Chapter 20
JAKE
I’m losing my fucking mind.
She’s here… just a few doors down. Sleeping while I lie here, staring at the ceiling and craving her like a goddamn addict.
We spent the whole day playing house, cooking, swimming… laughing. And fuck, it felt real. Not like some temporary dream, but like a glimpse of forever. Like this brilliant, stubborn woman could actually be mine.
I’ve never felt more alive than I did with her in my space, moving through my home like she belonged… because she does.
But somewhere between the laughter and the sunset, those sweet, innocent thoughts turned dark, lust curling through me like smoke. All because I suggested a swim in the heated pool.
She hesitated. Chewed her lip, then nodded.
And when she walked out in that black one-piece… conservative, modest, like she was trying to hide from me… I damn near lost it.
She was self-conscious. I saw it—felt it in every glance before she darted away from me. But Jesus Christ… I’ve never been so hard in my life.
Every curve, every soft inch of that gorgeous body she tried to shrink down, felt mine in every way that mattered. And she doesn’t even know.
I couldn’t stop looking. Couldn’t stop wanting.
But I kept my promise—gave her space… let her breathe. Pushing now would send her running, and I’d rather rip my own heart out than watch her walk away again.
Will, the romantic idiot, said I should “accidentally” make it a one-bed situation. Typical. But she's not just anyone.
I thought about it. God, did I think about it. But I’m not Will, and she’s not just anyone.
She’s it, the woman I want beside me for the rest of this ridiculously short life.
So, I did the right thing. I offered her the guest room a few doors down. She accepted with a soft smile and zero hesitation.
Still, when I kissed her goodnight, I made sure she knew, really knew, I was right there if she needed anything. Anything at all.
Please, Fangirl. Need something. Because God knows… I need you.
And now? Knowing she’s just down the hall, skin still warm from the sun, smelling like coconut and sunshine?
It’s fucking torture.
I shift restlessly, groaning into the dark. My cock’s been half-hard for hours, aching in that slow, constant way that’s impossible to ignore.
But I grit my teeth and try like hell to find some control.
Because if I walk down that hall right now… if I touch her the way I want to… there won’t be any turning back.
And then the door creaks open.
I freeze, my breath locked in my chest, and there she is.
Barefoot. Standing in the doorway. A thin tank top clinging to every curve, tiny sleep shorts riding up her soft, plush thighs, leaving miles of skin exposed. Christ, she was made to ruin me.
Fuck me.
“Can’t sleep?” My voice is barely more than a growl.
She shakes her head, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “No.”
That’s it. One word, but it’s enough.
I can see it. The way she’s breathing too fast, her chest rising and falling like she’s barely holding it together. The way her nipples pebble against the fabric. The way her thighs press tight like she’s fighting every instinct screaming at her to move.
And Christ… I want her. No, I need her.
Every muscle in my body is strung tight as I sit up slowly, my eyes never leaving hers.
“Come here.” I don’t move, giving her the choice. Let her choose me.
She hesitates, just for a heartbeat, before taking one step. Then another.
Until she’s right there, standing between my open legs, looking down at me like she’s caught between running… or crawling right into my skin.
Her fingers tremble as she rests them on my shoulders, and for a moment, all I want is for time to stand still. To memorize the look in her eyes before she realizes I’m just a guy who’s never been this sure or this terrified.
“Say it,” I rasp. “Say what you want, Fangirl.”
Her throat works, her breath hitching. “I want… you.”
That’s it. That’s all I need.
My hands are on her before the last word even leaves her mouth, my fingers digging into her hips as I surge to my feet, flushing her body against mine and making damn sure she feels just how hard I am for her.
“You sure?” I whisper, my voice shaking with the effort not to take her right here. “Because once I touch you… there’s no going back.”
She nods with glassy eyes as her lips part. “Yes… God, yes. I want you.”
Fuck.
I exhale hard, tipping her chin up until those wide, terrified, beautiful eyes meet mine. “Bed. Now.”
She backs up slowly, not breaking eye contact. And then she’s climbing on the bed, settling on her back, staring up at me like I’m the only thing in her world.
And fuck… she’s mine.
I crawl over her, caging her in, breathing her in like she’s the air I need.
Our lips crash—slow at first, like we’ve both been starving for this. For each other.
My tongue sweeps into her mouth, tasting every gasp and soft moan. She arches into me, her hips rising instinctively, and I groan deep and guttural.
“Fuck, love… you feel incredible.”
My hands roam everywhere—palming her thighs, tracing her curves, greedy for every inch of skin. When I reach the hem of her tank top, my voice drops to a growl.
“Off. Now.”
She lifts her arms without hesitation, and I peel it off, tossing it somewhere behind me. My breath catches.
Jesus fucking Christ!
Her tits are perfect. Full, soft, begging for my mouth. I don’t resist.
I dive in, dragging my tongue over one tight nipple before sucking it deep into my mouth. She gasps, arching like she’s offering herself up. Her fingers thread through my hair, her nails scratching lightly.
