Now it was her voice she heard from long ago, “I want you to pin me down. Make me immobile until I can’t move. Be my cage and imprison me. Hold me tight with your fingers wrapped around my throat. Quench the need I have to feel my pulse pound against your thumb. The rush of blood raging through to my head until the only sound I hear is my heart beating as you fuck me.
“I need to be overwhelmed. Controlled. Owned by you while I stare into your eyes as you make it harder for me to breathe. As I’m forced to respect your strength and power. Revel in it as I struggle for air. Ignoring the discomfort while I seek out my greatest pleasure. The feel of your cock inside me. Filling me. Claiming me so I can experience what it is to be truly alive.”
She floated higher. Trying to stay focused. To process those stunning words and their meaning, until he spoke. The thrill that snaked through her, whether it was in this moment or another, made it no less intense. She shook and tingled right to the marrow of her bones.
“Mia shandor lei, I am humbled. I make this pledge to you. I will be your cage. I will hold you tight and rein you in. Not with my weight, but by my will. My strength of being. My unfailing control shall extinguish all your doubts and lingering defiance until you are mine in not only soul, but body as well. I won’t give in until you give up and accept that in this world your body exists to please and service me. You are my treasured possession. The keeper of my heart and the—”
Suddenly she was pulled back to the present. Slammed into reality with jarring force as pinpoints of light burst behind her eyes and blessed oxygen rushed into her lungs, jetting through her blood that whipped in lashing waves to her head and then dove deep, flooding her limbs. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. Her body was too spent recovering.
“Fall. Let me catch you.”
His husky order was all she needed to hear. The soft comfort it gave her was in direct counterpoint to the turmoil her system was currently experiencing. Faced with the choice she fell…and he caught her as she collapsed.
“My beautiful wreck.”
He was so strong. His power wrapped around her like a safety net. Promising her the world if she succumbed to it. To him. And when his hand cupped her center, boldly and intimately touching her there, the area woke up with a piercing hunger—so strong—she cried out, “Jack.”
He didn’t speak as he shifted them. Drawing her up to kneel and spreading her knees wide so that she straddled the expanse of his lap. Spicy cinnamon reached through her skin as she hovered over him in that shaky and vulnerable position for a second or two before she was left gasping for breath again. As he didn’t pause, apologize, or explain before he lifted her, tilted her bottom, and slammed his full length into her.
She cleaved to his shoulders as her eyes shot open and stared directly into his when she came hard and hot. Gasping for breath as she panted for him.
“Jack,” she cried out, more from surprise than pain, but he didn’t seem to care as he held onto her bottom, anchoring their bodies together as he fucked her with deep and steady strokes. Increasing his rhythm and aggressively pumping, grinding, smashing, and demanding that she give him all she had to give.
“Can you take it, baby?” he asked, nipping and biting her arm, her shoulder, as he drove into her, over and over.
Finley was lost. Her back arched as she bent away from him. Fully extending her arms that were still braced on his shoulders while she stretched herself out, letting her breasts bounce as they begged for his attention. She wanted that special kind...didn’t he know?
Oh, he knew all right, but the look in his eyes seemed to question whether she’d survive it. “Trust me. Give into it,” he said.
The next thing Finley knew, his mouth was at her breast and she was on fire. Her body strained and bucked and drew him in deeper as her heart raced. She was soaring, flying...crashing and dying.
“Oh, God!” she screamed, whipping backwards as her neck strained and the blood-filled cord extended, pulsing and pounding. Waiting for him. Only him, but when he leaned in and penetrated the skin of her left breast more surely, her world shattered into a million pieces. Every feeling she’d ever had come came together as one and converged in her womb and lower. The desperate need clenched at her insides, while the ensuing sensations clawed until they shot upward, blazing a path of erotic tingles that squeezed her nerve endings, making them spasm in a hard, yet unbearably pleasurable kind of pain. “J-Jack…?”
