Page 122 of Fire and Ice

They were in front of the fire place, just kissing and touching each other in between sips of wine. Maia was curled up against Jack, sitting on a soft, plush rug, and leaning against the edge of a love seat.

Maia noticed, however, that Jack was slightly withdrawn, as if he was in deep reflection.

"Anything wrong, Jack?" Maia asked.

Jack shook his head and sighed. "The holidays usually remind me of what my family had lost. Seeing my sister's friends reminds me of Anna; thinking of Anna reminds me of Claire."

Maia felt a twinge in her chest that felt like physical pain. Trying to keep her face passive, she said, "Tell me about Anna."

"She was the life of the family," Jack said fondly. "She and Stephanie always got into the worse scrapes. I had to bail them out all the time: pick them up when they were out partying too late and cover for them when they ended up drinking too much. I did lecture them about underage drinking—I never condoned it. But sometimes they needed to learn their lesson so I let them puke their guts out to feel the pain."

Maia started laughing. "I see where all this overprotectiveness comes from."

Jack quirked a brow at her. "Yeah, you could say that. Anyway, Anna was wild in high school and gave me a headache keeping her in line—besides I was only three years older than her. My Dad spoiled her shamelessly, and so did Mom—someone had to be the parent. Thankfully, Anna had calmed down when she went to college, about the same time I joined the SEALs. She turned out to be the sweetest girl, believe it or not. She and Claire got along so well."

Realizing the insensitivity of his last statement, Jack looked instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, Maia," he whispered.

"Tell me abouther," Maia said softly.

Jack hesitated, Maia squeezed his hand. "Claire had an aura about her. She wasn't even my type, but she just drew me to her like a moth to a flame—clichéd as that sounds. She was an event planner. I met her when Mom was planning an elaborate homecoming to welcome me home after an extended deployment. She was a strong woman; she took my deployments well, except that one time when my SEAL team took a big hit and one of my buddies didn't make it and I ended up in the hospital for two weeks. She freaked out—everyone in my family did. I loved her so much I didn't want to put her through the constant worry, so I quit the SEALs. Little did I know that my ex-job was going to haunt us and cause her death. Hers and Anna's."

"Jack, don't."

"Babe, it took a while, but I've accepted that their deaths were not on me. It was on those assholes with the Colombian drug cartel. And vengeance became ours eventually to the families that they had dared fuck with. That chapter is closed," he stated firmly. "But the scars are lasting. Two women that meant a lot to me—I couldn't protect. Fucking nearly lost my Mom too."

He curled his arms around Maia and hugged her tight. "I know I drive you crazy sometimes, but I can't help it. It's my nature to want to protect—with you it just goes into overdrive."

Maia started doubting if her relationship with Jack had a future. He had wanted a quiet life with Claire, and that was why he had resigned from the SEALs. He was not getting that from her. Maia knew for certain she would not be happy doing anything Jack considered "safe". That was not the life Viktor had prepared her for. It was going to be Mike Callahan all over. Sure, the sex was fantastic, but was that enough?

"Babe, I see the wheels turning in your head," Jack's voice broke through her thoughts. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm not what you want." The words came out strangled because a lump had formed in Maia's throat.

Jack's brows drew together in a frown. "What the fuck, Maia?"

She cleared her throat and sipped on her wine before continuing, "I'm not what you want. You want a quiet life. The white picket fence. The woman who's safe at home. That's what you want."

Jack looked at her steadily, his expression inscrutable. "You're right," he said, and Maia felt her heart break a little. "That's what I want. I want to take care of my woman, I want that quiet life." Jack leaned closer and cupped Maia's face gently with one hand, using his thumb to tip her chin up to him. "Babe, that's what I want, but you are what I need."

Jack brushed her lips and gave her a gentle kiss. He drew away slightly and said, "You're wrong about the white picket fence, though." Jack swallowed Maia's laughter with a teasing kiss while pulling the zipper down the back of her dress. "Done talking," he murmured thickly against her lips.

He pulled her dress off and lay her down on the soft rug in front of the fire place. She was wearing the black corset bustier that Jack had bought her. "Jesus," he muttered as his eyes drank up her scantilly-clad form. This time his kisses were more devouring and urgent, his body pushing her heavily into the rug. After a while, he angled their bodies so he could reach behind her and deftly released the ties of the corset to free her from its constraints. Her breasts sprang free as he tugged the undergarment off. He pushed up on his arms to look at her, his eyes darkening with lust as his eyes poured over her breasts and then he sat back on his feet and pulled off his sweater and shirt. Never taking his eyes off her, he began unbuckling the fastenings of his pants and dragged them off together with his boxer briefs.

Jack was before her in all his lean-muscled nakedness, his huge erection as hard as the rest of him, a body made for sex. Maia's heart was hammering at her chest almost painfully. His predatory gaze was raking over her with animalistic hunger.

He covered her body with his own, taking her lips again with plundering intent before lowering slowly to her breasts to pay homage to each peak. He lightly bit each nipple before sucking it into the warmth of his mouth.

"Jack," Maia pleaded not sure if she could take such slow torture. She wanted him in the heat between her right then!

"Quiet!" Jack ordered as he lowered his lips to lick at her navel. She shuddered in anticipation of his intended target.

"Jack....please..."

"I said, quiet Maia," Jack repeated and stopped his exploration to prove his point.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally felt his tongue prodding her there. First he licked her through her underwear. Then he nudged the sliver of silk aside to move one finger in and out while licking and sucking her swollen bud. He withdrew his finger and yanked the lacy black panties from her and threw her legs over his shoulders for an all out assault on her throbbing core. The minute his tongue hit her center, she blew apart in her most explosive orgasm yet. He emitted a guttural sound as he fastened his lips on her nub tighter and sucked as she shuddered in wave after wave of raw ecstasy.

"Yes! Don't stop! Don't stop! Jack ..." Maia sobbed in abandon. God, she couldn't breathe. She didn't know whether to push or to pull on his head.

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