by Cali MacKay
“Let’s do that then. Because the sooner we can find him, the better.” The hurt and worry in her eyes had Jake pulling her to him. And he knew of one surefire way to fix that.
“We’ll go—but first I’m going to ravage you, little red. I’m going to fuck you until your muscles quiver and your bones turn liquid. And then, I’m going to fuck you some more, just for good measure. Do you have a problem with that?” Not bothering to wait, he was already yanking her sweater up over her head and flicking the clasp on her bra to free her gorgeous breasts.
Her answer came in the form of a hard kiss as her hands tugged at the button and zipper of his jeans, her desperate need mirroring his own. And fuck but he’d never wanted—needed—her more, especially when she grabbed his cock with an eager touch, stroking him as he deepened their kiss. His tongue bullied hers, his fingers knotting in her hair as his other hand grabbed her ass to pull her to him, his hard cock trapped between them, searching her out, desperate to be buried inside her.
She broke away to strip off the rest of her clothing as he ditched the rest of his, and then, too impatient to wait any longer, he spun her around and shifted her onto the sofa, bending her forward against the soft back. Grabbing her hips, he slid into her tight heat in one go, burying himself fully, as his head spun with his need for her.
“Fuck, Hannah…you feel so good.” He swore, sinking into her made him feel complete, like she was home, his very heart, and without her, he’d never truly find happiness.
Thrusting into her, he took her slow and hard, grabbing her hips as he drove into her, her curves soft in his grip. He tilted his hips in an undulating motion, so each thrust hit new depths, while grazing that tender bundle of nerves. And with each thrust, she pushed back to meet him, to take him deeper and increase their pace as her body tightened around his cock, squeezing him to push him closer to the edge.
The tension was building inside him, his orgasm close, as he did his best to prolong their coupling and make it last. Grabbing her long, thick hair into a ponytail, he wrapped it around his fist and hauled her head back so he could kiss her, all while he continued to pound into her, grinding his hips against her ass as his balls slammed into her swollen clit.
“Jake…I’m going to come.” She bit back a moan as he took her hard, and then, when he bit her neck, it was enough to push her over the edge, so she cried out and quivered in his arms, her body tense and trembling as he continued to claim her as his own.
And yet he was far from through with her. Slipping free of her tight cunt, he ignored her protests and sat down beside her, pulling her to him so she straddled his lap. “This time when you come, I want to see that gorgeous face of yours.”
Guiding her hips, he pulled her down onto his length, loving the gasp that escaped her red lips, her chest rising and falling with each breath as if in temptation. Unable to resist, he sucked her pert nipple into his mouth as her back arched against the arm he’d wrapped around her waist as if in offering, begging him for more. He flicked his tongue at her nipple, feeling it harden and pebble at his attentions, while he cupped her other breast in his hand, loving the heavy weight of it in his palm as he circled and teased her nipple with his thumb.
Her hips rocked along his length as she tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging it as she pulled him closer, the flicker of pain and her need for him urging him on. He bit her nipple and thrust up into her, quickening their pace as he held her to him with one hand on her back and the other cupping her ass so he could grind into her.
He was so close to coming when his mouth found hers once more, his tongue clashing with hers as she raked her nails down his back, pulling him even closer to her, her pace now frantic. And then she was coming as he swallowed her cries with his kiss and let his own orgasm crash through him, his cock pulsing deep inside her to mark her as his, his heart racing as his head spun with the fact that she was in his arms once more. “I love you, Hannah. Fuck…I’m never letting you go.”
“Good…because I love you too, Jake. And I honestly don’t know that I ever stopped.”
The sound of someone clapping sent Jake spinning as he held Hannah to him protectively. Will—standing there in the kitchen doorway, looking ready to murder him. “I’d thank you for protecting my wife, but it’s hard to be so generous when you just finished fucking her.”
Fucking hell.
