Page 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

FALIN

We climb the steps to the apartment as dawn begins to break. I’ve never been more exhausted in my life, and that includes the time I went on a three day long bender in Thailand.

Those girls, their faces and cries, will haunt me for the rest of my life. But I can sleep easy knowing they’re safe. Ray has them getting medical attention and then his contacts will transfer them to a safe house while they locate the families.

All except for one, who refused medical treatment. Mischa. I wanted to toss her ass out on the street, but Blake wouldn’t have it. How she can still have an ounce of care in her body for that woman is beyond me. So now instead of one extra person in the house, we’ll have two. At least it’s only temporary.

Kayla greets us with a look of relief. “How did it go?”

I muster a smile that probably looks more like a grimace. “We got four out. They’re safe.”

Her body sags and she swipes tears from her cheek. “Thank God.”

Blake hugs me goodnight before heading to her bedroom, where Damon waits. Leon settles on the couch next to Kayla, scooping the kittens into his lap and updating her about where they took the girls and sharing details from the night. When the bathroom door opens, my attention shifts. Jasper emerges wearing gym shorts and a white sleeveless undershirt. Even exhausted, he’s still the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.

My gaze trails over his muscled shoulders and down his tattooed arms. His undershirt clings to his damp chest, showing every dip and curve of his pec and ab muscles. And his thighs, holy fuck, they’re thick. The fabric from his shorts can barely contain him. My skin heats as I remember how his body felt between my legs.

His fingers work through his tangled hair as my gaze fixes on his face. A day’s worth of stubble lines his jaw, making him look extra rugged. I’d love to rub my cheek against it. Even with dark circles shadowing his eyes, those bright blue irises and thick black lashes still make my lungs squeeze.

They darken the moment he catches me staring. His lips turn up in a flirty smirk as he steps closer. “You okay, Trouble? Looking a bit flustered.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and raise a brow. Too tired to think of a witty comeback, I mutter, “I’m fine.”

Mischa picks that moment to emerge from Jasper and Leon’s bedroom. Her eyes brighten when she notices him, a small smile lighting her tired face. All at once, jealousy engulfs me, scorching my body in flames as she crosses her arms over her chest and moves toward Jasper.

“I hope you don’t mind me taking your bed. Your friend said I should,” she says. She tries to make her high-pitched voice sound sultry but the result sounds like the kittens’ wails when they’re hungry.

Jasper turns and offers her a small smile. “It’s no problem. You should get some rest. You’ve been through a lot.”

Leon and Kayla stop talking as we all watch Mischa run a finger down Jasper’s bicep. “Why don’t you join me? For old time’s sake.”

I push up from the couch and storm past them to the bathroom, cursing myself for being so obviously jealous. But hell, I can’t help it. I’m too tired to mask. Too exhausted to play games. If he wants to fuck Mischa, like he’s apparently already done, then he can go ahead. I won’t stop him. It doesn’t mean I want to sit and watch it unfold.

After using the bathroom, I clean up with the lukewarm water bottle Blake left behind, taking time to wipe and moisturize my face. As I step out, two realizations hit me. I’m supposed to sleep in Jasper’s bed tonight, and maintenance arrives in a few hours to fix the broken pipe in my room.

Either I take my friendship with Kayla to a new level and cuddle on the couch or I pack my shit and head to the nearest hotel. Honestly, that sounds amazing. A big fluffy bed, clean and quiet and all to myself. But I think of leaving Jasper here with Mischa and dig my heels in. As much as it’ll hurt, I need to know where that goes.

Maybe I’ll curl up on my damp mattress with a throw blanket. At the very least, I can sleep for an hour. Set on my decision, I head back to the main area of the apartment, freezing when I find Jasper, shirtless and sitting on the couch in his boxers, his arms casually resting along the top of the cushions and his legs wide. He looks me up and down and that warmth returns to my skin. “What are you doing out here?”

“Waiting to see if you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon,” he says with a smirk.

“But I thought?—”

He pats the couch cushion beside him. “Come here. Let’s get some sleep while we can.”

How can he be so casual about this? Did he just turn Mischa down… for me?

“Where will Kayla sleep?”

He shifts, and I get a peek of what’s hiding under those boxers. My cheeks flame. “She’s in Leon’s bed, Mischa’s in mine, and Leon went for a ride to clear his head.”

