Page 69 of Jace

And she was finally ready.

29

Jace

Jace slammed his palm on the door sensor with Susannah still cradled in his arms.

It opened at last, revealing their home.

It might be modest, even by the standards of a soldier living on an Invicta cruiser, but to Jace in that moment, it was more incredible than the most intricate Ardoovian palace.

“Jace,” Susannah breathed into his neck.

Every cell in his body came to attention and a shiver of hot need went down his spine.

“I’m sorry I was scared before,” she continued. “I didn’t know, couldn’t have imagined how strong you were.”

“I thought your necklace broke the curse,” he suggested.

“It’s both,” she admitted.

“I don’t care why,” he told her roughly. “I’m just glad you said yes.”

He carried her to the bedroom and placed her gently on her feet.

She gazed up at him with an expression of wonder, her eyes luminous with love and need.

“We don’t have to rush this,” he told her, holding back the raging dragon and his own wild lust.

Instead of answering, she moved her hand to her own collar and stroked her fingers down, releasing the slide front of her dress and allowing it to fall from her shoulders and pool at her feet.

He feasted his eyes on her tender flesh, the curve of her shoulders, her breasts encased in lace, the shadow of her belly button and the flare of her hips.

“Your turn,” she whispered teasingly.

He kicked off his boots and suddenly he felt as nervous as a young dragonet.

Hands shaking, he untied his leather armor, letting it fall.

“More,” he told her.

She reached behind her back and released the lace that covered her breasts, then shimmied out of her undergarments.

“More,” she echoed.

He stripped faster now, desperate to touch her.

At last, they stood before each other naked, nothing between them but the air, which shivered with the electric pull of their bond.

“Bed,” he growled. “Now.”

She climbed in quickly, as if she couldn’t be there fast enough, as if they didn’t have days to devour each other.

He crawled in after her just as quickly, caging her in his arms, pressing his mouth to her smiling lips.

She tasted like heaven, sweet and warm, parting her lips when he thumbed desperately at her jaw.

But the sinuous movement of her velvet tongue against his drove him quickly toward madness, so he pulled back and nuzzled her neck.

---