Packing Up Love Read online

  I’d only had a few girlfriends, and I found them tiresome after only a month or two. They didn’t want to be comfortable with me. It was as if they needed a ridiculous amount of drama in their lives to feel fulfilled. I didn’t want my life to be a reality show. I wanted stability. A nice girl to share my life with, who would let me spoil her, protect her, and take care of her. Sure, I wanted to go out and have fun sometimes, but a night in quietly reading together would also be amazing.

  I knew that Claire was obviously just ending a relationship, and it probably was not the right time to ask her out. But I certainly couldn’t leave her all alone in that apartment with nobody to give her a hand putting her furniture together. She seemed like a smart gal, but there were a lot of things that just take two pairs of hands.

  I went to her apartment, stopping by a café to pick up coffee, muffins, and sandwiches. Somebody let me into her building in the lobby, which, although convenient, was not very good security.

  I knocked on her door, and she opened it immediately.

  Claire looked absolutely stunned to see me. She also looked so pretty, with her dark hair tied back in a messy bun, floral print leggings, and a baggy black T-shirt with a cartoon ladybug on the front.

  “You’re really here?” she muttered.

  I barged right in and set the food down on her kitchen counter. “First off, please never answer the door without checking through the peephole. Secondly, people in this building just let strange men in the front lobby, so don’t answer your door at all if you’re not expecting anyone. Thirdly, hi. How are you?”

  Claire giggled sweetly. “You didn’t have to bring snacks,” she said. “Oh! That’s right – I need to pay you. Let me grab my purse.”

  I quickly swiped her credit card and took care of the moving bill, leaving the receipt on her counter. My name and the company number were on it, and I wanted to make sure that she had some way to contact me. Just in case.

  “I’m so glad the machine was broken,” I said, looking around. “You obviously needed me to come back today.”

  Taking a peek into the bedroom, I saw the bare mattress still there. I gave a heavy sigh. “Honey, did you sleep on the floor?”

  “The new mattress was nice,” she said sheepishly.

  I took a big swig of coffee, then rubbed my hands together. “We’re starting with the bedroom, because a good night’s sleep is incredibly important. Then we’ll figure out how the living room needs to be arranged before we put the shelves up.”

  She looked up at me, blinking. “You’re really going to help me?”

  “Of course,” I said.

  An hour later, her bedroom looked completely put together except for a few boxes in the corner, and I had learned that we both read a lot of science fiction and mystery books. We also both loved some of the same local bands, and the unbelievable chicken burrito at the graffiti-covered dive bar at the corner of Bathurst and College Streets.

  Soon we had the living room arranged, with her shelf locations figured out. I started putting them together quickly, while she handed me tools.

  “I should have you come to my work,” she laughed. “We desperately need shelving in the workroom.”

  “Where do you work?”

  “It’s a little gift store called Taylor’s. It’s a small shop in midtown, but most of the orders are done online and delivered the next day.”

  “And what do you actually do there?” I asked.

  Claire looked a bit surprised at my interest. “I pack the individual gifts and gift baskets, then wrap them and put them in these sorts of boxes.” She waved her hand to the pile in the corner of the room. “Obviously I borrowed a selection of them.”

  I laughed. “We’re both packers and movers. See? One more thing we have in common.” Her lips pressed together as if lost in thought. “You’re thinking of a question but not asking. I can see it,” I teased.

  “I just couldn’t help wondering how much we do have in common,” she nearly whispered.

  I pointed to the top of her open box of books. “I have that same psychology book, for starters. I’ve found it really handy for figuring out small talk with people I have nothing in common with.”

  Her lovely eyes grew wide. “That’s why I got it. I’m pretty shy, and I have to force myself to chat with people. It’s really hard sometimes.” She grinned. “You seem chatty though. As if it comes easily to you.”

  I grinned, trying not to stare at her soft, full lips. “Sometimes I end up moving very rich people, or elderly people, or people with a bunch of kids.” Lowering my voice, I loudly whispered, “The secret with the kids is to give them all names like ‘captain’ and ‘sarge’ then give them little jobs to do.”

