Chapter Fourteen
T ori fell asleep with Jeter’s arm under her head. Waking, it took her a moment to remember where she was. The feel of the hard body behind her brought back memories from the evening before.
She smiled, trying to stay still and not wake the man behind her.
“Mmm, you’re awake.”
His deep voice rumbled against her neck.
Tori shimmied into a more comfortable position, stopping at the feel of his erection bumping her ass.
“He’s always like that in the morning. Ignore him,” he said.
“Kind of hard to ignore a baseball bat poking you in the bum,” she joked.
“Hmm, I can feel you smiling, Vita Mia. Want to use that sassy mouth for something else?” he asked.
She thought of wrapping her lips around his dick and wanted to try it. However, she really needed to pee and brush her teeth. “I actually would like to do that, but I need to use the bathroom first.”
He chuckled and rolled onto his back. “I do, too. You go first.”
Tori eased off the side of the bed. Glancing back at Jeter, who lay on his back with one arm over his face, she took a moment to truly admire his sexy form. Six-pack abs. Check. Muscular arms with tattoos and veins that made her want to lick them. Check. And his thighs were thick and muscular, too. She swore there wasn’t an inch of fat on his frame, but the best part had to be his dick. It was nice and thick and long. He’d spoiled her for other men. When he’d said she needed to understand he was not into hitting and quitting it, she wanted to scream yes . She hoped he liked spider monkeys, because he’d find out really quick how much of a stage five clinger she might be.
“Are you going to go potty or stand there all day, Vita Mia? My dick is enjoying you staring at it, but I won’t be responsible for our actions if you stand there much longer,” he warned. His arm lifted from his face, peering up at her with those green eyes that saw too much.
She spun on her heel. “I was just admiring the view.”
He groaned, but she couldn’t hear what he said as she shut herself inside the bathroom.
At the sink, she stared at herself, wondering if she looked different from the day before. She pushed her cheeks up with her fingertips and laughed at the absurdity of her actions. Abandoning the mirror, she went into the little toilet room and did her business before coming out and washing her hands. No, she didn’t look different, but something fundamental had changed inside.
She pressed a hand to her chest. Her heartbeat with a steady thump beneath her palm. Yeah, being with Jeter certainly feels like her world shifted in ways she’d yet to see. Tori wasn’t sure how she’d move on if he walked out of her life tomorrow. Was she in love with the man? The notion that she could’ve fallen so deeply and quickly was wild, yet she’d heard of others who’d fallen in love at first sight. She would not put a label on what they had. For one, his life was on the West Coast, while hers was...well, she hadn’t set hers anywhere yet. Did he even want anything past this interlude with her?
“Don’t put the cart before the horse, Vittoria,” she admonished herself. With a renewed sense of purpose, she took her hair down from the mess it had fallen into. Using her fingers to comb it back and up, she pulled the mass into a messy bun.
A yawn escaped her as she stared at her reflection. There was a small mark on her neck. Her smile widened as she remembered when Jeter’s kisses and sucks had moved down her body. She lifted her hand, rubbing along the mark, and shivered at the feel of her touch.
Before getting lost in fantasies, she reached for her toothbrush and quickly brushed her teeth. Once she felt presentable, she turned and walked back out the door. She let out a little breath in the hallway before heading back down the hall toward Jeter. Her smile deepened as she saw him lying with his arm over his face. God was in a good mood the day he created Jeter.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked, grabbing a drink from the refrigerator.
“Mmm, I’ll grab one on my way back. Thank you for asking. You finished in the bathroom?” he asked, pulling his arm away and sitting up.
She took a drink of the orange juice. The tangy, sweet flavor burst over her tastebuds, giving her a much-needed energy rush. “Yep, all done. It’s all yours.”
He moved to the side of the bed, resting his arms on his knees, peering at her through half-closed eyes. If she thought he was sexy before, he proved he could be sexier.
Jeter got up from the bed. His graceful movements amazed her with how fluid his body moved for such a large man. One would think he’d lumber about, but no, he was light on his feet, each step more like a predator stalking his prey than a marauder ready to destroy. Although she didn’t doubt he could do both.
He paused before her, softly brushing his thumb along her bottom lip. The action made her tense as need throbbed between her thighs. Jeter growled, stepped back, and continued walking toward the bathroom.
“You’re like my drug of choice, Tori. I think I could get addicted to you easily if I don’t watch myself.” He stopped at the doorway, bracing the frame with his arms. Looking over, he gave her a heated look.
Her lip tingled from his touch. “Trust me, that goes both ways. You have this way about you that knocks all the strength and will right out from under me. I’m literally a puddle of goo at your feet.”
Before she could say anything else, he shook his head. “Don’t give me that power, Vita Mia. I’ll own every inch of you. Fuck. I can’t stop thinking what it means to have you as mine,” he growled.
She opened her mouth, then closed it as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door with a quiet click. Her hand came up, feeling the steady thump of her heart beating the same as she’d felt earlier. The man was going to drive her insane with his words and actions. Tori thought of the possessive way he’d looked at her. “At least I’m not alone in this madness,” she whispered.
She gulped down the rest of her juice. A cough seized her as some liquid went down the wrong path. Her eyes watered. She worked to clear her throat, thinking about the naughty promise she’d made to Jeter before she’d left the bed.