I nod, all of this making sense, except for Jasper turning down Mischa’s offer. Thinking about it, I guess he wouldn’t sleep with her after knowing she’s Orlov’s daughter, and she’s obviously been through some shit. He’s loyal to the guys, and they’d kick his ass if he went down that path.

My body feels so weighed down, each step I take toward the couch is like a mile. I should argue, tell him to take the floor, but as he reclines onto his side and opens his arms, I can’t help but fall into his chest. He wraps me tight against him, leaving no space between us, then covers us with his blanket. I breathe him in. Although neither of us have showered, he still smells like clean cotton. I love that he grabbed his comforter for us. Mischa doesn’t need to be wrapped in his scent the way I am.

As we settle in, I let out an unconscious murmur. His chest shakes with a low laugh, but I don’t have the energy to sass him. Especially not as Havoc and Mayhem jump onto our legs, their little paws digging in as they find their own cozy spots in the dip where our hips meet.

“Come to Daddy,” he whispers, scooping one of them to nuzzle.

I laugh, unable to hold it in. “You’re ridiculous.”

“What? I was talking to the cats. Wait, did you think I was talking to you?” There he goes with that flirty tone again.

“I know you were talking to the cats. If you think I’d call you daddy, you’ve got another thing coming.”

He plops the kitten back with her sister and splays his palm over my waist. His touch is electric. And damn, his hard length is already pressing against my ass. “How about good boy?”

“You’d have to be a good boy first.” I wait for his response, clocking the way his chest rises and falls faster.

“I’ve been very good.” His fingertip grazes the underside of my breast and I bite my lip to keep from moaning. “Some might say, I’ve been an angel.”

Closing my eyes, I focus on the sensation of his calloused fingertips trailing higher, so slow it’s agonizing. I want to push and grind against him, give us the friction we desperately crave, but edging him is so much more fun.

“Some might say?” I rasp as his thumb glides over my nipple.

His voice brushes my ear, trembling with need. “Yes. But you’re the only one who matters.”

I should be soaking in his words. They’re exactly what I want to hear. But frustration burns through me instead. I’ve been with a lot of men who would say anything when their hard cock was pressed this close to getting what it wanted. Hell, a strong wind is all we need and he’d be inside me. I can’t give in.

His hand trails lower, over the curve of my belly, sliding under the band of my sleep shorts. I’m taking back my power here. I shift, pushing his shoulders until he’s on his back, and swing my leg over him. The kittens scatter, protesting loudly at my audacity. “You want to be a good boy, Jasper?”

His face is the picture of desperation. I bask in it. “Fuck yes. I’ll be so good for you.”

I rake my nails down his bare chest, over the light dusting of hair, until I reach his stomach. His abs contract as he sucks in a breath. I repeat the motion, this time stopping just above his boxers.

He moans, wrapping his hands around my waist. I pull them by his wrists, putting them firmly back by his side. “No touching.”

“Fuck, baby, whatever you say.”

Everything in me wants to ride him senseless until we’re screaming our releases. I’m exhausted and drained but there’s something magnetic between us, something that makes me feel more awake with every passing moment. I need to take out my frustrations on him the only way I can right now.

I slide down so I’m resting on the tops of his firm thighs. He’s so hard, his cock is practically splitting his boxers in half. Wetness seeps into the fabric. Under my gaze, he juts his hips. It’s a slight movement but I catch it.

Lazily, almost painfully so, I drag his boxers down, freeing his cock. It’s perfect. Of course, it is. He’s watching my every move with reverence. I raise a brow and lean in, letting my T-shirt graze his cock. He fists the blanket and groans. “Oh fuck.”

“Does that feel good?” I do it again, this time purposely brushing over his head.

“Yes… anything, please.”

He’s already begging and I’ve barely touched him.

“Do not come. I don’t allow it.” As the words slip from my tongue, a heady wave of control washes over me, and I savor the sensation. It feels better than I could imagine to hold his resolve in the palm of my hand, knowing I’ll do everything I can to break it.

His answering groan is desperate as he struggles to keep his hips still. I toy with his inked torso, scratching along the sides of his body until I reach his hip bones. Stroking every inch of skin around his cock with the lightest touch as he curses under his breath.

