“You don’t have to do this.” She shifted her gaze away from him, staring at a point over his shoulder.

Was she embarrassed? He began dragging her plate along the counter. “Then you won’t mind if I eat your breakfast and mine?”

“Yes, I mind, you hog,” she giggled, snagging the plate from him. In her attempt, their fingers collided.

His throat caught on a sarcastic reply. He hadn’t heard her laugh in four years. No, the times he’d actually spoken to her on the phone had ended up with accusations, shouting and blocked numbers.

Abruptly her laughter stopped and she flushed, the guilty look in her eye reminding him of the time he’d caught her spying on him skinny dipping with Angelica Braxton the summer before his senior year.

Grand plans of seducing the soon-to-be college freshman had dwindled to the size of his shrunken libido as soon as he’d spotted Sage’s fiery hair. He’d shouted her name and half ran/swam to shore after her. The shrieks of laughter belatedly emitted by Sage and her best friend, Mandy, as they disappeared into the woods had added insult to injury. The beauteous Angelica had stomped to shore, put on her clothes and had given him the silent treatment the entire way to her house.

Clearing his throat, he pushed his eggs around on his plate. “So, I was thinking about what we should do today.”

She took a sip of apple juice, then speared a bite of pancakes. “If it includes long talks about our feelings, how you were wrong to deceive me and why we should give our sham of a marriage another chance—count me out.”

Guess last night had been a fluke. Maybe he had imagined the tenderness in her touch and voice. Frustration simmered in his gut, but he kept his voice cool as he said, “I was thinking we should take advantage of the weather today, maybe go pick out a tree and shop for presents. Tonight they’re calling for sleet and more snow.”

Amazingly, she flushed even more and nodded at the back sliding glass door. “I already have presents and a tree. I’m sure you saw the boxes of decorations in the guest room.”

He blinked and followed her line of vision. A large Christmas tree sat on the back porch, its limbs devoid of decoration or lights. There had been three large boxes of decorations in the room he’d slept in last night. She really had gone all out for Gage.

God, he felt like an ass.

Taking a last bite of scrambled eggs, he washed them down with coffee. “I’ll bring the tree inside.”

Rising from the barstool, she said, “I’ll help.”

The smell of Christmas hit him, all pungent and nostalgic. Kneeling, he grasped the tree at the base and lifted it. Water sloshed around the bottom, making the tree extra heavy and awkward to lift.

“To the right,” she said, helping him guide the tree through the door. “Now three steps to the left.”

His hip hit the stove and he grunted. A tree branch scraped his cheek.

“Sorry, should’ve been two steps.”

“We all make mistakes.”

“Don’t turn this into a life lesson, Joaquin,” she warned.

Pursing his lips, he hefted the tree higher. Luckily for him, the ceiling in her house had been stripped down to the original exposed beams and allowed him to move the tree without scraping it. “Where do you want it?”

“In the living room, right in front of the bay window. I’ll get a sheet to put under it.” He heard doors opening and closing, the sound of her footsteps. “All set,” she said.

He peered around the tree. Sage knelt on the hardwood, smoothing out a corner of a green sheet. Shuffling forward, he managed to place the tree exactly in the middle.

Exhaling, he brushed off his hands, then moved to the kitchen to wash off the tree sap. “Looks good.”

“Do you want to decorate it?” She rose to her feet and moved to the iPod dock in the corner. Turning to face him, she smiled as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I have a whole playlist of Christmas songs.”

Just as he was about to answer, his phone buzzed. Drying his hands, he pulled it out of his side pocket and read the text message from his mother. Time to face the music. “How about tonight? When I—”

“Whatever.” She shrugged, but disappointment clearly shone in her silver eyes before she turned away and began to rearrange the Christmas village on her mantle. “I’ll do it myself.”

He strode to her, cupping her slender shoulders and turning her to face him. Her lashes fluttered down, skimming her cheekbones. “Sweetheart, I’m not blowing you off.”

