“Yes.” His voice softened. “It’s going to be okay, Bella.”
“The eliminating part,” she managed to say. “That’s a little troublesome.”
“We’ll protect them.”
“You,” she said, throat tight. “I’m worried about
She looked in her rearview mirror. Light traffic.
No way to tell if anyone was following her. “I can’t do this. I’m not coming to you.”
“Yes, you are,” he said in that same calm, even voice, and only because she knew him did she hear the undertone of anger and worry.
For her. “Jacob-”
“Listen to me. If you don’t come here, I’m going to get on my motorcycle to come get you, and I’m on narcotics, Bella. It won’t be pretty.” He softened his voice. “Please. Please come here.
Okay, so the domineering “now” ruined the “please” but she nodded. She would do as he asked, and once again she’d be with him, spend time with him-not because he
Fifteen minutes later, she pulled up his driveway and parked next to the squad car already parked there. She saw Jacob move away from where he’d been talking to his protection. She got a quick glimpse of faded Levi’s low on his hips, the splint and nothing else as she opened her car door.
And then he was right there, pulling her in close against that bare, warm chest. His good arm tightened around her, his warm lips brushing her temple. “You’re safe now, Bella. I’ve got you.”
She slid her arms around his waist and felt the reassuring bulk of his gun in the back of his waistband. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
“I’m safe, too.”
Yes. Yes, he was, and she sucked in air for the first time since she’d found the note, rubbing her cheek over a hard pec. Melting into him, she let the rest of the world slip away, leaning forward until her head was tucked under his chin.
She was safe in his arms.
Or at least her body was.
She just wasn’t nearly so sure about her heart.
14
ETHAN MET THEM AT Jacob’s house, and took the note for evidence. Bella called Willow, to tell her about the latest development, and discovered her boss had gone to Trevor’s instead because her mother had been hosting bingo for thirty-five seniors. Trevor got on the phone and told Bella to come, as well, but she said she was fine where she was for the night.
And then hoped that was true.
Jacob had left her alone in the living room to give her privacy for her calls, and done with them now, she went to the kitchen. There she grabbed Jacob’s pain pills and a glass of water, because she hadn’t missed how pale and shaky he’d seemed during the meeting with Ethan, but when she moved down the hall to his bedroom, it was empty.
The bathroom door was open, and the shower was running. She stepped into the steamy room, and thanks to the glass tub enclosure, had a perfect view.
Jacob stood facing the water, his good arm straight out in front of him, braced on the tile, head bent so that the water beat down on his shoulders and back.
“What are you doing?”
He lifted his head. “Cleaning up.”
“You’ll get your bandage wet.”
“It has to be changed anyway.”
He reached for the shampoo, and she didn’t miss his wince. “Wait.” Peeling off her clothes, she stepped into the tub and met his hot, hot gaze.
“That should have been on my fantasy list,” he said.
“What?”
“Watching you strip.”
“Do you ever think of anything besides me naked?”
He smiled. “I think of me naked, with you.”
“Turn and face the water, perv, I’ll help you soap up.”
When he turned, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, and then, because she couldn’t resist, kissed first his good shoulder, and then moved to the other, kissing all around the edge of his bandaging. When she got to the center of his back and pressed her lips to his spine, he sucked in a breath and dropped his head forward with a moan for more.
Pouring some shower gel into her hands, she pressed her body against his so that there wasn’t a breath of space between them, and ran her soapy hands over his chest, his abs, and then guiding her fingers downward, wrapped them around his erection.
Another rough groan escaped him and he leaned back into her. “God, Bella.”
Her mouth continued to skim over his spine as she stroked the length of him in her slicked-up fingers, apparently applying just the right amount of pressure, because he actually whimpered.
“Okay?” she whispered, sliding her other hand down the front of a rock-hard thigh, then up again to cup him, gently squeezing.
“Christ.” His voice was thick and husky. “If I was any more okay, I’d be a puddle on the tile at your feet.” He covered her hand with his and stroked himself along with her, showing her how hard he liked it. After a minute, he groaned and pulled away. “Stop,” he gasped. “I’m going to come if you keep that up.”
She peered around his arm to take in the sight of him fully aroused, wet and glistening, and her mouth actually watered. “Sit.”
“What?”
She pushed him down to the tub ledge along the back, then straddled his legs and kissed him.
Gripping her hip with his good hand, he dived into the kiss, taking her mouth roughly, stroking her tongue with his while his one hand ran feverishly over her, gliding over her breasts, cupping and squeezing her ass. “You feel so good,” he murmured against her wet skin. Dipping his head, he pulled a nipple into his mouth at the same time his thumb stroked between her thighs, directly over ground zero, and that was it for her.
In that moment, she didn’t care what this was, or why she was trying to hold back.
She needed him.
“Inside me,” she gasped.
“But you’re not ready-”
“I was ready before I even got here.” Lifting up, she slid herself down onto his hard, throbbing length all in one motion, fully seating him deep within her.
“Oh, Christ, Bella.”
Her body clenched hard, making him groan again.
“Condom,” he groaned.
“It’s the wrong time of the month.” Then she gave him the line he’d so often given her. “It should be okay.” She listened to the sound of his quickened breathing, loving how his arm tightened on her as he kissed her throat, a breast, licking his tongue over her nipple as he thrust up within her.
Her arms tightened on him, too, and she shifted restlessly, feeling filled, feeling desperate, feeling so hungry and achy,
God, she was half out of her mind with the need, and also halfway to heaven, and only partially aware that she