Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3) (The Thalia Series)

by Jennifer Bene

  He still couldn’t remember when he’d actually fallen asleep, but he remembered waking up to Thalia’s hands on him. Her mouth tracing a path across his chest, her hair tickling over his skin until he was completely awake but frozen, trying to decide if he was dreaming or not. His body reacted instantly to her, his cock surging until it was hard and aching, but he didn’t reach for her. He couldn’t reach for her. Her back was still a map of healing bruises, and he knew if he turned the light on he’d be able to see the yellowish shadow across her cheekbone.

  She slid her hand down his stomach and under the waist of his pants to grip his erection firmly, a smooth stroke from base to tip where her thumb rolled over the head made him groan. The pleasure was a vicious tug on his self-control. He wanted to tell her to go back to sleep, to let him wrap his arms around her, but his body thrust his hips against her hand instead.

  “Please?” Her voice was sinfully sweet and pleading in the dark of their room. James felt his jaw clench as he tried to regain enough composure to encourage her to wait, but then her hand was moving again, stroking him in confident movements that had his stomach tensing, his balls tingling, his hands clenching in the sheets so he wouldn’t reach for her.

  “Thalia, baby, you -”

  “I had a dream.” Her lips were against his throat, tracing up to his jaw, her warm body pressed against his side as she continued to slide her hand up and down his cock with agonizing skill. “It was a good dream. It was you.”

  James’ chest ached, and he could see the intent expression on her face as she leaned over him, her lips so close to his. He bit back a moan as she slipped a leg between his and the wet heat of her pussy rubbed against his thigh.

  Bloody hell. The devil himself could not have designed a greater test of his morality.

  Thalia’s lips met his and his hands were suddenly holding her to him before he remembered giving them permission to let go of the sheets. She moaned against his mouth and the buzz in his lips was perfection. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and she rocked herself against his leg. The shiver that ran through her had everything to do with the pleasure she was taking and nothing to do with the nightmares that had haunted them. She lifted her mouth from his with the prettiest gasp, and then she pleaded softly, “Please don’t push me away.”

  It cracked all of his defenses in half.

  His arms moved around her and she slid up his body, her knees landing on either side of his hips as she kissed him again. Her hand gripped him and she slid down on his cock. Wet, tight, heat encased him and he groaned and yanked the reins on his self-control to fight the urge to thrust himself deeper. She used his shoulders to push herself up and she moved slowly. Rising and falling until with each drop of her hips he was buried inside her to the hilt. It was incredible as he felt every tightening wave of her pussy as she lifted herself, and the phenomenal slickness of each descent. The dim light of the alarm clock and the ambient light from the windows outlined her body. Her breasts rising and falling with each breath, her moans soft as she worked towards her orgasm at her own speed. Light brown hair spilled down the front of her shoulders, and he slid his hands slowly up her thighs, providing every opportunity for her to stop him. When she only rocked against him harder, he ran his hand down her belly until his thumb could stroke her clit.

  With the first circle of pressure she buckled forward, her moan louder, and her nails dug into his chest. He instantly stopped and she whined, her hand finding his to press it harder against her, “Please keep going, James, please.”

  “Okay baby, move for me.” He spoke softly and she nodded and lifted her hips again. His thumb circled her clit in tight circles, and as he increased the speed her voice grew louder, her hips moving faster. His balls ached with the urge to come inside her, the tension in him pushing him to thrust, to take control and finish. But he’d had years of experience in holding that back, and he focused on her. On the tremors in her thighs as she got close, the little sounds she made as she found a rhythm that was going to take her over the edge. He wanted to follow her over, and he increased the pressure on her clit, strumming her faster until she tensed and trembled above him, and he felt her tighten and grind herself down. The tense pressure on his cock made his hips lift to thrust harder inside her. Then Thalia came with a moan and a curse, the walls of her pussy gripping him hard in waves and he let go and gritted his teeth against the shout of relief as he released the reins on his own pleasure and came hard inside her. An incredible fire shooting down his spine and spilling out of him to tumble him into the hazy bliss of orgasm as Thalia collapsed on his chest. He slid a hand into her hair to hold her against him, reveling in the feeling of her pounding heart on his skin. Of the sensation of her heat surrounding him, and her warm breaths on his shoulder as she nuzzled him.

  “I love you... thank you,” she whispered softly, and he hugged her tight for a minute before he urged her hips off him. He instantly missed the feeling of her, and so he turned her slightly so he could pull her back against his chest. Her heat pressed to the front of his body, and the wetness on her thighs made him smile against her hair.

  “I love you so much, Thalia. You are incredible, baby.” It was the truth. She had always been incredible, and there were moments when her strength awed him.

  That had been one of those glorious moments, and they had both fallen back asleep wrapped up in each other. Their first time since the abduction had been the first step towards bringing her out of the nightmares it had caused. It had been the first of three days she didn’t have a bad night, an oasis in the storm of her recovery.

  The loud tone of his phone signaling a call snapped him out of the memory and he shook his head to focus again. He had to stop daydreaming at work. James pressed the answer button on his headset. His assistant’s voice came through, “Dr. Hawkins? I have Brian Schoeneke from the Montague Firm here to see you.”

