Leap

Cindy Jacks

Just when Lila has resigned herself to the fact the most exciting chapters of her life

are over, a blast from the past walks into her bakery. Six feet of gorgeousness named
Gavin drops by as she’s closing up shop. They were once high-school sweethearts and
it’s been more than twenty-five years since they’ve seen each other, but time hasn’t
diminished the sweet heat between them. Soon enough the sparks—and the frosting—
begin to fly.

As they rediscover each other’s bodies, it’s clear Gavin’s no longer a boy as he

shows Lila the man and skillful lover he’s become. Though Lila knows this whirlwind
romp could be an act of insanity, his touch unleashes the sensual woman she’s forgotten
she could be. And she thinks—maybe—she has one more leap in her.

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Leap

ISBN 9781419930096

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Leap Copyright © 2010 Cindy Jacks

Edited by Jillian Bell

Cover art by Syneca

Electronic book publication November 2010

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in

part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing,

Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of

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support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales

is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

L

EAP

Cindy Jacks

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the

following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Band-Aid: Johnson & Johnson Corporation

Camry: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)

Glenfiddich: William Grant & Sons Limited

Jeep: DaimlerChrysler Corporation

Lady Gaga: Ate My Heart Inc.

The Police: Roxanne Music Ltd.

Cindy Jacks

6

Chapter One

With perfect, even pressure, Lila piped flourishes of buttercream around the edge of

a four-layer chocolate cake. She’d already filled the confection with raspberry ganache
and coated the outer surface with chocolate fondant. Emotion clutched at her throat and
tears threatened to spill down her cheeks but she choked them back. Lila had made it to
closing time once again without breaking down. She wouldn’t give in now.

Drawing in a shaky breath, Lila did her best to suppress the bubble of emotion

pressing at her rib cage. Damn it. She threw the pastry bag on the counter and wiped
her hands on her apron.

“No crying in the kitchen,” Lila murmured to herself as she made her way to her

office. “No crying in the kitchen.”

She’d promised herself she wouldn’t lose it in front of the staff. Granted, most of

them had left for the evening, but Franco was still finishing up the mixers and Justine
was closing up the storefront.

Struggling against the impulse to cry her eyes out, she sank into her desk chair. Lila

swiped at each tear that defied her will to stay calm.

Alan had moved on.

It was over.

Another teardrop streaked down her cheek.

“Miss Lila?” Franco’s deep voice intruded on her mental breakdown. He stood in

the doorway, chef’s coat half-unbuttoned.

She rubbed desperately at her wet lashes and cleared her throat. “What’s up,

Franco?”

“Everything’s done. I’m going to walk Justine to her car.”

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“Okay.” Lila stood up and smoothed her hair.

“You all right?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Yep. Peachy keen. Fucking allergies, you know?”

Franco gave a nod and wished her good night.

A sigh of relief escaped her at the sight of his retreating form.

“Don’t forget to lock the front door,” she called after him.

Alone at last. It’d been a long day. Hand to her throbbing head, she walked back to

the cake she’d abandoned. It sat on its turntable, only half-decorated. Lila had no idea
why she’d started making the damn thing in the first place. All the orders for tomorrow
morning had been ready since four in the afternoon and the display case would be filled
with goodies made fresh tomorrow morning. A cake without purpose, really.

She pilfered a fingerful of icing from the edge of the cake and popped it in her

mouth. Mmm…delicious purposeless cake.

Purposeless cake for a now-purposeless woman, she thought. Tears prickled again at the

edge of her eyes. No reason to fight them now as she had all week. The crying jag had
to come sooner or later. Might as well give in. She sank her head onto the counter and
succumbed to the swirl of raw emotion that lay beneath her bravado.

The flood of tears started with a whimper. Then a couple more spontaneous bursts

of sound broke free from her throat, like a freight train building up steam. Her
shoulders shook and salty teardrops leaked onto the sleeve of her chef’s coat. Lila could
let go now, let it all out.

* * * * *

Ring-a-ling—

The bell on the front door announced that she was no longer alone in the bakery.

Fucking Franco. He always forgot to lock the front door.

Lila straightened her uniform and blotted her face with a kitchen towel.

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8

Opening the swinging door that led to the storefront, she said, “I’m sorry we’re

closed.”

A silhouetted figure stood lit only by the street lamp outside the bakery, his hand in

the back pocket of his jeans. “I was wondering if you could help me find someone. I
think she works here.”

“Everyone’s gone home for the night.” She took a shaky breath. “Try back

tomorrow, sir.”

Ordinarily Lila would’ve offered the stranger a pen and paper, asked if he’d like to

leave a message or at the very least asked for whom he was looking. But not tonight. In
no mood to be helpful, she turned to retreat into the back of the bakery but the stranger
stopped her.

“I’m looking for a Ms. Stevens. La-La Stevens. Maybe you know her?”

She froze and turned to face him again. “Who are you looking for?”

