Hearts Aflame Collection: 4-Book Bundle (15 page)

Jeff turned to see Lisa giving him a look. He
caught the anger and hurt in her face before she turned and stalked
towards what he supposed was the kitchen.

Just then a woman who looked so much like
Lisa but a curvier version walked towards them, her eyes focused on
Brad and she did not look too happy. She called him to one side and
spoke furiously. He watched Brad’s body tighten as he leaned down
towards the woman. He said something and she reared back suddenly,
the fight going out of her. Next she nodded, said a few more words
and walked off, her head held high. Brad stood watching her go, a
haunted look on his face, before a mask came down and he walked
over to where Jeff was sitting. The entire exchange had been less
than five minutes but there was a noticeable difference about the
owner of the Clover Leaf Café when he returned. Jeff saw how
tightly clenched Brad’s jaw was and wisely said nothing.

“You should go home, Jeff. You look whacked.”
Brad said after serving a customer.

“I need to speak to Lisa.”

Brad eyed him speculatively but said nothing.
He turned to take another order, first mixing the drink and handing
it over to the customer before turning back to Jeff. “Lisa has been
through stuff so you need to go easy on her.”

Jeff just nodded. He understood Brad’s need
to lookout for Lisa but he would be damned if was going to spill
his feelings for Lisa. How he felt about her was completely their
business. Instead he met his eyes, “I will never do anything to
hurt her.”

***

Minutes later as Jeff made his way to the
back offices in search of Lisa, he felt a twinge of guilt as he
thought back on his words. He knew leaving Denver without a word to
her must have hurt her. But after spilling his guts to her that
evening at her apartment, then she’d spent the night at his place,
breaking his one-night rule. He thought of all the things she’d
done to him that night and felt himself grow hard. He quickly
dismissed the image of her mouth on his member and focused on
finding the right door. He was too tired to even be thinking about
sex.

He caught sight of a door which was slightly
ajar and peered inside. His heart flopped in his chest when he saw
Lisa sitting behind a desk with her arms cradling her head. He
watched her silently for a few more minutes before taking a deep
breath and walking inside.

Lisa didn’t know when she knew she was not
alone. She just felt a presence in the room and jerked her head up.
She was surprised, but not really surprised to see Jeff standing
there. He looked so good even with the slightly disheveled air
about him and she felt desire hit her. Her heart missed a beat as
she stood up warily, “What are you doing here Jeff.”

“I needed to speak with you Lisa.”

“We have nothing to talk about.” She said
shortly and walked around the desk to pick her purse. It was time
she headed home.

But Jeff took a step closer to her,
effectively blocking the exit, “How can you say that after we spent
the most remarkable night together.”

Lisa almost snorted but held back just in
time. Sure, it was so remarkable that she was just hearing from
him, two weeks after. It was almost as though he had dropped off
the surface of the earth. She really didn’t need that right now so
she just shrugged and tried not to notice how exhausted he looked.
“Look, I need to go home so if you could excuse me.” But she made
no move towards him. There was no how she was going to let her body
brush his.

Jeff frowned, “Why are you being so
difficult? I really want to talk to you. Come home with me.”

Lisa eyed him with disbelief. Was that how
cheap he thought she was? Her temper spiked. “I don’t know who the
hell you think you are. You spend the night with me and then
disappear, not even a single phone call! Now you have the nerve to
stand there and ask me to come home with you. I don’t care how rich
you are or how important you think you are just get the hell out of
my way!”

She made to push past him, in her anger
oblivious to everything. Jeff grabbed her arm, keeping her from
stalking out. Lisa’s eyes shot daggers at him but he ignored her
and folded his arms around her before taking her mouth in a kiss.
She stood still at first, unyielding. But as he nibbled on her lips
and licked his way around her mouth, slowly asking for admittance,
she began to melt against him. Then she parted her lips and
suddenly he was kissing her like a man drowning and she was his
lifeline.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” He muttered
between kisses and Lisa melted even further. She held on to him and
kissed him back with equal fervor. She had missed him so much.

Gradually they broke the kiss. Jeff drew back
then kissed her once, then twice and could not resist going back
for a third kiss. “I’ve missed you so much Lisa.”

She framed his face with both hands, “You
knew where I was.”

“I know. But I traveled to New Zealand and
only just got back this night.”

Her eyes flared gently, he must be exhausted,
she thought. “But then why didn’t you call?” she asked looking into
his eyes, hers twin pools of confusion.

Jeff sighed and kissed her again, “I was
running scared Lisa. I needed time to think about us.”

Lisa was afraid to think about what he could
mean. She had spent the past two weeks feeling like hell, missing
him and gradually coming to the realization that she’d fallen for
Mister one-night-stand himself. She had just finally started
accepting that her feelings were not returned and she did want to
hope. So she just raised an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled lightly, “Come home with me. I
just want to hold you while I sleep. I’m too tired to do anything
else.”

But Lisa had felt his erection when they’d
been kissing and said as much. He smiled then, “I’m a man and you
are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with. My body will
react to you but I’m too tired to follow through.” He turned
serious then, “Please just come home with me Lisa.”

He was pleading and she knew it was not easy
for a man like him to beg. She looked him over, he really did look
tired. “Okay, I will come home with you. But no funny business.”
She warned, seeing the relief in his face and feeling her body
tingle in response.

He laughed and kissed her again then led her
out to where his BMW was packed. This time she got into his car as
they drove towards his apartment.

***

When Jeff woke up, the sun was already up. He
reached out for Lisa and when he found the bed empty, jerked
upright. Had she done a runner on him? Then he heard the shower in
the en-suite bathroom and relaxed on the bed. Like he’d promised,
as soon as he’d gotten rid of his grimy clothes and had a hot
shower, which she’d pushed on him, he had collapsed on the bed,
wrapped his arms around her and promptly fallen asleep. He’d been
dead to the world since then. Now however, imagining her naked
beneath the spray of water, he felt his erection getting hard.

Lisa sauntered in wrapped in one of his
towels, her hair falling around her face in a wavy cloud. Jeff had
never seen anything so beautiful. He sat up slightly and patted the
bed next to him, “C,mere.”

She smiled and walked over to the bed and
climbed on top of it. Jeff wrapped his hands around her and looked
into her eyes. “I love you so much Lisa.”

They both froze. He hadn’t known he was going
to say that until it came out of his mouth but now that he had, it
felt so right. His chest felt tight, like his heart was going to
burst. He was so full of love for this wonderful woman beside
him.

He saw her eyes suddenly go soft and she
began to glow as a slow smile lit her face. She cradled his face
and brought it close, kissing him with all the pent up emotion
inside her. And he kissed her back. Eventually they came up for
breath.

“I love you too, Jeff.” She said smiling into
his eyes.

Jeff closed his eyes briefly as he became
overwhelmed by the wealth of emotion swirling inside him. He opened
them and saw the intense desire he felt for this woman reflected in
her eyes. Gently he undid her towel, inhaling the scent of his soap
on her body. He was already so hard but seeing her naked body so
close to him, he almost lost it.

“Make love to me, Jeff.” She whispered with a
teasing smile.

And he proceeded to do just that; over and
over again.

Do you like this book? Be sure to check other books
in this series

I Need More - Volume 2

Finish it Tonight - Volume 3

The Clover Leaf Café - Trilogy (3-Book Bundle)