Jace dragged a hand over his jaw, his gaze swallowing me up. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Touch me,” I begged, and his hazel eyes practically blazed with want. He rested his cheek against my belly as he peered up, his hand massaging my thigh before his fingers wandered to the lace. He traced the pattern. Teasing me … testing me. I wanted to cry out but managed to stifle it by biting my lip.
“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve imagined this since that morning when you told me about your dream?”
“More like forced me to tell you,” I countered, and a smirk shaped his lips. I reached for his tie, loosening it a little before he batted my hands away.
“You first,” he rumbled, and then in the space of a few seconds, he had my knickers pulled down, the elastic resting mid-thigh as he brought his face to me and licked right up my centre. It was the single most erotic moment of my life. A strangled moan escaped as I stared down, transfixed by the ravenous way he ate me. When my underwear got in the way, he growled before tearing it with a forceful rip.
“I’ll replace those,” he promised, tossing the material aside. I didn’t even have time to be mad because in the next moment he’d hitched my leg over his shoulder and buried his face between my thighs. He looked up, watching for my reaction as he sucked my clit into his mouth. I shuddered.
He withdrew to take a breath. “It’s been way too long.”
“Jace.” I ran my fingers through his hair, gripping tightly.
He growled again, leaning back in. This time, his tongue circled my clit, and my legs almost went out from under me. I couldn’t believe how easy this was, letting him take me, drive me to the heights of ecstasy. He’d always been an expert at making my body sing.
“Those eyes,” he said, pausing to take me in, and I wanted to whine in protest. “I could write an entire album about your eyes alone, Shannon.”
“You can write your album later. Right now, I really need you to—”
Before I could finish, his mouth returned, making me grip the counter with my free hand as I came within moments, shaking and shuddering against him. I wasn’t surprised by how little effort it took. Just being around him this last week had felt like foreplay, the build-up intoxicating.
I was a hot, depleted mess.
“Feel better?” he asked, smirking up at me, his hair going in different directions from all the tugging I’d done.
“Much,” I said, heart racing. “You?”
His handsome smile stole my breath. “On top of the fucking world.”
We stayed like that for a long time, him on his knees, gazing up like I was something to be venerated, me staring down in awe at this man who’d put us both through hell but was making every effort now to change. He’d been taking Zara to and from school, cooking us meals, tidying the house, and generally being there whenever I needed him. It was night and day to the Jace who disappeared into his addiction, seemingly incapable of swimming to the surface. I’d reached out so many times, trying to pull him to safety. Maybe that was never something within my capability. Maybe it always had to be him who did the heavy lifting and struggled to the top.
“You tore my underwear,” I said as I stared at the fabric lying on the floor.
“I’m sorry, baby.” His large, warm hand came to my thigh, rubbing apologetically. “I’ll buy you new ones.”
“Well,” I breathed, getting worked up again just from his touch. “Are you going to stay down there all day?”
“View’s pretty spectacular.”
I chuckled. He really was impossibly charming.
“Do you want me to—”
“I’m going to run you a bath. Then I’m going to put you to bed, and you’re going to sleep for as long as you need, no six-thirty alarms.”
His plan sounded like heaven, yet still, a part of me was disappointed. I didn’t want a bath or to sleep. I wantedhim. Wanted him to carry me to my bed and make love to me, remind me of all the ways we were perfect together.
“Jace.”
“Yes, beautiful?”
The way he so naturally called me beautiful had a new flush staining my cheeks. “Can I suggest an alternative?”
At last, he stood, carefully helping me back into my pants before running his fingers through the ends of my hair. “Of course, you can. What is it?”
“I want you to take me to bed.”
