The Curve Ball Read online

  He had a severe case of lust and a whole lot of adoration for a woman that would hardly acknowledge his advances. Under her sometimes defensive exterior was a woman with a heart of gold and he wished he could figure out what held her back and made her defensive. Did she really think he was joking when he asked her out or was it her polite way of telling him she wasn’t interested? Hell...he had never been more serious. He'd love to show her exactly how earnest he was….if only she'd just give him a shot.

  He left her shop every day with a hard cock and a determination to get over her. By the next day…he was back, eating more sweets than he should and wanting her more than he had the day before.

  He had actually had to add another mile to his daily run to burn the calories he ingested every day at her store. Jake grinned at himself in the mirror, knowing it was worth the extra pain. He had a taste for sweets and hers were the best he had ever had. Now…if she would just let him nibble on her. He'd gladly give up her truffles for a taste of her bare skin. He wanted to uncover and taste every bare inch of her body.

  His cock was standing at attention from visualizing that scenario and he grimaced. He knew taking care of his own needs made a poor substitute for Maggie. He had tried it.

  Every day.

  But he still burned for Maggie.

  It was way past time he settled this once and for all. He was going to give it his best shot tonight when he saw her. He thought he had earned her trust...but he wasn't quite sure. They had been doing a dance around the issue of dating for almost a year. He needed to know if he had any chance at all. No jokes. No excuses.

  Jake swept up his keys and headed for the door, hoping the evening turned out the way he wanted it to. He didn't want to think about any other outcome.

  *****

  Maggie yanked on the underskirt of the black formal that Lisa had purchased wanting to murder her friend. The dress probably would have looked great...on a size eight woman. Maggie felt like a stuffed sausage. The dress was her size, but definitely not her style. The underdress was form fitted and hugged her body to just above the knee. The overlay was a transparent black that did nothing to hide the body that was underneath the clinging, body hugging dress. What she was wearing next to her skin nearly made her blush. The barely-there panties and bra were black silk and lace and the sheer stockings were trimmed with lace and light black to contrast with her outfit.

  And then there were the damned shoes. Maggie wasn't used to three inch heels. What if the guy was short? She would tower over him like a giant.

  Maggie sighed. What choice did she have? It wasn't as if she had another dress to wear in her closet. She pulled up the spaghetti straps on the gown as she locked her car. The cleavage was low and she found herself constantly trying to tug it up. She hated leaving her rounded arms bare so she had added a light black shawl to the ensemble.

  Maggie had tried to sweep her hair up in a sophisticated style, letting the tendrils curl around her face. Her mother's black and white cameo necklace and matching earrings had come out of their dusty box for the occasion.

  Her keys were dropped into the little black bag she was carrying as she proceeded cautiously in her don’t-break-your-ankle heels toward the hotel entrance where the ball was being held.

  Shit. She had never felt so self conscious in her life and she knew it showed. Her face was burning and she knew without looking the mirror that it was bright pink. Why had she bothered to put on make up for the occasion when she would end up naturally flushed the whole damn night?

  The dining room was elegant and filled with well dressed singles. Her heart was racing, wondering how she would find the man with a matching number.

  Please let him be an eighty year old bald man that won't mind my company.

  Her eyes darted around the room looking for someone to fit that description, but she didn't see anyone that looked over the age of forty. So much for that thought.

  Just as she was stepping tentatively further into the room, her eye caught a man moving toward her that forced her breath to catch. He was the most handsome man in the room...and she knew him.

  Jake approached her with a huge smile on his face. Shit. Shit. Shit. He made her heart race in jeans and a t-shirt. In a formal black tux he nearly made her have a full-blown heart attack.

  "Maggie," he greeted her cheerfully as he reached her side. "You look incredibly beautiful."

  The smell of his masculine scent and light cologne made her slightly dizzy. "I didn't know you were going to be here, Jake." Her voice cracked as she looked up at him. Three inch heels and she still had to tilt her head slightly.

  "It's one of my favorite charities." He looked at her perplexed. "You were dreading this? Why?"

  "I feel ridiculous," she admitted with a sigh.

  "You look gorgeous, Maggie." His eyes were intense as they swept her body. "You take my breath away."

  "Oh, please, Jake. Don't tell me that you would be thrilled if our numbers matched." She rolled her eyes.

  "I would be thrilled. I'd be completely ecstatic," he answered enthusiastically. "What's your number?"