“It’ doesn’t matter,” she said, still not looking at him.

“Yes it does.” Hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted it up. A pink tongue darted out to lick at her top lip and he couldn’t stop himself from doing the same. She gasped, her full lips parting at his touch. Never one to let opportunity slide by, he nipped at her full bottom lip. “Ask me.”

Her hands came between them, lightly resting on his chest. The heat of her palms searing him. “You’re not playing fair.”

“This isn’t a game.” He let his hands travel the length of her arms, then back up again to cup her elbows and pull her closer. Full breasts pressed against him, her hands drifting lower to grab the waistband on his jeans. He hadn’t been with a woman in years, his determination to make something of himself and winning her back his only goal. Meaningless one night stands weren’t part of the plan, which totally explained the hard-on pressing against the zipper of his jeans. “Ask me.”

What seemed like an eternity passed before she replied, “Kiss me.”

Chapter Seven

Sage expected him to go in for the kill, mostly because that’s what she felt like doing, but she restrained herself, locking joints and tightening muscles. However, Joaquin had other things in mind.

He started at the base of her neck, his tongue and teeth working in tandem to make everything inside of her warm and gooey.

“I won’t hurt you, not this time,” he whispered against her jaw, pressing butterfly light kisses along it. He teased the corner of lip. “Open.”

And as if that was somehow a magical command, she did. In her next heartbeat, his mouth was sealed over hers and he was drinking her in. She couldn’t stop kissing him, touching him, or moaning in his mouth. Four years of longing passed between them. In that moment time fell away, old regrets and new frustrations erasing from her heart with each toe-curling kiss.

Their tongues touched, then tangled as her body cried more. He was hard against her stomach and she touched him there, sliding her hand under the waistband of his loose jeans and caressing him until she was so damn weak in the knees that she all but thanked God when Joaquin swept her off of her feet.

Their mouths tasted and explored one another, remembering and showing exactly what the other liked as he carried her to bed. Don’t think, don’t think, she chanted in her head.

Her back hit the mattress, then the delicious weight of Joaquin pressed against her. Moaning into his mouth, she pushed at his shirt and sat up. “I want this off.”

He sat back on his calves, then gently removed her glasses and set them on the nightstand.

“That’s an order, soldier.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said on a laugh and pulled his shirt over his head, in the sexy way that men do. Tight abs greeted her and she kissed the center of his chest, rubbing her cheek in the crisp black hair. “Damn, woman.”

Tugging her own shirt over her head, she arched off the bed when his hands cupped her breasts. “Oh God.” Her bra was the next to go, then their pants and underwear. Panting, she lunged for him, kissing, licking and biting at every inch of his skin.

“Christ, you’re killing me.” He lifted her to his face, slanting his mouth over hers and burying his fingers in her hair. This time he kissed her like a man starving. His kiss dominated, taking and demanding.

Heat and desire swept over her, tangling together. Four years she had missed this. Four damn years she had gone without a man’s touch and kiss.

His hands coasted down her side, grabbing her hips and squeezing. His erection pressed against her sex as he settled himself between them. Kissing his way down her body, he stopped at her breasts, tugging on her hard nipples and sucking them deep into his hot mouth. She sank her hands into his short hair, her nails scraping as he growled low in his throat.

Suddenly, he shoved her thighs wide and buried his face between them. She screamed at the first pass of his tongue, then again when he sucked her clit into his mouth. “That’s it, baby,” he said against her tender skin and slid a finger inside of her. “Oh hell, you’re so damn tight and wet.” Pulling her to her knees, he sank another finger inside of her and ordered her to move her hips. “So fucking beautiful. Look at us, Sage. Watch me fuck you with my fingers.”

Helpless, she glanced down just as he added a third finger. She whimpered at the slight pain, but then his thumb brushed her clit and she bore down on his hand.