The closed bathroom door mocked her. Would he want her after he came out? Should she go back to bed? Tori had never been in a situation where she knew the proper protocol for after-sex things. Hell, she was sure there wasn’t a manual for her life, period.
“You’re thinking too hard, Vita Mia.” His voice interrupted her thoughts.
She turned her head in his direction, surprised to find him within arm’s length of her. Again, his quiet movements worked in his favor. Or maybe she could claim insanity due to his distraction.
“Is that really a thing? You know, thinking too hard?” She tried to smile and make light of their words. However, the crazy woman in her found it more difficult than she thought possible, with him moving closer and his scent filling her senses. Yes, that was her excuse. He was too close, and he smelled too damn good.
Shit fire. How the hell does he do that? How did he scramble her brain without doing anything except exist?
“For most people, I’d say no, but in your case...I wouldn’t doubt for a single second you couldn’t do some damage with a little time inside your mind. If I were a betting man, I have a feeling you’ve thought up half a dozen bullshit scenarios on why we don’t fit together. And another half a dozen bullshit reasons you think you should run in the opposite direction as me.”
JETER WATCHED HER FACE as he spoke. Tori had one of the most telling expressions he’d ever seen. Hell, if the woman ever went to a casino, he’d spank her damn ass because she’d lose every penny she walked in with unless she played only the slots.
Tori licked her lips, making his dick jerk. “Baby, you are honestly making it harder than fuck for me to keep my hands to myself.”
“What do you mean?” She held her hand up. “Before you answer that, let me set you straight on what you said earlier. I wasn’t thinking of reasons I, or we, shouldn’t be together. No, don’t shake your head. Jeez, you don’t know me at all if that’s what you think.”
She spun on her heel, tossed the plastic bottle in the trash, then cursed. He admired her ass when she bent and plucked the bottle out of the bin and put it into the recycling container. FuckingA. She was too damn sexy when pissed. Her face held a rosy hue, reminding him of how she’d looked when he’d made her come.
He reached out, stopping her from storming around him. “Alright, I’m sorry. You had this pensive look on your face. I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion. The last thing I want to do is fight with you. Honestly, I was hoping if I blurted what I thought was on your mind, I could put you at ease.”
Jeter tugged her in front of him. The small light next to the bed lit the room, and a soft glow from the kitchen gave an added glow.
The feel of her hand skimming up his chest made him shake his head. He leaned closer until his lips were next to her ear. “Tell me what you were thinking about, Vita Mia,” he breathed over the shell, flicking his tongue out to taste her skin.
Her little shiver delighted him. She settled more fully against his frame, easing his nerves a bit.
“This is all new to me. You know, waking up next to a man and knowing what to say or do. It’s unchartered territory for me. Add in the reality of our situation and our surroundings, and I was wondering what you expected.”
Jeter wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands at the small of her back. Jesus, he was an ass. Of course, he should’ve known she might’ve been off-kilter this morning. Hell, without coffee usually meant he was a bear, which wasn’t an excuse for being a dick, but his mind didn’t function without the caffeine hit.
“There’s no protocol or normal thing to do when it comes to you and me, baby. This isn’t something I’m used to, either. Obviously, I’ve slept with women, but I’ve never wanted to wake up and do the domestic thing like this with them. Like I told you last night, this thing with you and me is unchartered territory for me, too. I enjoyed waking up with you next to me. We’ll figure out what comes naturally to us. Going to the bathroom was a necessity this morning, clearly,” he said, chuckling at her look of shock.
“Hey, I downed a bottle of water like six hours ago. It’s not my fault my bladder decided it needed to empty.” She pinched his side and mumbled.
“What was that?” he asked, grabbing her right hand as she tried to pinch him again.
She glared up at him. “You seriously have zero fat on your body. How is that fair?”
He grinned down at her. “I have something you can pinch if you want—”
Tori sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, making him groan.
“Woman, you’re trying to kill me. I was joking.” He wrapped his arms back around her, trying to halt her movements by sheer force.
She took a deep breath, letting it out against his chest. He felt every nerve on his body rise with that puff of air. Jeter spun them and placed her on the counter, so she was closer to his height.
“You’re really sexy when you get all bossy and growly,” she gasped.
He covered her sassy mouth with his. She turned him to mush, making his mind go numb. When he eased back and looked at her, it took a moment for his eyes to focus properly. He touched her forehead with his. They both were panting. “You’re sexy all the damn time.”
“What is the plan for today?” she asked. Her legs locked around his waist, bringing their lower halves together.
His gaze drilled into hers. Trying to penetrate through her mind. He wished he were a mind reader and a seer of the future in times like these. Truth and honesty were traits he valued. Tori exuded both, and he’d give as good as he took.
“My brother should have some answers. If he doesn’t, I think it would be a good idea to disappear from this vicinity and regroup. Whoever shot at us has to know one or both of our identities. Do you have security at your place?” he asked.
She froze. He didn’t allow her to slip from his hold.
“Are you thinking they might’ve gone to my apartment looking for me?” she asked. Her voice trembled.
He hated that he was the one who caused her to be upset. Yet there was no way he’d pussyfoot around the truth. He gave a nod.
“If it were you who was the target, then yes, there’s a high probability they’d have gone to your home,” he explained.