Deadly obsession, p.21
Deadly Obsession, page 21
“Looks amazing, baby,” Jake murmured, coming up behind her and resting his chin on her shoulder as they both admired her pastry display.
“Thanks for hauling all my crap,” Ella said, wrapping her arms around his. Jake had taken one look at all her items for the farmer’s market, from the baked goods to the vessels that would support them, and figured out logistics easily. She stood back and let him pack the goods, tent, frilly cake stands, and other incidentals. Ella was finding out there were things best left to having a man take charge.
“Anything for you, my sweet.”
“Half an hour before the market starts. Kinda nervous.”
He turned her around, his blue eyes piercing into hers. “Listen. It doesn’t matter what happens today. It takes time to grow a business like yours. There’ll be good and bad reviews, but never stop doing what you love to do. Just remember, you have your biggest fan right here.” Jake kissed her lightly on the lips.
Ella melted into him, feeling confidence build in her because there was nothing more empowering than having the man you love believe in you and really, that was all that mattered in the end.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
One hour into market open, the cupcakes already sold out and the pies were almost gone. The brioche was selling well, but the canelé wasn’t moving as fast as she’d liked. This disheartened Ella because she made more of that pastry today and it wasn’t easy to make.
“Jake, if you’ve never had any of my baked goods before, which one would you go for first?”
“The pie, but now I’ve tasted that crunchy shit, I’ll go for it first.”
“The canelé,” Ella corrected and glared at him.
Jake smirked.
“Good thing we brought the knife, cutting board, and toothpicks,” she continued. “We need to hand out samples.” She reached for a paper plate and loaded them with a few canelé. “Can you cut this up and stick some picks into them, pretty please?”
“How would you like them sectioned?”
“Make sure there’s some crunchy layer and the custardy center in each sample,” Ella instructed. Jake nodded and moved to the back of the tent. She smiled inwardly. It was amusing and endearing to see Jake, a man who’d headed boardrooms and played hardball with bigwigs in the construction business, take orders from a simple pastry chef and do manual labor. That was another thing she admired about him. She’d never met a more down-to-earth man with his financial stature.
“Izzy?”
It was the voice more than the name that made her look up.
Oh, shit. It was Goatee Guy. She racked her brain for his name.
Should she pretend she didn’t know him? Ella quickly looked back to where Jake was cutting up the pastry and was thankful his back was still turned.
“Good morning!” Ella said in a too bright voice, and judging from Goatee Guy’s flinch, it sounded too fake.
There was a moment of hesitation on his face and then he said, “It’s Wes, remember? I’m the one who shows up whenever you’re too short to reach for stuff.”
Ella couldn’t help it; she burst out in a nervous giggle. “Yes. How can I forget? Can I interest you in any brioche? It’ll be perfect with that coffee in your hand.”
“Sure, give me three,” Wes said congenially. “Hey, you never stopped by The Black Pig or if you did, you never asked for me.”
“Oh, I go there regularly. I’m just an equal opportunity customer,” Ella said. “I don’t want special treatment from the chef.”
“But you are special, Izzy,” Wes said, his eyes warm and teasing.
Oh, God, she hoped Jake didn’t hear that. But God must not have been listening to her because she felt Jake’s presence behind her even before she heard him.
“Care for a sample?” Jake asked brusquely. He held out the sample plate to Wes.
Wes’s eyes narrowed at Jake before looking between them, disappointment evident on his face. He recovered quickly and said, “Sure. What is it?” He reached for one and popped it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“A canelé.” She pointed to the fluted pastry and explained what it was. “Jake, can you help the other customer?”
Her man nodded stiffly and moved to the end of the tent to help someone who wanted some pies.
“Whoa, these are amazing, Izzy,” Wes exclaimed. “If we were a French restaurant, I’d surely recommend getting these in. So is this gig just temporary? Or are you planning to continue at this farmer’s market. I noticed you have a fancy sign up.”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Well, if you need any help with reliable purveyors, I could give you a list. Do you still have my card?”
Ella chanced a glance at Jake and noticed how his fists were clenched on the table. He was answering questions from the customer he was helping in a distracted fashion.
“Er, I think I have it somewhere,” Ella said, trying to figure out how to get rid of Wes. “So, do you want some canelé to go with the brioche?”
“Sure, I—”
“Miss, do you have any more cupcakes?” another customer asked from behind Wes.
“No, but I have other sweets.” Ella offered the sample plate to the customer who eagerly picked one. She then returned her attention to Wes. “I’m sorry, did you say you wanted canelé?”
“I’ll take three as well,” Wes answered quickly. “I guess I’ll let you get to the other customers. Happy to see you busy.”
Ella thanked Wes and handed him his orders, infinitely relieved to be sending him off without being rude. A steady stream of patrons followed, which prevented Jake and her from discussing the awkward situation with Wes. Jake continued to be efficient and cordial with the customers for the rest of their market hours, but he’d become remote with her. Fortunately, she was busy enough not to dwell on his mood change. There was a lull in activity after lunch and that was when he tagged her around the waist and hauled her against him. His eyes were glittering with a myriad of emotions, one unmistakably anger.