  Claire giggled so sweetly it was a vision to watch her.

  “You should only be with people who make you laugh,” I said, suddenly serious. I hadn’t even realized for a blink that I’d taken her hand. “Claire, I cannot stand the way that asshole spoke to you. You’re a treasure. I hope that you know that.”

  She blushed so prettily, turning away slightly, but she gave my hand a firm squeeze before dropping it. I adored that she was shy. Sweetly feminine. Everything I’d ever wanted.

  CHAPTER THREE

  * Claire *

  What the heck was going on? I couldn’t believe that this sweetheart of a hunk was spending the day with me, caring for me, and treating me like a princess.

  I knew that I was used to Kyle treating me like trash, but the whiplash from one to the other was a bit much to mentally process. I felt that I should ask Jason to leave so that I could get my bearings, but he looked so luscious sprawled across my living room floor, tightening the screws on my wobbly coffee table.

  It felt like there was a screw tightening in my stomach every time I looked at him. He also looked me in the eye more often than he looked at my breasts, which was refreshing.

  He was so rough with Kyle, but Jason was nothing but sweet and gentle with me. I couldn’t help wondering how he would touch me. Whether he’d be rough in the bedroom.

  At least there might be some passion. Kyle rarely touched me, and when he did, I might as well have been a doll. How sad is it to be in a relationship but still be desperate for human contact?

  It was difficult to stop myself from touching Jason. I needed to run my hand through his hair, to stroke his arm while we talked. I didn’t want to lead him on, or have him think that I was that type of girl. I didn’t even know who I was anymore.

  A little while later I looked around the apartment and everything was in place. There were some boxes left, but the furniture was all together and arranged and it looked like someone lived here already.

  I sat down on the new sofa, and Jason plopped down beside me, giving it a test bounce. “Sturdy and comfortable,” he grinned. I laughed loudly, finally relaxing completely. He flopped back, stretching out his long arms across the backrest, which brought his fingertips to my shoulder. His finger tapped against my t-shirt, then began drawing little circles. I turned a bit more toward him, drawn to him. I didn’t even know what I wanted to happen, just that I needed him to touch me.

  I looked up to catch his gaze locked on his hand on my shoulder. Then my lips. The pull I felt toward him was so strong it was almost unnerving.

  “I think I need you to throw me out now,” Jason said quietly. His dark eyes locked on mine, and his shoulders seemed tense.

  “Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay for pizza or something. You’ve been helping me all day, I at least owe you dinner.”

  He reached up, his rough fingers trailing softly along my neck, just under my ear. “All day I’ve been trying so hard not to touch you,” he said gently. “And watching you finally relax, laughing so sweetly... Honey, I just can’t stop myself anymore. Tell me to leave.”

  I laughed again, leaning toward him, feeling like I was melting. “Can’t we just hang out for a bit?” I knew that sounded needier than I intended, but he was so comforting
. I’d never been so open with a guy in my life. There was no way to tell if it was because I was exhausted and rattled, or if it was just him, but I couldn’t stand being alone right now.

  His arm slid around me and he pulled my body against his. His chest was so wide, so firm, that my hand began exploring the expanse of muscle without even thinking. He shut his eyes as a shudder ran through him, then when he opened them, he was staring straight at my breasts for a moment before meeting my gaze.

  “Claire, if you don’t send me packing right this second, I’m going to kiss you. And if that happens, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from carrying you to the bedroom and showing you how a man is supposed to treat a gorgeous woman.” He leaned closer, his eyes locked on mine as his voice grew dark. “Tell me to leave. Now.”

  “I can’t,” I whispered.

  Jason pulled me into his arms, his lips not quite touching mine. “Why not? Tell me everything.”

