Page 23 of Agent of the Heart (Hearts in Hawthorne #3)

“Tots deserve to be eaten when they’re hot,” he declared. “By the time we got back to your hotel room, we’d have a lot of cold grease on our hands. Let’s eat while it’s hot.”

“I see a picnic table.” She opened her door and climbed out with the bag of food, and he followed suit.

Jace sat on the same side as Darby did, their legs brushing against one another as they ate. Again, their conversation flowed naturally, never stilted. He thought he could sit under this tree for a thousand years and never run out of things to talk to her about.

When she finished her burger and wadded up the wrapping, she turned to him.

“Thank you. For understanding. For letting us walk out of a fancy place and choose a cheeseburger for dinner instead.”

He slipped his hand around her nape. “I want to please you, Darby. If you’re uncomfortable somewhere, I don’t want to stay.”

“I appreciate how open you are,” she said, sincerity shining in her eyes. “Not every guy would have understood, much less offered to leave.”

“I’m not every guy. And the guys who wouldn’t have left are jerks.”

That brought another smile to her rosebud of a mouth. Jace leaned in for a slow kiss, his hand steady on her nape. Her palm flattened against his chest, and he felt his heart rate speed up.

Breaking the kiss, he asked, “Where to now, Montgomery?”

Without hesitation, she said, “My hotel room. It’s been a perfect day with you, Jace. Now, I want a perfect night.”

“Are you asking me to stay?” he asked, his throat thick with emotion.

“As long as you want.”

Coming to his feet, he brought her to hers before gathering their trash and dumping it in a nearby trash can. They walked to his car, and he felt like a schoolboy. Nervous. Excited. Anxious. But ready.

Very, very ready.

He drove to her hotel, leaving the car with a valet. They rode the elevator up in silence. When they reached her room, she removed her keycard. He took it from her and unlocked the door, opening it and holding it open for her to enter the room.

Stepping in behind her, he closed the door and snagged her waist, bringing her back against him.

One arm went around her waist, holding her to him.

The other began fondling her breasts. As his fingers brushed against her skin, he felt the beat of her heart, pounding in her chest. His lips went to her neck, kissing it, then grazing it with his teeth, getting a rise from her.

Her hands clasped his arm, her nails digging into it as he continued to kiss her neck.

He moved to her earlobe, tugging on it with his teeth, bringing a loud gasp.

Needing his mouth on hers, he turned her, and their mouths fused together in a long kiss.

Her arms came about his waist, holding him to her.

Her breasts brushed against his chest, and all he wanted to do was suck on them.

Their kisses became more frantic as they both began tearing at their own clothes and each other’s.

Once they were bare to the waist, he tugged on her hair, tilting her head back, deepening the kiss, demanding more of her.

They stopped for a moment, both gasping for breath, and took the time to remove the rest of their clothes.

He kept his head enough to fish a condom from his pocket before discarding his trousers and placed it on the nightstand.

Then he took Darby in his arms again, seizing her mouth and ravishing it.

He couldn’t seem to get enough of her taste.

She was like a drug, and he was now addicted.

For life.

That thought caused him to pause a moment. He broke the kiss, searching her face, understanding that whether she knew it or not, he had made a commitment to her. Her alone. One which would carry them through the rest of their lives.

Together.

He took her mouth again, and they fell onto the bed. Touching. Kissing. Wanting. Greed consumed him, and he kissed her ravenously, as if he had been starving until she came along. Now, she satisfied him in every way. He was changed. Because of her.

His hands roamed her curves, and he hovered over her, kneading her breasts.

He took one into his mouth, teasing the nipple with his tongue and teeth before sucking hard, causing her to writhe beneath him.

He lavished attention on her other breast, heat filling him.

He kissed his way down her body, finding her core.

He brought her legs over his shoulders and dived in, greedily tonguing her, drinking in her sweet juices.

He brought her to orgasm, her cries lusty.

He smiled as she shattered, calling his name.

Kissing his way back up her body, he reached her mouth, kissing her deeply. When he broke the kiss, he reached for the condom and tore it open, sheathing himself before collapsing beside her.

“Tired?” she purred, turning toward him, her fingers dancing along his chest and down to his abs. Her nails lightly stroked them, and the muscles bunched beneath her touch.

“Never,” he said, clasping her waist and lifting her with ease so that she now hovered above him. Slowly, he brought her down, and she took him inside her. She was tight and warm, her hazel eyes now a brilliant green.

“Set the pace,” he encouraged. “I’ll follow your lead.”

She framed his face with her hands and bent, giving him a sweet kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered against his lips.

Then she began to move, and everything up until that moment had been in black and white.

Suddenly, his world changed into full, living color as she danced above him.

He molded his hands to her breasts, the pads of his thumbs caressing her nipples.

She moved with ease, the dancer in her establishing a sweet rhythm they both began rocking to.

The speed increased. So did the intensity.

And then his hips were moving, jerking, pumping into her.

She clung to his shoulders, their dancing playing out, both reaching their climax and calling out hoarsely.

She fell against his chest, exhausted, and he cradled her to him, his hand stroking her hair.

Darby pulled up so their gazes met. “That was incredible.”

“It was the tots,” he said, keeping his face serious. “They’ll put you over the top every time.”

She laughed, a sound so musical that he thought it a song.

He tucked her hair behind her ears and pulled her back down to him, kissing her.

Holding her. Never wanting to let her go.

She remained sprawled atop him, stroking his arm lightly.

More than anything, Jace wanted to tell her that he loved her.

That he wanted to be with her. That whatever differences they had, he would see them worked out.

He remained silent, though. It was too soon to make a declaration of love. Hell, he didn’t even know if he might be in love. He never had been before. Maybe this was merely lust.

If so, he had a bad case of the lusts for Darby Montgomery.

They fell asleep and awoke, making love again. Not as frantic this time. It was slower. Sweeter. And just as satisfying.

She said, “If you want to leave now, I understand. I have to be at the airport by six-thirty tomorrow morning. I’ve still got to pack.”

“I’ll take you,” he told her, wanting to spend every second he could with her. Reaching for his cell, he said, “We should leave here no later than six. What time do you want me to set the alarm?”

“I’ll need fifteen minutes to pack. Another thirty to shower and get ready.”

“Okay. Four-thirty,” he said, setting the alarm and placing his phone on the nightstand again.

“Uh, Mr. Genius, that would be five-fifteen. Unless you’re getting up to shower before me.”

He grinned at her. “I was building in time to make love to you a final time.”

Her eyes widened, and then she burst out laughing.

“Should I be offended that you’re laughing because I’m scheduling sex?” he asked mockingly.

Darby kissed him. “Not at all. In fact, make it four. We might need to make love in the shower, too, Tanner, and I need to give you time to recover.”

“I like the way you think, Montgomery.”

And I like everything about you.