  “Right, yes, send him in.” James cleared his throat and ended the call, adjusting the erection in his pants as he made sure he was firmly behind the desk. Yes, he definitely needed to stop daydreaming at work, and texting the security team twenty times a day, and calling Thalia just to hear her voice and make sure she was alright. If Thalia could recover, if she could return to her life with a smile and a warmth unmatched by others – then James had no excuse. He wiped a hand over his face as he looked for the email that applied to the Montague Firm, and made himself think about work.

  Two Weeks Later

  “Why are you in such a rush?!” Thalia laughed as James bundled her into the private car, and dropped in next to her.

  “We have reservations, baby, and you love Tozi. You don’t want to miss it.” He grinned at her and kissed her hard. It surprised her, and she moaned against his mouth as he leaned her back. Her whole world shrunk to the two of them; the road noise, the sounds of London evening traffic, everything fell away as his arms moved around her and his tongue met hers.

  She was breathless and grinning when he finally pulled back and looked at her, his eyes bright and intense. “James, I do love Italian, but it’s not urgent. I was just checking my email! Five minutes wouldn’t have been the end of the world.” He had pulled her out of the office like the room was on fire, and the blood in his cheeks had her laughing to herself.

  “You are gorgeous tonight.” He smiled back at her, and it filled her with a giddy flood of endorphins. James was so full of energy, so happy, and Thalia felt like it had to have something to do with the fact that since their night in the playroom with the belt there had only been one more nightmare. It had been over two weeks since that one. It was a milestone she wasn’t sure she’d ever hit – but with James anything was possible.

  “Thank you. You look incredibly hot in this suit, I think you in black-tie is my second favorite.” She pressed a kiss to his lips as he sat up and grabbed her hands.

  He laughed, “And your first?”

  “Naked.” She grinned and laughed.

  “Minx. I feel the same
way.” He laughed harder and grinned, “You know that’s not my favorite thing about you, right? Yes, you’re beautiful... but you are so strong, baby. There are days I wake up and I cannot believe that I have you with me, that I can reach over and touch you. That I am lucky enough to have a woman like you in my life. Kind, and vibrant, and warm, and -” his hand trailed up her thigh, “- brilliantly wicked in bed.”

  The blush in her cheeks made her hot, and she bit her lip at the overwhelming compliments. “James... we’ve talked about this before, I’m lucky to have you. There’s no contest here. You saved me, you gave me a life, you helped me rebuild myself. I couldn’t repay that with a hundred lifetimes to try and do it.”

  He just shook his head and kissed her again, and she swooned. It was powerful, his lips moving over hers like he was staking a claim on her. Her pussy flooded and she wanted to climb on his lap, forget dinner, and have the driver turn around. Instead, James broke the kiss and spoke again, “Thalia, bloody hell, you have no idea what you’ve done for me! I was such a dark person before you met me. All I did was work because I couldn’t give in to my urges. Without Kalen around to keep me in line, I was always afraid of going too far with some vanilla relationship. My last submissive was... casual. There was no future with her, and she knew it, and she left because of it. I was dissatisfied because she was never enough. She was dissatisfied because she could tell.” His hands landed on either side of her head, and the serious expression on his face calmed her a bit. She remembered him talking about Shannon before, about how it hadn’t been right for either of them, and about how thinking of that relationship made him know how perfect she was for him. His lips ticked up in a smile again, “But, you... you, Thalia, fill me with light. I look forward to seeing you every day. I think of you when I’m at work. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up, and on the days you’ve already left for the studio – I miss you. And when you’re on your knees in the playroom? I love and respect you so much for the trust you place in me, for the love you have for me, to let me be the one in control. To give me that.”

  “I -” Thalia tried to find the words to respond, but there was barely air in her lungs.

  “I love you so much. There are not enough words to describe the million, brilliant ways you make me whole.” James leaned back and ran his hands over his thighs before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a box. Thalia’s world went sideways, shock emptying her mind of all thoughts, and she looked up at him to find his green eyes on hers. “I’d like to feel whole forever, Thalia. Will you marry me?”

  The box was open in his hands, a sparkling, clear, diamond catching the street lights on a simple platinum band. She was vaguely aware that the car was slowing, but it felt like the whole world had slowed down. She was tongue-tied, afraid she was dreaming, and the urge to pinch herself through the navy dress overwhelmed her. James reached over and took her hand in his and the physical touch snapped her back. Biting her lip for a moment she nodded rapidly before stumbling over her answer, “Y- yes. Yes! Of course, James! Are you serious?”

  His body rocked forward as if he’d actually been anxious about her answer, and then he grabbed her and kissed her hard. “I am absolutely serious, baby. I want everything with you. I want to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

  Thalia laughed, joy filling her up as the grin on her lips made her cheeks ache, “You’re all I want, James. If I have you, I don’t need anything else.” She kissed him again and the rumble of his moan against her lips had her climbing onto his lap, her dress riding up her thighs, and she didn’t care at all that the driver could easily see them if he tried. Her hips moved against his and he groaned before pressing her back. With a boyish grin he slid the ring on her finger and then gallantly kissed the back of her hand. The car stopped suddenly, and the door jerked open.

