Page 33 of Because You're Mine

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Six weeks later

Jay paced the pool deck from end to end, going over all of his reasons for confining Allie. The risk to her was too great if she were allowed the freedom to resume the things she enjoyed. Because the things Allie enjoyed tended to mean throwing herself headfirst into situations that could too easily get her into trouble. But that was part of what made Allie who she was. The woman he loved.

Jay had been pacing indoors, but the confining space had caused his claustrophobia to well up too close to the surface. He’d thrown the French doors open and resumed his brooding outdoors, under the amused speculation of his security team.

“I should’ve gone with her,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

But she hadn’t wanted him to. She’d asked him to stay home and wait for her. To trust her to know what she was doing. Fuck that. The second she walked in the door, he was chaining her to their bed, imprinting himself on every inch of her body and never letting her leave his side again.

Jay decided that was a perfectly reasonable action to take for a guy that, six weeks ago, nearly lost the woman who owned his soul. It just went to show how much she fucked with his head that he was willing to let her out of his sight today. He had other motivations though. Unfinished business. Hershel’s victims, the ones still living, and the families of the dead had finished with him. Jay had painstakingly researched and found them, then given Hershel over to them with the promise that they could do what they wanted with him as long as he still lived. Jay got the pleasure of finishing what was left of him. Today, they had delivered on that promise.

Jay checked his phone impatiently and swore. She should be home by now. He checked with security.

“The car’s at the gate, boss,” he was informed immediately. Was that a note of amusement? If so, then they would be having a conversation. Tomorrow. Today was for Allie and wiping away the filth of his morning. He didn’t care if he showed impatience and eagerness to be with the woman he loved. She was his world and the rest of the planet could fuck right off.

“When she comes out here, eyes off,” he growled into his phone before hanging up.

Thirty seconds later he heard the front door slam and the tap tap of her shoes as she wandered through the house. She headed right out the back door and onto the patio, shading her eyes with her hand. She didn’t see him at first and he didn't call to her, instead drinking in her easy beauty in a sleeveless light blue summer dress with gold and red splashes along the hem that hugged her curves. She had a cardigan over her elbow that she’d been wearing earlier and sandals with low heels on her feet. She wore her long hair swept back in a loose ponytail with curls cascading down her back.

When she caught sight of him, she grinned, dumped her purse on the pool tiles and launched herself into his arms. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground while she held onto his shoulders and laughed as she went unexpectedly airborne. He cupped the back of her head and pressed her head into his neck, burying his face in her hair and drawing her scent into his lungs as though he hadn’t touched her in years.

Gently, he lowered her back onto her feet and kissed her lips, cheeks and chin. She laughed and kissed him back. He knew they were acting like their separation had been much longer than just a few hours, but in reality they hadn’t been out of each other’s sight since her kidnapping. The separation had been wrenching for both of them, though they knew it was necessary for a healthy relationship.

“Tell me you hated every moment and never want to go back,” Jay demanded, taking her hand and pulling her down onto one of the wide couches in the shade of the patio terrace.

Allie laughed. “I loved every moment, Jay. It was amazing! I don't know what changed your mind, but you can’t know how much going back to work means to me. Even if sending five bodyguards was a little bit overkill.”

Jay felt pain bloom in his chest and took her hand in his. Turning it over, he kissed her palm. “I should never have taken that from you. I was being selfish. When I saw you in that little office on the Zheng He pointing that gun at me, ready to take down anyone threatening you, I realized how much of a fighter you are. Fuck, baby, you’ve fought me beautifully every step of the way and I just never saw it properly. I only saw the possibility of you getting hurt if I let you go.”

She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. “You just wanted to keep me safe,” she said softly.

“I’m the one that put you in danger,” he growled, his voice hard. His fingers stiffened around hers as they remembered the way she was taken and her rough recovery after, the concussion and the nightmares.

She shook her head. “Hershel did that.”

“I trusted him.”

Allie wiggled closer to him until she was sitting in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and pressed her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat steadily. It comforted her to hear proof that the man that she loved more than her own life was here with her.

“You can’t beat yourself up, Jay. You trusted a boy with a childhood that was similar to yours. Only his shaped him into a different kind of man than you. I’m assuming you would have done a thorough background check on him, like any of your men. He was a great actor, nothing about him sent up any red flags for me either and I’m trained to see manipulation and lies from a mile away. He was a master!”

Jay nodded thoughtfully. She continued, “You also chose to trust the guys that came and helped to get me back. You trusted Greg who’s been watching over me like some kind of psycho mother hen from the moment I got back. And you trusted Feng to help break down Li Wei’s organization from the inside. You managed all this without any bloodshed.”

Jay didn’t think it would be prudent to mention Hershel’s fate at this point, which most definitely included plenty of bloodshed.

“My mom chose to trust that little boy that climbed in through a hotel window to save her life. If she hadn’t done that, then neither of us would be here,” Allie whispered.

Jay’s arms tightened around her and he nuzzled her hair with his nose. She shifted on his lap, wiggling her delicious ass all over his cock. He groaned and gripped her hips tightly, guiding himself against her.

“If you’re determined to stay mad at yourself, then I’m just going to have to work on cheering you up,” she said breathlessly, turning around on his lap and sliding down his body.

“Fuck, Allie,” he groaned, seeing where she was headed. “I thought I told you, no more this week.”

After she was recovered enough to resume a sexual relationship she’d been obsessed with giving him blowjobs for some reason. Not that he was complaining, but it drove him insane. He never lasted very long once her gorgeous lips wrapped around his cock. She’d been shy and hesitant at first, but then, as she gained confidence, she pretty much blew him to the edge of insanity. He usually returned the favour, but he could only orgasm so many times compared to her and he didn’t particularly enjoy being at a disadvantage.

She slid down his body and off the edge of the couch until she was kneeling at his feet between his spread knees. She reached for the zipper on his jeans, but he caught her hand in his and raised an eyebrow at her. She bit her lip and batted her long, silky dark eyelashes at him. He was fucked.

---