I made it back to Zeke’s no problem. I let myself into the empty house, knowing I might be alone but I was not unguarded. The two Reapers who’d driven me home would stay out front making sure I was safe.

But I wouldn’t truly feel safe again until Jax came back. I still felt drunk off him, could still taste him on my tongue, feel the way he’d made me cum so hard. I took a long shower, savoring the heat, touching myself under the flow of the water. I didn’t make myself orgasm again, though. That I wanted to save for him, show him what he did to me.

No one had ever rocked my world like that. No one had even come close. Just his hands on me as we stood talking to other people had made my entire body tingle. Maybe it was all the buildup, months and months of aching. But that could go either way. I’d had a crush on a boy in high school for a long time. Then, the night we’d finally kissed, he’d licked my face like a sloppy dog. Too much anticipation could simply lead to a huge let-down.

That hadn’t happened with Jax. The feel of his large, rough hands on my skin, it sent shivers through me just remembering the heat of his touch. Under the table, the way he’d reached under my skirt, how he’d talked to me. I was usually so shy about public displays of affection, could never forget that someone might be watching. It usually dampened any possibility of arousal, but with Jax? He’d turned it into something edgy, made me feel so naughty. When he’d coaxed me, telling him to cum just for him, I think I might have orgasmed just from the suggestion. He was so masterful, the way he stroked me, played with me.

I ran the warm spray of the shower over my breasts, my nipples still stiff. He’d gotten me so worked up. I couldn’t believe I’d gone down on him, right in the back room of the club. I’d never been so forward, so bold. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the moment, knowing we might not have too many other chances together.

I knew we were playing with fire. We had been all along, our attraction pulling us together even when so much should have kept us apart. Now, we were making a deal with the devil, shaking hands with the Iron Reapers to do away with a Sacrificial Skull.

And not just any Skull. My husband. We were still married. I’d taken off the ring, but that didn’t change our status. And there I was, handing him over, probably about to play an active role in arranging his death.

That probably made me a bad person. But I couldn’t see any other way. And he’d certainly left a trail of destruction in his wake. It wasn’t just me he’d hurt. He’d killed a dog? Scooped out some guy’s eye with a spoon? What the hell? He was deranged. Maybe he’d gotten worse over the years I’d known him. I could tell myself that.

I shut off the shower and toweled off, blow-drying my hair so I wouldn’t go to bed with it wet. And I hoped Jax might come home before I slipped into the sheets. That way we could do it together.

But he didn’t get home. I got into bed by myself, turned out the light and breathed in the scent of him from the T-shirt of his I wore. I touched myself some more, still slick and aroused from our night. He’d tasted so good, felt so amazing in my mouth, down my throat. I’d never enjoyed giving a blow job before, but with Jax I’d craved doing it.

Down on my knees between his legs, watching his face overwhelmed with lust, hearing him groan as my tongue swirled over his head, I’d gotten close to cumming myself. I wanted to do it again to him, and again, playing with different rhythms, strokes, watching his every reaction, figuring out everything about him to give him the greatest pleasure.

When I woke up in the morning, he was passed out on the couch, still in his clothes. I thought about waking him up, and all the ways I could do it. He looked so gorgeous, such a blend of tough and tender as he lay there in his badass, muscled six-foot-three body sound asleep.

But, I suddenly felt shy. What we’d done last night, it had been crazy, wild. Forced into playing roles, we’d both gotten caught up in the heat of the moment. The adrenaline, the danger, we’d gotten carried away and maybe that was all it meant to him. Maybe I was the one attaching so much to it, feeling like my heart now beat solely for him.

I pulled on my jeans and headed to the bathroom to wash up. In the kitchen, I made some coffee and ate some cereal by myself. I bet Zeke and Jax had stayed out really late. On the counter, I noticed a phone. Underneath it, on a piece of paper someone had written “Sky”. It was probably the phone Jax had said he’d get for me, the one that couldn’t be traced. I’d wait until he woke up to ask him for sure. The last thing I wanted to do was lead anyone to us.

At last, around noon, Jax made it out of the bedroom. I brewed a fresh pot of coffee, the one I’d made a couple hours earlier long gone. We didn’t have much food in the house, but I made him some toast and buttered it.

