“You’re so handsome, Jace Deveraux,” I moaned, looking him up and down. When my eyes caught his, they were full of hunger when he studied my face.
“You’re incredible, Alexandria LeRoux.” Jace grazed his knuckles over my nipples, which beaded even tighter at his touch. Moving downward, he splayed his hands across my ribs and stomach, trailing his index finger inside my jeans before he unfastened them and pushed them down my body.
We’d undressed like this together many times, but tonight felt more intense. Our energy had shifted in a way that was both scary and exciting at the same time. Toeing off my boots while Jace divested himself of his own boots and jeans, we were finally, blissfully naked. Every time we reunited, knowing how much my Viking god wanted and desired me made my heart open just a little more.
Using his patented move, he rolled us over in one motion to his favorite position where I straddled him, and he impaled me all at once. Bracing my hands on his chest, I rode my cowboy, undulating in a figure eight. Everything else disappeared as our bodies merged. Groping, biting, nipping each other like animals, Jace canted his hips, driving himself deeper and deeper inside me. Scraping my nails on his shoulders, I wanted to leave marks. Everything about Jace consumed me. I wanted him completely, nothing mattered except us.
Jace rubbed my clit in tight circles and it took all of two seconds for me to fly apart with a strangled moan. His muscles strained, and he let out a guttural sound when his body spasmed and he ejaculated everything he had inside me. When we both came down to Earth, and were lying wrapped in each other’s arms, I breathed in his delicious sandalwood scent mixed with our lust.
“Whenever we’ve been apart over the years, did you know how many times every day I thought about us together like this?” Jace kissed my temple. “It’s enough to drive a person crazy.”
“Well, then we’re both crazy.” I licked his neck.
Jace snuggled me tight into his side. My hand ran up and down the hard planes of his abs, I never got sick of feeling the ridges of his muscles there.
“Are you okay?”
“Now that you’re back, I’m better than okay. I’m awesome.” I leaned up to kiss him.
“You’re shaking, Poppy.” He sweetly smoothed my hair from my eyes. “Are you cold?”
“Honestly? I think it’s adrenaline from seeing you again.” I sank against him. “Probably a lot of emotion from the show. I guess I didn’t realize how much energy I spent worrying about Zoey. Now I can hopefully let that go.”
“Yeah.” Jace seemed lost in thought.
“Are you okay?” I traced his lips with my finger.
“Yeah.” Jace looked at me with his intense green eyes. “It feels so different knowing I can come home to you. Good different.”
“That’s because we’re together for real now, Jace.” I smiled at him. “Really and truly. No more running.”
He wrapped his arms around me to pull me tightly against him. “Thank God.”
“Through thick and thin,” I assured him. “You’re my guy.”
“I love you so much, Alex.” Jace was uncharacteristically choked up. “While I was in LA, Ty was so confident about Zoey. He kept saying, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’”
I stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the past eight years. “You know what I’ve realized? We’ve had something they never had over all of these years.”
“What?” Jace nuzzled my hair. “Sex across many continents?”
“No. Friendship.” I kissed his full lips. “We’ve always been friends. Even during our breaks, we never got nasty, we’ve always genuinely liked each other through all of our ups and downs.”
“That’s because you’re my absolute favorite person in the whole world, Poppy.” Jace’s voice broke again.
“I’ve never seen you so emotional, what’s going on?” His demeanor was scaring me a bit. I wasn’t used to seeing him so vulnerable. “I’m right here, I’ve always been right here. You’re my favorite person too.”
“You,” he said simply. “That’s what has changed, you’re really ready to be in this now. You’re not just saying the words.”
“I am ready.” I closed my eyes against his chest, breathing him in again. “You’re my home. I know that with every ounce of my being.”
“I’ve been waiting to hear you say that for years, Poppy.” Jace wrapped himself around me. “I can’t wait to build our future together.”
Chapter 21
JACE
Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, cars honked, and a siren squealed by. A group of children were screaming on the street. All the noise meant we were most certainly not waking up at Alex’s oasis on Bainbridge Island. Scrubbing my eyes with my fists, I heard an annoying and relentless ping ping ping sound emanating from Alex’s phone. I put on my readers, checked my phone for the time and it was past noon.
We were both early risers but going four rounds last night meant we didn’t get much sleep.
“Whoever keeps texting, I’m going to kill them,” I grumbled.
“Zoey.” Alex was sitting up, typing into her phone. “They had a fight, Ty stormed out.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” I slammed my head back down and pulled the covers over my eyes. “And I thought we’d finally cut them loose.”
The strains of Butterfly streamed through her phone. Alex answered and mouthed, “Zoey” before answering.
“Duh!” I mouthed back and rolled my eyes. All the way back into my head.
Pounding at my front door startled me at the exact same moment. Punching my fist into my palm, I jumped out of bed, grabbed my jeans from the floor, hoisted them up, and padded out to the door.
Surprise, surprise, it was Ty. I gave him a quick pep talk and sent him on his way and was heading back to the bedroom when Alex emerged wearing
