Page 75 of Hiding from Hope

“Say it again,” she whispers against my lips.

“I love you,” I comply.

“No.” She pulls back, panting. “Not that part, the other part.” She bites her lip, and I tilt my head in confusion.

“I’m yours, Jess. Say it again.” It feels like my heart explodes out of my chest. I am so gone for this woman.

“You’re mine.” This time it comes out as a growl, and I fist her hair to slam her lips back on mine, turning to walk us to the bedroom. To claim her properly, make love to her, tell her all the things I’m finally ready to say, to make up for all the ways I’ve been a fucking coward when it comes to her. But before I can completely close the door, she pulls away and wriggles down my body.

“Wait.” She barely speaks as she runs from the room.

“Ace, what’s wrong?” Confused as to what is happening, I follow after her, a painful boner straining my pants, but my anxiety is eased as she turns and hits me with that stunning smile.

“I have a song for this moment.” Of course she does.

I playfully roll my eyes at her, and she bites her lip, pressing play on her phone connected to the speaker and then runs and leaps into my arms. The caveman in me growls at the image of Casey jumping into my arms like a starved animal. I catch her and hold her wrapped around my body as we wait for the song to play, and the moment it does, I throw my head back in a laugh. My chest grows three times its size, making even more room for Casey inside my heart.

“What do you think?” she teases and spears her fingers through my hair playfully as the beginning verse of Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield plays around us, my chest lighter and my smile easy.

“Jessie does have himself a girl, but no one is stealing you from me now, sunshine.” I pinch her ass and she giggles. I turn back and head straight for my room, and the song continues to play throughout the apartment.

When I take her lips again, she moans into the kiss, her lithe body searching for friction. Friction I’m desperate to deliver, but first…

“Why was Connor there?” I demand because while I hadn’t allowed myself to act jealous before, I sure as fuck am feeling it now. Her smile. Her embrace. At him.

Fuck, I’ll rip him apart.

She pulls back from the kiss and says, “He wanted me back.” She whispers it like its nothing and goes in for another kiss, but I throw her to the bed instead.

“What—”

“Talk. Now,” I demand and crawl over her. Pinning her hands above her head–Oh, would you look at that, her pony is tied with that pretty blue bow, how convenient. Reaching to tug the ribbon loose, I kiss down her neck and proceed to bind her wrists together with the delicate satin. “I’m waiting, Casey.”

“He… oh, god… He came to tell me he missed me.” I bite her collarbone, and her hips lift toward mine. I continue lower until my hands are pulling down her jeans.

“And?” The pants are discarded, and I focus my attention on her top, slowly lifting it up her torso.

“And that he had pulled himself together,” she breathes, practically panting. I wiggle her top over her head along with her bra, and she lay beneath me in a pair of black panties and nothing else. Fucking exquisite.

“Keep going, Casey,” I taunt her and she growls in protest.

“Later. Please. Touch me,” she begs, and I bite her hipbone in response.

“No answers, no orgasm.” Her head snaps up at me, her mouth agape, and I can’t help but steal it in a kiss. My tongue dancing with hers, her taste of wine and chocolate. Her moans that I swallow and the feel of her body beneath me. It takes every ounce of control to not forget my demand and just have my way with her. I pull away before I head down that road and move down her body, letting go of my grip on her still bound hands.

“Keep talking, sunshine.”

“Fine.” She moans. “He said he had spent this time, oh my god… cleaning himself up. Getting a job. God.” She struggles to string a sentence together as I leave delicate kisses on her inner thigh, breathing gently over the wet spot of her panties and biting the flesh only centimeters from where I’m dying to be buried.

“He… he said he knew I deserved better… ohmygodohmygod.” She pants harder as I slowly drag her panties down her thighs and discard them.

“That he wanted me back. He was ready to show me he could be a good boyfriend. Oh my god! Jessie. Please,” she begs, her sentences increasing in pace as she writhes below me.

“If only you could see how desperate you are for me right now, Ace.” I demonstrate by gently running a finger up her center, spreading her need everywhere, the sound of her bare and soaking pussy music to my ears as I bite down on the growl rising up my throat.

“You want to come, sunshine?” I taunt with a quick swipe of my tongue on her pussy. She nods frantically. “Then hurry up with the details.” She gasps when I bite her clit and lick her again, trying like hell to hold on to my control, get the answer I am looking for before I devour her.

“Okay, okay…” she breathes. “I told him I appreciated his effort—” She gasps as I slap her pussy. Not the answer I am looking for.

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