His beleaguered breathing stopped altogether when the door opened. Lizzy stood before him in a silky, cream cami set with her hair falling down her shoulders and her face scrubbed clean of makeup. God, she was fucking beautiful. He had to hold himself motionless so he wouldn’t lunge at her.
Jack didn’t exactly have a plan as to how the night was going to turn out when he rushed over to see her. He had vague ideas about watching a movie on the couch and slowly making his move if she still seemed into the idea. By her attire, he would guess that she was still into the idea, but maybe this was what she normally wore to bed. It was past midnight after all.
“Well, are you going to stand there all night?” she asked in a slightly breathless voice.
He responded by staring some more at her, rooted to the spot. With a small smile quirking her lips, Lizzy reached out to grab his hand and tugged him inside. On autopilot, he kicked off his shoes and let her lead him toward the couch.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” She turned to him before they sat down.
“No, thank you.” Victory. He managed to form words.
“Okay.” She sank down on the sofa, and he lowered himself beside her.
Without meaning to, he sat down so close to her that their hips and thighs were pressed together, then his hand developed a mind of its own and settled itself on her bare thigh. He could feel her gaze on the side of his face, but he stared straight ahead at the TV, which was turned off.
This was similar to his not-quite-formed plan. They were sitting on the couch, and he was staring at the TV, which waskind of like watching a movie. He ignored the voice that told him it was nothing like watching a movie and that he was being weird. Now all he had to do was scope out whether Lizzy really wanted to do this. If she did, he would make his move.
His fingers tightened on her thigh. She was so soft. Then his hand made another executive decision and began smoothing up and down the length of her thigh. A shiver ran through her. Or had he imagined it? Did this count as scoping her out, or was he just feeling her up? He snatched his hand away and laced his fingers tightly together over his knees, sitting up and away from Lizzy.
“Jack?” Her voice was timid—uncertain.
He turned and searched her face. Had he made her feel that way? But behind the uncertainty, he saw the softness of her gaze, the flush on her cheeks, and her parted lips. There was anticipation and… want. Still, he had to be sure because he had mush for brains at the moment.
“May I kiss you?” he asked in a husky rumble.
“Yes, please.” A sweet smile replaced the uncertainty on her face.
He reached out with a trembling hand to cup her cheek and pressed his lips against hers in a featherlight kiss. His blood pounded in his ears, and he breathed roughly against her lips. Every time he kissed her, he could hardly believe it. This was Lizzy. He was kissing her. His heart clenched almost painfully at how precious this moment was. How could this beautiful, amazing woman be in his arms right now?
She slowly moved her lips over his and hummed softly. The need to possess her crashed over him with such force that he pulled back with a sharp gasp. Before worry could cloud her eyes, he pressed a kiss on her forehead, her temple, then the corner of her mouth. She wanted him, and there was no question hewanted her. But his need for her was too great to unleash. He didn’t want to scare her away.
So with exquisite care, he traced his lips down her neck, lightly cradling her head in his hand. She squirmed a little beneath him, and he placed his other hand on her waist, gently restraining her. He needed to do this slowly and carefully; otherwise, he would lose control. He traveled back up her neck and claimed her mouth once more. This time, he parted his lips because he couldn’t resist the urge to taste her.
Lizzy swept her tongue across the inside of his bottom lip, and he groaned. Helpless against her urging, he chased her tongue with his, flicking it in and out of her mouth in a tantalizing dance. Sweat sprang on his forehead as he fought to control himself. But he needed to touch her. He ran his hand down her hips and thighs, then he curled his fingers around the back of her knees. She sucked in a breath and wrapped her leg around his waist, brushing against his pounding cock in the process.
Every muscle in his body tensed, and he stopped breathing. This wasn’t going to work. He couldn’t hold back. With a feral growl he hardly recognized as his own, he grabbed her by the waist and hefted her onto his lap so that she fully straddled him. His head rolled back at the intense pleasure of her hot center pressing against his erection.
“God, Lizzy,” he moaned. “I… I don’t know if I can hang on. I can’t… I can’t hold back.”
“Good,” she said and swiveled her hips over him. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
And this was how he was going to die.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jack was holding back. Lizzy could feel it in the tautness of his body and his restrained touches. But even those tentative caresses had her burning up for more. She needed him to lose control because her control was already tenuously close to breaking, and when it did, she wanted him right beside her—or better yet, inside her.
She pulled her cami over her head and let it drop to the floor. When Jack’s eyes fell to her breasts, she wanted to cover them with her arms, overcome with sudden shyness. But the dazed awe in his face stopped her, and she held still and waited. His hands left her waist and rose to cup her breasts. Her breath escaped her in a whoosh. His gaze shot to her face as his thumbs grazed over the hard tips of her breasts. Her head fell back, and she thrust her chest into his hands in a silent command for more.
He leaned her back and smoothed his lips on the side of her breast as his thumb traced the rounded bottom. A shiver ran through her, and she shifted impatiently on his lap.
“Fuck,” he swore succinctly before he took one peak into his mouth and rolled it on his tongue.
She bit her lip and moaned as sharp pleasure shot to the juncture of her thighs. When he turned his attention to her other breast, she buried her fingers in his hair and held him tightly. He suddenly pulled her upright and crushed his lips against hers, kissing her with undisguised hunger. She kissed him back with equal intensity, glorying in the feel of wanting someone so desperately—and of being wanted back.
Lizzy needed to touch him. With trembling fingers, she unbuttoned his shirt and let out a whimper of frustration at her slow progress.
“Here,” Jack said against her lips. “Let me.”
