by Kaylea Cross
And suddenly coming wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. She’d wanted him too long, she needed more. “I want you inside me when I come,” she gasped out, trembling.
Even in the dimness she saw the quick flare of heat in his eyes. He withdrew his tongue, paused to gently suck on her throbbing clit.
“Ah,” she gasped, shaking.
He stopped, squeezed her hips and stood, turning her to face away from him again. “Lean forward,” he muttered at her ear, his naked chest pressed tight to her back. Searing her with his heat.
Molly reached forward and gripped the far side of the narrow table, her entire body trembling. A big hand came forward to capture one of hers, lifting it to his mouth for a tender kiss before guiding it down and back to cover his straining length, still trapped in his tux pants.
He growled at the feel of her fingers curling around him, then undid the fastening with maddening slowness and eased the fabric down until he sprang free into her grip.
She sucked in a breath at the heat of him, the width. Her insides clenched.
“I want to make you open for me,” he said against her ear. “I want to make you melt all over me. Want to make you feel.”
Molly wriggled her hips, impatient. Ohhh, he was going to feel so good inside her—
“Do I need to get a condom?” he murmured.
“No.” She was clean, and obviously he was too, or he would have told her by now.
“Then hold on, angel.” He pulled her hand from his cock and stretched her arm back across the table.
The marble was icy cold against her palm compared to his heat. His mouth raked along the side of her neck, making her eyes close, a thick, syrupy pleasure mixing with the anticipation.
His hot, hard length branded her bottom. One of his hands curled around her right hip, holding her in place while his free hand played with her nipples for a moment, then eased down between her thighs to slide through the evidence of her arousal.
Pressure and heat lodged against her opening. “You ready for me?” he asked.
She nodded, searched for her voice. “Yes. Yes, I—” Her words cut off on a slow, deep inhale as he began to sink into her from behind.
The position, the angle, made him feel huge. A strangled sound escaped her, her fingers clenching around the edge of the table as pleasure and pressure mingled, melting hotter, softer.
“I’ve wanted you for so damn long.” His voice was rough, unsteady, but his grip never changed and he forced his length into her so damn slowly she thought she might die.
Molly couldn’t answer, sensation robbing her of her voice, of thought. He was thick. So thick as he stretched her, hitting nerve endings that were suddenly screaming with sensation, the pleasure rising with every second, aided by the sure glide of his fingers against her swollen clit. She whimpered, tried to rock back into him, but he held her fast.
“No. Feel me, Moll,” he rasped out, keeping her in place, forcing her to experience every moment of him claiming her. “Feel me loving you.”
She felt it. Had no choice but to feel it. To take it.
She made a soft, choked sound as he finally buried himself inside her and reached back for him, locking her fingers around his nape. Unable to voice her desperation, this clawing need.
“Ah, yeah.” He groaned and dragged his tongue up the side of her neck, his hips moving slow and steady, the pleasure amplifying with each slick thrust.
The growing pleasure was almost frightening in its intensity. Molly had no choice but to endure it. The pregnancy had made her more sensitive all over. Her skin tingled with every touch. Each time he stroked across the sweet spot on the upper wall just inside her, the sensations expanded, a slow, melting pleasure that made her gasp and quiver all over.
“Jase,” she begged, unsure what she was begging for—mercy, or for him to never stop. “Don’t make me wait. I’ve already waited so long for you.”
“Long?” He made a savage sound. “I’ve wanted to do this to you for fucking years, Moll. You can wait a little longer.”
“No.” She shook her head, her body ready to explode. “Please just…”
He picked up the tempo, and her voice disintegrated. It was even better than she’d imagined. Jase was so unbelievably sensual as he pushed her higher and higher, in complete command of her body, until she could see the shimmering brink of that cliff looming at the edge of her consciousness.
“Oh, Jase,” she moaned, shaking.
He growled deep in his chest. “Yeah. Melt for me, angel,” he murmured against the side of her neck, sliding a hard forearm around the front of her hips, locking it just beneath her belly. “I wanna feel you clench around me when you come.” His voice was rough, as desperate as her.
Molly consciously relaxed in his grip and surrendered to him, to the pleasure he gave her. It spread through her in ever-expanding ripples, the pressure rising, rising until at last it snapped free.
She barely heard his rough growl through her desperate, ecstatic cries, then his grip tightened, his big body tensing behind her as he thrust deep, groaning out her name as he came inside her.
Molly struggled to open her eyes. She was still gripping the edge of the table but her fingers were numb. Her legs were so weak she wasn’t sure how she was still standing as the orgasm began to fade. She sagged forward to rest her cheek on the cool marble tabletop, Jase still buried deep inside her.
He murmured something in a tender tone and kissed her nape, his big hand smoothing down the length of her spine. Easing out of her body, he immediately scooped her up his arms.
Molly curled into him, sighing in contentment while he carried her to his bed and laid her down. After cleaning her up with some tissues he disappeared into the en suite and came back to slide under the covers beside her.
