Chapter 28
Cat
The moment Jace entered me, it felt like a rocket launched inside of me, causing a million little explosions with the force of his movement. He began a steady rhythm; driving into and then pulling out of me in strong measured strokes, creating a friction that set off every single nerve ending inside of my inner walls. Sensations sped from the source of my pleasure up through my belly and chest and out through my arms and legs, all the way to my fingers and toes and the top of my head, all within an instant—and then a new wave of pleasure started rushing its way through my body before I had even completely recovered from the last.
The best part about it all—the absolute best part—was the way that Jace was maintaining iron-strong eye contact through the whole thing. It was like he was trying to hypnotize me with the power of his forceful gaze. If that was his intent, it was working. I certainly felt mesmerized. In fact, I felt like we were in a bubble that only contained the two of us. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that we were in Southern California. In Malibu. In my mother’s house. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that we were in my bedroom. The only thing I was aware of was that I was there with Jace and that he was inside me, making me feel sensations that were more powerful and more pleasurable than I ever could have dreamed.
I reached out to touch him, to caress his face, but he wrapped his hands around my wrists and pinned them above my head. A tremor of pleasure rippled through me as his fingers tightened their grip—his deep blue eyes never leaving mine.
I never wanted this to stop. I wanted to stay like this forever. Jace above me. Making love to me as he held me in place and filled me completely. I felt like our bodies were two halves of a puzzle that could only ever be whole and fulfilled when we were fitted together, the way we’d been created to be. The way we were meant to be. Every time he entered me, I never wanted him to leave—but this time, that was especially true.
Our connection was more powerful than it had ever been. As he made love to me, it was as if there was a physical bond being formed between us in addition to the emotional and spiritual one. Like there was a gossamer thread being woven between our two hearts and that, every single time Jace entered me and caused pleasure to rocket through my body, the thread was just a little bit stronger. Just a little bit more unbreakable.
I wanted to say all of this to him. I wanted to open my mouth and let all of my feelings come tumbling out in the most elegant prose I could muster. I wanted to choose words that would completely capture my feelings and deliver them in perfect form directly to Jace’s heart so that he could feel exactly what I was feeling. I wanted to be able to pull words and phrases out of the air that would cause what I was feeling to take a physical form that could be pressed into Jace’s soul so that he could feel all the love I was feeling. So that he would know that I cared about him so deeply, that it was like he was a part of me. I didn’t know how to convey it, but I wanted to. More than anything in the world.
“I love you!” I gasped. It was all I could manage. Emotion welled up inside of me, cresting to a fever pitch, and when I opened my mouth to let all of that intense feeling come rushing out, the only thing I could think to say was, “I love you.”
It was so inadequate compared to the sonnets I felt compelled to utter in that moment. I didn’t think there was any way that my simple but heartfelt declaration could possibly describe the depth of what I was feeling. Still, it seemed that the message did get across to him because he planted several sweet kisses on my lips as he continued to make love to me, his eyes still capturing mine.
Then he replied in a low and rasping tone, “I love you, too, Cat. More than you know.”
A deep groan vibrated from his mouth and he released my hands. Needing to touch him and wanting to be as close as I could possibly get to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and snaked my legs around his waist, pulling him to me as he moved inside of me. I clung to him, afraid to let go. Even though I knew that I had him back now, he was safe, and he was in my arms, there was still a part of me that felt the terror from earlier of not knowing where he was or if he was hurting himself. That part of me needed to hold on to him as tight as I could and never let him go. I wondered if that part of me would ever relax and accept that he was safe, now that he was here with me. Or would there always be a small corner of my mind, and my heart, that would need to hold on to him all the time and never let him go?
My hips rocked up to meet his. I reveled in the feeling of his muscled abs moving against my belly, his strong chest moving against my breasts. Goosebumps broke out from the heat of his warm breath panting in my ear. I shivered as it moved my hair and made my skin tingle. My body melted into the strength of Jace’s arms as he pulled me against him, holding me powerfully, but gingerly, at the same time. It was a fantastic metaphor for how Jace was with me always and why I felt so safe with him. He was the perfect paradox—strong and powerful when it came to protecting me and keeping me safe, but sweet and gentle when it came to taking care of me and loving me.
Jace was the very definition of love.
I needed to feel him even closer to me if that was possible. Logically, I knew that I was already pressed up against him, along every inch of my body. That there were no clothes separating us. That he was inside me, even! Yet I was overwhelmed with the need—not the wish, not the want, not even the desire, but the need—to be even closer to him. I felt like I would burst if I couldn’t figure out a way.
As if sensing my need, Jace brushed his lips against mine and teased his tongue into my mouth. A moan escaped from the back of my throat as he kissed me deeply and passionately, opening my mouth against his and inviting him to plunge his tongue inside. I wanted him to be penetrating my mouth with his kiss at the same time that he was penetrating my body with his hard length. This was how I wanted to come—while clinging to him as he held me tight and claimed my mouth with a hungry urgency, all the while moving forcefully and plunging inside of me.