Jake grabbed the throw off the sofa, and wrapped it around Hannah as his heart hammered inside his chest from the jolt of adrenaline pumping through it. And fuck, but he felt both territorial of Hannah, and even a little guilty for being with her without discussing it with Will first, especially when he’d just caught them naked. Though that wouldn’t have been the case if Will had just knocked instead of letting himself into her home.
“Will…we were so worried about you.” The guilt and worry in her voice killed him.
Jake understood that Will and Hannah had been together a long time, but Hannah was now his, and he’d be damned if he was giving her up. Why the hell did he still have a key to her place anyway?
“Yeah…that’s obvious. And thanks for that little bit of insight that you were still in love with Jake while we were married—not that it comes as a huge surprise.” Will shifted his glare from Hannah to Jake, and with a shake of his head, he turned, ready to head towards the kitchen. “If you could get dressed, I’d appreciate it. Or should I just go?”
“No. Just give us a second.” Hannah waited until they were alone and then turned to him. “I’m so sorry about that. I let him keep the key, in case I needed him to check on my place when I went out of town on business.”
It was hard to ignore how fast she’d said no when Will suggested he could leave, but Jake had to believe that it was more about Will finally turning up, rather than her wanting him back. Pushing aside his jealousy, he brushed the hair from her eyes and stole a kiss, knowing this was hard on her, and not wanting to make matters worse. “Are you okay?”
“I’m relieved that he’s safe, but…” She shrugged, and looked away, resting her head against his shoulder as he held her to him. “I feel so guilty, Jake.”
“Don’t, Hannah. You have no reason to be.” He kissed the top of her head, wishing this could be easy for her. And yet he knew that just wasn’t going to happen given the circumstances. They were in the middle of a complicated fucking mess, and things were only going to get worse now that Will was back. “Let’s get dressed, and we’ll deal with this together, okay? But we have nothing to feel guilty about. We’ve spent the last few days searching for him, when he clearly could have picked up the phone. Not to mention, you separated half a year ago. It’s not like you were cheating on him.”
“I know.” And yet she still looked like her guilt was tearing her up inside.
Slipping off Jake’s lap, Hannah quickly gathered her clothes from where they’d been tossed haphazardly on the floor, and got dressed as Jake followed suit, leaving him to wonder how things could so easily go to hell. He was on edge now, not sure how things were going to go down.
At the very least, Will could give them answers to their questions and they could stop looking for him. And despite everything, Will was still one of his best friends, and it was good to know that he was still alive.
With Hannah at his side, Jake walked into the kitchen and hung back as Hannah broke away from him and threw her arms around Will’s neck as Will held her close, burying his head in the crook of her neck. “I thought you were dead. We tried to find you, worried that you were in trouble, that you were hurt, but you were nowhere to be found. I couldn’t stop worrying that the worst had happened. All that blood… Are you injured?”
Will cupped her face, his touch lingering, before he kissed her forehead, making Jake want to yank her out of Will’s arms. “I’m sorry that you were worried, baby girl. I wanted to call you and let you know I was all right, but I couldn’t risk it.”
Jake grit his teeth to keep from pummeling Will, especially when he’d yet to let Han
nah go, and he looked like he had no intention of doing so. “I hate to interrupt this little reunion, but you need to fill us in on what the fuck happened to you—and whether or not it’s safe that you’re here. The last thing I want is for Hannah to get caught in the crossfire of whatever the hell you’ve gotten yourself mixed up in.”
With Jake’s gaze on Hannah and Will—and Will’s arms still around her—Hannah slipped free and put some distance between herself and her ex—not that Will was looking happy that he’d been forced to let her go.
“I made sure I wasn’t followed, and I’m not sure the people who attacked me know of Hannah, since they didn’t have my real name. Although…they did find my house, so I’m assuming they likely know who I am by now.” He shifted towards the counter and leaned on it, cringing in pain, his face pale and pasty against the contrast of several days’ stubble. “And yeah…I’m injured, and not doing so well. I got shot, but didn’t want to risk heading to the hospital, since everything’s computerized these days, and I didn’t want to pop up into the system.”