She rolled into him, savoring the closeness of lying naked in the dark in his arms. “Can I stay the night?” she joked, sleep tugging at her. There was no way she could move. No one had followed her here. She had Jase and the security system to keep her safe if anyone came looking for her.
“You thought I was gonna let you leave my side tonight?” He gave a short laugh and squeezed her tighter, his grip fierce and protective. “Not a chance, angel.”
Molly smiled and cuddled closer, savoring every tiny detail about this moment. She didn’t want to think about the repercussions of what they’d just done. She didn’t want to think about tomorrow or the conversation they had to have.
All she wanted was to bask in the feel of Jase’s arms around her and savor the beat of his heart beneath her cheek. The feeling of being cherished and safe.
Loved.
And as much as she was scared to think it, as much as the logical part of her said it was too soon, this sure felt like she was in love with him too.
Chapter Twenty-One
Last night seemed like a dream. So surreal that when Molly opened her eyes in the morning light, it took her a moment to realize she was still in Jase’s bed. He’d held her through the night, stroking his hands over her naked skin whenever she’d stirred, then pulling her close as she dropped back to sleep.
She ruthlessly blocked the guilt and anxiety trying to intrude into her happiness. She had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Carter was gone. She was a grown woman. This was her life, and Jase was a good man. She deserved to be happy. They both did.
That didn’t mean she was looking forward to having a serious discussion about their future, however. She didn’t want to force anything or put undue pressure on either of them this early on, she just wanted to take things as they came until they both became comfortable with this major shift in their relationship. She was also still a bit nervous of how everyone else would react when they found out about them, though deep down she knew she shouldn’t care.
She could hear Jase moving around out in the suite kitchen. Facing him in the daylight after what they’d shared last night made her stomach buzz with butterflies and nerves.
Though she
was tempted to stay snuggled under the covers to see if he came back in, a flash of self-consciousness made her roll out of bed and head into the adjoining bath. She closed the door for privacy and showered, the spicy scent of his soap and shampoo putting a smile on her face as she recalled every detail from last night. Her heart squeezed at the way he’d made love to her.
She found a spare toothbrush in a drawer and tried not to think about why he had them there as she brushed her teeth. She’d never considered herself a jealous person before, but picturing Jase with another woman definitely brought out the green-eyed monster in her.
Since all her remaining clothes were upstairs, she put on Jase’s bathrobe instead, finger combed her hair and left it to dry loose around her shoulders. The curls would tighten as they dried, and brushing it was an exercise in futility whether wet or dry.
A hint of nervousness hit her when a tap came at the bathroom door. She took a deep breath and opened it, her heart rolling over at the sight of Jase standing there shirtless, wearing only a pair of jeans.
“Morning,” she said, wanting to laugh at herself for feeling shy. It was just strange to face Jase now after what he’d done to her last night.
“Morning.” He ran his aqua gaze slowly down the length of her before moving back up to face. “I like seeing you in my clothes.”
A stupid smile spread across her face. “I think you like me out of them more.”
“Oh, I definitely do.” He curled an arm around her waist and drew her to him, making her sigh and melt against his strong frame. There’d been no reason to be nervous. “Sleep okay?”
“Like a rock. You?”
“Best sleep I’ve had in forever.” He ran his nose along the side of her neck, making her shiver. “You hungry?”
“For breakfast?”
“Hmmm. Why, you hungry for something else?”
The way her body was heating and coming alive, she could easily be persuaded. “Maybe.”
His deep chuckle ruffled the hair at her temple. “Later. I made you something and it’s not going to waste.” Snagging her hand, he led her out to the kitchen with the scent of cinnamon filling the air.
“What did you make?” she asked, smiling as he put her on one of the stools at the island.
“Crepes with cinnamon apples and whipped cream.” He crossed to the stove.
She shook her head, admiring the view of his muscular back and the way his jeans hugged his ass. “I’m impressed. I had no idea you could cook something so fancy.”
He shot her a heated look over his bare, muscular shoulder. “You have no idea about a lot of things I haven’t shown you yet.”
The sensual implications had her all but squirming in her seat. “Can I help with anything?”
“Nope. You just sit there and drink your juice.”
He’d put a glass of orange juice out for her, and she noted from the carton it was her favorite brand. “I feel so spoiled.”
“That’s my plan, angel.”
Molly couldn’t stop marveling at the difference between him and her ex. Carter had had two speeds when it came to sex: playful, usually involving lots of tickling or play fighting—or seek and destroy.
Jase was the opposite, seeming to have figured out that building a woman’s anticipation was an important part of foreplay, because he was getting her all hot and bothered without even looking at or touching her.
He came back to the island to slide a plate of crepes topped with the caramelized apples and whipped cream. “This looks and smells amazing,” she moaned, leaning over to inhale the fragrant, spicy scent. That worried flutter started up in her belly, the one that refused to let her forget that they had to have a hard, honest talk soon. She pushed it to the back of her mind, refusing to let it spoil this fragile new beginning.
“Hopefully it tastes even better.” He took the stool beside her, his body turned toward her as they ate.
Molly hummed in appreciation and closed her eyes as she chewed. The crepes were tender and thin, the apple topping sweet and tasting of autumn. “Yum.”
