by Wilder, L.
She grabbed her purse, and when she started for the door, I reached for her. “Hey, where are you going?”
“I shouldn’t have come. I-I don’t know what I was thinking,” she stammered.
“You don’t really think I’m just going to let you walk out of here, do you?”
A surprised look crossed her face. “What?”
“I’ve made some mistakes where you’re concerned. The first one was letting you walk away that morning; the second, was not going after you when you did.” I pulled her over to me and added, “I’m not making that mistake again.”
Taking the chance of a lifetime, I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her with all the hunger and need that was raging inside of me. Damn. She felt even better than I’d remembered. I wanted her, all of her, and when she inched closer and wrapped her arms around my neck, I knew she wanted me too. In that moment, I wasn’t thinking about the club. I wasn’t thinking about Navarro breathing down our backs. I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that Reece had gone to see Jason. The only thing on my mind was her, and nothing else mattered.
CHAPTER 8
Reece
Maybe I had a screw loose or a chemical imbalance. Maybe I was experiencing early onset dementia or even a bout of amnesia. I don’t know what it was, but there was clearly something wrong with me; otherwise, I would’ve remembered the effect Jackson Reed had on me. For some insane reason, I thought that I could handle it, that I could keep things simple. I would just play nice, share a few moments of small talk with an old friend, and once we’d had time to catch up, I’d find a way to casually ask him about the surveillance video. In my head, it made sense, but my plan went up in smoke the second I came face-to-face with him. I was crazy for thinking that I could actually be in the same room with him without completely losing it. Just like the night we’d met, Jackson had a way of sweeping me off my feet and making me forget about the world around me, and as I sat there looking at him from across the table, all I could think about was how it would feel to be in his arms again. I couldn’t help myself. Jackson was devastatingly handsome with his dark, shaggy hair, piercing dark eyes, and incredible body. But his looks were only a small part of why he was so alluring to me. It was his sexy little smirk, his boyish charm, and the mysterious biker guy side of him that I was so drawn to. All of that was hard enough to resist, but then he had to go and kiss me.
Nothing in this world compared to being in his arms and having him so close, so unbelievably close. Even though my heart told me he was the one, my mind wasn’t so sure. As I stood there kissing him, the doubts started to trickle in, and I found myself thinking about all the reasons why I should just walk away. His club. The video. The lighter. The heartbreak I’d felt when he didn’t call. And then the clincher of them. I thought about Tate, so innocent and sweet. He needed a mother who could keep a level head, and a father who he could trust. At the moment, he didn’t have either. I was too lost in my own feelings of longing and lust that I hadn’t thought about the consequences. It was all too much, and in a desperate attempt to break the spell he’d cast over me, I placed my hands on Jackson’s chest and gave him a hard shove. He quickly released me, and as he stepped back, he looked at me with utter confusion.
“I’m sorry, Jackson, but I just can’t.”
“Can’t what?”
“I can’t get involved with you.”
“And why not? We’ve got something here. You know we do,” he pushed.
The mere fact that he even asked angered me, and the words just rushed out of me. “Because you were right when you said you shouldn’t have let me leave that next morning. You were also right when you said you should’ve come after me, but you didn’t. You didn’t even have the decency to pick up the phone and call me, and you certainly never returned any of my calls. So, why on God’s green earth would I put myself through all that again?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What?” I scoffed. “You weren’t expecting me to call you out on your bullshit? Well, I just did. You hurt me. I’m not going to let that happen again.”
“I called you, Reece. Not the day after, or even the day after that, but I did call. I know I should’ve called sooner, but I did call. I left you messages, but I never heard back from you. I wanted to see you again, so after a couple of weeks, I went by your apartment, but your roommate said you had already left for Vanderbilt.”
He was telling the truth. I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, but something just wasn’t adding up. “That’s impossible. Danielle couldn’t have been at our apartment.”
“You’re gonna have to explain that one, because she was definitely there. When I told her I’d come looking for you, she sent me packing.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. She couldn’t afford the rent on her own, so she moved out the same day I did. We turned our keys in and broke our lease.”
“When was that?”
“I’m not exactly sure … It wasn’t long after we met, but it really doesn’t matter. There’s no way Danielle could’ve been there after I’d gone.”
“So, she lied to me?” Jackson asked.
“Yes, she lied. I knew she had a thing for you. She was always asking me these random questions about you. I’m actually surprised she didn’t ask you out or something.”
He cocked his eyebrow as he replied, “Well, now that you mention it.”
“And there it is! She was trying to hook up with you! God. How could I have been so stupid?”
With his eyes trained on mine, he took a step towards me and said, “Since we’re finally getting all this out, why don’t you tell me why you came here looking for me a few months ago?”
Even though I remembered that day quite well, I wasn’t ready to discuss the fact that I’d come there to tell him about Tate. I was already feeling overwhelmed by everything we’d talked about, so I lied. “I don’t know. I can’t really remember, so I guess it wasn’t all that important.”
“Um-hmm.” With his eyebrow cocked high, he crossed his arms and said, “So, you’re telling me, you came all the way out here, and you can’t remember why?”
