by Banks, Maya
They were locked together so tightly that she didn’t even know how he managed to keep thrusting. Her release built low and deep—so deep that it felt like she was being turned inside out.
It was scary and huge, overwhelming in the best possible way. This she didn’t fear. Not this time. It felt so very right. That should have scared her too. It was then she realized that no matter how ridiculous it sounded, she trusted him. She trusted him to take care of her. No matter that she didn’t really know him. That they’d only been together twice and only for a matter of hours. She knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. She just knew it.
“I trust you,” she whispered.
She had to give him this. Knew how important it was. He wanted her trust and at the same time he acknowledged that it would take time. But she wanted to give this to him now because he was giving her so much and this was all she had to give him. Nothing else. There was nothing she could give him that he didn’t already have. Except herself. It wasn’t enough but it was what he wanted—what he said he wanted—and it was the only thing she had to give.
“Ah, baby,” he groaned. “You undo me.”
He began to move faster, harder. It was as if her words sent him right over the edge. His control was gone and she reveled in the ferocity of his possession.
She went slick around him and he moved easier, pushing into her until she gasped at his depth.
And then she began to unravel. Everything she’d held so tightly within for so long began to loosen.
It was too much. He’d said she undid him, but in truth she was the one coming completely undone.
She squeezed him tight, never wanting to let go. She wanted to live in this moment where nothing could touch her, where nothing else mattered. It was so easy to forget her life, her circumstances. Because in his arms she was strong. She was worthy.
Gasping his name, she closed her eyes against the sudden surge of tears, but even then she felt them slide hotly down her cheeks. Never had she been so devastated by an orgasm, and it seemed such a tawdry word, completely incapable of describing what was happening.
The world blurred around her. All she could feel was him. Inside her. His mouth on her skin. His cock buried deep. Two halves of a whole.
She floated downward, her body weightless, her mind completely adrift. She wasn’t even sure she was conscious.
And then she became aware of Jace’s weight covering her. He was limp and his chest heaved with exertion, but he felt so good, so solid on top of her. She never wanted him to move.
She pressed her lips to the hollow indention at his collarbone and savored this connection. Savored the feeling of being wanted. Of being cherished and cared for on an emotional level.
He shifted and she started to protest but then she caught sight of his expression and she stopped. He levered up enough that he brought his hand to her face and she realized that her cheeks were wet with her tears.
“Hey,” he said gently. “What’s this?”
She was embarrassed over her reaction. How could she explain the enormity of this feeling? She tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let her. He lowered his head and kissed away the damp trails and then lifted his head to stare into her eyes once more.
“Bethany?”
There was concern in his voice, which made her feel all the more foolish.
“I’m okay,” she choked out.
“Are you?”
“I’ve never been more okay,” she said softly.
He seemed to understand then. He smiled and kissed her again.
“Let me get rid of the condom and then we need to talk,” he said.
Alarmed, she let him roll off her and waited as he discarded the condom. Then he was back on the bed, reaching for her to tuck her into his side.
He stroked through her hair, silent as he held her against him.
“I don’t want anything between us,” he finally said.
Not fully understanding what he meant, she stayed quiet as she waited.
“We need to get you an appointment so we can have tests and then we need to put you on birth control. I don’t want to wear condoms. I want no barrier between us. I’ll, of course, continue to use them until it’s safe, but you’re mine and I want unfettered access to you. All of you. Are you okay with that?”
Even though she knew—he’d certainly made himself clear—hearing that he had every intention of them having sex on a regular basis threw her for a loop. It all sounded so . . . permanent, and she knew a relationship between them could be anything but.
“Baby? Talk to me. You’re too damn quiet. Are you freaked out? Am I moving too fast?”
She nearly laughed. Now he was worried about moving too fast? She didn’t even know he had any concept of moving too fast.
“I don’t have a problem with birth control. But Jace, we have to talk.”
He kissed her, effectively silencing her.
“We don’t need to talk about anything other than getting you what you need. What we need,” he amended. “It’s a fact that you’re going to be in my bed. Eventually my apartment. I’m trying to give you space to work this out. I don’t want to overwhelm you but you need to know that I’m serious about this. And I’m going to fight any statement from you that begins with you not being with me.”
“Wow,” she breathed.
“Anything else you need to say?” he asked, amusement coloring his voice.
“I guess not,” she murmured.
“Good. Then let’s have breakfast and then I’ll take you shopping.”
“But Jace, what about work? You can’t just take off shopping with me on a whim.”
“There are perks to being the boss,” he said smugly. “One of them being that I can take a few hours off. It’s not like I’m going to get fired.”
“Well, okay then.”
He patted her on the ass and then rolled out of bed, leaving her lying there on her side.
“I’m going to shower right quick and then you can have the bathroom while I start on breakfast. Sound good?”
She nodded, unable to keep the smile from curving her mouth.
