Rev (Jack 'Em Up #4)

by Shauna Allen

  “Really.”

  She picked up her cards without peeking at them. “And what will you be claiming when you win?”

  “You. Naked. In the lake.”

  Her eyes flared. “Skinny dipping?”

  I tapped my cards and lifted them to examine my hand. “Yup. Water should feel real good about now.”

  “Huh.”

  I kept my eyes on my cards, but I felt her studying me. I fought the smile. “What about you? On the off chance you beat me?”

  “You. Naked. In the tent.”

  My gaze flew up to hers. She was not kidding. Either way, we were going to be naked at the end of this. Thank fuck.

  “What’re we playing anyway?” she asked without missing a beat.

  I swallowed, focused. “Go Fish.”

  The laugh that came from her was sweeter than a church bell. “Go Fish?”

  “Yup. You go first. We have skinny dipping to do.”

  She nodded once and schooled her face to seriousness. “Fine. Do you have any sevens?”

  I handed over my seven of clubs and focused on my Queen of Hearts. “Queens?”

  Her smirk was just a little too self-satisfied. “Go fish.”

  And so it went as she beat me soundly at my own game. Scoffing at her luck, I tossed the cards down and stood to rip off my T-shirt.

  Her jaw dropped. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting naked. That’s what you said, right?”

  Her stutter was fucking adorable. “I . . . well, that’s not exactly what I meant.”

  “It’s not?” I tossed my shirt on the table and rested my hands on my hips.

  Her eyes flew to my abs, back up. She’d seen about all of me there was to see and she was still blushing. I dipped my fingers into my waistband, teasing. “No?”

  She stood, and with her eyes glued to mine, yanked her own shirt off. Seemed my woman was trying to best me at my own game. Again. I choked back a swallow as her breasts came into view, barely concealed behind her thin lace bra. “What are you doing?”

  She wiggled out of her shorts, revealing matching panties. “Going swimming.”

  “Uh . . .” I fought for control. “Swimming?”

  “Yeah.” Flirty green eyes met mine. “It’s hot. Point me to the water?”

  I never thought in a million years she’d be doing this to me, but I let her take the lead. “That way.” I indicated the other path that led to the lake.

  “Thanks.” She sauntered off, and I’d swear she swayed her hips just to tease me.

  I picked my jaw up off the ground and hustled to follow. I caught up with her right before she rounded out of sight. I smiled and grabbed her hand and we walked the rest of the way together. We found the lonely patch of gravel that made up the shoreline and I’d never been more thankful that I’d found this private spot. I was a greedy man and I had no desire to share her with anyone.

  “Oh, my God. Micah.” She froze once we reached the water. “This is breathtaking.”

  I didn’t take my eyes off of her. “It is.”

  She glanced at me and her smile melted my heart. Slowly, she reached for the snap of her bra and let it fall to the ground at our feet. My gaze dropped to her perfect, full breasts and I literally ached to touch her.

  Our gazes locked as the late afternoon sun kissed her skin, and I knew instantly this was her version of showing me how much she loved me. She’d trusted me before, but this was more. So much more.

  She shimmied her panties down her legs to meet her bra and stared up at me, her expression wide and open. “I want to share everything with you, Micah. Please let me.”

  The bubble of emotion that had encapsulated my heart all these months now threatened to squeeze it until it stopped beating. She was too much.

  Too perfect.

  Too beautiful.

  Too unjaded by the ugliness of the world.

  I didn’t deserve even a small taste.

  She continued to stand still, letting me look my fill and sort my thoughts. How, after all that had happened, was I the one with my head spinning?

  I stepped toward her and cupped her face in my palms. Her eyes drifted closed and I pressed my lips to hers, pressed her body to mine. Her heat and softness branded my chest. Skin-to-skin, her scent reached in and wrapped around my soul. Sunny and sweet. Honeysuckle and heat.

  I slid my tongue along hers as she raked her nails up my back. Love words and pleas drifted in the air between us.