  Thalia jumped and she caught a flash of blonde hair before she heard Julie’s high-pitched scream, “SHE SAID YES!” A loud cheer rose up from outside of the car, and heat flooded Thalia’s chest as she looked down at James, and he grinned.

  “We may have a few people joining us for dinner.” He chuckled and kissed her again as he moved her back to the seat. Nervous excitement buzzed over her skin, and she couldn’t stop smiling. “Ready, baby?” James smiled back as he stepped out of the car before reaching in for her hand. When she stepped out there were camera flashes, and cheers, and the popping of confetti toys that spread the scent of gunpowder and colorful paper streamers around them. It was a crowd of their friends. Julie was clapping and bouncing on her toes, Antonio smiling behind her.

  “I am so happy for ye!” Maggie crashed into Thalia, her rounded belly pressing against her as she hugged her tight. After a firm hug Maggie stepped back with tears in her eyes, and Kalen leaned around her and kissed Thalia on the cheek.

  “We could not be happier.” His voice boomed, and he smiled broadly.

  “Happy doesn’t even cut it -”

  “Oh my God, another wedding?!” Chloe and Lauren practically screamed over one another as they squeezed past Kalen and Maggie to press Thalia in a hug.

  She tried to react, but they were babbling at a hundred miles an hour about Julie’s upcoming wedding, and something about flowers, and colors, and bridesmaids. Thalia was overwhelmed, and she searched for James’ face and found him grinning broadly as Kalen hugged him. His eyes found hers in an instant and he reached forward to take her hand and pull her towards the doors of the small restaurant.

  “Everyone! Let’s go inside and celebrate!” James had never sounded happier. He’d never smiled this much, and the cheers that went up were a buoy of love and affection unmatched in Thalia’s life. He tucked her against him as they moved inside to see the restaurant empty, and several waiters waiting to get the large party seated. Thalia couldn’t believe the number of people there. It was everyone that had made their relationship real and solid. Analiese was waving at her by Nick, as they sat down next to James’ coworker Tom and his girlfriend. Kalen and Maggie and Ailsa sat next to James, while Julie grabbed the seat next to Thalia, with Antonio on her other side. Across from her Becca sat down, and she was quickly overwhelmed by the loud chatter from Lauren and Chloe who were leaning across Brad to keep up their discussion. Alice and her husband were on the other side of Becca, and Thalia smiled at them. They had double-dated after the gala and she loved Alice’s brash humor. She loved everyone at the long table.

  Kalen clapped his hands together as he stood and all of the girls from Purgatory dropped into silence immediately. A beat later and they were all laughing, much to the confusion of the part of the dinner party that had no idea why. Just as Kalen stopped grinning and raised a glass to speak, the door opened again and Katherine waltzed in the door, followed by James’ parents.

  “My fault! Sorry we’re late!” Katherine called out as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. Thalia jumped to her feet, smiling at the three of them. Henry, James’ father, was smiling quietly with his arm around Evelyn, James’ mother. Henry looked so much like James it was startling, the same green eyes, but his hair was a soft brown and peppering at the temples with gray. James’ blond had come from his mother, and tonight she wore it up in a bun. Evelyn smiled, her hands coming up to her mouth as they landed on Thalia.

  “Oh, darling, please tell me you said yes?” Evelyn’s voice was so filled with tentative excitement that Thalia almost burst into tears on the spot. To not only be accepted, but to be wanted by his family had once upon a time felt impossible. The first meeting with them had been fraught with tension, Katherine had told them about the abduction, and James had barely been able to keep them at bay a few weeks until Thalia had healed enough to meet them at their lavish estate. The dinner had been nothing like Thalia had expected. Yes, a beautiful table in a beautiful home, but his parents had talked to her with genuine care and concern. Evelyn had gently chided James for not telling them about her sooner, and then they had spent the rest of the dinner politely ignoring the fading bruise o
n her cheek that she’d tried so hard to cover with makeup.

  “Well?” Henry brought her back from her reverie and simply tilted his head, keeping his eyes on her as he waited for her answer.

  “I did. Of course I said yes!” Thalia grinned and raised her hand to show the ring and Evelyn smiled and moved forward to lean past Becca and look.

  “It’s absolutely lovely! Good choice, James.” She smiled at him and Thalia felt James slide his arm around her waist with a gentle pressure.

  “Thank you, mum.” The warmth in James’ voice made Thalia’s smile brighter. “Please, sit down.” There was a quick shuffling of seats as Becca and others moved to allow James’ family to fill the seats directly across from the happy couple.

  “Thank God it’s you, Thalia. I was always terrified James would pick some mindless tramp!” Katherine laughed as she dropped into a chair, and Thalia watched their mother sigh indulgently and sit down in the chair Henry had pulled out for her.

  “I believe what Katherine means, Thalia, is that we are all delighted you will be a member of the family.” Henry’s voice had a rumble of power in it that made it obvious to her where James had learned it. He smiled at them both and sat down, before nodding at Kalen who was still standing. “Kalen, it’s good to see you again.”