I began to writhe as I felt the orgasm start to build from deep within my belly. With every powerful thrust, my clit was being massaged by his shaft and his belly, and the combination of that friction against my sensitive nub and the wonderful sensation of Jace’s thick, steel-hard erection pumping in and out of me over and over again caused a powerful climax to gather inside me. Although I felt a fleeting sensation of disappointment that the encounter was going to be over so soon, that was quickly overcome by the all-consuming need to share this powerful experience with Jace—to cling to him, to climax with him, to really and truly become one with him.
The orgasm tore through me with the force of a hurricane or tornado, picking up the pieces of my consciousness as if they were featherlight and flinging them to the ends of the universe. Bright, sparkly lights exploded behind my eyes and spasms clenched my entire body as though it were one giant muscle. I clung to Jace like I was drowning and he was a life raft, like he was the only thing on this Earth that was anchoring me to sanity and stability, while my mind spun out under the power of sheer sensation.
In that moment, I understood the power that incredible sex could have over people. I had never fully grasped before why some people would go to the lengths they would in order to hang on to someone they were in a relationship with—or to get into a relationship in the first place with someone they were insanely attracted to. I had grown up seeing the lengths my mother would go to in order to manipulate someone of the opposite sex and I had always found it pathetic. However, now, after having experienced this insanely incredible connection with Jace, I knew that I would do almost anything not to lose it. Nothing would stand in my way when it came to keeping him. Not my mother, not Natalya—not anything.
As my vision started to clear and the fractured pieces of my awareness began to fall slowly back into their proper places, I realized that Jace was softly kissing my neck while I made the return trip back down to Earth. I shuddered from aftershocks as he stroked my hair while his lips peppered kisses alo
ng my jaw.
“Careful. That’s how all of this got started.” I could already feel my arousal beginning to stir. Would I ever get enough of Jace? I should be thoroughly sated by now.
Jace looked up at me with a playful expression. “What makes you think we’re finished?”
My lips pulled up in a grin. “We’re not?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Only giving you one orgasm would bring down my batting average. I can’t let that happen.”
I laughed again and settled back on the pillows, feeling more happiness than I ever thought was possible. My entire body was infused with a light air than I hadn’t experienced since we’d arrived here. These last few days, or I guess weeks, really had been hell, but Jace and I were stronger now. I knew that if we could make it through Natalya, through my mother, through our pasts, we could face anything in the future. I felt light and almost giddy at that thought.
“Well, it’s kind of hard to argue with that logic. In fact, I’m not even going to try.”
His patented bad-boy grin appeared on his face, making my heart skip a beat as he resumed the kisses he was trailing down my neck and chest; and then, he reached up to cup my breasts as he took my hard peaks into his mouth.
There might not be anything better than Jace kissing, sucking, and even biting my body. Even though I wouldn’t have thought it possible so soon after I had experienced such a powerful climax, I felt myself getting heated with arousal once again. My nipples sprang to life inside Jace’s hot mouth and under the attention of his flicking tongue. Arousal built, starting low in my belly, and the tightness and ache of wetness began in my still-sore and pulsing center.
“Oh my gosh,” I breathed. “How is it possible for you to make me want you again this badly after I just had you only a few seconds ago?”
He met my eyes, a cocky grin painting his face. “’Cause I’m fucking awesome,” he teased.
I laughed at the joke, but at the same time, I recognized the truth in his words. Yes! Jace was fucking awesome. He was awesome, and he was mine, and he was going to stay that way. Best of all (or at least that was how I prioritized it in that moment in my lust-addled brain), his tongue was moving against my nipples, one after the other, and his hand had just slipped in between my legs, his fingers expertly caressing my wetness to yet another bone-crushing orgasm just a few minutes after the first.
What had I ever done in my entire life to deserve such an amazing man in my bed and in my arms? No, I realized, it must have been from a past life because I would have had to single-handedly rescue an entire orphanage full of children from a raging blaze or something equally as heroic and memorable to deserve a man as ridiculously incredible as Jace, and I couldn’t remember anything I had done, in this life, that even approached those levels of awesome.
I started to move my hips in rhythm with his insistent fingers and arched my back to press my breasts farther into his mouth. Before too long, I found that the intentional rhythm I had tried to create with my hips, meaning to match up to the rhythm Jace was keeping with his fingers, was entirely out the window. I lost all control and my hips began to buck and writhe of their own accord. My body was moving to the beat of its own drummer with no other objective in sight than to chase the sensations of pleasure Jace was driving through it.
I heard moans and encouragements leaving my mouth and I wasn’t even consciously aware of saying them. When Jace touched me, I went from being a quirky and somewhat sheltered introvert to a passion-driven siren who threw all inhibitions to the wind. I suppose the transformation, and how little control I had over it, should have scared me—but the opposite was true. I felt empowered and powerful. The sheer, wild abandon that overcame me with Jace when we were naked together made me feel like I might be able to call on some of this confidence and energy in other parts of my life as well.
