Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
T he need that flooded Hallie’s body at his words proved the control Jace had over her. She was still terrified, but she could no more deny her feelings for him than she could fly to the sun.
“Then touch me.”
His lips parted on a soft exhalation. He studied her with those smoky-blue eyes for what felt like an eternity before he stepped closer. His heat surrounded her and his breath was warm as it brushed across her uplifted face.
“God, you are so beautiful.” His hand lifted, his warm fingers sliding along her jaw and his calloused thumb coming to rest on her lips. He stroked it back and forth. “Do you know how many nights I’ve thought about kissing you? Every single night since I did.” He removed his thumb and cradled her face in his warm palm as he leaned closer, his lips only a scant breath away. “Every single night, I lie awake in bed and think about these soft, tempting lips and how good they felt pressed against mine.” His gaze lowered to her mouth. “Wet them for me.”
She was so drugged by his low, sexy voice it took her a moment to figure out what he meant. She slid her tongue out and ran it over her lips. He groaned low and deep in his chest and desire settled between her legs in a tight coil of need.
“Again,” he whispered, his breath cooling the moisture on her lips.
She wet them again and anticipation made the coil tighten until it was almost painful. “Jace.”
He moved closer until his lips barely touched hers. “Hallie.”
He kissed her.
All her fear of losing control to this man disappeared beneath the heat of his lips. He kissed her like he was sunbaked earth and she was revitalizing rain. He kissed her like it was the single most important thing in his life.
Hallie felt the same way. She felt like she couldn’t survive without the skilled slide of his lips and the hot strokes of his tongue. It wasn’t about control. It was about survival.
The more he kissed her, the more she needed.
She hooked her fingers in his belt loop and tugged him closer, the kiss becoming deeper and more desperate as Jace pushed her back against the truck. Her body went on sensory overload at the feel of all those muscles pressing into her. Especially the hard length digging into her stomach. She wanted to feel that hard length deep inside her worse than she had ever wanted anything in her life.
She stood on tiptoe to get it where she wanted it most, then slipped her hands in the back pockets of his jeans and gripped the hard muscles of his butt as she rubbed against him. He made a sexy, growling sound that vibrated through her mouth before he pulled away from the kiss. His chest pumped up and down and his voice was breathless as he held out his hand.
“Give—me—the keys—to your truck.”
She was just as breathless. “Nobody—drives—my truck—but me.”
A smile spread over his face. He moved her away from the door and opened it. He gave her another kiss that made her legs feel like overcooked green beans before he drew back. “Then drive, woman.”
She didn’t know how they made it to Mrs. Stokes’ guesthouse. It was hard to concentrate when Jace was leaning over the console, kissing her neck and running his hands over her body. But somehow she got them there.
“Pull into the alley,” he instructed as he kissed behind her ear.
She trembled all over at the feel of his teeth sinking into the muscle that ran along her neck. “I’m not climbing the fence in my condition.”
He drew back and smiled. “And just what condition is that? Are you saying you’re Jace-drugged, Teeny Weeny?”
“More like Jace-dopey.”
“I like that even better.” He dug in his jeans pocket and pulled out a key before smiling brightly. “I’ve got a key to the lock.” He hopped out of her truck and she followed and met him at the gate.
Since he had distracted her while she was driving, she felt like turnabout was fair play. She waited until he lifted the lock to insert the key and then slid her hand over his ass and squeezed. He cussed and dropped the key.
He turned to her and she smiled wickedly. “What? You a little Hallie-drugged?”
“Oh, I’m gonna make you pay for that, Teeny Weeny. I’m gonna make you pay big-time.” He scooped up the key and opened the lock, then held the gate for her. “Ladies first.”
“Oh, no. I’m not going first when you just got through telling me I’m going to pay. You go first.”
“Wuss.” He walked in the gate. She followed, then released a squeal when he jumped out from behind a bush and easily lifted her over his shoulder. All she could do was hang there as he ran a hand up her blue-jeaned thigh and cupped one cheek in his large football-throwing hand. “Damn, you have a sweet ass.” He slapped her butt . . . hard.
Her eyes narrowed on the muscled butt that filled her vision. “So do you. It makes a girl just want to . . .” She leaned in and bit him. He yowled, and she laughed. “Now who’s the wuss?”
“Oh, Hallie girl.” He headed for the guesthouse. “You are so asking for it.” He opened the door, then entered and kicked it closed himself. He slapped her butt two more times before he launched her into the air and she landed on the mattress. Before she could finish bouncing, Jace was on top of her. His big, muscled body pinning her to the mattress. It was dark in the room. The only light coming from the moon shining through the window. In that moonlight, his eyes twinkled with deviltry.
“So how do you want your punishment, Hallie? Should I make you scream for mercy? Or maybe just scream my name over and over again?”
“Not happening.”
He smiled. “Is that a challenge, Teeny Weeny? Because I do love a challenge. I tell you what, if I can make you scream my name tonight, you’ll come to my next football game.”
“And what if I make you scream mine?”