He smiled back, his eyes lighting up. “You need to do that more often and if I have my way, you will.”
Her brow furrowed in puzzlement. “Do what?”
“Smile.”
chapter fourteen
Shopping with Jace was an exhausting, thrilling, completely baffling experience. He swept through the department stores and countless boutiques like a man on a mission and he was exacting in his requirements. It occurred to her that he had a lot of experience in shopping for a woman and she didn’t like the jealousy that seized her. Until Jace wryly commented that he’d made countless shopping trips with his younger sister over the years.
When it became obvious that Bethany wouldn’t choose any of the dreadfully expensive items that Jace was convinced she needed, he forewent asking her altogether and took charge. He bulldozed his way through the stores, pointing out what he wanted in her sizes and had the saleslady collect them.
After outfitting her in all the necessities, from underwear—which was horribly awkward—to bras—equally awkward—to jeans, shirts and dresses she had no clue why she’d ever need, he then purchased sweaters, two coats—one short and one long—and three pairs of fur-lined boots.
“I don’t want your feet getting cold,” he told her.
She was appalled and at the same time her heart melted at the care he took in picking out every single purchase.
By the end of the five-hour marathon, Bethany’s head was spinning and Jace’s driver had to help carry all the purchases to the car. There was a veritable mountain of bags and boxes in the trunk and they still had to stuff many of them in the front seat.
Bethany sagged into the seat, b
ewildered by the way the day had shaped up. Yes, he’d said he was taking her shopping. She figured he’d buy a coat—since he was so pissed that she didn’t own one—and maybe a few items. She’d never expected an entire wardrobe and enough clothes to wear every day for a month without duplication! She didn’t even want to know what all this had cost. She’d refused to look at the price tags after she’d made the mistake of peeking at the first one. She’d nearly fainted and Jace had frowned and promptly directed her gaze elsewhere.
Jace reached over for her hand and squeezed. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “I’ve never done that before. I mean obviously, but not even on a smaller scale. Most of my shopping—if you can call it that—has been at thrift shops and Goodwill stores.”
He scowled. “Those days are over, Bethany. I want you to forget them.”
She sighed. Over until he moved on, got over his . . . She wasn’t even sure what to call his seeming attraction to her. Whatever it was wouldn’t last forever and going back to her life would be even harder afterward. Before it had been all she knew but now? Jace was giving her a taste of how different things could be.
They pulled up in front of a sleek, modern-looking building on the Upper West Side and Jace got out, extending his hand to help her from the car. After instructing his driver to see that the bags were brought up, he directed Bethany toward the entrance.
Once inside, he introduced her to the doorman. Evidently Jace had already notified him that she’d be staying in the apartment because it was more a case of formality than introducing a new situation.
Then Jace gave her a tour of the facilities and the amenities offered by the building. She couldn’t imagine taking advantage of any of them. Having an actual apartment was a luxury she couldn’t even wrap her mind around. To have all of the extra perks blew her mind.
She was relieved when they finally got on the elevator and rode up to the apartment. Her nerves were shot. She was frazzled by all the shopping and she desperately wanted a quiet place to decompress.
Jace unlocked the door and then held it open for her. “Let’s go see your apartment, baby.”
Her apartment. She still couldn’t comprehend being given an entire apartment. It was insane. Jace was insane. But then she’d already covered that ground.
When she walked in, her breath caught and she stopped dead in the middle of the floor. And she stared. Tears welled and a sob crept out of her throat.
Jace wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “Baby.”
He dragged out the word in an aching voice that made her heart turn over in a fluttery cartwheel.
“It’s beautiful, Jace,” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
“It’s perfect.”
He smiled and kissed her on the nose. “And you haven’t seen it all yet.”
“I’ve seen enough to know it’s perfect.”
And it was. The living room and kitchen blended together in one large room with an open concept she loved. But the color scheme was what made it absolutely perfect. Done in earth tones, the room—the entire apartment—had a homey, cozy feel that was the epitome of everything she’d ever wanted in a place to live.
And the kitchen was state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances. A chef’s stove. And it looked to be fully stocked with cookware and cutlery. Her hands itched to get into that kitchen and cook.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll show you the rest and by then your bags should be up.”
They did a brief tour of the bedrooms and the bathrooms and when they came back there was a growing pile of bags being deposited inside the door. A moment later, a tall, very muscular man strode through the door followed by a slightly shorter and stockier man. They both looked like guys out of a bodybuilding magazine. Beefed-up arms. They just looked like badasses.
The man in the lead had shades that he flipped up and Bethany instinctively pushed in closer to Jace’s side, seeking his protection. These men reminded her too much of her run-in with the guys who’d wanted money from Jack.
“They won’t hurt you,” Jace murmured.
He slipped his arm around her and squeezed her against him. Instantly she felt . . . better. More secure. It didn’t matter that the men were twice Jace’s size. Veritable mountains and they looked . . . questionable at best. She was next to Jace and he wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her.
