by Dawn Altieri
He slanted his mouth over hers, and it was exactly what she needed. His tongue twisted with hers, turning the kiss agonizingly passionate for a long moment, until he broke away.
He scanned her face, pushed her hair back behind her ear. “God, you’re beautiful.”
She knew she wasn’t, not in this moment with her red, swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He gazed at her as though he somehow saw through it all…and she couldn’t handle the intensity of it any longer.
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
So he did.
He trailed his hands up her arms, gliding across her collarbone, then slipped the straps of her yoga tank down her shoulders. A groan rumbled in his chest as he peeked down at the pale pink lace bra he’d exposed. He lifted her onto the island and moved between her legs, and she braced herself with a hand behind her on the countertop as he ran his tongue along the edge of her bra, covering her with fluttering licks and kisses. His fingers sought out the small of her back, pulled the tank up and over her head, and when she arched into him, he responded hungrily, nipping at her neck. Even through the sweats he’d worn to the yoga class, the heat of the solid ridge of his erection burned her core.
She ran her tongue over her own lips, moistening them after the heat of his touch had dried them. Her hands glided up the corded muscle of his forearms, his biceps, then changed course downward to the hem of his T-shirt. She lifted it over his head and tossed it to join her top on the floor behind her.
“You can’t possibly expect me to cook for you like this,” he said as he covered her mouth with his again.
“Mmm.” The sound hummed softly in the back of her throat as her palms brushed over his chest and his shoulders. “I’m not really hungry anymore.”
“Oh no?” He cupped her breasts, his thumbs wrenching at the top of the lace. “All of a sudden, I’m starving.” He returned his attention to her neck and tugged gently on her earlobe with his teeth.
Her head dropped to her shoulder of its own accord to give him full access, even as her brain recalled how he’d begged her earlier to make him stop. There was more on the line than her need to feel safe and desired right now. She needed to remind him of that. “Are you sure?” she asked, her voice straining. “Is this what you really want?”
He pulled back, studying her intently. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more than I want you.” He ran his finger down her cheek. “But we don’t have to do this. This isn’t why I want you to stay with me.”
“I know. I need this. I need you.” She inhaled a deep breath. “For tonight, or however long it lasts. This feels right. You feel right.” She gazed into his crystal-blue eyes. “I just want to forget everything for a while.” His eyes narrowed as she ran a hand down his chest, tangling her fingers through the soft dark hairs. “Make me forget.”
He gazed at her for a long, hard minute, then slipped his hands down to cup her bottom, pulled her to his waist, and hoisted her off the island.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she wrapped her legs around him to hold on.
“Taking you to bed,” he growled, burying his mouth in the crook of her neck.
She glanced over her shoulder toward the spiral staircase. “You’re going to carry me all the way up those stairs?”
“Do you doubt me, Ms. Sloane? Don’t ever doubt me. If I say I’m going to do something, I do it.”
Hard, urgent kisses dizzied her as he crossed the apartment with her in his arms. When he reached the top of the stairs, he released her onto the edge of the bed and she fell back, her hair fanning across the comforter. He tugged off her yoga pants, revealing her matching pale-pink panties, and raked his gaze over her from head to toe as he tossed them to the floor.
“You are absolutely stunning.” He lowered himself over her, hard steel above delicate lace. Her body curved to meet his, skin pressed against skin. “If you only knew the things I’ve thought about doing to you.”
A soft gasp of curiosity escaped her as his lips resumed their place on her shoulder. “Like what?”
“Touching you. Tasting you. Everywhere. Here.” His fingers traveled along her back, kneading and massaging, melting all the tension she was holding as she unwound beneath him. “And here.” His hand dragged lazily along her thigh before he flattened his palm over the curve of her ass and gave it a squeeze. He slid his fingers to the front of her hip. “Especially here.” Her breath caught as her body shuddered from the tickling sensation. “You like that?”
“Mmm.” It was the only sound she could manage. Her whole life, she’d rarely been asked what she liked, rarely even given thought to it, but she definitely liked this.
He unhooked the clasp of her bra and pulled one strap down her shoulder, and with a little tug, he slid the other strap out of the way. He closed his mouth over her breast, swirling his tongue around her nipple. He kneaded his way down her back again, slipping his fingers beneath the lace of her panties before easing them off and dropping them to the floor.
“Beautiful,” he whispered as his eyes ran the length of her, completely bared to him. “Absolutely beautiful.”
She slid her hand down his chest, down the soft trail of hair on his stomach to the drawstring on his sweatpants. “Detective, I do believe you are overdressed.”
He nipped gently at her mouth. “What should we do about that?”
She tugged the knotted drawstring loose.
“Let me help you,” he said as he stood from the bed to remove them.
Her eyes roamed over the strong, lean body before her. Exquisitely defined lines of muscle ran the length of his torso, culminating in a perfectly formed “V” and disappearing beneath his boxer briefs.
She glanced downward to where he strained against the snug cotton. “Keep going, Detective.”
He quirked his mouth in a hungry grin. “So demanding, Ms. Sloane. I like that.”
