by Calinda B
Jace pulled her to her feet, panting. “Are you okay? Too much?”
“Once I stopped resisting it, I liked it,” she said, shyly. “You taste different.”
“Different than?”
Well, definitely different than Billy. She’d wanted to hurl when he’d come in her mouth. His semen had a bitter, horrid taste. She’d spit most of him out of her mouth, offending him. “I don’t know, just different. Different good. I didn’t think I’d like it.”
He kissed the side of her mouth, licking droplets of his seed with the tip of his tongue. “Good. It makes me happy that you like the way I taste.”
“Do you like the way you taste?” she asked, amazed.
“I like the way I taste on you.” He kissed the other side of her mouth, licking gently. He kissed her full on the mouth, crushing against her, his hands around her neck, her back, possessively drawing her into him. “I can’t get enough of you,” he said when he broke away. “You’ve turned me inside out. I’m a very happy man when I’m with you,” he said, nuzzling her hair.
Her core throbbed in response. “I want you to be happy all the time.”
“I’ll take what I can get,” he said. “Take those britches off, woman.”
She slid the pants from her legs as he yanked his shirt over his head.
“Panties, too, baby. I want skin on skin.”
A gush of sensation washed through her. “You drive me wild, Jace.”
“Good. Because you drive me fucking crazy. Look.” He flicked his eyes down and back to hers.
She glanced at his cock, stirring back to life. Watching it made her ache, wanting, flooded with need. “Please, please, please put that thing inside me.”
“Ask and ye shall receive,” he said with a chuckle. “But first…” His eyes glittered, dark and hooded, as he retrieved something from his back pocket. “Eyes closed, baby.”
She tipped her head to the side.
“Come on, baby.” His tongue slid between his lips. “Trust me.”
She closed her eyes, tensing as soft cotton rope twined around her wrists. Her eyelids fluttered open. “What’s this?”
“Part of the surprise.”
“What’s the other part?” she asked, alarm and excitement competing for attention.
“Arms. Here. Now.” He tapped the back of his neck. When she looped them around him, her breasts pressed into his solid chest, he said, “Climb on.”
She took a little jump and he guided her into place.
Balancing her on one arm, he guided his cock, still slightly soft, into her opening. When he’d positioned himself, he grabbed her butt cheeks and spread them wide, slowly sliding inside her. “Fuck,” he groaned, when he’d impaled her. He took a few steps across the room, forcing her back against the cool, textured wall. “Feel this?” he growled, grinding his cock inside, excruciatingly slow.
“Yeah, I feel it,” she gasped.
“This,” he said, thrusting into her again, “is all for you. Yours. Exclusively.” A slow smile spread across his face, as he pushed his hips in insistent, slow, undulations. “Arms against the wall, baby.”
She lifted her arms high.
He pressed one large palm against her hands, securing her.
Pinned between the wall and his hard body, clinging to his hips, her wrists bound, his cock lancing her, she thought she’d burst into flames at any moment. “Fuck me, Jace.”
“There’s that dirty mouth again,” he said.
“You should talk,” she said. “Now fuck me. Deeper.”
“Yeah, baby?” he said. He seemed to grow larger inside her, obviously extremely aroused. “Like this?” He ground against her, circling his hips, pushing in and out, in and out.
“Oh, yeah,” she cried. “Jace!” Sensation arose in her like a furious storm, whipping wild and uncontrolled through her loins. Sounds erupted from her, moans and growls that she’d never heard coming from her mouth.
He pounded into her, slamming her into the wall. “Oh, fuck,” he cried. “Oh, fuck!” He let out a long, low growl, spilling inside her. Leaning back, he kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, her jaw, her lips, making her feel desired and wanted. Holding her tight, he strode to the sofa, sat down and lay back, with her on top.
She melted into him.
His arms encircled her, cradling her, holding her close.
She pressed her ear against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, strong and steady. Her body practically purred with pleasured satisfaction.