“Where were you shot?” There was panic in Hannah’s voice as she closed the distance between them. “We need to get you help.”
“I can’t stay, since I’ll only be putting you in danger, and I can’t risk having my injury seen to at a hospital. I just wanted to see you again and let you know not to worry about me.” He pulled out a phone and handed it to her. “This is a secure line. My number’s programmed in there, in case you need to get in touch with me.”
“You can’t go, Will.” She grabbed his hand and held on, as if he might try to go right then and there. And fuck, but Jake felt like a bastard. “You need to tell us what’s going on. We can try to help you—and if we can’t, then the cops can.”
Will shook his head no, and this time when he spoke, it was to Jake. “Can you take her someplace safe? Make sure to protect her?”
“Yeah, of course. But…Will…man, you need help. I don’t know what’s going on, but you can’t go running around injured.” Despite everything, Jake was genuinely concerned about him. He wanted Hannah, but he didn’t want her out of default because Will had dropped dead. And Will was still one of his best friends, even if Jake was jealous and worried that he would try to steal Hannah back. “Let me call my brother. He’s a doctor, and could help without putting you into any sort of system.”
Hannah tossed Jake a grateful look before turning to grab Will’s hand, knotting her fingers with his as she closed the distance between them. “Please, Will. You can’t leave. You need medical help—and you need to explain what the hell’s going on.”
“I will. As soon as we get out of here.” Will turned to Jake, looking ready to collapse. “If you think your brother can help, I’d appreciate it.”
Jake grabbed Will a chair from the kitchen table and then turned to Hannah. “Pack a bag, love. We might not be coming back here for a while, depending on whether or not it’s safe.”
She nodded and left with a final glance over her shoulder at the two men in her life. But the moment she was gone, Jake turned his focus on Will, who had taken a seat. “I need to know what the fuck’s going on, Will. And I need to know now. What have you gotten yourself into—and why the fuck did you just land it on Hannah’s doorstep? ’Cause I’ve got news for you. Even if they didn’t know about her before they attacked you, she showed up to your house looking for you because you never called her to cancel your plans.”
“Believe me, I would have called had I been able to.” Will cringed as he shifted in his seat to dig something out of his pocket. “Here. You need to get this to the FBI if anything happens to me.”
“You can fucking give it to them yourself. I know someone who works there—actually had plans to speak with him tonight to try to find you, though that’s clearly no longer needed.” Jake shook his head, still wondering what the hell Will had gotten involved in. “You need to get this sorted before they go after Hannah to get to you.”
“For fuck’s sake, Jake. It’s not like I wanted any of this. And if you think I don’t care about Hannah—if you think I don’t love her—then you’re gravely mistaken.” There was a conviction in Will’s voice that Jake wasn’t happy to hear, especially when it sounded like Will was still in love with her, and didn’t simply care for her. “She’s still my wife—and I had hopes to try to work things out between us.”
“Yeah…I fucking heard all about how you loved her and cared for her by making her feel like she wasn’t fucking good enough.” Jake was tempted to throttle him right then and there.
“I was trying to push her away because I didn’t want her to get hurt if this all went to hell, which I knew it would. But fuck, Jake…do you know how hard it was to do that? I knew she’d never leave me if I tried to explain it was dangerous for her to be with me—and the information I uncovered…it was too important not to pursue, especially when it might lead to her brother’s killer.” Will let out a weary sigh filled with so much hurt and regret, Jake almost believed him. Almost. “So I did what I could to push her away, even though it fucking killed me to do it.”
