dish. “Is that steak?”

  “Filet mignon. Goes great with hollandaise.”

  There was grilled tomato, smashed avocado, sautéed mushrooms, a pile of golden hash browns and more. It smelled so darn good. But she only reached for the muesli container and shook a modest helping into a bowl. Tacking his smile back on, Jacob helped himself to the smorgasbord. This morning, he could eat enough for two.

  Earlier, he’d laid her gown over the back of a couch. She caught sight of it now before eyeing the door to the suite.

  “This’ll be interesting.” She set down the container. “My first walk of shame.”

  “If anyone can get away with wearing that evening gown this time of day, it’s you.”

  She was busy searching the room-service spread again. Really looking this time, like she couldn’t find what she wanted. Impossible.

  He put his fork down. “Are we missing something?”

  “Plant-based milk?”

  “Like soy?”

  “Or almond.”

  He got to his feet. “I’ll order some up.”

  Waving him off, she reached for the pancakes. “This is even better.”

  No trouble, but he wouldn’t push. If she was happy, so was he. And after breakfast, before they thought about jetting back to ordinary life, there might be time enough to revisit what they had discovered in each other the night before. Frankly, he wanted to slip the robe off her shoulders, taste every inch of that incredible body, and then do it all over again.

  She was looking at his plate. He looked down, too. Ha. He’d forgotten all about the food.

  As he pushed a loaded fork into his mouth and Teagan poured syrup over a pancake, she said, “I suppose you need to check out soon and get back.”

  He chewed and swallowed while pouring them juice. “My flight’s not till one.”

  “Mine’s around that time, too.”

  “You need a lift to the airport?”

  “No, no. I just don’t want to hold you up.”

  “I’m in no hurry.” Watching how she was downing that juice, he asked, “Are you?”

  She set down her empty glass. “It’s Sunday.”

  Right. “The weekend. Time to relax. Forget about work.”

  Although tomorrow would be a day and a half. He had depositions to sort, background notes, too. There was an afternoon meeting scheduled with that defamation client—former Londoner, Grant Howcroft. Hunter Publications was in for a very public kick in the corporate pants. Making up tales might sell magazines but—moral of the story, boys—dishonesty does not pay.

  “It must be full-on being a big-name lawyer,” Teagan said as she cut into her s
yrup-soaked pancake.

  Was he looking preoccupied?

  “It can get busy,” he said, loading his fork again.

  “Even on weekends?”

  Remembering how her legs had dug into the back of his thighs as she’d bucked up against him, Jacob gave her his word. “Not this weekend.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He wanted to laugh. “Absolutely.”

  “It’s just... I’ve seen that expression before. The gotta get back to the grind look.”

  Sure. “There’s an element of that. You’d know, with a business of your own.”

  “A small business. That’s more than enough.” She hastened to add, “Of course, people should make their own choices. Ambition isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

  Ambition was a very good thing, particularly when someone had a past like his: a legacy of poverty, despair and why the hell bother.

  “I had a weird upbringing. Guess that’s where I get my drive.” He put a little more sugar in his cup and listened to the tinkle of the spoon as he stirred. “How about you?”

  “As far as drive goes? I want my business to do well.”

  “It’s important to you?”

  “Of course.”

  He looped back to the heart of the question. “And your upbringing?” Her childhood?

  “I wouldn’t say it was weird. More filled with challenges, I suppose.”

  The previous night, they had learned so much about each other, and not all of it purely physical. And yet now, in the morning light, Teagan still seemed largely a mystery.

  They both had flights to catch. Nevertheless, he wanted to know more—feel more, which was a big step for him. It was the right time, right place.

  Certainly right girl.

  After she’d finished two pancakes and Jacob had put a decent dent in his generous helping, he dabbed the corners of his mouth with a linen napkin then tapped back into that question.

  “So, where did you grow up again?” When they’d met, he’d asked about the accent, which wasn’t always noticeable but definitely cute.