He heard the uncertainty in her voice and pulled her tighter into his arms. He couldn’t help himself either. Her fear and worry stroked the nasty side of his nature. It dared that dark part of him to push her and demand from her everything she had to give. He bit down more firmly, sinking his teeth into the tastiest part of her and as close to her heart as he dared to go. The action made her shake harder. He could feel her sexy quivers. And when she cried out, he redoubled his efforts to feed. He needed this from her.
“It’s...too much...” her words were barely a whisper.
With great effort, he tore his mouth from her breast and ground her hips savagely down on him as he spoke low and fierce into her hair, “Don’t cry. Shh...breathe, babe, let it in. Be brave. Put your fears aside and let me do this,” he finished hoarsely. Curling down to latch back onto her breast as he rocked her against the full length of his cock. He moved in a steady rhythm until their bodies felt as one.
“Yes.” She hummed and he actually felt it. The instant she’d let go of her fear and gave her trust to him. But would she embrace the pain? The idea that she might made his adrenaline spike and his heart smash against his rib cage. Catapulting his blood to race as he continued to draw on hers.
“Oh, God. Yes,” she panted with pleasure and yet was filled with pain. A sweet kind of pain that hinted and haunted her peace of mind. Promising to make the experience that much more interesting if she dared to ride its frightening waves. “Jack...” she breathed, giving into the moment and allowing it to engulf her. She grabbed his head as he sucked on her breast, stroking his hair and the side of his face, she welcomed him. She reveled in the present danger, sure that no harm would come to her while she was in his arms. But then the pleasure/pain started to build. Suddenly it was too much for her to bear. “Jack,” she cried and crested to the highest realm possible, tossed there and suspended. Swirling and spinning, gasping for breath, afraid she was going to die. But then, more afraid not live to the edge he was pushing her to.
Breathe.
She tasted cinnamon as air filled her lungs. Embracing her. And when he rocked into her one last time and eased his mouth off her to groan against her neck as he came with a guttural growl that made her toes curl, she found her own release and fell completely apart in his arms.
*****
Jesse let go of the knob. Not just because the door was locked, he could have broken through it. It was the sounds he heard that had him worried. What the hell was in there making noise like that?
He pressed his ear against the door and held his breath. It sounded like a whale. An honest to God whale call. Maybe it was one of those metaphysical tapes to relax you when— “Hey.”
He jumped back and shot a look down. Catching a glimpse of a huge, furry, mustard-colored paw with claws the size of extra-large shrimps he’d eaten at Capitan John’s restaurant last week, he backed away. That was no tabby cat. Maybe a tiger? It could be anything. He had to remember where he was and who these people were. But first he needed to get Cullen. No, first he needed to find the vault and get the book and then he could save the careless woman. He’d been more than specific, telling her to stick with him and what had she done? She’d wandered off the first chance they’d gotten to distract him.
He stuck to the shadows even though they probably could see better there and made his way downstairs. This place was like a mausoleum. Ancient and expensive looking shit everywhere. But why not? Their kind lived forever to build a fortune. They probably killed to get most of it. When that came to him he recalled his thoug
hts about the crypt. Not a good time to be thinking about where they buried the bodies.
Right.
When he reached the bottom step he unfolded the floor plan of the place and followed the arrows. His gut was telling him to abort and that was worrisome. His gut never steered him wrong, that’s what made him a crack reporter. The closer he got to the X on the page, the straighter the hackles on the back of his neck stood.
Don’t turn back now. You’re close to the story of the century.
He shook off the feeling and decided it had to be because of the nature of the story. Yeah, the fact that he was dabbling in the paranormal when he little believed in it…until three weeks ago. When he recalled that eye-opening call he’d received he started to sweat because there’s no way he wanted to get caught in the crossfire of whatever the hell was going on here. All he wanted was the story and then the FBI, DEA, ATF and Secret Service could take matters over from there.
“Aw, man,” he froze when he heard the deep masculine voice, “you left him in my room?”
Jesse quickly slammed himself up against the wall under the stairs as he heard someone rush up them.
