Page 240 of Under Her Skin

‘Yes, baby?’ He looked up and saw she had tears in her eyes. ‘What is it?’ He moved up her body,concerned.

She kissed him. ‘I want you,’ she murmured, ‘I want you insideme.’

Theo frowned. ‘Jessie, I don’tthink…’

‘Sssh….’ She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, wincing slightly. Theo held her waist, stillconcerned.

‘Jess, weshould…’

‘Sssh….’ She moved lower and took his cock into her mouth, feeling it quiver and thicken as she sucked, tongued and teased it. She felt his fingers stroke through her long hair, massage her scalp, heard his moan oflonging.

When his cock was rigid, pulsating and hard, she moved up and gently lowered herself onto him, closing her eyes as she felt him fill her entirely, moaning softly. Theo’s hands clasped her hips as she began to rock gently, slowly, taking him in deeper, deeper,deeper…

Theo gazedup at her as she moved. God, she was so beautiful that it hurt. His cock was being squeezed and massaged by her soft, wet cunt and his head swam with desire, longing, desperate love. His fingers bit into the tender flesh of hips as they fucked but he was aware of not hurting her still healing body. He slipped his hand between her legs and stroked her clit, feeling the small bud harden and pulse against his fingers and was gratified by her gasps of pleasure, the soft moans as she moved on top ofhim.

They made love slowly,gently, each experiencing a mellow climax that seemed to linger and afterward, they lay together naked, skin against skin and held each other and listened to the peace of the eveningtogether.

Theo turned to kiss her temple. ‘You okay, Jessie?’ He felt her arms tighten around him, felt her press a kiss to hischest.

‘I am good, very good,’ she lifted her chin to kiss him, ‘I love you, Theodore Storm. I feel like we’re on the way to reclaiming ourlives.’

Theo sighed and closed his eyes. He wanted to feel hopeful, wanted to feel happy in this moment but he slide his hand down to her belly and stroked it. He would never forget that night, the torn skin, the blood. ‘Are you sure we didn’t go too fast? Are youhurting?’

‘No,’ but when he raised his eyebrows at her, she smiled sheepishly, ‘…okay, I do ache a little but no more than a regular stomachache.’

‘Aspirin and a hot bath then.’Theo started to get up but she moaned and pulled him back down beside her. He didn’t protest – her skin was so soft, so warm next to his and she smelled so good. She burrowed into his chest. ‘Theo?’

‘What’s up,beautiful?’

‘I have to talk to you aboutsomething.’

He looked down at her. ‘Ohyeah?’

She hesitated for a moment, her brown eyes wary then she took a breath in. ‘I know aboutKelly.’

For some reason, Theo wasn’t shocked or surprised. He nodded. ‘I somehow knew you did. Don’t ask mehow.’

‘How come you never mentionedher?’

‘Honestly? I have no idea. Possibly because we have so much else to think about since we met that there was no good time. Ollie tellyou?’

She nodded. ‘It’s a big piece of your past, is all. I thought we said nosecrets.’

‘We did. I’m sorry, Jess, it was stupid and thoughtless of me. Kelly was troubled for a long time. Before I knew her even. I was too young to see the signs and we losther.’

He sat up then and she moved to sit beside him, her hand resting on his chest. ‘You know you can talk about it, you know? Withme?’

He smiled. ‘I do know, and I’m kind of glad you know. But I have to say something about that. I found her. I found her dead and it was awful, horrific, devastating. But, Jess, even that paled to what I felt when I found you that night. My heart was ripped out. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think, it was as if everything human in medisappeared.’

Jess looked stricken and he realized that underneath the distress was something else: guilt. He cupped her face in his palms, made her look at him. ‘None of this is your fault. None of it. It just is what it is. God, I hate that expression, but in this case, if I had to swap everything’s that’s happened for a life without you? Never.’ He kissed her gently. ‘I’m going make Jules’s life a living hell, I swear I am. He doesn’t get to do what he’s done and get away withit.

Jess hesitatedbut then met his gaze. ‘Do you loveme?’

He looked confused. ‘You know Ido.’

‘Then just promise me two things. One, you’ll let me help you bring him down. Yes.’ She added as Theo gave her an incredulous look. ‘Don’t let me be a victim. That’s not what is going to happen. You’re already my white knight. That’s a done deal. This is a partnership.Agreed?’

Theo nodded. ‘I get it. Yes, agreed. Withreservations.’