“Thanks, Sky.” He drank a few big glasses of water and downed the toast and coffee.

“How’re you feeling?” I asked, still feeling somewhat shy. Last night I’d taken his cock into my mouth and eagerly drank down his cum. Standing there in broad daylight, that now seemed slightly embarrassing.

He nodded. “It was a late one. But I’m good. Let me fill you in on everything.” Heading back down the hallway, he beckoned me onto the couch in the spare bedroom. “Come here.” He patted the cushion next to him.

I sat and he put his arm around me. “How’re you feeling?” He kissed my hair, my forehead, and it felt so good to be in his arms. But there was still a lot left unsaid.

“I’m all right. I was worried about you, out with those guys.”

“Aw, Sky, I can handle myself.”

“I know that.” I blushed. I was more than sure he could handle himself in all kinds of situations. “I just meant—”

“It’s nice to have you worrying about me.” He rubbed my shoulder and I instantly felt better. Then he stopped his hand, drawing it back to rub his head like he did when he had something he was mulling over. His voice grew businesslike when he spoke next. “OK, I need to tell you everything. They want to use you as bait.”

“Bait?” That sped my heartrate up to about a thousand beats per minute.

“Bait.” He exhaled. “I tried to talk them out of it. But I see what they’re thinking. Even if I don’t like it.”

“Bait,” I repeated, trying not to sound panicked. The image I pictured, of a wriggling worm pierced by a sharp hook, didn’t calm me down.

“You got to know, I will be by your side every second.” He turned and looked at me, piercing me with his dark, intense gaze. It made me relax, if only the slightest bit. “See, Griller’s got to see you and not realize it’s a set up. You’ve got to go someplace where he’ll see you and follow you. He’ll think he’s onto you, like he’s tailing you, trapping you. Then you can lead him right to the Reapers.”

I was sure my face had gone ashen pale. “There’s no other way?”

“We went over all kinds of ideas last night. We could send him a message, tell him if he wants you, he should head here, that kind of thing. But with any kind of warning, he’ll bring back up. It’ll be a Skulls/Reapers shoot out. We need him alone.” I nodded. That much I understood.

“We could set him up to see me,” Jax continued. “Maybe let him think he’s caught me getting into a car. But there’s still a good chance he’ll be suspicious, wary it’s a trap. He knows I’m friends with Zeke.”

“He’ll call for back up.” I saw it as he explained it. “But he won’t necessarily do that with me.” I could follow his line of reasoning before he even said it. “He’ll be so angry when he sees me he’ll be like a bull seeing red. He’ll just want to murder me.”

“But I won’t let that happen,” Jax reassured me, rubbing my back.

“Plus, he thinks I’m stupid.”

“Not sure I’d put it that way.” But he didn’t contradict me.

“It’s true. He doesn’t think much of me. He never has. Might as well use that to our advantage.” I shifted on the couch, a plan materializing in my head. “If we can set it up so he sees me getting into a car, he’ll tear after me and just want to get it done.” I could picture the look in his eyes when he’d strangled me, cold and furious all at once. We could use that to our advantage, his insane urge to kill. He wouldn’t be rational at all if he saw me.

“Yeah, I don’t like it.” Jax shook his head, “but I have to agree. He’ll fall for it, if he sees you.” He reached up and stroked my hair, so much comfort and assurance in just one touch. “If we do it this way—and I’m not saying we definitely are—can you think of anywhere he could spot you? Where you know we’d run into him but he wouldn’t suspect it was a set up?”

“Yup.” I replied instantly, knowing exactly where we could find him. “Outside his girlfriend’s apartment downtown. I know where she lives. I’ve seen him heading upstairs with her. But he doesn’t know that, so he won’t suspect a thing.”

“That’s perfect,” Jax agreed, then added, “You’ve seen him with her?”

“Have you?” Something in the way he said it tipped me off that he had.

“Yeah. They’d come into the bar together.”

I exhaled, remembering how trapped and miserable I’d been for such a long, long time. But that time was over. “I guess I knew for a while he was with someone else. But then, yeah, I saw them together.”

“It’s been hard for me not to punch the man every time I saw him walk into my bar,” Jax admitted, cracking his knuckles. “Anyway, it not my bar anymore. I’m glad I cashed out of that place.”