“I had to. He was making too much noise down at the manor in the sewing room.”
“He better not have shredded my linens. Or the new suit I bought. Or—fuck—my new skis.”
Jesse held his breath as this second person climbed the stairs. Not as fast as the first but just as heavy. “It would be your own fault. I told you to put those skis in the garage and you haven’t thanked me for the stew I made and brought to you either.”
“I was waxing them before…”
He didn’t stick around to hear the rest of their conversation, as there was always the chance that whatever was in that room might be let out. Craning his neck, he checked up and down the hall and then made a run for the east wing. He’d be glad when this night was over. So very glad.
Chapter Nine
Finley closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into the warmth of Jack’s arms, pressing closer as she tried to stave off trembling. She was tired and yet, more awake than she’d ever been as one thought after another tumbled through her mind.
“Mmm…” She rubbed her chin over his rock-hard pec. “That was—” Her eyes snapped opened and she was sure her lashes tickled his chest as she rapidly blinked. Too stunned to move. Speak.
“Sensational?” He offered. His voice rolling over her like deep and distant thunder. No, like a lightning bolt that zapped her right out of her daze when she pushed off him.
Leaning back, she scowled. “You strangled me.”
“Strangled?” He made a dubious face. “If I did then I’d be looking a crime scene and that’s not what I see before me. I see—” he growled and tried to wrap his arms around her again, but she was having none of that. She didn’t care how dead-sexy he looked with his hair rumpled and his chin and jaw covered in five o’clock shadow.
“Don’t play semantics with me.” Her hand went to her throat, checking to make sure…well, she wasn’t sure what she was checking on exactly, but everything seemed fine there. “Y-you choked me.”
“I did.”
That assurance had her frowning at his mouth for a few seconds, unsure if she’d heard him correctly. If she had, the guy had just admitted to a felony. At least she thought it was a felony. “You can’t do that. It’s against the law.”
“No sex act is against the law when it happens behind closed doors between two consenting adults.”
She gasped. “Who consented?” When phrases like be my cage, imprison me and overwhelm me echoed in her mind, she blurted, “I didn’t consent.”
He grinned. And one word was riding it. Liar.
“I didn’t. I’m not…I don’t…” God, what could she say? Wait, why did she have to say anything? This was all his fault with the sexy and irresistible power he exuded. Making her do things. Want things. Controlled.
“You sonofabitch!” she swore and pushed against him so hard he was forced to let her go.
When she was free, she slid off his lap and scurried from the bed. In a flash she plucked up her robe, then belt and had the latter securely fastened before she whirled around to face him. “Quit seducing me. It’s not right, I feel nothing for you,” she added, hoping to wipe that smug smile off his face but her plan was a bust as he continued to grin at her. All handsome and rough and sexy. Damn.
“Yeah, I could tell.” If that comment wasn’t annoying enough, he punctuated it with a yawn. Pulling up his leathers and casually stuffing himself back into them before he laced them.
“You keep making me do things.”
He half-rolled and half-pushed up off the bed to stand. Stretching his back, he twisted right then left, before he said, “Not that time, babe. That was all you.”
She worked hard not to do it, but her chin lifted a notch or two anyway. “It was not.”
“Oh yes, all you.” He came to her and cupped her cheek. His thumb brushing up and down, caressing the side of her jaw, as his eyes bore into her. “And hearing your sexy little whimpers? Knowing that you’re handling the pain for me? Rocks me to the core.”
She was breathless all over again. This effect he had on her wasn’t fair. Especially when her emotions where all over the place. All because of him too. That reminder was a sore one, and when he gave her one of his lazy grins, she’d had enough. “If I rock your core so well, why did you find the need to cheat?”
That fixed him. His demeanor went from smug to all hard and dark and moody. Ignoring the subtle and increased pressure he was putting on her jaw, she unwisely continued, “You have an answer for that? You certainly seem to have an answer for everything else.”