At Jace’s words, the front man pulled up short and frowned. He held up his hand to halt the other guy and they both stood a short distance away, careful to maintain the space between them and where she stood.
“Mr. Crestwell,” the front man said. “I’m Kaden Ginsberg and this is Trevor Dixon.”
Jace extended his arm, stepping forward to shake each of their hands. “Thank you both for coming.”
He turned and motioned Bethany forward. Hesitantly, she stepped in Jace’s direction and eyed the two newcomers with caution.
Jace held out his hand for Bethany to take and she slipped her fingers into his. He laced them together and tugged her forward so she was once again at his side.
“This is your security team.”
She couldn’t formulate a response. Security team? Why on earth did she have a security team? She cast a bewildered look in Jace’s direction.
“Why?”
The one word came out cracked and hoarse.
His lips pressed together in a gesture of impatience. Then he turned to Kaden and Trevor. “Let’s sit in the living room. We have a lot to talk about. I want your absolute assurance that Bethany will be safe in your care when I can’t be with her.”
Kaden nodded. “Of course.”
Jace put a hand to Bethany’s back and urged her toward the couch. He sat down next to her, linking his fingers with hers. They were so close that their thighs touched. She leaned in closer as she cautiously eyed Kaden and Trevor. They sat across from the couch in two chairs that looked far too small for their bulky frames.
“You look like professional wrestlers,” she blurted. Then she felt like a complete moron and she dropped her gaze to stare at her and Jace’s linked hands.
Kaden chuckled, forcing her to look back up. He had a really good laugh. Not at all mean sounding. It was soft and vibrated over her ears. It was . . . nice.
“It helps in my line of work, ma’am.”
“Oh yeah,” she muttered.
Jace squeezed her hand and then directed his attention toward her security team. She felt ridiculous calling them that. The whole thing seemed so utterly bizarre that she couldn’t wrap her head around it.
He glanced back at Bethany, his eyes serious. “Kaden and Trevor will accompany you everywhere when I’m not with you. They’ll shadow your every move—and I do mean every move. When you’re here, they’ll be here. If you go out, they go with you.”
Her eyes widened. “But why? I don’t get it. Jace, this is crazy. I’m nobody. Nobody cares about me. I have nothing, so no one has any investment in me. There’s nothing to gain by kidnapping me or God knows what else you’re thinking.”
Jace sighed. “Do you forget that a day ago those bastards had you on the ground? That they kicked you and threatened you? They gave you a week to respond. What do you think’s going to happen when that week comes and goes, Bethany? Think they’re just going to forget about you because they suddenly can’t find you where you usually hang? I’m going to make sure they don’t get anywhere near you and part of doing that means Kaden and Trevor here are going to stick to you when I can’t be with you. Which means that you go nowhere without them. You understand?”
“You really think they’ll find me here?” she whispered.
“Let’s just say I’m not taking any chances.”
Kaden cleared his throat. “Ma’am,” he said politely. “Men like that don’t give up easily. They have a point t
o prove. If they don’t make those points, they lose street cred. If it’s perceived they wimped out on collecting a debt, it means more people will decide not to pay up. They operate on fear and intimidation. If people cease to fear them, then they are rendered ineffective and they go out of business. They aren’t going to let that happen, so yes, they will make the effort to come after you. Trevor and I are going to make sure they don’t succeed.”
Her mouth formed a silent O and she stared wide-eyed at Jace.
“You understand now?” Jace asked quietly.
She nodded but she was still reeling from all the sudden changes in her life.
Jace’s driver brought in a small bag and handed it to Jace. It wasn’t one she recognized, though there’d been so many that she lost track of them hours ago.
Jace pulled out a box, opening it to reveal a brand-new cell phone. He popped the battery in, powered it up and then fiddled with it for several long minutes. Then he pulled out his cell and punched buttons before finally tossing the phone toward Kaden.
“Program your numbers into her phone. I want her to have you on speed dial in case anything ever goes wrong.”
Bethany’s eyebrows drew together as Kaden and then Trevor rapidly punched buttons before returning the phone to Jace. Then Jace handed her the phone.
“I programmed my number in. It’s number one on speed dial. Kaden is number two and Trevor is number three. My office number is four and my apartment is number five. Carry this phone on you at all times, and if you don’t want me freaking out thinking you’re in an alley dead somewhere, then you better damn well answer when I call. Got it?”
Numbly, she nodded. Holy shit but her head was spinning in circles. She could barely breathe and her head was starting to ache horribly. Fairy tales didn’t happen for girls like her and yet she’d walked right into the middle of one. But this one wasn’t destined for a happily-ever-after. That only happened in fiction. She was too well acquainted with the way things worked in real life. Real life sucked. But it was real. It was unapologetic. It made no excuses. It just was.