When he answered, his voice was thick and husky. “Then I owe you whatever forfeit you want. But if we’re going to make each other scream, we’re a little overdressed, don’t you think?” He gave her one hot, deep kiss before he pulled away and got to his feet.
As soon as he did, Jelly Roll jumped up on the bed. Hallie only got to give him one good cuddle before Jace took him from her.
“Sorry, buddy, but tonight she’s all mine.” He placed the cat in the bathroom, gave him a gentle pat, and shut the door. As he walked back to the bed, he stripped off his polo shirt.
His muscles rippled like a moonlit lake on a gusty night as he tossed it away and reached for the button of his jeans. She had seen his body before. It was burned into her brain like a three-dimensional brand. But seeing it again made her realize her memory didn’t come close to being as good as the real thing. If anyone needed an example of the perfect male specimen, Jace was it.
And he knew it.
Once he was completely naked, he stood there and allowed her to look her fill. She should have called him on his arrogance, but she was enjoying the show too much. She lifted her hand and made a circle motion with her finger.
His teeth flashed in a big smile before he turned around.
Damn, the man had a fine backside. It wasn’t too flat and it wasn’t too round. It was just right. The night they’d spent together, she hadn’t paid much attention to his butt. She’d been too preoccupied with his front. Tonight, she planned to pay attention to all of him.
Every single square inch of smooth skin and bunched muscle.
Scooting to the edge of the bed, she reached out and slid a hand over the two identical loaves of man butt. They flexed against her fingertips and her blood slowed and her breath quickened. She wanted to bite them again. To sink her teeth into the hard, sexy muscle. But before she could, he turned . . . and she was presented with an even harder muscle. She reached for it, but he stepped away.
“Sorry, but I get first dibs on making you scream.” He grabbed her foot and tugged off her boot, before reaching for the other one. There was something very sexy about having a naked man strip you down. Especially one who looked like a Greek football god. Once her boots and socks were off, he held a bare foot in his hand and studied her toes. “Even your toes are perfect.”
She snorted. “I’m far from perfect.”
He kissed each toe as his gaze connected with hers. “Then you just haven’t looked in the mirror, Halloween Holiday.” He lowered her foot and pulled her to her feet where he kissed her with sexy nips and deep tongue sweeps as he unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it from her shoulders. He worked on her jeans next. Once she stepped out of them, he drew back from the kiss and lowered his gaze to her lacy bra and panties.
“I never took you for a sexy lingerie girl.”
“I never took you for the type of man who talks a lot while he’s undressing a woman.”
He grinned. “You’re right. There are a lot better things to do than talk.” He lifted a hand and slipped a finger under her bra strap, slowly lowering it down her arm. He slid his finger along the sagging strap and over the top edge of her bra before he pushed down one cup, the calloused pad of his finger brushing over her nipple. Her breath released in a whoosh and his smile deepened as he dipped his head and engulfed her nipple in the wet heat of his mouth.
He gently suckled, turning it into a tight bud of desire. Her lips parted and a groan escaped, followed by one syllable.
“Ja—” She cut off before she finished his name.
She could feel his smile before he continued his torture. He tugged down her other bra cup, exposing both breasts to his hungry lips and lusty tongue. While his mouth focused on one breast, his hand fondled the other. Somewhere between his skilled caresses and tongue strokes, her knees gave out and the only thing holding her up was Jace’s firm grasp on her butt and her fingers gripping his hair.
She moaned and gasped and muttered curse words, but she kept his name locked deep inside . . . until he lowered her to the bed and knelt between her legs. She was prepared for soft kisses up her thighs and maybe a little nuzzling before he got down to business. She was not prepared for him to sweep her panties down, fill his hands with her butt cheeks, and dive right in with a hot open-mouthed kiss that made her see stars.
“Jace!”
He slid his tongue along her seam and pressed the bud at the top, causing her to yell his name again. He whispered against her quivering flesh. “That’s two. I want at least eight more.”
The darn competitive man didn’t let up until he got them.
Not that Hallie kept count. She didn’t care about bets and winning. All she cared about was Jace continuing to do what he was doing. He had obviously taken notes on that first night because he didn’t need any instructions. He seemed to know exactly how she liked it. But when she was seconds away from reaching orgasm, he slowed his tempo. Which really had her screaming his name.
“Jace!”
He gave her a lush kiss before he started the perfect tongue-rubbing tempo again—this time with the deep slide of his finger.
Talk about seeing stars. She felt like a black star that was getting ready to implode. She fisted her hands in his hair and pressed closer to his amazing tongue and talented finger. When the orgasm hit, she screamed his name over and over again, riding it out until she collapsed against the mattress.
When he lifted his head, she thought for sure he’d have a gloating smile.
Instead, his moonlit face looked intense and hungry. He stood and she saw the evidence of his hunger and watched it bounce proudly before him as he walked to the nightstand and got a condom.
He’d just gotten the package open when she sat up and stopped him. “Oh, no. You had your turn.” She encased his swollen length in her fist. “Now it’s mine.”