Chapter 38
A month had passed since Sophie was attacked, but the memory of seeing her bruised and afraid stayed with me as if it happened yesterday.
I’d gone with her to the police station so she could make an official complaint, and a female officer documented the incident further by taking photographs of the bruising around her neck and the tops of her breasts.
Mitch had been arrested but had been released on bail.
I hired someone to investigate his case and found out that he’d been suspended without pay from his job.
He had several complaints in his jacket about excessive force, and I supposed his arrest was the last straw.
Along with filing charges, Sophie was also granted a protective order.
If Mitch contacted her or came within five hundred feet of her, he’d be arrested again.
When I wasn’t training, Sophie was glued to my side.
Elton had only watched over her for two days before she told me she wanted to come back to work.
She needed to take her mind off everything that happened, and after everything she’d been through, I wanted to do what I could to give her back some semblance of the life she had before she’d been attacked.
She busied herself with mundane administrative work while I trained, which worked out because I hadn’t backfilled her original position.
Lance and Elton had been helping, but they weren’t as organized as Sophie.
Every day her bruises faded, but my anger whenever I saw them was as fresh as the day it happened. I did my best to shield her from any signs of my fury, not wanting to keep reminding her of what happened, although I was sure she’d never forget.
“It’s getting closer. Are you nervous?” Sophie nestled into my side, peering up at me with such innocence, I wanted to stay frozen in this moment forever.
“No.”
“I’d be terrified stepping into the ring, not knowing if I was going to win or lose.”
“You think I’m going to lose?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I was talking about me. I’d be worried.”
“Last I checked, you weren’t a fighter.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. “Scratch that, you are a fighter. The bravest one I know.”
“That’s because I have you in my corner,” she replied, shifting on the couch until she sat on top of me, her legs on either side of my waist. “Thank you, Jackson.”
“For what?”
“For protecting me. For caring for me.” She trailed her finger down my bare chest, the desire laced behind her eyes blazing like an inferno. “For not rushing me. But I’m ready now.”
We hadn’t had sex since the attack, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t missed her. But I waited for her to make the first move; she needed to be ready.
“Are you sure? Because I can wait for however long you need.”
She removed her shirt and tossed it to the floor.
“I don’t want to wait any more.” The bruising around her breasts was barely visible now, but I was afraid to touch her there for fear she’d still be tender.
Sophie must’ve sensed my hesitation, because she reached for my hand and placed it on her left breast. “I need you, Jackson,” she said, pressing her mouth to mine. “Please.”
I gently pushed her back. “If at any point you want to stop, you tell me. Okay?”
“Okay.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, stroking my protective side to pay extra attention to her needs.
I wrapped my arms around her and stood from the couch. “Wrap your legs around me.”
“Where are you going?” she asked, tightening her hold on me.
“I can’t do what I want to you here.”
“Oooooh… now I’m excited,” she said, her smile widening with every step I took toward her bedroom.
“Now you’re excited?” I asked, faux offended.
“You know what I mean.” She released her grip, rubbing her body against mine until her feet hit the ground.
Her smile slipped, and I thought perhaps she’d changed her mind, but then she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and shimmied them down her legs.
“Thank you for being so patient with me.”
I wanted to tell her to stop thanking me, but all I could do was stare at her like I was seeing her for the first time.
“Do you know how enticing you are?” I reached out and grabbed her waist. “I want to lick every inch of you.”
“Me? Look at you,” she said, waving her hand up and down my body. “It’s like someone drew the perfect man, and then you came to life. It’s a little intimidating.” She shifted her feet as if she’d suddenly become self-conscious.
“Trust me, Sophie, I’m the furthest thing from perfect.”
She moved closer, her heavy eyes filled with desire. “You’re perfect for me.”
“That I can agree with.”
Before I could form another thought, she reached beneath the material of my shorts and wrapped her fingers around me. I thrust my hips, and she gently tightened her hold.
“Can I?” She licked her lips, waiting for my answer.
What was the proper response? “Yeah, sure, you can suck me off?” “Please, do your best?” “Thank you?” Every response sounded odd in my head, so instead of saying anything, I smiled, nodded, then thrust into her hand once more.
Sophie dropped to her knees, dominance and subservience wrapped into one. She removed my shorts and tossed them to the side, staring at my dick with fascination. It reminded me of the way I looked at her most of the time.
Her eyes flickered with mischievousness right before she wrapped her lips around me, the warmth of her mouth sending a shiver down my back.
I’d received countless blowjobs in my life, but I’d never been as aroused as I was right now.
The sight of her on her knees, worshiping me with her mouth, was almost too much.
I wanted to toss her on the bed and have my way with her, but I saddled my impatience, wanting to enjoy every second of her reverence.
I rode the wave as my pleasure swelled, but the moment she cupped my balls and hollowed her cheeks, all sense of patience flew out the goddamn window.
All I could focus on was the sensation riveting through me.
And no matter how many distracting thoughts I conjured, none of them stole me from this moment.
The pressure built higher, and I owed her a warning before I exploded in case she didn’t want to swallow.
I hadn’t planned on coming down her throat, but there was no turning back now.
I gripped her hair and tugged. “I’m close.
” I groaned. “If you don’t want to swallow, stop now.
” She sucked me faster. Harder. “Sophie… stop.” Each breath was punched from my lungs.
I pulled her hair tighter, and the moan she made tipped me over the edge.
