Fatal Pursuit (The Aegis Series) (21 page)

His deep chuckle vibrated beneath her mouth as she laid a trail of kisses toward his nipple, then pulled the tight flesh between her lips.

A low, animalistic sound rumbled through his throat. His fingers dug into her waist, and his head dropped back. “I know I shouldn’t, but I love your mouth on me.”

She knew she shouldn’t too, but she loved the sound of her name on his lips. Wondered how she’d ever lived without it. She rolled her tongue around and around his nipple, thrilled with his pleasure. Wanted only to spend the night discovering every single thing that excited him. Hoped he’d give her the time.

Lowering one hand, she slid it between their bodies and popped the button on his jeans. His head righted, his lips pressing hard to her brow, her temple, her cheek, then, using his forehead to nudge her head aside, his mouth dropped to her neck.

Marley floated in lusty heaven, wishing it could last forever. Searching for the tag of his zipper, she nudged his erection, then pushed her hand lower, rubbing her palm along his length.

“Ah, God, Marley.”

She smiled, her chest full and light as she stroked him again. “I like it when you say my name.” Not her given name. Not her last name. Not that stupid nickname Gray used. This name.
Her
name. On his lips. “Do it again.”

He growled first, then obeyed. “Marley.”

She kissed his chest, stroked his cock through his pants. Brushed her lips across his neck, ran her hand up and down his steely length. “Again.”

One hand fisted in her hair and pulled her head back until he was looking directly into her eyes, searching her face in the dim light. Tension hummed from his big body. Lust flamed in his gaze. But his expression was tight with something else. Something more. Affection. Unfulfilled desire. Longing. Something—

“Marley,” he whispered. He kissed her forehead, slid the tip of his nose down hers. “Marley.” He touched her lips with his. “Marley.” Licked her lips. “Marley.” Pressed his mouth over hers and swept a long, slow stroke of his tongue along hers, kissing her until she was breathless, then pulling away with a soft, hungry, “Marley.”

Need hit her low and hard. Urgency made her fingers shake. She fumbled with his zipper. Before she could free him from his jeans, though, he lowered his mouth to hers again, then captured her lips in a deep, heart-stopping kiss filled with passion and need. One that consumed her. Overwhelmed her. Made her absolutely dizzy with the thought of only him.

God, he tasted good. Like a hint of the beer he must have had earlier, like sin and sex and oblivion. And she wanted all of that. Wanted to let go, wanted to feel. Wanted to forget everything else and just focus on this. On him. On a moment she could never get enough of.

His strong, warm hands gripped her waist and lifted her off the floor. He laid her back on the bed, took her hands in his, and pushed them overhead. Wrapping her fingers around the wooden slats in the headboard, he covered hers with his own, then looked directly into her eyes.

“My turn.” His voice was husky and breathless. So damn arousing it made her entire body tremble. “Say my name.”

“Jake.” The word came out on a soft breath, and she worked her hands free, needing to touch him anywhere. Everywhere.

“Uh-uh.” He held her hands in place. “I said it was my turn. I’m in control now.” His gaze rolled down over her body. “And you are still wearing way too much clothing to get that skin you wanted.”

Yes. Oh, yes.
“Definitely.”

He eased the hold on her hands, then skimmed his fingers down her arms and over her breasts, sitting back, his thighs flanking hers.

Streetlight washed over his bare skin. Over muscles carved from hours in the gym. Across scars from his years in the military. Highlighting the fine dusting of hair along his chest and the ripple of his ab muscles. And she wanted to lick every spot. Every muscle and scar and dip and plane. She wanted it all.

Releasing the headboard, she swept her hands over his chest and down his abs.

Jake grabbed her wrists and met her gaze with a hot, sharp look that pierced her belly with excitement. “No touching. Not until I say so.” He replaced her hands on the headboard. “Don’t move again.”

Oh man, she liked this side of him. Liked it way more than she should. “Figures you’d get bossy.”

His lips curved in that hot little grin that made her wet. One finger traced a line down the center of her chest, slipped beneath the clasp of her bra, and flicked it open. Marley sucked in a breath of surprise.

“This bossy,” he said, his gaze hot on her breasts as they spilled from the parting fabric, “is in your best interest. I promise.”

