by Calinda B
“Jace,” she said in a breathy voice. “What are you doing?”
“I’m making you feel fantastic. That’s my guess. Lift those hips so I can slip these off.”
She complied, without protest. “You said you wanted me to tell you something.”
He paused. “I did, yeah. But now we’re doing this.”
He ran his hands along the outside of her legs.
She made a soft moan. “Ask me something. Before we do this and I forget how to think.”
He brushed the inside of her tender thighs, making her shiver.
“Ask me.”
His breath came out in a rush. “Okay. Tell me something you love.”
“It’s not a thing, it’s a person.”
His eyebrows shot up. A surge of possessiveness shot through him like a rocket. “Do I really want to hear this?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her eyes wide, apprehensive.
“You’re mine, Zoé. If you tell me you’re still in love with…”
“It’s you. I’m falling in love with you.” She spat the words out, like she wanted them as far away from her mouth as possible.
“It’s me? You’re falling in love with me?” His heart began to pound. Excitement warred with terror. Loving someone never turned out good. Not for me, anyway.
“Yes, Jace Savage. I feel like a complete idiot, but I am.”
“Why, Zoé? Why?”
“Because you’re you. Because you make me laugh. You make me think. You’re passionate, intelligent, and wild. You make me do things I never dreamed I’d do, like have Hollywood sex on a motorcycle. I’m completely addicted to you. Tanya keeps telling me you’re bad for me, but I don’t feel it. I know we barely know each other but…you asked me if I knew what’s right. This…” She pointed back and forth between him and her. “This is right.”
Jace studied her, blinking.
“I tossed and turned all night long thinking about you.”
“Baby…” he began, unsure what to say.
“I love you with all my fucking heart.” She looked as if being in love with him was reprehensible.
He opened his mouth, ready to talk her out of her feelings, when she held up her hand.
“Don’t say it, whatever it is. I’m not in the mood. I’ve been waiting for you, Jace Savage. I’ve been looking for you. Longing to find you. And now you’re here. And you won’t tell me about your troubles. You won’t let me in. I must be some kind of masochist.” Tears filled her lovely brown eyes.
“I’d say it’s you denying access,” he said, his gaze burning into hers.
“Come on, Jace.” One tear dripped down her face.
He captured it on his fingertip, and sucked it into his mouth.
“I gave you one answer,” he said. “And I’ll give you another. But only after we do this.” He pushed his nose into the coarse hair between her legs, taking a deep whiff. “I love the way your sweet pussy smells.”
“You don’t love me, do you?”
He paused, lifting his eyes to meet hers, his heart jackhammering in his chest, a frenetic, frantic sensation filling his mind.
“I’m crazy about you,” she said.
“I’m crazy about you, too, baby.”
“But you’re not in love with me,” she said flatly.
“I don’t…I don’t know. I only know how you make me feel.”
“Like you can get through your troubles,” she said in an even flatter voice.
“No, baby, like I can get through anything. With you, I feel more like a man than I’ve ever felt in my life.” He stared at her and realized he was panting, his lips parted like a frightened mutt. His mouth snapped shut.
“Really?”
The way she looked at him destroyed him inside. Any chance he had of keeping it together flew out the window.
“Fuck. You make me fucking crazy.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “When you look at me like that all I want is be inside you. Get you as close to me as I can.”
“I want that, too. But I also want to be inside your mind. I want to be privy to your secrets.”
“And I told you. I gave you one answer. I’ll give you another—after we do this.” He brought his lips to the tender skin inside her knee.
“Damn you, Jace Savage,” she said, letting her head fall back.
He kissed a trail up the inside of her thigh.
Her fingers found his hair, caressing his scalp. She massaged his shoulders and his neck with firm, even strokes.
“I love the way you touch me,” he said.
The words felt like a strange new experiment, like taking the L-word out for a test drive. The only other person he’d said it to was Kate and that had been a disaster. He’d never said it to his mom. He’d thought about telling his Aunt Molly he loved her, but, as good as she was to him, even that didn’t seem safe. He drop-kicked those thoughts, sending them flying out of the room.
“You promise you’ll tell me more?” she said, breathing hard.
“Shhh, baby.” He placed his hands along her thighs, spreading apart her folds. “Fucking gorgeous,” he said, before extending his tongue to explore. He made one long sweep of his tongue.
“Oh, God, Jace,” Zoé moaned.
“You like this, baby?” Without waiting for an answer, he licked her again, the entire length. He found her swollen pearl. Circled it with his tongue, making her gasp. “I love the taste of your arousal.” He continued to spread her wide, framing her with his palms as he licked. “I love your beautiful pussy.” He licked soft and slow, and hard and fast, gauging her responses. Sensing she was about to orgasm, he slid one finger, two fingers, three fingers into her opening. “Come for me, baby.” He plunged his fingers deep while his tongue lapped at her.
“Oh, God,” she moaned. “Jace! Jace!” She let out a long, deep, growling groan, pulsing around him.
