Chapter 10

Emma

My heart was hitting my ribcage so hard, I figured I’d have a bruise on my chest come morning. I’d already bitten my nails down to the quick. I couldn’t believe how close I’d come to being caught. If Jack hadn’t been there...

He’s going to kick my ass. There was no doubt in my mind. I’d seen the storm clouds on his face when he’d caught me crouching in that closet. I was glad that Matt and Dad were already gone. I’d told them that I wanted to close the office early so I could go help out at the local veterinary clinic. I volunteered there sometimes, so it wasn’t too surprising, and Dad had been happy to oblige me.

The lie had enabled me to sneak to Jansen’s hotel and rifle through his belongings. Sadly, I hadn’t gotten very far by the time they showed up. Which meant I hadn’t found the envelope containing the photos. And then I’d almost gotten caught. Not the best day of my life.

I was pacing, unable to relax. I knew Jack would be on his way back to the office. And when he got here, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

The office door banged open and I looked up, biting my lip. If I’d thought he’d been upset before, I wasn’t at all prepared for the fury on his face now.

Jack lunged forward, grabbing my arms. “What in the fuck did you think you were doing?”

“My civic duty.”

His eyes narrowed, and his hands tightened on my arms. “Knock it off, Emma.”

“If the councilman is mixed up in something illicit, we have a duty to investigate it.” I spoke calmly, hoping it would diffuse his anger. “I thought I had time to get in and get out. I used the extra key provided for security detail, and since we control the camera feed, there was minimal risk.”

“That’s bullshit,” he growled. “You aren’t putting yourself in danger for the good of the community, on the thinnest shred of evidence. You’re playing spy to please yourself.”

I frowned up at him. “I will admit, I get tired of being cooped up in his office all day while the guys get to have all the fun. My dad and my brother handle me with kid gloves. Until you showed up, no one let me in on anything at all.”

“They are protecting you.” His voice was low, insistent. “Keeping you safe from the bad shit that’s out there. Because, believe me, there’s some really bad shit in the world.”

I blinked up at him, noting the shadow that crossed his face. “I don’t want to be so protected that nothing exciting ever happens.”
“Exciting?” A black expression took up residence on his face and I knew I’d said something wrong. “You’re worried about excitement when you could have gotten yourself hurt, or worse? I was never so worried in my goddamn life as when I saw you hiding in that closet. You have no right to put yourself in danger. Your dad and your brother have the right of it. You need to be protected. Even from yourself.”

I could feel his hands shaking as they gripped my arms. He was genuinely upset, and not just because I’d almost gotten caught. The look in his eyes was suddenly more dangerous than hiding out in Jansen’s hotel room closet.

Without warning, Jack pulled me into his arms, his lips descending to crash into mine. I was caught off guard by his kiss. It was more powerful than the one we’d shared before. Like electricity from a live wire arcing between us. He devoured my mouth, which only left me begging for more.

I melted into the kiss, giving him anything he wanted. Jack was like a force of nature, and my body was responding without conscious control. Anything he wanted to take, I wanted to give him.

Jack pulled me into the conference room and lifted me up to set me on the table. He pushed open my thighs and positioned himself between him, putting his hands on either side of my face and returning his lips to mine. I couldn’t catch my breath, drowning under the assault of his passion.

Then his hands were on my blouse, pulling it up over my head. I was happy to see it go, wanting my skin to be pressed against his. I shoved his jacket off, then started yanking at the buttons on his shirt. He helped, his hands still shaking, although this time with a different emotion.

Sliding my hands under his undershirt, I was amazed at the heat I found there. His skin was on fire, and I wanted to be closer to the flames. Jack yanked his shirt off and I eagerly pressed myself against him, marveling in the hard feel of his chest against mine.

His head lowered and he pressed a kiss to my shoulder, then worked his way over to my neck. His lips there were soft but searching, and when he reached my ear, the sensation of his hot breath there was driving my senses into overload.

Jack’s hands were on my thighs, pushing my skirt up and pulling me forward so that our lower regions came in contact. I removed my bra, baring myself to him, and his eyes lit up, causing a warmth to spread through my midsection. I could see that he wanted me. I wanted him just as bad.

Maybe worse.

I pulled his head over to my lips and kissed him again, wishing we could always be connected this way. I’d never experienced a kiss like this, full of longing and anticipation. My hips started moving involuntarily, rubbing against the hardness I could feel behind his slacks.

Jack groaned, then moved to undo his pants. Sliding them to the floor along with his boxer briefs, he at last stood fully nude before me.

His body was sexier than any of the Greek gods I’d seen in marble. He was the real thing, living flesh, toned muscles, warmth and strength and desire all melded into a remarkable package. Jack was the ultimate fantasy, and I was finally going to experience the reality.

His tongue licked at my lips and my head fell back, a moan escaping. I could feel a wetness soaking into my panties, panties that suddenly felt confining. Especially when his fingers brushed along my slit through them.

I moved to follow his questing fingers, but he gave a dark chuckle, finding ways to frustrate me. When he finally pushed a finger beneath the material to touch me, I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying out.

Jack pressed a finger into my core and I could feel the muscles stretching around it. Although I’d been with a couple of guys, I was relatively inexperienced with sex. My father and brother had managed to scare off most guys who’d expressed an interest in me, often before we’d reached the sexual stage in our relationship.

I prayed Jack didn’t scare easy, because this was already the most sensual experience of my life, and I knew I’d want to do it over and over again.

Removing his finger, Jack gripped my hips and pulled me forward to grind his caged cock against my panties. “Please,” I couldn’t help saying. There were still too many layers of clothing between us.

“Please?” His tone was teasing, and in that moment, I hated him as much as I desired him. Must he tease me? Why couldn’t he just give me what I craved?

“Please,” was all I could say in reply, half out of my mind with lust but unable to form the words to ask for what I wanted.

“Shhh,” he whispered, placing a finger against my lip. It was the finger that had been inside me. As I met his gaze, my tongue peeked out of my mouth and licked him.

His eyes widened, going dark, and I knew then that he wouldn’t be able to hold back for long. He wanted me as much as I wanted him.

A few more twitches of my hips elicited a frustrated growl from him. “Time to give you what you’re asking for,” he said against my ear. Then he pulled aside my panties and slowly, ever so slowly, slid his hard cock inside me.

It was massive, and Jack was forced to go slow. But when he finally was buried to the hilt, I let out a sigh of satisfaction. He felt so good inside me, like no one had before. As he held there, he kissed my face, then my neck and lower, beginning to lick at my breasts.

I could feel him throbbing inside me, and felt an answering throb in my nipples as he began to tease them with his tongue and teeth. It wasn’t long before I was panting, trying to move my hips to get more blessed friction.

Jack smiled down at me and then pulled out, only to thrust back in. I moaned, unable to help myself, and when he did it again, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.