Chapter Twenty One
T he next day, she woke up in bed alone. The pillow beside her was cold. She arched her back. Her body ached in several places from yesterday, but the loving Jeter had shown her once they’d said goodnight to Kendrick made her forget everything else.
A small yellow note on the bed caught her attention. Rolling over, she reached for the piece of sticky note. In a very masculine scrawl, she read what Jeter left her. The man continued to surprise her in the best of ways.
Amore mio, on the table next to you, I left a couple of ibuprofen for you to take. The doctor said you should take them even if you don’t think you should, so please do this for me. There’s also a bottle of orange juice next to it. Hopefully, it’ll still be cold when you wake up. If not, come down to the kitchen and grab one out of the largest monstrosities I’ve ever seen in a bachelor pad. And in case I haven’t told you lately, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me. Love, Jeter.
She pressed the note to her chest. They hadn’t said the words, but in her heart, she knew she was in love with Jeter. They’d danced around the words. There had been some veiled mentions but no outright declarations. Did she need to hear the words? The question wasn’t cut and dried. Yes, she wanted them, but needing to hear wasn’t the same if she knew the man she loved felt them. “I have time.” She rolled to the side of the bed to find where he'd put the medicine. The orange juice felt cool, so she got two ibuprofen out and swallowed them with a healthy swig of juice.
Her stomach gave a rumble—the much-needed reminder she hadn’t eaten anything since the breakfast burritos yesterday.
She looked around the room for something other than the bloody shirt and leggings she’d worn yesterday. Her eyes located both their luggage inside the open closet, nearly making her do a little jig. If she didn’t fear it would make her head pound, she’d have jumped for joy.
Walking around the large four-poster bed and into the equally big closet, Tori ran her hand along the beautiful wood. Their New York home had been similar but not as authentic and old. Kendrick’s Chicago mansion had to be worth millions. The woman who left him at the altar had been an idiot. The man was gorgeous, kind, and loaded. Not that she saw him as anything other than an older brother, unlike Jeter. God, she never imagined the feelings that man invoked in her.
There were clothes hung in the closet already, making her curious. She shuffled through some tops, stopping as she realized they looked like things Jeter would wear. There were black T-shirts and a lot of denim jeans. His suits were nice but not what she’d seen on his brother. No, Kendrick, she’d imagine, would be very picky and specific about his cut and tailoring, while Jeter, she’d bet, wouldn’t be.
Grabbing one of the black shirts, she pulled it to her nose. The familiar scent made her smile.
“Good morning, Vita Mia. You look beautiful, as usual.”
She turned at the sound of Jeter’s voice, knowing her entire body had to be as red as a firecracker. Dammit, why the hell hadn’t she heard him come in? “Hey,” she croaked, letting the shirt fall back into place. “I was trying to figure out whose stuff this was.”
The explanation sounded lame to her ears.
His eyes pinned her where she stood with their hungry look as he strolled into the enclosed space. “I keep a closet of clothes here and at my mother’s house. Of course, this is where I stay when I come to town since Kendrick’s place is more...open.”
Her mind raced to think up a witty reply. Nothing came to mind that wouldn’t make her sound like a jealous bitch.
“Have you found out anything about yesterday or from the shooting?” Keeping her focus on the issues would help her control the raging hormones Jeter set free.
Jeter didn’t answer right away. His laser focus zeroed in on her face like he could see into her soul. Tori didn’t think she could get any more embarrassed than getting caught with her hand literally caressing the man’s clothing like some stalker. Yet, she hoped she wasn’t as transparent as she felt.
He bent his head, holding her stare, and captured her lips while keeping his eyes open. The kiss fueled desire that only Jeter pulled from her. For the longest time, Tori thought she was broken or maybe not a sexual person. With him, she became a woman willing to give herself to a man with total control and abandon. Not any man, one man. Jeter.
“You make me forget all sense and reason the second I lay eyes on you, Vita Mia,” he breathed against her lips, pulling back.
Her hands held his shirt in tight fists as she stared at him. “That’s good since I seem to lose every ounce of self-control around you.”
With her words, he finally pulled his hands out of his pockets and wrapped one arm around her. “Your trust and surrender gives us balance, baby. From the moment I laid eyes on you standing behind that bar, there was an undeniable connection that drew me to you. There is no doubt in my mind what I feel, what we have, is rare, pure, and a hundred percent solid. Tell me you feel it, too.”
Her eyes burned with unshed tears. His heartfelt declaration confirmed exactly how she felt. “Yes. All that is exactly what is in my heart. Only you said it so much more eloquently than I ever could.”
“Don’t repeat that to my brothers, or they’ll think I’ve gone soft.” He smiled down at her.
She stood up on her tiptoes. “Your secret is safe with me, Tesoro.”
He lifted her, locking his arms around her ass as he swung them around and sat on the bench in the center of the closet. She straddled his thighs, tilting her head to the side to deepen the kiss, her tongue dueling with his inside her mouth.
“I need you,” he growled.
She pulled back. The same desire written on his face licked throughout her body. “Take me.”
FUCK. ME. ALL TO HELL . She was going to kill him. Jeter lifted Tori slightly so he could open his jeans, shoving them down his thighs. As his cock sprang free, his breath whooshed out of him like he’d been holding it for minutes. He worked to implement his military training, needing to gather control, or knew he’d end up shoving his dick straight up to his own personal paradise—deep inside Tori. Jeter would kick his own ass if her readiness and pleasure didn’t come first.