“I’m coming, baby. Fuck!” An electric buzz spread over me in waves, every nerve ending firing at the same time.
My muscles contracted as my heart pounded, and I couldn’t focus on anything but my orgasm, a towering high that I’d chased and conquered.
I was cautious not to slam myself far enough into her throat to make her gag, but I held her in place so I could milk every bit of my climax.
Immediately afterward, a rush of euphoria held me captive, and as my heart slowed and my muscles relaxed, I released her hair and sighed in utter satisfaction.
Sophie pulled back, and I fell from between her lips. She wiped the corner of her mouth and looked up at me, resting her hands near my waist.
“How did I do?” Her smug smile was well deserved.
I helped her to her feet. “I don’t want to know how you got so fucking good at that. All I know is that I’m the only man who gets to reap those benefits.”
She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed me. I could taste myself on her tongue, and all I wanted to do was repay the effort.
As I led her toward the bed, dread threatened to overwhelm me, which was odd because I was still flying high from my orgasm.
But as the seconds passed, I realized the only thing I feared was losing her.
Now wasn’t the time to entertain such a heavy thought, though, so I cleared my mind as best I could and focused on Sophie.
As she gently fell onto the bed, she frowned. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laden with concern. “Is something wrong?”
I couldn’t mask my expression as well as I thought.
“I’m good.” I smiled to aid my half-truth.
“Move back. Spread your legs. Wider,” I demanded, my dick twitching at the sight of her arousal glistening between her thighs.
“Remember, if things get too intense and you’re not ready yet, just tell me.
” She nodded, but I needed to hear the words. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Good.” I widened her legs a little more and positioned myself between them, inhaling her scent, eager to taste her. I hadn’t even touched her yet, and already she struggled to catch her breath. Was she nervous? Did she not want to do this but didn’t want to tell me? “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Why? Do I not look okay?” Her tone was light, but she carried her worry in the faint lines around her eyes.
“Just making sure.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
I wanted to tell her that was impossible, but the moment she snatched a lock of my hair and gyrated her hips closer to my mouth, I released all my reservations.
I kissed her inner thighs, working my way slowly toward her pussy, but as I got close, I’d back away and start the tease all over again.
After the fourth time of working her up, she yanked on my hair with a frustrated groan, but all the action did was delight me.
“Please, Jax,” she whispered, pushing my mouth closer to where she wanted me. This was the first time she’d called me Jax instead of Jackson. The slight variation of my name pleased me more than I thought it would.
I gently swiped my tongue through her excitement, and she bucked her hips. I traced her lips with the tip of my tongue before pressing against her clit, blowing on the sensitive bundle of nerves before doing it again. And again. Tender. Slow. Just enough teasing to drive her wild.
Her soft moans were the sweetest sounds, and as I repeated my torture, I pinched her nipple. I wanted to manhandle her but was afraid she’d be thrown into the memory of what happened, so I kept my touch gentle but firm.
The more she writhed beneath me, the closer she came to exploding. I pushed two fingers into her at the same time that I fluttered my tongue over her clit. Up and down. Back and forth. Slow circles.
“What… what are you…? Oh… Jax.” She released my hair and gripped the covers, her breathing becoming sporadic. “Just like that… don’t… yes,” she whimpered, slowly rotating her hips, her body matching the rhythm of my tongue.
She took a deep breath and slammed her eyes closed at the same time that her mouth fell open.
Every muscle in her body seemed to lock up at the same time.
Her inner walls clenched against my fingers as I continued to stroke her.
Only once her breathing had slowed and she unclenched her fists did I remove my fingers, gliding them through her contentment one more time before dipping them into my mouth.
“Addictive,” I mumbled, the taste of her hardening my cock for another round.
I removed a condom from the drawer of the bedside table.
“Are you ready, or do you need more time?” I asked.
“I’m ready.” She pinched her nipples and widened her legs, her throaty groans sending a shot of possessiveness through me.
After sheathing myself, I pressed inside her, careful to go slowly in case her body reacted to her past trauma.
I studied her face, looking for any signs she wasn’t sure, but I didn’t see any.
I watched the way her body moved with mine, conscious of every flinch, every tremble.
I picked up the pace, confident she was enjoying this as much as I was.
But when I moved her hands into one of mine and held them above her head, the widening of her eyes made me stop moving.
“Are you okay? Because we can stop if you need—”
The look that crossed her face could only be described as annoyed. “Jackson, I love you, and I appreciate you being cautious, but you don’t need to be. I won’t break.”
I couldn’t focus on anything she said other than those three words.
“What did you say?” I asked, desperate for her to repeat them.
“Nothing,” she hurriedly replied, her cheeks flushing the sexiest shade of pink.
“No, you said—”
Her brows nearly hit her hairline. “I… I… I didn’t mean that the way it sounded… I don’t know…”
I tilted my head. “You don’t love me, then?”
Sophie’s eyes searched mine as if she was looking for the right answer. But I wanted her to speak from her heart.
“I do.”
“You do what?” I needed to hear her say the words once more.
Her hesitation was evident in her brief silence, but a moment later, she finally gave me what I craved.
“I do love you. And I’m exposing my heart right now, so please be gentle.”
“I promise.”
I wanted to shout those same words back to her and to tell her that since she’d come into my life, I had hope for a future I didn’t believe existed before her.
But while my heart swelled with a love I’d never felt before, my voice failed me.
It was as if the intensity of the moment rendered me speechless.
After all, how could three simple words encompass the depth of my emotions?