Fiery Temptation (7 page)

He took her down the short hallway until they reached the large foyer at the front of the house. Jalen watched as she looked around, turning in a circle as she took everything in.

“Wow, Jalen, your place is gorgeous,” she finally said.

“Thanks. It has five bedrooms, three full bathrooms and a finished basement. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

As Neve walked at his side, she asked, “Are you sure the house is big enough for you?”

Jalen laughed. “I know it seems huge for just one man, but I like my space. And I like the privacy the backyard offers as well.”

“I’m not going to argue with that.”

He gave her the tour of the main floor, ending at the French doors at the back of the house that led outside. Jalen opened them wide and walked out. Neve stepped out beside him. They stood on a well-sized patio that had a large wrought-iron table and chair set. It didn’t have an umbrella, since it sat under a shade pergola. Kitty-corner to the table was a large gas, stainless steel barbeque. Once the stone slabs of the patio ended, brick began where there was a fair-sized pool with a built-in hot tub next to it. The rest of the yard was grass with some large weeping willows. The borders of the property were edged with tall Leyland cypresses.

“I can see why you like your backyard,” Neve said. “It is private. Do you look after the grounds yourself?”

Jalen shook his head. “No. I’ve hired a landscaping company to do that. And another company to look after the pool and hot tub. To be honest, I love the large yard, but I hate the amount of work it takes to maintain it.”

“Yeah, I’d hate to be the one to cut all that grass.”

He guided Neve back into the house and to the spacious kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Actually some water would be great.”

“Water it is.”

Jalen walked over to the stainless steel fridge and took out two bottles of water. He twisted off the cap on one and handed it to her. He opened the other one for himself and took a big drink. Once they finished, he took the empty containers and put them on the counter.

“How about I show you the upstairs?”

At Neve’s nod, he led the way out of the kitchen and to the staircase inside the foyer. Reaching the upper level, Jalen showed her each guestroom, leaving his own for last, which was at the very end of the hallway. They stepped through the open double doors and he did a quick scan to make sure he hadn’t left and dirty clothes on the floor. There weren’t any, thank goodness. And he’d made his bed.

Neve walked to the middle of the room. “Well, this puts my bedroom to shame. I wish mine was this big.”

It was on the tip of Jalen’s tongue to tell her he hoped this
would
be her room sometime very soon. At least, that was what he wanted to happen. He watched her walk over to his king-sized, four-poster bed and run her hand over the dark blue Egyptian cotton duvet. Neve near his bed gave him all sorts of ideas, and ones that had her naked and willing on it.

“As I said, I like my space.” The huskiness in his voice gave away his thoughts.

Neve turned in his direction. She gave him a sexy grin that had blood surging to his cock. “Your bed definitely has lots of space. It makes me wonder what you do with it all.”

Jalen took in her heavy-eyed look and knew exactly what Neve referred to. It also made him want her in a bad way. The only thing causing him to hold back was what would happen if he took her again. Did he want to take the chance he’d still be able to maintain enough control to stop himself from absorbing some of Neve’s life energy?

Then in a single move, Neve took his decision away. She pulled her shirt off over her head. Keeping her gaze latched onto his, she reached behind and undid the clasp of her bra before letting it slip down her arms to the floor. All he could do was watch as she cupped her breasts and tugged on her nipples.

Jalen crossed over to Neve in one long stride and yanked her against his chest. His lips came down on hers, kissing her as if he hadn’t had her in a month. She moaned into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed against his straining erection. He groaned, holding her tighter as he rocked his hips into her.

Trailing kisses from her mouth and along her jawline to the side of her neck, he said gruffly, “I can’t seem to get enough of you, Neve. I just look at you and I want you. I’ve never needed another woman like this before.”

She cupped the back of his head, stroking her fingers through his hair. “The feeling is mutual. If I could, I’d keep you.”

Jalen lifted his head and met her gaze again. “Then why don’t you.”

Neve blinked a few times, some of the dazed arousal leaving her eyes. “What?”

“You heard me. Keep me.”

