Page 49 of Size Doesn't Matter

The lift reached the top floor and the doors slid open. Jack grabbed her wrist in a punishing grip and dragged her behind him as he marched towards the door at the end of the hall. A quick swipe of the room key and they were inside the penthouse. A second later, Sophie found herself pinned against another wall, her wrists secured above her head and her mouth crushed beneath Jack’s, his kiss bruising, punishing.

But then he eased himself away and blew out a long breath, dragged a hand through his tousled hair. “As much as I would love to ravish you right now, we should probably talk some more.” Stepping back, he swept his arm towards the sitting area and the plush, comfortable-looking sofa. “After you.”

Sophie smoothed her hands down her dress, hoping the action hid the way they shook as she walked past Jack, kicked off her shoes, and took a seat. She didn’t feel like talking. She wanted more of his strong hands on her body, more of his hot mouth on her skin. She wanted to feel him inside her again, wanted to hear him moan, wanted him to whisper sweet words in her ear before crying out his pleasure as he wrung orgasm after orgasm out of her.

He sat close beside her. “Come here,” he commanded quietly and patted his thigh. “Just because I want to talk doesn’t mean I want to stop touching you.”

“Oh thank God.” A relieved breath escaped her as she scrambled to sit in his lap, and she couldn’t help the shy smile that spread her lips wide as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t want you to stop touching me either.”

Jack chuckled and slid his palm along the length of her leg, shifting the skirt of her dress higher and higher until he could rest his hand on her bare thigh. “I’m glad it’s not just me,” he said, then began stroking her skin, making her bite her lip to hold in a little hum of appreciation. “It’s not just me, right? Tell me you feel this, too, Sophie. This want, thisneedto be with you.”

His palm was warm against her skin, his strokes smooth and sure, and as she sat there in his lap, she took her time to look at him before answering. Really look at him. Was he the man she remembered from their one night together, or had she twisted everything around in her mind, made him out to be bigger and better than he actually was?

The longer she stared, the more she realised, nope, she hadn’t. Not if dinner was anything to go by. He was still all quiet manners and secret smiles and panty-melting dominance.

Not to mention sexy as fuck.

Unlike Jack’s brother, who knew he was drop-dead gorgeous and unashamedly flaunted it to his advantage, flirting and bantering his way through life, Jack’s appeal was less obvious. More unassuming. Almost stealthy.

She bit back a giggle.Stealthy hotness.

According to several online sources she just happened to glance at in the last couple of weeks—purely coincidentally, of course, and not at all in an obsessively stalkery kind of way—he was still considered to be very handsome, just not as good-looking as his older brother.

As he returned her stare, unflinching in the face of her inspection, she had to disagree.

It wasn’t just his startling blue eyes, or his strong body, or the way his hair flopped over his forehead sometimes, nor was it his expertise in the bedroom, or the many and varied uses he had for his talented tongue. It was the way he carried himself, the way he spoke to those around him, even if he’d only just met them. And the way he’d spoken to her young cousins had been so patient and kind, so… paternal.

Her tummy fluttered and she smiled, nuzzled into the crook of his neck, and kissed his skin. “It’s not just you.”

“Good,” he said, his arm tightening around her, and she could have been mistaken, but he almost sounded relieved. “To be honest, when I crashed the wedding, I thought you’d put up more of a fight.”

Sophie snorted. “To be honest, so did I.”

Jack’s head tilted to one side as he looked down at her and searched her gaze. “Why didn’t you?”

Good question. After a moment she shrugged. “Because I’m tired.”

“Tired?”

“Yes, tired. In the last month, I’ve sold my house, moved interstate, started a new job, found out I’m pregnant,andI’ve had to dodge the paparazzi—who apparently have nothing better to do than call me a gold-digging slut—allwhile trying to deny how much I’ve missed youandshop for an apartment in Sydney in a housing market that can only be described as hostile. Quite frankly, I’m exhausted.” She viciously plucked at the edge of his shirt collar, her irritation palpable as she admitted something to him that she’d barely even acknowledged herself. “I’ve never wanted someone like this before. Neverneededlike this. And I don’t know if I truly feel this way or if it’s hormonal or if it’s residual romantic energy from the wedding…. It’s just—” She screwed up her mouth as she searched for the right word.

“Confusing?” Jack supplied.

“Annoying,” she said, then nodded. Yes, that was the right word. Needing someone so much that it physically hurt when they weren’t right there with you wasveryannoying. She gritted her teeth. “I don’t like needing people.” It felt a lot like weakness.

“Neither do I,” he said, another small smile tugging at his mouth. “But I meant what I said earlier, Sophie. I have missed you so fucking much. And I know how crazy that sounds, I know we barely know each other, but it’s true. I missed you.”

Curiosity got the better of her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze as she quietly asked, “What did you miss?”

This time he let his smile bloom and spread wide, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. Hooking his knuckle under her chin, he lifted her face higher and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “I missed your sass. I missed your big belly laughs and your little giggles. I missed the sound of my name on your tongue when I made you come all over my dick.” She sucked down an excited little gasp at his crude remark. Jack laughed and stroked her heated cheek. “And I missed making you blush.” The hand still under her skirt slid higher up her thigh, his fingertips brushing against her panties. “I missed falling asleep with you in my arms and your legs tangled with mine, and I missed waking up beside you, making plans with you—” His gaze flicked to her belly and back. “—a future with you.” He snorted. “Like I said, crazy.”

An overwhelming need to kiss the man tore through Sophie, and she plastered her mouth to his, slammed their lips together and took what she wanted, what she needed from him. It only took Jack a second to respond to her assault, to take control, push her down on the sofa, and pin her hands above her head.

It felt good being spread out beneath him again, feeling the weight of his powerful body pressing her into the plush sofa cushions as he plundered her mouth and kissed the ever-loving life out of her. But then he pulled away, panting hard and shaking his head.

“There’s one more thing we need to discuss before we take this any further. Something I should have asked you earlier.” He pressed his forehead to hers and she heard him audibly swallow before lifting his head and staring into her eyes, his gaze uncertain. Almost fearful. “Do you even want this baby?”

Sophie stared at Jack like he’d just asked her the most important and at the same time the most ridiculously stupid question in the world, and the answer hit her so hard and fast that she couldn’t help but blurt it out. “Yes!”

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