Night Hack: A forced proximity alpha hero hacker romantic suspense (Nightshade Book 4)

Chapter 20

Brycen

By the timethe credits rolled to the final Halloween movie, I was blissed out, yet in absolute hell at the same time.

Jana had fallen asleep about halfway through, the events of the last few weeks, and last night’s lack of sleep having caught up to her.

Turning the TV off, then setting the remote on the end table at my side, I took a moment to study the woman who was wrapped up in my couch throw, her head on my lap, my fingers tangled in her soft hair where they’d stayed as I’d periodically massaged her scalp, intermittently tugging at the strands on and off while we vegged together.

The wit she’d displayed about the stupidity of the movie characters in their clear aversion to run like their asses were on fire, or the less than stellar horrified bloodcurdling screams, citing she could teach them a thing or two, had us laughing.

Honestly, it had been the most innocent and relaxed fun I’d had in far too long. Having Jana in my home, hanging out, despite the undeniable attraction we shared, felt as if she’d always been part of my life, even though we’d only met three weeks ago.

I hadn’t lied to Jana last night. Aside from my female relatives, and coworkers’ women, I’d never brought anyone I’d dated home—let alone had anyone in my bed. I’d never wanted to, until now.

Caught in my thoughts of what this latest revelation meant, I felt Jana stir in her sleep, her hand making its way to meet the one that was still tangled in her hair, to squeeze it.

“Is the movie over already?” she whispered in a sleep-roughened voice, her slumberous gaze meeting mine.

“Just a few minutes ago,” I told her, running my fingertips against her scalp again. “We should get you to bed.” I swear she purred at the subtle pressure of my digits.

“I love it when you do that,” she whispered with her eyes closed, a blissed-out expression on her face. “But if you keep doing that, I’ll pass out again.”

Straightening herself to a seated position, she rubbed at her eyes, a sleep-drunk smile tugging at the edges of her lips as she twisted around so her knee pressed against my thigh, her hand coming to settle on it.

“Thanks for today.” Her eyes met mine.

“Don’t mention it,” I mumbled. “I think I needed this about as much as you did.”

“Mmm.” Her eyes dropped to my chest before meeting my gaze again with some sort of resolved look.

Getting to my feet, I held out a hand to help her up. “I think we should call it a night. It’s already after one,” I said, looking to my watch which read twelve after the hour.

“You’ll hear no argument from me.” She smiled. “I think I could sleep for a week and still want to nap midday.”

At around two thirty, I was finally succumbing to my exhaustion, after having left Jana at her bedroom door with a sweet goodnight kiss, when something stirred me awake.

I struggled through sleepiness to figure out what had woken me when a small gentle hand landed on my bare chest.

Jana.

“Go back to sleep,” she whispered, cuddling into my side with far too much bare skin, which had my body tingling from head to toe.

Ignoring my body’s response, my eyes having adjusted to the dark bedroom, I cleared my throat. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, then amended. “No. I got to my room, and as exhausted as I feel, I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

Moving to wrap an arm around her, bringing her in closer to my side where she was forced to lean her head on my shoulder, I buffed my cheek against the crown of her head, taking in the delicate peach scent of her shampoo. “S’okay.”

Delivering a quick peck to my chest, I felt her body melt and relax into mine. “I didn’t want to be alone.”

Covering the hand at my stomach, I squeezed. “Stay. I want you to stay.”

And I meant the single word wholeheartedly as I closed my eyes, relishing the feel of this woman who had me tied in knots.

Stay for tonight. Tomorrow. Into next week.

Forever,was the final thought that occurred as darkness took me.

Jana

It had taken Brycen a few minutes to succumb to slumber last night, and nearly another twenty minutes of my watching the minutes tick by on his bedside clock before I could put the fact I needed him at my side at all to sleep peacefully.

I was used to going at it alone.

I’ve never needed anyone.

Until now.

