Page 60 of Jace's Mate
Anikkastretchedslowly,themovement pulling a soft sigh from her lips.Everything in her body feltgood.No—better than good.She feltglorious.Her muscles ached with the kind of exhaustion that came after something powerful and earned.Her skin tingled in the cool morning air, every nerve alive, every breath drawing in the scent of earth, moss, and something even more intoxicating…
Jace.
She inhaled again, greedily this time.His scent hit her like a drug—pine needles, clean rain, warm fur, and pure, unadulterated male.No cologne had ever come close to this.He smelled the way safetyshouldsmell—powerful, wild, and deeply alluring.
And then she noticed…
They were wrapped around each other.
Her fingers flexed instinctively against his warm skin—his bare,nakedskin.Her arm lay draped across his waist, the tips of her fingers brushing the hard ridges of his abs.Her legs were tangled with his, one of hers hitched high and loose over his thigh.
Correction:His thigh was pressed firmly between hers.
Oh.Ohhell.
Heat exploded low in her belly, and her breath caught as that pressure became more…pointed.
She shifted slightly, intending to pull away—to regain some kind of control over her limbs—but the movement created friction.Delicious, excruciating friction.
That’s when she realized it wasn’t his leg pressing there.
It was something else.
Somethingveryhard.And very, very ready.
She gasped, her eyes flying open—and before she could speak, a low, gravelly voice rumbled against her skin.
“You feel it too?”Jace asked, his tone thick with restrained hunger.
His voice didn’t help.It vibrated through her chest, curling around her spine like warm smoke.Her thoughts scattered.
“I—what—” she stammered, trying to untangle herself without causing more...friction.But the more she moved, the more her skin slid against his, every inch of her now fully aware that there wasn’t a scrap of fabric between them.
“Wait… when did I shift back?”she whispered, panic and heat warring inside her.
Jace’s hand—currently resting low on her hip—slid just slightly, his thumb brushing the sensitive dip near her waist.“About an hour ago,” he murmured.“You were cold.So I shifted, and then you did too.I wrapped us up to keep you warm.”
Anikka tilted her head back to look at him.
His eyes were glowing.Not just bright blue, but lit from within, pulsing with heat and hunger and something else—something fiercely protective.
The intensity of his gaze nearly undid her.She swallowed, heart pounding, breath shallow.She should pull away.Say something witty.Get some space before she did something insane likebeghim to keep touching her.
But instead, she just… stayed.
Her fingers curled slightly against his skin, her body arching instinctively into his warmth.
And for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel like she needed to run.
Shewantedto stay right there.
Without thought, acting on instinct now, she shifted until she was on top of him.They were both still naked and he gripped her hips, holding her still as she straddled his stomach.
“I need to just…touch you.Do you mind?”she asked, her voice raspy with need.
“I’m yours, Anikka,” he told her, his hands sliding up her waist, cupping her breasts.His thumbs caressed her nipples and she grabbed his wrists, stopping the movement.They stilled, staring into each other’s eyes.Then slowly, very slowly, Anikka took one of his thumbs and gently, carefully, rubbed the pad against her nipple.
The sensation was intense.She felt his erection throbbing against her back.The fact that he was so open with his need was compelling.There was no shame in him.Just desire.Could she do the same?
