Walking backwards, he made his way back toward the door. It was there that he paused. Among the dusty crystals of the chandelier, he noticed a little slip of pink. Laughter burst out of him.
“How the hell did you manage that?” he asked out loud.
Jensen searched high and low for a ladder, but he couldn’t find one. The room was large enough to fit a dragon, though. He rolled his shoulders and wondered if he could jump to reach it instead. The idea of shifting just to grab a note seemed to be a bit much.
River had gone to great lengths to set up this scavenger hunt for him. The other notes were in his back pocket so he could put them somewhere safe later, because he couldn’t bear the idea of parting with any of them just yet.
After three jumps, he finally managed to snatch the note from the chandelier. It was a little crumpled from his efforts, but he smoothed it out.
For a moment, you gave me the stars and made me feel like the center of the world.
He knew instantly that there would be another note waiting for him at the field. Guilt churned in the pit of his stomach over what had happened the night before. He’d meant to give River a memorable night, free of stress. Yet, it had ended in more stress.
River had seen the good in it, though, if she could write about it this way. Maybe he wasn’t so awful at making people happy after all.
Outside, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. It wasn’t another note. Instead, it was vaguely human shaped. He wondered if the ghost of Eliana Barnes was smiling down upon him until he realized that what he saw was just a bit of the building’s exterior flapping in the wind.
How he’d seen that and thought human, he would never know.
Once again, Jensen followed the trail that River had left behind for him. He almost expected to find her waiting for him here. Though he was disappointed to find another note, he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to stick around. He could still see the imprint in the mud from where she’d tumbled.
Of course, she wouldn’t come back here. He’d fucked up and put her in harm’s way. Had he taken her somewhere further away from Barnes territory, then Callum wouldn’t have surprised them like that. Jensen needed to be smarter for her. She deserved a friend who could look after her.
He found the next note atop a log she must have carried out of the nearby woods. She’d stuck the log into the earth so that it looked like a podium. He was surprised that the note hadn’t been caried away by a stiff breeze. Fate must have wanted him to find it.
The library is closed to the public today.
He scowled at the note. The gears in his mind had done enough moving and refused to process the words he was staring at. Then, as if she’d foreseen his foolishness, he noticed another arrow on the corner of the note.
Oh, come on. It can’t be that hard to figure out! Don’t tell me you read that sentence and didn’t think I’ll head to the library next! Here’s your hint: you’re not the public.
Jensen was ashamed of how long he stood there trying to decode her hint. He really needed to confess just how dumb he was so that she didn’t try this again. He was part of the public, though. That was the part he didn’t fully understand. How could he not be the public?
The sentence didn’t even seem grammatically correct. Every time he said it out loud, he tripped over the absurdity of it. Turning the note back over, he re-read the first sentence.
“Wow,” he said. “You really deserve better than me.”
River had invited him to the library during the off hours. There, they wouldn’t have to worry about her mother showing up. The worst that could happen was a co-worker appearing out of the blue. A co-worker wouldn’t see anything odd about River and Jensen spending time together.
He sure as hell hoped that she hadn’t left another clue for him. Or worse, tricked him into setting off the library’s security alarm as payback for the events of the previous night.
He would have to find out on his own.
11
River ran her hands over her hair for the millionth time to make sure that it was flat. She rarely left it down, but Jensen had liked it so much the last time that she wanted to see that reaction again. Standing at the check-out desk, she watched the front doors and waited for Jensen to show up.
There hadn’t been any new notifications on her phone after Jensen’s first flurry of questions. The silence had driven her wild, but she couldn’t allow herself to reach out and ask him if he’d followed the trail. She had to trust that he had done as she’d asked.
A library wasn’t really a romantic place for a date, but it was the only place she could think of where they would be undisturbed. That seemed to be their problem. If her mother wasn’t interrupting, then his uncle would appear out of nowhere. All River wanted was a few moments of peace with Jensen.
A knock on the glass door stirred her. She realized she’d gotten lost in the labyrinth of her thoughts while staring at the carpet. She hadn’t even noticed Jensen approaching the front door. Her heart lifted. Every step felt cushioned by a cloud as she moved to let him in.
When he stepped inside, he stood too close. River inhaled sharply and looked up at him. He didn’t move. His lopsided grin made butterflies flutter in her stomach. When he bent his head toward her, she thought this might be it.
He was going to kiss her!
“You have far too much faith in my intelligence,” Jensen whispered.
Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “I think I put a reasonable amount of faith in you. You made it to the finish-line, after all.”
He leaned back and rocked on his heels.
River craved more than this. She wanted to grab ahold of the front of his shirt and drag him toward her. She wanted to know what he would do if she kissed him. The echo of his body pressed against hers in the research room returned and made her flush with heat.
She couldn’t have that, though. Jensen would always be out of reach, no matter how close he was. She pulled herself away from temptation. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she turned toward the set-up she’d put together earlier.
