Page 58 of His Custody

And then she smiled at him. She tried not to, god knows she tried, but the edges of her mouth tucked into her cheeks and amusement pressed her lips together. She might laugh at him.

A spark of ire ignited in his brain. “And what exactly is so funny?”

“Nothing, Master.”

“That’s not how it looks to me.”

She rolled her lips between her teeth and blinked, trying to contain herself but she was close to losing it. The spark moved closer to the tinder pile that had been gathering all day. He was going to lose his shit any second.

“I—I can’t believe you said that to me, that’s all.”

Her laughter was choking her and for a second, the bonfire caught light. But just as he was about to blaze out of control, she lost it first and started to giggle.

Giggle.

Not laugh, not cackle, not snort. Giggle. And somehow that small sound bubbling up from her chest while she tried so hard to stifle it, it doused the flames inside him. He cracked.

“Are you kidding me with this?” The thrust of his chin and his inflection were meant to convey he’d given up on their games, and she took advantage, her giggles turning maniacal and she fell on the floor. He couldn’t help it with her rolling around, her hands clutching at her midsection and her hair flying crazy around her face, pink with delight.

It was impossible to be pissed off when there was so much beautiful silliness right in front of him. Maybe that’s another thing that had been missing from the other women he’d been with. Some of them had been funny, sure; he liked women with a sense of humor. But unrepentant silliness like this? The only girl who’d ever let him see them like this was Keyne. Memories of her running through sprinklers, splashing offboard when they’d anchored the yacht for a swim, finding her crouched in a cupboard when he’d deigned to play hide-and-seek with her and Gavin, it all came crashing back.

He’d missed this part of her, this exuberant and yes, silly side of her. It had taken him long enough, but he’d managed to get her to be hysterical with laughter. He’d sew that merit badge on his Guardian vest later, but for now, he wanted to be inside that elation. He could beat her—would, later and they’d both enjoy it—but at the moment he wanted to join her, let her cast a ray of sunshine over his dark and serious life. And what the hell did any of it matter anyway?

They’d hire more associates, at least one would be just as good as the person who’d left, and they’d stick around. The Lowenstein deal was shot, but there would be other, better deals. And for now, he had Keyne. She was so fucking beautiful, and he needed to be with her.

He dropped to his knees and crawled over her, taking her wrists in hand and planting them on either side of her head. As soon as he touched her, she stilled. She was looking up at him, still all smiles but her eyes had gone glossy and she pressed her wrists against his hands, testing him, testing his strength and his power over her.

Narrowing his eyes, he let the side of his mouth kick up. “You know you’re just delaying the inevitable, right?”

“Counting on it,” was her breathy answer, complete with a tilt of her hips, an invitation.

He kissed her then, a kiss that started out sweet and silly. A nip on her lower lip and a tease of his tongue. It didn’t stay innocent for long, though, not with her willing surrender to him. It didn’t become angry or punishing though, those urges had been extinguished by her sweetness, her goddamn giggles, but it veered toward intense. In that moment he was intensely grateful for her. Thankful she’d come into his life in this way, no matter how fucked-up the circumstances.

The way it had been made possible was out of his control, but what had happened since wasn’t. As far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything to deserve her. As Deja said, he was a wolf. Prided himself on it. But deep down he wasn’t a bad guy. Bored, sure, willing to take up a challenge because just this side of legal was fun. It tested him in a way nothing else did. But Keyne... she took the edge off. Not in a dull way, not in a disappointing, trying-to-tame-him way that would backfire. But when he was with her, it didn’t seem so important anymore to walk the edge of a cliff he could fall off.

He wasn’t bored or edgy, impatient or frustrated. She made him... happy. And fuck if he’d drag her over whatever edge he’d been teetering over. She deserved better than that; solid ground to stand on and he’d give it to her so she could roll around in her giggle fits and ecstasy and not worry about falling over the edge.

He kissed her more, kissed her until she was breathy and strung out, writhing under him because she wanted more, was begging for it.

“Please, Jasper, please.”

Usually he’d make her spell it out, what exact kind of debauchery she wanted, but not today. He ran a thumb over her cheek, a wash of blush following the contact and covering the pale spray of freckles. She was so pretty, and all his.

“All right, sweetheart, don’t fret. I won’t let you down.”

He stood and offered her a hand, her small fingers sliding into his grip. When she got to her feet, he pulled her close with a hand firm at the small of her back, kissed her again, and threaded fingers in her hair. It wasn’t easy to pull away. He’d have to do this in stages because more than anything he wanted to be touching her, letting her sparkle magic smudge all over him like it might polish him up.

He’d never understood how Keyne and Gavin had operated, how they could spend so much time together but never feel like it was too much. Now he did. He couldn’t be childish about it, but goddamn did he want her by his side all the time in everything he did.

But having her in his bed, pressing inside her would do. It would have to. He stripped her slowly, teasing her by doing one button of her shirt, removing a sock and then taking out an earring. Undoing the snap on her jeans before coming back to her shirt. Utter chaos and she laughed at him, trying to guess what he’d go for next.

She was naked too soon, that particular game over, and while he’d normally set on her, liking the contrast between her willing, exposed flesh and his clothed shell, he wanted to do something for her. Something sweet.

“Would you like to undress me?”

Her eyes shone back at him and his heart dropped into his stomach, splashing into a pool of god, what the fuck was that? Adoration? That wasn’t a feeling he was familiar with. Yes, he’d liked the women he’d been with, had been infatuated with some of them, and charmed by others, but that was no measure for what he felt for the pixie in front of him. He adored this girl.

“Yes, please. Master.”

---