Page 24 of Stranded with the Kraken
“Okay.” I peel myself away from his chest and let out a long sigh. “That’s some smart advice, Jasper.”
He hands me a glass of water. “Wisdom comes with age.”
I swallow the pill and stare at him. “Wait, how old are you?”
He gives me a comical eyebrow waggle. “Would you still want me if I said two hundred?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Ye-es,” I drawl. “But are you really?”
“How about a thousand?” he teases.
I smack his chest lightly with the back of my hand. “No way are you a thousand years old. Tell me.”
He leans down for a quick kiss. “I’m thirty-six, sweetheart. Not a cradle robber.”
I press the back of my hand to my forehead, swooning dramatically. “Oh no, I’ve fallen for an older man!”
He narrows his eyes at me. “How old are you?”
I grin. “Thirty-one.”
“Brat.”
Jasper catches me around the waist and throws me over his shoulder. He carries me to the bathroom, where we brush our teeth side by side, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world to be standing next to him, our hips touching, our gazes locking in the mirror. We return to the cozy living room, and I’m about to suggest another round of poker, but I have to stop, covering a yawn with my hand.
“That’s it,” Jasper says. “I’m calling it. Christmas Eve is over.”
I want to protest, but the thought of curling up under the blankets on the living room floor is too tempting. Besides, I don’t think my body can take another orgasm tonight. The soft ache between my legs tells me how well I’ve been fucked, and I squeeze my thighs together at the thought, my pussy clenching around emptiness.
I kneel next to Jasper, who’s already stripped down to his boxers, the blanket pooling around his waist. Despite his body heat, I decide to keep my wool socks on. They’re way too comfortable, and I fully intend to steal them from Jasper. He wraps his arm around me, pulling me against his chest, and I wiggle my ass, settling in.
“You have to stop,” Jasper groans, his breath warming the back of my neck.
“What?” I ask innocently, even as I grin into my pillow.
“You smell fucking edible.” He licks the spot where my neck meets my shoulder and grazes his teeth gently over the spot. “But you need sleep, so I’ll try to hold back. At least for a couple of hours.”
I shift in his arms so I’m facing him. “Is that your heat talking?” I press my hand to the middle of his naked chest. “The constant need to fuck me, I mean.”
He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. “No. I’d want you even without it. You’re gorgeous, and sex with you is incredible. The heat just makes everything more urgent, more intense.” His eyes dip down between us. “Does it bother you?”
I think about it for a moment. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, I told you I like how crazy you are for me. I just don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of you or something.” I stroke a thumb over his cheek, down to the corner of his mouth, marveling at how handsome he is. “I’m just worried it’s like you’ve been roofied by fate or something, and I shouldn’t be fucking you until you’re of sound mind again.”
His gaze gets serious at that, and he cups both my cheeks with his palms. He holds me still for a long moment, searching my face. Then he presses a quick, demanding kiss to my lips.
“The moment I touched you, everything became crystal clear,” he rasps. “I felt as if the fog I’ve been living in had lifted. There’s no confusion, Arielle, and I haven’t been drugged. My body just knows that you’re the most perfect being on earth for me, and it’s making sure I procreate quickly. That’s it.”
I smile at his word choice and hook my leg over his thighs. “Procreate, huh?”
He groans. “Arielle…”
I dig my fingers into his chest, ready to tell him that I’m not that tired after all. There are things that we could do that don’t involve him putting his monster cock in my pussy, though that seems like a shame.
“We can—”
A massive thump on the roof cuts my words short. I look up with a gasp, flipping to my back, which is a stupid thing to do if the roof is about to collapse on us. Jasper, on the other hand, rolls on top of me in a flash, shielding me with his body. I stare up at his hazel eyes in shock, and the first, idiotic thought that pops into my mind isSanta?
“What the fuck was that?” I blurt, scrambling to get up and also glad Jasper can’t read my thoughts.