Jensen laughed at the sight of the pillows on the floor. Biting her lower lip to hide her smile, she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention then pointed to the ceiling. In the dim light, plastic stars glowed above them. It wasn’t a twinkling night sky, by far. Still, she thought he might enjoy the whimsy of it.
He plopped down among the pillows, folded his arms behind his head, and fell back. She looked him up and down while her beast’s hunger overcame her. She admired the shape of his thighs and the little sliver of skin where his shirt parted from the waistband of his jeans. Her gaze fell somewhere in between, and a blush reached her cheeks.
Their relationship was still a mystery to her. Sometimes, Jensen’s demeanor felt like flirtatious invitation. Other times, he was hard to read. Her own feelings about the situation got in the middle and made clarity even harder to achieve. Could she pursue this? Or would it lead to consequences she couldn’t bear?
Jensen patted the pillows beside him. “Are you going to join me?”
“Just a second.” She spun and went to retrieve a bag that she’d left at the check-out counter. The paper bag strained under the weight of its contents but didn’t tear.
Jensen lifted a brow when she returned. She kicked off her shoes and knelt among the pillows and blankets. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a bottle of beer and passed it to him.
“Am I allowed to drink in the library? The sign on the front door says no food or drink.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “Or have you become a rule breaker? I’m a horrible influence on you.”
“Rules don’t apply when the library is closed to the general public,” she declared.
Jensen turned onto his side and cradled his head in his palm. “Oh, you have become a little rule breaker! Am I the only person you break the rules for?”
River wanted to lie and say no, but he would have seen right through her. It wasn’t that sh
e hadn’t become a proficient liar over the course of her life, but that Jensen left her so flustered that she knew she would flub even a white lie like that.
Besides, there was no appeal in lying to him. Jensen had only ever shown her kindness, and she wanted to show him truth.
“I bought snacks, too.” She emptied out the paper bag. “There’s chocolate cream cookies and chips…”
Before she could say anything more, Jensen cupped the back of her head and pulled her down into a kiss. His lips pressed hard against hers before softening. Her beast climbed to the surface like a prowling cat. It lapped up the taste of him and demanded more. When his tongue flicked her lips, she opened for him.
Jensen made a noise she’d never heard come from a man before. Desire and hunger and need coalesced into a single sound that conjured intense heat in her. She pressed harder, eager for more. When she just about hovered over him, Jensen hooked an arm around her and rolled them over. The length of his body pressed into hers, pinning her to the spot.
This time, River made the same sound. She arched into him, but Jensen had pulled back. He took his time studying every inch of her face.
“I want to remember this moment,” he whispered.
He spoke like they would never have another moment like this again. The truth sank like a stone in the pit of her stomach. Jensen was right. This could be their only chance.
River was tired of holding back and denying herself everything she wanted. She grabbed Jensen by the back of the neck and pulled him into another long kiss. His hips moved against hers. Each stroke sparked like flint and steel. Soon, she would catch fire and burn away completely.
But not before she got what she wanted.
Jensen lifted the hem of her skirt. His fingers delicately trailed over her skin. She rose into his touch because that wasn’t enough to satisfy her. Jensen let out a throaty chuckle.
“How badly do you need this?” he whispered.
River furrowed her brows. Heat licked at her from the inside out. If he didn’t do something to quench the flames soon, she would cease to exist. She was sure of it.
The sigh of his zipper nearly echoed through the quiet building. Anticipation burned a hole in her chest. Fear slowly crept into the empty space.
What if he wasn’t hard? Would that mean he was only appeasing her? What if she turned out to be awful? She had almost no practice, and all her previous lovers had left unimpressed.
Perhaps this was moving too fast. She thought to say something, but the words never made it past her lips. When Jensen kissed the soft and tender flesh of her throat, she came undone. He didn’t reach into his boxers and pull out his cock. Instead, Jensen explored her body.
The tangled knot of emotions in her mind gave way with each gentle kiss. He touched her with the utmost care. No inch of skin was left unloved, not even her stomach—which he showed the most affection to.
“If this is going to be…” Jensen paused, choking on his next words. He cleared his throat. “I want to make sure you remember this night for the rest of your life.”
She knew what he had been about to say. Neither wanted to openly admit that this could be their only night together. River knew that she wouldn’t be satisfied with this one encounter. She would crave more and more.
Were they doing the right thing? How would they be able to walk away after this?
Jensen helped her pull her sweater over her head. He watched, lips slightly parted, as her hair cascaded down about her shoulders. With a flick of his wrist, he twisted a strand around his fingers. River leaned into his touch. He swept her hair forward and ran his hand down her arm.
“You have so many freckles,” he said.
She shrank away from him. River had always been conscious of the heavy splattering of freckles across her face and arms. There were even some on her thighs. Raven and Reece didn’t share in the same fate. Raven had been blessed with a cute spray of them across her nose and a dusting on her shoulders.
“They prove that you haven’t spent your life hiding,” Jensen said. “You’ve been in the sun.”
River didn’t agree with him. She’d spent a lot of time hiding. If she wasn’t hiding from her mother, then she was hiding from the rest of her family. Loneliness pulled her back in from time to time, but she never stuck around long. All River ever wanted to do was scurry away.
