"Much better now that you guys are back."
"Got here as fast as I could."
Christ. I can’t take it. She’s sitting there smiling at me and she has no idea what Mako just told me. What they planned for her.
"Mind if we speak alone?" I ask, lucky I remember how to form words with my blood moving like lava.
Allison’s eyes get really fucking wide. She pinches her lips together, hiding a grin, as she grabs Camile’s hand and drags her from the room.
Alone.
I thought Jade and I would go somewhere instead.
Not to the bedroom. NOT.
"That was fast," I choke out. "They ran like they saw a bomb."
She glances toward the kitchen then back at me, with a little lift of her shoulder. "You do look kind of...volatile."
"That’s because I am," I say, husky as fuck.
Jade throws the blanket off and pops up off of the couch. She walks up to me, cautiously almost. Until we’re toe-to-toe and I’m DYING to touch her.
She looks at my chest, exploring the logo on my shirt. Sliding her inspection higher to my throat, finally stopping at my mouth.
The sound of my willpower breaking can probably be heard in the next county. My hand snakes around her back, dragging her into me.
"You were still too far away," I half-growl.
Melting into my grip, she breathes against my chest, the warmth driving through my shirt and right into my blood.
Without thinking, I thread the calloused tips of my fingers into her hair, trying not to shake.
Be easy.
Slow.
Don’t take more from her.
"I’m glad you’re safe," she murmurs, her hands finding the belt loops on the side of my jeans and grabbing on.
The clench I’ve got on my abs makes me dizzy.
"Jade," I murmur in a thick voice.
She tips her face up. Half bruised. One hundred-percent trusting.
"If you don’t want me to kiss you," I warn, "you need to tell menow."
Her delicate tongue slips across her lower lip.
"And if I want you to?" she asks in an equally husky tone.
My neck tips back and I stare at the ceiling as I count to ten, all while I carefully slip my fingers through her hair. Because you’d have to drag me away to make me stop touching her.
"Christ," I rasp.
The tide inside me is rising and rising until I make a sound deep enough to shake the floor. I can’t take it any longer.
