Grace had only been to his house once since Jack moved to town. Not expecting him to be so against to mating her, she’d shown up with a plate of raspberry muffins. The surprise visit had not gone well.
“You scared me while I was using a table saw,” Jack said reading her mind. “I would have yelled at anyone if they had scared me like that while I was working. It wasn’t because it was you.”
Grace snorted. “Well, whatever the reason, the thrashing you gave me certainly kept me from visiting you again. You made me drop my muffins. Those take forever to make.”
“Oh,” Jack chuckled, “I wouldn’t feel too bad about that. I still ate them all.”
“That’s disgusting,” Grace gagged. “They were covered in sawdust. I cannot believe you ate them.”
Jack only shrugged. “I work in a woodshop. Most of my food is covered in sawdust. Besides,” his eyes slide to the side in a look that Grace could swear was embarrassment, “I may have stolen an entire plate of clean ones at the Fourth of July barbeque.”
Grace reared up in his arms twisting to face him. “That was you?” She screamed slapping his arm. “I got in trouble because of you. Pearl Pierce thought I was lying when I said I brought my dessert to the potluck. She made snide comments all day.”
Jack unlocked his front door. “I would apologize but I don’t feel sorry. Those muffins were worth it.” He shut the door behind them as he flipped on the lights. “Let me get you comfortable and I’ll see what I can do about dinner.”
“Okay,” Grace suddenly felt uncertain. The brief playful interlude vanished as Jack flipped on the light. There were so many reasons she had to be apprehensive about Jack. The man ran her off his land the last time she visited him but now he wanted her at his house. The personality change almost gave her whiplash.
Jack carried her into a room filled with brown leather couches. The walls were painted a soft yellow. The colors gave the room a warm feeling.
That was the only warm thing about the room. It was devoid of photos, paintings, and decorations. There wasn’t a bookcase or cluttered tabletop. Only a big TV mounted on the wall. The house felt unlived in. Grace knew that wasn’t true. She could smell Jack all over the kitchen. He spent a lot of time in his house. He had never taken the time to decorate.
“Just like I promised an overstuffed leather chair.” Jack smiled as he set her onto a worn leather recliner. His scent was deeply entrenched in the leather. He bent over and popped the lever for the footrest. Then he grabbed a blanket from the back of the matching couch, throwing it over her body.
“I’m going to wash off all of this blood and put on clean clothes. I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.” He pointed at Grace, a serious expression on his face. “Do not walk around on that ankle. Call if you need something.”
Grace didn’t say anything; she just stared as Jack nodded before heading upstairs. The floor creaked marking Jack’s movement to the back of the house. She heard a door close. Her shoulders sagged. Frankly, Grace was glad to be left alone for a minute.
Things had gotten intense in her room earlier. Hell, things had been intense all day. Having Jack share his feelings was an experience she would never forget. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with the information either. It complicated a situation that for the last week had been black and white.
That pissed Grace off. Jack was up front when he turned her down behind the diner. He made painfully sure that she knew he wanted nothing to do with her. Then, all of a sudden, he starts making demands and trying to dictate her life? Unacceptable.
Grace was not an idiot. She knew Jack had blackmailed her into staying with him. If she had put up more of a fight she could have stayed with Anne or Betsy. But honestly? Something had changed out in those woods. She thought she saw a change in Jack too.
Alone, broken and ready to die, Jack saved her. At the time it felt like a miracle. It still felt like a miracle. When she needed help Jack was there. It was significant. And a part of her knew that Jack recognized the supernatural pull between them. Earlier, in her cabin Grace could feel his sincerity as he poured his heart out. She saw his fear and vulnerability and it had stopped her from making him take her to her friends’ houses.
In that instance she saw what Dane had been talking about. Grace and Jack weren’t done with each other. This time though Jack was the one pursuing the bond. It made Grace feel hopeful that a second chance wasn’t doomed to fail.
