“Yep. Dude, you have to know how big you look layingthere.”
“Baby, I’m big everywhere, not just lying here with you. Now get that sexy arse of yours down here and nestled against me.” He wiggles his perfect eyebrows. Should men have eyebrows that well shaped? I arch my own eyebrowathim.
“You think very highly of yourself there, Mr C,” I say and lower myself onto the edge of the couch. Jay has pushed himself all the way back into the cushions to make space for me. Damn, I need a bigger couch. Jay wraps a tattooed arm around me and pulls me close, his head up on the arm of the couch so he can see the TV over my head. I rest my head on his bicep, and what a bicep it is. Hard yet soft. His skin is warm against my cheek. His left arm is clear of any tattoos, and I can’t help but wonder if he would get a second sleeve done one day. I need to ask. I slide my palm over the inside of hisforearm.
“Do you think you’ll get another sleeveadded?”
“Maybe one day. I’m in no rush to cover every part of me. I like my tattoos to having meaning. Like my right arm. The art explains me andmypast.”
“Tell me,” I say. I snuggle in closer to his body. I know we’re going slow, but if you could see this man, you would want to get as close to his body as much as me. His arm tightens around me, the movie on the TVforgotten.
“The warrior woman on the top is to remind me that women hold all the power in life. They can heal a man and crush him. The smoke around her is related to the fire that killed my parents. I have the castle surrounded by trees, each tree is someone in my heart.” I turn over his arm and stare at the design there. There are three trees and three crosses. The tattoos all blend together in a work of art. Dex did awickedjob.
“Three trees and three crosses. Who are they for? I get that a tree is for Dex, and maybe Addy. And the two crosses are for your parents, but thelastone...”
“Yeah, babe. Two trees are for Dex and Addy, the third is for Liam. I think you have met him at Castle Ink. Him and his girl, Penny, they have three kids now. Two crosses are for my parents, the third…” He takes a deep breath. I turn over to face him. The pain shines through his eyes. Oh God, did he lose agirlfriend?
“The third cross is forFiona.”
“Fiona?”
“Yeah, she was Dex’s wife before she died. She was in an accident. Dex took it hard, as anyone would, but it was Addy that took the brunt of his grief and anger. But they’re fine now, as you have seen. Plus, if Dex hurts Addy now, she will cut his balls off.” We both laugh but I can see the pain in his eyes. I reach my hand up to cup his face, his stubble tickling my palm. I bet that would feel amazing against mythighs.
Oh my God, Cassie.How can I think those things when he just told me about Dex’s wife’s death? Oh my God, I am going to burn in The Underworld for all eternity. I press my head into Jay’s hard chest and breath him in, forcing the naughty thoughts out of my head. He has my head spinning in so many directions I don’t know whether I’m coming orgoing.
“ComingIhope.”
“Damn it,” I mutter. I really need to stop speaking my thoughtsoutloud.
“Every time.” His chest moves with his laughter. I lean my upper body back and slap his chest before snuggling back in and taking a deep breath of the all good-smelling ‘Jay-fume’.
“Sorry. This past week has made my head spin. I want to go slow with you, but I want to go fast at the same time. You make my body tingle from head to foot, Jay. I’m scared of how you make me feel. I’ve been hurt before, and I don’t think I will come back from it if I get hurtagain.”
“I would never hurt you, Kitten. I’ve been hurt as well, so I know howyoufeel.”
“I doubt it,” I mutter against hischest.
“So much for us not going deep tonight.” He chuckles as he slides his hand up and down my back, soothing me. God, I could stay hereforever.
“I thought you wanted to go deep,” I let slip before I can stop it. I cringe at my words. See, this is what this man does to me. Jay bellows out a laugh, his whole body shaking with the action. His laugh is amazing; deep and rich like melted chocolate. It slides over me and makes me tingle again. I swear I am going to be living in damp knickers with this man around. I pull my head back again because I need to see him laugh, I need to see the smile on his face. His smile lights up his whole face. His perfect, straight white teeth wink at me from inside his perfectmouth.
Damn, does this man have any flaws? He lifts the arm that’s wrapped around me and places it on his stomach, trying to ease the muscles that are tightening. I want to feel his abs. Touch his bare skin. I start to laugh with him, the sound bouncing around the room. We laugh for God knows how long. Jay starts to speak but cuts off his words by laughingagain.
“Oh fuck,” he laughs out. “Kitten.” He says my nickname between gasps of air he’s trying to pull into his lungs. “Fucking hell, woman, are you trying to kill me before I get balls deep insideofyou?”
My laughter dies in my throat and I start coughing. I fall off the couch, which just starts off Jay’s laughing again. He literally has tears streaming down his face, and he still manages to look sexy as sin. Damn it. Sounfair.
“You bastard,” I gasp out. “You could help me up you know,” I rebuke. He breathes in a few deep breaths before he speaks, and I just lay on the floor waiting for him. Why the hell am I not getting upmyself?
“Okay, hold up.” He swings his legs over the front of the couch so he’s in a sitting position. He grips the bottom of his t-shirt and lifts it to wipe his face dry. Oh, good Lord of Ultron. From where I’m lying, I can see his stomach, and even though he’s bending over, it still looks tight and tanned. How can he be that tanned living in Bell Harbour? Hell, living in the UK. My face flushes from seeing the tanned skin he’s hiding under his clothes. I can only imagine how it would feel under my fingertips, but hopefully I will get to feel it soon. A girl can dream,right?
“Okay, let’s start with this.” Jay bends forward and hooks his hands under my armpits and lifts me onto his lap, so I’m effectively straddling him. Our gazes lock, our laughter stopped. The room becomes quiet around us. The air crackles with sexual tension. Sexual tension that can’t be ignored anymore, but I think, deep down, we both we need to take this slow. Jay doesn’t know about Dale, and I don’t know about his past. We need to get all that messy fog out of the way if we intend to build arelationship.
I lift my right hand and run it slowly through Jay’s hair. It’s longer on top, with the sides and back shorter. He has this messy style going on, the one where he can climb out of bed, run his fingers through it a few times and viola, done. Supermodel slash superhero status. His hands tighten on my arse, pulling me towards his pelvis, where his thick - and hard, I might add - dick is straining against his jeans. Poor man, I’ve heard all about how painful blue balls can be. Chris used to bitch all the time, before he found that stupid dating app thingy. Now all he does is meet up with random guys and hook up. I tell him all the time it’s dangerous, but he’s a strapping lad, he can take care ofhimself.
My left hand slides over Jay’s chest, feeling the hard muscles under his t-shirt. I graze my hand down and find his pierced nipple. Jay groans and his grip on me tightens. I smile at him and his eyes darken. Lust stares back at me, and my knickers all but explode in my jammerbottoms.
“Baby, I swear you to need to stop or I’m going to be balls deep inside you before we’re both ready for it. You can feel how badly I want you.” He squeezes his eyes closed and lays his head back against the couch. His neck muscles pull tight from the movement, making me want to run my tongue over his skin. So, I do just that. I lean in and slowly run my tongue from the base of his throat to his jaw. His taste settles in my mouth, branding me with his flavour. He groans and his fingers flex against my bum. My heart beats rapidly at seeing the affect I’m havingonhim.