“I can’t pretend not to be pissed at you, and I’ll never embarrass you here.” His jaw clenched, his nostrils flared. “But it was a challenge not to punch that asshole’s face when he was flirting with you.”
“It wasn’t like that!” Ella exclaimed.
“I can’t listen to your explanations right now.” Jake lowered his mouth to her ear. “All I can think about is moving inside you or having you on my mouth.” She pulsed between her thighs and shivered. “I wanna fuck you so hard and mark you so you’ll never forget how I feel in you, around you, over you, and under you. Fucking embedded, baby.”
After his heated warning, he released her suddenly and reverted to cool efficiency.
*****
The need to possess her hummed through every sinew of muscle. It vibrated deep into the marrow of his bone. His jealousy was an ugly thing, and he tried his best not to unleash it like an insecure lover. So he seethed and bided his time until he could get her alone. He didn’t even think he could listen to her rationally until he’d fucked her hard enough to remind her that she belonged to him. He thought he’d been managing his jealousy very well ever since she’d started at the farmer’s market. He’d suffered through bug-eyed males drooling over his woman. Those first week’s sales were mainly from men who were checking her out. Jake hadn’t shared this observation with Ella because she was depressed enough. Something about this encounter with this Wes guy pushed all his buttons. He was the guy from the food emporium. Apparently, he and Ella had another encounter Jake didn’t know about and his brain ceased rationalizing past that point.
They sold out of baked goods early. It was barely past 1:00 p.m. when he’d packed up everything in record time. Right now, Ella was sitting quietly beside him in the Suburban, not that she had any choice because music had been blaring loudly in his car. He’d been in the mood for heavy metal, and at the sound level he had it, conversation was impossible.
He zipped into their designated space in the parking lot beside the row of houses. Ella exited the SUV before he even cut the engine. Cursing, he got out of the vehicle. She already had the back gate up.
“I got this,” Jake said curtly. “Get in the house. Be ready.”
She glared at him. “It’ll be quicker if I help.” Then she made the fucking mistake of sassing him. “And what makes you think we’ll be having sex with you behaving like an ass?”
“That’s it,” Jake growled. “This shit can wait.” He slammed the back of the SUV closed and grabbed Ella’s hand, dragging her beside him. Verbally denying him access to that sweet body was like waving a red flag at a bull. His vision was hazed enough with crimson today, he was afraid he might take her too hard.
She didn’t fight him. She was busy trying to keep up with him, so he shortened his lengthy strides.
“You wouldn’t even let me explain!” she managed to gasp out when they reached the house.
“Explanations should’ve been weeks ago,” Jake muttered, digging into his jeans for the keys and opening the door.
“I only met him one other time.”
He was pulling her up the stairs at this point.
“Shut it, woman. I’m not changing my mind. Fucking you so hard you won’t be walking for a week.”
Her eyes were shooting sparks of defiance, but there was excitement in them, too. He bet she was as aroused as he was. His damned prick was already pressing painfully against his zipper.
They were at the top of the stairs leading to the living area.
He let go of her hand and nodded for her to go ahead. “Strip.”
“What? No! Not until you listen to me.”
She faced him with her hands on her hips. Jake would admit, she looked damned cute trying even now to sway him from his prime objective. He refused to let a smile crack through his face as he closed the distance between them. Fine. She was stubborn. No problem.
His hand gripped the neckline of her sweater and yanked down. Buttons went flying everywhere as the soft mounds of her breasts were exposed to his hungry eyes. She was wearing a camisole over a bra.
Ella’s mouth formed an O before she shouted, “You caveman!”
His gaze tracked down her body, his fingers sinking behind the waistband of her jeans, pulling her against him. His mouth bruised over hers in a harsh kiss, pushing his tongue inside her mouth and forcing her tongue to tangle with his. He backed her into the living room, and before she fell into the couch, he already had her jeans unzipped. He sank to his knees to get to her boots. She sat up and tried to yank her feet away, but he managed to get one boot off.
“Jake, what the hell?” She batted at him.
He didn’t answer. They played tug-o-war with her other boot, but he was faster and more determined, and he won as expected. Ella fell on her back again when he forcefully wrenched the jeans off her. She sat up once more. This time Jake looped his fingers through her hair and pulled her face close.
“Fighting, Ella? You want to get fucked as much as I want to fuck you.” Fingers of the other hand slipped through the crotch of her panties. She was drenched. He had never, ever felt her so wet before. Her arousal drowned his fingers.
He dropped his forehead to hers and groaned.
“Fuck, Ella. This better be all for me.” He sank one and then two fingers inside her, savoring the grip of her tight walls around his digits.
“Jake,” she moaned against his lips. He finger-fucked her while assaulting her clit with his thumb, rubbing the sensitized flesh in maddening circles. “Now, Jake, please.”
“Ride it, Ella,” he growled. He knew she wanted his mouth, but that would come later. First, he was going to bring her to the brink, just as he was clinging to the edge of this jealous insanity he had for every male who coveted her. “Who do you belong to, Ella?”
