Extreme Close-Up (Perspectives Book 1) by Julie Jaret Read Free Book Online Page A

behind the house to find the switch box.
    And then she made a choice.
    The sprinklers came on. Braden walked back around to find that Lisa hadn’t budged. She’d only gotten drenched. He quickly shut off the system and jogged over to her.
    Her skin was shiny and wet, and her waterlogged cut-offs dripped down her legs. The tissue-thin tank top was soaked, rosy-brown nipples protesting the cold.
    She wrung out her hair and blinked spiky eyelashes at him. “Oops.”
    “Sorry, Ms. Taylor, I didn’t mean to--” Then he seemed to realize she wasn’t complaining. “ Fuck .”
    The heat in his eyes only made her shiver more. She hugged herself. He took a step closer, gently uncrossed her arms and set her hands at her sides. “Now, that is a gorgeous view.”
    It occurred to Lisa that she hadn’t really thought this out.
    Braden’s eyes darted from her breasts to her face, with equal interest. His warm, rough hands slid from her wrists to her shoulders, up the sides of her neck and into her hair. He licked his lips and slowly pulled her close. She held her breath as he brushed that beautiful mouth against hers once... and again...
    Then his hot tongue licked the seam of her lips, and Lisa willed herself to back away. “I’m sorry, Braden. I can’t.”
    “You mean you won’t.” He sounded hurt and more than a little frustrated.
    “I can’t. So I won’t.” She crossed her arms to cover herself, rubbing her biceps against the sudden chill. “I’m forty-one years old.”
    “Yeah. And you’re playing games like a high school girl.” He pushed her arms down again, using light force when she resisted. Looking more angry than hurt, now, he held her
    in place with her wrists behind her back. “What, you think you’re not attractive to men anymore? Is that it?”
    Eyes wide, she didn’t speak or even nod. She didn’t have to.
    A muscle in his jaw ticked in frustration. “Well, Lisa , in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a man, and this is what you do to me.” With that, he kissed her roughly and ground his erection against her hard enough to hurt.
    To the surprise of them both, she kissed him back just as roughly, biting his plush lower lip and sucking his tongue. He groaned and maneuvered them to a lounge chair, pulling her down on top of him. His smooth skin smelled of that woodsy soap and he tasted like spicy cinnamon. She wanted this. She needed this. She fucking deserved this.
    But when she felt his hands lift the wet hem of her shirt, she panicked and shook her head, panting, “I’m not ready.” Before his expression closed, she confessed, “I’ve been with no one besides Vance since I was younger than you.” She saw him try to hide his surprise that she’d been celibate these last few years.
    He sighed and brushed a damp curl off her cheek. “I didn’t know.” He kissed her forehead and let go of her. “I’ve waited half my life for you. I can wait a little longer.”
    “Thank you.” She smiled gratefully and lightly kissed his mouth, then scooted back to sit between his calves, straddling his legs and the chair. Her nipples responded when his eyes grazed them, still very visible in the damp shirt. Aware of his hard-on and recalling horror stories about painful blue balls, she moved to cover herself, “Sorry--”
    He shook his head. “Don’t. I’ll be glad to have real pictures in my head instead of my imagination when I go home to take care of this,” he squeezed the thick bulge in his shorts. “Unless you wanna lend me a sock,” he chuckled, all dimples and twinkling eyes.
    Having his eyes on her was a turn-on. Knowing she got him hard, even more so. But seeing his hand with the braided leather cord around his thick wrist, long fingers delineating his straining erection...
    “I could lend you a sock,” she purred with an impish smile.
    Understanding dawned in his eyes. “You really are trying to kill me,” he said. Then he watched her face as he slowly slid his hand under his