THE POUNDING ON HER cabin door was somewhat distracting as Jay leaned down once again to capture her breast.

“Are you two going to fuck all day? Or are you going to help me get The Dirty Teacup into the air?”

Alice shoved at Jay’s shoulders, but he was reluctant to give up his prize.

“Get off me you, oaf!” She managed to get his lips to release her nipple.

But the dark possessiveness in his eyes only proved to cause another rush of moisture between her thighs. The beast lingered close to the surface and she knew when his nostrils flared that he was taking in the scent of her arousal.

It was sexy as sin and mortifying at the same time. Alice couldn’t recall a time that she had been wetter.

“I could care less if this rusty bucket of bolts ever leaves the ground,” he growled out.

Alice clutched the pieces of her torn clothing together.

“Just look what you did! I don’t have an unlimited amount of clothing, Jack Ass!”

Jay’s lip curled up, “That suits me perfectly.”

His desire for her was legendary, but he had started to return to his senses. Reluctantly, Jay let Alice up and she immediately went to the chest pulling out a fresh shirt and corset. When she caught him blatantly staring at her a flush rose across her cheeks.

“You can turn around now!” Alice huffed.

“I’ve already seen the goods, Cupcake,” he teased.

“I am not your Cupcake or your Sweetheart!” Alice felt like a broken record. Turning her back on him she removed the torn clothing from her body.

The heat from his gaze on her naked back had Alice’s teeth clenching together. The man had no shame!

Once she was decent she whipped around to see him with a curious expression on his face.

“What?” she asked defensively.

“Where did you get that scar on your shoulder?” his voice was lower than usual—dangerous.

Alice’s eyes widened, she could have kicked herself for not remembering to hide such a hideous part of her body.

“I am sorry you had to see that,” she said stiffly, “But if you would have turned around like a gentleman you wouldn’t have to see my ugliness.”

In a flash, Jay had her pressed against the wall.

“Who gave you that scar?” he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Alice hesitated, “No one, it is just an old wound. Don’t worry about it.”

The skin on her shoulder was puckered and a red ridge of angry scar tissue ran from her shoulder blade until the middle of her back.

His eyes were insistent, “Did I do that? When you rescued me? Did I hurt you?”

There was silence between them for a moment. Jay’s fear of the monster he had been leaking out into the room.

“No,” Alice reached up and cupped his face, “Jay, you never hurt me. Why would you think that?”

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “I hurt others unintentionally when I was the Jabberwocky.”

Her confused expression wasn’t helping his confession.

“I just need to know if I ever hurt you.”

Alice’s hands felt the prickles from his whiskers as she gazed into his dark eyes.

“I swear to you, Jay. You have never hurt me.”

There was truth in her words and Jay felt his heart calming down, but someone or something had hurt her.

“Where did you get the scar?” he demanded, “We won’t leave here until you tell me.”

“You are a right pain in the ass,” Alice moved her hands back down to his chest to shove him away, not that she had ever been able to do so in the past. “Look, it happened a long time ago. It is none of your damn business.”

His eyes closed as if he were counting to regain patience. And then to her surprise, he released her.

But not before kissing her softly on the lips and whispering, “There is nothing ugly about you, Alice.”

They broke apart and Jay swallowed all of the words that wanted to slip out. In silence, he followed her out of the cabin and up the stairs to where Dame Mary Ann was waiting.

After being given a crash course on dirigible flying, Jay assisted Alice and Mary Ann as they began their flight.

A feeling a weightlessness came over the airship and soon enough they had begun to rise in altitude. Luckily Jay hadn’t had any encounters with the mechanicals. He was rather adept at the tasks given to him, and Mary Ann soon found that she appreciated the large man as a crew member.

It wasn’t long before the dirigible was flying along on its own accord and Jay found himself moving closer to where Alice stood on the open deck. The wind brushed through her brown curls and caressed her skin in a way that he wanted to.

She was staring into the distance, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the vision in front of him.

“It lovely from up here,” she said absentmindedly. “I would guess that for you this is old hat, but I never get tired of flying.”

Jay continued to regard her delicate features, “It is breathtaking.”

And Alice nodded, not realizing that Jay had never once looked away from her face.

“Flying is my favorite part of being a Jabberwocky,” he continued. “There is that rush of dopamine that makes you feel invincible. The heady notion that you are king of the world that envelops you as you soar among the clouds.”

Alice finally turned her eyes to him, “I can only imagine.”

He moved a fraction closer and tipped her chin up with his finger, “I will take you one day. When you are no longer frightened of who I am.”

Alice’s face flushed with indignation, “I am not afraid of you! I am not afraid of anyone!”

She went to leave him, but he grabbed her wrist.

“If you are not afraid, why do you constantly push me away?” his voice had softened as he questioned her.

Alice’s eyes blazed, “Maybe I just don’t like you! Have you ever considered that to be a possibility? Or are you too arrogant to conceive that someone in this world isn’t inclined to kneel at your feet?”

Jay growled, and his eyes flashed, “I want you many ways, Alice. But none of them involve kneeling at my feet.”

She gasped and swung her free palm up to smack his face. But Jay was faster and caught her other arm.

“Be careful, Cupcake,” he pulled her close and whispered against the shell of her ear, “I can only take so much of this foreplay.”

In an instant, he released her, but not before she had felt his massive length pressing against her abdomen.