“La-La Stevens.”

Narrowing her eyes, Lila studied the man. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

One eyebrow arched, he gave her a hint of a grin. “I think maybe you do.”

La-La. No one had called her that since high school except her older brother, Sam. In

fact, it was because of Sam she’d gotten the nickname. When she was born, he was two
years old and couldn’t say “Lila”. The name came out “La-La”, and the
mispronunciation had stuck. But this tall, slender man with dark wavy hair looked
nothing like her ginger-headed brother.

Lila scooted out of the doorway, eyes still on her unexpected guest. Something

tickled at the back of her mind. She knew that angular jawline, the high cheekbones, the
Romanesque nose. His cocky contrapposto stance. A lightning bolt of recognition broke
over her. “Gavin? Gavin Reilly?”

His grin widened. “See, you do know me.”

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“Oh my God!” She rounded the counter and planted herself in front of him. Jesus,

he’d grown since last she’d last seen him. Or maybe she was shrinking. No, she wasn’t
at that age yet. He’d definitely shot up a couple inches since sophomore year of high
school. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him. His crisp, fresh
scent caught her off guard, bringing with it a flood of long-forgotten memories.

“It’s been ages, La-La,” he murmured.

“It really has been.”

Despite the urge to remain in his warm arms forever, she released him and took a

small step back. Lila looked up at him, her mouth a little ajar. Was he really here or was
he a figment of her grief-stricken imagination?

“Is this a bad time?” he asked.

“Couldn’t be worse…” She shook her head. “Or better, depending how you look at

it.”

“And how do you look at it?”

She shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. So…what brings you back to Richmond?”

“Job transfer. I’m working for the city now.”

“Still a paramedic?”

He furrowed his brow. “Now how’d you know that?”

“The mom network. Several years ago, your mom bragged to so-and-so’s mom,

who told my mom. The ‘handsome and brave’ Gavin Reilly.”

“Ha! And Momma still calls you ‘the one that got away’.”

Lila chuffed a humorless laugh. “Yeah, I’m a real catch.”

“So, how should we celebrate this reunion?” he asked.

“I—I don’t know.” A lump formed in her throat. In no mood to celebrate anything,

she rubbed her forehead and studied the floor. “I don’t think I’d be very good company
tonight. Maybe another time.”

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10

His eyes widened and he tilted his head like a puppy dog. “You’re going to make

me spend my first night back all by myself?”

“Oh, all right.” She sighed and locked the entrance. “Let me finish up. Come on.”

Gavin followed her through the swinging door to the back. With a low whistle, he

looked around the kitchen and asked, “Is this place all yours?”

“All mine.”

She walked over to the Purposeless Cake and stared down at it. Pulling a box from

beneath the worktable, she started to put it away, but then thought better of it.

“Are you hungry?” asked Lila.

“I could eat.”

“Good.” She pulled a knife from a drawer, cut slabs of cake and served them up on

heavy-duty ceramic plates. Gavin grabbed two stainless-steel forks from a gray plastic
silverware tub to his right.

She handed him his plate.

“This looks great,” he said.

“Taste it.”

He shoveled a bite into his mouth and moaned. “Oh my God. This is— Damn.”

Lila grinned. “Thanks.” She took a bite of cake. “Not bad, if I do say so myself.”

Pulling up two barstools, she sat and motioned for him to do the same. Lila studied

him as he moved to take a seat. Taller, broader. Gavin had become fully a man. Though
he was clean-shaven, she wondered what he’d look like with a beard. Could he grow
one now? His dark hair led to about an inch or so of well-filled-out sideburns. Yeah, she
was sure he could grow out his facial hair and he’d look pretty damn good if he did.
Not that he didn’t look great as he was. The cropped, clean-cut look worked for him. A
whisper of gray touched each of his temples and he wore that well too.

Her gaze wandered down his frame. No excess flesh or jutting bone. His tight

musculature shifted his frame with ease. Clearly he took care of himself, worked out

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11

often. A picture of him shirtless in some imaginary gym, sweat dripping down a cut
chest and abdomen, appeared in her mind’s eye. She blinked away the thought, trying
to focus on his words and ignore the pounding of her heart. Her hand strayed to her
matronly bun and the bobby pins holding it in place. She picked them out of her hair,
one by one, and shook out her shoulder-length tresses.

“Mom said you’ve been at this location for the past ten years. I can see why,” said

Gavin.

She cleared her throat. “Jack helped me set it up after we got divorced.”

“After?”

“It was a pretty amicable split…as divorces go.”

“My ex, Irene, and I went through a pretty rough one a couple years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

He took another bite of cake. “It’s all good now.”

Lila worked on her piece for a few minutes in comfortable silence and then asked,

“Why did you come here tonight, Gavin?”

He glanced around the room and gave a little shake of his head. “To see you.”

“I get that. I mean what were you expecting from me?”