Becoming defensive, I snapped, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Besides, if you were so worried about why I’d come, why didn’t you call and ask me?”
“It’s a long story,” he answered. “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The number you gave me was disconnected years ago.”
Damn. He was right. I’d given him the number to my home phone, which I had turned off when I moved out. There was no way he would’ve known how to reach me. I was such an idiot. For so long I’d thought he’d just blown me off, that the nights we’d shared together were nothing more than a silly fling, and now that I’d found out I might’ve been wrong, I didn’t know what to think. “So, we both tried to reach out to each other, but it didn’t work out. Maybe that’s a sign or something. Maybe we just weren’t meant to be.”
“Do you really believe that? ’Cause, I sure as hell don’t.” He snapped. “I may not know what it is, but I know we’ve got something here. I can feel it just standing here next to you, and when we kissed? Damn, woman. Never felt like that with anyone but you.”
“Jackson,” I whispered.
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
He was right. I could feel it too. I tried to deny it, but I couldn’t now even if I wanted to. “Yes, I feel it too.”
“If that’s true, give me a chance. Let me prove to you that we’re meant to be.”
Without thinking about the consequences, I answered, “Okay, prove it. But you should know … it won’t be easy.”
“Nothing worth having ever is.”
Jackson reached for my hand and led me down a long, narrow hall. I followed him into one of the rooms, and as soon as I saw all the computers, I knew it had to be his. Before I’d even had a chance to look around, he had me pinned against the wall, and every single nerve in my body came alive as I watched him slowly lower his
mouth to mine. Jackson’s lips were soft and warm, and I leaned right into him before I realized what I was doing. I couldn’t help myself. The man who’d haunted my dreams since the day we’d met kissed me long and hard, making me lose all my self-control. His arms wound around me, inching me even closer as his tongue found its way into my mouth. I was holding on by a thread, and just as I was becoming completely lost in his touch, he pulled back from our embrace and whispered, “I’ve made my mistakes, Reece, but if you give me a chance, I’ll make them up to you.”
“You’re not the only one who’d made mistakes, Jackson. I’ve made plenty.” I could feel my emotions building inside of me, and I had to fight back my tears as I said, “Actually, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Something that I should’ve told you a long time ago.”
“That can wait. Right now, I just want to put all that behind us, and just be in this moment with me. Can you do that?”
I knew that I should just tell him the truth, that keeping my secret was only going to make things harder, but I wanted that moment with him. I wanted to forget about the past and let my heart be my guide. With my voice trembling, I answered, “Yes. I can do that.”
My pulse started to race as he leaned towards me and pressed his lips against mine again. Jackson Reed owned a piece of my heart that no one else could have. Right or wrong, I wanted him, needed him, and I was willing to put everything on the line to be with him. He trailed kisses along my neck, sending chills throughout my entire body. I suddenly became nervous when he led me over to the bed. I hadn’t been with anyone since the weekend I’d spent with Jackson, and I’d had a child—his child. I was worried that he would notice the changes in my body and wouldn’t find me as appealing as he had once before. But when I looked up at him and saw the longing in his eyes, my doubts were quickly forgotten. The truth was, I wanted him just as much as he wanted me, if not more.
I let my fingers trail along the curves of his perfectly-defined chest and relished in the sensation of having him so close. I felt him smile against my mouth as I reached for the hem of his shirt and eased it up towards his chest. As my eyes slowly roamed over him, I quickly noticed how much his body had changed. It had only been a couple of years, but he’d become more muscular, broader, more like a man, and I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Without realizing that I was saying it out loud, I muttered, “Oh my.”
“You like what you see?” he asked with a mischievous smirk.
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Good, because I like what I see too.”
I was still gazing at his sculpted chest when I felt his hand inching its way down my stomach. He stopped at the buckle of my jeans, and in an instant, he had them unfastened and was slipping his hand down the waistband of my lace panties. As soon as his fingers drifted between my legs, my entire body shivered with anticipation. I gasped as the tips of his fingers grazed across my center with slow, methodical circles. Every single touch made me yearn for more. It felt so good, so right, to have his hands on me again, like they were made for my body and my body alone. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, relishing the sensation as he moved his fingers against me. As soon as I started to feel that familiar tingling in my abdomen, he eased my panties to the side and slid his fingers deep inside me. While gently caressing my g-spot, he began teasing my clit with the pad of his thumb, using just the right amount of pressure to make me come unglued. It felt incredible, better than I’d remembered, and after just a few moments, I felt my orgasm start to take hold. His fingers curled deep inside me, and when he increased the pressure on my clit, I was done. With a gratified moan, my head fell back, and my entire body started to tremble uncontrollably. My climax surged through me with a powerful force, causing me to mumble over and over, “Oh, dear God!”
