by Elise Marion
“Jack,” she begged, thrusting her hips in a desperate attempt to create more friction. “Please … I want you inside me.”
“I’m not … I can’t …” he murmured, shuddering as he moved against her, the head of him teasing her entrance. “It’s been too long, Addie … I won’t last.”
“I don’t care,” she gasped, arching her back as his cock replaced his hand, fitting between her lower lips and against the little bud he’d been teasing with soft strokes. “I need you … right now … I need you.”
“Almost,” he whispered. “Not yet.”
He captured her lips in a searing kiss, gripping her hips and angling her as he rocked against her, giving her the perfect pressure and friction. Her entire body convulsed from the pleasure of it, her legs jerking and her arms pulling against the headboard and the belt keeping her captive. Jack was shaking, his breath coming uneven; yet, he maintained perfect control, moving against her with calculated thrusts. Tiny flutters began within her, building and swelling until she knew she was absolutely going to die. Letting her knees fall open, she undulated beneath him, urging him to move faster, to press against her harder.
He held back until the last possible moment, waiting until she was shuddering and gasping beneath him before plunging in, swift and deep. Her lips parted on a shrill cry as her channel clenched around him, the pounding waves of a thunderous climax gripping her so swiftly, she could hardly breathe.
Jack took up a swift rhythm inside of her, riding the swells of her blissful ending with a ferocity that left her breathless. The spasms seemed never-ending, rippling through her at a rhythm matching his pace inside of her, amplifying the intensity of it with every stroke.
She’d dreamt of him, imagined them together this way so many times after he’d died. But it had never been this good, not even in her dreams—this feeling of being so close to him, she didn’t know where she ended and he began.
He raised his head to look at her, and she became captivated by him, by the play of emotions transforming his face and melting his eyes into a pool of liquid titanium. He reached up to cup her face, his thumb stroking across her lips. He smiled when she kissed it.
“Addie,” he whispered reverently. “My Addie.”
A moment later, he stiffened, the cords in his neck stretching as he threw his head back and released. It seemed to draw on forever, the spasms inside of her dying away as he sank down on top of her with a deep sigh, thrusting into her a few more times before going completely still.
After a moment, he lifted his head, reaching up to loosen the belt from around her wrists. Bringing one of them to his lips, he gave it a gentle kiss.
“Not too tight, was it?” he asked, examining her hands for marks.
“No,” she said. “But even if it had been, I wouldn’t have cared.”
He gave her a slow smile that stole the remaining strength from her limbs. If she’d been standing, she might have melted into a puddle.
“Don’t move,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” she murmured, her eyelids already growing heavy. “I’m pretty sure I’m incapable of standing right now, anyway. Leg status: baby Bambi.”
She must have drifted off, because one moment, she felt the mattress shift as he left the bed; the next, she snapped awake to find him beside her. One arm draped across her, he lay dozing, his breathing slow and even.
“Jack, are you awake?”
“Yes,” he replied, though he didn’t open his eyes.
“I’ve never really been with someone like you before,” she whispered.
“I know, and thank God,” he replied with a little smirk.
“What I meant,” she clarified. “Was that I always wondered what it would be like to have a good guy … the perfect guy.”
Opening his eyes, he peered at her from beneath drooping eyelids. “Addie, I can accept being called the good guy, but I’m far from perfect.”
She snuggled closer to him, burying her face against his chest. “You are to me. I was just wondering … you’ve been in serious relationships before … good ones. Is it always like this?”
Bringing his hand beneath her chin, he urged her to meet his gaze. “Addie, I can honestly say that it has never been like this.”
She frowned. Of course things were different with her. She was a half-demon with severe abandonment and self-esteem issues. What on Earth had prompted her to ask such a question?
“Oh.”
He smiled and stroked her cheek. “It’s never been this good … this intense. This pure. Never, Addie.”
That got her smiling again, pride filling her at the thought of being a first of sorts, for him. Lord knew he was filling many ‘firsts’ for her. The first to truly love her. The first to take the time to show it. The first to earn her love in return. The first to make her toes curl.
The gentle sensation of his arms tightening around her pulled her under, but just before she fell asleep, she felt the brush of his lips against her hairline, and a whispered, “I adore you.”
Chapter Thirteen: Chopsticks and Guardianships
“Loosen your grip. You’re holding them too tight.” Jack held up his chopsticks, demonstrating to Addison the proper way to hold them. “And you only need to move one finger to work them … like this.”
Addison frowned in concentration, trying to mimic his movements. While his chopsticks clicked together with every move of his index finger, hers went flying, one falling onto the floor and the other disappearing among the covers bunched around her hips.
“Screw it,” she muttered, reaching into the bag resting between them on the bed and retrieving a plastic fork.
“That’s cheating,” he admonished with a smirk, diving into his carton and using his chopsticks to snag a clump of sticky steamed rice. “You’re a cheater.”
“I’m too hungry to master chopsticks right now,” she grumbled between bites. “You’re not going to make me feel bad about that.”
