Explosive (The Black Opals) (37 page)

To her surprise, a warm hand settled on her bent knee.
She glanced down at her lap, smiling faintly at the sight of Jayce’s motionless fingers. When she turned her head to face him, his eyes shone with a depth of feeling Alyssa couldn’t describe. He blinked, and the strange sheen of moisture she was so unaccustomed to invaded those warm fathomlessly dark depths. She covered his hand with hers.

“I didn’t go to him last night, Jayce.
Not like you think. I heard him come in and went down to tell my best friend to stop blaming himself. I told him I wanted to rebuild a future with you, and he needed to move out.” Sliding her fingers between Jayce’s, she gently squeezed. “My legs hurt, I was exhausted, and I simply passed out on the couch.”

When Jayce remained silent, his thumb brushing absently alongside hers, Alyssa searched his face for some hint as to what he might be thinking.
“Jayce, I want to be with you. For now. For always. Say something, please.”

His throat worked in a hard swallow, then a second time, and she began to realize he was fighting emotion, not clamming up in silence.
He gave a faint shake of his head. “I…can’t.” His words came out clogged and hoarse.

Alyssa gathered his hand in both of hers and brought it to her mouth to press a kiss against the back of his knuckles.
She tipped her head, rubbing her cheek across those scarred digits. “I love you,” she whispered. With a soft laugh she added, “I’m not sure how I feel about this whole disarming bombs for a living thing, but I’m willing to try to wrap my head around it.”

The lighthearted remarked served to free Jayce from whatever thoughts locked him up, and he chuckled.
“You don’t have to. I’m retiring.”

In the next instant, she found herself in his lap, his arms crushing her close, his lips searching for hers.
She offered them freely, surrendering into the power of his kiss with a soul-deep sigh. The clawing pressure of his fingers against her back eased, and what began with desperate need transformed into slow languor. His hands slid through her hair, roamed down the length of her spine. She traced the hard contours of his chest with gentle fingertips.

Jayce broke the kiss and laid his forehead against hers.
“You have no idea what I’d give to be able to undo everything that happened to you.”

Alyssa leaned back to look him in the eye.
“You can’t. And I don’t want you to. I probably need some…help.” The admission was hard to swallow; she’d been trying to deny it so long it felt like failure. The next confession, however, was even more terrifying. But with another deep breath, she let it escape. “I don’t think I can do it alone.”

Jayce smoothed his palms down the side of her head, framing her face between his hands.
His gaze held hers. “I’ll do whatever you need.”

Nodding, Alyssa leaned into his embrace and rested her head on his strong shoulder.
Strangely, knowing Jayce would be at her side, she wasn’t afraid anymore. He was right—she should have come to him years ago. Maybe by now the mountains left to climb would seem like small hurdles already achieved. Nevertheless, they would tackle them together, and she didn’t doubt for a moment they would succeed.

Jayce folded her close and rested his cheek atop her head.
“Is it too much to ask you to marry me, again, baby doll? Is that too fast? Too soon?”

“No.”
Eyes closed, she laughed quietly. “I think that’s just what I need.”

A low, playful growl rumbled in his chest as he leaned backward, carrying them both onto the bed.
He fitted his hands around her hips, tucking her securely into place. “Good, because, while I’m willing to wait another decade for you to agree, I’d rather spend the next ten years making up for lost time.”

Alyssa wriggled her hips.
“Making up how?”

Jayce’s teeth latched onto her earlobe, and he gave it a lazy tug.
“Scoot down a little, and I’ll show you what you missed out on this morning.”

Laughing, Alyssa obeyed.
When she settled into place against the steely length of his confined erection, her stomach hollowed delightfully. Oh, yes, this was exactly what she needed. Years, and years of making love to Jayce.

With a contented purr, she rocked against his hard length and fused her mouth to his.

About the Author

Tori St. Claire grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned int
o
passion, and when she discovered the world of romance as a teen, poems and short stories gave way to full length novels with sexy heroes and heroines waiting to be swept off their feet. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen. 

While that manuscript gathered dust-bunnies beneath the bed, she went on to establish herself as a contemporary, historical, and paranormal author under the pen name, Claire Ashgrove. Her writing, however, skirted a fine line between hot and steamy, and motivated by authors she admired, she pushed her boundaries and made the leap into erotica, using the darker side of human nature and on-the-edge suspense to drive grittier, sexier, stories.
 

Her erotic romantic suspense novels are searingly sensual experiences that unite passion with true emotion, and the all-consuming tie that binds—love.

Look For The Next Book In Tori St. Claire’s Sexy Black Opal Series

D E A D L Y   S U R R E N D E R

January 2014