Fury of Desire

palmed the small of her back. She arched. He took advantage of her slight twist and slid his free hand beneath the fall of her hair to cup the nape of her neck. White-hot sensation slithered down her spine. As her breath caught, he dipped his head, brushing his mouth against her temple. “My exhale is candy coated. Three layers of deadly. Magma surrounded by poisonous gas… fire on the outside.”

“A fireball with attitude.” As he chuckled, she rubbed her cheek against his. Day-old whiskers scraped across her skin. Hmm, yeah. She’d made the right decision. He was going to feel so unbelievably good in bed. “Must set the Razorbacks back on their heels.”

“That’s the idea.” Retreating a little, he raised his head and met her gaze. Molten heat made his golden eyes shimmer, sending shockwaves through her. Holding her immobile, he shifted his hips, pressing the bulge behind his button fly against her belly. “Where we going with this, Jamison?”

Ah, and there it was. The demand for truth. Do or die time.

Rubbing her lips together, she dragged her gaze from his and glanced over her shoulder. A messy tangle of rumpled sheets, the bed sat in the center of the room. No more than ten feet away. A ripple of excitement shivered through her. Desire picked up the cue, sending her sideways, urging boldness, making her give him the honesty he demanded earlier.

“We’re going over there,” she said, a husky shiver in her voice. “I plan to take you to bed.”

His grip on her nape tightened. “Is that a fact?”

“It is.”

“Probably should warn you, then.”

“About what?”

“I’m not good at this shit, vanzala. Never had much practice,” he murmured, color spreading across the tops of his cheekbones. “I don’t know how to please you in bed.”

Tension rode each syllable, infusing his admission with emotion. Shame. Humiliation. Raw honesty. Wick owned every bit of it. And as his words tore at her heart, J.?J. felt herself tumble down a slippery slope and straight into love. The fierce kind that came with compassion and a healthy dose of respect. For Wick’s courage. For his honor. For the vulnerability he showed her.

Beautiful, uncompromising man.

He might be strong—without equal physically—but Daimler was right. He needed her to show him the way. Back to himself. Into the man he was meant to become. And as he looked away, unable to meet her gaze, she yearned not only to soothe him, but to prove he was more capable than he believed.

Confidence, after all, came to those who practiced.

“Wanna know a secret?” Cupping his jaw, she forced him to look at her.

“Sure.”

“Your inexperience makes us even, because I don’t know what pleases me either.” His brows popped up. J.? J. fought the urge to smile. God, he was adorable, unlike anyone she’d ever met. A good man in every way that counted. He wasn’t anything like her ex. Quite the opposite, in fact. Adam hadn’t cared whether he pleased her or not. Never given her an orgasm, either. But Wick? She could already feel the slow build of sexual attraction. The explosion hovered a breath away, making her blood sing, infusing her with the need to touch while being touched in return. And oh baby, she couldn’t wait for him to take control and make it happen. “So how about we make a deal. You do what pleases you, and we’ll discover if it pleases me too.”

He threw her a dubious look.

Balanced on her good foot, she raised up on her tiptoe. Her mouth brushed his. His breath caught. She pushed her hands into his hair. Hmm, so soft. So thick. Pure heaven. A place she couldn’t resist, and as J.?J. played in the dark strands, raking her short nails over his scalp, she purred. The sound of pleasure made him vibrate in her embrace. She made it again and brushed her lips against his, kissing his disbelief away. He inhaled hard and fast. Pushing her advantage, J.?J. nipped his bottom lip, then delved deep, invading his mouth with a quick stroke of her tongue.

The sharp taste of cinnamon made her moan. Mmm, mmm good. He tasted like spiced candy, a slice of the darkly erotic on a lazy afternoon. Decadence in all its glory. Beyond sinful as he opened his mouth, submitting beneath the onslaught. Bliss danced across her skin as his hands traveled over her bare back, setting her alight with desire. With want and a yearning so deep, she struggled to contain it… and take her time. She didn’t want to rush him, but—

“Holy fuck, baby.” Done following her lead, he growled against her mouth. “You taste so damned good.”

Super to know. Better to experience. “Kiss me again.”

“I’m gonna kiss you all over.” His arms tightened around her as he dipped his head and took the lead, teasing her with the flick of his tongue. She egged him on, asking for more, begging him with each kiss. Giving her everything she demanded, he turned and walked her backward. The bed. Oh God. Fantastic idea. She needed to lay him down… or be laid down. J.?J. didn’t care how it happened, just as long as it happened fast. “Between your thighs too. Right on your curls.”

The promise sounded like a threat. A delicious one, but for one thing. She’d never actually, well… ah, done that. Or rather, had that done to her.

Her legs bumped the edge of the bed.

Palming her waist, Wick picked her up. She went weightless for a moment. Cotton sighed as her shoulder blades settled on the sheets. His thigh between hers, he followed her down, caging her with his body, chest rising and falling on harsh exhales. Golden eyes full of promise, he shoved at her shirt. The material brushed over her torso, rising to expose her bra. Racy rather than plain, the frilly lingerie didn’t hide much. His nostrils flared as he shifted onto one elbow. Awe winged across his face a second before his fingertips touched down, caressing her nipple through the lace. He lowered his head. She moaned in anticipation. Please, God. She wanted him to—

His mouth touched down. Heat exploded, spreading over her skin.

With a whimper, she twisted, arching beneath him, rising hard, asking for more. He didn’t deny her. As he suckled, wetting the lace, increasing the pressure when she begged, he fingered the front of her bra. A quick snap released the clasp. Cool air washed over her breasts. The tip of his tongue flicked over her. She moaned his name. Wick licked her again, then raised his head to look at her. The heat of his gaze touched her skin. J.?J. arched, riding a wave of desire, loving the burn as he groaned in reaction.

“Jesus, Jamison. You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his tone full of wonder. “I want to see the rest of you.”

Fingers spread wide, she stroked his back, hands playing against his skin before pushing beneath the waistband of his jeans. Taut muscle met her exploration and… oh yeah. He was incredible, every flipping inch of him. Undulating beneath him, she pressed up and rocked her hips into his. “Take the Levis off first. Then I’ll let you strip me.”

“Tit for tat?”

“Something like that.”

Amusement sparked in his eyes. “Only fair since I get to fuck you.”

“Fuck me?” The outrage in her tone set him off. He smiled at her, flashing straight white teeth, looking so mischievous it made her want to let him get away with pretending she was a fast lay on a fine afternoon. The devil. Playing along, she tugged a lock of his hair. “You better rephrase that, mister, or I’ll rescind my offer.”

His expression went from playful to serious in a heartbeat. “Make love to you, then. I get to make love to you… touch you everywhere, stroke deep when you’re ready, make you come so hard you scream my name.” The pad of his thumb traced her mouth, then dipped inside, treating her to the stunning taste of his skin. “A dream come true, vanzala. I thank you for the privilege.”

Her breath caught. Oh wow. What an incredible thing to say. “Wick?”

Tugging the T-shirt over her head, he drew the bra over her shoulders and threw it over the side of the bed. “Yeah?”

“Hurry,” she whispered. “I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

“Impatient?”

“Needy. I want you.”

He kissed her softly. A second later, his jeans disappeared, leaving him naked in her arms. J.?J. moaned in