She still didn’t like his dominant bullshit. Grace could be to Jack’s feelings. That did not mean she wasn’t still pissed about the last week and the stunt he pulled earlier. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to go belly up and let him get his way.
“What is that scowl for?” Jack stood at the foot of the stairs looking impossibly boyish. His hair stuck out like he had run a towel through it but didn’t bother with a comb. His cheeks were flushed making him seem cherubic. It contrasted with the suspicious look he was giving her
“What? Not used to seeing me angry with you?”
Jack sat back on his heels leaning against the wall, his body relaxing. “No, I’m not. Do you want to tell me what you’re upset about or are you going to be passive aggressive all night?”
Grace gasped. “How dare you. You blackmailed me into staying at your house and then you act like I’m the one with the problem. You’re an asshole.”
“We’ve already established that I am an asshole, Grace.” He stepped away from the wall walking towards her casually. “I’m pretty sure I admitted to that hours ago.” He didn’t stop at the entrance to the living room. He kept forward at a pace that was deceptively calm until Jack sank into the loveseat across from her. His eyes lifted and the casual facade dropped. Jack’s face was intensely focused on her. His eyes actively searching her for any insight. “You and I know I blackmailed you into staying with me and I had some pretty flimsy excuses too, but you let me take you home. So don’t pretend to be upset with me after the fact. Tell me what’s really pissing you off you.”
Jack’s arrogant confidence was making her furious. His arms were resting on either side of the loveseat as he lounged back into the leather. He looked like he was just waiting for her to spill all of her secrets. Like it was only a matter of time.
“Oh I don’t know, Jack,” she bit caustically, “what do I have to be pissed about? The fact that my cabin is wrecked? Or maybe the fact that there’s a Pack of crazed rogues after me? Maybe the fact that my life is in shambles?” Grace’s voice rose with each statement becoming shrill. “Or maybe it's the fact that the man who hasn’t given me the time of day since he moved to this town, even though he’s my mate, suddenly can’t bear to have me leave his side!” Grace heaved, her breathing ragged as her ribs protested the yelling.
For an instant, one infuriating instant, Grace swore to God that a look of pure smug satisfaction crossed Jack’s face. Grace almost leap across the room and clawed his face off. But before she could do anything it was gone.
“There it is,” tension left Jack’s shoulders. The casual calm he’d been cultivating became real. “I thought it would take hours for you to bring this up.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Screw her broken ribs and ruined foot, Grace was going to kill Jack.
“You and I have a lot of things to work through, Grace. “Jack sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair. In the soft light Grace suddenly noticed the heavy bags under his eyes. He brought his hands to his lap not meeting her eyes anymore. “A single apology is not going to erase a year of willful ignorance. It’s going to take a lot of time and frankly,” he looked up his eyes burning with earnest yearning, “I want to start fixing things as soon as possible.”
The anger left Grace as she met Jack’s eyes. “I’m not sure if there is anything to fix, Jack. It’s not like you and I have a relationship. Unless you count having a stalker as having a relationship.” Grace laughed weakly at her attempt to cut the tension.
One side of Ja
ck’s mouth twisted up. “I did think about filing a restraining order with the sheriff but considering Cal is the sheriff and Patrick and Henry are his deputies, I thought it might be worthless.”
Oh, that would have gone over well. The Robbins brothers were nothing if not loyal. They would have filed the restraining order, not said anything to Grace, and then would start making Jack’s life hell. “You probably saved yourself from being cited for every violation the boys could think up.”
“Grace,” her name sounded like a plea. With that one word he was asking her to stop stalling and to give him an honest chance. She nodded letting him that she was ready to talk seriously.
Jack took a deep breath. “My parents hated each other. Neither of them were particularly good people and when they got together, things got worse. Any other person with half a brain would have broken things off but my parents were terminally stubborn. Mates stayed together.”
The words were too clinical for the pain in Jack’s eyes. He was only skimming the surface of what must have been a terrible childhood. Grace couldn’t help aching when she saw his pain. He must have seen the sympathy she was feeling because Jack shrugged her off.