He studied her in silence for a few moments while they sat eating. She wore a tank top, her underwear, and nothing else—her hair tousled adorably from sleep. After snoozing for about an hour, they’d awakened and agreed they were hungry. Now they lay in bed eating Chinese takeout, and Jack was mentally counting the minutes until Micah showed up for his shift on guard duty. He had about another hour left with Addison, and he intended to enjoy every second. Tomorrow morning would bring its share of problems, and Micah’s arrival would make things tense in the trailer, but for now, he put all of that out of his mind.
“I’m thinking about selling the trailer,” she murmured.
“Really?” he asked, pausing between bites.
She nodded. “There are too many bad memories for me to want to live here permanently. I have no reason to hold on to it. I think the best way for me to move on past my mother’s death, and all the other crap that happened in the past, is to just get rid of it. Sell the trailer, and maybe use the money to buy a car.”
“Seems like a solid plan,” he replied. “Does that mean you’re coming back home with me and Micah?”
With a sigh, she dropped her fork into the carton she ate from, before setting it on the nightstand. “Do you think Micah will even want me there after he finds out …”
She trailed off, but Jack didn’t need her to fill in the blanks. Micah was going to be hurt when he discovered that he and Addison were back together, and while he wanted to feel bad about it, he couldn’t really conjure too much sympathy. Not when he was still reveling in the satisfaction that followed having been inside her. She was his, and he wasn’t going to lose her again, not even to spare the feelings of his best friend.
“He and I talked while you were in Hell, and agreed that we would accept whatever decision you made and move forward,” he told her. “The war with Eligos and finishing our mission with the Seal are more important than our personal drama.”
Pursing her lips, she gave him a
pointed look and inclined her head. “Would you have accepted it if I’d chosen Micah?”
He stiffened, his hold on the chopsticks tightening so hard and so fast that he snapped one in half. Addison giggled and shook her head.
“That’s what I thought,” she teased. “I hate to play devil’s advocate here, but I’m just saying … he might be a little sore about it.”
Jack shrugged. “If it’s too awkward, then we’ll move out … get our own place.”
Her eyes went wide and she froze, an egg roll halfway to her lips. “You want to live with me?”
“Before I died, I kind of already did,” he reminded her. “Only now, I won’t have to sleep on the couch while you take my bed.”
Jack watched while she bit the egg roll in half, in what he felt certain was an attempt to fill her mouth so she didn’t have to answer right away.
“Look,” he continued. “It’s just an option. I’m not going to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for. I just wanted you to know that I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to make this work. If it means we have to work not make things so awkward with Micah, then that’s what we will do. We’ll cross those bridges as we get to them, okay?”
Swallowing, she knit her brow, watching him as if he’d grown a second head. “You’re amazing.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” he chuckled. “Care to elaborate on that?”
“It’s just … I can’t believe how easy it was for you to forgive me,” she replied, her voice low. “When you came home, and I realized what I’d done, I thought I’d lost you forever. I couldn’t imagine you would want me after—”
“I don’t care,” he said quickly, cutting her off before she could finish the sentence with ‘I slept with your best friend.’ “Look at me.”
She raised her eyes to meet his, and he made sure not to let his gaze waver as he continued.
“I don’t give a damn about anything that happened when I was dead. I did at first, but after having some time to think about it, I realized I really didn’t have a right to care. This is my second chance at life, at having all the things I’ve missed out on. I’m not going to let you slip through my fingers because of things that went on when I was literally on another plane of existence. I love you, you love me, and that’s all I need to know. Now gimme a bite of that egg roll, and stop talking crazy.”
Extending her hand toward him with the egg roll between her fingers, she gave him the most radiant smile.
“If you want me to come back to the apartment, I will,” she said while he took a bite. “That way, you guys don’t have to keep coming all the way out here to guard me. I’ll just need some time to pack up all my mom’s stuff and decide what to do with it.”
“I can come help with that, if you want,” he offered. “We’ve got some recruiting to do, but I’m sure we could set aside a few hours here and there. With both of us working, it shouldn’t take too long.”
She nodded and gave him a grateful smile. “I would appreciate that. Thanks.”
They continued eating, and for the duration of their dinner, the conversation switched to the mundane—favorite colors, movies, foods, songs. The seemingly commonplace details making up the person he loved logged away in his mind alongside his knowledge of the way she liked to be kissed, how her nose wrinkled when she laughed, and the number of freckles dotting her cheekbones. The time slipped away, and before long, the sound of Micah’s pick-up arriving outside shattered their solitude.
Rising to his feet, Jack helped her collect their empty cartons and make the bed. Then, he pulled his shirt on over his head and sat to slip on his shoes. Reaching for his wallet resting on the bedside table, he remembered the business card he’d stashed there the other day.
“By the way,” he said, retrieving the card and extending it to her. “Some attorney came by the apartment looking for you the other day. Said he had some information about your mother’s estate.”
She scowled, taking the card from him and studying the embossed lettering. “Estate? My mama didn’t have anything except this trailer. Even her car got repossessed some time back … she spent the money on drugs. Are you sure he had the right person?”