He remained quiet, breathing deep and even.
“Are you awake?” she asked.
“Mm hmm,” he murmured.
“Can you spend the night?” She propped herself on her forearms to look at him. “Can you?”
“I wish I could but I can’t.”
“You have to get home to your trouble,” she said in a flat voice.
He opened his eyes. “I have to get home to a situation. Don’t worry. Please. I’d rather be here, in this moment, with you, not future tripping.” He pushed away a sweaty lock of hair from her cheek. “Please?” he said gently.
“Okay,” she said, turning her head to lie on his chest again.
“Baby,” he said, stroking her back.
“Mm hmm.”
“You’re important to me.”
“Okay.”
“No, really. Eyes up here.”
She didn’t move. “I don’t want to.”
“Eyes. Up. Here,” he said again, more forcefully.
She sighed and propped up to meet his gaze.
“You’re important to me. You matter. I’d stay if I could but I can’t.”
She wanted to ask him a million questions. She wanted to know everything about him, what made him tick, what he was like when he was at work, and what kind of fucking trouble he was in. She bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay.” He smiled.
She stroked the hairs on his chest, conflicted about her next question. “Did you get any fallout from Billy?”
He tensed. “A little, yeah.”
“Oh, no,” she said. “He’s suing you, am I right?”
“More like he’s suing my place of employment to the tune of two million with me as the reason for his unhappiness.”
“Fuck,” Zoé said.
Jace lifted an eyebrow. “Watch that pretty mouth of yours. But yeah, fuck is right.”
“That’s some of the trouble?”
“Yep, an added bonus.”
“And you’re not going to tell me the rest of it.”
“We’ve already discussed this.”
“What are you going to do? I don’t want you to get hurt. Or, do something stupid.”
He chuckled. “I’ll think of something. Don’t worry. My job is to keep you safe and trouble free.”
She smiled, not feeling reassured in the slightest. She pushed away from him to sitting. “I’ll do my best to be a safe harbor for you.” She reached for her pants.
He took them out of her hand. “Come back here. I miss you.”
She melted at his words and lay back on top of him. “I’d rather know the whole story, but if you’re not ready, you’re not ready. I’ll still be here.” The words sounded stoic…solid…like the right thing to say in this situation. Only thing, she hated being left in the dark. She was not her mother, silently stewing while making plans to leave her father rather than deal with things and assert herself.
“Baby,” Jace said, pulling her out of her musing.
“What?”
“Look at me.”
She lifted to face him.
“It means a lot to me what you just said.”
“I know,” she said, feeling anything but overjoyed.
“It means a lot to me that you’re here, being my safe harbor.”
“Uh huh,” she said, her face somber.
“I’ve got a lot on my plate. Too much to share all at once. Let me tell you in in my own time. I know I keep saying this, bu
t you have to believe me. I need you to be who you are and what you are to me right now. Please.”
“I don’t know, Jace. You’re asking a lot of me. You’re asking me to martyr myself for you, waiting at the sidelines for you to get the nerve to tell me something. What are we talking about here? Jail time? Trouble with the law? My mind’s whirling with possibilities.”
“No.” He let out an exasperated breath. “I’m not a criminal.”
“It’s a lot to deal with, a lot to take in, you know. On the one hand, I’m crazy about you. On the other, I still know very little about you.”
“Baby, please, please, please. I’m crazy for you, too. I just have to move in my own time. I’ll make the time worth your while, I promise,” he said in a deep, seductive voice. “Come on. Rest with me.” His hips began their hypnotic circles against her leg like he had a private channel to slow, sexy grooves. “Mmm,” he breathed.
He drew his hands lazily along her back, making her shudder. Her body liquefied from his touch like a junkie getting her fill of drugs, making her willing to wait for answer as long as he made her feel this fucking good.