Reaching under the waistband of his briefs, he lowered them slowly, putting on a show she hadn’t expected to enjoy quite so much. He crawled back onto the bed, grazed her neck and shoulder with his mouth and teeth, then returned to her breast. His hands were everywhere, sliding across the shuddering muscles of her stomach and lower, over her hips, down her thighs, setting her skin on fire. He cupped his palm between her legs and waited for her to settle as she writhed beneath him in anticipation. He eased one finger inside her, then another, gliding in and out in an excruciating rhythm, in time with the circles his tongue drew over her nipple.
“God, Emma,” he murmured as he brought his mouth back to hers. His fingers pushed deeper. “So fucking wet. You want this as bad as I do, don’t you, baby?”
“Yes,” she whispered against his lips. She angled closer to reach down his abdomen and took him in her hand, running her palm greedily along his considerable length. “I want you.”
A tortured growl escaped him as he reached for the bedside table, grabbed a condom from the drawer, and sat back on his heels. He had her full, rapt attention as he used one hand to grasp himself and the other to slowly unroll the latex. He dropped between her legs and kissed her slow and hard as he nudged her entrance, hesitating. He was giving her one last chance to change her mind, but she only curled her legs around his waist and drew her hips up with longing.
“Now, Jake.”
Another groan came from deep in his chest. His movement was calculated and torturously slow, and he eased into her with such gentle restraint that she cried out beneath him, digging her fingers into his back in delicious agony, straining to take every last bit of him.
“Look at me,” he whispered as he laid his fingers gently on either side of her face. “I need to see you. Need to know you’re okay.”
She opened her eyes to his, and his gaze locked with hers as if he could see right into her soul and know how much she needed this moment…needed him. They eased into a rhythm, in perfect sync t
ogether, just as they’d done on the dance floor, just as she’d known they would do now. He nipped at her lips with soft kisses between harsh breaths. He ran his hand down her body and let it rest on her hip, urging her upward as he pushed deep, filling her completely. His pace increased, but his eyes never left hers.
She met his urgent thrusts in unison, exhilarated at his increasingly rapid movements. He overwhelmed her, body and soul, driving away all the evil and the pain and the fear to a place where it could no longer reach her. All she could think was she wanted more. More of him, his strength, his fire, more of this. Whether he could give it to her or not was another story. But even if this was all they would ever have together, right now it was everything she needed.
Soon her body pulsed around his, clamping down on him as the avalanche crashed over her and swept her away.
He gazed down intently, still moving deep inside her, panting heavily as he watched her come completely undone beneath him. “Emma…” he murmured, his features twisting as if he were doing everything in his power to fight this but no longer could. “God, Emma.”
He gave in and lost control, his arms trembling around her as he shuddered hard, surging hot within her.
Slowly, her body came to rest. They remained motionless for a long time, neither one willing to break the connection. He gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips and gave her a soft kiss. “Are you okay?”
She ran her tongue over her lips. “Mm-hmm. More than okay.”
A sated smile covered his face, and he kissed her once more before he withdrew, shifted to the side, and nearly collapsed on top of her. With his face buried in her hair, he let out a deep breath. “That was amazing. It’s like you were made for me.”
She turned to kiss his cheek, banded her arms around his back and held his body to hers, reveling in the feel of his weight upon her. His skin gleamed with a hint of perspiration, and the earthy scent of his cologne threatened to arouse her all over again even though she was completely spent.
He turned his head and faced her with his devilish grin. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined being with you like this.” He flopped to his back with one leg draped across hers and his impressive cock languishing across his abdomen. “I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to hold out.” He kissed her once more before he rolled to the edge of the bed. “Be right back.” He went into the bathroom, and when he returned, he tugged the comforter from under her legs and climbed beneath it next to her. “Come here.”
She curled into him, and the soft smattering of hair on his chest tickled her cheek. The music from the sound system downstairs changed again. It had been playing all along, but she hadn’t paid much attention to it. Now, in the absolute calm of Jake’s embrace, the soothing melody caught her attention. “Is this…?”
“Yes,” he said quickly. “Justin Timberlake. ‘Until the End of Time.’” She glanced up at him as he squeezed her to him. “Don’t judge. I happen to like this song.”
She laid her cheek back down and settled in to listen to the lyrics about a man who’d grown tired of trying to save the world, a man who just wanted to spend time with his girl. In that moment, the words seemed to have been written just for them.
Her breathing slowed as his fingertips traced leisurely circles around her back. With his arms around her, their legs intertwined, and his heart beating softly beneath her cheek, she’d never felt so drained, yet so relaxed. So thoroughly at peace.
If only this could last…
Chapter Thirty-Six
It may have been a while since Jake had had sex, but he’d never had sex like that.
Everything about Emma was a perfect fit—from the way she was currently wrapped around him, arms and legs tangled in an impenetrable embrace, to the way her body had gripped and squeezed him as soon as he’d moved inside her, sucking the goddamned life out of him. He’d waited so long for something like this—the raw anguish that gripped both his heart and his groin when he’d first driven into her. He’d convinced himself he’d never feel it so strongly.
There was no way he was letting her go now.
