Tackle Me: Contemporary Bad Boy Romance

by Serena Vale

  She thought again of the last few hectic moments in the alley. Adeline was sure she had seen…something. She had been hunched against the rough brick, trying desperately to disappear. But she remembered the charge of electric current suddenly thick in the air, and where Jay had been standing, she could see a big, brown bear the exact same shade of light brown that matched Jay’s perfectly.

  She shook her head, maybe she was in shock, or seeing things because of the massive surge of fear that had flooded her body. Adeline thought again of the way he had brought down those five tough-looking men, barely breaking a sweat, and then had been so incredibly gentle with her.

  Maybe she had imagined things, but maybe…just maybe there was something else to this man, something that went beyond the sheltered world that she knew.

  Chapter 4

  Jay paced restlessly, waiting for Adeline to come out of the bathroom but willing to give her as much time as she needed. She had just been through something awful, and from the looks of the faint bruises wrapping around her upper arms in the shape of fingers, she had been going through something awful for a long time.

  There was no way in hell he was going to bring Adeline back to that Blake Newcombe asshole until he had the whole story, and then, well, then they would see. But he had a feeling that if those bruises turned out to mean what he thought they would, he would be paying Blake a visit very soon. And it wouldn’t be pleasant for either of them.

  His bear half paced just as restlessly inside him, wanting to growl, and claw, and smash at the thought of anyone hurting Adeline, anyone touching her.

  The thought whispered through his mind before he could push it away. Mine. He tried to contain the surge of warmth as the word repeated relentlessly. He knew that’s not what she needed right now.

  Jay turned quickly as he heard the door creak open, his breath catching as he drank in the sight of her haloed by the cool white light emanating from the bathroom. She looked like an angel to him, every perfect dip and curve pulling at him so that he ended up with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark blue jeans in the hopes of controlling his body. It seemed an impossible task when he was standing barely five feet away from her.

  He couldn’t take his dark eyes off of her as she walked barefoot into the small motel room, looking so out of place to him against the backdrop of the dingy space. Like a pearl shining bright and clean on a pile of rocks.

  Jay shifted his feet, searching for the right words to say to comfort her, to explain that he would make sure she was safe. He had a few ideas, a rough plan forming in the back of his mind while he had been waiting. But he needed to hear the whole story, and he wasn’t sure Adeline was ready to tell it. Maybe he would give her a few days, and then come back. Like hell. As if he could stay away from her at all. The thought caused an ache right below his chest as his whole being protested the idea.

  Jay took a half step towards her, then hesitated, not really sure what he was still doing there in the first place. His deep, rumbly voice was hushed in the quiet room.

  “I guess I should be going.” Adeline took a quick step forward, her hand raised instinctively to try and stop him. She didn’t know what it was, but there was a feeling that fell over her like a blanket whenever she was near him. Like the safest place in the whole world for her was by her side.

  He made her fear melt away, although what replaced was pure desire, shocking in its intensity. In the beginning, she had fancied herself in love with Blake, but that paltry flicker was nothing beside the inferno that flashed through her now.

  It was the strangest thing, and Adeline couldn’t wrap her mind around it, but she wasn’t willing to let it just walk out the door. She was so tired of sacrificing what she wanted, or just maybe, needed.

  “Wait…Jay.” Her words were as softly spoken as his. “Please, would you, will you stay?”

  “I ah…well, I don’t know…”

  “I mean, on the couch. Maybe you could just sleep here, on the couch.” Her entire face flashed pink, not even sure herself why she was asking him to stay, but desperately wanting him too. “I just…I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Oh, yeah. Of course, I can stay.” Adeline peered up at him, trying to read his expression but it was hard in the softly cast glow coming from the bathroom and the faint light of the lamp on the nightstand. She sighed in relief. He was going to be there with her, that’s all that mattered to her.

  Chapter 5

  Jay lay on his back on the hard, slightly musty smelling couch, wondering what the hell he was doing there. He checked his watch, again. Almost three in the morning, and he hadn’t slept a wink. He didn’t expect to either. Not with the soft whisper of Adeline’s rhythmic breathing filling his ears, her scent, a mix of lavender and chamomile wrapping so tightly around his senses he was afraid he would never shake her loose.

  Did he even want to? He cursed at himself. She was just getting out of a terrible relationship, she didn’t need him. He had to reign in his anger anew as he thought back to their conversation a few hours ago, sitting at the small table crammed into the corner as she told him about running from her ex-boyfriend. Not husband. He had mentally sighed in relief at that, even though he knew it was of no consequence.

  Guilt lay heavy on his conscience as she had told him everything about why she was hiding, what she had experienced. He had been in awe at her ability to still trust anyone after what she had gone through, but could only be grateful that for some strange reason, she trusted him.

  Jay, however, had been much less forthcoming. He knew he should tell her that he had been hired by Blake, but he didn’t know how to without crushing the bond that had grown between them, something he was loathed to do. He had to tell her the truth, there was no way around it. Jay sighed again to himself. It was decided, first thing in the morning, he would tell her everything.

