Her Defender (MacLachlan Security Group Book 2) Page 16

  “Look at me, baby girl,” he said again, more firmly. She still refused and she heard him sigh. She thought he would give up and release her, but instead took hold of her hair again and tugged it gently, pulling her head back further.

  She felt him step into her, his chest pressing against hers. He moved in so close that she could feel the scrape of his stubble against her cheek and his breath warmed her ear.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, but whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong,” he whispered. “I want you, Janie. Badly.”

  Her body relaxed a fraction and the worst of the fear eased, but she was still embarrassed that she’d made herself so vulnerable just to be shot down.

  “I have thought about this more times than I care to admit,” he continued, adding a soft kiss to her temple. “In every way you can possibly think of, but I need to know if we’re still only friends.”

  His words registered and her eyes popped open. His dark brown eyes were boring into hers in an instant. In that moment she saw more than she could immediately understand, but one thing she knew was that she couldn’t bear to disappoint him.

  She might end up hurt in the long run, but just like with Makenna, she wanted to know how it felt to have someone, even if it was only for a while.

  “My name is Janice,” she said softly. He gave her a questioning look and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “There are only a handful of people in the state of New York that know this, and none of them know because I wanted them to. I’ve never voluntarily told anyone this, but… my full name is Janice Joplin Carpenter.”

  She waited for the laughter or the questions, but they never came. All she got from Jackson was a wide, goofy smile.

  “So, does this mean we’re more than friends?” he asked, his hands traveling up and down her back, making her shiver.

  “Yes,” she said softly, hoping against hope that it was the right decision.

  “Thank fuck for that,” Jackson muttered before his mouth crashed down on hers, scorching her with its heat and intensity. Jackson wrapped his arms around her thighs and suddenly her feet were off the ground and they were spinning.

  Jackson landed on the edge of the bed and her knees came down on either side of his hips as their tongues clashed and tangled. A moan escaped her as her clit brushed against his hard cock. She bore down, seeking more contact, and Jackson growled low in his chest.

  His large hands circled her waist and he twisted until she was beneath him and his hips were cradled between her thighs. He rolled his hips, pressing himself into her and she gasped at the delicious friction.

  “Is this what you want, baby girl?” he rasped, his mouth landing on her neck and nibbling on the exposed skin beneath her ear. She moaned, pushing up against him and he responded by dragging his teeth down the column of her throat.

  “Tell me,” he said, rolling his hips again.

  “Yes,” she hissed. “Please.”

  “That’s my girl,” he murmured. He reached beneath her, unhooking her bra and then sat back, sliding the black satin straps down her arms until he could toss it to the floor. He covered her breasts with his large, warm hands, kneading gently and scraping his thumbnail across her nipples.

  He bent over her, taking first one and then the other in his mouth, nipping and sucking and rolling them with his tongue until she was whimpering and desperate.

  Her fingers tightened in his hair, urging him on. If he kept at it, she would detonate just like this.

  Instead, he pulled away and she made a mewling sound in protest. He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.

  “Patience,” he said softly. He backed off of the bed, hooking his thumbs beneath the waistband of her briefs and guiding them down over her hips and legs until they joined her bra on the floor.

  The way he stood back and stared at her made her skin burn and she fought the urge to cover herself. Other men had seen her naked, or mostly so, but none of them had ever just stood back and surveyed her body as if it was an exhibit at a museum.

  “Absolutely beautiful,” he whispered, shaking his head. Janie rolled her eyes. He sounded as if he was talking about the Mona Lisa.

  “Oh, no. I know you did not just roll your eyes at me,” Jackson said, a wicked grin splitting his face. She swallowed hard, contemplating her answer.

  “Me? Of course not,” she replied, batting her eyelashes.

  “Hmm,” he said, narrowing his eyes, but never taking them off of her as he stripped out of his black t-shirt and unbuttoned his jeans. He tugged the zipper down and adjusted himself, and her mouth when dry.

  He was perfect. She’d known he was in phenomenal shape, but seeing him in the flesh, and only the flesh, was another story. His shoulders and chest were broad and rounded with the type of muscle you couldn’t get from the gym alone. It was the type of body that had seen hard work.

  He had a flat stomach that was well muscled without being “cut,” and he was covered all over with perfectly bronzed skin and a light dusting a black hair that covered his firm chest and trailed down to disappear beneath the waistband of his jeans.

  To her disappointment, the jeans stayed on when he climbed back on the bed until he was looking her in the eye.

  “You don’t see it, do you?” he asked, brushing a stray curl away from her face. She looked away, not brave enough to answer him. “Guess I’ll just have to show you.”

  He gave her a hard, rough kiss before descending her body, leaving a trail of warm, wet kisses down her body as he went. His fingers closed around her ankles and he pushed until her legs were bent and she was totally open for him.

  His hands ran up her calves and then descended her thighs leaving goosebumps in their wake. Hands on her hips, Jackson bent forward pressing a soft kiss to her mound. She squirmed, anxious for him to move lower.

  He laughed against her skin and the vibration went right to her core and she gasped.

