“Okay,” I agreed finally, though I couldn’t quite relax my jaw. “But if he crosses a line...”
“He won’t get the chance,” Mia assured me, steel flashing in her eyes.
MIA
The silent walk to our bedroom felt endless. Jack’s shoulders were rigid, his jaw clenched so tight I could practically hear his teeth grinding. Dinner had been a masterclass in passive-aggressive family dynamics, with Victoria’s barely veiled digs at my background, Angus’s probing questions about Jack’s business decisions, and Jared’s constant smirking. The only bright spots had been Nan’s unwavering support and Aunt Diane’s kind attempts to redirect the most uncomfortable conversations.
I followed Jack into the bedroom, watching as he closed the door with careful restraint that somehow felt more dangerous than if he’d slammed it. His control was slipping. I could feel it in the air between us, electric and unpredictable.
“You okay?” I asked, stepping toward him.
He held up a hand, stopping me mid-stride. “Not tonight.”
“Huh? Why not?” The rejection stung more than it should have, considering this was all supposed to be pretend.
“Because...” He dragged a hand through his hair, messing up the perfect style he’d maintained all evening.
“Because why? You don’t want me?” Fuck, that sounded pathetic. I really should know better, after all this time.
His eyes met mine, dark and turbulent. “I want you too much.”
My pulse quickened. “What does that mean?”
“Mia, being here, with you, makes me feel...” He seemed to struggle with the words, his fists clenching at his sides.
“Feel what?”
“Feral.”
Heat rushed through me, pooling low in my belly and between my thighs. I stepped closer, drawn to the barely leashed intensity radiating from him. “Show me.”
“Mia...” His voice was a warning, rough and strained.
“What, Jack?” I moved closer still, sliding my hands up his chest, feeling the rapid thunder of his heart beneath my palms. “What do you want to do to me?”
His eyes were dark pools, pupils blown wide with desire and something wilder. “Take you so hard you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. Slap you. Pull your hair. Bury myself so deep inside you, I can’t tell where I end and you begin.”
My breath caught. I’d never seen this side of Jack before. It was raw, primal, dangerous. It had every nerve ending in my body singing with anticipation rather than fear.
“That sounds pretty amazing to me.” I reached for his belt buckle, fingers working the leather strap.
He caught my wrist. “Don’t?—”
“You’ll stop if I ask you to.” I held his gaze, letting him see the absolute trust I had in him.
For a moment, he just stared at me, conflict evident in the tight line of his mouth. Then I slid my free hand into his pants, wrapping my fingers around his rock hard cock. “Give it to me.”
Something snapped in Jack’s eyes. His hands shot up to tangle in my hair, yanking my head back as his mouth crashed down on mine. The kiss was brutal, all teeth and tongue and desperate hunger. I moaned into it, arching against him ashis grip tightened, sending little sparks of pain-pleasure racing across my scalp.
He walked me backward until my legs hit the bed, then shoved me down onto the mattress. I bounced once, breathless and already aching with need, as he tore his shirt over his head. The muscles in his chest and arms flexed with the movement, his skin golden in the dim light of the bedside lamp.
“Take off your clothes,” he commanded, his voice a low growl that sent shivers racing down my spine.
I scrambled to obey, fingers fumbling with the zipper of my dress as I watched him strip his pants off. When I wasn’t fast enough, he grew impatient, grabbing the neckline of my dress and tearing it down the middle with a violent jerk that left me gasping.
“I’ll buy you another one,” he muttered, tossing the ruined fabric aside.
His hands were everywhere then, rough and demanding as they stripped away my bra and panties. When I was completely naked beneath him, he paused, his eyes raking over me with such intense hunger that I felt myself growing wetter under his gaze alone.
