Beholden (The Belonging Duet, #2)(87)

“Want something to drink?” she asks sweetly lifting her brow.

I’m so f*cked.

“No, I’m fine. Look …” I start to backtrack. “Think about how this looked for me.”

“Hmmm,” she says as she pours herself a glass of water.

“You’ve been gone a month. I fly here and some guy opens the door.” I keep going because if my foot is this far in my mouth, I might as well lodge it all the way in. “He’s calling you ‘hot stuff’ and I snapped.”

“Mmmm hmmm,” Catherine hums as she puts the glass to her lips and looks at me over the rim.

I start to make my way over to her. There’s no way I can keep standing here without touching her. “You would’ve lost it if I was with another woman.”

“Would I?” she asks, standing her ground as I stalk her.

I smile at this game we’re playing, stepping forward. “I think you would.”

Her lip slips between her teeth and I’m instantly hard. I need to get it under control.

“Why are you here?” she asks and her eyes drop to her glass.

Moving quickly, I’m in front of her in an instant. My finger pulls her chin up and my world stops. She doesn’t see it.

“For you.”

“Jackson,” she sighs and tries to step away, but I grip her and pull her closer. I breathe her in, and when her hands grab my arms, I feel her tremble.

“I had this speech planned out but nothing with us ever goes as planned.” I chuckle and she looks up.

Her brown eyes pin me and I need to touch her, taste her. I crash my lips to hers.

They mold to mine and I kiss her like a man dying of thirst. I need more. My hands move up and hold her neck in place. She sighs and my tongue delves into her mouth.

Heaven.

Every piece of her is heaven.

Catherine moans and I forget about everything but her. The sound she makes leaves me desperate for more. I want to taste her skin and sink deep inside her. I want to make love to her for hours until neither of us can move and then do it again.

She breaks the kiss and pulls back. “I can’t do this again. I can’t go through losing you anymore.”

Good, because that’s not happening ever again.

“I’m here for you. I’m not leaving.”

She looks up and narrows her eyes, “I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”

I walk towards her as she takes another step back. She’s not running from me ever again.

“I couldn’t hear your voice and not hop on a plane. So I’m here now and I’m not leaving. I love you.”

I need her. Right now. Lacing my fingers in her hair, I take hold of her again. I push her back and lift her onto the counter. When her legs wrap around me, I feel her heat and I lose it.

Every part of my brain detaches and all I can think about is feeling her. Her small hands glide up my arms as my lips press against hers. I graze my tongue at the seam of her perfect mouth, waiting for her to let me in. She opens them slightly and it’s all the permission I need. My tongue pushes against hers and I pull her closer to me as she whimpers.

I pull back and nip at her ear. “I f*cking need you. Tell me you want this.” She has to tell me before I f*cking erupt.

“I-I,” she stutters, and my mouth covers hers again, pushing her to give me the damn answer I need. If I can keep her from overthinking, we might be able to get through this.

“Do you want me, Catherine?” My lips brush over hers, and every part of me is rock hard.

Her breathing increases and I take my tongue and sweep it across her lips. Per-f*cking-fection.

“Jackson,” she moans my name and I cover her mouth with mine again.

Fucking hell.

“Answer me. Do you want me?” I kiss her swollen lips, needing her again. “To keep going?”

“Yes!” she cries out as my hand finds its way up her shirt where I find she doesn’t have a bra on. Nice.

“I’m not going to stop, so you better be absolutely f*cking sure, baby.” I don’t know how or why I’m still talking.

She grabs my shirt and our eyes lock. Her pupils dilate and the fire burns through them. “You better not.”

Hell yes. Don’t have to tell me twice.

As much as I’d love to tease her and make her beg, I don’t have the patience for it. I want to claim her. I want to feel her wrap her perfect legs around me and f*ck me until all I can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell is her. I hope she’s ready because I sure as shit am.

Releasing her perfect tits, my hands glide down her sides and pull her shirt off. I tease her with my tongue before sucking her nipple in my mouth as she writhes in my arms.

“You missed me, baby? Want me to f*ck you now?” I know how much it turns her on when I talk dirty to her.

“God, yes.”

I break away and smirk. I’m a cocky bastard but I can’t help it. “I told you I was compared to God.”

Her head falls back and she laughs. When she looks back up, she smiles. “Your humility is astounding. Now,” her eyes harden, “Do you want to talk or do you want to show me how much you missed me?” She winks and pulls my head close.

There’s my sex kitten.

Catherine takes hold of the kiss and I give her the control for a minute. She needs to feel the power and I’m willing to give it up for her. Plus, it’s hot as hell when she gets aggressive. Her fingers weave in my hair and she pulls—hard. I almost blow my load right there.