by Cindy Stark
"Wait," she called out. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. "How long until I leave?"
"A couple of days," he said over his shoulder.
She watched his retreating back, unshed tears putting pressure behind her eyelids. Her fairytale was about to take its last breath. She looked down at his dog who seemed to prefer her company and wished Jase wanted to be near her as much as Boo did.
Allie found a large boulder near the stream and sat down. She pulled out a stack of documents held together by a rubber band. On top was a driver's license with her photo on it. It was the same photo she had on her current license, but the name listed was Alexandra Fox.
No matter, Alyson Jordan was now dead. Never to be seen on the face of the earth again. If for some reason her aunt or cousins decided they missed her, they'd never find her. There would be no way to track her down. In a few days, she'd be all alone in the world. All on her own. The reality of that hit hard. A clean slate. A new beginning. It was like being born as an adult. At least she could still use Allie as a nickname if she wanted to...or maybe not.
She rifled through the rest of the papers, finding a social security card, a credit card in her name, and a stack of cash totaling—she flipped through the hundred dollar bills and then whooshed out a breath of air—five thousand dollars. Under that was her acceptance to the University of California, Los Angeles. Jase had thought of everything. All she had to do was take the first step on her own. Walk out into the world and claim it.
The only problem was, nearly everything she wanted in the world had just turned his back on her and had walked away.
Could she do the same?
* * *
Allie tried not to think about the limited number of nights she had left to sleep in Jase's bed. And she wouldn't consider the possibility he didn't want her there that night.
She waited until later than normal before she slipped out of her room. Hopefully he'd be asleep and wouldn't notice her coming. She didn't want a fight. She just wanted to be next to him.
All was quiet when she entered his room. She couldn't hear his deep breathing signaling he was asleep, but he didn't say anything, either. As usual, she softly lifted the covers and climbed in. Serene moonlight drifted in through his window, and she could see his closed eyes. He didn't move, so she shut her eyes, willing herself to sleep. But it eluded her. All she could think was in a few days' time, she'd lose Jase forever.
Forever.
It seemed impossible, yet she knew it was true. Forever.
Compelled beyond reason, she scooted next to him and laid her head on his chest. His heart pounded beneath his ribs. She slid her hand across the smooth skin of his belly, her fingers trailing across the line of hair that led to his belly button and beyond. In all the days she'd slept in his bed, neither one of them had crossed the line into personal touches since the first night in his home when he'd pulled her to him while he was still half asleep.
But now she couldn't resist. She ached to touch him. To memorize the feel of his skin. Desperation welled inside her as she skimmed her hand across the hard contours of his chest. Her hand brushed the bandage on his arm. They'd been through so much together, and she'd grown attached to him. She wasn't ready to let go, yet. She turned her face into his neck and inhaled. Would she ever forget his scent? Would she ever want to? She pressed her lips against his skin.
He circled a muscled arm around her, crushing her against him. "Allie," he whispered.
"I'm sorry. I—" The rest of her words evaporated as his lips found hers.
It took her a moment to realize he wasn't pushing her away. Her heartbeat slammed into overdrive. In the span of a few seconds, the subdued feeling in the room shifted to white hot heat. She lifted her hands, pushing her fingers through his hair, holding him to her. His tongue was firm against her lips and she opened her mouth to receive his full kiss. She didn't resist when he rolled her over, pinning her with his weight, his mouth claiming hers with expert force.
"Oh, God," she whispered. His kisses were hungry, demanding. She couldn't get enough of them. She'd dreamed about this for too many nights, and now he was here, holding her, loving her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the heavy weight of him settle on her center. He was hard, and she lifted against him.
"Allie." His voice was breathless, raw. "You shouldn't be here. We can't do this." He kissed her hard, until she could barely breathe. "We shouldn't—"
"Shh." She pulled back from him, taking his face in her hands, meeting his glittering gaze. "I want this, Jase. I want you."