  “So. Damn. Impatient,” he said, punctuating each word with a kiss, moving lower each time, until he was right where Janie most wanted him. He lashed out with his tongue and she moaned. She tried to lift her hips, but Jackson’s hands held her firmly in place.

  He looked up at her and their eyes connected. He cocked an eyebrow and she interpreted the command without him saying a word. She fisted her hands in the comforter of the bed and willed herself to hold still.

  He murmured his approval against her cunt before diving back in. A few moments later she was gasping and moaning, as much from the effort of holding still as from the intense pleasure she was feeling as he took his time exploring her every sensitive place with his hands and lips and tongue.

  “Please,” she begged, completely lost in the way he played her body like a fiddle. She was a tightly coiled spring and if he didn’t relieve the pressure soon, she was sure she would break. “Jackson, please.”

  He doubled his efforts, two fingers slipping easily inside her and curling to stroke that one magic spot. Her body tensed and then flew apart.

  Her scream came out as a strangled cry, her very breath deserting her. Jackson pulled away with a growl, climbing down from the bed once more.

  His stare this time was intense and predatory, a fire in his warm brown eyes. He picked up his discarded shirt and used it to wipe his face, which much to Janie’s embarrassment was sopping wet.

  He dropped the shirt and stripped out of his jeans and boxers in one deft motion. When he straightened up Janie’s mouth popped open and she propped herself up on her elbows. Jackson flashed her a wolfish smile as he walked over to the nightstand and retrieved a foil packet.

  Janie’s mouth practically watered at the sight of him. The bottom half matched the top perfectly. Thick, muscular thighs framed a rather generous, very hard cock. Janie licked her lips out of reflex and Jackson’s jaw tensed as if he was in pain.

  “We’ll get to that later,” Jackson growled, seemingly reading her mind. He quickly rolled on the condom an
d soon he was on top of her, skin to skin. He held himself up just enough so as not to crush her, but she could still feel the delicious weight of him.

  Her arms looped around his neck and she kissed him, biting his full lower lip and sucking it into her mouth. She wrapped her legs around his hips and locked her ankles.

  Even though she’d just had a category five orgasm, she couldn’t get enough. She’d waited so long to feel him inside her, she wanted to make damn sure he wasn’t going to get up and walk away this time.

  “You’re sure about this?” he asked, pulling away slightly. She looked him in the eye and nodded. She wasn’t sure, at least not about giving the whole “boyfriend” thing a try. She was still convinced she was going to end up hurt in the end, but walking away from him now would hurt too.

  As much as she’d fought it and tried to convince herself that she shouldn’t let him in, he’d managed to creep in anyway. He’d gotten under her skin like no one else ever had and no matter when it happened, the extraction was going to hurt.

  The only thing she was sure about was that she wanted him and she would regret it if she didn’t take the chance to share this with him while she could.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered, kissing her sweetly as he lined himself up with her entrance. She felt the tip of his cock hovering there and bucked her hips, trying to take him in. He chuckled, pulling back to look her in the eye.

  “Slow down,” he said softly as he took both of her hands in his and, lacing their fingers together, effectively pinned them to the bed beside her head.

  She felt him slide in a bare inch and gasped.

  More. More, more, more.

  Janie bit her lip to keep from chanting it out loud. Jackson kissed her, his tongue invading her mouth as his cock invaded her body, slowly and with purpose.

  With a soft grunt, Jackson was finally inside her to the hilt and the feeling was incomparable. She was wonderfully full and Jackson filled all of her senses. The scent of his skin, the warmth of his body, the sound of his breathing as he kept his movements deliberate and controlled. The taste of his mouth which still held the lingering taste of her.

  Her entire world dwindled to Jackson and what he was doing to her body, her mind, her heart. She didn’t want to think too much about that one, but she reveled in what she was feeling.

  Jackson was still, not moving a fraction as he kissed her, slowly, languidly, until they were both panting and Janie was losing her mind.

  “Move, please,” she panted. “Jackson.”

  “Shh, baby girl,” Jackson rasped, nipping at her bottom lip. “Let me take care of you.”

  With that, he began a slow, decadent rhythm that made her body burn. He would slowly withdraw until he was almost all the way out, pause a beat, and then roll his hips forcefully into her. It was slow torture as her climax built incrementally.

  All the while he kissed, licked and nipped any part of her that his mouth could reach. They were both sweating and straining as their bodies moved in perfect tandem creating more heat than a dying star.

  His pace increased slightly, as did the force of his thrusts.

  “Yes,” Janie moaned, matching her movements with his. Soon she was on the verge of combusting. Jackson picked up one of her hands, guiding it to his shoulder, then maneuvered his hand between them, stroking her clit with his thumb.

  She dug her fingers into his shoulder until they ached as he moved faster and harder.

  “Oh, God,” Janie whimpered as she felt herself tensing.

  “Come on, baby girl. Come for me,” Jackson growled, his eyes locking with hers.

  She forced herself not to look away as her body tightened and spasmed. She cried out, shouting Jackson’s name, all the while looking him in the eye. Then she understood. An array of emotions crossed his face that she otherwise would have missed.

  Pride, joy, intense male satisfaction and something soft and tender all crossed his face in the moments between her release and when he shouted his own, stilling inside her and dropping his head to her shoulder.

