Chapter Twenty-One
Gage
I sense her before I open my eyes—can feel the weight of her lush body against mine. The scent of her cherry blossom shampoo fills my lungs with each breath as my nose presses deeper into her hair. I want this smell to be bottled in an oxygen tank, so it’s the only thing I ever have to breathe. The only sound she makes is the soft inhale and exhale as she sleeps. Our bodies are tangled together—hers supple and soft against my hard angles as she lays on my shoulder. When feeling her isn’t enough, I open my eyes.
There she is.
Waking up to see Jill in my bed feels like the universe finally makes sense. She’s mine, whether she wants to admit it to herself or not. After fantasizing what it would be like to have Jill be the first thing I see when I open my eyes in the morning, the real thing is so much fucking better. It’s unreal.
She’s unreal.
There’s nothing more beautiful than Jill when she’s fired up and blazing through the world, but there’s something about watching her sleep. She’s peaceful, innocent, and delicate—but not weak, never weak.
I like looking at her this closely. I can lay here and count every one of her long, dark eyelashes. I can trace the pout of her full parted lips and feel how many breaths pass through them. I can see the tiny heart-shaped freckle on her left, makeup-free cheek.
This is where she belongs—in my home, in my bed, in my arms. Soon, we’ll be lying in our home, in our bed. We can live here if she likes this house. If she wants to live somewhere else, I’ll buy her whatever house she wants—a penthouse, a townhouse, a mansion in Winnetka. Hell, I’ll even buy her a permanent residence in The Raven so she can hang out with Lana all day. It might take me a few hands of poker, but I’ll give Jill her every whim. My girl loves to live life on her whims.
Jill’s eyes haven’t opened yet when she murmurs, “I can feel you staring.”
“You’re stunning. It’s easy to stare,” I respond, unrepentant. Her lashes flutter slightly before she opens those haunting green eyes of hers and fixes them on me. Having her eyes on me makes me feel like the most powerful man in the world.
I fucking like it.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” I press a kiss to her forehead.
“Oh yeah? What’s so great about it?” she grumbles, making me bite back a smile. She’s grumpy this morning, and it’s fucking adorable. Last night took a lot out of her. I can see the shadows of fatigue under her eyes.
“I’m waking up next to you. I’d say that makes it a pretty good morning,” I state with a smirk.
“Yeah, well. Last night was…” She trails off, not sure what else to say. I wait patiently for her to continue, but she doesn’t like my attentive expression. Her eyes narrow at me slightly as she flashes me a look. All vulnerability from last night has vanished with the sunrise. “I’m fine.”
“I know you are.” It’s the truth. Her breakdown, needed or not, was out of character for her, and she’s fighting the need to be back in control.
She doesn’t like when she shows vulnerability, but I do. I like that she came to me, cried to me. I was the one she wanted in her most vulnerable state, the one she needed. I like her needing me. I plan on keeping it that way.
She wants control, I’ll give it to her.
“Forget about that,” I say, rolling over until she’s on top of me. The raging erection I’ve had since she climbed into my bed presses between her legs as she straddles me, making her gasp. “Say good morning to me properly, and I’ll cook you breakfast.”
Jill looks down at me with a sexy smile that drives me crazy, rocking her full hips against me to have my cock rub against her clit. Even through her panties and my sweats, I can feel the heat of her. “Oh really? What will you cook for me?”
She reaches for the hem of her little t-shirt and pulls it over her head, letting her full breasts spill free. My eyes zero in on them, my brain short-circuiting momentarily. “Anything you fucking want,” I rasp, grabbing onto her hips. I’ll give her anything she wants. My fingers sink into the flesh as I hold on for dear life, reveling in the full weight of her pressing down on me. I want to feel all of her slamming down on my cock.
“Mmmm, I like the sound of that,” she hums, the spark in her eyes so breathtaking I almost nut on the spot. Then she reaches down to run her hand over my length through my pants, and it takes everything in me not to buck off the bed.
Goddamn.
Jill toys with me through the material for a torturous moment until my hands are clamped so hard on her hips I’m sure they’ll leave bruises—something we’re both happy about. Finally, she pulls my pants down to let my cock spring free. A bead of precum glistens at the top, more than ready to be inside her hot little pussy.