With a heavy sigh, he rolled on to his back. Their pause was apparently enough to give him seconds thoughts. "Oh, hell."
She followed him. "You can't stop now."
"I have to. This is not fair to you."
"Fair? This has nothing to do with fair. I need you. I need to be with you. Just one time before you send me away." She moved closer to him, pressing her breasts against his bare chest. He rested a hand against her cheek as though to put a barrier between them.
"Can't you give us this, Jase? Just for one night. Let's pretend we have no past and no future. Only now."
His answer was a heavy intake of air.
She kept her gaze locked with his as she shifted her face toward his hand, her lips touching the sensitive center of his palm. She kissed him and traced a circle with her tongue. He didn't move, didn't say anything. She nipped the base of his thumb, then kissed the wild pulse in his wrist.
He relaxed his fingers away from her skin, but she could feel the quickening of his breaths. She took his hand, circling her tongue on his wrist and then kissed her way up his palm. When she reached the tip of his middle finger, she sucked it inside her mouth. He inhaled a sharp breath, and she felt a tightening in her core.
"Just tonight?" she whispered.
He didn't say no, so she took it as a yes. She straddled him before he had a chance to change his mind. She leaned forward and kissed him, trying to take as much from him as she gave. When he gripped both of her arms, she thought he was going to push her away. She twisted, grabbing his wrists and pushed them to his pillow. Her hair fell down the sides of her face framing them.
"You think you're that strong, do you?" He chuckled, his voice low and husky. "You know I could toss you off me right now if I wanted to." He lifted his hands up a few inches to prove his point. The sight of his muscles flexing only added to her excitement.
"I know." She breathed and put more weight against his hands. "But I don't think you will." He relaxed. Her thighs tingled where they touched his bare hips. She'd been wondering if he'd still slept naked, but he was always gone in the mornings before she woke up. Now, she had her answer.
She leaned forward giving him a soft kiss on the mouth. "I think you like this."
"That's not the point."
She straightened, settling back on him, feeling his hardness beneath her. He groaned, gripping her hips with his hands. "Don't move like that again."
"Can I move like this, then?" She smiled and pushed one thin nightgown strap down her arm.
"Allie," he warned.
"Or this?" She slipped off the other strap, allowing the silky fabric to cascade down her body and pool around her waist. She leaned forward, her hands sinking into his pillow. "It's not wrong if we both want it," she whispered against his lips before claiming them with a kiss.
That was all it took. He tossed her over on the bed, slipping her nightgown from her body in a fluid movement, the silk whispering against her legs before it disappeared. She tried to catch her breath. He sat back on his knees, trapping her with a heated gaze. Her playfulness vanished.
Slowly, he ran his splayed hands up her thighs, over her hips, stopping just below her breasts. His roughened fingertips sensitized her bare skin.
"You're soft. I knew you'd be soft."
She swallowed, wondering how many times he'd pictured them like this. He leaned on one elbow next to her, tracing his finger around her breasts. She in
haled a quick breath. The anticipation was exquisite. He bent his head forward and licked her nipple. It contracted it into a tight bud. A ragged sigh slipped from her lips. "Jase." When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, the most intense feeling shot straight through her, contracting every muscle inside her. Oh. She wanted more of that.
She cradled his head between her hands, amazed he could cause such powerful sensations to rip through her.
But that was only the beginning. She felt his hand sliding softly past her waist, over her hip and between her thighs. She sucked in a breath. He slipped beneath the thin bit of lace she still wore, cupping her, using his finger to graze her most sensitive spot.
She gasped.
"Do you like that?" he whispered in her ear.
She could barely get enough air to answer. "Yes."
"How about this?" He dipped a finger inside her, and she thought she might explode.
She arched into him. "Yes."
Pleasure washed through her from his expert touch, building inside. She ached with the need for release. Time was not her friend.