  His voice was like a command. Like a shot of truth serum. “I’m afraid to be alone with my thoughts right now. And you’re so sweet, and... I’ve never had anyone be so nice to me. I’m afraid you’ll leave and I’ll never see you again and never feel this...”

  “This what?” Another dark command.

  “This... raw, physical pull. You make me feel sexy, and... I like it.” I could not believe I just said that. I felt a shiver run through me and had to look away from those riveting eyes to try to collect myself. But his arms around me were so warm, as if his heat was overtaking me. I felt it everywhere, my thighs rubbing together, unable to stop the deep ache that was throbbing in my core.

  “You are incredibly sexy,” he breathed, his lips skimming my cheek, my jaw, not quite kissing me. “And adorable. Funny. Smart. I’ve been looking for a girl like you for a long time, and I can’t be your rebound guy. I don’t want to be your fling. I’ve never had one, and I’m not about to start with a girl as incredible as you.”

  I tried to break the tension by laughing. “They say the best way to get over a man is to get under another.”

  His perfect lips twitched into a sideways grin. “And how many men have you been under, Claire?” I could feel myself blushing, but he put a finger under my chin to tilt my eyes back up to his. “Tell me.”

  “Just one.”

  “Did he make you squeal, Claire? Did he make you shake so hard your brain felt scrambled?”

  I shook my head. My heart was racing and I couldn’t catch a full breath. The way he said my name was making me unnaturally aware of the center of my panties, now damp, clinging to my skin. My hands wound around the back of his shoulders, unable to stop squirming. His hands were rubbing up and down my back, and I needed him to touch me everywhere.

  “If you don’t tell me to leave, I’m going to take you to your bedroom and make you scream my name. You’re going to reach for me every night, needing me again and again. Is that what you want?”

  Oh help me , I did. But I couldn’t make promises I didn’t know if I could keep. “I can’t be in a relationship right now,” I whispered. “I can’t. I’m not ready. I’m sorry. Could... Um, would you be okay with just one night?”

  Staring into those dark eyes, I felt like I was in a trance. I wanted to give him anything and everything he wanted. But I had to be honest. It would be absolutely insane to start anything serious right now.

  He felt frozen. His hands stopped moving, and his eyes closed for a moment.

  I felt horrible. Here he was, helping me so much, on the verge of giving me everything I wanted, needed, and I was hurting him. Yet this made no sense. There was no way he could have feelings for me after one day. Could he?

  Jason’s eyes snapped open. “Last chance to say no, Claire.”

  Now I froze. I honestly could not believe this was happening. I’d never needed someone physically like this before, and it was so new and raw I couldn’t possibly say no.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  His eyes flashed with an intensity I couldn’t even make sense of. “Now tell me you’re on the pill.”

  I nodded slowly. His lips finally met mine in the most gentle, heart-wrenching kiss. His hands slid under my shirt and up my back, exploring my skin as my lips parted for him. He unclasped my bra so fast I didn’t even feel it until his hands slid under it, cupping my breasts.

  He kissed me more deeply, his tongue commanding me, teaching me how to move with him. My breath was hitching and I gasped as his thumbs swirled firmly over my nipples. He wasn’t just playing with my breasts, he was claiming them. There was something in his heat that was animalistic. It felt so right.

  Jason scooped me into his arms, easily carrying me into the bedroom and placing me on my new bed. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, lying beside me as he pulled our bodies together. He was so powerful that for half a second I wondered if he’d be rough. But his fingertips skimming under my shirt to touch my skin, his soft lips, everything about him was so tender.

  He began pulling my stretchy pants off, and I laughed, knowing it would be awkward. I stood up to remove them, turning off the light.

  “I want to see you,” his dark voice murmured.

  “Um, I’m sort of... shy,” I said, slipping off my leggings.

  He opened the blinds a little so a bit of light filtered in from the street lamps. “Compromise?”

  “Sure.”

  I turned toward him and he pulled off my shirt and bra together, then dropped to his knees to kiss my stomach. He didn’t seem to care at all that I was every inch a size fourteen.