Jack nodded. “He seemed pretty sure you were the Addison Monroe he was looking for. Can you think of anything you might have forgotten about? A trust fund or something?”
Wrinkling her brow, Addison seemed to think that over for a moment, her thumb tracing the raised print on the card. “My Nana might have put something aside for me, but it couldn’t have been much.”
“It can’t hurt to find out,” he encouraged, reaching out to take her into his arms. “Maybe your Nana was a secret millionaire or something.”
“You know, I wouldn’t put it past her,” she mused, laying her head against his chest. “I’ll call the attorney in the morning and see what he wants.”
“Good,” he replied. “I gotta go now. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
Slipping her arms around his neck, she captured his mouth in a kiss. Then, she sank against him, making him forget why exactly he’d decided to leave for the night, why he needed to pry himself away from her soft, warm body and return to his apartment alone.
“Don’t stay up too late,” he teased. “When I get here tomorrow, I’m going to be on a mission to help you get this trailer cleared out by lunchtime.”
She laughed. “What’s the rush?”
Keeping one arm tight around her, he lowered his head and kissed her again. “So I can take you home with me.”
“In that case, you better go right now,” she murmured, planting a row of little kisses along his jaw. “Before I try to convince you to stay, and keep you up all night … then you’ll be too tired to be of any use to me tomorrow.”
“As tempting as that sounds,” he replied, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her away. “I’m going to go … for real this time. Good night, Addie.”
“Good night, Jack,” she replied, sitting on the bed and watching him retreat toward the door.
He forced himself not to look back, the prospect of returning to that bed with her so tempting, he almost didn’t make out to the hall. Once he did, the sounds of Micah and Drew’s voices pulled him toward the living room.
Drew had settled onto the couch in front of the TV and barely spared him a glance. Micah glanced up at him from where he sat at the kitchen table, an untouched six-pack of beer resting in front of him. His jaw clenched as he looked away from Jack, as if understanding all-too-well where he’d just come from and what he’d been doing.
“Don’t forget we need to take Addie out to Israel Meyer tomorrow,” he said after clearing his throat. “So she can meet Harley and the others. I think Harley mentioned some other dens we might be able to hit.”
Micah nodded, but wouldn’t look him in the eye. “I’m off work tomorrow, so I’m around for whatever’s needed.”
Jack retrieved his jacket from the couch and slid it on. “Okay, well … see you guys in the morning.”
Drew waved him off, and Micah might have grunted in reply—Jack couldn’t be certain. Making his way down the front steps, he told himself that Micah simply needed time to get over his infatuation with Addison. He only hoped it would happen sooner rather than later.
As he started Antoine’s bike and secured the helmet over his head, he couldn’t help but feel as if gaining the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with had just caused him to lose the best friend he’d ever had. Maybe not entirely, but in a way that ensured their friendship might never be the same.
Addison waited until the rumble of the motorcycle engine had faded away before getting dressed and leaving her bedroom. While Jack seemed hopeful that things would eventually be okay, she wasn’t certain she was ready to be in the same room with them both—especially since she hadn’t talked to Micah in private since before she’d been dragged down into Hell. She felt that she owed him an explanation, if nothing else, and needed Jack gone for that to
happen. If she was going to move forward with Jack, she needed to put this entire episode with Micah behind her.
Pausing in the darkened hallway, she peered into the kitchen, where Micah sat with a bottle of beer between his hands. He was staring at the television, which Drew sat in front of, but while her brother was engrossed in the show he watched, Micah seemed to barely be registering what went on in front of him. He looked exhausted, and still wore his work clothes, the yellow Mama Jo’s Cajun Café T-shirt stretched to its limit across his colossal shoulders.
Taking a swig of beer, he lifted his head and stiffened, turning slowly to meet her gaze. Almost as if he had felt her looking at him. Setting the bottle aside, he slowly rose to his feet, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled.
She stepped into the light of the kitchen and paused, uncertainty causing her to falter.
“Hey,” he said, his gaze locking with hers and holding intently.
“Hi,” she replied.
As if her response had freed him from invisible shackles, he moved, rounding the table and coming toward her. Faster than she could blink, he had his arms around her, pulling her against him in a tight hug. Her arms came up to reciprocate, her fingers digging into his muscled back on instinct.
Tears pricked her eyes, even though she’d been so happy a moment ago. Maybe it was guilt, or the overwhelming feeling of seeing him again after her brush with death and Hell. But when she blinked, one of those pesky tears tracked a path down her face.
“Micah,” she croaked, sniffling and trying to keep more tears from spilling.
“Shhh,” he whispered. “Just stand here for a minute … please. I know you got somethin’ to say to me, but just … gimme a minute.”
She fell silent and let him hold her, taking comfort in the fact that he didn’t seem to be angry with her. They’d forged a friendship of sorts after Jack’s death, and she didn’t want to lose that, even if she was choosing Jack over him. Maybe they would be all right, after all.