Taking a deep inhale for four seconds, followed by an exhale of four seconds, repeated several times, allowed him the ability to calm down. Within a minute, the urge to rip her panties off and bury himself in one stroke subsided. Thank you, Uncle Sam, for teaching him such an extremely simple yet effective technique. They called it the four-by-four breathing method. Usually, they do it for a minute to calm nerves and anxiety during water training and other exercises. He’d implemented the breathing steps many times after he’d left his team and returned to the real world. Not only did he feel calmer, but he also felt physical changes.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, stroking his chest.
He swallowed, knowing he’d have to tell her about his time in the military one day. “I’m good. Just needed a minute to calm down so I didn’t hurt you.”
Her smile brightened his cold heart. “Well, I don’t think one part of you is all that calm.”
Her pussy rocked on his cock. The only thing separating them was a thin scrap of material. “Have no fear, woman. That thing will always be hard if you’re near. Panties off, or I’m liable to rip them in half.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Do it. These are past their wear date.”
Heat flared up his neck at her words. He grabbed the flimsy piece of material on one side of her hips and pulled, watching her face as the material ripped. Grabbing the other side, he repeated the steps and then pulled the fabric from between her thighs. He held the material between them. “I’m saving these for our memory box.”
Her laughter filled the room as he grabbed her hips and swept his fingers through her folds. She shuddered and ripped her top off.
“I love it when you touch me, Jeter.”
“Do you want me to finger fuck your tight little pussy or would you rather I fuck you with my dick?” he asked her, locking their eyes as he spoke.
Tori’s mouth opened in a surprised gasp. “Oh, my god. That. All that. Wait, I want your cock. Please,” she begged.
He brought his fingers back, licked them because he loved her taste, and then he pushed inside while pulling her down.
“Get ready to ride me, Vita Mia. I want to feel you come all over my dick. I’m going to fuck you so hard you’re going to have a constant remembrance of me all day when you move.” His hands lifted and pulled. His hips rose, meeting hers, thrusting in tandem.
“Jeter, it’s too much. Oh god, you feel bigger like this,” she cried.
Tilting his hips forward, he slammed up into her, changing the angle, sliding over her clit with each stroke. Her inner muscles clamped down on him.
“That’s it, baby. Give it to me. Fuck me,” he yelled.
She tossed her head back, lost in ecstasy. He nearly came with her as she called his name over and over.
Once the strangling of her pussy relaxed, he moved, lying her down on the padded leather bench. He leaned over her, one leg on the floor, one between her thighs.
Jeter stared down at Tori and pulled her right leg over his. Opening her up for him. “Ready for more?”
He didn’t give her a chance to answer, knowing she was with him all the way. His woman reached for him, her arms sliding around his back, nails digging in and marking his flesh.
Pain and pleasure combined, making it hard for him to keep from racing toward orgasm. This time, he’d take her with him.
Her hips tilted up, meeting his thrusts, taking every inch of him without stopping. Jeter ran his palm up her chest and pinched one of her nipples, bending to suck the bud into his mouth. “You’re so damn beautiful, Vittoria.”
“I love you, Jeter,” she whispered.
His hips slammed harder inside of her. He pressed their bodies together and touched his forehead against hers. He looked Tori in the eyes. Inches apart, locked together from their head to their toes. He felt his orgasm building from the intensity of such a monumental moment. Hell, he’d swear his cock pulsed as if he had a mind of his own.
“Say it again, Vita Mia,” he breathed against her lips.
She blinked. Her lashes nearly touched his with their length. “I said I love you.”
He stilled her hips from wiggling, worried he’d come if she didn’t stop moving. No way in hell he’d leave her behind.
“I fucking love you more than I ever thought possible. Vorrei fare l’amore con te for the rest of my life.” Telling Tori he wanted to make love to her for the rest of his life was huge. He wanted her to wear his ring, his name, and one day, carry his children.
“Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”
Jeter lifted his head. “No dreams can be as good as this. My mother once told us we’d know when we found our soulmate when we couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning. I asked her what she meant, and she said that she always wanted to see our father first because reality was much better than any dream could ever be. That, she said, was true love. I get it. When I woke up this morning, I hated leaving you when you were sleeping, but I knew I had to get some stuff sorted. Kendrick gave me shit the entire time because he said I was being a dick.” He shifted inside her. Sliding in and out in a slow glide.
Tori moaned. “Your mother sounds like a very wise woman.”
“She is. Let’s not talk about her while my dick is inside you. Fuck, I love your pussy almost as much as I love you,” he groaned.
They both moved together, their bodies rising and falling with the need to come. Her nails dug into his shoulders. His hips pumped faster. The intensity of pleasure could no longer be set aside.
“I need you to come with me, Tori.”
Lifting his body up enough to slide his hand between them, he glided his finger down her flat stomach. Finding her clit, he pinched the little nub between his fingers. Her mouth opened on a cry.
He released the pressure and rubbed in tight circles, keeping his eyes locked on Tori’s face until her body flushed and locked down on his. The moment her orgasm took her, he let go, thrusting in and out, and raced toward his own release. Lights flashed behind his closed eyes. The intensity shot through his body like a bolt of lightning shooting through the sky. He continued to move, wanting to prolong the sensation long after their release until his arms gave out. Winded, he eased his chest on top of Tori.
“I need a minute,” he whispered.
She wrapped her arms around him, running her hands over his back. He knew she was smiling.