I’d barely had a chance to catch my breath when he reached for the hem of my t-shirt and carefully pulled it over my head. Lust filled his eyes as they dropped to my chest, and I gasped when the palms of his hands inched up my waist to my ribs. His hands were rough and possessive, and I couldn’t imagine feeling more wanted. I’d often wondered what this moment would be like, to finally be in his arms again, but I never dreamed it would feel so good. His eyes grew intense as he released the clasp of my lace bra and let it drift down onto the floor, exposing my bare breasts. His hands slipped down to the waistband of my pants, and my entire body burned with desire as he slowly eased the fabric down my legs. A tortuous moan filled the room as I stood before him completely naked while he gazed down at me with hunger-filled eyes.
His raspy voice was filled with need. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”
Before I could respond, Jackson took a step forward and eased me on top of the bed then hovered above me. His mouth latched onto my nipple, and his tongue swirled playfully until he moved to give the other the same attention. A fervid moan echoed through the room as my back arched towards him. I closed my eyes, losing myself in the sensation of his touch. There was something about Jackson that made me forget about everything else. It was just him and me, and nothing else seemed to matter. A rush of pleasure surged throughout my body with every flick of his tongue. Unable to contain myself, I muttered his name, over and over again. “Jackson.”
Ever so slowly, he trailed a line of delicate kisses down my stomach, and my muscles tensed when I felt the heat of his breath against my sensitive flesh. My breath quickened as his fingers softly swept across my inner thighs, teasing me as they drifted closer. Overcome with desire, my hips bucked forward, urging him on, and a shock of bliss rushed through my body as the flat of his tongue brushed against me. As his warm, wet mouth clamped down around me, I was barely able to take a breath. I raked my nails across his back when he drove his fingers inside me, twisting and turning as he dragged them across my g-spot. Every move from his talented tongue and fingers brought me closer and closer to the edge, making my hips jerk forward as my body clenched tightly around his fingers.
“Oh, God,” I panted.
After a few more grazes of his tongue, I started to climax. My fingers tangled in his hair as I shamelessly held his head in place while he continued to tease me relentlessly, intensifying my orgasm. “Oh, my God. Jackson!”
I was still fighting to catch my breath when suddenly he stood up and lowered his pants to the floor. I watched as he took a condom from his back pocket. I could’ve told him that he didn’t need it, that I was on the pill, but after our last encounter, I didn’t want to take any chances. Even after he’d eased the condom down his long, hard shaft, he simply stood there staring at me as I writhed against the mattress. God, how I wanted him, all of him, and I didn’t want to wait a moment longer. My voice was filled with hunger as I pleaded, “I need you, Jackson.”
“No more than I need you.”
His eyes never left mine as he eased back onto the bed, and without hesitation, I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him to me. Jackson’s body felt so good against mine, and I gasped when his cock brushed against me. Every touch was like a spark igniting a flame, causing my entire body to burn for him, and relief washed over me as he slowly yet steadily eased inside me. I looked up at him, this man who held my heart in his hands, and I was suddenly overcome with emotion. I didn’t understand the feelings that I had for him. I knew they didn’t make sense, that it was too soon to know if I truly loved him, but I’d never felt anything so real. My entire body ached for him—heart and soul, and deep down I knew I wanted him, not just at this moment, but for always and forever.
With one swift thrust, Jackson slammed deep inside, giving me every inch of his rock-hard cock. He stilled for a moment, letting me adjust to his size before he started to move his hips again. I gasped when he shifted forward, finding that spot that made every nerve inside me tingle. He placed his hands on my hips then slowly began to move, as I moaned from the jolts of pleasure that shot through me.
Consumed with lust and emotion, I gazed up at him with my voice
trembling and whispered, “I’ve never wanted anyone so much.”
I leaned forward, pressing my lips against his, and Jackson’s hand instinctively reached towards the nape of my neck. He grasped at the hair that fell around one of my shoulders and held me in place as he deepened the kiss. We moved in rhythm; with each shift forward, I pushed against him as he thrust further inside me, and inhaled a deep breath when I felt the tremors of another impending orgasm. Placing my hands on his chest, I tried to steady myself as he drove into me again and again. Damn. Sex with Jackson was even better than I remembered.
CHAPTER 9
Riggs
Having Reece in my arms again was like coming home—nothing had ever felt so right. As I drove deeper inside her and claimed her in the most carnal way, a deep-seated growl vibrated through my chest as she tightened around me. Reece felt so fucking good, making it impossible not to get carried away. I ground my hips against her until I found a steady, demanding pace. Just as I was beginning to worry that it was too much, she lifted her hips and met my every thrust with an eager jolt as we moved together perfectly. When I felt her body tighten against mine, I quickly began slamming into her with even more force than before as her head arched back against the pillow and her nails dug into my lower back.
“Yes, Jackson! Don’t stop!” she moaned and writhed beneath me as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her.
“Dammit, Reece. You feel so good.” I groaned as I watched her come undone. The sound of my body pounding against hers echoed throughout the room, and when I felt my release building inside me, I gave her one final thrust and came deep inside her. After taking in a few deep breaths, I carefully pulled out and ditched the condom in the trash can next to the night table then lowered myself down onto the bed beside her. She curled up next to me, and when she placed her head on my chest, I could feel the rapid beat of her heart against my side. We lay there in silence for several minutes before I said, “That was …”