She wraps a hand around the head of my rock-hard cock, running a finger over the slit to spread the precum around the broad tip before pumping a hand down my shaft. My teeth clench as I fight against the urge to take over and fuck the shit out of her. But my patience only lasts so long.
“Inside you. Now.” There’s no mistaking the desperation in my voice, and it makes her smile. She scootches back onto my legs and leans forward. Her smile turns devious as she lowers to lick the tip of my cock.
“Like this?” Her lips wrap around me, and my shaft disappears into her hot mouth, those big green eyes gazing up at me like a siren. My hands fist the sheets at my sides until my knuckles turn white.
Christ.
Her tongue swirls around the sensitive tip before sucking the soul right out of my body. My hands clamp onto her head and thread through her hair, fisting to pull her head up. If she doesn’t stop, this is going to be over a lot faster than either of us wants. Jill releases the crown with a pop, the sinful smile returning to her full lips.
She’s trying to kill me.
But, fuck, that smile gives me life.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She feigns remorse as she crawls forward and rises up on her knees. Wrapping her hand around my erection, she guides it between her thick thighs. Tugging her panties to the side, she lowers herself to slide in just the tip. She’s already so wet and swollen for me. “I didn’t even say it, did I?”
Leaning forward to brace herself on my chest, she lowers until she’s fully seated and filled to the hilt. I release a groan—her tight, perfect pussy gripping me like a vice. She lets out a breathy moan, her next words said with a sigh. “Good morning.”
The unexpected knock at my door around noon has irritation bubbling inside me. This is only the third time I’ve convinced Jill to stay over after the night she showed up crying last week, and I don’t like our time being interrupted. The last thing I need is her getting spooked and pulling away from me again.
After trying to ignore the unwelcome visitor, the knocking turns more persistent until they’re all but trying to kick the door down. Keeping my loaded gun tucked into the waistband of my jeans, I leave Jill in my room to go handle whoever’s disrupting our morning.
The banging persists until I turn the deadbolt and yank the door open. A hand with long red fingernails remains raised mid-knock, almost at my eye level. I look down the hand to meet determined brown eyes.
“Finally,” the older woman says, pulling her hand back and gesturing to me wildly. “Don’t just stand there. Let us in.” My eyes move past her teased black hair to the older man standing silently behind her. He stares at me quietly, his thick, dark brows in a perpetual scowl.
“What are you two doing here?” I look back at the stubborn woman still staring at me expectantly. Connie Lawless lifts her brows, threatening to push past me if I don’t step aside.
“I want to meet her,” my mom states. I look over her head at my dad again, but his stern expression remains as he nods to his wife.
“She wants to meet her,” he says simply.
“I want to meet her,” my mom repeats.
“What makes you think she’s here right now?”
“Woman’s intuition.”
“How do you even know—” My words cut off as it occurs to me. Stevie. “I’m going to fucking fire her,” I growl.
“Are you going to step aside? Or do I have to find my own way in?”
Seeing that neither of them is going to give this up, I exhale a heavy breath through my nose and step aside to let them in. My parents enter the house, and I make sure to herd them into the living room. I wouldn’t put it past my mom to go room to room until she’s tracked Jill down.
“Wait here,” I say, pointing to the couch. Dad sits on the couch and leans back to get comfortable, but Mom remains standing. She crosses her arms and raises her brows at me.
“Why, so you can sneak her out the back?” she accuses. I throw her a dirty look.
“What am I, fifteen?” I retort. “I’ll go get her. She’s not exactly expecting to meet my parents today.” I just barely convinced Jill to spend time with me. She’s probably going to skin me alive when she finds out they’re here right now.
Fuck.
“Just hurry up. I need to see what’s so special about this woman.”
“You better watch yourself,” I warn, turning to leave the room.
“Relax, I’m not going to hurt her or anything,” my mom says behind me.
“I can’t promise the same from Jill,” I say over my shoulder as I walk towards the hallway. My mom laughs at that, her raspy voice cracking.
“I like the sound of her already.”
Walking back to the bedroom feels like I’m walking into the lion’s den. Jill’s in the ensuite bathroom, putting on her makeup. Sensing my presence in the doorway, she glances over at me before returning her focus to her reflection.