He rubbed his hand on the front of his jeans. “No expectations. It’s—it’s just good

to be back. You’re part of my memories of home. I guess. No, I mean you are.
Definitely.” He grunted and rolled his eyes. “I’ll stop rambling now.”

She let out an amused huff under her breath. “You’re fine.”

She slid her fork over her plate and scraped up the last of the frosting and crumbs.

Her tongue darted over the fork tines and licked them clean.

Gavin reached out his hand. “You got a little chocolate…”

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. She let her tongue graze the tip of it.

Shocked by her own audacity, she shied away from his touch but he cupped her face in
one hand.

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12

Eyelids lowered, Gavin leaned in. Dark lashes rested against his cheek. Warm lips

skimmed across hers. The hand under her jaw slipped beneath her hair and cradled her
neck. Lila’s body relaxed into the kiss, sliding her tongue over his. For a moment she
lost herself in the scent and the taste of him—chocolate richness and the citrus
undertones of his cologne, but all too soon, she remembered the shards of glass lodged
in her heart. Pain at the memory of Alan’s departure stabbed at her.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this,” she murmured.

“Maybe not.” He gave her a quick, soft kiss and then a longer, more urgent one.

Shouldn’t be doing this, Lila thought. A list of reasons she should rebuff his advances

scrolled through her mind. She was still getting over Alan. She hadn’t seen Gavin in
over twenty-five years. Jesus Christ, a quarter century. Nothing good ever came from
rushing into sex. But who said they had to go that far? Well, she did want to fuck him.
No denying that. But the last thing she needed was…was…?

The feel of his heated mouth against hers overrode her common sense. Oh, to hell

with it. Why not?

“Give me a second.” She hopped off her stool and ran to her office.

* * * * *

Rifling through her handbag, Lila prayed to find what she was looking for.

“Come on. Come on.” She knew she had a couple condoms in her purse

somewhere. The telltale rustle of a plastic wrapper told her she’d found one. She
plucked it from her bag and then pulled out a makeup compact. Ay. Not good. Her
chestnut-colored hair sported a couple fierce snarls and dark circles ringed her green
eyes. She brushed out her hair and dabbed a little powder onto her face. There. Now
her skin looked milky smooth instead of shiny and pale. After a couple swipes of lip
gloss, it was time to get back to the kitchen.

Gavin sat waiting for her, a look of concern on his face.

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13

“Listen, I’m sorry if I was out of line. I just said I didn’t expect anything but—” Lila

cut him off with a kiss and pressed the condom into his hand.

He stood and pushed his stool out of the way. It clattered to the ground with a loud

crash. Gathering her into his arms, he crushed his hard body against hers. She wrapped
one leg around him and he wasted no time responding. Hands beneath her ass, he
boosted her up onto the counter, pushing the cake out of way and easing her onto her
back.

His mouth still on hers, he slid a hand under her chef’s coat and pushed up the

camisole beneath. Fingers toyed with one hard nipple, gently rolling and pinching it.

Desperate to strip off her clothes, she worked at the closures on her coat. Damn

Chinese buttons. But with the little patience she had left, she popped them free and
shimmied out of the garment. Gavin retreated for a moment and slipped off his T-shirt.
Every muscle of his torso pushed against the surface of his smooth, golden skin, his
strong shoulders sloping into a thick, sinewy neck, his broad chest accentuating his
tight, narrow waist. A neat patch of hair rested between his pecs and extended down
his lower abdomen in a thin line that disappeared into the waistband of his loose-fitting
jeans.

He unbuttoned her slacks, pulling them off along with her underwear and casting

them to the floor. A jolt of insecurity passed through her. Gavin knew her when she was
young and firm, fresh and dewy. Despite her best efforts to keep in shape, her belly had
grown softer over the years, her muscle tone less delineated, not to mention the stretch
marks Billy and Lauren had given her. At least she’d shaved her legs the night before.

The moist heat of his mouth on her labia brushed away the stray thoughts. She

sucked in a deep breath as he pushed two fingers inside her. He worked her clit
between his front teeth and his tongue. Flexing his fingers, he sent bursts of pleasure
through her. She gasped and clutched a handful of his hair.

Her body shook and her leg muscles contracted, the pressure of an impending

orgasm drawing her abdomen taut. Breath ragged, she panted through the first tremors

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14

of the climax. But as the sensation peaked, she quaked more violently. He didn’t ease
off, continuing to lick and suck at her despite her squirming. Finally, once the ecstasy
began to recede, he slowed his pace, finishing up with a few languid kisses between her
thighs.

He worked his lips up her torso, meandering over her breasts and then to her

throat.

“I want you inside me,” she said, her voice scarcely above a whisper.

“Soon.”

Gavin picked up the pastry bag and squeezed a dollop of frosting onto each of her

nipples.