  “You’re so soft,” he murmured into my skin. His lips trailed lower as my panties slipped slowly down my legs. His thick fingers instantly wandered through my short, trimmed curls, then his thumbs spread me open. I grabbed the window sill as his mouth began tasting me in a way no man had before.

  I gasped, clutching his shoulder to keep my balance. Those dark eyes grinned up at me, then he helped me lay on the bed, spreading my thighs wide. I pulled at his t-shirt until he helped me rip it off, and I nearly whimpered the sight of those immense shoulders.

  The way he’d been working all day was efficient. Purposeful. Now his hands and lips were meandering so slowly.

  He slid down to kiss my ankles, sending shivers straight through me. I hadn’t known the backs of my knees were so sensitive. Pure arousal was flooding me completely, and I heard a whimper that I’d never made before as he kissed slowly up my inner thigh.

  Jason teased me, his rough fingers against my delicate skin as he opened me gently. His tongue began making feathery little motions through my crease until I was shaking. His fingertip swirled around my opening, then his tongue fluttered across my most sensitive spot.

  My fingers slipped into his hair, caressing his scalp as he groaned. “Honey, you taste so sweet,” he murmured. Then a thick finger slowly slipped inside me as his tongue pressed against my swollen little button. I’d never felt anything so raw. Erotic. The pressure was building deep inside me, and he seemed to be touching every important nerve at once.

  A second finger eased into me, and I gasped, clutching him, splaying my thighs wider as I pulled him against me. I had never felt so completely sexual before, and I was about to lose my mind.

  An intoxicating wave of adrenaline hit me, along with a surge of heat, as I felt everything clench hard. His deep eyes were smiling as he licked faster. Suddenly I was shrieking, trembling, a tiny puddle forming under me as I shook hard while the biggest climax of my life overpowered me.

  When I stopped quivering, he lay over me, his tangy lips devouring mine. His fingers were still working inside me as my hips began rocking against him.

  It felt like I was drenched. I didn’t even know that my body could become this aroused. Then he brought the thick head of his shaft to my entrance, barely pressing against my skin.

  “Claire,” he breathed into my ear, “Tell me you want me.”

  It was hard not to tip my hips up as he teased me. “I want you,” I whispered. �
��Please.” I didn’t even know how to speak during sex. But I’d do anything he wanted right now.

  His eyes locked with mine as he eased into me slowly, holding my gaze as he filled me. It was almost hypnotic how he seemed to stare through my soul as he entered my body. My breath was shaky and my fingers were digging into his shoulders too tightly as my hips wriggled.

  “You’re gorgeous, Claire,” he groaned softly. “You feel perfect around me. I knew that you were the one from the second I saw you.”

  I wanted to believe his fantasy. I wanted it to be true, even for one night. “You’re so big,” I gasped as he began taking long, slow strokes through my wetness.

  “I fit you just right,” he grinned. “Like your luscious breasts fit my big hands.”

  He kissed me, rocking slowly as if he had all the time in the world to enjoy me. I was floating on a sea of pure sensation. Overwhelmed. A rush of warmth hit me as he opened me a bit more until I was taking his full length. I felt the shudder that ran through him as he glided deeper.

  “Oh, honey,” he murmured, “I’ve been needing you for so long.” Jason feasted on my lips, his body overtaking mine completely. He was so careful with me, delicate. Each tender caress sweeter than then last.

  “Yes,” I gasped into his hot breath as his fingers slid between us, stroking me perfectly just where I needed him. “Jason... I...”

  I would never have expected this physical release to be so emotional, but the way he watched my eyes as my breath quickened, the way he moved so gently, I felt pure need radiating through me.

  “I can feel your sweet little pussy quivering around me,” he breathed against my lips.

  Heat rolled through me, tensing and releasing every muscle as I gasped, breathless, my climax so deep and raw that I didn’t know if it would ever end. I muffled my gasping moans against his neck but he pulled my mouth away.