I could never repay this gift, not even if I lived a million more years, but I made a mental promise to never take it for granted.
When we finally stopped kissing, I gripped the front of his shirt, twisting the soft material between my fingers. "I don't remember much after the president, except what the rubies told me. Fill me in, please…"
His arms went under me, and with the utmost care he lifted my broken, tired body into his arms, cradling me. "I love you, Justice," he murmured, right by my ear, his lips tasting across my skin as he whispered it. "I can't believe I have you in my arms, alive and safe. I'm not sure what I did to deserve this gift, but I promise you, I will never take you for granted. Not for a single second of our very long life together."
We had to kiss again of course, but eventually we found the time to tell our stories. I gave him the details of what happened with the president, while he was being attacked from the shield, stopping at the point where my rubies covered me.
“His talisman was powerful. It sliced through my shield, draining me to the point of death.”
Jacob gently caressed every mark he could see on my skin, his face wreathed in thunder. “You should never have had to face him alone,” he rumbled. “I’m sorry, Ruby.”
“It’s not your fault. We both did our part to save the world, and we found our way back to each other.”
Jacob didn’t look convinced, but he refrained from beating himself up further, filling me in on everything I’d missed while encased in ruby.
“Josephina told me this was my only hope,” he said when he got to the part where he surrendered me to the ruby fields. “She left yesterday, and I waited, protecting you."
"Two days I was fighting for life?"
I couldn't believe it; it felt like minutes between being encased and freed.
He nodded. "Longest two days of my life, but you never gave up, you never stopped fighting." His thumb scraped along my cheek, caressing it. "My little warrior."
Heat unfurled deep in my body, and it was then I noticed that most of my aches and pains had faded, only to be replaced by another ache, this one cured by just one thing: my mate.
Jacob must have felt that through our bond; heat flared in his eyes. He shook his head. "Baby, you're injured."
I was still in his lap, so I twisted around to straddle him. "This won't hurt me. If anything, you not touching me is going to hurt way worse."
He examined my face, even prying into my mind, searching out my current mental and physical state. I left our bond wide open so he’d see that I was more than ready to be loved by my mate. I almost missed the chance to even do this again, and I would not wait another second.
One hand went under my ass and the other into the hair at the back of my head, closing around the strands as he pulled me closer. Our lips this time met in a kiss of desperation, tasting each other like we’d never get to again. I lifted my ass, rocking my core against him, and he took control of those movements, the hand possessively gripping my hip moving me.
Pulling away, I sucked in deep breaths, all the while trying to tear Jacob’s shirt off. Once I had him naked, my hands traced across his broad shoulders and down the chest that had starred in my fantasies more than once.
His skin was lighter than mine, bronze to my ruby black, and I loved the contrast between us.
"Ruby," he groaned, "I'm going to last five fucking seconds if you keep touching me like that."
A husky laugh left me, and I had to admit, it was a powerful feeling to have him react so strongly to me. "I need to touch you," I whispered, leaning down to press my lips to his skin, kissing and tasting. His muscles were broad and warm under my touch, flexing as I teased him.
When he couldn't handle it any longer, he ripped my shirt from me. Or what was left of the tattered outfit anyway, and I was happy to see fading marks were all that remained of the injuries that had littered my skin. My bra followed soon after, and then his mouth was on my nipples.
He ran his tongue across both until they were aching, the peaks hard and sensitive. Sensations built in me and I wondered if he was going to make me come just from nipple stimulation. I hadn't even known it was a thing, but with each lick and suck against my body, I rocked harder into him.
Okay, maybe a little more than nipple stimulation, but … damn.
He pulled back just before I lost it. "I need your first orgasm today to be when I'm inside you," he whispered, dragging slow kisses from my lips. "As much as I want to love you all day, your family and mine is waiting, so we have one shot."
He was right, it was selfish to leave them all waiting and wondering, so we had to hurry.
When all of our clothing had vanished, I slipped back onto his lap, the head of his cock teasing my entrance as I groaned and bit my lip. Despite how wet I was, when I sank down onto him, my body took a moment to adjust.
Jacob’s hands gripped my hips, and as I started to move against him, his head dropped back, strong neck muscles inviting me to lean forward and lick along them. I moved faster, rocking against him, his hands guiding me as we relished the pleasure of our bodies.
His eyes met mine, holding me in their green depths, and despite not having a ton of room to move—we were locked together in a straddle seated—it was the most intense sex I'd ever had.
"I love you. I fucking love you so much," he whispered against my lips and skin, peppering kisses everywhere he could reach. "I will never let you go again."