Except for now. Right now, she wanted to be present. She wanted to make sure this evening lasted forever.
“I see you left your hair down tonight,” he murmured. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “I like it that way.”
She let out a ragged breath. Need clenched her tight. It grew more intense when Jensen hooked his finger in her bra strap and tugged. He freed her from the garment and cast it aside. The way he looked at her, with an expression she’d never seen on his face before, made her feel like the only woman to have ever existed.
It was a phenomenon that made time stop. No moment would ever compare, so she stopped believing in other moments. Tonight would last as long as she needed it to.
She leaned into him and brazenly stole another kiss. He welcomed her, savagely devouring her mouth as he pushed her back into the pillows.
Was she really going to have sex in the middle of the library? She couldn’t say she’d never daydreamed about it before. This was all a bit like a dream come true. Jensen’s hands flitted down her waist and over her thighs. When he brought them back up, he ran a finger over her feminine folds.
She shuddered beneath him. He grinned and kissed her once more. She expected him to get right to the point. Spreading her legs for him, she was surprised when he didn’t position his hips against hers. Jensen brushed her folds with his thumb while his head dipped lower.
He slid a finger inside her while his tongue flicked her nipple. She swallowed the sound that rose out of her, then remembered there was no one else in the building with them. No one would show up out of the blue and shame her. No one would tear them apart.
Not right now.
She arched into his fingers. He pressed his thumb between her folds and lightly stroked her while his fingers curled inside her. She let out a surprised moan when he found just the right spot. Jensen chuckled, his warm breath spilling over her nipple.
He continued to work her with his fingers. She came close to climax, the pressure inside her building until she could hardly bear it any longer. Again, she thought he would pull out and brandish his cock. Jensen took his time with her.
He slowed. Each rhythmic stroke of his fingers seemed to take forever and no time at all. The pleasure started slowly, almost quietly. Then it would end in a roar of furious need. She wanted to spill over into that final climax more than anything. She wanted to live here, on the precipice, too.
“I will spend the entire night showing you what it means to be cherished, if that’s what it takes.” He kissed the space between her breasts.
She shuddered, a single word on her lips. “Please.”
Jensen obliged. He deftly spilled her over the edge. She grasped for him, latching onto his shoulder while sensation bloomed from her core. He lapped at her nipple, causing small shockwaves to spawn and mingle with her orgasm.
This is what it was like to be with a man who paid attention? She could hardly believe it. Hell, she could hardly breathe.
Jensen waited a long moment, watching her the whole while. She bit her lip. His gaze warmed her skin, but not unbearably so. He seemed to savor every small expression that flitted across her face. Perhaps he was admiring a job well done, because she sure was.
He pulled his shirt over his head then stood and kicked off his pants. River admired him, in turn. A narrow trail of chest hair led her gaze south. She let out a small gasp at the sight of him, fully erect and ready to go.
“Oh,” was all she could manage to say.
Jensen hesitated. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
River pulled her shaky self together and got on her knees. She didn’t quite know what she wa
s doing, but she had an idea. Jensen watched her curiously until she took his cock in her hand. Then his eyelids shuttered. She grinned, pleased that she could pull such a reaction out of him.
Still very uncertain, she began to stroke. It seemed callous to her, but she’d heard of people using spit as a lubricant, so she thought she would try. Aware of Jensen’s eyes on her the whole time, she bent over his cock and paused. Instead of spitting on it or her hand, she took him in her mouth. That ought to do the trick. Right?
It did more than that. Jensen let out a sound between a groan and a growl. His knees quaked. She thought he might fall, so she pulled back.
Breathless, he said, “No. Don’t stop.”
Licking her lips, she tried again. He was salty across her tongue. She licked him again and savored the way he tremored. The way he wanted her made her wet. She couldn’t believe anyone, let alone Jensen, would find her so attractive.
Her head bobbed. The very tip of his cock hit the back of her throat. Each time it impacted, Jensen groaned. He reached for her hair but stopped himself. She watched the way his eyes fluttered and the way his fists shook. He seemed just as overwhelmed as she had been.
But then he tapped her shoulder and stopped her. Her stomach sank. Had she really been that bad? It had seemed like he’d been enjoying himself.
“If you keep going like that, I won’t be able to go again for a while.”
“Oh,” she said, disappointed. Then, as the realization dawned on her, she said, “Oh!”
Jensen laughed. Looking down at her, his expression softened and turned into one of hunger. She wore no top and her hair had fallen over her shoulders. The way she knelt, her skirt dipped between her legs and exposed the white tops of her thighs.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life,” he whispered reverently.
A gentle hand on her shoulder, he pushed her back. As she descended into the pillows, Jensen followed. He kissed her on the mouth, despite the fact that she’d had his cock on her tongue only a second ago. At first, she was afraid he might taste himself on her. Then, her fear vanished when the tip of his cock pressed against her opening.
A Fate Forbidden (Great Plains Dragon Feud Book 3) Page 8