“You cashed out? Of Ace Bar?” That was the first I’d heard of it.

“Yeah, I haven’t told you?” I shook my head no. “I guess we’ve had a lot going on.” He laughed briefly at his understatement. “Yeah, I cashed out of my partnership with Tommy, about three weeks ago. I’ve got my house on the market, too.”

“You do?” I didn’t know what to make of it. “But, why? Where are you planning on heading?”

“Haven’t got that all figured out yet. I guess now that’s a good thing. All I knew was it was time for a fresh start.”

“Yeah, I’ve been feeling the same way.”

He looked down at me, his fingers playing with my hair, his body heat radiating into mine where we touched, our arms and thighs brushing against each other. He made me feel so feminine, and such a perfect fit with him. Just sitting next to his muscular thighs made me want to twist, wrap my legs around his, straddle him and kiss and rock against him.

“We should probably head back up to Cavallo.” His voice sounded thick and deep when he spoke. “Stay at a hotel tonight.”

“Cavallo?” My heart started beating, anxiety flooding me.

“That’s where this has to go down. And we tore off in the middle of the night. I need to get back to my place and grab a few more things. I can have the rest of it packed up. You probably want some things, too. I like what you were wearing last night, but that might be hard to pull off every day.”

I blushed, remembering how very little I’d worn last night, and what he’d taken off me. Did he still have my panties?

“Yeah, clothes would be nice. And I’d love some of my photos and baking dishes, but really?” I’d honestly figured I’d have to kiss all that goodbye. My need to get away from Mike outstripped my desire for my possessions. “Don’t you think that’s taking a crazy risk?

“Not if we do it right. We have to start tailing Griller, shadow his movement, figure out when and exactly where we can get him to see you. I know a guy we can send into your apartment. If you get him a list of stuff you want, he’ll slip in, grab it all, get out in ten minutes.”

“Sounds like quite a guy.”

“I’ve never said I’m a saint, Sky. You’re the one who told me I was a good man. I never claimed to be.”

I remembered every moment of that conversation we’d had in the supply room. Did he? “Do you mean, when we—”

“Yes, when we were folding sheets. And I almost kissed you.”

“You did?” I blushed, knowing last night we’d done so much more but still, to hear his admitting his attraction had gone back that long. I knew mine had started way before then.

“I’ve had it bad for you for a long time, now, Sky. I know things heated up between us last night at the club. And maybe you were just getting into it, playing the part—”

“Jax.” I interrupted him, shaking my head. “Could you really think that? As if all this time I’ve been indifferent to you? And then I just got carried away?”

“It’s hard to think straight around you, Sky. Not much has made sense about the way I feel about you, not from the start.”

I inched closer, needing to tell him. “I used to look forward to Monday when I’d see you. It was my favorite day of the week, knowing you’d come into see Ace.”

“I started coming in more than that,” he recalled. “It was hard to stay away from you.”

“I thought about you all the time. Your texts made me so freaking happy. It was ridiculous.”

“I tried not to.” He reached out, stroking my hair, holding it between his fingers. “I tried to stay away, do the right thing.” I didn’t realize I was crying until he brushed the tear from my cheek. “Hey, don’t cry.” He tipped my chin up, looking into my eyes.

“I just…” I swallowed, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. I’d fought against loving him so much. I almost couldn’t wrap my mind around letting it go. Almost. But I got there. Sliding my arms around him, I leaned up to kiss.

We sank into each other and Jax brought me onto his lap, against his chest. I kissed him with everything I’d felt for so long, kissed him like I never wanted to stop. I reached down along his arms, feeling the strength in him, more than just muscle. He was a strong person, caring for and protecting me.

I wanted his shirt off. I’d seen his back in the shower that night, but I had yet to get to touch his bare chest. I wanted to lick every one of his tattoos, kiss my way down every line.

“Hey, you two love birds.” A knock at the door sounded along with Zeke’s voice.

“Fuck,” Jax groaned, leaning back. “I forgot. We’ve got someone coming by. They’ve got a car for us. Want to talk through the plans.”

