Page 57 of The Toy Maker

I sighed in response to his threat and eyeballed the bed.

“What?” he snapped.

I felt the heat of his stare on the back of my neck. Being this close to him was already overwhelming, but the idea of leaving didn’t feel any better. I knew being in his bed would lead to trouble. Although, I reasoned to myself, I had been in his bed before and nothing bad happened.

I planned to avoid him all night, but that idea was doomed from the start. My stomach churned, but not from the alcohol.

“Nothing,” I said and climbed onto the empty bed.

Jason rolled his eyes and slid underneath the covers beside me. His leg pressed against mine, but he shifted until even that was separate.

“Do you have enough room?” he asked as I sunk down beneath the bedsheets.

I nodded and savored the sensation of my head hitting the pillow.

But something was missing.

“Can you hum again?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Go to sleep,” Jason groaned.

The blankets rustled, and warmth enveloped me.

I lay there, restless, for what felt like an hour. Eventually, Jason’s arm fell over my body, pulling me into him. My heart fluttered, and I stayed painfully still, scared of moving andmaking him change his mind. My eyelids began to shut, and I drifted off to the sound of Jason’s breathing.

When I woke up,my thoughts were clearer than they’d been in a long time. With resolve, I realized I wanted to accept his offer.

“Jason…” I murmured. The rise and fall of his chest was the only movement on his side of the bed. “Wake up.” I gently shook him until he began to stir.

“What do you want?” he mumbled, his voice raspy from sleep, the husky sound sending a shiver down my spine.

I hesitated, my heart racing as I tried to gather the courage to say what I was thinking. Once the words came out, I couldn’t take them back. I didn’t know much about the man lying next to me, but the need to be his burned through my excuses. “I want you.”

His eyes snapped open to stare at me.That got his attention.He was awake, but the dark circles under his eyes gave away his exhaustion. “You know how to get me.”

We waited in silence as the ceiling fan above our heads creaked. My throat felt dry, but I forced myself to speak. “I’ll be yours,” I said softly, willing my voice to be level. “You can use me.” If that’s all we every were, I could handle it.

But the way he looked at Ethan when he touched me gave me hope for something more.

Jason moved quickly, flipping us so that he was on top of me, trailing his lips over the nape of my neck. Slowly, sensually. “Are you sure?” he murmured, his words caressing my skin.

A quiet moan slipped out before I could stop it, and I felt his hand move between my thighs. The heat inside me built until I couldn’t stop myself from pressing against him.

“Good answer.” His smirk made me shudder in desire.

“Stop teasing me,” I gasped, even though I craved more.

His attempts to render me desperate after weeks without his touch worked.

Jason stopped the deliberate movements, meeting my lustful gaze with his. “If you submit yourself to me, then something needs to be clear.”

His lips grazed against mine. I lifted my head off the pillow in hopes of deepening the kiss. Jason chuckled at my eagerness before pulling away.

“I’m in charge,” he whispered, his words lighting a fire in me.

I pressed my hips against his to ease the heat between my legs.

Before I realized what I did, Jason pinned my arms above my head and glared at me.