“Mmm, mm hmm.” He pushed his face back and forth, up, and down, licking, nibbling, sucking, savoring her climax.
“Okay, okay, stop, enough, I surrender,” she groaned. “Sweet Jesus, what you do to me.”
He lifted his head, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and gave her a wicked smile. “You like that, baby?” He rose to standing.
“God, yes.”
“Ready for more?”
“In a minute,” she said, panting.
“How long do you need?” he said, removing his jeans. “About this long?” He stroked his hard heat, his eyes hooded.
“Jace, you’re killing me!”
“It’s mutual,” he said, climbing on top of her. He pitched pillows to the floor, laying her back on the space he created. Grasping his cock, he pushed it up and down her silky pink flesh. “Someone’s wet.” He brought his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. “Someone wants me inside her sweet, slippery canal.” He kissed her neck. “Who might that be?”
“Me. I want you.” Her voice sounded husky and raw.
“How much?” he said, drawing his soft head up and down between her legs.
“Badly.”
“Only me?”
“Only you, Jace.”
He brought his hand up and placed it around her throat and jaw.
She twisted her head back and forth. “What are you doing?”
His fingers closed around her jaw, preventing her from moving.
“Fucking you,” he said, thrusting into her. “Exclusive rights, yeah, baby?”
“You’re restraining me. You’re not trying to choke me, right?”
“Why would I do that? You’ve granted exclusive rights, yeah?” He dragged his fingers down to the hollow in her neck.
“Exclusive rights.” The words sailed from her mouth breathlessly.
He pushed inside, delighting in the sigh she made as he entered. “I belong in here.”
“You do,” she whispered.
“This is my home base.” He stilled, deep inside her, breathing deeply. Then, he pushed, making small circles with his hips. “
Fuck. I want in all the way. I’m not going to last, baby.” He pulled back and plunged deeper. “Fuck. You’re destroying me.” His hips pumped, immersing into her core. “Fuck!” he groaned, as his pleasure coursed through him. He shuddered and growled, filling her with his desire, before collapsing on top of her. “Not enough skin,” he said, lifting. “Off, off, off.” He slid the t-shirt over her head and flung it to the floor. “No bra, baby?”
“I figured it would come off soon,” she said with a smile. “Take your shirt off, too.”
He complied, settling onto her warm skin. “You melt me.”
“You melt me,” she said.
“We melt each other,” he murmured. “Exquisite, superb combustion yields liquid heat.” He shifted to the side somewhat, giving her room to breathe. “This is perfect. This is where I belong.” He nuzzled her graceful neck. He relaxed, his breathing deepening. “You comfortable?” he murmured.
“Very,” she said, running her fingers along his back.
His mind began to drift.
“Jace?” she said softly.
“Mm hmm?” he said, eyes closed.
“You promised me another question.”
A deep sigh left his lungs. “I did. What do you want to know?”
Chapter 17
Zoé
Zoé tugged her panties over her hips before settling next to Jace. “So, I get one question.”
“One.”
“Can I ask for elaboration on the answer? Can the question be an umbrella and then I get a few details?”
He considered for a moment. “Depends on the question, I guess.”
“It’s going to be more about the yacht.”
He chewed the inside of his cheek and sighed. “Okay. May as well get this over with.”
“Okay. So, you said you partied a lot on the yacht.” Her eyes sought his and she quickly added, “That’s not the question; that’s a summary of facts.”
“Understood. What’s the question?”
“Who was the girl who broke your heart that made you party so hard?”
“Kate. Kate Bethlehem.”
“Was she beautiful?”
“Yes.”
Ouch. That didn’t feel good, but I asked for this. “And you loved her?”
“Very much. At least I thought I did.”
“Is that why you can’t love me yet?” A small twist of jealousy lanced her gut.
“That’s veering off topic. I said I’d answer questions about the yacht topic.”
“Okay,” she said, biting her lip. She snuggled closer to him, angling her body so she could see him better. “You’re beautiful, you know, even when you look serious.”
He gave her a small, warm smile, his eyes lighting up. “Thank you. I can say the same.”
Her lips curved upward and she gazed at him affectionately. “So. If you had to party a lot on the yacht to get her out of your system, you must have really loved her and she must have done something fucked up to hurt you so badly.”
He said nothing.
“Answer the question.”
“It seemed like a statement.” He stroked the inside of her palm with his thumb.
“So, what I said is true, yes?”
“Yes.”
“How long were you with her?” She speed-talked as her mind whirled. He seemed to warm to answering her non-yacht questions. She didn’t want to blow it and have him close again.
“Five years. Since I was twenty-four.”
“That makes you twenty-nine?”
“Thirty. I just turned thirty.”
“Happy birthday.” She smiled.
“Thank you. Best year of my life, with you in it.”
That phrase reassured her, making her heart sing. She smiled broadly. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” She looked away, gathering her thoughts. “How did you meet her?”
“We’ve moved off the yacht questions, you realize.” Jace squeezed the back of his neck.