“As in you being my boyfriend?”

“Yes. And you coming to live here with me.”

She opened and closed her mouth. “Move in with you? Isn’t that rushing things?”

“It might be fast, but I know what I want,” he said. “And I want you.” Jalen blew out a breath. “I’m going to be honest with you here, Neve. I don’t normally find a woman who can hold my interest longer than the pleasure she can give me for one night. But with you, I want so much more. I know you think it’s too soon to be talking like this, but it doesn’t change my feelings. I’m falling for you, Neve.”

Jalen swallowed as she just stared at him wide-eyed. Shit, he’d spoken too soon, gotten lost in their kiss. But knowing each time he slept with her that more of his true nature would come out, he wanted her to know how serious he actually was about her. And he had no idea how long his control would hold out.

Since Neve had yet to respond, he said, “Say something.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she said slowly.

He decided to do a little backtracking. “At least, agree to stay here with me tonight. The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured into something you’re not comfortable with.”

She brushed her fingers against the stubble on his cheek. “Now
that
I can say yes to,” she said with a smile. “As for the rest, I need to think about it. I don’t want to give up my place with Kara and then have you turn around and decide we aren’t going to work out, because we rushed into something.”

He opened his mouth to tell her she wouldn’t have to worry about that happening, but she stopped him with a finger across his lips.

“Don’t say anything more.” Neve gave him a sexy grin as she dropped a hand to the front of his jeans and squeezed his semi-hard cock. “Now, I think we were in the middle of something before we got a little sidetracked.”

Jalen was about to pick up where they had left off when he suddenly remembered part of the reason why he’d come home was to shower and change his clothes. He gave Neve a quick kiss. “We did, but I have to put it on hold for a little bit longer.” He rubbed his whiskers with his hand. “I need a shower and a shave. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable in my bed while I take care of those things?”

She sighed dramatically. “I guess I can wait. Just make sure you hurry.” Neve stepped away and undid her jeans. They were down her legs and pooled at her ankles shortly thereafter. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, though.”

Jalen turned and was already undoing his shirt as he headed for the en suite. It would be the fastest shower and shave he’d ever had. With Neve waiting for him in his bed, he had all the incentive he needed to be quick.

Neve took off her panties once Jalen disappeared inside the en suite bathroom. She then pulled back the covers of his large bed and got in. She turned to her side, buried her face in the pillow and took a deep breath. It smelled like Jalen. With an even deeper one, she pulled more of that male scent into her lungs.

She vaguely heard the sound of the shower as she brought up all that Jalen had said to her, to the forefront of her mind. He actually wanted her to move in with him.
The
Jalen from Soar wanted
her,
a nobody, to live with him in his huge, fancy mansion.

She rolled onto her back. If Kara were here, her friend would tell her to say yes, to not let this slip through her fingers. But Neve had to think this through. Just because Jalen was a rock star didn’t mean she couldn’t think about him in the say way she would any other guy she dated. He was still a man, albeit a famous one.

Her first gut instinct was to tell Jalen yes, but the warier side of her couldn’t make a decision of this magnitude that fast, or easily. As she’d told him, this was all so sudden. Even though he told her he was falling for her, she’d been reluctant to tell him how she felt. She had to make sure her feelings for him were genuine and not her wanting him only for who and what he was. Okay, he was good-looking and she was utterly in lust with him, but she wanted to like him as just plain Jalen, not Jalen the rock star.

Not that Neve thought that was the case. She enjoyed being with him. She found him easy to talk to. He wasn’t at all stuck up because of his famous status. He was a really nice guy. And her feelings were definitely heading toward the really like-like stage.

The shower turned off and a little while later, the water in the sink ran. Jalen had to be shaving. Neve pushed the thoughts of the past few minutes aside and smiled as she remembered how desperately he had kissed her before going for his shower. She’d felt just as badly for him. Being in his bedroom, seeing his bed, she’d had thoughts of them naked, using all the available space on the mattress. Arousal had shot through her, not letting her ignore it. This morning had been nice, but Neve wanted all of Jalen, his cock thrusting between her legs as he rode her to completion.

