The Closer You Come (The Original Heartbreakers, #1)(63)

His fingers entwined with her hair, holding her close. She sucked on his nipple, nibbled, and he hissed in a breath. He captured one of her hands, brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, ever the gentleman—before tracing his fingers along her jaw, down her neck and cupping her nape, ever the possessor.

“How long has it been for you, honey?”

“Four years,” she answered honestly and pulled her gaze from his chest to peer up at his face. His expression had softened yet again, only this time he looked as if he’d melted with tenderness.

Jase ghosted his fingertips over her cheek before crouching in front of her. “I’ll take good care of you.” He gripped the hem of her shirt and lifted, her hair tumbling around her shoulders as he discarded the material.

“Just a plain white bra,” she said apologetically, unable to hide the new flood of nervousness, hating that the undergarment wasn’t fancy and pink. Or red. Yeah. Definitely red.

“My new favorite.” He unhooked the center, and the straps fell down her arms. “Been dying for these ever since you flashed me. More so since I had them in my hands.”

Cool air caused her nipples to harden almost painfully. He traced the pads of his thumbs over them, twin lances of pleasure shooting through her.

“Just so you know,” he said, “I’ve been tested since—since my last lover. I’m clean.”

His last lover. Her sister? She hadn’t even thought to ask.

Stupid! “Me, too,” she said. “Before you, I was only with one other...but he moved away...college... We didn’t want to try the long-distance-relationship thing.” Stop babbling! “We always used a condom.”

More tenderness from him. “Only one man?”

“A boy, really.” She combed her fingers through his hair, urging him to bend down and take her lips, but he kept going lower, fitting his mouth over one of her nipples. His tongue flicked it, readying it, before he sucked on her. A fever flushed her skin, liquefied her bones and short-circuited her thoughts.

“Jase.” Just then, it was the only word she was capable of saying.

He flicked and sucked faster, harder, while working at the waist of her shorts. As soon as the button and zipper gave way, he leaned away from her to yank the material down her legs. When the edge caught on her sandals, he removed them, too.

Her new outfit? A pair of panties and a full-body blush. The momentary self-confidence crash faded as he urged her to her back, to the cool sheets and the soft luxury of the mattress. A second later, his hard body was pinning her down. As heavy with muscle as he was, he had to shift to the side to keep from crushing her.

She loved his nearness, even as it struck a new chord of desire in her. To have this, him, at least once a day. Like breakfast, the most important meal. “Kiss me,” she said.

He fit his legs between hers and placed one of her knees against his hip, his mouth finding...her breast again, laving her nipple with even more wicked attention.

“Not...there... Oh!” The alignment of his hardness to her aching softness allowed her to grind against him, slow, faster, until she was gasping out, desperate, needy, thrashing blindly.

He cupped her hip and forced her into a slower rhythm, even slower, so exquisitely slow. “Like that,” he praised.

“Yes, yes.” Every point of contact took her to a newer height of awareness. Her nails sank into his back, probably drew blood, but he must have liked it because a groan left him.

“What are you doing to me, angel?” He licked and nibbled his way to her neck, sucked, and it felt too good to worry about any lingering marks people would see.

“Jase.” There was his name again, escaping of its own accord. A plea or a demand, she wasn’t sure which. “Kiss me.”

Once again he obeyed, but once again it wasn’t where she’d meant. He drew his lips along the line of her jaw, nipped at her earlobe—the implants! She stiffened.

“No,” she said, gripping his chin to hold him back.

His gaze flashed fire at her. “Let me.”

“No,” she repeated.

He cupped her between the legs, the heel of his hand pressing where she ached the most. “Let me, and I’ll give you more of this.”

“No,” she said on a moan. Her legs parted wider, granting him better access, but he took his hand away. Oh! Dang him. If he wanted to kiss her ears, fine. He could kiss her ears. Just as long as he continued touching her.

She removed her hand from his chin, and he nuzzled all around the implant, not stopping until she relaxed into the mattress, actually...enjoying the attention. Who knew ears could be such an erogenous zone? As she arched into him, silently demanding the return of his hand, just as he’d promised, he switched tracks and licked his way to the cord of her neck, where he bit.

Raw sensation poured through her. He kneaded her breasts until every touch was like a jolt of electricity, and when she was writhing, incoherent, he slid his fingers down the center of her stomach, stopping to play at her navel, teasing her with what could be.

“Jase, please. It’s good. So good, but...but you promised.”

“I’ll keep my promise, angel.” He slid his fingers under her panties, where she was wet and needy.

“Yes!” She arched her back. “Kiss me.”

He returned his attention to her neck. Again, not what she’d meant or needed, but she figured out why he kept doing it. He thought to resign her to the same forgettable fate as the ones who’d come before her.