When he did nothing more than stare, running the back of his fingers across her exposed skin, she growled, planted her feet on the mattress, and lifted her hips, pressing them into his. His cock pushed against that sweet spot between her legs already aching for him. “Take control, Ryder, or I will.”

He chuckled. “That’s an offer I’ll take you up on later.”

Later . . . Later, tonight? Later, tomorrow? Later, next week?
Her mind flitted to the future before she caught it and reined her thoughts in to the now. Just now.

His head lowered, his lips kissing a path down the center of her chest and over the mound of one breast. She was already arching when he finally took her nipple into his mouth. Her head fell back, her eyes closed on a sound of pleasure that erupted from her throat.

He pulled his mouth from hers for a husky, “Say my name.” Then covered the other breast.

She whimpered with pleasure. “Jake. More, Jake.”

He moaned against her, the sound vibrating her nipple, sending shockwaves straight to her core.

Oh . . .
She released the headboard and threaded her hands into his hair. “I can’t—”

“Addison.” He pulled her hands from his hair and slammed her arms above her head. “What did I tell you?”

Really? He was playing games
now
? Frustration and need coiled hot in her belly, making her tremble, making her sweat. “I’m feeling sleepy, Ryder. Step it up already and focus on the importance of this medical emergency.”

His gaze snapped to hers, and something dangerous, something scorching brewed in their dark depths. “Sleepy, huh?” He reached between them and pulled her jeans open—button and zipper—in one hard tug. “I guess I’m gonna have to do something about that.”

Oh yes, he would. She grinned. Held on to the headboard as he moved back and stripped her jeans and panties roughly over her hips and down her legs. Shook with excitement. But she didn’t care if he ripped them. Didn’t care about anything right now except taking him deep inside.

“It’s about time,” she said on a breath of both anticipation and relief. “I think I’m waking up.”

“Well then, we’d better make sure you stay that way.” His gaze seared her legs, her hips, and her sex as he scanned every inch of her flesh with fierce hunger. Then he gripped one thigh and pushed it wide, slid the other hand beneath her ass and lifted at the same time he dropped his head, covering her with his mouth.

Sensation rocketed through Marley’s body, taking control. “Jake. Ah, God, Jake.”

He hummed against her, lips suckling, tongue stroking, exploring, tasting. “Mm,” he murmured between kisses and licks. “You taste incredible.”

As if to prove it, he took her clit between his lips and suckled.

“Oh.”
Marley arched, unable to stand the intense pleasure, unable to stop herself from lifting into his mouth.

Her orgasm came out of nowhere, rising too fast for her to do anything but hold on. She gripped the headboard in her hands. “Jake . . .” He hummed in response, licking faster, stroking harder. “Jake . . .” She pulled one hand from the headboard and fisted his hair. “Holy Go—”

Pleasure peaked, closing her throat and twisting through her body in hot shards of ecstasy. The pressure eased, his tongue gentled its frantic stroke, but the friction continued to create little spasms of excitement that coursed all through her.

He kissed her inner thigh, her hip, her belly as her limp muscles finally relaxed and she melted into the bed beneath her. Then he shifted to the side, and she realized he was sliding off the mattress.

She grasped his arm, pushed him back before he could get away, rolled him over, and straddled his hips. “Don’t you dare leave.”

“Like I could.”

He was breathless as he looked up at her, his voice gruff with lust. And as her gaze raked his bare chest, down to the open button of his jeans, every inch of her desire roared back to life. Inching back, she grasped the denim and pulled it from his legs, then dropped the garment on the floor. But before she could explore with her hands and lips and tongue the way she wanted, he pushed her back, climbed between her legs, knelt down, then sat on his heels, gripping her hips so he could roughly pull her into his lap.

Gasping, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and looked down into his face. The dim light cast shadows across his intense expression, made her heart beat faster. But his erection pressing against her wetness sent a shiver through her entire body, one she couldn’t ignore. Groaning, she lifted her hips and slid over his length until they both trembled.

“God, I want you.” He pressed a gentle kiss across her collarbone. “Want you so much I can’t stand it. But I need to get a condom.”

She tightened her arms around his shoulders, preventing him from leaving. “If you walk out of this room I might fall asleep. We can’t chance it with this possible concussion I’ve got going.”

He chuckled. Kissed the base of her throat. Smiled against her skin in a way that made her entire body shiver. “Are you sure?”