Chapter 14
Jace rode the Deus off the ferry north of Seattle, a string of cars behind him. He stopped, waiting for the Amtrak train to pass, impatient. “Come on, come on,” he muttered to the slowly moving train. He’d never get to Chica Ríos in time at this rate. The sky was a kaleidoscope of colors as the sun prepared for its exit. Jace framed it with his mind, imaging what a beautiful shot it would be.
The first couple days of the week were shitty, but today had been a hell hole. He’d had to stand next to Billy, working, keeping his mouth shut, while Billy taunted, teased and goaded him. He’d almost lost it when Billy said he’d make sure Jace never saw Zoé again, but he managed to pull it together before taking a crowbar to his head.
At closing time, he’d grabbed his tools, thrown them in the back of his truck, gone home to quickly shower, ready to see Zoé and sink into her arms. He’d been able to budget only an hour to see her, then he had to get home in time to take care of Marni. “Goddamn it all to fucking hell,” he muttered, as he sped onto the freeway. “I can’t keep up this shit much longer.” Where’s my fucking sister?
As he raced toward downtown, he spied a familiar vintage gray 1994 Porsche 911. Only one person could be driving that car - Billy. Keeping a car between them, he decided to follow the shithead to see what he was up to. As eager as he was to see Zoé, he could spare a couple of minutes - he had a good twenty minutes to kill before her shift ended.
Billy’s turn signal flipped on at the same exit he’d take to get to Zoé’s. His stomach tightened. Is he going to Chica Ríos? I’ll kill him.
The Porsche passed the street to the bar, heading toward the water.
Jace followed.
At an abandoned cruise port south of downtown, Billy hooked a sharp right into the parking lot.
Jace parked the Deus and fished inside his backpack for binoculars used to scout possible shoot locales. Hid behind a building, he watched Billy and Jasmine emerge from the car. Billy flew around to her side, waving his arms and shouting. Jasmine did a little arm waving of her own, shoving Billy twice before Billy slapped her.
“Come on, Billy, domestic violence? You don’t treat women that way.” Jace shook his head.
She got back in the car as Billy slammed the door shut behind her.
Billy stalked to one of the warehouses next to what used to be a lively cruise embarkment building. He banged on the metal door with his palm.
Jasmine emerged from the car, screaming and shouting.
Billy ran back, pushed her inside and flung the door shut.
“Temper, temper,” Jace said softly.
The door to the warehouse opened, and a man stuck his head out calling to Billy. Billy hustled inside.
Jace pulled out his phone to check the time. He had ten minutes before he needed to scoot to Zoé’s. He waited, anxious to get a move on, for Billy to emerge. Finally, the door swung open and Billy wheeled out a piece of luggage. “Going somewhere?” Jace said.
Billy reached the Porsche, pulled open the passenger door, yanked Jasmine out and flipped the lever on the seat, causing it to spring forward. He grabbed the suitcase and finagled it in the narrow back seat.
Jasmine began stalking away.
Billy raced after her, seizing her arm and dragging her back to the car. After a brief argument, they both got in the vehicle and started it up.
Jace shrank into the shadows as they raced away, oblivious to anything but their own misery. He headed to Chica Ríos.
When he arrived, he stepped through the front door, scanning for Zoé. The place seemed unusually quiet. A few patrons sat at the bar, drinking quietly, while dining customers finished their meals.
Zoé emerged from the back, looked at him, and smiled. She raced to greet him.
Jace forgot everything but her, all external problems blotted out of existence. Safe harbor. The phrase whirled through his brain, soothing him like a hit of primo weed. He enveloped her in his arms, dropping a passionate kiss on her beautiful lips. When he released her, her eyes glistened and her cheeks were the rosy red he liked so much. “You’re blushing,” he said.
“People are watching.”
He lifted his head to see a few people gawking. “Let them. I want them all to witness. I’m marking you lest any of the males had any ideas about you.”
“Claiming me, caveman?” she said, grinning.