She gasped. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” he replied, but swooped in to lick at the icing. She wriggled against the

stainless-steel work surface. He piped more frosting along her curves and laved at the
trail of chocolate, eliciting a groan from her. How many times had she imagined doing
just this with the dark, untamed mystery lover who populated her fantasies? Gavin ran
his tongue over her hips to her breasts—giving each nipple an extra dollop of frosting
and sucking them clean. Unable to hold back a girlish squeal, Lila nearly squirmed off
the counter while he worked at her ticklish abdomen. Clearly enjoying her reaction, he
continued to work diligently until he licked the last of the icing from her collarbone. He
pressed his body against hers and gave her a sticky-sweet kiss.

She took the bag from him and pushed him to stand up. Lila moved off the counter

and tugged at his jeans button. After sliding down his zipper, she fished his hard cock
from his boxer briefs. The shaft twitched as she put a crown of icing around the head.
Dropping to her knees, she took him into her mouth. The sweet chocolate mixed with
the slightly salty taste of his pre-cum as she relaxed her throat, working him farther into
her mouth until she’d engulfed all of his long cock. A few more strokes and he pulled
back, a hungry smirk on his face.

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“C’mere.” He pulled Lila to her feet, turned her around and bent her over the

counter. She heard the wrapper tear and looked over her shoulder to watch him roll the
condom down his cock. She’d forgotten how lovely it was fully erect.

Gavin parted her labia and then pushed his shaft into her. Just the head at first,

teasing at the opening until she dug her fingernails into his thighs. Then he buried
himself inside her, his pelvis flush with her ass. With smooth strokes, he set a fast but
steady rhythm. His hands roamed over her breasts and then he captured each nipple
between his fingers, pinching them with just the right amount of pressure. She groaned
and tossed her head back. Brushing her hair from her neck, he pressed his mouth to her
skin.

He reached between her legs and rubbed her clit. Pleasure rippled through her.

With each thrust, she grew slicker and he pushed deeper into her. Lila cried out his
name as another orgasm ripped through her. Gavin hooked his arm around her waist,
bending her forward. She braced herself against the counter. He drove himself into her
until he too came, his body shaking. Heavy exhalations grazed her shoulder.

After their bodies grew still, he carefully withdrew from her. Lila turned to face

him.

She looked into his dark brown eyes. A smile played across his lips. He kissed her

forehead and cradled her face in his hands.

“Of all the ways I expected to spend this evening.” She blew out a sigh and rested

her head against his cheek.

She felt his grin widen. “It’s a pleasant surprise for me too. I was expecting dinner,

a few glasses of wine. Maybe a hand job, but that’s it.”

Lila gave him a playful shove. He leaned in and brushed her lips with his. “You’re

amazing.”

“You’ve learned a few tricks yourself.”

“Glad to hear it. I’d hate to think I still fumble around like a sixteen-year-old.”

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“I don’t remember you fumbling.”

“That’s because you didn’t know any better at the time.”

Very true. Images of Gavin’s younger self flashed through her mind. He’d always

been strong, handsome. Fearless. But now, with some maturity under his belt, he
radiated something far more intoxicating. He’d been her first lover—they’d spent the
whole summer of ’83 attached at the hip. The roller rink. Making love to The Police’s
Every Breath You Take.

When Gavin’s parents split that fall, he’d opted to live with his dad. His father

moved north to Alexandria and though the two vowed to stay in touch, stay together,
time and distance led the relationship to its inevitable conclusion. She saw him a couple
times around Christmas and once the next summer. After that his mother moved to
Maryland and Lila never saw Gavin again.

“You broke my heart back then.” The confession escaped her before she had time to

think better of it.

He pulled her close and caressed the small of her back. “I was a stupid kid.”

“So you’re not stupid anymore? Now that you’re all grown up?”

“Ha, I didn’t say that.”

Lila smiled and took his hand. “Come on. Let’s get more comfortable.”

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Chapter Two

Lila led him through the kitchen to her office, stopping to put on her panties. Gavin

stepped into his boxers and threw the prophylactic into the trash. Once behind closed
doors, she took a pint of whiskey and glasses from her desk drawer.

“Care for a drink?” she asked.

“Please.” He reclined on the leather sofa across from her desk.

She brought over two tumblers of Glenfiddich and settled in next to him, lying

across the sofa, her head against his shoulder.

Gavin took a sip and exhaled. “You keep single malt scotch in your bottom

drawer?”

“For special occasions,” she replied. “And for serious bouts of depression.”

“And which is this?”

“Well—” she took a gulp, swirling it in her mouth before swallowing. “It was

supposed to be a bout of depression, but turned out to be a special occasion.”

“Why were you down?” he asked.

She wrinkled her nose and chewed at her bottom lip. “It’s a long story.”

Gavin brushed the hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “We’ve got all

night.”

Another sip of scotch and Lila began to relay the details of her difficult week. Alan

had left last weekend. The demise of their relationship had been a long time coming.
He’d been filtering out his things over the past month, but finally ripped off the Band-
Aid on Sunday. She saw him off at the airport, one final kiss and that was that. He’d
called a couple times, but Lila let the calls roll over to voice mail. At least they’d never
been foolish enough to get married.