  Maggie dug in her little clutch purse and pulled out her invitation and turned it toward him. "Fifty-One."

  His eyes danced as he pulled his out of his pocket. She glanced at it quickly, a horrified expression on her face. "Oh, God. We do have the same number."

  "Is it really that bad to be my date, Maggie?" He looked hurt and dejected.

  She hated the fact that she had insulted him. "Bad for you. I'm sorry, Jake. Maybe you can trade cards with someone."

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a door. She felt the light summer breeze lifting her curls as they entered a large balcony. It was unoccupied.

  When she turned to face him...he actually looked…angry. Had she ever seen Jake’s temper? She hadn’t even known he had one. He was such an upbeat, happy guy that his displeasure surprised her.

  "What the hell is wrong with you, Maggie? Am I really that distasteful to you that you don't want to spend the evening with me." He took her by the shoulders lightly, but his eyes were spitting fire.

  Tears filled her eyes. Did she have to explain it? "I would love to be with you Jake, but that would mean that you would have to be with me."

  "I want to be with you, Maggie. I would have the most beautiful date in the place. Why would you think I wouldn't." His voice was filled with anger and confusion.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks as she looked up at him. "Look at me, Jake? Can you honestly say you want to spend the evening with a chubby, plain woman like me."

  Jake gaped at her with an astonished look. "Maggie...you are the most gorgeous, interesting woman here. I don't know where you got your self image...but we need to work on that." His hand cupped her chin and forced her to keep meeting his eyes. "You know me, Maggie. We've talked more than most married people do. Can you just trust me on this one. I want to be with you."

  His eyes were sincerely, pleading with her to believe him. "How is that possible?," she breathed softly.

  He untied the knot of her shawl and let it drop to the ground before he pulled her roughly into his arms. His mouth came down on hers before she could protest.

  It was a kiss of pure desire and if Maggie hadn't believed him before...she could feel it in his kiss.

  His groan vibrated against her mouth as his tongue sought entrance. Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself drown in the taste and scent of Jake. His mouth was demanding and hot and his hands roamed her body possessively before gripping her hips and pulling her hard against his groin.

  Her body became liquid as their groins met and she felt his hard erection. She pressed herself closer to him, rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

  He pulled his mouth from hers reluctantly, holding her close as his breath hit her ear in hot streams of air.

  "I'm sorry, Maggie. I almost forgot where we were," his voice was low and aroused. "I'd take you right now if I could."

 
She would have probably let him. Maggie was slightly dazed from the force of his passion. She was still shaking from the realization that Jake really wanted her.

  He kissed her temple lightly as he whispered, "Do you believe me now?"

  She nodded, unable to speak.

  "Will you do me the honor of being my date tonight?"

  "Yes, Jake." She felt like Cinderella who had captured the attention of the unattainable prince.

  He pulled back and cracked a devilish smile. "Did I tell you how much I love this dress?" His finger trailed along the neckline, brushing the tops of her breasts.

  "It's...revealing," she uttered, her cheeks rosy.

  "That's why I like it," he replied in a sultry voice that sent a shiver down Maggie's spine.

  He picked up her shawl from the ground and draped it over her arm. He held out his arm to her. She took it hesitantly as he led her in to dinner.

  It didn't take Maggie long to relax. Jake was a fascinating date and they fell back into their pattern of talking as if they had known each other forever. The only difference was his relentlessly seductive and romantic behavior. By the end of dinner, she flirted back shamelessly, which, to her surprise, seemed to delight Jake.

  Maggie couldn't have told anyone what she ate or even if it was good. She was charmed by Jake and totally engrossed in their conversation. He gave her his total and undivided attention as though she were the only woman there. The night was almost magical.

  Jake was a fabulous dancer. He held her much too close, but Maggie wasn't about to complain. She let the music and Jake completely seduce her.

  "Did you have a good time?," Jake asked her as he led her around the dance floor, his hand firmly caressing her back and his lips close to her ear.

  "The best date I ever had." She pulled back and smiled up at him.

  "Come home with me, Maggie." His eyes were beseeching.

  She gulped, her heart feeling like it was lodged in her throat. "Jake...I -"

  "Nothing has to happen unless you want it to, Maggie. I'm not ready for the night to end. Come and see my house." His voice was honest but held a hint of persuasion.

  Maggie wanted to see his home. Jake had designed and built it himself. "Okay. I do want to see your home."

  He grinned and led her off of the dance floor. He held her hand as they left the hotel and entered into the warm, summer evening. "Ride with me. We can come back for your car later."

