Something savage within Jack broke free as Charlie’s reddened eyes met his. Whatever was happening between them, it had her as out of control as him. Trying to drown out the sound of the blood pumping through her veins, he bent his head to kiss her again.
Charlie clung to him as all control spiraled away. He was the only solid thing in this world; the only thing keeping her grounded. Then her body was coming apart, and she cried out as pleasure consumed her.
Jack plunged into her once more and gave himself over to the rush of his release. But it wasn’t enough. Still inside her, still feeling her heart beating against his chest and the sweat slickening both their bodies, he couldn’t rid himself of the certainty something was missing.
When his eyes fell to her neck and the image of striking and sinking his fangs into her throat burst into his head, he understood what was missing. He alsoknewwhat she was to him.
Unexpected joy burst through him. He’d never really considered the possibility of finding his mate. It was something that could happen, but not something he saw happening to him. Who would want a cranky ass such as himself for a mate? But he wasn’t so cranky around Charlie.
No, for the first time since he was changed, he felt hope for the future. Brushing the strands of hair off her face as her eyes opened, he discovered the striking blue and green of her eyes had returned to replace the red. A small smile curved her lips, and he bent to kiss her.
He didn’t know how Charlie would react to being his mate, but that was a concern for later. Now, he was going to experience her again.
Chapter Twenty-One
Charlie lay nestledin the crook of Jack’s arm as she watched the sun touch the sea. She felt sated and pleasantly sore in a way she never had before. The scent of him lingered on her skin, and Charlie clearly recalled the feel of him between her legs. It seemed he’d etched himself onto every part of her, and she liked it.
She didn’t want to release him, and that terrified her. This was only supposed to be a casual, one-time thing. She could not afford to have her heart broken while on this island, and she had a feeling Jack could crush her if she let him get any closer.
She also had to protect Dylan from Jack. Her son liked him, that much was obvious, and she’d be damned if Dylan got hurt because she let Jack into their lives only to have him walk away later.
Jack ran his fingers over her arm and watched as her eyes partially closed and her lower lip quivered. Her nipples puckered when he traced his hand around her breast. He loved watching her reactions to his touch and feeling her pliant body against his.
My mate.She irritated him more than any other, but she also excited him in ways he’d never dreamed possible. The pulse of her blood called to him like a siren calling to the ships.
Bending, he nuzzled her neck and nipped at her flesh. He grinned when she shivered. Running his fingers over the curve of her hip, he dipped his hand lower to slide it between her legs.
She should shove him away, get up, and get dressed, but the sun was still out, and despite being so recently satisfied,twice, she found her legs parting for him as anticipation thundered through her veins. When he rolled her over and slid into her from behind, her heart soared at the exquisite sensation and how unbelievably right he felt within her.
This is the last time, she told herself. But as his fingers stroked her clit and she came apart again, she already craved more.
* * *
Charlie refusedto meet Jack’s gaze as she gathered her clothes. She tugged her pants on and buttoned them. She discarded her underwear shortly after arriving on the island. Trying to keep them clean was time-consuming and pointless, but she held on to her bra for over a year before finally admitting defeat and tossing it into the fire. By that point, it was so ripped it was almost impossible to tell it was a bra.
Jack watched Charlie pull on her shirt before she turned away and stalked to the end of the cave. Streaks of color lit the sky as the sun touched the horizon.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he pulled on his sneakers.
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m not on any birth control.”
As much as it had all gone wrong, she would never change anything that happened with Chad, for it had given her Dylan. However, she wasn’t a clueless sixteen-year-old girl anymore; she knew vampires could reproduce, and she should have learned her lesson. This was not a discussion to be havingaftersex. She’d changed so much, yet she was still an idiot. If she could have kicked herself in the ass, she would have, multiple times.
Jack didn’t feel any panic over this revelation. Instead, the idea of Charlie carrying his child almost made him smile, and he would have if he didn’t think she might choke him. “It will be okay,” he said.
“I’ve heard that before,” she muttered.
“We’ll be more careful next time.”
“Who said there was going to be a next time?” she demanded. Before he could reply, she said, “We have to go.”
Jack suspected her urgency to flee this cave was because of what transpired between them. He hadn’t expected her to marry him afterward, but he had hoped she wouldn’t try to run away from him.
Her need to flee aggravated him, but he would have to let her come to things in her own way and own time. She was his mate; she may want to run from him, but what transpired between them would affect her too. If she did run, she wouldn’t get far. He hoped she didn’t end up hating him when she discovered the truth, but then he hadn’t known the truth until he took her.
He finished dressing and strolled over to join her at the edge of the cave. Leaning against the wall, he studied her profile while she watched the waves crashing against the shore and rolling closer to them.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said.