“Was someone at the door?” she asks distractedly, her gorgeous ass sticking out as she leans over the counter to get closer to the mirror while swiping on her mascara.
“Yeah.” I let out a heavy breath and steel myself. “They’re here to meet you.”
“Meet me?” Her hand pauses mid-swipe, and she straightens, her tone turning suspicious. “Who?”
“My parents.” Those stunning green eyes of hers widen slightly in surprise, anger sparking in her gaze as her tone turns accusing.
“Your parents? Your parents.” She gestures to her bare legs. “I’m not wearing pants, Gage.”
She doesn’t have a single pair of pants at my place, just her dress from last night and the t-shirt she brought to sleep in. I glance down at Jill’s shapely long legs and how her oversized shirt stops high on her thick thighs. Her bare legs are nothing compared to how my parents have seen other women in the past.
Flashback to when I was nineteen, and they walked into my apartment while I was balls-deep in some blonde chick because I wasn’t answering their calls. My mom had offered the girl—I don’t even remember her name—a hair tie and said she liked her boob job while I was still inside her.
At least this time they fucking knocked.
“They don’t give a shit about that.” Her eyes narrow. “I’ll make it up to you, baby. I promise.”
“We’ll talk about this later.”
A smile spreads across my face as she straightens her shoulders and struts past me down the hallway toward the living room. I follow behind her, grinning from ear to ear.
Walking into a room with my parents, or even just one of them, isn’t for the weak. Intimidating isn’t a strong enough word to describe the experience, or so I’ve been told.
Jill doesn’t hesitate before striding into the living room. My mom is standing by the fireplace, looking at the pictures I have on the mantle. Dad is still sitting on the couch, arms crossed, as he watches my mom snoop around.
“Gage says you’re here to meet me.” Jill’s voice catches my parent’s attention. “I’m Jill.”
“This is my mom, Connie, and that’s my dad, Dwayne.”
“So you’re the woman my son is obsessed with.” I cut my mom with a look, but she shrugs it off. “What? Are you not?” She looks back at Jill. “Let me have a look at you.”
“You’re seeing more of me than I usually show total strangers.” The look Jill flashes me says I’m in for a world of hurt later and it shoots straight to my cock. When my parents leave, I’m going to fuck that anger right out of her. Or better yet, I’m going to have her fuck me using all of that rage.
“Oh please, your outfit is practically PG compared to the things I’ve seen. And you’ve got good legs, pants are overrated.” My mom waves it off. I walk over to the sectional and sit down on the sofa before reaching out to grab Jill’s hips. My fingers sink into her thighs as I pull her onto my lap. She glances back at me, her eyes sharp as she considers whether or not she’s going to stay where I put her. I just smile and tighten my hold on her.
Watching Jill talk to my parents has pride swelling inside me. Not only does she hold her own against tornado Connie, but they’re laughing together. She even gets my dad—always so stoic and serious—to crack a smile.
My parents spend the entire afternoon at my place, overstaying their welcome like usual. After a few hours, Jill excuses herself to go get her things so she can leave to get ready for work tonight.
After tugging on her dress from last night, Jill tries to slip out while I’m distracted by my mom trying to rearrange my kitchen cabinets. Ignoring the dishes spread on the counter, I don’t let her escape so easily. When I catch up to her, she’s almost at her car with her keys in her hand.
“Not so fast.” I snag her by the waist, pressing her up against her car. “Don’t think you can sneak away from me, little devil.”
“You better get back in there before Connie decides to go through your room,” she says, nodding to the house behind me.
“I don’t know why you keep trying to deny what’s so obvious.” My eyes hold hers, refusing to be the first to look away. She meets my gaze head-on, unafraid.
“What’s obvious?”
“Us,” I state. “We belong together, Jill.” She raises her brows in feigned confusion.
“Do we?”
“Yes.”
“You want to convince me?” I nod. “Give it your best shot, Lawless. Show me what you’ve got.” With that, she climbs into her car and drives away. I watch until her car disappears around the corner.
Her words of challenge spark something inside me. She has no idea who she’s dealing with. Jill expects me to just try and fuck her into submission. The thought has occurred to me, but I’m not nearly dumb enough to think that’s all it would take to get around my girl’s stubbornness.
She wants to see what I’ve got? I’ll show her exactly what I’m capable of.
And I’m going to savor it.