Chapter Eight #4
I laughed, shaky but real.
He carried me to bed and laid me down gently. Crawled in beside me and pulled me close, my back to his chest, his arm draped over my waist.
“Jade?” he murmured in the dark.
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you knocked on my door.”
“Me too,” I said. I rolled over to face him.
His eyes darkened as he looked at me, his gaze dropping to where his shirt had ridden up on my thighs. The heat in his eyes sent a shiver through me, different from the fear I’d felt before. This was anticipation, desire -- something I’d almost forgotten existed.
“Come here,” he said, voice low.
I shifted closer, and his hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing over my cheekbone with a gentleness that made my heart ache. When he kissed me, it was soft at first, questioning, but it quickly deepened as I responded.
My hands found their way under his shirt, palms flat against the warm skin of his chest. I could feel his heart racing beneath my touch, matching the frantic rhythm of my own. He groaned into my mouth when I scraped my nails lightly down his torso.
“Jade,” he breathed against my lips. “Tell me what you want.”
“You,” I said simply. “I want you.”
He pulled back slightly to look at me, his eyes searching mine. “You sure?”
Instead of answering, I reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it upward. He helped me pull it over his head, tossing it to the floor beside the bed. I ran my hands over his bare chest, tracing the defined muscles, the scars, the tattoos that marked his skin.
“Your turn,” he said, fingers playing with the bottom of the shirt I wore -- his shirt.
I nodded, lifting my arms as he slowly pulled the fabric up and over my head. The cool air hit my skin, and I fought the urge to cover myself. Kane’s gaze was reverent as he looked at me, nothing like the possessive stares I’d endured before.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, hands hovering just above my skin, waiting for permission.
I took his hands in mine and placed them on my waist. “Touch me.”
His hands were warm against my skin as they slid up to cup my breasts.
His touch sent electric currents through my body, and I arched into his hands with a gasp.
He bent his head, replacing one hand with his mouth, his tongue circling my nipple until it hardened under his attention.
I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him against me as sensation spiraled through my body.
“Kane,” I moaned, my head falling back as he moved to my other breast, giving it the same treatment.
Heat pooled between my thighs, and I shifted restlessly beneath him. When his hand slid down my stomach and dipped beneath the waistband of my underwear, I tensed for only a second before relaxing into his touch.
“Still okay?” he murmured against my skin.
“Yes,” I breathed. “Don’t stop.”
His fingers found me wet and ready, and I whimpered as he circled my clit with gentle pressure. My hips bucked against his hand, seeking more contact. Every nerve ending in my body seemed to light up at once.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, his voice rough with desire. “Let me feel you.”
I gripped his shoulders as he slid one finger inside me, then another, curling them in a way that made stars burst behind my eyelids. My body responded to his touch like it had been waiting for him all along.
“I need you,” I gasped, tugging at his belt. “Please.”
Kane captured my mouth in another searing kiss as he helped me undo his jeans, pushing them down his hips along with his boxers. When he was finally naked above me, I wrapped my hand around his length, savoring his groan of pleasure.
The look in his eyes nearly undid me -- desire mixed with something deeper, something that made my chest ache in the best possible way.
He positioned himself between my thighs, the head of his cock pressing against my entrance. “Look at me.”
I met his gaze, my breath catching as he slowly pushed inside. The stretch was exquisite, a delicious burn that had me digging my nails into his back. When he was fully seated, he stilled, giving me time to adjust.
“You feel so good,” he groaned, his forehead resting against mine. “So perfect.”
I rolled my hips experimentally, and we both gasped at the sensation. “Move. Please move.”
Kane began to thrust, setting a rhythm that had me seeing stars. Each stroke hit something deep inside me that sent waves of pleasure crashing through my body. I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him deeper.
“Harder,” I demanded, surprising myself with my boldness. “I won’t break.”
He complied, his hips snapping forward with more force.
The bed rocked beneath us as his powerful body drove into mine again and again.
Every thrust sent electric shocks radiating through me, my body remembering how to feel pleasure instead of fear.
I clutched at his shoulders, fingernails digging into muscle as he hit that perfect spot inside me.
“Oh God,” I gasped, my head falling back against the pillow. “Right there.”
Kane growled against my throat, the vibration traveling through my skin straight to my core. His teeth scraped gently along my pulse point, sending shivers cascading down my spine. One hand slid beneath me to grip my ass, angling my hips to take him deeper.
“Look at me,” he commanded, voice rough with need. “I want to see your face when you come.”
I forced my eyes open, meeting his intense gaze. The raw emotion I saw there -- desire, yes, but something deeper, something that looked dangerously like love -- almost pushed me over the edge.
He must have sensed how close I was. His hand moved between our bodies, thumb finding my clit and circling with just the right pressure. “Let go for me, Jade.”
My body obeyed before my mind could catch up. Pleasure exploded outward from my core, white-hot waves crashing through me as I cried out his name. My inner walls clamped down around him, pulling him deeper.
“Fuck,” he groaned, his rhythm faltering. “You’re perfect. So fucking perfect.”
His thrusts became more erratic, more desperate. I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist, urging him on, wanting to feel him lose control because of me.
“Come for me,” I whispered against his ear. “I want to feel you.”
That was all it took. With a final powerful thrust, he buried himself deep inside me and shuddered, his body tensing as he found his release. I held him through it, savoring the weight of him, the warmth, the closeness I’d feared I might never feel again.
For several long moments, we stayed joined, breathing hard, hearts pounding against each other. Kane braced himself on his forearms to keep from crushing me, but I didn’t want space. I pulled him down, needing his weight, the solid reality of him.
“Don’t move yet,” I murmured.
He pressed his forehead to mine, his eyes soft with something that made my chest ache. “Not going anywhere.”
When he finally rolled to the side, he took me with him, tucking me against his chest like he couldn’t bear to let go. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my back while my breathing slowly returned to normal.
“You okay?” he asked, voice gentle.
I nodded against his chest, too overwhelmed for words. I didn’t know how it could possibly get better each time, but it did.