  They were both breathing heavily and sweating, and yet his perspiration slicked body draped over hers felt like the most comfortable thing in the world. She was more than a little disappointed when he shifted his weight to the side, even though he left one leg, one arm and most of a shoulder draped across her body.

  Apparently, it wasn’t enough contact for him either since he frowned, grabbed Janie around the waist and rolled until her body was draped over his, her legs on either side and her head on his chest.

  She could hear the hammering of his heart gradually slow and his erratic breathing even out. It was… soothing. She could easily have fallen asleep right there and slept for days, but she knew she’d have to get up sooner rather than later.

  Jackson was apparently thinking the same thing. Once they’d both caught their breath, he kissed her swiftly and rolled her onto her back.

  “Be right back,” he said with a wink. He stood up and sauntered, naked as the day he was born, out the door. Janie took a moment to admire the view. As soon as he was out of sight, she got out of bed and grabbed his discarded shirt from the floor, slipped it on and buttoned it most of the way. It was long enough to be a nightshirt and it smelled like his cologne.

  He reappeared a moment later, frowned at the sight of her covered from neck to knees, but said nothing as she walked past him for her turn in the bathroom.

  When she’d finished in the bathroom, she returned to the bedroom to find Jackson grinning at her from the bed. He was laying back against the pillows, hands tucked behind his head, covers pulled up to his waist.

  Without comment he flipped back the covers beside him and she smiled as she climbed in next to him, resting her head on his chest.

  Over the next couple of hours, they lay there talking and laughing. Janie felt like she was back in high school, staying up all night on the phone with her first boyfriend. Except he was right there in front of her. She could touch him, kiss him, watch him smile and laugh.

  And he could touch her. He seemed to be obsessed with touching her, not that she was complaining. He ran his hands up and down her back or her arms. He brushed hair out of her face, gave her a few playful squeezes and even tickled her briefly. Very briefly.

  While they cuddled together under the blankets, Jackson told her stories about growing up in Texas and all about his mother and brothers. He’d even told her the story of how his parents had met. Apparently his mother was quite the singer, and had, as a young woman, made a little extra money by serenading couples with love songs at a little bar in her hometown in Mexico.

  His father had stopped in at that little bar one weekend when he was out with friends and was immediately taken with her. Jackson told her that he went back every weekend for two months just to see her.

  Janie had teased him, asking him if he’d inherited his mother’s vocal skills, but Jackson just laughed and shook his head. No matter how much she tried to persuade him to sing for her, he refused.

  By two in the morning, they’d fallen into a comfortable silence in the dark and Jackson seemed to have fallen asleep. His eyes were closed, his full lips slightly parted and his breathing even and deep.

  He was so damn beautiful she could hardly stand it.

  What the hell does he want with me?

  She shut that thought down as soon as it popped into her head, but the mood was somewhat spoiled nevertheless. She rolled over and closed her eyes, trying to steer her mind away from the events of earlier that day.

  She had taken Makenna to retrieve her clothes from the hotel and at one point Janie was convinced that she’d have to physically fight Nancy off. Nancy had seethed the entire time, muttering nasty things under her breath and snarking about everything any of them said.

  Even her father, who seemed to never notice anything, seemed uncomfortable. Of course, in the hotel room he’d had nowhere to run to. He couldn’t go off to the shop or his study to escape the unpleasantness.<
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  Janie was pulled from her bitter thoughts by Jackson. He slung his arm over her side, tugging her back against him.

  “Don’t you even think about sneaking away on me, baby girl,” he said sleepily.

  Janie smiled in the dark, partly because she was pleased and partly because that was precisely what she would normally do.

  She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. His eyes were still closed, but he wore a small smile.

  “Hmm,” she said, pretending to think it over. “That depends. Do I get breakfast in the morning?”

  His smile broadened and he replied, “Would you rather have eggs or waffles?”

  “Both,” she replied, grinning.

  “Deal,” he said, pulling her more snugly against him. She felt him chuckle, his chest vibrating against her back. Then she felt him place a soft kiss to the back of her neck. That was the last thing she felt before sleep claimed her.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  It was warm. Far too warm. Janie was still half asleep, but she stuck one leg from beneath the covers, shoving them aside. She heard a deep grumble from beside her and opened her eyes, the events of last night coming back in a flood of wonderfully graphic memories. Jackson was sleeping beside her, one arm across her stomach as she lay on her back.

  He looked so young, despite the close cropped beard and mussed dark hair. A small smile played across his lips and then disappeared, as if he was having a good dream. She smiled, reaching out to brush a fingertip down his nose.

  The door slammed open, startling her and apparently waking Jackson from what seemed like a deep sleep. He was immediately aware and alert, throwing his body over hers as if shielding her from gunfire.

  “Hey man, have you seen-”

  “Get the fuck out, shithead,” Jackson snarled.

  She couldn’t see Parker standing in the doorway, but she could hear his bark of laughter.

  “Jesus, fine. Sorry,” he said, retreating. Janie heard the door click shut and Jackson’s body relaxed as he moved off of her and sat up.