by Sheila Kell
She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and looked back at him, her gaze unwavering. God, the lust burned brightly in his eyes. He didn’t appear to want to stand around and play either.
He reached for the boxer shorts she slept in and put his hands under the waistband. Slowly sliding them down, his hands caressed her hips and her ass before he shoved them down and did the same with his own. Stepping out of them, his magnificent erection jutted out, and his blazing gaze never left hers. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, and he caught one arm around her waist and moved her to the bed, and then poised himself over her. Excitement rippled through her every nerve, and heat blasted her body. At last, he was going to make love to her.
His right palm cupped her face and stroked her jaw with his thumb. “I can’t wait.”
“Please, Jake,” she said breathlessly, “kiss me.”
Twelve
HEAT SLAMMED INTO him, and with a groan he reclaimed her mouth and slid one leg between hers, settling himself between her thighs. He ran his hand over the curve of her silky breast and then slowly down her body to between her creamy thighs. “You’re so wet.”
He hadn’t planned to take her right away, but he couldn’t fucking wait when she was so ready for him. Adjusting his hips, the thick head of his cock nudged her slick entrance. “Good God, you’re tight.”
She shifted restlessly below him. “There’s been no one but you, Jake.”
Oh, hell yes! Her words lit something in him that made him want to stand, climb the highest tower and pound his chest in victory. He was her only lover. She’d waited for him. She was truly his woman.
Slowly sliding into her, he thrust deeper and deeper into seventh heaven. She opened her legs and wrapped them around his waist, hooking her ankles just above his ass, and took all of him. He halted when she gasped, her eyes widened and her fingers dug into his shoulders. Afraid he’d hurt her, he stopped moving and watched until her expression change to molten heat.
“Relax,” he said breathlessly.
He needed to accept that advice. Being buried deep in the velvety wetness of the woman who held his heart captive jolted his system, and his balls drew tight. He closed his eyes, his neck muscles straining to hold back and wait for her. He’d fantasized about being inside her, connecting and experiencing pleasure on a level he’d never wanted with any other. He had to make it last. He would not go before her. He wanted to give her the pleasure he’d denied her before. Or at least the pleasure he remembered giving her.
He leaned down and his lips nuzzled the sensitive skin beneath her ear and nipped at her throat with his teeth. He smiled and licked at the goose bumps that followed in the wake of his ministrations.
A hand stroked its way up and down his back, and a ripple of electricity shocked his nerve endings. He lifted his head, and his gaze connected with hers. He couldn’t break the contact as he moved, slowly pumping in and out of her, stroking deep into her heat, gritting his teeth against the mind-numbing pleasure. Quivering around him, her velvety friction sucked him deeper; every withdrawal made him want to grab her hips so he could keep driving in farther.
And it had everything to do with him finally being with Em. His sprite. He inhaled her scent, one that had stayed with him, and he’d imagined surrounded him on many cold nights.
Her chest rose and fell in quick succession, pushing her succulent breasts toward him, begging him to touch them. He leaned down and laved one with his tongue and then suckled on it, smiling at her rapid breathing and flushed skin. It hadn’t taken much to bring her close with him.
He tugged on her nipple with his lips, flicking the tip with his tongue. She tossed her head back and moaned.
“Jake,” she whimpered. “Jake.”
He fought hard not to shoot his load. Hearing Em speak his name for the first time in ecstasy was something he’d never forget. With his heart thundering in his chest, he swooped down and took her mouth in his, devouring it, taking all she would give. And he wanted it all. All the fire. All the passion. All the love. She was his life.
Then the importance of it all slammed into him, knocking him off-balance, and he broke the kiss. This was their true first time together. The new beginning of everything for them.
“Em, you’re beautiful.”
“Hmm.” Her hand glided up his chest and snaked around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her again.
Urgency filled him. Amid their sweaty tangled limbs, he moved a hand to her hip and thrust deeper, grinding the root of his cock over her swollen clit, hoping to give her what she needed to meet him as he couldn’t last much longer. Moving together, she met him thrust for thrust, and every little noise she made, every move, burned in his memory.
How he’d missed so much their first time. Her responsiveness set his body ablaze. They would be perfect together. Forever.
Suddenly her breath came in shudders, and her fingers dug into his back. He looked at her, and the sheer look of ecstasy on her face undid him. He’d been a fool to walk away from her.
“Jake,” she said in a breathless whimper.
“I can’t hold out, sprite.”
She cried out, and she clutched him like a fist, milking him until he lost control.
He finally surrendered, groaning as the orgasm ripped through him, his release so staggeringly intense that his world tilted for a brief moment with a force that frightened him. He could try to blame it on not having sex in four years, but he knew it was because he’d finally welcomed Em where she belonged.
Still breathing heavily, Jake roused himself and raised his forehead from Em’s. Brushing her lips lightly with his, exhilaration rocketed through him at the look of pure bliss on her face. He rolled off her, reached to pull her next to him and kissed the top of her head. “You’re mine, Em.”
ARMS wrapped around him, and his breath hitched as the dreaded fear returned. Fear for his life. Those arms had spent many hours squeezing his body painfully. The hands at the ends of them had pummeled him until he was black and blue. All in all, they were a threat.
