by Cali MacKay
Jake stood and gave his brother a hug, knowing he might not see him in the morning. “Thanks for everything. I’ll be in touch.”
With Marshall gone, Jake and Hannah went about the very domestic task of loading the dishwasher and putting away the leftovers, reminding him of when they were dating in college and practically living together. It also had him thinking that it’d be damn nice to have her back in his life on a more permanent basis. “Let’s check on Will, and then turn in for the night. I think tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
Not that he was planning on getting much sleep with Hannah in his bed.
Hannah nodded and slipped her arms around his waist. “I swear, I already feel so relieved to know that he’s okay, and that he’s here with us. It’s like I can breathe again.”
“And things will only get better once we’re able to get Will to the FBI, and put all this behind us.” At least Jake damn well hoped so, since he wanted to pursue what was between him and Hannah without any distractions. And Will? Well, he was one big-ass distraction that they sure as hell didn’t need.
They peeked in on Will, who was still sleeping, and likely would be until morning, depending on the type of drugs Marshall gave him. Despite their current differences, Jake was relieved to know Will was on the mend.
With Hannah’s hand in his, Jake led them to the guest room he always stayed in when visiting his brother, grateful that it was tucked away in a corner of the house, where they’d be afforded some privacy. And a good thing too, since he wanted to hear Hannah scream his name.
The moment he locked the door behind them, he pulled her to him, clasping her around the waist as he claimed her mouth, one kiss after another, until all their problems and distractions fell away and it was just the two of them. He quickly rid her of her clothes, tearing them from her body, as her small hands pulled at his shirt and jeans, so they were skin to skin before long, her soft curves pressed to his hard form.
“Jake…” Her words were spoken between kisses as she stroked his hard length, a needy moan rumbling through his chest. “Should we really be doing this with your brother and Will around?”
“Sweetness, there’s no way I’m not going to fuck you, especially when you have your capable hands wrapped around my cock.” Gripping her hips, his jaw clenched to try to hold onto his waning self-control as he shifted her back towards the bed. “Get on the bed, spread your legs, and hold onto the spindles of the headboard. And don’t let go, or I’m going to paddle your ass so red that you’ll curse me every time you try to sit.”
She gave him a teasing look with one eyebrow raised. “Frankly, I don’t think you would. We were together for six months and not once did you show any inclination to put me over your knee. So…I think it’s nothing but you talking dirty—which I like, by the way, so feel free to keep it up.”
“Little red, you just bought yourself a whole lot of trouble.” Jake grabbed her by the waist and hauled her off her feet, as he sat on the edge of the bed and landed her draped over his lap. Trapping both her wrists in his hand, he pinned them behind her, against the small of her back, while the first blow landed across her ass cheeks with a resounding slap.
“Fuck…” Hannah hissed in a breath, as his handprint blossomed red against her pearly white skin.
“You were saying?” He rubbed the area he’d slapped with a gentle hand to soothe it, and then landed another blow against her other cheek.
“Okay, I take it back.” She let out a laugh that mingled with a needy moan as he ran his hand over her ass, feeling the heat of her flushed skin radiate through his palm. She started to squirm, but he kept his hold on her wrists, letting his hand drift between her cheeks and towards her sex. “Jake…don’t…”
“Why not, sweetness?” He thought he knew why, and couldn’t help the triumphant smile that danced onto his lips. “Is it because you know I’ll find you wet? That I’ll know you like it when I take control, put you over my knee and spank you like the naughty little girl you are?”
“Jake…” She moaned when his fingers slipped between her lips, and fuck…she really was so incredibly wet and swollen with her need.
“I’d say you’re being disobedient by not giving me an answer, though I think I already found all the evidence I need.” He plunged his fingers inside her, loving that she tilted her hips up towards his hand to take him deeper and spread her legs to give him easier access. “Look at you, little red…so wet, so needy…you so desperately want me to fuck you…want my thick cock to stretch you tight… Don’t you?”
“Yes…” She moaned as he finger fucked her, gasping when he pulled free of her sweet cunt to slap her plump ass before plunging back into her heat. “Jake…”
“I fucking love it when you say my name like that.” He added another finger as he continued to thrust into her, slow and with purpose, until she was squirming in his lap, his hard cock trapped between them. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want to come. Please.” The need in her voice would have him doing whatever it was she wanted.
“Like this, little red?” Knowing she needed more, needed the intensity of pain melting into pleasure, he let go of her hands and slapped her ass with several hard blows, while he quickened his thrusts and teased her swollen clit. She tightened around his fingers when she cried out with a gasp, trembling and quivering on his lap as he milked every last tremble of her orgasm from her sweet body. “I love it when you come.”
She looked up at him over her shoulder with a satisfied grin. “You won’t hear me complaining.”
With her ass red and hot to the touch, he helped her to her feet, loving that her cheeks were so flushed, not only from her orgasm, but because she’d just had her ass paddled. “Weren’t you saying something about me not having it in me to spank your ass?”
She chewed her bottom lip, giving him a shrug and a smile. “Guess I underestimated you. Can you forgive me?”
