That was all it took.With a final powerful thrust, he buried himself deep inside me and shuddered, his body tensing as he found his release.I held him through it, savoring the weight of him, the warmth, the closeness I’d feared I might never feel again.
For several long moments, we stayed joined, breathing hard, hearts pounding against each other.Kane braced himself on his forearms to keep from crushing me, but I didn’t want space.I pulled him down, needing his weight, the solid reality of him.
“Don’t move yet,” I murmured.
He pressed his forehead to mine, his eyes soft with something that made my chest ache.“Not going anywhere.”
When he finally rolled to the side, he took me with him, tucking me against his chest like he couldn’t bear to let go.His fingers traced lazy patterns on my back while my breathing slowly returned to normal.
“You okay?”he asked, voice gentle.
I nodded against his chest, too overwhelmed for words.I didn’t know how it could possibly get better each time, but it did.
Chapter Nine
Kane
I woke before the alarm, which almost never happened anymore.
For once, the first thing that crossed my mind wasn’t Diaz.Not Victor.Not routes or warehouses or how close Roth might be circling the fence.It was the woman breathing against my chest.
Jade lay half sprawled across me, half tangled in the sheets, one arm draped over my stomach and one knee hooked over my thigh like she’d claimed the spot sometime in the night and refused to give it back.Her hair fanned across my skin, warm and soft, tickling my ribs every time she shifted.The crease that usually pulled her brow tight in sleep had smoothed away, leaving her face open and unguarded.I stayed still and let myself take it in.
Sunlight crept around the edges of the curtains, turning the room quiet in that early-morning way that made the world feel paused.My hand traced slow lines up her spine, careful not to wake her too fast.She made a soft sound and burrowed closer, nose pressing into my chest, breath warm against my skin.
“Morning,” I murmured.
“Too early,” came the muffled reply.
“It’s nine.”
“Still too early.”
“Aren’t you supposed to meet with Spade?”
One eye cracked open.“He’ll survive.”
“Debatable.That man’s bloodstream is mostly caffeine at this point.”
Her mouth curved, then softened.“You sleep okay?”
The question landed heavier than she probably intended.
Images flickered -- sand, heat, a radio screaming in my ear -- but her hand slid up my chest, grounding me, pulling me back to now.
“Yeah,” I answered.“Better than I have in a long time.”
“Good.”
She leaned up and kissed me.Nothing rushed.Nothing desperate.Just a warm press of her mouth against mine that knocked the breath clean out of my lungs anyway.
“I should get up,” she decided.“If I stay here another ten minutes, I’ll talk myself into not moving.”
“Would that be a tragedy?”I asked.
She smiled, private and small.“For me?No.For your club?Maybe.”
“They’d live,” I said.“But I promised Atilla I’d keep you fed.”