If I could channel just one tenth of the energy and passion I felt when I was in bed with Jace and apply it to any other area of my life, I could rule the fricking world! However, for the moment, I would have to content myself with experiencing that level of confidence only in the particular situation of Jace and being in bed together.
Jace plunged two fingers inside of me as he rose up to kiss me hard – again. His kiss put me over the edge and I felt myself coming with a vengeance, the orgasm ripping through my being with all-consuming power. I was cocooned in safety as I lost myself completely with Jace. Even when I was completely out of my mind with the culmination of my passion, unaware of nearly everything in the world, I was always still aware of Jace. I never lost sight of him no matter how far all the rest of me spun out. He was my touchstone, my lighthouse. I knew that, as long as I was able to cling to him, every storm in the world could rage around me, but I would still be strong. Jace would give me his strength.
I kissed Jace back with every ounce of passion and energy I still possessed and then collapsed in his arms when I was finished. He stroked my hair and kissed me on the top of my head as he lay back on the bed and I snuggled further into his shoulder.
There were a million things I wanted to say to him and a million things I wanted to hear him tell me as well. I wanted to stay up all night ensconced in the protective warmth of his arms while listening to the intoxicating, low timbre of his voice. But before I could utter one sentence or even one word, the opportunity was lost. Wrapped in a cloud of warmth and contentment, I drifted off almost immediately into the first truly restful night of sleep I had had in a very long time.
Chapter 29
Cat
Family
Wish
Soul-connected
Dream
People who want me
Who love me regardless of the cost
And I
Yes, of course, love them too
In the same full way
No matter
What price is involved
Our blood does not come into it
Genetics have no bearing on it
Love is all that can matter
Family of choice, not birth, is still
Family
Cat Nichols, Age 14
The smell of turkey cooking in the oven hung heavily in the air of the kitchen. It was Thanksgiving morning, and it was (I sincerely hoped and prayed) the first of many, many holidays Jace and I would spend together.
We were going to stay for the dinner. Jace and I had gotten up early after the crazy night last night and decided that, now that my mother had dropped her bombshell and we’d survived it, there was no reason not to stay one more day and fulfill my obligation, putting on a show as a ‘happy family’ for the photographers during Thanksgiving dinner. That way, Angelica wouldn’t feel the need to follow me up to Arcata with photographers in tow.
Our reasoning was: why poke the bear?
I had to admit that I was glad we had. A small smile played on my mouth as I helped Rachel prep the elaborate meal, with Jace by my side, cutting up onions. He looked so sexy in a pair of dark gray sweats and white t-shirt that pulled taut across his chest as he chopped. It was difficult to keep my mind focused on the task at hand. I kept getting sidetracked by his effortless sex appeal.
Oldies were playing on the radio Rachel kept on the counter, and the three of us were singing along to classics like “Let’s Stay Together” and “September.” The love in the room was as palpable as the fragrance of the roasting bird and, all in all, I would have to say that it was one of the best mornings of my entire life.
To top it all off, like a hilarious cherry on a sundae of awesomeness, was the fact that Jace was also wearing one of Rachel’s aprons as he performed the sous chef duties she had assigned to him. I thought that it was maybe the most adorable thing I had ever seen. So much so, in fact, that I had surreptitiously snapped a pic of it on my iPhone while I’d been pretending to send out a Happy Thanksgiving mass text to all of our friends from Arcata.
In truth, it wasn’t all pretend. They were getting a Happy Thanksgiving mass text.
&nb
sp; It just happened to be accompanied by a very hilarious photo of their friend, the stoic former marine, brooding bartender, as he chopped away wearing a bright-yellow apron.
No biggie.
Jace might not be too happy about it when he found out, but I knew that the Andy girls, Elijah, and Annabelle would thank me. I grinned to myself. It was worth it.
Jace looked over at me. “I love your smile. It’s like pure sunshine.”
“On a cloooouuudy day…” Rachel sang. I joined in, and we finished the refrain. “When it’s cold outside, I got the month of May. Well, I guess you’d say…what can make me feel this way? My girl. Talking ‘bout my girl. My girl!”
As we sang the chorus, Jace abandoned his chopping duties and wrapped his arm around my waist, spinning me around the kitchen like it was a dance floor. Honestly, there was no place I’d rather be in the world, which was odd to say since this was a house that held so many bad memories. But somehow, just like the song, Jace had made me feel this way. My guy…
Don came in about halfway through the chorus, saw what was going on, and quickly whisked Rachel out onto the kitchen floor—a.k.a. the makeshift dance floor. I looked over at them and then up at Jace and felt just about as happy as I had ever been in my life. It was pretty close to being the absolute perfect moment.
Just as we were finishing the dance, the front doorbell rang, which made my heart sink. Of course, our perfect moment couldn’t last forever. The real world just had to intrude.
“That must be the journalist and photographer that are coming over to document our family Thanksgiving.” I felt my stomach churn. “They’re really early, though. Maybe they have an elaborate set up.”
“Well, let me just go get the door and we’ll see then,” Rachel said, wiping her hands on her apron.
One Day His (The Someday Series Book 2) Page 18