“It is what it is.” Jack stated with a finality that said the topic was closed for discussion. I ran away at sixteen. I wandered around until I was eighteen and a kind man took me in. I learned that their relationship wasn’t right from him.
“He was kind. He was honest and he was tough. He gave me stability for the first time in my life. He also showed me that I could be more than I was. I love him.” Jack’s fist clenched. “He left me behind when he met his mate. He didn’t say goodbye, he just never came home.”
Jack shook his head as if shaking off the hurt. He leaned against his knees. “I’m trying to show you that my experiences with mates aren’t good. In my life, mates lead to chaos and abandonment and when I met you I freaked.”
“What changed?” The question had been echoing in Grace’s mind for days. She was desperate to know why Jack suddenly wanted to be in her life but the words were soft, belying her need to know.
“Honestly? Saying no.” Grace watched his hands clench like he was stopping himself from reaching out. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” He confessed. “I can’t stop thinking that I never gave you a chance. I don’t even know you and I think if I missed my opportunity to have you in my life I would carry that pain for the rest of my existence.”
He sounded gutted. His face might be impassive but Grace could see down to his soul. He was pleading with her to believe him. To give him a chance. To forgive.
There was too much riding on a whim though. She wanted to say yes more than she’d ever wanted anything in her whole life.
Unable to say no, Grace threw him a line. “The first thing you need to know about me is that I love food.”
Jack laughed softly. “That is something we have in common.” He slapped his palms down on his thighs. “I will get started on dinner while you tell me about growing up in Black Bird.”
Jack pulled food out of his fridge and started chopping vegetables while the stove heated. From where she sat Grace could see him opening cabinets. He looked like he knew what he was doing in the kitchen. He poured Grace a glass of wine while the food was cooking.
They talked about their hometowns. Jack was more of an introvert growing up then Grace would have guessed. She told him about the time she, Anne, and Betsy burned down a shed on accident when they tried to burn some of Cory Tate’s clothes after he took Becky Johnson home from the Junior Prom.
It was nice. Jack was funny and engaging. Grace enjoyed spending time with him. It was exactly the way Grace had imagined they would get to know each other when she daydreamed.
“Oh,” Grace moaned rubbing her stomach, “that was amazing. Don’t tell Betsy but this is way better than her chicken parm.”
Jack stood up grabbing Grace’s plate from her lap. Instead of making her move to the kitchen table, Jack had insisted they eat on the couches.
“And get banned from the only place that serves steak in the county? Hell, no. Besides, it’s the only thing that I can make.”
Grace laughed. “Then we are screwed because I only know how to make spaghetti. We’ll have to take a class or something.” The instant it left her mouth Grace realized she’d just made it sound like they were a couple.
“Yeah, that would be fun.” Jack replied nonchalantly, not missing a beat. Grace sighed. She was glad he hadn’t made a big deal about it.
Not two hours into their truce and Grace was already attached. She was pathetic. Her wolf didn’t care. She was beyond happy that Jack was taking care of her.
Grace yawned.
“You’re exhausted,” Jack put down the dish he’d been cleaning. “Let me get you upstairs to a bed.”
“I thought we already decided that I was sleeping on the recliner. It's the only reason I agreed to stay at your house,” she teased.
Grace pulled a hair tie from her wrist. Dr. Jensen said no showers but her hair would annoy her all night if it was in her face and dirty. She raised her arms to pull it into a bun but hissed as her ribs pulled. They hurt like a bitch.
“Let me do that for you.” Jack took the hair tie from her hand.
“Have you ever done this before?” Grace eyed him as he moved behind the recliner.
“No, but it’s not a life or death procedure. If I do a terrible job then you can complain about it all night. I won’t even pretend to be offended.”
Grace became hyper aware of Jack as he moved out of her sight and behind her. The silence increased her anticipation. It felt like an intimate act.
Grace jumped when his hands brushed her hair. His fingers worked through tangles causing his nails to scratch her scalp. Grace shivered. Heat ignited in her core. Her eyes shuttered closed, lost to the feeling of Jack pulling on her hair.