Reluctantly, we pulled apart and headed out to the front of the house. I let Jax do most of the talking. I knew I was a key part of the plan, the lynchpin, the bait, but the Reaper guys honestly gave me the creeps. I didn’t like how they looked at me, or how twitchy one of them seemed, a guy named Cotton.

But it didn’t take long. And they loaned us an SUV, black with tinted windows. For spying, I realized. We’d stakeout Mike in that car, watching his moves, plotting to lure him into a trap. Good thing I didn’t have much time to think or I might have gotten nervous. We packed up, a process that took me all of ten seconds, since I had nothing.

“Good luck, man.” Zeke and Jax hugged. “Glad he has you,” Zeke said to me, giving me a brotherly hug.

“Thanks for putting us up.” He seemed like a good guy. He’d come through, exactly like Jax said he would.

“Anytime.”

We climbed into the SUV, got ourselves some more coffee at a drive-thru, and started on our way. It was hard to keep my hands off of him in the car. Every shift he made in his seat, no matter how minor, caught my attention. I kept finding myself gazing over at him, his thick biceps, his corded forearms as he gripped the wheel. Remembering last night, I practically had to force my head to turn away, not stare at the bulge in his crotch. It had felt so good sitting on his lap, grinding on him. I’d loved taking him in my mouth, sucking and licking, drinking down his cum.

But he didn’t say much on the drive and neither did I, both of us lost to our thoughts, a hell of a dangerous situation waiting ahead of us. About twenty minutes outside of town, he pulled off into a nondescript hotel. It hit the middle between seedy and luxury, the kind of place business people might stay in for a conference. It was a smart choice. I was sure Mike and his buddies had never set foot in it.

“This OK?” he asked before getting out of the car. “I’d take you somewhere nicer, but I want to stay off the radar.”

“It’s perfect,” I assured him. “I know this isn’t a vacation.”

“But, maybe someday.” I nodded, knowing there was a lot to that statement. And a lot we had to navigate between where we were at the moment and some potential future together.

Jax checked us in while I stayed out of sight in the car. He used cash, keeping us off the grid. We only had his duffel, which he shouldered up to our room. It was non-descript, with a small sofa, a desk, and a large bed. I pulled apart the outer layer of curtains, keeping the thin, filmy ones shut for privacy.

“I’ve got to make a couple calls. You OK for a bit?” I nodded, and bided my time while he stepped out, flipping through TV channels while my tension built. We were going to spend the whole night together in a hotel room. Just him and me. We were about to start a stakeout and launch a highly risky attempt to lure a killer into the hands of other killers.

There were times in life to play it safe. I’d kept my hands to myself—mostly—for months and months. But Jax and I had opened Pandora’s box the night before. I had no interest in closing it. I didn’t even think we could if we tried.

Finally, the door opened and Jax returned to me, so big and tall in his fitted black t-shirt, a hint of a tattoo making its way past the sleeve. I rose, walking toward him. He looked at me with exactly the same heated intensity burning up his gaze.

“You hungry?” he asked, gruff and low.

“Yes.” But it wasn’t for food. We fell into each other, passion erupting as he captured my mouth with his. A deep groan from his throat, a moan from mine, I couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t touch enough of his body, his skin. Panting, I pulled at his shirt. I needed it off. He broke away, but only to lift up my top, then his. Something ripped, I didn’t know what it was or how it had happened.

All I knew was his chest was bare and I licked it, kissing and savoring his muscles, running my fingers along his tattoos. My mind wasn’t working right, too fevered to process what I saw, I just knew it was ink on his skin and it drove me crazy. I’d only seen hints of his tattoos, past the sleeve of his shirt, in the shower through the steam. Now he was mine to devour. Fingernails digging into his shoulders, I couldn’t help using my teeth, my tongue, pulling at him, wanting more.

His chest should be illegal, a rippled wall of muscle, so hot and hard. I pressed my stomach to his, the feel of our bare skin touching for the first time nearly sizzling my mind. My skin felt like it was burning, his touch, his tongue fanning the flames as he devoured me, caressing my throat, my stomach, my breasts.

Somehow trying to pull at the waistband of his jeans, only on one foot as I wrapped a leg around his thigh, we lost our balance, stumbling backward. Crash, down went a lamp off a table. I glanced at it, not moving away from him for even an inch. No pieces of glass, nothing looked broken.