Jase chuckled softly and leaned over to kiss her. A warm, slow melding of lips that made her forget all about breakfast. He pulled back when she reached for him, a sexy grin on his face. “Yeah,” he said, licking his lips. “Yum.”
Tease. She forked up another bite, set her hand on her growing belly. “Baby likes it too.”
His eyes dropped to her hand, his expression curious. “What does it feel like?”
She thought about it a moment. “Tickly little somersaults inside. It’s really neat.” She watched him. “Do you want to feel it?”
He nodded and reached out, an enthralled look on his face. Molly shifted forward in her chair, her heart thumping when that strong hand splayed gently across her robe-covered belly. The baby kicked. “There, did you feel that?” she asked.
He frowned, staring at his hand. “No.”
She shifted his hand and pressed his palm more firmly to the side of her belly, and together they waited. The intimacy of the moment struck her. In some ways it was more intimate than what they’d shared the night before.
They were both silent, Jase watching her belly while she studied his face.
The baby moved again. “There,” she said excitedly. “Feel it?”
A look of wonder crossed his face. “Yeah. Wow.”
How could a man as tough as him be so gorgeous and adorable at the same time? “Pretty neat, huh?”
He nodded, surprising her by keeping his hand right where it was when she let go. He stroked his warm palm over the mound of her belly, his expression absorbed, and her heart all but exploded with tenderness. Oh, he would be the most incredible father. He—
Don’t look too far ahead. You’ll just get hurt.
The happy bubble deflated a little.
She was determined not to let it shrivel. They would have a grown-up conversation about everything soon, within the next day or two. “Have you got plans for the rest of the day?”
He looked up at her, and she felt herself falling into that clear, steady gaze. “I do, with you, and my elderly neighbor Mrs. Wong. She got her new bionic hip and I owe her a dance. Better eat up, then go and change into something you can wear to the beach.”
****
Fall on the Oregon Coast could be hit or miss as far as the weather went, but today was picture perfect. The sun was out, burning off the light layer of fog and glinting off the waves. Jase laced his fingers with Molly’s as they walked down the sandy path through the dunes to the beach.
“I’m keeping that video of you dancing with her in her living room,” Molly said of Mrs. Wong. “The woman looked like she’d died and gone to heaven.”
“She was high on pain killers. And we were barely moving.”
Moly snorted. “She didn’t care, she was thrilled just getting to put her hands on you. I thought I was going to have to pry her off you.”
Jase chuckled. “She’s got a pretty strong grip for such a frail little thing. Anyway, it made her day and helped her forget the pain for a few minutes, so that’s all that matters.”
“She’s a flirt.”
“Oh, big time.” His grin said he loved it.
Molly shook her head at him. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
He just smiled. Keeping her at the house with him was a selfish risk with people tied to the Russian mob after her money, but he wasn’t ready to let her go and the money hadn’t been transferred to her account yet, so he’d felt okay with bringing her here for an hour or so. He’d checked the security camera feed for the house while she was asleep and nothing had shown up, so he would take every minute he could get with her before he drove her to Poppy and Noah’s tonight.
He wasn’t ready to let her go ever, and hoped she felt the same way. But he knew Molly, and was smart enough to know he shouldn’t demand an answer on that front yet. He needed to prove to her that he wouldn’t hurt her. That he would always be there. She’d been through so much
, she might not be ready to believe that yet. But she would.
She had to.
Tufts of sea grass waved in the breeze, the salty scent of the ocean filling the air. At the bottom of the hill, miles and miles of sandy beach stretched out before them. People were out walking their dogs, young children darting around gathering shells. Come spring it would be Molly down here with her baby. Jase would give everything to be beside them.
“It’s so different than the Outer Banks, isn’t it?” Molly said over the sound of the waves. She’d changed into maternity jeans and one of his button-down flannel shirts that hugged her belly. She was more beautiful now than ever, and he couldn’t wait to explore her in the daylight.
“Yeah, way more rugged.” Jase let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He’d never felt this fulfilled before. He still couldn’t believe the sudden turn his life had taken last night. Never in a million years had he expected Molly to show up and basically offer herself to him.
“And wilder somehow.” She’d pulled her hair up into a ponytail but little curls had escaped around her face, blowing around with the breeze. “Oh, I needed this,” she said with a sigh. “Been too long since I took a walk on the beach.”
“I agree.” He sipped at his coffee. They’d stopped at Whale’s Tale on the way here to grab him an Americano and Molly a spiced chai latte.
They walked another mile or so up the beach while he kept a covert eye out for anyone who might be watching them, then turned around and headed back. Partway there, he led Molly over to a group of huge driftwood logs on the sand where he would still have good sightlines and sat against one, drawing her down between his splayed thighs.
She immediately cuddled close and he wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the peace of being able to hold her out here in the open, her head resting on his chest.
“Thanks for bringing me here,” she said over the breeze a minute later, then looked up at him, her gorgeous eyes glowing in the late morning sunlight. “I feel so safe with you beside me.”
