Page 51 of Tangled up in You

"Oh." That possibility hadn’t even entered her mind. But now that it had… "Of course."

"Of course,what?" His fingers tightened on hers even more.

"At my age, you probably figured I was on some kind of birth control." She’d said that in a rush, and didn’t slow down with, "But I’m not. I haven’t had sex in a while and?—"

"Baby," Jonah broke in on her rambling, shaking his head and used the hand he held to tug her into his lap. "You do know I have no problem turning you over my knees again." He grinned and her core flooded. "No more talk about age." He held her stare, his serious intent in no question. "Promise me."

"But it?—"

"No," he cut in, while lifting his free hand and running his fingers through her hair before cupping the back of her head. "No buts." Then he was pulling her head toward his, his eyes on her lips for a split-second before snagging her gaze again. "Never again. Promise me."

It was hard making a promise she wasn’t sure she could keep. But if he meant what his words—but more importantly, his eyes—were telling her, then he believed it. And she would just have to trust and believe it was true too. So…

"I promise."

"Now, some truths."

His hands left where they’d been on her as he held her stare. But that was okay. Because buttons came undone on her shirt.

"You, Alyssa Stockton, aren’t just any woman." He cocked his head. That was exactly what Jake had said. "You realize that, right?" His question accompanied the shirt parting completely.

She swallowed and shrugged. How was she supposed to know something like that? Just because they’d both said it didn’t mean she knew how to accept it.

"Ah, baby, you’re really begging for another spanking." The way he said that in that deep, growly seductive voice was almost enough to make her agree to anything. But also while cupping her breast and brushing his thumb over her nipple? A woman of lesser fortitude might have already flipped over with her ass in the air and begged for his hand.

Oh, who was she kidding. Fortitude or not, she wasthatclose to doing it.

But he wanted truths.

"To be honest, this whole thing with you and your brothers, it’s surreal. I…" She didn’t want to be cliché and say it was like a dream. But it was. In fact, like several of her dreams where they had played a starring role. "It’s just hard for me to believe it’s real."

"Oh, it’s real," he said, urging her to lay back onto the couch and spreading the shirt wide. His eyes turned heated where they’d focused on her breasts. "Very real."

She bit at her lip, staring up at him as his eyes traced over her body.

"Then show me." His searing eyes flashed to hers. "Please."

CHAPTER 8

Please.

Jonah crushed and twisted the fabric in his fists—pulling it taut around Alyssa’s body—so hard he was surprised the seams didn’t rip. If he hadn’t called on the control he usually wielded so effortlessly, the material would have been shredded without a second thought.

It wasn’t just that one word, but the pleading light reaching out to him from her beautiful eyes—how firelight bathed her luscious body and shining hair. This woman—the one he and his brothers had longed for—had him so twisted up in knots he might not ever come undone.

But he couldn’t say he didn’t like the feeling…

He had to shake his head.

Like it?

Hell, he loved it.

How could he not?

If his forever meant having his heart tied up with Alyssa and his brothers—having them weaved together so tightly they would never unravel—then he was all for it.

"Jonah?"

---