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“Why did you two part ways?” asked Gavin.

Lila took a drink and swallowed hard. “It wasn’t due to any animosity. In fact we

get along really well. We’re just at different places in our life. He was offered a job in
California. He wanted to take the position, I didn’t want to move. My life is here, you
know? My bakery’s doing well… My kids are close by. I’m done taking big leaps. I feel
like it’s just little tweaks for me from here on out.”

“Don’t count yourself out yet. You’re only forty-thr—”

“Shh. I know how old I am.” She waved off his statement. “How old we are.”

Gavin chuckled. His fingers traced the contours of her face. “Remember when we

were both sixteen and I’d coast on my motorcycle up to your house?”

“And I’d climb out the window. Those summer nights by the river. All we needed

was a six-pack of beer.”

“And a twelve-pack of condoms.”

Lila clapped a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter. “Oh my God. Were we

ever that young?”

“Yeah. We were. But I think I like you more now.” He leaned in for a kiss.

When he retreated, Lila said, “Liar.”

“It’s true. You’ve got this confidence now. You seem to know what you want.”

“I guess I do.”

He kissed her again. “And I know what I want.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

Instead of telling her, he rolled her beneath him on the sofa. Unlike the heated rush

of their earlier lovemaking, Gavin took his time. He explored her body with his
fingertips and his tongue. Lila relaxed into his ministrations. His movements slow and
methodical, he seemed to take a survey of every curve, every dip, every sensitive spot—
the soft patch of skin between her collarbones, along her rib cage, down to her
bellybutton and behind each knee and ankle. A shiver dashed through her.

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His mouth engulfed the folds of skin between her legs, suckling gently at first but

growing more forceful as she responded. He continued to flicker his tongue over her
engorged clit and slid two fingers into her, toying with the same spot he’d discovered
earlier. Her body tensed and shook, she grasped his hair to keep from sliding off the
sofa. A sudden climax gripped her and she clamped a leg over one of his shoulders,
arching her back.

She tried to repress a few boisterous cries but failed, praying the folks in the

bookshop next door couldn’t hear her and if they could, that they didn’t think someone
was murdering her.

Once the orgasm began to recede, she expected him to make love to her again or at

least come up for air, but he didn’t. He continued to lave at her, a few lazy strokes when
she was at her most sensitive, but more in earnest once she relaxed beneath him again.

Her legs quaked as Gavin plunged his tongue inside her and then licked upward.

He repeated the pattern with a steady rhythm, setting her afire, her abdomen tight from
the gathering wave of pleasure. He closed his lips around her clit and the heat of his
mouth sent her careening over the edge of another climax. Violent ripples of ecstasy
broke over her.

She tightened her grip on his hair, but his only response—a small grunt. Lost in the

throes of a second orgasm, Lila couldn’t have released him even if she’d wanted to…but
she didn’t want to. Hooking a leg over his shoulder, she held him fast between her
thighs.

Gavin seemed to take the hint and worked his mouth against her clitoris and labia.

He made her come again and then once more for good measure. The heightened
sensation on her already sensitive lips sent another jolt of electricity through her. She
choked on a strangled cry. Tears stung her eyes and her body rocked against his.

He took her down the other side of the crest with gentle nuzzles and kisses between

her thighs. Slowly, Lila’s breathing calmed and she released her grip on him. Stroking

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20

his broad shoulders with her opened palm, she let out a sigh. He rested his head against
her belly and looked up at her, a puckish smirk lighting up his face.

Eager to give as good as she got, Lila reached for the waistband of his boxers. He

caught her hand in his.

“This time’s just for you.” The edges of his eyes crinkled in a gentle smile. “That’s

the one thing I miss about being sixteen. Or, hell, even twenty-six.”

“Bite your tongue,” she chided. “Do you know how much of my twenties I wasted

on bad sex?”

Gavin’s eyebrows shot up. “Ouch. Somewhere, poor Jack just sat up and cupped his

balls.”

Lila gave a self-conscious twitter. “Well, I’m not trying to be mean. But it was one of

the things about our marriage that didn’t work and we were both too inexperienced to
understand what we wanted.”

“But you’re not inexperienced anymore.”

She pursed her lips and made a locking motion with one hand.

“My bad. A lady never kisses and tells, right?”

“Right.”

He circled his arms around her and her stomach grumbled. “Yikes. I think I need

more than a piece of cake to hold me over.”

“This is your town.” He ran one finger over the swell of her hips. “You choose the

place. My treat.”

While Gavin retrieved his clothes from the kitchen, Lila changed into a pair of jeans

and a red silk blouse. She excused herself into the bathroom and brushed on a little
powder, lip gloss and mascara. No blush needed. Her cheeks flushed with a natural
pink glow courtesy of Mr. Reilly.

Emerging from the restroom, she watched him pull his jeans over his rounded ass.