“Damn straight. Ready to go? We’ve got to make the time count. I don’t have much of it tonight.”
She opened her mouth as if to say something, then shut it. “Let’s use the time, then.”
“Let’s.” A wicked smile formed on his face.
“What do you have in mind?”
“You’ll see.”
She lifted a hand to the bartender, who watched them from across the room.
Jace tugged her. “He can’t have you,” he hissed in her ear.
Her eyebrows lifted. “He doesn’t want me. He has a girlfriend.”
“I’ll bet he’s thought about you,” Jace said, as they stepped into the night. “It’s a guy thing.”
“Are you jealous?” Zoé asked.
“Who do you belong to?”
She hesitated slightly before answering. “I’m yours,” she said, a little frown on her face.
“Exclusively?”
“Only you.”
“Then, no, I’m not jealous.”
They reached the Angel, donned helmets, and climbed on. The second she settled against him, his cock hardened like iron in response. He fired up the bike, clasped her with his free arm, and sped away.
They wove through the streets of Seattle until they reached one of the many bridges spanning the city. He pulled off the road before crossing the bridge, navigating a side road. He parked the bike and waited for her to clamber off.
“What are we doing?” Zoé asked, as she shook out her hair.
“Naughty things.”
“Are we going to get into trouble?”
“Only the good kind.” He slung his knapsack over his shoulder, took her hand and led her to a dirt path. “This is where the homeless walk.”
“We’re going to hang out with homeless people?” She cringed.
“No, baby, we’re not going to hang out with homeless people. Come.”
They picked their way down an embankment until they stood at the edge of Lake Union. Overhead, cars made a tickety-tick as they drove over the steel and concrete bridge. “Hear that?”
“Uh huh.”
“That’s the blood of the city, pulsing through its veins.” He reached for her. “Come here. I need you.” He took her hand and placed it on his crotch. “Feel this, baby?”
“Yes,” she said, in that sweet voice of hers.
“This is what you do to me. Are you wet?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Who are you wet for?”
&n
bsp; “You, Jace. Only you.” She pushed away from him slightly. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to fuck. After I show you how I like to kiss.”
“You don’t think I’m a good kisser?” she asked, insecurity making a sudden appearance.
“I sure didn’t say that. I think you’re a great kisser. We’re going to kick it up a notch. There’s some things I want to try.”
“Kick it up how?”
“Shhh.” He put a fingertip on her lips.
“What if someone sees us?”
“I don’t see anyone down here, do you?”
“No,” she said, craning her neck. “What if someone hears us?”
He pointed overhead to the headlights shining through the metal grill. “Steady stream of sound. I’ll be the only one hearing your moans of pleasure.” He tucked his hand behind her head and massaged her neck.
“What if…?” she began.
He dropped his head, bringing his lips close, moving the tip of his nose sensuously back and forth along hers.
Her mouth parted.
He drew her bottom lip gently between his teeth, before gently sucking, sliding along her slippery skin and releasing.
“Mmm,” she moaned.
His parted lips brushed back and forth against hers.
She moved her head back and forth in a sensuous dance with his mouth.
“Perfect, baby,” he said, swallowing hard. He ran his tongue along her parted lips.
She pushed her hips toward his straining cock.
“Fuck,” he said again. He connected softly with her lips, kissing her soft mouth delicately, his cock throbbing madly from the sensuous encounter.
When he released her, he gazed into her eyes, black with desire. He grinned and bit his lip. “Like this, baby?”
“Jesus, Jace. You can be so tender.” Her eyelids were heavy with arousal.
“It’s you,” he breathed. “I can be tender with you.” He brought his lips down to hers again, shushing further conversation. He devoured her mouth with his, entering her with his tongue, pushing insistently, the way his cock wanted to do. Finally, he wrenched away from her, hearing the ticking clock in his head reminding him that time was short. “Let me look at you,” Jace said. “Stand over there.”