Too many times he’d had to stand there and take it. He’d always been bound in some way. They gave him no chance to fight back. He wasn’t surprised after he’d attacked his guard whenever he’d had the chance. He would escape.
Realizing his hands were free and he could gain the upper hand for once, Jake flipped his body and wrapped his hands around his torturer’s neck. “Die, asshole,” he growled.
Suddenly, something seemed wrong. His attacker flailed beneath him, but the neck was small and soft.
Jerking awake, Jake released his hands and leaned back, looking into Em’s wide, fearful eyes. “Good God.” He looked at his hands and then reached out to touch her cheek. She flinched. “Em, I’m so sorry.” He leaped from the bed, disgusted with himself.
She sat up with her hand touching the red area around her throat.
Christ! He’d hurt her. He knelt beside the bed. “Em, please forgive me. I was dreaming.” He swallowed hard. “I’d never hurt you.” Fucking liar. You just did. Wasn’t this your concern that something might one day happen? Well, it sure as hell did. How the hell did he fix it?
“What happened?” she said softly. The look in her eyes was a combination of fear and concern.
He ran his hand through his hair and slid to sitting. “I dreamed I was back there.” He was back in his small prison trying to find yet another way to survive. “If I’d been awake, this wouldn’t have happened. I know the difference. I mean, when Amber….” He caught himself before he said more than he should.
Em straightened, and her voice turned to steel. “When Amber what?”
His shoulders sank. With a deep sigh, he prepared himself for her to send him on his way as unfit. But, he wouldn’t keep secrets from her. “When Amber squeezes my neck, it triggers memories. But, I know it’s her. I just have to get her arms
from around my throat.”
She appeared in thought a moment as she assessed him. What the hell was she thinking? He couldn’t help but fidget while waiting for her judgment.
“The first time she threw her arms around you. When I told her you were her daddy?”
He nodded. He had hoped she hadn’t noticed. Em wouldn’t ever trust him with his daughter. Hell, maybe she’d be right. Just because so far he’d realized it was Amber when the panic and fear took hold, who was to say he might not notice it was her in the future? That was not the type of father she needed.
Then there was what had just happened. What about sleeping with Em? Hell, her life would be in danger.
Jake stood and dressed. “I should go.” He reached out to the door and stopped. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t go.”
At her request, he released the doorknob and turned slowly.
“I’m not a doctor, but I think you have PTSD.”
Yeah. He’d thought the same thing, but had hoped it’d been a passing residual effect of his experience. But, to admit to it was another thing…. He wasn’t weak. “It’s just nightmares.”
She shook her head. “I might agree with you except for your reaction to Amber’s arms around your neck.”
“Are you”—he gulped—“are you afraid of my being around her?” Please say no. Dear God, please say no.
She wrapped the sheet tight around her chest. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”
His heart sank to his gut. It was all over. All of his dreams of their being a happy family.
“But, only until you figure out how deep your PTSD goes.”
“Are you going to ban me from seeing her?” Emptiness tried to dwell inside him at the loss.
“No. But, I want us to be together when you are. And, we can talk with Amber about squeezing you so tightly. She might forget from time to time when she gets excited, but you’ve seen how bright she is. She’ll follow along.”
Relief, pure and simple, slipped through his blood stream. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t see his daughter alone. He preferred for it to be the three of them. Well, except when he wanted to be alone with Em. Speaking of which. “I don’t think I should sleep here.”
A sigh escaped her. “I want you to stay, but I agree.” She cocked her head and studied him. “For now. Sleep where you need until you’re ready to come back. I want you to sleep through the night, not stay awake worrying about me.”
He nodded and turned away.
“Jake, we’ll get through this together.”
Sweeter words were never spoken.
THE deliciously smelling spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, French toast, and bowls of diced fruits, roused Jake. The meal, enough to feed a small army, would be more than enough to fill his hunger for food, but filling his hunger for Em would not be so easy. Last night had been magnificent, but not nearly enough.
Christ, I could have killed her. I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that doesn’t happen again. I’ll break down and get whatever help is needed. I love her and Amber too much to put them at risk, or lose a chance with them.
After they’d talked, he’d snuck back to his room and finally drifted off for a couple of hours of sleep.
He’d checked in on her that morning, but she was still asleep. Leaving her alone in bed to join the family for breakfast had been difficult. Finally having her where he’d wanted her, waking her to show her how much he truly loved and missed her had to wait. Figuring she was sore, and might be a bit nervous around him, kept him from attempting to be selfish. Plus, needing to speak with her brothers about her safety pushed him to escape before she’d woken. His cock had a mind of its own when his mind remembered the erotic picture she’d made, partially wrapped in a sheet, stretched out with her breasts calling to him to play before he pleasured her.
Damn. Walking into the dining room, he realized that he shouldn’t have worn loose fitting shorts.
“What’s this? High school? Can’t you control that thing? We know who you’re thinking of, and it’s not something we want to know about, so get it together,” Brad growled before he turned away to fill his plate at the breakfast buffet.