She tugged his head toward her face, her breath catching when he caught her lips in a powerful kiss. "Roll over," she murmured pushing his shoulders back. He complied, pulling her with him.
"I want you, Jase," she whispered as she sat up, the palms of her hands resting on his stomach.
"I want you, too."
"Now."
"Allie." He said her name as though it was a prayer.
Slowly, she rose up and found the hard length of him waiting between her thighs. She held her breath as her hand circled him, feeling the power pulsing within her grasp.
He sucked in a breath, but didn't move.
Still holding his gaze, she positioned him at her entrance, anticipating the sweetness of holding him inside her. This was right. So right.
She slid over him, surrounding him in her heat. He jerked beneath her as she gripped his shoulders, afraid she'd melt from the overwhelming feeling of having him inside. A shiver rippled through her.
"Good God," he whispered, his eyelids fluttering shut.
She moved above him, reveling in pleasure as he filled her, enjoying the bittersweet sensation as she released him. Over and over, she let the exquisite feeling take control of her body as Jase tightened his hold on her hips. "Oh, Jase." A low trembling built deep within her, gaining strength with each thrust. She clenched her muscles as the orgasm rolled through her, making her shake and lose her rhythm.
Jase rolled them again, putting her on the bottom. He kissed her. Hard. "You're mine," he whispered, his lips still touching hers. "Mine."
Her heart sang at his words. His. That's all she wanted. She clung to him as he slipped back inside her, filling her with love.
He possessed her. Inside and out. Over and over. He made love to her with a desperate passion. His muscles bunched as he held himself above her. She ran her hands up his biceps and over his shoulders needing to feel him, touch him, taste him.
She came again before he did, but he wasn't far behind. When they both lay spent on the bed, he pulled her into his arms. She relaxed, contented. "I'm glad you didn't push me away."
"I've wanted you every second of every day since I laid eyes on you. It's taken every ounce of self-control I have to keep my hands off you."
"Really?" She smiled in the darkness.
"Really. And you certainly haven't made things easy, showing up in my bed every night, especially in that sexy nightgown."
"Carole gave it to me."
"Figures." He kissed her until she was breathless. "I want you more than the air I breathe, Allie."
"More than revenge?" The question was out of her mouth before she realized it, and she couldn't have regretted it more. Seconds of silence ticked by, seeming like an eternity. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that." She didn't want to ruin their beautiful night together.
He placed a soft kiss on her lips. "We have no past, remember? It's just us tonight."
It wasn't the answer she wanted, but at least he wasn't angry with her. She pushed aside her disappointment. She had him in her arms right now, and she could do nothing more than live for the moment.
She snuggled deeper into his embrace. Heaven help her. She knew without a doubt she'd never experience this feeling with anyone else again.
* * *
Jase reached for her again during the night. Now that the gates had been opened, he knew there was no way he could ever resist Allie Jordan again. Sweet, sensual, and oh, God, more than he could have ever asked for.
He might be damned for making love to a woman who carried another's child, but he wasn't the first man in history to do so, and a compassionate God wouldn't condemn him for accepting a slice of heaven while he served out his hellish life on earth.
When the last of his passion was spent, he tucked her against him, pulling the covers around them, and cherished the last few hours he'd ever have with Allie. He had told her she'd leave in a couple of days, but it was obvious the more time they spent together, the harder it would be for them to part. And parting was something they had to do.
He could see her leaning toward love. It was only a matter of time before she fell. He couldn't allow that. She was completely oblivious to his faults. She saw him as a protector, a hero, which he wanted to be. But the fact was, he was a dangerous man. Dangerous to himself and to those around him. The sooner she left, the better.
For him, it was too late. Too late to have a good life. And far too late to stop himself from falling in love with her.
* * *
The sun had barely given morning its first blush when Jase slipped out of bed. Although Allie was a deep sleeper, he moved cautiously across the room, gathering his clothes for the day. When that was done, he tiptoed back to Allie's side of the bed.