Biting his lip with a groan, he stroked his cock, which was now steel hard and aching for her. “I think I can manage that…if you make it up to me. On your knees, Hannah.”
She did as he asked without a moment’s hesitation, dropping to her knees before him, which only made him want her all the more. “Fuck, Hannah…you’re so gorgeous. And I love it when you wear your glasses. You look like the naughtiest librarian ever.”
“Do I really?” Her lips quirked into a teasing smile while she wrapped her fingers around his cock and stroked him, running her tongue up his length and teasing the head of his cock by flicking her tongue along the seam to lap at the pre-cum glistening on the tip. “And what about now?”
She wrapped her lips around his cock and started sucking him, the sight of her enough to do his heart in. Fucking hell, he loved this woman. “Now you look even naughtier.”
Her lips slipped down his length as he thrust into her mouth and she took more of him with each pass, her tongue teasing the underside of his cock as her hand continued to stroke him and tease the sensitive spot behind his balls. Unable to resist, he sunk his fingers into her thick red hair, watching her as she sucked him, his cock disappearing past those lush lips of hers as he thrust forward. And the feel of it was so fucking amazing. She was edging him closer and closer to his orgasm. And fuck…though it’d be amazing to come with her sucking him off, he wanted more.
“Come here, love.” He ignored her protests, hooking her arm as he sat farther back on the bed and pulled her onto his lap to straddle him, his hand on her hips as he guided her onto his cock. He let out a grunt of satisfaction as she slipped down his length, her body tight and slick around his hard length. “That’s my girl. That feels so fucking good.”
“You’re so big, Jake. It has me on the verge of coming again.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let her hips ride up to the swell of his cock head and then back down to take all of him. “I’ve missed this so much.”
He bit his lip to stave off his orgasm as she continued to ride him, pivoting and tilting her hips
as she slipped up and down his length. And though it felt amazing, he had to know… “Missed what, sweetness?”
“Missed you. Missed sex.” She let out a weary sigh and kissed him quickly before pressing her forehead to his, her pace quickening even as she spoke. “But most of all…I guess I just missed being wanted.”
Fuck. He wanted to murder Will for making her feel so crappy about herself and putting her through that. “I never stopped wanting you, Hannah. Never. Even when you were with Will.”
And then she was coming in his arms, quivering as he held her tightly to him, his own orgasm barreling down on him as he thrust up into her, filling her with his cum with his cock pulsing deep inside her.
“I fucking love you, Hannah. And I’ll always want you. You’re my very soul.”
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Hannah was relieved to find Will sitting up in bed and looking a hell of a lot better than he had when she first saw him. Whatever Marshall had done for Will seemed to have made a huge difference, and for that she’d be eternally grateful.
She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to ignore Will’s bandaged side, bare chest, and broad muscular shoulders, which truth be told felt a little odd and confusing. Technically, she was still married to Will, although she was now with Jake, who was busy cooking them breakfast. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I might actually survive this. I can’t thank you enough, Hannah.” He took her hand in his and held onto it, his touch warm and gentle and far too familiar.
“I had nothing to do with it. If you’re to thank anyone, it should be Marshall and Jake.” She gave his hand a squeeze and then let it go so she could press her palm to his forehead—and so she’d have an excuse to let go of his hand. The last thing she wanted was for things to get uncomfortable between them, but she also couldn’t simply forget the last year or two. “Your fever seems to be nearly gone.”
“Hannah…I know I have a lot to make up for, but I need you to know that I still love you. I never stopped. I was only trying to keep you safe.” Will shook his head with a look of far too many regrets. “I swear it on my life; it was never my intention to hurt you.”
Anger, hurt, and regret flared in her chest. “Well, what the hell did you think was going to happen when you kept pushing me away and ignoring me? It sure as hell wasn’t going to strengthen our relationship. And don’t get me wrong—I get that I’m to blame. I know that I was hurting and distant after Ryan. But when I needed you the most, you weren’t there. And I’ve yet to see exactly how pushing me away and putting an end to our already pathetic sex life would keep me safe? Because if you were hoping I’d just file for divorce, then you got your goddamned wish—though it’d have been a hell of a lot less cruel if you had just told me you wanted a divorce rather than fucking with my head and my emotions.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah—so sorry that I hurt you. But the shit your brother was dealing with was dangerous. He’d been working on some article and came across some incriminating information—and fuck, Hannah…it was too important to ignore.” He ran a hand down his face with a sigh, his stubble thick on his cheeks.
“You should have told me, Will. Damn it. How could you not?” She’d been his goddamned wife, and he’d never said a word.
“I couldn’t risk your life. It was too dangerous, and I didn’t have it in me to lie to you about it. So I pushed you away, hoping it’d also keep you safe.” He cursed under his breath. “I suppose I was hoping we could mend things once I figured out who’d killed your brother, and that it wouldn’t be too late to salvage what was between us, since I still love you—and hope you still love me.”
“What the hell am I supposed to do with that, Will? You know I love you, but…I’m trying to move on. I’m trying to be happy. And it wasn’t your job to track down who killed Ryan. That was for the cops to figure out.” Why did he have to do this to her now, just as she was getting over him and trying to start fresh with Jake? He was messing with her emotions. The pain, the love, the guilt, the good times and the bad, all mixed in her head so her heart ached. “I tried for years to make things work between us, tried everything I could do to bring you back to me, and you never gave me any glimmer of hope. And now this?”
