Jacked Up (Bowen Boys #4)(67)

He couldn’t stop the chuckle. Of course she would choose to start making a dent in that during the most painful moment for him.

She was not rushing it, caressing him. Taking her time. Then she moved downward and teased his nipples.

“You need to be careful at the Diablos, pet. I can’t call Mullen or any backup without risking them trying to get you away from me. You have to do as I say.”

She stopped nuzzling his chest and lifted her eyes to him. Her nod surprised him. Then she proceeded to trace his scars.

“What are you doing?”

“Soothing you.”

Jack stilled at her words. “I don’t need soothing.” No one took care of him, ever. He took care of himself.

She ignored him and touched the scars from the cigarette burns with trembling fingers. “Of all the scars, these small ones are the most horrific. No wonder you—”

“What? Turned out to be such a bastard?”

“No. No wonder you are as hard as you are.”

“That’s on me, pet. What I became. Can’t stand losers blaming their childhood and others for their choices and how their lives ended up. They need to grow the f*ck up, take responsibility, and own their shit. Make something of themselves.”

“Like you did.”

“I had motivation. A child to look after.”

She cupped his face and looked at him for a long second, the softness in her gaze killing him. “You know, I totally strayed this time. No * here.”

Tension stiffened his body. “Don’t go there, pet. And don’t get illusions. I am an *.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “No, you are not.”

He felt naked. So f*cking naked. He ached for her, for something he had no name for. Every time he touched her, this weight pressed at his chest, because there was not only lust between them; there was something else too. Something bright and warm and precious, glowing more and more with every passing moment. “Do you need me to prove it? Because hey, glad to,” he said, standing up. He had to break this intimacy.

Before she could react, he’d hauled her up, taken her hands in one of his, tied her up, and then hooked the ropes to the O-ring in the ceiling.

“That’s all you got?” she asked, lifting her chin, defiantly.

Her eyes were shining, her breath coming out in short pants, but she stood proudly.

He grabbed a cloth and blindfolded her.

She stood taller. Prouder. The shadows of the fire reflecting on her body, playing off all the swells and hollows. All her luscious curves. “You don’t scare me, so don’t even bother with all this macho tripping and power games.”

“This is not a game,” he said, roughly opening her legs.

“You need to prove you’re an *? Go ahead, but you don’t fool me; you’re just deluding yourself. And throwing a tantrum while you’re at it.”

He walked around her, stopping at her back, and ran a finger from her neck, along her spine, down to her ass, and closed in to whisper in her ear. “Keep talking and you’ll earn a ball gag.”

She snorted. “Bring it on. You’ll have to take it off at some time, won’t you?”

“I don’t know. Will I?”

“You love my mouth.” True. “And my smart-ass remarks.” True again. “You keep me gagged, you won’t get either.”

“You are defenseless. I could take whatever I wanted from you.”

“Again with the useless intimidation. Yes, I am defenseless. I’m blindfolded and tied, but only because you’re afraid of me. Really, just give it up. You wouldn’t take anything that wasn’t freely offered.”

It floored him. Her confidence in him. How brave she was. How f*cking beautiful. Fire outside. Fire inside.

“Going for the ball gag,” he warned, walking around and looking at her face.

“As you wish, but I think you’ll want to hear me.” She wrapped her legs around him, her hot, wet * encasing his cock.

He gripped her hair and pulled her head back, pressing himself against her core. “I say when. I say how.”

“Sir, yes, sir. Would now be a good moment for you, sir?”

He’d had many women tied up for him. Not a single one had rocked his world the way Elle did it. Giving herself to him yet never losing her spunk.

“How badly do you want me?”

Her whole body stiffened as she tried to lift herself and force him to penetrate her. “Badly.”

He hooked his elbows under her knees, breaking the grip she had on him. “Next time, I’ll tie your legs too.”

“Promises, promises,” she said, a teasing smile on her face.

Uncomfortable with that level of intimacy, he surged balls-deep inside her, slamming against her full force, his mind almost blowing at the intense sensation.

She gasped, clamping around him and he froze, lifting his gaze to her. With the blindfold on, he couldn’t read her eyes.

Before he could say anything, she pressed herself against him. “Don’t stop. You surprised me, but I liked it. You didn’t hurt me.”

Jesus f*cking Christ. She was perfect for him.

Slowly, he withdrew from her until his crown was just kissing her damp folds. Then, putting all his weight behind his thrust, he plunged to her depths. She cried out, throwing her head back and bowing her body, but not away from him. Toward him.