It wasn’t until the early hours this morning, I was ready to acknowledge having him made the burden that was my life, at the present, easier to bear. And what was more, if I truly looked past all the shit that was my exes, my mother’s relationship with my father, the one-nighter habit Jason had adopted over the years, and so many countless other relationships I’d witness crash and burn, I knew.

I knew Brycen wasn’t like the others.

I knew whatever pulled at us was ultimately different from every other time before.

I knew this was what everyone strived for—a lover, a friend—a partner in life.

And if I was smart, I’d give in to the man’s support, take his strength, embrace it even, give it all back to him in spades, and see where this all went between us.

It wasn’t until those early morning hours I realized—while reveling in the heat of his body against mine—that Brycen had held on to me throughout the entire night, offering wordless security and warmth, and I was convinced I’d be crazy to run from this.

With an urgency I’d never felt before now, I had to see where life would take me—take us.

And if it didn’t work out?

Well, I’d most likely be shredded beyond repair, but I couldn’t think about that.

“I’ve never had another woman in this house, never mind my bedroom.” He had me jumping.

Instead of acknowledging this factoid, I led with, “You’re awake.”

“Mmm,” he said into the top of my head, buffing his cheek against my hair. His hand began a slow caress over my back, up to my shoulders, never stopping. “Slept like the dead,” he rasped. “How ’bout you?”

His question had me assessing my state of being, and I was surprised at how I felt. My mind was clearer this morning, and the weight I’d become accustomed to, which seemed to make me feel like every muscle in my body was filled with lead, had dissipated considerably.

“You’re smiling,” his sleep-roughened baritone had my body warming, wondering what that tone would feel like as he spoke all sorts of nonsense against other parts of my body, because the utter vibration of his voice against my cheek had me thinking so many impure thoughts.

“Uhm.” I struggled to find my words, but he was quicker.

“Need the bathroom?” His humored words had me realizing I’d clenched my legs, rubbing my thighs slightly to quell the building heat in my core. My stomach did a somersault, and the butterflies went aflutter.

With my most recent decision to give in to our mutual attraction being so fresh, it felt embarrassing to be talking about these types of biological responses, so to let him know I wasn’t in need of the toilet, I set to thank the man for all he’d done for me—for my family—thus far.

As I peppered his bare chest with open-mouthed kisses, occasionally alternating between gentle nips and licks, reveling in his low groans, and the increase in his breathing, Brycen broke the erotic silence with, “I take it that’s a no,” before he flipped us over, smiling down at me.

The weight of his body, his legs on the outside of mine, cocooning me into his heat had me melting into the bed with a moan while his eyes drank me in. Our hands and fingers were interlocked on either side of my pillowed head. I was fully pinned and surrounded by this man, and I couldn’t think of anywhere else I wanted to be right then.

The man’s gaze narrowed when I arched my hips into his on another moan.

“Jesus, woman.” His eyes turned to molten chocolate, almost black in the dim lighting of the bedroom, thanks to what must have been blackout shades. “You’re making it hard to keep my hands off of you.”

Digging into my no-longer-so-dormant inner vixen, I grinned, all the while keeping my gaze locked on him. All in, I repeated internally, and said, “Then don’t.” I punctuated the sureness of my statement, request, demand…hell, I’d beg him if it led to that, by arching my head up and capturing his mouth with mine until I’d had him as drugged on lust as he had me with the sheer weight of him, and my inability to physically escape him in that moment.

Brycen

All systems go, my brain shouted, and damn, what with her already naked flesh beneath mine, it was a miracle I hadn’t blown my load prematurely as soon as our lower torsos made contact. And that kiss…

Having enough brainpower to pull away, I nuzzled her nose, then peered down at her. “You’re sure?”

Shifting so her legs opened, and I fell toward the heat of her center, she nodded. “I’ve never been any surer about wanting someone like I do you.”

I closed my eyes and allowed her sincerity to soak in.

Her quick kiss to the side of my mouth had me looking at her once more. “Make me forget, Brycen. Make me yours.”

Well, fuck!