Her breath caught in her throat.

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Breathe, Lila. Breathe, she told herself.

“Shall we?” she asked.

“Sure.” He smoothed his shirt and offered his arm. “My Jeep’s out front.”

She hooked her arm in his. “It’s a nice night. Is it okay if we walk?”

“Sounds great.”

They strolled out of the bakery and Lila locked up behind her. Gavin stopped to

feed the meter at his parking space.

“What happened to your motorcycle?” she asked.

“Oh, I got rid of that thing about the second time I had to scrape an organ donor on

a crotch rocket out from under an eighteen-wheeler.”

“Sounds wise.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

They walked to a diner one block over and took a seat in a booth toward the back.

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Chapter Three

Over dinner, they continued to catch up and reminisce. In twenty-five years he’d

changed so much in some ways and in others not at all. True, his face was a little harder
and his voice had grown deeper, but he still punctuated his words with hand gestures.
While he stopped to think about what he wanted to say, his tongue would dart across
his bottom lip, a signature gesture she’d always loved. He wasn’t as quick to laugh as
she remembered but when he did laugh—laugh with real abandon—his eyes lit up and
he seemed not to have a care in the world. The boy was there, just under the surface. It
warmed her heart that he’d managed to hang on to part of the young man she’d known.

He flipped through the song list on the table’s mini-jukebox. A grin tugged at the

corners of his mouth. He dug a quarter out of his pocket and made a selection. Every
Breath You Take began to play.

Lila clasped her hands together and shook her head. “Oh my God. I was just

thinking of this song earlier. I haven’t heard it in ages.”

“Me neither. My daughter, Kelly, insists on that Lady Gaga noise when she’s

visiting.”

“How old is she?”

“Fourteen. So it’s all, ‘Rah rah, oh la la, blah blah’.” He mimed the video for Bad

Romance. “Or however that stupid song goes.”

She arched an eyebrow. “I’ll forget you just did that.”

He grimaced and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah. Please do.”

Lila listened to Sting’s mellow voice crooning the suddenly eerie lyrics. “You know,

I used to think this song was romantic, but listening to it now, I think a restraining
order would be called for if some guy told me this.”

Leap

23

“There’s a fine line between romance and stalking.” He winked at her. “Learned

that lesson the hard way.”

She chuckled. “I bet.”

The waitress appeared, offering coffee and dessert, but they declined. Gavin settled

up the tab and they headed out into the night air.

“Where to now?” asked Lila.

He took both her hands in his and shrugged. “My place?”

She pretended to think over the offer, but who was she kidding? “All right. Let me

pull my car around and follow you there.”

“Or I could drive you to work tomorrow morning.”

“At four a.m.?”

“Or you could pull your car around and follow me home,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “I’ll be right back.”

Her burgundy Toyota Camry sat in her parking space behind the bakery. She

started the engine and drove up to Gavin’s Jeep. Once she stopped, giving him room to
pull out, he headed into traffic. She followed him downtown to a sparkling tower of
newly renovated condominiums. They turned into the parking garage. Gavin rolled
down his driver’s side window, motioning for her to come around. Lila stopped next to
him and lowered her passenger’s side window.

“The guest parking is up top, next to the elevator,” he said. “I’ll park in my spot

and meet you up there.”

She nodded and made her way to the roof. After settling the Toyota into a space to

the left of a bank of doors, Lila hopped out and waited for Gavin to appear. A ding and
a rustle of elevator doors yielded his smiling face.

“Hey, you.”

Her knee-jerk response came, “Hay is for horses.”

Cindy Jacks

24

He whinnied and tugged her into the elevator. The doors shushed closed and Gavin

folded her into his arms. He peppered her face and neck with kisses. Half-tempted to
press the stop button, Lila allowed him to slide a hand into her jeans. He brushed his
fingers along the patch of hair just above her opening, stroking the very tip of her clit
and pinning her against the back wall. All too soon, the elevator came to rest at the fifth
floor.

She straightened her hair and he smoothed out his rumpled shirt before exiting into

a long hallway lined with sconces and oriental carpeting.

“I’m up here, on the right.” He motioned to unit E1260.

* * * * *

Gavin led her through the doorway to reveal a spacious foyer and living room,

mostly bare of furnishings except a sofa and a glass-top dining table off to the side of
the kitchen. Unpacked cardboard boxes littered the glossy hardwood floors. French
doors led to a balcony devoid of any chairs or benches, but the panoramic view of the
James River made up for all that the interior lacked.

“I love what you’ve done with the place.” Her voice echoed in the barren

apartment. “It’s so…Spartan.”

“I just lugged everything in this morning. Give me a month and you’ll see what a

pack rat I am.”

The implication that this was more than a one-night stand sent a jolt of excitement

through her.