“It’s fine, fine,” Jax panted, his hand cupping my chin, bringing my mouth back to his as he drank me in, tipping my head back, walking me over against the window. Pressing me against the curtains and glass, he ground against me, his fingers pulling at my bra. Even that was too much between us, and I moaned with delight when he snapped it off, threw it to the ground and palmed my breasts in his hands.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” He groaned, pulling at my hair, making me gasp as he licked my throat.

“I’ve wanted you even longer.” There was no way he’d yearned for me the way I had for him. It felt like I’d wanted him, wanted this forever. Clumsy with lust, I struggled to unbutton his jeans, unzip his fly and slide them down his hips. That bulge in his boxer briefs, so tantalizing, so huge, I reached down and stroked. His body tensed, clutching my breast with an animalistic sound from deep in his throat.

“In that supply room,” he panted, “when we were folding sheets. I wanted to do this.” Mouth down to my nipple, he enclosed it in his wet, hot heat. I cried out it felt so good, the way he sucked and licked, a slight bite to my tender tip. He gripped my ass, grinding into me, searing my skin with his kisses.

“I wanted to go down on you.” I licked his massive shoulder, swirling my tongue along his tattoo the way I’d wanted to do to his cock.

“I wanted you the first time we met.” He undid my jeans, slipping them off me as he placed a trail of kisses down my stomach, along my hips, down my thighs. I knew he probably meant when Ace moved into the home. But I’d wanted him even before then, the first time we’d ever met. I was about to say so when he said it instead. “When you came by Ace bar.”

Kneeling down, he slid his palms between my thighs, opening me, kissing and stroking my skin until he drew a finger along my panties, right where I’d soaked through. I cried out, quivering, not sure my legs could hold me up through what it looked like he was about to do.

He kissed me through the wet silk, eyes closed, licking, savoring me. “Sky,” he groaned, pulling my panties to the side, then ripping them off. “So sweet,” he whispered, gazing at my slick pussy like he’d never seen anything more luscious. Tongue out, he gave me a lick, growling with satisfaction at my taste. Like a tiger with a meal, he sucked at me, licking, pushing my thighs apart so he could get at me more. Eyes rolling back in my head, I grabbed onto his shoulder, up at the curtains, something, anything to help me stay standing it felt so fucking good.

With a rip and a crash, the rod came out of the wall, the gauzy curtains billowing down around us. Disoriented, I pushed at it. He stood up, laughing. “Come here.” He wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me out of the mess while he closed the outer shades. We might be trashing the room, but we still needed our privacy. We weren’t done yet.

I wrapped my hands around his biceps, kissing his pecs, his abs. He was like an anatomy lesson I’d have no problem studying for hours on end. Hands down to my hips, he drew me to him and together we tumbled to the floor, his body catching my fall as I splayed across him. Squirming on top, straddling his thigh, I bucked against him. Rolling my hips, I licked his nipple, bit his throat. He gripped my ass, moving me against him, thrusting back. His cock pushed into my lower stomach, so close, and I was so dripping wet I knew he’d slip right in. Trembling all over, I slid down, grinding my clit along his shaft, wanting him inside me, knowing it was going to feel so good.

“No,” he groaned, “bed. Should be bed.” He pushed himself up on his elbows. All I knew was his cock was no longer where I wanted it and I whimpered in protest. But he scooped me up and brought me over, laying me out gently on the mattress. “It’s our first time.”

He stood gazing at me, stripped down to his boxers. They rode so low his tip was coming out the top, glistening with precum and some of my own arousal. “Sky.” Hand up to his head, he stared at me like I was a work of art. “You’re so beautiful. All that time I was picturing you, I was wrong. You’re even more gorgeous than I ever—”

“Come here.” My voice hoarse with lust, I reached for him. He could worship me all he wanted. Tomorrow and the next day and the next. Right then, I needed to unwrap him like a present. Over at the side of the bed, I rolled his boxers down his hips. He stepped out of them, his huge shaft bobbing free.

