“Y-yes,” I pant.

His eyes blaze with a fierce tenderness. “Good. Grip my shoulders.”

I respond to his instruction with a soft moan. He rocks me on him, working me up and down slowly, stretching me to take his cock comfortably. His expression is tight with desire as he thrusts upward, impaling me.

Wrapping a hand around my nape, he pulls my head down for his kiss, his tongue curling around mine and absorbing my sighs and moans. The friction of him inside me is perfect, his thickness stretching me without discomfort now, hitting spots I never knew existed. Every look, every gesture, every sound he makes activates a new level of pleasure.

But I need more.

I lean over him, licking his neck until I find a spot that makes his hands tighten on my hips. Jack grunts as I bite down, increasing the pleasure surging between my thighs. I move on him feverishly, guiding us to a place beyond this cabin, beyond the danger.

His hand moves between us, and I wait, hungry for that burst of intense pleasure, hungry to come around him. I bite his neck harder, earning a sound that tells me it hurts but that he doesn’t mind one bit. I suck at the spot, soothing it with my tongue as his fingers find my clit.

The world explodes instantly. I bury my mouth against his neck to muffle the scream that bursts from my throat as my body clamps around his in waves of ecstasy. I lose everything but him. The world turns white and becomes an infinite second of pure bliss that steals my breath.

Jack urges me on, telling me how good I feel as I come on his cock. Blood rushes in my ears as intense pleasure shakes me, turning me inside out.

Jack flips me onto my back, pounding into me at a pace that would punish me if he hadn’t prepared me first. “You’re mine, Holly. I don’t give a fuck who your father is. I don’t give a fuck who wants to kill you because I swear to God, I’ll kill them first. You’re mine. You’ll always will be mine.”

“Yes. Yes, Jack. I’m yours,” I pant, urging him on.

Bad man or not. Killer or not. Jack is mine, and I’m his. Our future isn’t promised, but we live for each other now.

He slams his mouth to mine. His lips are hot, his hand on my jaw to open my mouth to his. I let him in, moaning as our tongues meet.

He pushes into me, deep, hard, fast, pumping his hips, panting as he breaks the kiss. My body bounces beneath his, breasts jiggling as I wrap my legs around his hips and find his rhythm.

“Fuck, Holly.” It’s a growl of helpless need.

I love it. Want more. I run my hands over his chest, finding his nipples and twisting at them until he cries out.

“Fuck.” He curses with a groan as he plants himself deep, his hips motionless as his head rears back and he pulses inside me.

He’s my man now. His seed could be taking root this very second. I pray he’s made me pregnant. I want his baby growing inside me. A piece of him. Because wewillsurvive.

I hold him close as he sinks onto me, his body shaking, his breath ragged, his heart pounding against mine.

“Holly.” He whispers my name like a prayer.

I trail my fingers over his face and beard until I find his hot lips. “I’m here, Jack,” I murmur back. “I’m right here.”

We stay like that for several moments. Eventually, his hands tighten on me before he rolls over and stands. He disappears for a few minutes, returning with a warm washcloth. I blush as he spreads my legs and cleans me up, though I love this aftercare.

“We didn’t use anything,” I say, pointing out the obvious.

He nods, his jaw twitching. “A little late to discuss this, but I’m clean. Haven’t been with a woman for years.” His gray eyes lift to mine, “If we get out of this alive, and there are… consequences from what we just did, I’ll be there for you. Always.”

I believe him. I’m in love with him, and I know whatever he feels for me is powerful. He’s shown me in so many ways, not only today, but with every watchful glance and protective touch over the last two years. I just didn’t realize it at the time.

Jack disappears again, but this time, he returns with the duvet from the bedroom. Lying beside me, he pulls me into his arms. I smile, wrapping myself up in him as he tugs the duvet over us. I fall asleep in his arms. Protected. Safe. The rest can wait.

Chapter 8

Jack

I didn’t mean to fall asleep. But with Holly nestled close, her warmth mingling with mine beneath the thick duvet, sleep overtook me. I wake as dawn creeps over the horizon, a faint glow filtering through the curtain. The night is giving way, but the darkness within me hasn’t let go.

Holly lies curled beside me, her breaths steady, her body wrapped around mine like it belongs there. For a moment, I watch her, taking in her peaceful face, softened by sleep, her chest rising and falling in a slow, comforting rhythm. It feels good. Right. Too right for a man like me, someone who’s crossed every moral line, each one blurring into the next until they all feel the same. She’s given me more than I thought possible—more than I deserve. And now, she has a claim on me I can’t ignore. The unbreakable bond we forged last night now burns out of control.