Page 25 of Jackal
I tried to plant my feet, grab at the wall, and peel his hand from my arm but he had a tight grip. “Jackal,” I said through my teeth. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Jerking me closer, he opened a door and pushed me inside. I stumbled as the door slammed and it was dark besides a small sliver of light from the edge of the curtains.
Before my eyes adjusted, I was slammed against a wall. “Ow. What are you doing?” My heart thumped in my chest.
“Is this what you want? A bad biker dude? Huh?” He pressed against me, his knee shoved between my thighs.
Even though he was being an ass, my body reacted. “Stop it,” I managed. I wanted him, but not like that. I pushed at his chest but he was like a wall.
He pressed closer, his breath dancing over my face. “You think you want to be a part of this life? Is this what you expected?”
What the fuck was he doing? I couldn’t move my body, but my arm was free so I balled my fist and slammed it to his temple. He backed up enough for me to move toward the door.
Grabbing the knob, I stopped, trying to calm my nerves and control my breathing. He wasn’t trying to hurt me. He was trying to make a point. He could have easily overpowered me, but he didn’t even restrain me. Still, my adrenaline sent quivers through me, and I was pissed.
“Was this necessary? What are you trying to prove?” I asked, my words unsteady as I tried to calm down.
He walked toward me and the light came on. “You think this is all fun and games, hanging at parties, drinking, men all around. But it’s not a game, Lil Bird. And this shit is scary.”
Turning, I leaned against the door, looking up at him. “I know that. In case you forgot,” I started to tick off with my fingers, “I was abducted, nearly sold, watched my friend be shot at, yougot shot, Eagle got shot, then I was rushed into a little room and asked to fix you all up like they were scrapes from a fall.”When you say it out loud it does sound sort of bad.
“Exactly. So why are you dead set on hanging around? Any sane woman would have run for the hills.”
“You should know, shrinks are all a little crazy and make the worst patients.” Those were facts. And any therapist that didn’t at least occasionally go to therapy was probably a sociopath. At least that was my estimation.
“I didn’t think you were supposed to call it a shrink, or say crazy?” he questioned.
“Well, I suck at my job, what can I say?” I said, shrugging.
He stepped closer, just inches away. His shoulders relaxed, and his eyes softened. “You know I wouldn’t really hurt you, don’t you?”
“What if I wanted you to hurt me, just a little?”So, the buzz wasn’t completely gone.
Coming even closer, a low rumble came from his chest. “You sure are persistent, Lil Bird.”
“Is there…is there some reason you don’t…” I trailed off, my gaze dipping to the floor. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer to the question and wish I hadn’t even started to say anything.
His thumb pressed my chin up. “Lil Bird, I thank years of practice learning patience for giving me the strength to do the right thing when it comes to you.”
“But what if what you think is right is completely wrong?” I asked more breathily than I meant to.
Only a few seconds passed, but they felt like hours as I stared up at him. His jaw was tight, and the sprinkle of grey around his temples pulsed. “You know what, Lil Bird? I’m tired of worrying about what’s wrong and right,” he said before he grabbed my face in his hands and his lips dropped to mine.
He pressed against me, my back flush to the door and my hands grabbing his sides. Heat pooled between my hips, and my nipples pebbled. The slight rub of his leather cut against them ached so much that I groaned.
“Mmm, Lil Bird,” he said before kissing down my neck.
“Fucking finally,” I whispered as his hands roamed over me.
One fisted my hair while the other kneaded one of my breasts. My new bra was nothing but lace and underwire, but even the thin layer of that and the fabric of my shirt was too much of a barrier. I needed his skin on mine. Gripping the hem of the shirt, I lifted it up and he helped pull it over my head before his hands promptly went to my breasts.
His chest rumbled again as his thumbs rolled over my sensitive nipples. “Even better than I imagined.”
My hips pressed to him of their own volition. “You haven’t even seen it all yet,” I said almost as a plea.
His hands skimmed over the tops of the exposed skin before trailing down my bare arms, sending goosebumps over them. He took my hands in his and pulled me away from the door.
“Oh, I will.” He walked us to the bed, the backs of my legs hit the edge, and I tumbled backwards.