Gavin took her hand and led her to the bedroom. An austere mahogany bedframe

held a plush king-size mattress set covered in white cotton linens. A matching
nightstand stood next to the bed, a wrought iron lamp its only occupant. A couple half-
opened boxes of clothes and books sat in the corner. He walked over to the window and
pulled the blinds. They lowered with a snap that reverberated through the room.

Leap

25

Easing himself to sit on the mattress, he caught her wrist and pulled her to him. He

folded his arms around her, hugging her midsection. Lila slid to her knees, now eye to
eye with him, and ran her hands over his thighs as he cradled her jaw with one hand,
drawing her into a deep kiss.

She broke away, her breath coming in shorter, faster bursts. Tasting his fragrant

neck, she traced a path to his lips, then his collarbone. He tugged his shirt over his head
and cast it aside. She continued down his torso, fighting with the button on his jeans.
Once it popped free, Lila unzipped the pants. Gavin took over and kicked off his
sneakers, taking off his jeans and boxers too.

She wasted no time engulfing his erection with her mouth. It grew harder with each

pass of her tongue. But to her surprise, he pulled back.

Wiping her mouth, she said, “I was going to pay you back for earlier.”

“Some other time. Right now, I want you in my bed.”

Lila crawled onto the mattress. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

After he rummaged in the nightstand for a condom, Gavin wasted no time himself.

He stripped off her jeans as she unbuttoned her blouse and took off the camisole
beneath. Covering her body with his, Gavin lowered himself between her legs. His arms
bore the brunt of his weight, as he pressed down on her just enough to meld their
abdomens together. His mouth captured hers, his breath hot and urgent against her
cheek.

He pressed his cock between her thighs and she arched upward to guide him inside

her. A groan rumbled in the back of his throat. Tearing away from the kiss, he sucked at
her throat and breasts.

Lila spread her legs more and grasped his ass, pulling him deeper with each stroke.

He moved his pelvis forward and up, the base of his shaft sliding against her clit. She
dug her fingernails into his back, heat surging between her legs.

Gavin lowered himself onto his elbows, grazing his lips over hers. He nuzzled her

cheeks, her eyelids, her chin—an endless trail of kisses. She sought out his mouth,

Cindy Jacks

26

hungry to taste him and inhale the scent of his skin. Threading a hand in her hair, he
cradled her against him. His body heat enveloped her and she clung to him, desperate
for release.

She grew slicker each time he plunged into her, the pressure of his pelvis sending

bursts of pleasure through her. Exquisite tension built between her legs and she ground
her hips against him. Her body tensed and trembled the closer she grew to coming. He
kept up an unhurried pace, his abdomen contracting and relaxing, each muscle working
with the same steady rhythm until a massive shudder overtook her. Then he pressed
close, pulsing his hips rapidly to push her over the brink.

Ecstasy broke over her body and gathered into a sharp peak. Even then, the orgasm

grew in intensity. She gasped and tilted her head back.

“Gavin,” she moaned.

He pushed into her with more urgency, working through her climax. Still caught up

in a tide of sensation, writhing beneath him, Lila panted. She wouldn’t be able to bear
the stimulation much longer. One more thrust. His cock delved deep inside her, his
shoulders tight and arms shaking. He closed his eyes, expression slack as he too came.

Once his breathing became less ragged, Lila felt his muscles relax. She melted

against the bed. He gave her a lazy kiss and carefully withdrew. After snapping off the
condom, he wrapped it in a tissue and tossed it in the wastebasket.

“My God.” Gavin wiped his brow and flopped onto his back. She scooted next to

him, lying on her side, one leg draped over him.

Lila mumbled, “I’m going to be so sore tomorrow.”

His hand caressed her backside. “I’d apologize, but I’m not really sorry.”

“Me neither. I’m just sayin’.”

He brushed his lips against her brow and nose. Her fingers tripped over his large

chest, playing with the hair between each pec. The natural scent of his skin brought
back memories—flashbacks really. If she closed her eyes, Lila could imagine she’d

Leap

27

sneaked over to his house in the middle of the night and they were ensconced in his
attic bedroom. Holding up his hand, she compared it to hers. As a teenager, she used to
marvel at its massive size. Even now, she half-expected to see his high-school ring there.
Funny to think they’d taken such different paths only to wind up back where they’d
begun.

Apparently, he’d been thinking along the same lines. Out of the blue, he said, “You

know what I’m wondering? How’d the girl who got a D in home ec wind up as a
baker?”

“Pastry chef, thank you. I’m a pastry chef,” she replied facetiously.

“Right. Sorry. How did the girl who got a D in home ec wind up as a pastry chef?”

She interlaced her fingers with his. “Who knows? It was just one of those things.

One year Lauren wanted a princess castle cake. Jack was still in law school, we couldn’t
afford to buy something so elaborate and I decided to give it a go from scratch. How
hard could it be, right?”

“Did it turn out well?”

