Page 41 of Jacob

Suddenly, there was a glint of humor, like light glancing off a sword. “God, no. I have a reputation as the Antichrist to uphold.”

Alex sputtered out a laugh, realizing how hard it must be to maintain that façade of deep unshakable power, uncrackable and unbreakable.

Jacob smiled and—there he was! All of a sudden, she saw him. Jake. Saw the boy she once knew so well. The boy she had loved, though she’d been too young to recognize it, but it had been love. Everyone had shunned him, mainly because they feared him, but she hadn’t been afraid of him, not ever, not for one second. Though she’d felt protected by him, she hadn’t realized how deep the feeling went. He was just Jake. Always around, always willing to help.

Her father, bless him, had been a wonderful man but not practical and not muscular. Jake had been both practical and muscular. So whenever there was a need for something heavy to be shifted, or something to be fixed, Jake always volunteered, was always there. He seemed to instinctively have what the Hetherings lacked—an understanding of how the physical world worked. He shoveled their snow, tuned the car, cleaned out the basement and the grouts and even fixed the roof. He did everything fast and well and clearly was more than willing to repay them for having him over so often by doing chores.

She’d been so used to having him around. It had been like having a force field around her. She’d only realized what he meant to her when he left. She’d felt so bereft, alone and scared.

And here she was. Scared again. But not alone.

She had Jake.

They stilled, both of them.

She was still half lying on him, both hands on his pectorals. His chest was so massive. She could feel the hard muscles through the silk, the wiry chest hairs. Feel his heart beat, strong and steady. She’d never felt a male body like this, a sculpture made of marble, but warm and breathing.

He lifted his head, eyes fixed on her. He drew closer, watching her every inch of the way. Maybe wondering whether she’d object to his kiss?

Foolish man.

She wound her arms against his neck and bent down to him. It was awkward, she kissed the side of his mouth, but that was soon rectified. He brought his hands to her head and steadied her and yes, their mouths aligned and it was a real kiss.

Oh, God. Hot and wet, his tongue deep in her mouth, it was the best kiss she’d ever had. Even better than the last one eighteen years ago that had jump started her hormones.

Her mind blanked and she became just skin, feeling his skin. Mouth, tasting his mouth.

Without breaking the kiss, Jacob turned them over together until he was on top of her, kissing her so hard it felt like her mouth would melt into his. His heavy weight pinned her to the mattress and it anchored her. She smoothed her hands over the heavy planes of his back, feeling the muscles working as he shifted to get a better, deeper taste of her.

She dug her fingers into the muscles of his back but could barely find purchase. He was like steel. Hot steel.

The kiss went on and on. She lost all awareness of time, of where she was. All she knew was that she was on a bed, with a low humming in the background and Jacob hovering over her. Her entire horizon was filled with Jacob. All she could see, in the few moments she could open her heavy eyelids, was Jacob. He filled her entire world, the only reality she could perceive.

Her skin was supercharged, one huge erogenous zone from the top of her head to her toes. The entire front of her body was touching Jacob, her nipples tingling and hard. Her stomach was against his and she could feel clearly the cut abs, hard and strong even through the heavy silk of his pajama top.

And she could clearly feel his penis, like a warm steel pipe, against her belly. It—it was alive. Moving and somehow becoming longer and thicker the longer they kissed.

Jacob’s mouth left hers, and before she could mourn the loss, he was running his lips and tongue over her jawbone, up to her ear, then back. He ran his mouth over her neck, tongue along the vein. Surely he could feel how hard her blood was pumping? And then he nipped her, just a brief bite that didn’t hurt but that marked her as his. It was exactly the nip a stallion would give to his mare.

Mine.

She felt it down to her toes, goose bumps arising along her arms. He nipped again, his breath making a whooshing sound out of his lungs.

And just like that, that dreamy feeling of melting into his kiss became desire, red-hot and sharp. Unlike anything she had ever felt before

And heat, all over. Like an oven had been turned on inside her. Not just her sex was hot, but her entire body, from head to toe.

His mouth roamed over her face and she stretched her neck to give him more access because,ohmygod, all those stories about the neck being an erogenous zone were true! Running his tongue over her neck made her break out in goosebumps. She shivered and he whispered, “Alex.”

“Right here,” she whispered back and then she couldn’t say anything else because his mouth found hers again and the kisses became deeper than before. She jolted a little every time his tongue touched hers.

His fingers opened the buttons of her pajama tops and he folded the two parts open. He lifted his head to look at her naked chest and made a noise deep in his throat. A little like a lion purring.

He stared at her breasts, features tight. A big hand came up, cupped her, his thumb circling her nipple. She shivered.

His gaze came up and he looked into her eyes. “I dreamed of this. You have no idea how many times I dreamed of this. This is even better than I imagined.”

Alex didn’t have any words, all she had was the hot breath that escaped her lungs. She was burning up inside.

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