Page 19

He slid me down his body until my feet touched the floor. His eyes burned with a hunger that heated my entire body, and a longing and need kindled beneath my stomach.

He didn’t give me the chance to move or say anything. He pulled my shirt off with enough force that I heard a soft rip as he tore the fabric. I couldn’t care less because his hands were already on me again, roaming and caressing every inch of me, every curve and contour, until it felt like it belonged to him.

He unclasped my bra, tossing it to the side. He eyed me with hunger as his hands went to my breasts. I let out a soft gasp, my back arching instinctively as his fingers closed around my nipples, sending pulses of need and lust radiating through me until they settled between my legs.

Without a word, he pushed me onto the bed, hovering over me as he undid my jeans. I could smell his musk, and his scent drove my wolf into a frenzy. I watched with growing longing as his own clothes fell to the floor. His cock sprung out, fully erect and he clambered on top of me, pinning me to the bed.

Smirking, his hand slipped between my thigh, his thumb brushing against my clit. I let out a soft moan, my back arching in response. My eyes fluttered closed for a moment, relishing the sensation as his thumb flicked back and forth, sending new spasms of need and longing jolting through me. When they opened again, Jackson was smirking down at me.

“You like that, babe?” he asked.

Before I could even nod, his mouth went to my neck, nibbling just above my collarbone. I gasped as shivers radiated through my body. I writhed beneath him, relishing the delectable sensation.

His mouth went to my ear, his warm breath caressing my neck. At the same time he nipped at my earlobe, his fingers thrust inside me, causing me to gasp in delight. Then his fingers began pumping rapidly in and out, his thumb pressing on my clit. He grinned as he saw the mindless expression spreading across my face. He took one nipple in his mouth and bit gently, sending radiating waves of longing through my body, adding to the growing lust and need for release for him that was blossoming inside me.

Each thrust of his hand fueled the fire, intensifying that craving. His fingers weren’t enough. I needed more.

As if reading my mind, he extracted his fingers, though his thumb continued to rub my clit, the sensation and need becoming even more unbearable. I could feel my breath growing ragged. But it still wasn’t enough. There was only one thing that would satisfy the burning need spreading through my body.

“Please,” I begged.

“Please what?” he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischievous glee.

“You know what,” I snarled.

He laughed. “There’s that fire I’ve been missing,” he said, his voice practically a purr. He leaned forward, his lips brushing against my ear. “I want you to say it,” he ordered.

I shot him an irritated look that just made him grin wider. He pressed against my clit, and my hips bucked. I groaned.

“Fuck me, please,” I said.

The instant the words were out, he thrust inside me. I screamed out as pleasure erupted, each thrust fanning the flames and sending me closer and closer to oblivion. I cried with each pump, my breath ragged as I went mindless with need.

The need for release and the blind ecstasy of him gliding in and out of me grew, moving toward a crescendo. I continued to squirm and writhe, so close to coming, the pressure inside me swelling until it was becoming nearly too much to handle.

I could tell I was close, each motion sending me closer to oblivion. I tried to hold on to it, to savor that feeling of being on the precipice for as long as possible.

One final pump from Jackson, and I shattered, screaming as waves of pleasure and release washed over me, drowning me. I rode the sensation for as long as possible, wanting it to last, not wanting to fall back into clarity and rejoin the real world.

Jackson kept pumping, his thrusts growing more rapid and fervent. His breaths grew ragged, and his mouth locked against mine again, sending new spasms of ecstasy rippling through me, my hips thrusting in time with his pumps as I held onto that bliss.

Just as my orgasm had begun to subside, he groaned, and I could feel him finish inside me as his cock throbbed.

His pumps slowed to a halt. He hovered above me, his cock still resting inside me as he brushed a strand of hair from my face. Gently, without a word, he bent down and kissed me, his lips barely brushing mine.

“How was that?” he asked as he slid out of me.

I nodded in answer, giving a small smile. But a spasm of guilt marred the moment. I still hadn’t told him everything, and I suddenly felt like holding everything back had been a massive mistake, one I needed to fix. A kernel of dread nestled inside me, trying to protest. If Reacher found out…

I closed my eyes. If I trusted him enough to tell him about Claire, I might as well trust him with everything else.

