Chapter 18

Emma

I’d listened carefully to his story, the evidence of his pain causing an answering hurt inside me. Jack had put his life into protecting people, only to find out that he couldn’t save them all. It was a huge burden to carry around, and it went a long way towards explaining his behavior.

He turned away, suggesting I leave. But I couldn’t, not now. “You did keep me safe,” I insisted, following him and pulling on his arm until he turned back to face me. “You beat back three men with guns who could have killed you and me.”

Jack stared down at me, indecision on his face. “It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. I shouldn’t have let you get involved.”

I frowned. “I understand wanting to keep me safe. My father and brother have pulled this crap all my life. I made the choice to get involved, and you couldn’t have stopped me if you wanted to. It was my fault the men showed up. I’m the one that put us both in danger.”

She regretted it now, playing detective as he’d said before. She would have never wanted any harm to come to Jack, and clearly the events of yesterday had dredged up memories he was working hard to forget. “I’m sorry. I should have been more careful, should have listened to you.”

He nodded, then grabbed her arms. “Yes. I couldn’t bear to see you hurt. I don’t think I could survive it.”

His words shot through me like an electric shock. “I’m fine,” I whispered. “I’m not hurt.”

His finger traced the bruises on my throat as if to call me a liar. I brushed his hand away. “Just a couple of bruises,” I said. “No lasting damage.”

His eyes were full of an emotion I couldn’t name. I could see the doubt on his face, and could only try to reassure him.

“You can’t protect me from everyone, Jack.”

Suddenly I was pulled tight into his arms. “You’re wrong.” His voice was hoarse, and it sent a shiver through me. “I can protect you from everyone. Everyone but myself.”

His lips hit mine and it was like an explosion of passion. I was instantly overwhelmed. His kiss was more powerful than anything I’d experienced, and my knees gave out. Jack caught me, holding me close against his hard body.

When I finally came up for air, I responded. “I don’t want to be protected from you,” I breathed. “You’re everything I’ve always wanted.”

He groaned in response, swinging me up into his arms and carrying me out of the living room. Setting me back on my feet in the bedroom, he went to his knees on the mattress settled on the floor and pulled me down beside him.

Enfolding me in his strong arms, he kissed my neck. “Oh, Emma,” he whispered. “What did I do to deserve you?”

I smiled, but before I could reply, he’d captured my lips again. The kiss was barely on this side of savage, and I responded, unable to help myself. My hands clutched his broad shoulders, my nails digging into his back.

He covered me with his body and I wrapped my legs around him, trying to get closer. He growled, annoyed at the clothes that were keeping us apart. I pulled the shirt over his head, and he returned the favor, then barely managed to get my bra off before he ripped it to shreds.

Our pants followed, and soon we were blessedly naked with each other. The look in his eye sent shivers through me. I’d never been this desired, never been on the verge of being consumed.

I wanted him to take me, to take all of me, and to give me all of himself.

I licked his lips and it made him grin, then his mouth descended on mine. When he’d kissed me breathless, he worked his way down, stopping to torture my breasts with his divine mouth. I was soon mewling beneath him, begging him to give me more.

His smile was wicked and I felt a rush of moisture to my core. While he sucked a nipple, his hand crept lower until I felt a finger tracing my slit. It slid inside and I let out a sigh of pure joy and relief.

But that finger only served to tease me more. It was joined by another that moved deep inside me until I was crying out for release. When his fingers found my clit, I started to shake, knowing I was already on the verge.

He swallowed my moan and kissed me, his tongue probing my mouth, licking and teasing me until I bit his bottom lip in frustration.

Jack laughed, then went back to kissing my body, moving lower, exploring my curves until his mouth was inches from my aching core. He blew a breath against me, then held me open to his gaze.

“You’re so perfect,” he breathed, and I felt as if I were glowing beneath him. Then his mouth descended to lick me there and my eyes rolled back in my head.

“Yes,” I cried, pushing up to meet him. He tasted me, letting me know how delicious he found me, then proceeded to tease me until I was almost in tears.

His mouth around my sensitive nub, he sucked until I was bucking off the bed. He buried two fingers deep inside me and began moving them in time to his sucking, until I was about to pass out from pleasure.

Then his tongue started circling the nub and his fingers picked up their pace. In seconds, I was exploding into his mouth, almost screaming from the power of my climax. He encouraged me, holding tight to my hips, licking up every drop of my sweetness.

Then his body covered me and his lips were on mine. I could taste myself there and it turned me on in a way I’d never experienced. I clutched him like he was a life raft and I was adrift on the stormy seas of ecstasy.

I could feel him rubbing his swollen shaft against my core and I opened to him, wanting nothing more than for him to bury himself deep inside me. He soon obliged, and we both let out simultaneous moans of relief. He was so large, I could feel him throbbing, and I couldn’t help myself. I squeezed my inner muscles, causing him to let out a groan and bite his lip.

He was so handsome, so strong. So goddamn sexy. I wanted every bit of him. His body. His soul. His heart.

Jack moved slowly at first, pressing into me and pulling almost all the way back out, before driving back in to the hilt. His motions were driving me crazy, forcing me to pull him in tighter and trying to force his movement with my own hip gyrations.

He let out a chuckle. “Be patient, little girl,” he growled, nipping at my neck. “I want to savor you.”

“Savor me quickly,” I replied, causing him to laugh again. No matter how hard I tried to get him to increase the pace, he held steady, slowly pushing all the way in, then back out, then in again, until my head was thrashing against the pillow.

I was going to lose my mind if he didn’t stop teasing me. I pulled his head in close and bit his neck. Then I breathed into his ear, telling him exactly what I wanted from him.

“Take me,” I whispered. “Claim me, make me yours. Bury yourself deep inside me and don’t stop until we both die from pleasure.”

He pulled back, the look in his eyes was fierce. I could tell my words had done their damage. He thrust in, hard, and then again, faster. “You little temptress,” he growled. “I can’t resist you, no matter how hard I try.”

I smiled, pulling his head down and pressing my lips to his. It was my turn to tease him, and as I licked his lips and pushed my tongue between them, I could feel him start to lose it. His strokes became wild, urgent, and I reveled in the power I had over him.

Then, as he plunged in faster, I realized he had the same power over me. I lost myself in the moment, loving the feel of him above me, inside me, a part of me. I never wanted it to end, this joining between us.

I could feel myself getting close again, but I held on, wanting to climax with him this time. I clutched him, biting his shoulder as he thrust into me over and over again. He groaned, then redoubled his efforts, my own passion pushing his to even higher heights.

I needed to come with him, or I was going to expire from the decadence of our joining. My entire being was focused on reaching my peak with Jack. The man I loved.