  Her hands dipped to my shorts and she grazed my zipper. I sucked in a breath as she unsnapped and slid them down my legs, all without letting my mouth free from her electric pull.

  She drew back with a smile, her eyes dropping to take in my erection. Her brow lifted in appreciation then she took my hand and drew me toward the water. We tumbled into the coolness, our hands all over each other, our mouths fused.

  We made it chest-deep and she wrapped her legs around my waist, clinging to me like my second skin.

  God, I wanted her.

  God, I’d never felt so free.

  So myself.

  “Marry me.”

  She froze in my arms and drew back. My whispered words lingered in the breath between us. “What?”

  The haze cleared, but the words were still there. “Marry me, baby.”

  A confused frown curled her brows downward. “Where did that come from?”

  Dread coiled tight in my gut. Too much, too soon. My stupid impulsive mouth had been led to crazytown by my heart. Thing was, now that the words had been ripped from my subconscious, I knew I meant them with everything in me. “That came from my heart.” I tightened my hold on her ass as the gentle ripple of the water lapped around us. “But I know you’re not ready. I’m sorry.”

  Her fingers were in my hair and I was acutely aware of her heat against mine. “Are you ready?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  “To be a husband? My husband?”

  “Yes, to be your husband.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “Are you suffering from heat stroke? You realize you’re proposing, right?”

  Now I was sorry I hadn’t given this more thought. “Believe me, baby, I know exactly what I’m saying, and I want you to be my wife more than anything else in the world.” I brushed my thumb across her healing lip. She’d never been more beautiful to me. “And no matter what you say, I’ll never belong to anyone else. I’m yours. Forever.”

  Tears quivered on her lashes. Shit.

  “Don’t cry, baby. I didn’t mean to—”

  “Yes.”

  Now it was my turn to freeze as my heart began to gallop in my chest. “Come again?”

  “Any man willing to propose to a woman with a bruised body and battered face deserves a yes.”

  I frowned. “I want you to say yes because you love me and want to marry me. How you look means nothing to me other than I want to gut the fucker who did this to you . . .” I pressed a quick kiss to a soft purple bruise on her cheek. “And I want to see how you look in white. And pregnant with my baby. And growing old next to me with our grandchildren on your knee. I’m a greedy man, Jewel. I want it all.”

  Her tears broke loose and rained down her face. “Nobody’s ever wanted me before . . . just me.”

  “That’s because you were made for only me, baby.”

  She collapsed into me, her head on my chest.

  “Is that still a yes?” I kissed the crown of her head.

  She nodded against my shoulder.

  “What’s that?” I fought my grin. Everything I never knew I wanted was now mine for the taking and I planned on playing for keeps.

  She lifted her face. “That’s a yes and an ‘I love you’ and an ‘I need you’ and ‘I want to be your wife.’”

  Laughter rose up through my chest like champagne bubbles, belting from me with a wild abandon I hadn’t known since I was a kid. I twirled her around in the water and she laughed with me. We probably looked like a couple of crazy people, but I
didn’t care.

  Jewel was going to be my wife.

  Jewel

  Somehow, I went from nearly being killed one day to being engaged the next and nothing had ever felt more right.

  I wrung the lake water from my hair and glanced over at Micah as he yanked up his shorts. This perfect man loved me. Wanted to marry me.

  He turned to me, his smile softer and freer than I’d ever seen it. “What are you staring at?”

  I shrugged. “My fiancé, apparently.”

  His dark eyes dipped to my damp T-shirt where it clung to my breasts. “Lucky man.”

  My heart swelled in my chest. “Yeah, he is.”

  He scooped me into a damp hug and pressed his lips to my temple. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

  I let myself rest in the knowledge that he meant that. Even when I hadn’t felt enough before, always the square peg in the round hole, I was right for him.

  We broke apart and gathered the rest of our things then slid our shoes on. The sun was sinking in the horizon as we started back to camp. It suddenly occurred to me how I looked when my hair dried naturally. “I’d kill for a shower.”