“Hannah…I know how hard this was on you, but I swear, my hands were tied. I couldn’t go to the police because a few of the cops are involved. They’re dirty—which was why I couldn’t turn it over to them. At least not until I figured out who I could trust. But…we’ve got eight years of history, babe. Please. I’m just asking for another chance. A chance to make things right between us.” Will cupped her cheek, letting his touch linger as her eyes slipped shut over her brimming tears. He wiped her tears with his thumb, and nuzzled her, his head bent to hers. “I love you, Hannah. From the very start—that never changed.”
She shook her head and pulled back, putting some distance between them. “I don’t even know what to think, Will. You know I love you—and you’re one of my best friends, but the last few years nearly killed me.” He should know just how much he’d hurt her.
“I know—and I can’t tell you how deeply I regret it. But my thoughts were only for keeping you safe.” His grey eyes looked so lost, so hurt…it had her anger with him softening. “I never meant for things to go as far as they had. But I still love you—I always have. That’s never changed.”
“I don’t know, Will…I don’t even know what to say. I’m with Jake now.”
“And how long has that been going on?” Will’s jaw clenched as he waited for an answer, making her feel guilty that she and Jake had hooked up without even first discussing it with Will, out of courtesy. Not that Will had been around.
But there was more. She felt guilty because she now wondered if the feelings she’d harbored for Jake throughout her relationship with Will were to blame for their problems.
“We’ve only been together for the last few days. But…” She shrugged, not sure of what to say. How could she tell him that it might only be a few days, but it felt like she’d been waiting for Jake for a lifetime?
She had always tried to give their marriage her all, but if Will had picked up on her continued feelings for Jake, then could she really blame him for pushing her away? It’s not that she’d ever acted on her feelings Jake—hell, she didn’t think she’d even fully realized they were there until the last few days—but maybe Will had realized what she hadn’t. And yet, she would have been happy enough if he’d just held her, made love to her, treated her as if she mattered. Everything would have been fine then.
“If it’s only a few days, then you can surely set it aside for now, to make sure that what’s between us is truly over. After eight years, I don’t think it’s asking for a whole lot, Hannah—especially when you say you still love me.” He let out a weary breath, and knotted his fingers with hers. “I never stopped loving you—and I’ve never cheated on you. Never slept with anyone even after you moved out. I’ve only ever wanted you, even if I couldn’t give you what you truly wanted.”
The tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks, with no hope of her staving the flow. “All I fucking wanted was for you to be more present, Will—for you to want me.”
Will let out a weary sigh that was filled with a frustration she could relate to, though she didn’t quite understand it. “And yet it never was enough, Hannah…not really.”
What the hell did that mean?
“Hey—everything all right here? Hannah?” Jake stood in the doorway as she swiped at her tears, knowing it was too late to hide them from him. “Breakfast is ready, love. Why don’t you go help yourself while I have a chat with Will and see if we can get the day’s schedule sorted out, since he needs to speak to the FBI?”
“Jake…we were just talking. He didn’t mean to upset me.” As tense as Jake was, Hannah knew he was pissed off at Will and would likely put him in an early grave, given half the chance. Will might be his friend, but Jake’s priorities were with her, and she knew that.
“Breakfast is getting cold, Hannah. Will and I will be just fine. I don’t want you worrying about things.” Jake gave her a stiff smile that did nothing to mask his anger, but she got to her feet anyway, needing to put some distance between her and Will, to try to clear her head and sort through her thoughts.
“Please, just…behave.” And with a kiss to Jake’s cheek, hoping it’d temper his anger, she left the two men in her life and headed to the kitchen where it became clear Jake had been busy.
The Carrera marble counters were laden with freshly baked cheddar biscuits, some sort of fancy eggs Benedict concoction, grilled asparagus, bacon, and stacks of silver dollar pancakes with warmed maple syrup. Everything looked and smelled incredible, and her stomach gave a growl in response, especially after she and Jake had expended a fair amount of energy the night before—and that morning. But after her conversation with Will, she only felt all the more guilty for it.
With Will’s words still running through her head, she plated him some food, knowing he’d be more comfortable staying in bed for breakfast, rather than sitting perched at the table or the breakfast bar in the kitchen. And it would also give her the opportunity to check in on Jake and Will and make sure things hadn’t gotten ugly, since it would appear they were still chatting—or killing each other.
Before she could get any further, Jake and Will emerged, both their bodies tense, though in Will’s case it was likely due, in part, to the gunshot wound he was still nursing. She set the plate down on the table for Will. “I was just going to bring you some breakfast. Everything okay?”
She shifted her gaze from one man to the other. In the end, it was Jake who answered her with a smile, as he stepped to her side and kissed her temple. “Couldn’t be better. Now grab some grub and eat up before it gets cold. I’d like to get on the road as soon as we’ve wrapped up here. I was able to speak to Michael directly while you were with Will, and he’s expecting us. He said he should be able to help, so it seems like the best place to start.”