She wasn’t the only one affected. Jack’s breath came in ragged bellows. The tie forgotten, Jack fisted her hair crushing the strands between his fingers. Grace moaned.
Her eyes snapped open. She sat up untangling Jack’s fingers. “Well,” she cleared her voice, cheeks heating. “I’ll just call it a night if that’s okay with you?”
She felt more than saw Jack come around the side of the chair. God, she was embarrassed.
“Grace,” Jack commanded. She refused to look up. “Grace.” He put a finger under her chin forcing her to meet his gaze. The blue of his eyes was nearly impossible to see, eaten by the black of his pupils. There was a brutal desire behind them that made the air in her lungs hitch. “I want you.” The words scraped Grace’s senses sending shivers through her body.
She opened her mouth to give him any reason why this was a bad idea. Jack’s hand shot forward grabbing her wrist. “Feel what you do to me.”
Jack drew her hand to the front of his jeans. Grace’s eyes followed her hand, unable to look away. The bulge in the front of his pants made Grace gasp. He was huge. Her finger stretched out to draw a nail down the length of Jack’s sheathed cock.
He growled. The sound had her hand pressing harder into the hard length. It jumped to meet her explorations.
He smelled sweet but under it was an earthy scent that hand Grace’s fangs lengthening. He thrust his hips forward demanding more contact.
Her hands went to Jack’s zipper. Each hiss of the metal echoed in the silence, ratcheting the desire pooling between her legs.
Jack’s cock bounced free. Grace purred. It was impressive.
The length was smooth. A thick ridge ran along the underside. The head was thick, the angry red making her mouth water. It leapt under her avid attention.
She grasped it around the base. Fisting it, her fingers barely touched. He burned her hand with his heat.
Tempted beyond control, Grace pumped his length. Jack’s crushed velvet skin slide against her palm as she worked her fingers from base to tip. A clear bead of precum leaked out of the swollen head. Grace leaned forward licking the we
tness.
“Mmm,” she hummed.
Rough hands wrapped around her shoulders. Grace looked up Jack’s body. He seemed larger. His shoulders strained his shirt. The muscles along his biceps flexed and relaxed. His chest rose and fell in deep bellows. He looked ready to eat her. It stole Grace’s breath.
His hands pressed Grace into the chair forcing her back. In one fluid motion he knelt between her legs. Jack hooked his fingers into the waistband of her sweats. The fabric scrapped deliciously as it traveled down her legs. Jack tossed the pants somewhere behind him. Neither of them was paying attention to where they went. Jack stared at the cotton covered vee between her legs and Grace watched Jack.
He inhaled, closing his eyes, savoring the scent. “You smell so fucking wet.” His eyes popped open flashing yellow. “Are you wet for me, Gracie?”
Caught in the spell his voice wove Grace nodded.
Jack shook his head. “That’s not how this works, Gracie. I need to hear it.”
“Y-yes, I’m...wet for you.” Heat flushed her cheeks.
Jack reached out pressing a finger into the tip of her vee teasing her clit. Grace shot off the chair, hips rocking forward needing more friction. “Good girl,” Jack’s voice rasped from the middle of his chest. “I’m going to drive you wild. I want you to come on my fingers, against my tongue, around my cock.” He gave her a wolfish smile. “You want that, baby?”
Jack’s finger circles her clit. Grace could barely think. Her body needed more. “Yes, please.” She didn’t care that it came out as a whine. Grace needed Jack to keep doing what he was doing.
He chuckled. Jack kissed the inside of her knee making Grace shudder. At the rasp of his tongue, Grace shrieked. Jack licked a trail up her thigh taking time to nibble and kiss the areas that sent shocks up Grace’s body.
All the while, Jack teased and rubbed her swollen flesh. Grace could feel her panties getting wetter at each press of his thumb. Her body writhed against the chair. She was so close to coming that all it would take was one flick and she would explode.
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