in his neck corded and his teeth gritted. I came seconds before he did.
“Em, sunrise, darlin’ girl.” His chest heaved and he released his bruising grip on my thighs to collapse over me. His body melted against mine as he tucked his face into the crook of my neck. He ground his lower body into me like he didn’t want his climax to end.
Our chests moved against each other’s as we tried to catch our breath, and Jack’s warm hand coasted down my left side and then curled around the back of my thigh. He gently pulled on it and then the other until I wrapped my legs around his back.
Sated, replete, moved, and overwhelmed, I closed my eyes, breathing him in, feeling him breathe against me.
The utter satisfaction, peace, and contentment lulled me to sleep.
22
Jack
As Jack got dressed, his eyes never left Emery’s sleeping form.
The sheets tangled around her, revealing one long, gorgeous leg and the rise of her breasts. She barely made a sound as she slept, a hand resting near her cheek, her glorious hair spilling across the pillow.
He loved her so much, it was almost painful to look at her like this. Jack wanted to crawl back into bed and make love to her until neither of them could move.
However, guilt rode him to hell as he buttoned up his shirt with quick efficiency.
Last night he had been a selfish bastard. Desperate to have her, to feel her beneath him, to know she was safe and he could be with her through the night, he’d taken advantage of Em.
She’d made it clear until yesterday that she did not want a relationship with him.
A woman didn’t change her mind that quickly.
Jack expected to spend weeks, if not months, convincing Em to give him another shot.
And he’d pounced when she was at her most vulnerable. When she was shaken by the incident with his father. He knew her defenses were low, and he’d jumped on the chance to be with her.
Fuck, it was such an opportunistic thing to do. He tried so hard to be better than his father … but he’d dragged Jack down in the mud with him. He feared maybe a little too much of Ian had rubbed off on him.
Feeling sick with the guilt, Jack drank in the sight of Em. He needed to give her space. He needed her to know he wasn’t a total bastard.
But he was a total bastard because the primal urge to get back into that bed with her was so strong, he actually took a few steps toward her. Cursing inwardly, Jack caught himself and strode quietly out of her bedroom. He’d wait for her downstairs because staying in here with her was too much temptation.
Images from last night flashed through his mind, making him groan.
Every time he closed his eyes, he could see her. Mouth around him. Getting off on sucking him. Riding him. Getting off on riding him. Her hair brushing his chest, her breasts bouncing with her undulations. He could see her beneath him, her face flushed, her mouth parted to allow the moans to escape as he thrust into her.
Fuck, he was getting hard again.
Striding into the living room, Jack sat on the sectional.
He’d wait for Emery to wake up and he’d apologize, and he’d promise to never take advantage of her again. That he would wait. He wanted her to know her own mind. To know that she was ready to trust him. It wouldn’t last between them otherwise, and Jack wanted forever with this woman.
A half hour passed. Jack made coffee and fiddled around with a stupid puzzle game app on his phone, waiting for Emery to wake up. At around 5:45 a.m., his phone rang in his hand, and Rebecca’s name appeared across the screen. He answered quickly because (a) it was early for Becs to be calling, and (b) he didn’t want to wake Em before she was ready.
“Becs?”
“Jack.” His sister let out a shaky exhale. “Jack, I’ve been with Mom and Jamie all night. Mom’s not good. She’s … she’s a mess over what happened to me and she’s freaking out about being fodder for the town gossips. She’s locked herself in the bathroom and I’m terrified she’s going to do something stupid.”
Jesus Christ.
Jack pushed off Em’s couch. Rosalie Devlin had always dealt with life with a quiet dissociation. She bottled up everything. Jack had attempted to talk to her about his father and brothers, but Rosalie clammed up.