Her head turned in the direction of the bathroom when the door opened and Jalen stepped inside. Her gaze drifted over him as he walked toward the bed. His longish dark brown hair looked even darker, since it was still damp. No longer did stubble cover his cheeks and chin. Gazing lower, she reached the towel he had wrapped around his hips. It didn’t do much to hide the erection underneath it.

Licking her lips, Neve continued to follow Jalen with her gaze until he stood at the side of the bed. She sat up, letting the covers fall from her chest, exposing her breasts. His gaze became riveted on them.

Neve flipped back the covers and shifted over to give Jalen room. “Well, are you going to keep me waiting?”

He shook his head. “No. I think you’ve waited long enough.”

Jalen gave a tug on the towel and it fell to the floor. Neve ran her gaze up and down his body. As far as she was concerned, he was perfectly made. He was all defined muscles without an inch of fat on him anywhere. Landing on his cock, she licked her lips. It was thick and long and fully engorged.

His gaze lifted to meet hers as he climbed onto the mattress beside her. He straddled her thighs, bent slightly and cupped her face in his hands as he kissed her. At first it was a gentle exploration, but it soon turned into a passionate meeting of mouths. His tongue slipped between her lips, twining with hers, doing a mating dance of their own. Neve moaned, her pussy growing wet as she tasted Jalen.

He gently eased her onto her back, following her down. Breaking their kiss, he straightened and reached over to the nightstand next to the bed. He pulled open the drawer and took out a condom.

Jalen placed it in her hand. “Put it on me.”

Neve wasted no time sitting up again and tearing open the foil wrapper. She put the condom on the tip of his cock and rolled it down the rest of his shaft. Jalen’s gaze followed her movements.

Once she had it in place, she nuzzled his chest and reached around to squeeze his ass. “Make love to me, Jalen. I want you now.”

He put his hands around her waist and tugged her down so she lay flat on the bed. Jalen then placed one of his legs between hers and spread them farther apart as he settled into the cradle of her hips. The tip of his cock brushed up against her slick opening. Neve moaned and rubbed herself along him.

Hooking one of her legs over his arm, Jalen lifted it, opening her even more. With one thrust, he buried himself to the hilt inside her pussy. He set a fast pace as his cock speared in and out of her body. Neve tightened her inner walls around his hard shaft, glorying in the feel of him taking her.

Neve wrapped her other leg around Jalen’s back, digging her heel into his backside as it flexed with each of his thrusts. Her pussy tightened around his plunging cock as she inched closer to her climax.

“Come for me,” Jalen said in a strained voice.

“Close,” she panted, “so close.”

He ducked his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth. With each pull, she felt corresponding sensation deep inside her pussy. It was more than she needed to have her crying out with release. Jalen let go of her taut peak and lifted himself to pump faster, his body trembling as he strove for his own orgasm. Reaching it, Jalen stiffened, thrusting one last time into her as he threw back his head and moaned.

As he came, Neve felt his cock pulsing inside her pussy. Then a strange pulling sensation seemed to sweep through her. Along with it, it felt as if she couldn’t breathe deep enough to fill her lungs. She whimpered, clutching at Jalen’s biceps. What little air she could get rasped in and out of her.

Picking up on her distress, Jalen opened his eyes. Neve thought they appeared silver for a split second. With a curse, he flung himself off her and sat on the edge of the bed, putting some space between them. As soon as he did that, she was finally able to take a deep breath and the pulling sensation disappeared.

Not sure exactly what had happened to her, she sat up and reached out to touch Jalen’s hunched shoulder. He jerked away before she made contact with his skin.

“Don’t, Neve,” he said. “Not yet.”

She pulled back her hand and dropped it to her lap. She silently watched as Jalen took deep breaths, and slowly by degrees, the visible tension in his body seemed to leave him. Once he sat straighter, he turned his head to look at her. His gaze searched her face as if he looked for something.

“Are you okay?” he asked, still not making any move to come closer.