But it wasn’t his choice—and that realization scared the shit out of him. He had no reason to assume she wanted him the way he was starting to want her. Sure, she’d wanted him tonight, but that could be temporary. She’d wanted him to soothe her fears, make her feel safe, let her forget all the assholes in her life threatening to destroy her beautiful soul. But she’d get over that need. Tomorrow, he’d go back to being just the cop who couldn’t figure out who the hell was stalking her. If it wasn’t for the bastard destroying her apartment, she wouldn’t even be here now.
Fury surged through him, just as it had when he’d pushed her door open and seen the damage to her place. How much closer would he get—Windsor or whoever the hell it was—before Jake could put a stop to it?
With a yawn and a stretch, she propped herself up on her elbow, tearing him from his disturbing thoughts and calming him. Her fingers danced across his chest, sending shock waves straight below his waist. “You are unbelievably sexy,” she whispered.
He bent one arm behind his head and squinted at her suspiciously. Was she up for another round? God knew, he was. “Are you trying to seduce me?”
“Seduce you? Now, would I do that?”
“I sure hope so.” In one swift motion, he had her on her back again, positioned himself between her legs. “You can seduce me anytime you want.” His mouth came down over hers for a deep kiss, then he pulled back and gazed down at her. He teased her with light, feathery kisses across her jaw and down her neck, filled his palm with her breast—another perfect fit—and traveled farther, his tongue tracing her curves and dipping into her navel as he breathed hot against her skin.
“I’m not done with you yet, baby,” he said on a groan. “I want to taste every inch of you. That okay?”
“Yes,” she pleaded, even though she’d barely recovered. “God, yes.”
Her body quivered at his words, her hips lifting off the mattress and sending a powerful jolt through him. She gripped the sheets, her writhing body screaming for him to touch her again. Her response was so honest and innocent, not like the jaded reactions of the women he usually ended up with. Everything about her was different from what he’d experienced before, and so much better. He couldn’t wait to expand that pure mind of hers, take her places he was pretty sure she’d never been with that stodgy fiancé of hers.
He slipped a finger into her hot, damp folds and let out a devilish chuckle. “So ready for me. So damned ready.”
Another, more primal moan escaped her as he took his first taste. Salty and sweet and fucking delicious. He added a second finger and her body came alive, clamping down on his hand just as it had on his cock not long ago. She fisted his hair, holding him in place…as if he’d be going anywhere. With long, slow caresses of his tongue, he drove her to the edge.
Soon her hips bucked beneath him as her climax ripped through her, and he savored the trembling shudder that racked her body. He couldn’t handle it, couldn’t wait to get back inside her and have that tight heat surrounding him. He grabbed another condom from the drawer, and a moment later, he was above her, ready to take her once more. Her breath sent chills of excitement across his chest, and with one strong thrust, he drove deep inside her.
“Emma,” he muttered. “Feels so fucking good inside you.”
He wasn’t hesitant at all this time. Hard and demanding, knowing he couldn’t ask anything of her but wanting everything she had to give. Something sank deep into his chest, something that had never been there before. A glimmer of hope there might be more for him. For them.
He pushed the idea away, concentrated on the physical sensations that would drown out those impossible thoughts. He had no right to this, no claim to the peace and certainty he felt inside her, even as his hips pounded furiously against hers. He rocked int
o her, fighting for breath as much as for control, until her body pulsed around him. And when she dug her fingers into his back and called out his name, he let go and rode the wave with her.
The quaking in his body peaked, the tremors subsided. He tried to pull away, but she reached up to run her fingers through his hair, and he stayed right where he was, perched above her on his elbows before he kissed her yet again.
She ran her palm along his jaw as she gazed up at him drowsily. “Are you done with me now?”
“Ah, come on.” He tickled her side. “One more time?”
“No!” she cried as she wriggled beneath him. “Stop!”
He pressed his lips to hers, stifling her laughter, then moved to her side with his arms and legs twisted around her. Her breathing slowed along with his, her warm exhalations fanning across his chest. He tipped his head to try to see her face. “Emma?”
Her eyelids fluttered for a moment, but she was so utterly spent and completely relaxed, she didn’t respond.
He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “You’re safe now, baby. I promise.”
Then his own eyes drifted shut. He hadn’t realized how tired he was. Tired of never allowing himself to be still, tired of always focusing on the next promotion, tired of running from the past. As long as he kept going, he could pretend it would never catch up to him.
But what would happen if he slowed down and spent some time with this amazing woman? Would the past simply up and disappear? Let him move on with his life?
Right now, he almost believed it could happen.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Emma woke with a start and sat up in the bed, alone, disoriented and unsure of where she was. She pulled the comforter over her bare chest. The alarm clock on Jake’s bedside table showed it was a few minutes after eight in the morning. She had no idea when they’d fallen asleep the night before, but she’d slept well, better than she’d slept in months.
Sunlight streamed in through the wall of glass on the lower level of the apartment. She took in the surroundings of the loft bedroom for the first time, having been too caught up in the moment to notice much of anything the night before. The room was a stark contrast to the rest of the apartment. Its light-colored walls, unfinished wood furniture, and off-white bedding made it a cozy space, a cloud hovering high above the realities of the world below.