  “Kill, huh?”

  “Guess I should’ve thought of that before my little skinny dipping experiment.”

  “Experiment?”

  I grinned and stepped around a rock. “Yeah. I wanted to see what it would take to get you to propose. Apparently, all it takes is naked breasts. You’re an easy man, Mr. Christian.”

  “I may be easy, but I got my Mrs. Christian out of the deal.”

  I glanced up. “You did.”

  He gave me a quick kiss as we rounded to camp. “What do I get if I find you a shower?”

  “A real shower? Out here?”

  “Yup.”

  “Anything you want.” I was already feeling sticky and I was pretty sure I smelled like lake water.

  “I’ll hold you to that.” He nudged me to the tent. “Grab what you need. I’ll start the Jeep.”

  I didn’t argue. I grabbed my pajamas and toiletries and hopped into the Jeep. A few minutes’ drive up a windy road and he parked in front of a small building. I eyed the ladies’ room sign then turned to him. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

  He laughed. “Go. I’ll be next door in the men’s room. Meet you back here in a few.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. I leapt out and rushed into the musty bathroom. I stripped and cranked the water as hot as it would go, which was barely a warm trickle, but felt heavenly at that moment. I sudsed up and washed my hair. I even shaved my legs. By the time I was blow-drying my hair, I felt a thousand percent better.

  Outside, I found Micah leaning against the hood of the Jeep, his damp hair as dark as an oil slick, a plain white T-shirt outlining the contours of his chest. He smiled. “Feel better?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  He helped me load up my stuff then we drove back to the campsite with the windows rolled down. The night air was humid, but not oppressive, and decorated with the calls of birds and cicadas.

  Micah lit the campfire and handed me a hot dog on a skewer.

  I lifted a brow in question.

  “It’s sacrilegious to eat all health food on a camping trip,” he explained, impaling his own hot dog.

  Yes. I definitely loved this man.

  We toasted our dogs and ate them with canned chili and cheese, and I’d never had a more perfect dinner.

  I had to take that thought back when he pulled out the ingredients for s’mores. I think I groaned and professed my undying love with the first bite.

  He wiped some marshmallow from my chin. “This was my backup plan if you turned me down at the lake. Proposal by sugar.”

  “Good plan.”

  “I thought so.” He bit his own dessert and I found myself mesmerized by the movement of his lips.

  He glanced over, his black eyes dancing with the firelight.

  We silently finished the last of our s’mores then moved to the tent. I felt him behind me as I heard the flap zip shut.

  We were suddenly cocooned by the dim confines of our tent, alone in the night. His ocean clean scent filled my senses. I swallowed and spun to face him.

  Anticipation and longing filled the air as clear as a love letter.

  He grazed his fingers through my hair, his eyes intense. “I’m willing to wait until we’re married.”

  I cupped my hand over his on my cheek. “I don’t want to wait.”

  His eyes dipped to my lips. “You’re sure? It’s not too soon?”

  “Micah.” I traced his lip with my fingertip. “Please don’t make me wait another day. Make me yours. Make love to me.”

  The uncertainty melted from his face as he took me in a fierce kiss that was full of all the things we couldn’t communicate with mere words. I let him take what he wanted because he was giving me everything I needed. I had never felt safer or more loved.

  Our soft moans filled the tent as our clothes fell away until we were skin-to-skin once again. His heat branded me all over. I let myself explore the ridges and contours of his body with my fingers. I traced the dips of his defined biceps, his back, his six pack. He was hot and hard and so beautiful.

  When I told him so, he shook his head. “You’re the beautiful one.”

  He dipped his head and suckled my neck. I groaned and leaned into him as my bones melted. Laying me back, he covered my body with his and continued to lavish my flesh with his lips and tongue in a dance of worship.

  As we touched and kissed, love filled the air as a living, breathing entity. I had no idea such a thing existed. Until now. Until him.