He paused, gazing down at the beautiful woman who had made his dreams come true the night before. He never would have asked her for such a thing, but he'd been helpless to resist when she'd offered.
It killed him to not crawl back beside her and pull her into his arms. She'd talked of him staying in Oregon and leaving Chicago behind. But he couldn't do that. Not yet. Maybe not ever. The Trasatti family had to pay. The cops hadn't been able to get a conviction. He wondered if they'd really tried—maybe Detective Cates, but the rest seemed like a bunch of goons.
And what about what the Trasatti family had done to Allie's life? She'd never be the same. No, if Jase didn't make the mobsters pay, no one would. They'd get away with more than murder.
Jase took a quick shower and left the house. The air was fresh and cool on his face, and much sweeter than the smog-filled skies he'd find back in the bustling city of Chicago. He walked quickly to the guest house where Robert had resided since Jase had been a small boy. The quaint log cabin sat nestled in a canopy of maples and pines a short distance away from the main house, and it afforded his driver-slash-handyman a small amount of privacy.
Jase knocked on the door. It was several minutes before anyone answered, and it took the sight of Robert standing bare-chested in a pair of flannel pants before Jase realized it was too early in the morning to be paying a visit.
"What's wrong?" The older black man blinked several times, his eyes still tinged with sleep.
Jase let out a breath, feeling stupid. "Oh, I'm sorry, man." He gave him a sheepish grin. "I didn't think you'd still be asleep."
Robert widened his eyes. "It's not even six, yet."
"Uh, yeah." Jase took a step back from the door. "I mean, I didn't realize it was so early still. I can come back later."
Robert opened the door wider. "You might as well come in now. I wasn't sleeping, anyway." He turned and walked toward the interior of the house, leaving Jase to follow.
Jase stepped inside the quiet living room, shutting the door behind him. Memories bombarded him from every direction. He couldn't count the times he and his sister had played there as children. Monopoly and chocolate chip cookies on the nicked wooden tab
le in front of the couch. Hide-and-seek and homemade lemonade on Saturday afternoons.
He couldn't stand to think of it now. He closed off the painful memories and wandered into the kitchen.
Jase stopped, almost as surprised to see Carole as she was to see him.
"Stars, almighty," she gasped as she closed the top of her robe with one hand. She turned to glare at Robert. "Why didn't you tell me Jase was coming in?"
Robert's deep voice rumbled through the quiet kitchen. "I was just about to."
"Morning, Carole." Jase enjoyed the deep pink that settled on her cheeks. "What are you doing up and about so early in the morning?"
She narrowed her eyes. "You know damn well what I'm doing, so quit pretending you don't."
Though he was plagued by thoughts of Allie, Jase managed a smile. "I'll quit pretending as soon as you and Robert quit pretending you haven't been in love for years."
"I'm not the one pretending," Robert said as he pulled a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. "She's the one who thinks we need to keep it a secret."
Carole scoffed as she reached for two glasses from the cupboard. "I don't think it needs to be a secret. We just shouldn't do things in front of the..."
"Children?" Robert finished, with raised brows. He filled the two glasses sitting on the bar and held the bottle up, offering some to Jase.
Jase shook his head. "I'm a grown man, Carole. In case you haven't noticed."
"I've noticed. It's just..." She glanced at Robert. "Weird. We had to hide it for so long, it's become a habit."
Robert rolled his eyes and took a drink of o.j. "I don't think Jase came over here at six in the morning to talk about our love life." He lifted his chin. "What's up?"
Jase hesitated. He was about to meet his first wave of resistance. "I'm going to be gone for a couple of days. I have some stuff to take care of." It really wasn't anything pressing. But a quick trip to Chicago was a good excuse to check on his operations and keep away from Allie at the same time. "When I get back, Allie will be leaving."
"Why?" Carole was the first to express her disappointment. "The next school semester doesn't start for a while. Why not let her stay longer? And you, too? You need a break."