“Nope.” She chuckled at the memory of a heap of chocolate rubble that had served

as her daughter’s fourth birthday cake. “It was a freaking disaster. The whole thing fell
apart while I was trying to construct it. I guess then I kept working at it because it was a
challenge. The next year I made her a three-tier palace complete with chocolate
fountain. The more I learned how to do, the more I wanted to learn. I took some classes,
worked with a pastry chef. I learned how to sculpt with gum paste and marzipan. He
taught me how to make mille-feuille by hand. Several years later, I decided to open my
own shop.”

“It must be great to learn you have a talent you never suspected you had.”

“I don’t know. I think in this case my only talent has been that I’m too stubborn to

quit.”

“Hey, tenacity goes a long way.”

Cindy Jacks

28

She rolled over to face him. “Did you ever want to be anything besides a

paramedic?”

Gavin blew out a long breath. “No. To be honest, I never wanted to be a paramedic.

You remember after my parents’ divorce, I was angry a lot. I started getting in trouble.
When I went to stay with my dad, he gave me a choice—find a positive outlet for all the
pent-up energy or he’d put his foot up my ass. On my seventeenth birthday, I started as
a junior member of the volunteer rescue squad. I think at the time, the blood and guts
appealed to me. But in the end, it was the other guys, the older ones, who pushed me to
get my certifications and make something of myself. It was like I had ten fathers, all of
them with a foot at the ready to kick my ass if I stepped out of line. Once I passed my
first test and got my first paid position, that was it. I knew what I was going to do for
the rest of my life.”

“Hmm.” She nestled her head against his chest. “I should send Billy your way. He’s

floundering in college. Almost flunked out last semester.”

“Sure. The city has a youth recruit program.” He smoothed her hair away from her

forehead.

She had more to say but the words dissolved in her mouth. Lila closed her eyes. His

strong heartbeat thumped out a muted rhythm against her ear. She drifted on the warm
comfort of his embrace, the scent of their bodies commingled. There were a thousand
questions she could ask, doubts and fears that would have to be addressed, but not
now. Passion and warmth, that’s all she wanted tonight. And a good night’s sleep.

* * * * *

Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.

Lila’s cell phone intruded on her slumber. Three thirty already? Lila felt as though

she’d just closed her eyes. Still cradled in Gavin’s arms, she was loathe to disentangle
herself. They’d slept in the nude. His body heat tempted her to stay. Franco could get
by without her. Though she longed to blow off work, she knew she needed some time—

Leap

29

a little distance to process the events of the night before. Lila forced herself from the bed
and trudged into the bathroom.

Her tangled mass of hair startled her. Raking a comb through her Bride-of-

Frankenstein tresses, she thought about how she’d thrown caution to the wind. What
the hell was she thinking? The body of her last relationship wasn’t even cold yet and
here she was, waking up in the arms of another man. Stupid. Very stupid. She knew
better than this, didn’t she?

Lila met her own gaze in the mirror. To her surprise, a strange woman looked back.

She stared not at Lila Stevens the pastry chef, mother of two, ex-wife…ex-lover. La-La
stared back at her. La-La Stevens—fresh, adventurous and full of hope. Yes, hope.
Screw the self-recrimination. She deserved to enjoy herself no matter the outcome.
Right?

She gargled with mouthwash—proper oral hygiene would have to wait until she

got to work where she kept a spare toothbrush. As quietly as possible, she pulled on her
bra, undies, jeans and blouse.

Gavin’s chest rose and fell with the regularity of deep sleep. In its relaxed state, his

face appeared as smooth and unlined as it had twenty-seven years ago. Her stomach
did a flip-flop. Not in a million years would she have thought…

Lila leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss.

He stirred. “Hey, you leaving so early?”

“Sorry, I gotta get to work.”

“Right.” He caressed her cheek and drew her into another kiss. “Do I get to see you

later?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, suppressing a ridiculous grin. “I’d like that. Now, you get

some sleep.”

Rolling over, he said in a joking tone, “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

One more kiss and she let herself out.

Cindy Jacks

30

On the way to the parking garage, her thoughts raced a mile a minute. What was

she doing? What had she started? Wasn’t she too old to jump into…into whatever she’d
jumped into?

She sat in the driver’s seat and buckled her seat belt. As she turned over the engine,

Gavin’s words from the evening before replayed in her head. Perhaps she had counted
herself out too soon. Maybe more lay ahead of her than just little tweaks. Despite the
darkness of the early morning, the day to come felt bright and sunny, replete with
endless possibilities.

Maybe—just maybe—she had one big leap left in her.

Lila could but hope.

About the Author

Prior to becoming a multi-published writer of romantic and erotic fiction, Cindy

went to college at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and graduated with a BFA in Art.
After a brief attempt at an art career, she decided the “starving artist” life wasn’t for her.
She worked for ten years in the corporate arena, but now spends her days as a full-time
author.

When not chained to her laptop, she enjoys hanging with her family, belly dancing

and exploring the culinary arts.

Cindy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email

address on her

author bio page

at

www.ellorascave.com

.

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