Abruptly he let go of her. “I told you, I have no excuse.”
That kind of honesty cut deeper than a lie. “And yet, you expect me to conceive a child with you? All in the name of fulfilling a prophecy? What about me, Jack? Didn’t I deserve a choice in this?”
“Yes, you did,” he told her, which meant nothing because he hadn’t given her one. “Do you still hate me?” he asked her softly.
For some reason, his quiet words touched her. “Actually, I’m too mad at you at the moment to hate you.” Strangely, this was the truth. All the hurt, pain, and sorrow had somehow manifested itself into a huge wall of anger. Fury. Rage. So, before she did or said something she might regret, she decided, “I’m going to take my bath now.”
Jack nodded. Then shook his head as he watched her sail past him with her nose tilted to the ceiling and her mouth a hard line of indignation. Too mad to hate him, huh? Well, that was an encouraging sign, wasn’t it?
He straightened up and listened to the water filling the tub, even as he wondered what she was thinking, and exactly how much she remembered. He still hadn’t broached the topic of her suicide. He probably should bring that up before she recalled it herself and they had another monumental hurdle to clear. After all, she already hated him at the moment, so he might as well put it out there.
“Where are the towels?” she asked, poking her head around the bathroom door.
“They’re on the second shelf in the walk-in. Do you want me to get them for you?” he offered, as he continued to clear up the remnants of their dinner.
“Nope, I can manage.”
“Hold on a second there, blue-eyes.” When she stepped into the room, he put the bowls down and turned, giving her his undivided attention. There was no going back now. “I, ah, wanted to tell you this before you remember it and it frightens you. I want you to be prepared.”
“Prepared? For what?”
“In your last lifetime. After you learned—” he paused here, realizing there really was no good way to say it. But it had to be said, so he began again, “After you discovered—” Damn, there it was. Another mental road block.
“You in bed with another woman,” she supplied, nodding vigorously for him to continue.
“You, you—” It wasn’t like him to be tongue tied and he got
frustrated. “Christ. You—”
“Spit it out, Jack. I what?”
“You took your own life.”
There was a moment of stunning silence as he stared, and she furiously blinked, before she whispered, “I did not.”
Color bloomed on her cheeks as her eyes widened. She didn’t move, though, so he didn’t either as he waited for her to get over the shock.
“I would never do such a stupid and selfish thing. I don’t believe you.”
Now she shot into action, but he remained still and quiet as she paced. He could tell by her stride she was over the shock and moving into aggravation mode, and when she stopped to pin him with a glare he braced himself for anything as he couldn’t gauge what she was feeling.
“I thought we already established who the stupid and selfish one was in this relationship?”
Great. Back to sarcasm. He sighed. “Listen, I wouldn’t make something like that up, especially now. It’s true. By the time I found you, it was too late.”
She folded her arms over her chest and narrowed a look at him. “How?”
He was going to say it like ripping off a bandage. “You slit your wrists.”
That pronouncement hung between them like a noose. A full thirty seconds went by as they eyed each other. He figured both of them were waiting for the other to speak first as neither one of them knew how to react now that the event was out there.
He certainly didn’t know what to expect.
“Boy, Jack, I must have really been mad at you. Doing it like that, all that wasted blood.”
But it wasn’t that. “You’d better go take your bath, babe. Before I’m tempted to give in to the monumental desire I have to put you over my knee and spank that sarcasm right out of you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
He made sure his expression indicated otherwise.
“You can’t continue,” she sputtered, backing up into the bathroom door, “to bully me. I wasn’t the one who screwed everything up. And—and...” It appeared as if she was searching, digging deep, to gain back some control of a situation she had no footing in. Her eyes latched onto the rumpled bed linens and he saw the flare of triumph light her eyes. Making a scoffing sound, she disappeared into the bathroom, only to return a scant second later to throw fresh linens in his face. “And you can change those damned sheets because every time I see those horrible stains it reminds me of just how selfish you really are!”
Love Of A Lifetime Page 12