“I know. But this is about Kate and she was on the yacht.”
Jace chewed his lower lip. “She was one of Billy’s back burner babes.”
“Like me.” A stab of solidarity with Kate ran through her brain.
“Right. Like you. She’d had enough with him so we started dating. He seemed cool with it. Billy never lacks for sexual partners.”
“So, I’ve noticed. Okay, so he let you take his leftovers, which happen to be quality food, I have to say.”
“The best.” He picked up her palm, and kissed it tenderly. “He has no idea what he gave up —none.”
“That feels good.”
“Good. I love to kiss you.” He brushed his mouth along her wrist and inner arm, sucking lightly, making little breathy noises that gave her the shivers. “Are we done yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I didn’t think so.” He sighed. “Next question?”
“What did she do to hurt you?”
He blew out a gust of air. “She hooked up with Billy again. We’d been together, happily, I thought, for four years.”
Zoé winced. “Ouch. That explains your animosity toward him.”
“Some of it, yes.” He withdrew his hand, dragging it through his hair.
“How many times?”
“Zoé.” He shook his head. “I don’t care to relive this. It was painful enough to live through it once.” He sighed. “But the answer is twice. I forgave her the first time. That gave her the go ahead to do it again.” His jaw began ticking, the muscles no doubt protesting what the mind had revealed.
She bit her lip, considering her next question. “Okay, I’m done with Kate Bethlehem.”
“Good because so am I,” he said flatly. “I’m also growing tired of answering questions. You probably have about two minute’s worth of my attention to this game before I explode.”
She blinked. Her mind reeled and raced. “Were there drugs on the yacht?”
“Loads.”
“Did you partake?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“What kind? I hate drugs.”
“Weed, speed, coke, Cat Valium…”
“Cat Valium?”
“Ketamine. Let’s see, we rolled with MDMA…there’s probably more but I forget all we did. Billy gets his hands on whatever he wants.”
“Do you still do drugs?” She felt like she was speed talking.
“None. One minute thirty left.” His fingers drummed the sofa arm.
“Did you do a lot of women?”
“Whoever I could get my hands on.”
She didn’t like that answer.
His jaw tightened again. “One minute left, baby.”
“Were you interested in any of them? You know, for a girlfriend?”
“Not a one.”
“Not even a little?” she said hurriedly.
“Thirty seconds.” His mouth pressed into a solid line.
“No one?”
“No one, Zoé. How many times do I have to say it?”
The words exploded from his mouth, making her recoil, wondering if she’d pushed too hard.
“Now can we be done? I don’t want to dwell on my past. I’ve spent the past six months sorting through it, casting demons aside. I’m done with this game,” he said with finality. “Are you happy now?”
“Yes. Happy now.” She withdrew her legs and stood, feeling a bit wobbly. “Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? Scones? I bought some good ones yesterday to nibble on.”
“Come back here.”
She sat stiffly on the sofa.
“Come here,” he said.
She scooted closer.
“Come here where I can feel you.”
Unable to resist, she pressed up against him.
“I want you close to me, all the time.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Look, Zoé, I hate to dwell on my past. I answered your questions because it’s important to you. It’s not important to me. I don’t care who you’ve slept with if I’m reassured that I have exc
lusive rights to you now, when it counts. Right now. Into the future. That’s how I want it.”
“So, you really want to be with me?”
Gah, I sound so weak.
“I really want to be with you. More than anything.” He parsed out the syllables of the last word, making it sound important.
“I want that, too. I’m sorry I pushed you.”
“It needed to happen apparently. I’ll live.”
“You don’t look happy, though. I feel bad for pushing so hard.”
“Look, babe. Thinking about Kate Bethlehem and what she did to me and how she did it is a complete waste of time, believe me. It is what it is. It’s done. It’s over and I’m glad. It never would have lasted.”
“How do you know?”
“I know because we wanted different things. She wanted to fool around and live the party lifestyle. I wanted more. I want what I found in you.”
Zoé felt like her heart would rupture, spilling joy around the room. “You really mean that?”
“Yes, girl, I really mean that.” He kissed her hand before standing.
“Where are you going?”
“I want to show you the pictures I took of you the other night. A few turned out great.”
“Where are they?”
“In the truck.”
“No bad boy Angel today?”
“No, I had to drop…” He cut himself off. “I figured it might rain today.”
Her forehead creased a little. What was he going to say?
She watched his beautifully sculpted back and butt as he strode toward the door. “Neighbors might rush you if you step out looking like that.”
“Oh. Right. I don’t have any close neighbors.”
“Rural setting?”
“More or less.” He yanked on his jeans. “Be right back.” He exited out the front in his bare feet, apparently unconcerned with the temperature.
A few minutes later he re-entered the house, holding his knapsack.
“Your ever-present pack,” she said, smiling.
“Holds everything I need,” he said, returning the smile. “Except you. I think it would be too snug for me to carry you this way. I’d do it if I could, though. That way you’d be right where I wanted you, when I wanted you.”