“I need to tell you about Reacher,” I finally said.

He raised his eyebrows as he propped himself up on his elbows. I expected a quip of some sort, but he had a serious look in his eyes, giving me his full attention.

“You know something?” he asked.

I nodded. “Dad’s his second, you know, and I worked for them. He’s not a good guy, Jackson.”

“I know,” he started to reply but stopped when I shook my head.

“No, you don’t.” I took a deep breath. “He’s dangerous. And he’s planning something.”

He shifted his position, staring at me long and hard. It felt like he was trying to read my mind. His head tilted. “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you?” He phrased it as a question, but the tone told me he already knew the answer.

There was no use lying. I had already committed.

I nodded. “Not all of it, but enough. I overheard things I wasn’t supposed to,” I finally said. “More than once. Mostly by accident, but still, a lot of things that they wouldn’t want other people knowing.”

He remained silent, continuing to stare at me with that piercing gaze. I realized he was giving me the option to continue speaking without interruption, as if he knew it would be easier for me to talk that way. The fact that he somehow understood that sent flutters of appreciation and affection through me. I pushed those feelings aside, determined to focus on what I needed to say.

“He’s stockpiling weapons,” I said. “I haven’t seen the shipments, but I’ve heard them talk about it. And he’s been talking to Dad about the Long Tail pack, assessing their weaknesses and how strong their alpha is. That sort of thing.” I took a deep breath as I ran my fingers through my hair. “I know that’s probably not helpful. I wish I had more information, but…” I trailed off, making an inarticulate gesture that didn’t convey anything.

Jackson shook his head. “No, this is important. It confirms a few suspicions we had.” He gave me a sheepish look. “I suppose this is the time to tell you that I’ve been looking into Reacher behind your back.”

I snorted. “By all means. He deserves it. I kind of assumed that’s why you were there in the first place, based on everything.”

“You did throw a wrench into the investigation,” he admitted. “But that was also my fault. We both know I can get a bit selfish and impulsive. Declan chewed me out for an hour for doing it.”

I gave a small smile. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad it happened. I like it here a lot better than I ever did over there. Claire does, too.”

“I’m surprised they let you come here if they were worried you knew that much,” he mused. “You would think that they wouldn’t want to risk you telling anyone anything.”

I winced inwardly. I wanted to tell him about Reacher and Dad and their impromptu visits, except admitting that felt too dangerous. Jackson knew about Claire now, so they couldn’t threaten me with that any longer, but there were plenty of other ways they could punish me. Just telling Jackson this much felt like a massive risk. What would they do if they found out I told him they were still threatening me? Moreover, what would Jackson do if he found out? Would he throw me and Claire out for betraying him? Or would he go after Dad and Reacher even harder? The risk that it would backfire on me, either from Reacher’s end or Jackson’s, made me keep my mouth shut. I could tell him when I knew more.

“I think they wanted me to make sure you stayed in line,” I said, trying not to give too much away. “They figured they’d scared me enough that I wouldn’t talk.”

“Well, I’m glad you decided to after all,” he said.

“You’re not angry?”

He paused, considering. “I am,” he admitted. “What you’re telling me is the type of thing we’ve been looking into for weeks now. If you’d told me, we would’ve had a much bigger head start.” He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair as he looked at me. “At the same time, I understand why you didn’t.”

“I was afraid of what they would do,” I muttered. “They’ve…” I trailed off, not wanting to relive those moments.

Jackson seemed to guess what I was thinking before I could utter a word. “Those bruises on your wrists, I’d almost forgotten about them.”

I nodded, rubbing my forearms, feeling the phantom fingers lingering there. “That was usually as bad as they got physically with me,” I said. “Most of it was verbal and mental abuse, that sort of thing. Calling me stupid and worthless, controlling every aspect of my life.” I gave a half-laugh as I stared at the wall, unable to look at him for this next part. “You know, when I first came here, I had so much freedom that I had no idea what to do with myself. So much of my life was regulated that I wasn’t sure what I was allowed to do. It took me a while to get out of that mindset.”

Jackson let out a low rumble of anger. “Those assholes,” he growled. He pushed himself to a seated position, turning to look at me. “I’m going to make those assholes pay, Audrey. If it’s the last thing I do. I promise.”