Now it was my turn to stare, transfixed. Veins running along its thick length, it twitched as I looked at it. I swallowed, licking my lips, remembering how I’d taken him in my mouth the night before. Seeing it now, about to take it deep inside me, I had to wonder, could it fit? He was huge. Reaching out, I ran my fingers down his length, rubbing the cushion of my thumb to his sensitive tip.

The muscles in his throat flexed as he watched me. He caressed my hair, eyes drugged with desire. Hand to my shoulder, he pressed me down, laying me back to the bed. “I want to be inside you.”

“Yes,” I cried, desperate for it. “I need you, Jax.”

Reaching inside his jeans, he pulled out a condom. Watching him roll it on, I knew he did it all quickly but it was taking too long. My legs twisted, hips writhed with impatience.

Stretched out on top of me, every inch of him so hot and hard, his skin seared into mine. Gasping, kissing, I couldn’t get enough, couldn’t decide which part of him to press and grab. I wanted this, that, every slope and plane. I needed all of him all over me.

I looked up at him, into his face as he gazed down at me and it hit me hard, how many times I’d fantasized about exactly this moment. The two of us, intimate, alone, nothing between us.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this.” He voiced my thoughts.

“Yes, I do,” I murmured.

The head of his cock settled at my entrance and I widened my legs, biting my lips, inviting him in. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He paused. “I’m not sure I can be gentle.”

I looked up into his eyes and brought my hand to his cheek. “I don’t want you to be gentle. Fuck me, Jax.”

With a groan and a thrust, he entered, spreading me so wide my eyes opened big, watering. I’d never been with anyone so huge. He went slow, pushing in, pulling out, a bit at a time, pushing deeper and stretching me. His dick was so thick and long, I grabbed at his arms, trying to breathe and adjust. Looking up I could see him holding his breath, the muscles corded through his arms as he held back, restraining himself.

I wanted more. I moved my hips, pushing against him, so slick I moved easy along his cock. It hurt, but I wanted it and I showed him, moaning, opening my thighs wider, thrusting up to take in every inch.

“Fuck,” he groaned, leaning down, starting to pump into me, giving me more power. “You feel so good. You’re so wet.” He held me open with his hand, pushing my thigh up and back, positioning me as he moved. Riveted, he looked down at where we joined, his cock sliding in and out. Up on my elbows, I wanted to see too, his hips moving as he thrust all the way in and out, back and forth, faster.

He looked so huge, massive above me, the definition of masculine with his broad chest and his muscles flexing. I took his rhythm and met it, leaning back into the mattress, wanting it harder, faster. Digging my fingers into his ass, I groaned his name. Leaning in, he started pounding, driving into me, pushing me up the bed until my head tapped the headboard. Clawing at him, at the sheets, I moved my hand up to push against the wood, giving us more friction, more purchase so he could fuck me like an animal.

“It’s better…” he panted, our bodies glistening with sweat, slapping together.

“Yes.” I knew what he meant even though neither of us could form a complete sentence. We’d both wanted it so long, fantasized about it to such lengths, but the reality was so much better.

I looked up into his eyes. I couldn’t believe it was him, after all that time, and I could give myself to him completely. He gazed down at me with such love, such intense, fierce possession, it took my breath away.

“It made me insane when you were with him,” he hissed, thrusting in me deeply. “I’m never letting you go.”

I cried out, twisting my head to the side, eyes closed as I could feel my orgasm building. Every time he thrust he hit my clit, pounding it. I spread my legs, taking everything he gave me.

“You’re mine,” he growled, his voice fierce and low. I tore at the sheets, wild, screaming his name as my mind shattered, my body erupting as I came. Over and over, he pushed into me, sending me higher, then higher again. With a feral groan, the muscles in his neck and arms so thick and tense, Jax came too, pulsing inside so deep.

Panting, dazed, at some point I became aware that I was lying half at his side, half on top of him. My cheek to his chest, we panted, sweaty. I felt limp, nearly disembodied, like I was floating above myself. Listening to his heartbeat slowing into a steady rhythm, I gradually grew more grounded.

“You’re amazing.” He held me to him, sounding as dazed as I felt. My whole body was so warm and fluid, as if I’d melted with him.

“I love you.” I smiled into his chest, kissing him there.

“I love you, too, Sky.” I’d never known such sublime happiness.