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“You’d think,” she said, her voice scratchy thanks to her suddenly dry throat, “that after fourteen years of friendship, you might have mentioned that you were in possession of what must be record-breaking equipment.” She tried to swallow and couldn’t.

All the moisture in her body had clearly migrated elsewhere .

“I doubt it breaks any records. But I didn’t mention it for the same reason you never told me that you have the world’s most perfect nipples.”

“I might have mentioned it if I’d known I had the world’s most perfect nipples.”

“What assholes have you been flashing your breasts at, Sam? They should have told you.” He got down on the bed with her, lying next to her, pulling her tight up against him, his erection hard and hot against her stomach.

He cupped one breast in his large, rough hand, squeezing her gently. “You are perfect.”

She wanted to cry. And she didn’t know why. Except that she was excited, and scared, and no one had ever looked at her like Jace was looking at her right now. No one had ever given her a compliment like that before. One so sincere and so deep.

It made her feel like she was being turned inside out. And in the theme of contradictions, made her want to run from him and cling to him all at the same time.

He moved his hands to the snap on her jeans and undid it, then pulled the zipper down slowly. He closed his eyes and paused, his expression pained.

“What?” she asked.

“I have to catch my breath,” he said. “I...you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this, Sam. What it means to be this close to touching you. I tried not to put you in the middle of my dirty fantasies, but baby, I failed miserably. And this? This is a big fantasy of mine about to come true.”

Her heart felt swollen, achey. Jace had wanted her like this? He’d thought about it? She felt...honored by the realization. And strange too.

“I don’t want to disappoint you,” she said, her voice a choked whisper .

“Never,” he said, his hand sliding beneath her panties. “Oh...damn, baby,” he whispered as he slid his finger over her clit, down to the entrance of her body.

“Jace.” She lowered her head, rested it against his shoulder as his hands created a path of white fire over her flesh, the pleasure so deep, so all-consuming she didn’t know if she would survive it.

She shifted to give him easier access and he slid one finger deep inside her. She bit her lip to keep from making that kitten sound again, but she wasn’t successful.

He moved his hand away from her, cupping the back of her head and kissing her deep. She pushed her jeans down her legs, suddenly unable to take any more barriers between them. No more rough denim. Nothing. She just needed him. Now.

“I’m on the pill,” she said. “And I’m...clean. I haven’t been with anyone in more than two years.”

He nodded slowly. “You don’t want to use a condom? I have them.”

She shook her head. “I know you.”

He let out a long breath, a pained expression on his face. “Sam...” He lowered his head and kissed her neck, her shoulder, her breast, down to her belly, below her belly button.

She jumped at the hot swipe of his tongue over the sensitive skin there. He eased her thighs apart and moved lower, his hands digging into her hips. He pulled her closer, his eyes intent on her.

Now, no man had ever, ever looked at her quite so intently. Quite so closely. It was a little intense, a little embarrassing. But she didn’t have time to worry about the embarrassment because suddenly he was kissing her there, licking her, sucking her gently .

And all she could do was grab onto his shoulders and hold on tight. She was shaking, her entire body on fire with pleasure, too hot, too much, but she couldn’t stop him. She didn’t want to stop him, even though she wasn’t sure she could take any more.

“Like eating a cupcake,” he said, his tone rough. “You have to start by licking all the sweet stuff.”

And he did. Long and slow with the flat of his tongue, like he was savoring her. Like he was having her for dessert. He pushed two fingers deep inside of her while he continued to taste her.

She couldn’t breathe now, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but surrender to the violent need that was racing through her.

“Jace...I’m...I’m going to...” And before she could even say it, her orgasm broke over her, her internal muscles tightening around his fingers, her entire body shuddering with the force of her release.

It was Jace’s cue.

He moved up her body, taking her mouth in a hard kiss while he thrust deep inside of her. She let out a hoarse cry and arched against him, the penetration on the heels of her orgasm so intense she could have wept.

And then she looked up at his face, into his eyes, and she really did shed a tear. Jace’s eyes. His face. His lips.

Jace.

He started to move, thrusting hard, his motion matching the desperate light in those familiar eyes. And every time he entered her, she heard his name again, echoing inside of her.

Jace . Her Jace.

Making love to her like a god. Making her feel things, want things, no other man had ever made her feel or want before .

It was too much. Too intense. The well it opened up inside of her, deep, too deep to be filled.

“Samantha,” he growled, looking at her so intently, like he saw that need in her, like he was trying to fill it. With his body. With himself.

She had to close her eyes. Had to turn her head to the side and focus on how good he made her body feel, on the climax that was starting to build in her. Impossible because of the strength of the one she’d had only a moment ago.

But no. There it was, close, so close.

Jace let out a harsh groan, stiffening above her, emptying himself inside of her. And it pushed her over the edge. Into that deep, never-ending well inside of her. She was falling, but warm, suffused with ecstasy, surrounded by Jace.

And she never wanted it to end. Because when it did, reality would hit. And she hated reality right now.

She clung to him as she fell, and when she landed, the mattress was beneath her, soft and warm, and Jace was above her, hard and hot.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he rolled onto his side, holding her against his chest. She buried her face in the curve of his neck.

“Let’s not talk,” she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

He tightened his hold on her, and she felt him nod his head.

They could talk later. Right now, she just needed to be held. She needed to crawl back out of that abyss and get the cover back on it.

There was no way she could live like this, not forever. Exposed and needy.

Jace had exposed her. And now Jace would hold her until she recovered. Because Jace was her rock. He was her comfort.

A cold feeling entered her chest and she burrowed deeper into Jace’s embrace, trying to escape the chill. Trying to shut out the destructive thought that she might have just put a crack in her foundation. One that she might never be able to repair.