“Jake—oh god…”
I love that even lost in her pleasure, she calls me Jake. She’s accepting me now, and she wants me—all sides of me.
The thought makes me grin against her skin, nipping until she whimpers. “That’s it, Fangirl. Let me hear you.”
I give her other nipple the same attention, licking and sucking until she’s writhing beneath me, her body already trembling.
My cock is painfully hard, leaking against my boxers, but I’m not rushing this. I want her trembling, begging.
I trail kisses down her stomach, lingering, nipping, tasting, until I reach the waistband of her shorts. My fingers hook in, ready.
She freezes.
I glance up. “Say stop, and I’ll walk away. Even if it kills me.” I say that while begging every god willing to listen that she doesn't because no amount of cold showers could quiet my desire for this woman.
For a split second, the world hangs still. My heart’s hammering so hard it hurts, waiting for the word that’ll gut me. Please, God… don’t let her say it. I’m not sure I’ll survive if she pulls away now.
Her eyes burn into mine as she shakes her head. “No. Don’t stop. Please.”
Thank you!
I growl and drag the shorts down slowly, revealing soft skin, smooth thighs, and the prettiest lace panties I’ve ever seen. My cock twitches.
“You’re killing me,” I whisper, running my nose along the inside of her thigh, breathing her in.
I should go slow. I should savor her. But one taste, and I know I'll never have enough. Never. But then I see it, the dark patch of arousal soaking through the lace.
“Fuck, baby… you’re soaked for me.” I yank her panties down and toss them aside before spreading her thighs wide, staring like a man mesmerized. “Beautiful,” I murmur, and then I’m tasting her.
The first swipe of my tongue has her gasping, her hips jerking.
“Jake!”
I groan, eating her like it’s the only thing keeping me alive. My tongue plunges deep, then circles slowly and lazily around her clit until she’s panting, her fingers clutching the sheets.
“Please… oh god… Jake—”
I don’t stop. I suck her clit between my lips, flicking it with my tongue until she’s trembling and breaking apart beneath me.
She comes hard, crying out my name, her thighs shaking around my face as I hold her down and take every drop.
When she collapses, limp and boneless against the bed, I finally pull back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
I look at her, flushed, wrecked, and utterly gorgeous, and something wild curls low in my gut. I feel like a fucking hero standing on the battlefield. Like Anlon, victorious after conquering the Southern Kingdom.
And hell… I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face.
Oh, I conquered the South Kingdom, all right. My woman’s. And I’m ready to do it again. And again.
But not right now.
“Fuck,” I growl. “I need to be inside you. Now.”
I strip off my boxers, my hard cock aching and leaking. I line up, pressing the tip against her entrance, pausing and forcing myself to breathe.
“Look at me, Fangirl.”
Her eyes flutter open wide, glassy, vulnerable, but most of all, full of love.
“I love you,” I whisper. “I need you to know that… before I lose my goddamn mind.”
Then I push in. Slow, steady, stretching her inch by fucking inch until I’m buried to the hilt.
It hits me like a freight train. This isn’t just sex. It’s her. It’s home. Every restless night, every lonely morning… crashing into this one moment. Fuck, I don’t ever want to leave this place. This feeling. Her.
We both groan, shaking from the intensity.
“Jesus… you’re perfect,” I rasp, fighting for control.
“Move,” she breathes out, trying to raise her hips. “Please… Jake, move.”
I pull back slowly, almost out, then slam back in, setting a rhythm that has us both gasping.
Her blunt nails rake down my back, her hips rising to meet every thrust, every stroke driving me closer to the edge.
“Fuck. Yes, Jake!”
“That’s it, baby. Take it. Take all of me. Oh, you’re taking me so well.”
I reach between us, rubbing tight circles on her clit, pushing her higher, harder until she shatters again, screaming my name, coming apart around me.
The second she does, I follow, groaning her name as I come hard, burying myself deep.
We shake together, clinging to each other like the world might fall away.
I collapse on top of her, pressing kisses everywhere: her neck, her shoulder, the sweet curve of her jaw.
“I love you. I’m crazy about you,” I whisper. “You’re mine, Amy. Always.”
She smiles, dazed and breathless. “Yours. Always.”
And for the first time… I know life will never be the same.
She laughs softly as I nuzzle against her neck, pressing lazy kisses to her skin like I’ll never stop. “You’re heavy,” she whispers, grinning.
I huff a laugh but don’t move. “Get used to it. This is where I’m staying.”
She hums and threads her fingers through my hair. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you love me for it,” I murmur, smiling against her skin.
“I do. I love you, Jake, Eli, and all you are.”
I tighten my hold on her because those words… they’re everything.
She’s everything.
“You’re my whole damn life, Fangirl.”
She hums softly, the sound sinking deep into my bones. “We’re a mess, huh?”
I chuckle, pressing one last kiss to her shoulder. “Yeah… but we’re our mess.”
Her laugh is sleepy. “Don’t let go.”
“Never,” I promise. “Sleep, love. I’ve got you.”
And as her breathing evens out, soft and steady beneath me, I realize… For the first time in my life, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. With her. Always her.