“I’m not fucking buying it, Will. You don’t give up on your marriage and lie to your wife to keep her safe—and you can’t tell me this has been going on that long. I’d buy that it was the reason for the last six to nine months—but you were pushing her away long before that, so don’t think your near-death experience gives you the right to rewrite history.” Jake knew enough of the truth behind Hannah’s marriage to know there was a hell of a lot more going on than Will was letting on. “Hannah’s mine now—and I’m not fucking letting her go.”
Will just scoffed with a shake of his head. “That’s her decision to make, Jake. Not yours.”
Chapter Nine
There was so much tension between Jake and Will, Hannah had no doubt that they must have had words while she packed. And now that they were on the road, things had only gotten worse. She hated that things were so difficult and tense between them, especially when they’d all been such good friends. Yet things were different now. It’d be impossible to go back to the way things were between them.
But seeing Will again…holding onto him after such a scare—and the fact that he was holding her back¸ not wanting to let her go—was messing with her head. That was all she had ever wanted from him—was for him to return her love and affection. And now that he was finally giving her a glimpse of what she’d desired all these years, it was stirring emotions in her that she’d thought were long dead.
The problem was that she meant it when she said she loved Jake, and that she in all likelihood had never stopped loving him. Yet, she also loved Will. They had a long history together, and she hadn’t been the one to end their marriage. Or rather, she had been, but only because he’d been pushing her away for so very long. But now, his return—not just him showing up, but showing her once more that he cared—was messing with her head.
And she still had so many unanswered questions, and not just about his disappearance, though that was first and foremost on her mind.
“You’ve yet to tell us what happened, Will.” She shifted in her seat to face him where he was sitting in the passenger seat, reclined to ease the pressure on his injury.
Will reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “And I’d honestly rather not, Hannah. I don’t want to put you in any more danger than I already have, and I’m worried that telling you what’s going on will only make matters worse. But, I swear…it’s why I had to push you away.”
“What? What are you talking about?” He couldn’t possibly mean… “You mean to tell me that you didn’t touch me for the last year of our marriage because of this thing? And that you were distant for years before that because of what’s going on now?”
“As hard as that was, I needed to keep you safe, and…things are complicated. This involves your brother’s killer, and it was all too much to handle. I couldn’t lie to you about what I was researching, and yet I needed to keep you out of it in order
to keep you safe.” He shook his head with a sigh and brought her hand to his lips. “I’m sorry if I went about it the wrong way, Hannah. I just didn’t know what to do.”
“My brother’s killer?” Her head was spinning and she felt like she might be ill. “You mean to tell me you’ve been looking into his death all this time?”
“I was going through his laptop when I found some files he’d gone to great lengths to conceal. But you were still such a wreck, and once I started digging, I couldn’t risk you getting involved.” His eyes pleaded with her to believe him. “I had to push you away, Hannah. It was the only way.”
She tried to sift through her memories to find the truth. Maybe…maybe he was telling her the truth, that it was the reason he’d pushed her away. And yet…there was more to it than that. He’d felt distant for far longer than that, even before Ryan’s death. Not that this was a conversation she wanted to be having with Jake present.
For now, all she could do was agree, though she wasn’t through with the matter and far from ready to let it go. “Yeah…I suppose.”
Jake glanced at her through the rearview mirror, and she could tell he was worried about her, not to mention, he looked ready to pummel Will. She hadn’t told Jake everything about her relationship, but he knew enough, and it was clear he thought Will’s actions didn’t excuse the way he’d treated her.
Frankly, she was still having a hard time wrapping her head around this new information. She still didn’t understand why he’d pushed her away, why he’d rejected her, if this had to do with her brother. Will may have been worried about involving her, but she still wasn’t sure that it wasn’t an excuse to try to get back what they once had, after getting shot had him taking another look at their relationship.
Jake made a few phone calls, first to his brother, Marshall, to give him a heads-up that they were coming, and then to Hadley to let her know that Will had turned up and they likely wouldn’t need her help. However, they’d still like to speak to Michael and the FBI, if possible, although it’d likely have to wait until tomorrow, since Will needed medical attention.