I’m soaking wet, and more turned on than I think I’ve ever been. Knowing what kind of man Jasper is—that he’s taken a life with his own hands, yet I have him under my control like a whimpering dog, that power is intoxicating.

“So hard for me,” I tease. “That looks painful.” Trailing my finger from the base of his cock to the tip with feather-light pressure, I watch him struggle to maintain control, his jaw clenched tight. “Imagine how good it would feel to have my mouth on you,” I whisper, my touch teasing as I gather his pre-cum between my fingertips. I bring one to my lips slowly and moan, tasting his salty moisture.

“Jesus fucking—” His words end in a hoarse groan as I grip him. I glide up and down, just once, before going back to dancing my fingertips along his shaft, barely touching.

“Do you want more?” I whisper.

“Please,” he begs, his voice thick. I pull off my shirt, not caring that at any moment someone could walk in and see us. It only heightens my need. “Christ, baby.”

He reaches for me, but thinks better of it, resting his hands beside my thighs, fingers twitching with the need to touch. I sit back, drinking in how he trembles, memorizing every inch of his features like this.

“Remember, you’re not allowed to come.” I finally touch him again, agonizingly slow. Each light stroke takes him closer and closer to the edge before I stop. Over and over, I pause just before he breaks, until his eyes shine with frustrated tears. “Look at you,” I murmur. “So desperate, so obedient.” I hover over him, letting my tits brush against his face. He lets out a choked whimper. “You’d do anything I ask right now, wouldn’t you?”

“Anything… anything you want. Fuck.” He nods frantically, burying his face between my tits. I let him suck and lick my breasts between his panting and whimpering for more.

“Oh God.” The words tumble out of me as my control breaks apart. He sucks harder, nibbling, until I hiss a breath.

“Please,” he pants. “Please let me eat your pussy, baby.” I pull back, my mind clouded with want. This was about my control. About seeing how far I could take him. “Please, I’ll be so good for you.”

I trail my fingers down his chest, feeling his muscles jump beneath my touch. My mind is at war. Either I give in to what we both desperately want, or keep going with this delicious torture. I’m so hot, so needy. Just the thought of his mouth on my pussy almost sends me over the edge.

Those blue eyes lock onto mine, crazed with need, but still waiting for permission.

“Tell me again,” I whisper. “Tell me how good you’ll be.”

In one fluid motion, he lifts me and pins me against the couch, pressing my back into the cushions. He tears my underwear down my legs before spreading them wide. My head dangles off the armrest, but I’m past caring. Nothing else exists but this moment. He settles between my thighs, dragging his face along the sensitive skin there, making these deep, primal sounds that pull a whimper from my throat.

“You’re so wet, Falin. You love tormenting me, don’t you?” Before I can answer he glides his tongue through my slit, slowly, like he’s savoring every second. “So fucking sweet.”

“Please.” I arch against him. My mind has whiplash from how fast our positions changed.

“Make a mess of my face, sweetheart. I want to be drenched in you.” There’s nothing slow or teasing about the way he eats my pussy. His whole fucking face grinds against my clit, his tongue flicking in a punishing rhythm. He’s whimpering and groaning, trembling between my slick thighs, grinding into the couch.

“Oh fuck, Jas,” I hiss. He grips my thighs, sucking my clit hard as his whole body spasms. I lose myself to the feel of him as my climax slams into me so hard I have to bite my arm to keep from screaming. I lock my legs around him, trembling as waves of pleasure roll through me.

Puffs of air hit my sensitive skin when he raises his head to meet my gaze. I know the answer before I even ask, but I ask anyway. “Did you just come all over the couch?”

An exhausted laugh escapes his lips. “Yeah, I did.” I don’t know why, but that makes me feel incredible. “But I’m not the only one.”

“I’m useless right now,” I mumble. “That couch is your problem.” He laughs softly, standing to pull up his boxers before helping me into my shirt. Once we’re halfway decent, he slides in behind me.

“Sleep, Trouble.”

I melt against his warm chest, already drifting. “Why Trouble?”

The silence stretches so long I’m almost asleep when his voice rumbles against my ear. “Because you’re everything I told myself I couldn’t have.”

“Mmm. My good boy,” I mumble, feeling so light and content that what we went through hours ago is almost unbelievable.

His chest shakes with silent laughter as I drift off.