  A sudden cry from the direction of the bed had him shooting up, crouched in defensive stance, adrenaline surging. It took his mind a few seconds to realize that Adeline wasn’t being attacked, but still deeply asleep and thrashing on the big bed that was pushed up against the opposite wall.

  She was caught in the throes of a nightmare, and Jay rushed to the side of the bed, his only thought that of comforting her. It tore him up to see the agonized expression on her slumbering face, and the nearly invisible trail of wet tears as they rolled across her cheeks to puddle on the pillow she was laying on.

  “Adeline,” he whispered, standing over her, afraid of what her reaction might be if he reached out and nudged her shoulder. “Adeline, wake up, sweetheart.” This time, her name was louder as it fell off his tongue into the darkness of the room

  “Adeline.” She could hear someone say her name, and even in sleep she turned towards the voice. In her dreams, she was back in the alley, too afraid to move, too afraid to make a sound.

  “Adeline, wake up.” With a start and a gasp, she opened her eyes and found Jay’s meltingly dark gaze inches from her own. A wave of some sweet, dark emotion rolled over her. Something she’d never felt before, and it had Adeline reaching out to him before she had the chance to second guess herself.

  “Jay.” Her voice carried a hint of the ache that had started pulsing across her skin. A thrill coursed through her at the rough groan he couldn’t quite contain.

  “You were having a nightmare. I just wanted to…” Jay paused, unwilling to finish the sentence. He knew what he wanted, and the desire panting in her soft whisper had him so hard he had to shift his feet, trying to get comfortable in the confines of the tight denim he was still wearing, only allowing himself to strip off his shirt before laying on the couch.

  “Jay. Come here.” Adeline’s hushed words pulled at him excruciatingly.

  “You don’t need this, you don’t need me. Not now, not after…everything.”

  “You’re wrong.” Her voice was soft but strong in the darkness of the motel room. “I do need you. I don’t know why it doesn’t really make sense. I should
be terrified, but…I’m not.” Jay could just make out the brief shake of her against the pillow, the blond waves rustling at her movement.

  “You make me feel whole. Like I’ve been living with a part of me missing. I know that sounds crazy…” Adeline trailed off as she turned her head away from him on the pillow. Cautiously, he reached out a hand, cupping it around her incredibly soft cheek, and gently tilted her back until her blue eyes glittered inches from his own.

  “No, that doesn’t sound crazy at all. I…” Jay cleared his throat, about to say that he felt the same, “I think you should try and go back to sleep.” That was definitely not what he wanted to say, but he didn’t want her to get hurt any more than she already had. Rushing into a new relationship after dealing with that asshole Blake might just be more than she was ready for.

  Adeline felt a prick of irritation at the tone of his voice. She could see he was trying to take things slow for her benefit, but slow was the last thing she had on her mind. For the first time in a long time, she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted Jay.

  She reached for him, simultaneously pressing her mouth flush to his, not giving him a chance to pull back. Angling her head for better access, she slowly traced the seam of his lips with her tongue. He fought back a moan under her patient attack but refused to open his mouth and give her what she wanted.

  Adeline pulled back just enough to speak, her words whispering against his lips.

  “I don’t need to go back to sleep. I need you.” She stared up at him solemnly. “Please.” Like a dam bursting, Jay was on top of her. His hands framed her face, fingers diving into her long waves. He held her head still as his mouth came down on hers. His kiss was deep, patient, and devastating.

  Adeline could feel her arousal grow even sharper as moisture pooled at her center, the empty feeling driving her crazy as she pushed her hips up against his, desperate for closer contact.

  The slide of his tongue against hers had her writhing anew, tangling the sheets between her legs. His hands were everywhere, creating and stoking flames of sensation wherever he touched. She felt like a live wire.

  She pushed against his shoulders, and he instantly stopped, pushing himself away with his arms braced on either side like he was doing a pushup.

  “Is everything…”

  “Turn over.” She demanded breathlessly, her intent clear in her deep blue eyes alight with lust and something warmer, softer. Jay hesitantly flipped onto his back, obviously used to being the one in charge, but willing to let her do whatever she wanted to him.

  She wasted no time, reaching for the fly of his dark denim jeans. She needed to see all of him. The chiseled muscles of his stomach jumped as she brushed her knuckles back and forth once, twice, finally getting the zipper down.

  As he lifted his hips to help remove the offending material, she tugged hard on the belt loops, and soon it slid off his legs to be discarded on the beige carpet next to the mattress. Jay was left wearing a tight pair of dark blue boxer briefs, and she caught her breath as she drank him.

  He looked like a Greek god, all sculpted muscle, and perfect skin. She had never been totally comfortable with her curvier figure, but next to him, she felt like she was the perfect size. Her soft against of his delicious hard. Adeline had to stop herself from licking her lips.

  Quickly shedding the light green tank top, she had worn to bed, she reached for the little matching shorts but was stopped by the sound of his ragged gasp. His eyes were like burning coals as he took in her body. His look made her burn even brighter, and before he could make another sound she was naked, and move to straddle his thighs.

  She hooked the tips of her fingers around the elastic of his boxers and pulled them down, releasing an impressive erection. Her pussy throbbed in anticipation, out of control lust raging through her like a wildfire. She had never felt like this in her entire life.