Masculine laughter came from not only his brothers but also men from the team, men he barely knew. If the heat that flowed up his neck was any indication, he’d turned red, which is probably why they laughed harder. Did they know he’d been in Em’s room, or that he was just thinking about it?
He grinned while lightheartedness seeped into his entire being. They could laugh all they wanted. He knew what had happened and damn if he’d be ashamed of it. At least not the sex part.
He willed his cock down and roguishly swaggered to the buffet laid out on the counter to piss Brad off even more. He didn’t know why he wanted to fuck with the man, but watching him angrily slam things around because of him kept the smile on his face.
Men from the team continued arriving as if a beacon had been sent out that Mrs. Kessler had made breakfast. Then again, the smell of bacon never went unanswered, no matter the time of the day.
Jake hoped they knew what a gem they had in the older woman. Of course, he hadn’t necessarily thought that when she’d been almost force-feeding him while he’d been recovering. Her motherly instinct and take-charge attitude with the men hadn’t gone unnoticed by him.
Entering the room, Mrs. Kessler’s eyes searched the dining area, an odd look on her face. “Jesse, you’d best go to the family room. Chief Reynolds is here.”
Everyone halted. Conversation and laughter disappeared while forks froze midway to mouths. Jaws stopped chewing. Then the clink of forks clattering on plates and the scraping of chairs on ceramic tile preceded the mass bolting to the living room.
Jake stared at the action, bewildered. Hadn’t she said Jesse? Everyone joining Jesse sent a sense of foreboding creeping through him since he hadn’t stopped the men from following.
Mrs. Kessler wiped her hands on her apron. “You’d best go too, Jake.”
Knowing not to argue and being extremely curious, he stepped into the next room where the tension pulsing around did nothing to ease his nerves. It definitely wasn’t a social call.
A man standing next to Senator Hamilton caught his interest. “You must be the long lost brother.”
Stepping forward, he reached out his hand to the older man who was a bit soft in the belly but held sharpness in his gaze. “I am. Jake Cavanaugh, sir.”
“Chief of Police John Reynolds. I wish I was meeting you for a different reason.” Releasing Jake’s hand and stepping back, the man turned back to Blake. “We’ve got a big problem.”
Men shifted as Kate sauntered into the room, her eyes narrowed at them before she flashed a warm smile that didn’t quite reach her keen gaze. “Good morning, Chief.” She walked to the man and kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re looking as lovely as ever, Kate.” He winked at her as she pulled back. “When are you going to finally leave this man and spend the rest of your life with me?”
Kate’s laughter overrode Jesse’s growl, barely. “John, what would your wife say?”
His sly grin made Jake realize this was obviously standard banter between them. “She’d tell me I was the luckiest damn man alive.”
Kate raised her eyebrows.
“Then she’d kick my ass.”
Short, tight chuckles sounded.
“As would I.” Jesse snaked his arm out and pulled Kate close, possessively.
The police chief became serious again and cleared his throat. “Well, as I said, we’ve got a problem.”
A nod from Blake prompted him to continue.
“Is Emily here by chance?”
Fuck. Was she in more danger or trouble? He glanced up the stairs even though he couldn’t see her or his daughter’s rooms. Protecting them, n
o matter what, was his number one priority. He wouldn’t lose them now that he had them in his life. Hell, they were his life.
The senator narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
Chief Reynolds nodded as if his question about Em had just been answered. And it probably had been. “The post office received a letter for her, addressed to here.”
Someone knew she was here. Jake’s heart rate jumped. The police chief could’ve told them that in a phone call. A sinking fear dropped to his gut.
Team members slipped silently from the room. Kate almost tripped as she ran up the stairs, and he wanted to follow her to check on Em and Amber, but he needed to know more before he acted. His mind already raced through where he’d take them to hide.
He could ask Arthur to set up something for them without anyone knowing. The man would do it even though Jake no longer worked for him because he loved Em so much. Plus he wanted Jake back. If he had to return to the FBI to assure his family’s safety, then that was what he’d do.
“You got any coffee?” their visitor asked.
Mrs. Kessler carrying a cup to the chief saved Jake from grabbing the chief’s uniform front and shaking him to keep the man speaking. When he did speak, Jake raced for the stairs before he heard everything. It didn’t matter. There was no time to waste. He almost bowled over Megan in the hallway. Both of his hands on her waist, he steadied her and moved to the side to pass her.
“I’ve got Emily.” She pointed down the hallway. “You go help Kate with the girls.”
He didn’t think twice about rushing to the one who needed his help the most. Em was tough. She could handle getting ready. His daughter couldn’t do it alone.
Hastily shoving clothes in a bag, Kate glanced over her shoulder and tossed some of the clothes at him when he entered the room. “Get them dressed.”
Two sets of sleepy eyes looked at him, and his panic morphed into the calmness and the fatherly voice he didn’t realize he had but needed. “Come on you two, sleepyheads. We’re going on a trip. Let’s see how fast we can get dressed and beat your uncles back downstairs.” In an attempt to push excitement through them so they’d hurry, he added, “They said girls couldn’t beat them.”