  I sucked in a breath when he nipped the skin between my breasts, liquid heat rolling through me like lava.

  His head shot up. “Did I hurt you?”

  I shook my head, blindly writhing against him. “No. Don’t stop.”

  Hot lips found a nipple and I bowed up toward his mouth. He used his hands to plump my breasts together, finding his fill between them. He moved down my body to bathe my naval, my hips, my thighs. When he found my center, I cried out. He used his hands to hold me down as he ravished me like I was his last meal.

  Stars exploded behind my eyelids in a kaleidoscope of color. It felt like falling off a cliff into oblivion. It was all so good, so perfect, but I didn’t want it to end like this. Not without him.

  I clawed at his thick hair, silently begging him to join me. “Please . . .” My plea was a moan of need.

  He understood perfectly.

  Flipping us so I straddled his hips, he gazed up at me like I was the sun in his universe. “Take what you need.” His command was gravelly with desire.

  I shifted along his length, testing. Teasing. He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.

  “Condom?” I asked, breathless.

  He blinked up at me then his face cleared. “Fuck.”

  I ground against him again. “That’s the idea.”

  He looked literally pained. “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t think—”

  “You’re clean, right?”

  “Yes. I haven’t been with anyone in a very, very long time, and never without a condom. I swear.”

  “Me, either.”

  Relief and sweet expectation slid across his features. Still, he waited for me to decide. I traced his chest with my index finger. “We won’t use condoms when we’re married, right?”

  “God, I hope not.” His expression was one of barely controlled restraint.

  “Okay.”

  His eyes flew open as I shifted and seated his body deep within mine in one smooth movement. I’d never felt more full or more perfect. I closed my eyes and rocked back.

  He laced our fingers together and helped me keep my balance as I acclimated to the feel of him inside me.

  “I love you, baby . . . God, I love you so much.”

  My eyes fluttered open at his soft wo
rds. His gaze was on me, his eyes intense and sincere.

  I moved again, holding him deeper still. “I love you, too.”

  We developed a slow, rocking rhythm and his hands found my hips, guiding our dance. I lost count of how many times we professed our love, but it was what we needed in that moment. It was our salvation.

  Eventually, love words were lost to heady moans and the slap of flesh on flesh as our love became a sprint. More. Deeper. Harder. Faster.

  My orgasm ripped through me like lightning, nearly blinding me.

  I cried out as he shook beneath me and moaned out his own release.

  I collapsed against his chest in a limp, boneless heap, our sweat making us stick to each other. He pushed my hair off my sweaty forehead and kissed my temple. “Wow.”

  I smiled tiredly. “Will it always be like that between us?”

  He rolled so we faced each other on our sides. “I don’t know. I hope so. I hope it gets better.”

  “Better? Is that even possible?”

  His grin was unrepentant and cocky. “With us? Definitely possible.”

  I closed my eyes and snuggled into his warmth. “Maybe you’re right.”

  His fingertips moved down my spine in a lazy caress. “Well, we do have the rest of our lives to practice.”

  The rest of our lives. That was a beautiful thought.

  A blinding beam of sunlight woke me. I squinted up at Micah’s face, poking through the tent flap, his grin not sorry at all.

  “Rise and shine, beautiful.”

  Before I could say a word, the flap slapped closed behind his retreating back, leaving me alone, tangled in the heap of our sleeping bags. I ran a hand through the tangled mess of hair around my shoulders and couldn’t help my smile.

  That man was mine.

  I yawned and stretched, enjoying the delicious ache between my thighs. He’d loved me well last night. Three times.

  Outside, the birds sang as Micah whistled. Wood thumped on the ground and the cooler lid slammed shut.

  “Hope bacon and eggs is all right,” he called. “You probably need some protein after last night.”

  I rolled my eyes at the smirk in his voice and scrambled to my hands and knees to peek out at him. “You’re a cocky one, aren’t you?”

  He grinned up from the portable stovetop. “Shouldn’t I be? I’ll bet you’re hoarse from screaming my name.”