“Easy, baby…” He caught a tight nipple with his lips and teased the tip of it mercilessly. Blood pounded in her ears. Her heart galloped in her chest. He bit down on her nipple and did something with his talented fingers that shook her entire body.

It all became too much.

Grabbing his wide shoulders, she held on for dear life; her body shattering into a million pieces as she moaned his named with one long exhalation of air that left her limp and weak.

Joaquin gently lowered her to the bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Keep the bed warm. I’ll be back in a little while.”

As he moved away from the bed and picked up his shirt, she frowned. “Where are you going?”

“Have to see my parents.”

She gave a pointed look at his groin, where he remained hard and mouthwateringly ready for her. Of course she still wanted him. The orgasm he’d given her was merely an appetizer. “Like that?”

“Thought I’d give you something to think about while I’m gone.”

“Oh, trust me, I won’t get the image of that—” She waved her hand in the direction of his penis. “—out of my head.”

A slow grin covered his face, wicked and full of desire. “You gonna do something about it?”

Licking her lips, she nodded. “I think I can help you out.”

“Like you did for me,” she added, lest he think that what she wanted was something more.

His features turned grim for only a moment, then dropped his shirt and moved to stand beside the bed. She rolled to one side, facing him. A drop of arousal had formed on the tip of his cock. “Taste me.”

Closing her eyes, she took the head of him into her mouth and slowly caressed the length of him with her fingertips. He grunted and captured her chin. “Just your sweet mouth.”

Opening her eyes and lips, she took him deep inside, letting him set the pace as he held on to the sides of her head. Sucking harder, she let him hit the back of her throat and he cursed. She rolled to her hands and knees, and took him deeper.

She licked the hard length. “Want more?”

“Hell yes,” he said, his voice raspy and deep as she traced her name on the underside of his erection with her tongue. “Open up.” She did as he commanded, her eyes closing once more as he breached her lips. Slowly and steadily he thrust his length into her mouth, his fingers curling in her hair. Doubling her efforts, she sucked on him until her cheeks hollowed.

“I have to come, Sage. You—”

She caressed his balls, then lightly squeezed when he exploded in her mouth. The taste of him making her wetter and hotter, not stopping until he gently pushed her away. Licking her lips, she looked up at him and smiled. “Now we’re even.”

His brown eyes were dark and guarded, not what she expected. Stepping away from her, he dressed in silence.

“Are you okay?” Probably the dumbest thing she could’ve asked.

Looking at her, his mouth opened and closed, then thinned. “Fine.”

Her stomach dropped to her toes, but she put on a bright smile. “I’d think you’d be better than fine.” Feeling more than exposed, she grabbed the throw at the end of her bed and wrapped it around her. “I know I am.”

“I didn’t take you for that kind of woman.”

“Excuse me?”

He paused at the bedroom door, his broad shoulders rigid. “The kind to play mind games.”

“Are you kidding me?” She rose from the bed, one hand clenching the blanket around her and the other fisting. “I’m not the one who pretended to be someone who didn’t exist. That was you, Joaquin. You. “

“And this hot and cold act is my punishment?” He turned to face her.

“Yes…no. I don’t know.” She threw her free hand in the hair, then let it drop. “You messed with my mind and my heart. I was expecting Gage to be here at Christmas, not you. I bought him presents, not you. I decorated my entire house for him, not you. Yet you expect me to say ‘It’s okay Joaquin. I forgive you for breaking my heart again. I forgive you for lying to me.’” Her lower lip trembled, but she would be damned if he saw her cry. “You haven’t even apologized.”

“You’re right.”

“I am?”

He took a step towards her. “Yeah. “ A shaky breath left him. “I’m sorry for fucking up your life, for deceiving you. But most of all I’m sorry I didn’t stay and fight for us.”

“But now you’re going to?” She bit at her bottom lip.

Another step and he was standing so close that he could almost touch her. He nodded. “With everything inside of me.”