She’d never been more sure about anything. Cupping her hands on each side of his face, she lifted so he could see her. “Absolutely.”

He growled, closed his eyes a brief second, then lifted his lids to look directly into her eyes. Rocking his hips, he positioned his cock at her entrance, then slowly pushed into her. The head pressed past the tightness, and he paused. “Mm, I like that. Tell me you like it too. Tell me.”

“So good.” Her eyes drifted shut at the delicious stretch he created. Her hands slid to his shoulders, holding on as she tightened around him. She tried to lift to cause friction, but he held her too tightly, preventing her from moving.

“Open your eyes, Marley. Look at me. Say my name again. Tell me where you belong.”

The possessiveness in his words should have annoyed her. But instead it excited her. Electrified her. Made her hotter than she’d ever been. And it also confused her because she didn’t know what the words truly meant, and right now she didn’t want to wonder. She just wanted
him
.

“Jake.” She rocked her hips to take him deeper. Needed more. Needed all of him. “I belong right here with you.”

He pulled her mouth down, swept his tongue in and circled hers. His hips lifted, driving his length deep. Then he stilled, broke the kiss, and pressed his face to her neck. “Ah, God. Just want to stay here. Just want . . .” He lifted into her again, spread his knees, pushing her legs farther open, forcing himself deeper. “Just want all of you.”

Warmth spread through her chest, circled her heart. Using his thighs, he lowered and lifted in full, deep, slow strokes, murmuring confusing, almost desperate words and phrases against her skin that didn’t make sense
—“want it all, can’t, need more, yes, don’t let go, Marley, fuck, Marley . . .”

Every stroke grew stronger, harder, deeper, rocking her beyond mind and body, straight to her soul. He sounded desperate, sounded frantic, sounded lost. And all those things he’d told her about his parents, about growing up alone, about being nothing but a disappointment, they echoed through her mind, shot straight to her heart, and made her love him even more. Because underneath all his aggravating alpha male-ness, he was just like her. Struggling to find his way, fighting to make something of himself, searching for a moment that would make everything else worth the battle.

“Right here.” She gripped his face, tipped it up to hers. “I’m here.” Holding on tight to his shoulder, she lifted and lowered, driving him toward his climax, wanting to go over with him. She pressed her lips against his. “I’m right here, Jake.”

He pulled back, clasped his hand against the back of her head, placed the other at the base of her spine, guiding her hips to his thrusts. His hair clung to his handsome, damp face, and his eyes looked both dark with passion and open with vulnerability. He pressed his forehead to hers. “Crazy. This is so fucking crazy. Crazy hot. Crazy good.
Ah, God
. Come with me, Marley.”

Finally.
“Yes.”

With a groan, he picked up the speed of his thrusts, dug his fingers into the base of her spine, holding her steady. And as soon as Marley relaxed into him, her orgasm blossomed in stages—first mild, then intense, and finally, a blinding spasm of ecstasy spilling through her body as Jake released his own climax in shudders and guttural growls of pleasure.

She fell against him. Sweaty, limp, unable to move. Heavy breaths lifted and lowered his chest. His damp skin pressed against hers—everywhere. He drew in a deep breath, then muttered, “Holy hell. That was . . .”

Her eyes squeezed shut tight.
Don’t say a mistake
.
Please don’t say it was a mistake.
She wasn’t sure her heart could take that right now. Not after the things he’d said and the emotions he’d made her feel. Tomorrow she could handle rejection but not now. Not when—

He fell back on the mattress and pulled her on top of him. “That was fucking amazing.”

The tension leaked out of her. Relief rippled through her belly. She relaxed into him and pressed her face against his neck as his arms wound around her back, holding her close.

“I think my muscles are broken,” he mumbled into her hair, “but it was amazing.”

She smiled, pressed her lips against his throat, loved that he was
him
.

And oh, the truth she’d tried so hard to ignore was plainly obvious. So obvious her heart squeezed tight. She wasn’t just
in
love with him. She was
head over heels
in love with him. She loved what he’d made of himself. Loved his determination and drive. Loved the way he cared about the people in his life even when he acted like he didn’t. She even loved his moodiness because it meant he wasn’t the hard, cold shell of a person his father had been. He might see himself as a disappointment, but she didn’t. She saw a man who’d risen above neglect and abandonment and become more than a child of abuse, he’d become a warrior.