Mallory couldn’t suppress a smile. So apparently Jake did have a lighter side behind the serious, dominant façade.
“And so far as you not liking me goes,” he continued, “I’m sure we can remedy that as well.” His grin turned wicked, and his hand moved to brush her upper thigh. Her pu**y clenched just from his light touch. His hand eased upwards, nearing her sex.
“Spread your legs for me, Mallory,” he commanded.
She hesitated, torn between satiating the need that had arisen in her and her pride. Bolstering her will, pride won out.
“No,” she said breathily.
Jake abruptly withdrew his hand. “Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug. But Mallory was still burning with need, as if Jake had lit a fire within her that would not go out. His indifference toward her reaction, his coolness, only turned her on more.
I will not cave, I will not cave, she repeated to herself over and over again. He raised an imperious eyebrow at her.
“Anything you want to say?” He asked.
Yes! Touch me! She was just about to give in when the limo came to a stop.
“Too bad.” Jake looked like he was suppressing a laugh, entertained by her discomfort. “We’re here.”
Mallory’s attention was pulled away from the throbbing in her loins when the driver opened the door for her. Well, it lessened a bit at least. She blushed, sure that he could smell her wetness.
Don’t be ridiculous, she admonished herself, walking as confidently as she could out onto the tarmac. Jake’s arm was suddenly linked through hers, guiding her towards the private jet that was waiting for them.
Limos, Ferraris, private jets; Is there any luxury item that he doesn’t own? So long as she didn’t allow him to own her she would be just fine, she assured herself.
Jake took her hand, leading her carefully up the steps leading up to the jet. When they got inside, Mallory suppressed the urge to give a low whistle. There were no rows of seats in the jet, but four captain’s chairs set alongside the divide between the cabin and the cockpit and two long, padded bench seats lining either side of the plane. There were two pretty hostesses there to greet them. Well, they were more than just pretty.
Of course he only employs hot women. Mallory wondered if he had had sex with either of them, and was surprised to feel jealousy shoot through her gut. She chose to ignore the sensation, telling herself that it was just a physical reaction to her nervousness; she had never flown anywhere before.
Jake seemed to notice her discomfort as he guided her to one of the bench seats before sitting down beside her. “Are you alright, Mallory?” He asked, genuinely concerned.
She took a deep breath. “Yeah,” she said a bit shakily. “It’s just… I’ve never flown before.” She felt like such a peasant admitting it. Jake had probably been flying on private jets since before he could walk.
Jake touched a tender hand to her face, stroking his index finger down her cheek and the line of her jaw. Mallory felt the tension leave her as the heat between her legs returned.
Jake smiled. “I’m sure we can find a way to distract you,” he said, his voice low and seductive. As he spoke, he reached around either side of her, grasping her seat belt. As he drew it around her hips, he allowed his fingers to linger against her, sending tingles across her skin. When he finally clicked the buckle together, he pulled the tongue of the belt until it was almost uncomfortably tight, pressing her into the seat, trapping her there.
“Still nervous?” He asked, kindness bleeding into his seductive tone.
“Yes,” she admitted. “But not about flying.”
Jake chuckled, low and rumbling. And sexy as hell. He fastened his own seat belt, his face turning more serious. He gently grasped both of her slightly shaking hands in his. “We’re going to take off now. You have nothing to be afraid of, Mallory.”
She swallowed and nodded, reassured by his touch and his soothing tone. This was the Jake that she actually liked, the one that she wanted to get to know better; she was still on the fence about the cocky ass**le side of him.
As the plane thundered down the runway, Mallory squeezed her eyes shut, and Jake tenderly stroked the insides of her wrists with his thumbs. The intimate contact distracted her from her fear, making it less terrifying when her stomach dropped as the jet began its ascent into the heavens.
Once they leveled out, the captain said over the intercom that it was safe for them to move around the cabin.
“Need more distracting?” Jake asked with a predatory smile. Mallory’s pulse quickened under his fingers and his smile broadened. Jake signaled to the hostesses and they disappeared into a compartment at the back of the plane. “I know it’s a cliché, but how would you like to become a member of the Mile High Club?”
“Ummm…” Mallory began uneasily, wanting him desperately but not wanting to admit it.
He placed a gentle finger to her lips, silencing her. “Quiet,” he said sternly. “You don’t want the staff to hear this, do you?”
Mallory’s eyes widened, horrified at the thought. She shook her head vigorously.
Jake suddenly grasped the nape of her neck and pulled her towards him for a fierce kiss. His tongue plundered her mouth, and she tried to match his intensity, to win a little bit of control in the kiss. She twined her fingers in his hair and tugged his head back, trying to assert her dominance. But his hand moved from the back of her neck to her throat, encircling it with his large hand. He did not apply any pressure, but the vulnerable position she was in awoke something primal in her, submission to a being stronger than herself. Her hand dropped from his hair immediately, and she meekly allowed him to continue f**king her mouth with his tongue. He growled into her mouth in satisfaction, squeezing her neck slightly to reinforce who was in charge.
Then she heard the click of her seatbelt being unbuckled, and she was being pulled forward by her throat, inexorably guided to the floor where Jake forced her to her knees until she was kneeling in front of him. She looked up into his eyes, panting. They were glinting with satisfaction.
“I believe you owe me something, Mallory,” he said matter-of-factly, reminding her of her promise that she had made after he had pleasured her at her house. She gulped, remembering the size of him that she had felt though his pants. Could she take that?