She moaned softly and closed her eyes, leaning into him. “If you keep that up, we’ll be late for my celebration dinner.”
“Would that be such a horrible thing?” Jack asked, kissing the back of her neck, eliciting another little moan of pleasure.
His arms slid around her, pulling her closer against him, still careful of the area where she’d been shot. They’d both recovered from their wounds, but the scars—both physical and emotional—would take a while to heal and might not ever fully disappear.
But the experience had brought them together in a way that Jack hadn’t expected. He’d been raised never toneedanyone—to develop friendships and relationships, certainly, and even to love, as he’d known his parents had loved one another. But to need another person . . . it wasn’t to be imagined.
But in those moments when they’d held one another, battered and bleeding, he’d realized just how much he needed Maddie. His life simply wasn’t complete without her in it. He’d tried for years to fill that void, to explain it away, pretend there wasn’t a huge gaping hole in his heart. But life was too short, time too precious. She’d taught him that with her unwavering love.
As if she sensed his thoughts, her fingers brushed over the scars at his wrists. When he glanced up, he caught a glimpse of the sorrow in her eyes before she forced a smile and grabbed another hairpin.
“I’m fine,” he assured her. “You know that, right?”
She sighed and leaned back against him, meeting his gaze in their reflection. “I know. But I still have nightmares almost every night. I’ve chosen this path, Jack. I want to continue my father’s legacy with the Alliance. But I don’t know if I can ever see you like that again.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Trust me, I have no intention ofgoing throughanything like that again.”
She linked her fingers with his and pulled his arms tighter around her.
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Hey, this is supposed to be a happy occasion. Do you have any idea how proud I am of you? Of all you’ve accomplished? You’ve made history, Madeleine Blake.”
This actually brought a flush to her cheeks and an uncharacteristically uncertain smile to her lips. “I did, didn’t I? I’m guessing the Grand Council is still reeling from Will’s announcement.”
Jack chuckled. “Well, he didn’t really give them any choice in the matter, did he? I think we will see a lot of changes within the Alliance now that we have proof the Illuminati are a threat again. We’ve sat on our laurels for decades, believing that the worst threats were isolated groups that could be managed; but we can’t afford that complacency any longer. Danger could come from any quarter at this point.”
Maddie laughed. “I guess the conspiracy theorists weren’t completely off their nut,” she said, attempting to fasten the clasp of the necklace he’d given her so many years ago.
“Here,” he murmured, taking over with the clasp. When he’d successfully linked the delicate chain together, he pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. “There. Perfect.”
She gasped a little at the contact and shuddered. He pulled back at her reaction, unsure if his kiss had been welcome.
They’d yet to do more than hold each other or share the occasional kiss since their ordeal. At first it was because they were in the process of healing, but then there was a hesitancy, an uncertainty. Whether it was the result of the trauma they’d experienced or something else, he couldn’t tell. He didn’t push, letting her set the pace.
“I’m sorry,” he told her sincerely. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
She reached behind her and took his hands, bringing them back around her waist. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. You never have. I just needed a little time to come to terms with things, relearn how to let myself enjoy the moment instead of worrying every second about what the future might hold.”
He pressed his lips to her neck, letting them linger, then swept them across her skin, loving the way his touch made goose bumps rise on her arms. “And now?”
“Mmmm.” She closed her eyes, grinning, as he trailed kisses along the curve of her throat to her bare shoulder. “I’m enjoying this moment very much. You?”
He would’ve responded, but at that moment, her hand drifted down to cup him through his slacks and the words he’d been about to utter died on a groan. And when she guided his hand down to her thigh, he didn’t even bother trying to form a coherent thought.
As his hand grasped the hem of her dress and slid it up over her hips, his other hand drifted up to cup her breast, his thumb grazing her nipple through the material, eliciting a gasp.
But when his hand slid between her legs and found she’d been wearing nothing beneath her cocktail dress, his breath left him on a sharp exhale. As he caressed and teased, her hips writhed with his touch, arching into him only to arch back against his groin until he was grinding his teeth to keep his shit together.
“Jack,” she panted, guiding his hand deeper. “I want you inside me.”
Thank Christ ...
With his free hand he unfastened his belt and slacks, letting them fall to his ankles, freeing his erection. He continued to stroke and caress her when she bent forward, bracing her elbows on the vanity, her panting now replaced with moans of need.
He grasped his shaft and thrust between her folds until he grew slick. Then he pressed in gently, entering only far enough to stimulate the sensitive flesh there. Maddie cried out as her muscles tensed.
He continued to thrust, entering a little more each time, the sweet sounds of her pleasure bringing him to the brink.
“Ah, God, Maddie,” he groaned when she tensed and cried out in release. His arm went around her waist, keeping her pressed against him.