  The drive to his place didn't take long. He lived right outside of the city limits and traffic was light. The conversation was superficial, but Maggie could feel the tension and excitement coursing through her body.

  He pulled into his driveway commenting, "I wish you could see it during the day. If you spend the night you could see it in the daytime." His tone was so hopeful that Maggie burst into laughter.

  "Not very subtle, Jake."

  "I'm starting to realize that subtle doesn't work well with you." He helped her out of the SUV and led her to the house.

  The home was beautiful and Maggie could tell it had been built with care. She loved everything from the patio with an enclosed, sunken jacuzzi to the master bedroom that faced the back and had a huge picture window view of the woods.

  "It's incredible, Jake." She did a slow circle of the master bedroom, her gaze landing on the huge king sized bed.

  He slid behind her and circled his arms around her waist. "I'm glad you like it," his silky voice vibrated against her ear.

  She leaned her head back against his shoulder as his tongue trailed down her neck. His hands trailed up and cupped her breasts, his thumbs teasing her already hard nipples through the flimsy fabric of her dress.

  "Baby, I can't keep my hands off of you. I've wanted you for so long that I'm trying not to rush you...but it's not easy," he said in a tortured voice.

  "I'm a little scared, Jake," her voice squeaked as he pinched her nipples lightly.

  He turned her to face him, looking deep into her eyes. "Why, Maggie?"

  "I'm afraid that I won't be what you want. And I don't have a lot of experience with this. I've only been with one other person and only a couple of times." She admitted the truth. She needed Jake to understand. Nothing in her past experience had ever prepared her for someone like Jake or the feelings she had for him.

  "You're already what I want, Maggie. I love your lush, ripe figure. It makes my cock so hard it's painful." He took her hand and rested it against his stiff erection. "If you had a bad experience, Maggie, I'll try to make it better."

  "Okay," she agreed shyly. She couldn’t let this opportunity with Jake slip by her because of her insecurities. She knew she would regret it for the rest of her life. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

  He gave her a wicked grin as he removed his suit jacket and pulled away his bow tie. "I'm not saying anything, baby. I'm just going to show you."

  She shivered as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his broad, muscled chest. He came to her once he was naked above the waist and lowered the tiny straps holding up her dress. The back zipper lowered in one sensuous motion. He pealed the dress down her body slowly, like he was unwrapping a present. Maggie heard his breath catch as he saw her black, lacy underwear.

  "You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen," he murmured as he ran his hands over bare skin and silky underwear.

  Maggie let out the breath that she didn't realize that she was holding as he admired her. She still couldn't believe that Jake found her thick limbs and jelly rolls attractive...but he obviously did. It gave her a freedom she had never known.

  She reached for his belt and undid his pants. "I want to see. I want to feel you." She peeled his pants and black briefs down his legs, gasping at the first glance of his huge, erect member. "Wow. It's big."

  Jake chuckled, stepping out of the pants on the floor as he answered "Be careful or you'll give me a fat head, sweetheart." He didn’t sound like he minded this little ego boost one bit.

  She wrapped her fingers around the long appendage and slid over the silky skin covering it. It felt so warm and alive. Her thumb trailed over the bulbous head, spreading a drop of moisture over the dark pink tip. Seized by a compulsion she couldn't ignore, her tongue darted out and tasted the moisture.

  His hand plunged into her hair, pulling out the combs holding it in place and it spilled down her back. He gasped as she tasted the rest of his rod, moving her hand along his cock and licking him from shaft to tip.

  He groaned as he pulled her back up. "I can't take much of that, Maggie. I don't have the patience right now. I've been fantasizing about this for almost a year. I don’t want the party to be over before it’s hardly started."

  His hands released the front clasp of her lacy bra and slid it down her arms. His mouth lowered to worship her nipples as his hand slid down to cup her mound.

  Maggie's head fell back as his fingers stroked along her panties, caressing her slit. She moaned as they slid under the elastic and his fingers made direct contact. He delved through her lower lips, stroking through her wet pussy with his strong, agile fingers.

  "You're so wet, Maggie. So sweet and hot," he rasped as he circled and stroked her burning, sensitive flesh. "Every erotic dream I've ever had about you can't compare to the reality."

  Maggie's legs hit the edge of the bed and she squealed as she fell sprawled over the silky bedspread. She had been so overwhelmed by need that she had never noticed that Jake was slowly backing her up to the bed.