Jasper Vale (The Edens #4)(16)

The ache in my core felt like a jackhammer, the beat pulsing between my legs.

I shoved his shirt up his ribs, needing to feel his naked skin against my own. Needing to feel him inside me.

“Fuck me. Please.” If he stopped here, left me suffering, I’d never forgive him for it.

Jasper growled, releasing my breast. Then he took hold of my wrist, tearing my hand free from his shirt before he reached behind his head and yanked it free.

My knees quaked. God, that was sexy. I could watch that move a million times and it would never get old.

The chiseled plane of his chest was like a magnet to my hands. I flattened my palms against his pecs, roving up, down, side to side. The dusting of black hair over his heart scraped against my skin.

I rose up on my toes, too short to reach Jasper’s mouth. But it didn’t matter. He slammed his lips on mine, stealing my breath.

Our tongues dueled. Our teeth clashed. It was a kiss between two people who hadn’t memorized each other’s mouths yet but were cramming in every detail, like there’d be a test tomorrow and we were hellbent on a crash course.

My fingers dipped into the valleys of his washboard abs before skimming over their peaks.

Jasper seemed intent on touching every inch of my torso. His touch was like a torch, leaving sparks in its wake as he unclasped my bra and ripped it free from my arms.

The heat from his chest only made my nipples harder. His arousal dug into my hip, sending a shiver down my spine.

Jasper tore his mouth away, his panting breath mingling with my own. His eyes were so dark they were nearly black. A muscle feathered in his jaw. The corded lines of his neck strained.

What was he doing? “Why are you stopping?”

His nostrils flared. “Eloise—”

“Don’t stop,” I whispered, taking a step away, instantly missing the heat from his large body. Then I flicked open the button on my jeans, dragging the zipper down before pushing them off my legs, shimmying them to the floor along with my panties.

His hands balled into fists. The cut muscles in his arms flexed. His cock bulged behind his jeans, long and thick, swelling against his thigh.

My mouth went dry. Jasper was big. I’d been sore after Saturday night, and hiding it from Lyla as we’d traveled home had only made the trip more miserable.

Was this really a good idea?

I shoved that thought away. Maybe it was reckless, but right now, I needed him inside me more than I cared.

“Jasper.” I took another step away, silently pleading with him to follow.

My heart climbed into my throat as we stared at each other.

His indecision was as potent as the desire swimming in my veins.

I craved him. Only one night, and Jasper Vale had become an addiction.

But he stood unmoving, his chest barely rising as he breathed. The only signs of life were those dark eyes dragging over every inch of my naked body.

I fought the urge to cover myself. To reach for my clothes puddled on the floor. This was the boldest I’d ever been. My nerves bubbled to the surface and spewed from my mouth.

“Don’t stop,” I pleaded for the second time, the desperation unmistakable. “Please. I don’t ever act like this. With men. My sex life is dull. The guys I’ve dated have been underwhelming, to say the least.”

An orgasm had been nearly as rare as a phone call the next day—by me, not them. Most of my past lovers hadn’t earned a second chance.

“Then Saturday . . . I didn’t know it could be like that.”

Maybe this was something Jasper could walk away from. Maybe the sex had been just okay. A man with that body, that talented tongue, probably always had it good.

What if I was lackluster? Oh, no. It hadn’t been that good for him, had it? Why hadn’t that occurred to me before I’d taken my clothes off?

“You know what? Never mind. This was a bad idea. We have enough complications. You should go, and I’m going to shut up.”

Then die of embarrassment, naked in my living room.

My hands lifted, about to cover my mound. Except at that exact moment, Jasper surged.

A long stride and the space between us vanished. His lips sealed over mine, and I moaned, the relief a tidal wave that crashed into my bones. Was this pity? Did I care?

No. Not as his tongue slid against mine.

My fingers fumbled with the button on his jeans until I managed to flip it free. The zipper strained to be unlocked. My hand dove into his boxers. I was desperate to feel him in my hand, to stroke that steel.

Except Jasper tore away before I could grip him, batting my hand away as he toed off his boots and wrenched his jeans free from those bulky thighs. His black boxer briefs came with the pants.

My heart skipped at the sight of him, his cock hard and heavy between us. A pearl drop glistened at the head.

Sinew and sin.

I could stare at this naked man for days and not get enough.

Jasper reached for me, taking me by the elbow to spin me around, his chest hot granite against my back. Then he pushed me toward the back of my couch, the leather cold against my belly as he bent over me.

His breath was hot against my skin as he spoke into my ear. His cock fit into the crack of my ass, his palm skating over my cheek. “The next time you talk about any other man inside this body, I’ll spank your ass so red you won’t sit for a week.”

My breath hitched. My pussy clenched. Why did I want that?