“You, Jake, you.” She wantonly ground her pelvic mound on his fingers, meeting his finger thrusts with undulations of her own. It was damn sexy watching her nipples pebbling through her bra as she rode his hand.
“And this pussy?”
“Yours. Only yours.”
He yanked down on her hair, staring at her caramel eyes bright with lust. “Say it again.”
“I’m yours, Jake.”
He crushed her lips in a quick, brutal kiss. “Again.”
“I’m yours. Please, Jake.”
“Again,” he muttered.
“My pussy is yours, only yours. Now fuck me!” Ella yelled into his face.
Growling fiercely, he withdrew his fingers and had her on her back. He ripped her panties off and yanked her legs apart and dove into her damp heat. She was already wound so tight that the second his tongue speared into her entrance and his mouth sucked the tender flesh, her arousal flooded his lips.
She screamed.
Her hips bucked.
She tried to dislodge him.
Begged him to stop.
He didn’t. He licked, sucked, and licked some more. Her cum was endless, her salty, sweet taste taming the green-eyed beast rattling its cage inside him.
“Stop, Jake, I can’t take it.”
He lifted his head slightly, enjoying the view from between her thighs. “You’ll take what I give you.” He growled into her pussy, flattening his tongue and priming her for another round. He kept her left leg off the couch so her foot rested on the floor. He used his left shoulder to press her right thigh against the back of the couch.
Laid out, spread out, and open for him. That was how he liked his Ella, ready to take all of him, he thought with impassioned possessiveness. He squeezed out another tremor from her and stood up.
“Stay spread,” he ordered. “Do not move your legs.”
He kicked off his shoes. His hands went to the button of his jeans, and then deliberately lowered his zipper. Ella’s eyes were hooded, but on him. He shoved down his jeans including his boxer briefs. His erection jutted out, his balls heavy, screaming for release. He pulled his Henley and undershirt over his head. Naked now, he sank back between her thighs, leaned over and pulled the camisole off her. Her pretty nipples were visible through her low cut bra. It would be a shame to ignore them.
He squeezed them out of the cups, taking one taut peak into his mouth. Ella arched against him and moaned again.
“I’m still pulsing,” she whispered.
“I know, baby,” Jake whispered back. He lowered his fingers and stroked. She stiffened again and bucked.
“I can’t stop coming,” Ella gasped.
“Fuck,” Jake growled. “You’re so beautiful when you come. I gotta have you now, Ella. Now!”
He drove inside her in one quick thrust. Not giving her time to adjust, he pulled out and shoved back in again. She sobbed his name. He didn’t know whether it was from pleasure or pain. He was gone, caught in the frenzy of jealousy-edged lust. The need to pound into her took over as he quickened his pace. Pulling out, pushing in, his pumping hard and relentless. He trapped her hands above her head as he moved inside her, above her, keeping focus on her face.
Thrust.
Mine!
Thrust.
Mine!
Thrust.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
His obsession was raw; his love was boundless. It was all-encompassing, and he was never letting her go. So here he was branding her, marking her, sealing her fate.
He exploded in climax, her inner walls clamping down on his pulsing shaft. He plunged inside her one last time, seating himself deeply as his semen spurted out from him. He released her hands and hugged her close, pressing their sweat-misted bodies together, loathing to disconnect from her. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was hoping he could get her pregnant. Tie her further to him.
He moved slightly as a shudder rippled through him. Somehow, the pleasurable aftershocks lasted longer with her.
“Jake?”
“Just a sec, Ella.”
He withdrew slightly and pushed back deeply again. Nope. He could stay inside her forever.
“Oh, God, that feels good,” she sighed, her lids fluttering close.
“I want a kid with you,” Jake said quietly.
Her eyes flew open. “What?”
“I want a family with you.” This time he said it roughly.
“Uh, okay.” Ella’s lips curve upward, much to Jake’s relief. He didn’t know why he just blurted that out, but at least she wasn’t squirming to get free. “You do realize, Jake, I’m at a disadvantage. Your penis is still inside me and you currently have me pinned to the couch.”
“That’s the idea,” Jake said smugly. “So, what’ll it be?”
“I kinda like it to be the two of us for now.”
“When then?” Jake asked impatiently.
“We’ll discuss it later, not when we’re flooded with endorphins from post coitus euphoria,” Ella said in amusement. “Now, before we ruin the sofa, you better get off me so I can clean up.”
He didn’t care about the damn couch. He didn’t like it that she thought this was the sex talking. He needed her damn answer. He wanted to ask her to marry him, but the ring wouldn’t be ready until Monday. And though he was planning an elaborate proposal, he wouldn’t be surprised if he blurted out the proposal the first chance he got with the ring in his pocket. Patience wasn’t his strong suit when it came to her.
He pulled out slowly, satisfied to hear her whimper at the loss of his dick. His anger had subsided, but there was still a lingering jealousy nagging him. Sweeping her up in his arms, he marched to the master bathroom and sat her by the side of the sink. He turned on the water and soaked a wash cloth in warm water. Switching the faucet off, he began cleaning his cum from between her legs.
“Talk,” Jake said.
She tried to avert her gaze.