  Jay braced his hands on either hip, about to tell her to slow down, but before he could open his mouth her soaking heat was enveloping him, and his brain completely shut down. Heaven.

  The thought repeated over and over again at the torturous pleasure of her sinking oh so slowly onto his length. Setting a steady pace that had him panting in seconds, he felt like a horny teenager worried he wouldn’t last long enough to please her. He held back his orgasm with sheer will, the friction of her snug heat the most incredible sensation he had ever felt. Paradise.

  The animal inside him howled in a wave of ecstatic possession. This woman was touching every single part of him, leaving nothing unturned as she rode him wildly, unabashedly.

  He thrust his hips up, rewarded by her husky moan as he hit that spot deep inside. Again, he moved his hips up as she moved down, and this time, when they met, they both released a groan at the amazing feeling. Before long, she was losing her rhythm, slamming her lush body down on his, and he bit his lip to keep from coming, searing the look on her face into his memory as she finally broke apart, crying out as she came around him.

  He couldn’t hold back any longer, the sight of her climax sending him over his own peak, body tensing as waves of pleasure so intense they took his breath exploded over him. Jay released a deep sigh as Adeline collapsed bonelessly on top of him. Heaven.

  Chapter 6

  They lay back on the bed, her head pillowed on the substantial muscle of his chest. Adeline smoothed her hand over the line of hair that curled from the center of his chest all the way down, pointing like an arrow directly at the part of him that had just wrung the most excruciating pleasure from her body.

  She gazed down, trying to see as much as she could, but the edge of the white cotton sheet denied her. She sighed, at least she’d always have her memories. And what memories they were. Adeline burrowed closer as her mind replayed the amazing scenes, remembering the feel of her entire body going up in flames.

  What was truly seared into her brain was the look in his eyes. He had stared into hers, and she had seen…everything. Every desire, every fear, the attraction, affection, and something even deeper that had seeped into his dark chocolate gaze. It had made her breath catch, her chest tighten painfully as some of the walls she had built up around her heart had crumbled.

  Damn. She was in trouble. She’d gone and fallen for him, and she still hadn’t had the courage to bring up the whole weird animal thing she thought she had seen in the alley when he had saved her. How do you bring up something like that? Hi, yes, do you happen to be a bear?

  She chuckled to herself, nearly convinced she had just made it up in the trauma of the moment, but she could remember it happening, if a little hazy. Jay cleared his throat, drawing her attention back up his body. His mouth was turned down in a frown that had her sitting up before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her back to his shoulder.

  “I need to tell you something.” The seriousness of his voice had her pulse kicking in her chest. “I just ask that you listen to everything I have to say before you respond.” He quirked a questioning brow at her, and she hastily nodded, wondering what could have put that fierce scowl on his normally calm face.

  “You know what I do. I’m a private investigator.” Adeline nodded again, he had told her about himself when she had talked to him about her trouble with her ex. He inhaled deeply before releasing an anxious sigh.

  “A few weeks ago, a new client came to see me. He was real upset about his wife who had gone missing. Said the cops weren’t doing anything, and he was desperate. So he hired me to find the woman.” Her stomach dropped, a denial ready on her lips, but he laid a gentle finger over them, stopping her words.

  “Let me finish. The client’s name was Blake Newcombe.” Her body tensed, and she couldn’t help the involuntary move to put distance between them, his eyes filling with regret as she pulled away to sit up on the bed.

  “As soon as I met you, saw you, I knew something was wrong, that he hadn’t told me the whole truth. Or maybe not any of it.”

  “What about the alley?” Sudden horror fill
ed her eyes. “Was the attack some sort of…of…set up or something? To get me to trust you?” Adeline choked on the words, and relief crashed over her as he grabbed her shoulders, rushing to set her mind at ease.

  “No! No, that was pure coincidence. And pure luck. If it had been anyone else walking past that alley instead of me, I don’t know what would have happened.” He shook his head at the image filling his mind of all the what ifs.

  He had to do something about Blake. He knew his type. Obsessive, Jealous. Dangerous. He would never give up, never leave her alone.

  The plan that had been slowly forming in the back of his mind ever since Adeline had told him the whole story started to coalesce. Jay shot her a quick, assessing glance. The plan would depend on her. He took in the straight line of her back, her shoulders thrown back, neck straight. The gentle strength and fire in her blue eyes were undeniable.

  Jay took one of her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. This woman was so incredible, and she was his. There was no way around that fact, or the masculine surge of pride the flooded his veins at the thought. She was more perfect than he could ever have imagined.

  “I’ve been thinking.” Her eyes widened on his in mock severity.

  “Uh oh.” He chuckled, his heart squeezing at her brave show of humor in the face of so many tragedies.

  “Listen, Blake isn’t going to just go away.” Her expression closed, and he hated the fact that he was causing her any more pain, even inadvertently. “I’m supposed to check in with him in a few hours. I think I have a way we can deal with him for good, but you’re going to have to trust me.” Adeline nodded without hesitation. She knew in her bones that she could trust this man with her life, and her heart.

  “Okay, so here’s the plan.”

  Chapter 7