Looks like Trouble to Me (Bad Boys Need Love, Too #1) Read online

  He withdrew it, and traced a moist trail along her cheek. His fingers pushed into her hair, massaging with slow, sensuous circles, causing her head to roll back and forth on the table, sinuously, sensuously, arching her back.

  “Fucking hell, Zoé. You’re so beautiful.” He brought his lips down and lightly touched hers, grazing her with delicate finesse. “No-one can take you away from me, baby. You’re mine,” he growled. He drew away from her and placed his hand around her throat and jaw, the same way he’d done in her living room.

  This time she wasn’t afraid. Drunk with desire, she felt absorbed into him, transcendent with pleasure, every sensation bringing them closer. They were on a journey together. He was the guide and the trailblazer, she, the, oh, so, willing participant. He slowly drew his fingers down her chest, lightly caressing her belly, brushing the coarse hair between her legs, and making whispery soft touches at her opening. She relaxed her legs wide, inviting him to enter.

  All touch disappeared, leaving her wanting, yearning for more. She undulated on the soft fur, pushing her spine back and forth. His footfalls stepped lightly along the wood, away from her.

  She strained through the soaring music to listen, to sense where he was but the booming bass beat drowned out everything. “You’re still here, Jace, right?”

  “Shhh.” His voice came from a few feet away. “Don’t make me speak right now.”

  His voice sounded so raw, so ragged, touching her in such a deep place, the scarf grew moist with her tears. “Okay,” she said quietly. She tracked his footsteps as they made their way through the space. She listened intently. Is that water? Is he at a kitchen sink?

  His footsteps grew closer. She flinched as cold water fell, drop by drop along her belly and chest. She shivered as a warm, flat, round piece of metal landed on her chest, at her heart. “What is that?”

  “Shhh, baby. It’s something I carry around with me…to make the moment sacred.”

  Sacred? This bad boy is speaking of something sacred? She caught the fragrant scent of a lily as it was draped along her belly and chest. The buttery soft petals rested against her chin, the cool leaves splayed across her ribs. Next, water droplets landed on her skin along the stem, falling like electric rainfall.

  The sound of a match followed, accompanied by a distinct sulfuric smell. The muted thunk of weighted glass landed to the right and left of her ears. Faint light danced at the edges of the cloth covering her eyes accompanied by the smell of beeswax. Candles. He’s lit candles and placed them next to my head. Then, no sound, nothing. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m loving you with my eyes.”

  His voice cracked, making her frown again. “Are you crying?”

  Jace said nothing. Instead, he made his way to the foot of the table, his fingers dancing along the exquisitely tender skin on her inner thighs, the backs of her knees, her ankles.

  Her legs fell open like a butterfly, supported by the cushion. Four fingers pressed into her pubis, while his thumb made lazy strokes along her wet folds.

  She hissed with arousal.

  He withdrew his thumb and tracked around her body.

  Every sense was acutely aware, longing for the next caress.

  Another match lit. Something plunked on the flower and jewelry resting on her sternum. Pinprick spatters landed on her skin, making her jerk. Candle wax! More soft drops fell. More tiny spatters. The hot wax fell continuously on the metal near her heart, rolling off the stem and talisman onto her skin, causing her to jerk. She felt the flower move, and heard a snap. Then, a cool, velvety petal was dragged along her skin, making her skin crawl with pleasure.

  Jace remained quiet as he continued to move around her. He made soft steps until he stood between her legs once more. The sound of a zipper met her ears, fabric rustled, and Jace’s cock slowly pushed into her core. He rested it at her opening, letting his thumb circle her clit. His cock pulsed and throbbed without entering further. His breath caught as he guided his thumb in lazy circles on her swollen bud, the head of his erection poised, thick, waiting.

  She began to slowly wriggle her hips back and forth, silently beckoning him to enter. She felt engulfed by Jace, captured by him, as if he’d become a planet she had to revolve around, or her life would not be complete. She clenched what little bit of cock he’d allowed inside her, yearning, begging for him to enter.

  He placed his palms along her thighs and spread her wide. His hips began to circle, insistently pushing into her willing flesh. When he’d completely filled her, he let out a deep groan of satisfaction. He remained buried inside her, his breath chuffing rhythmically, methodically, hypnotically while his cock twitched and jerked. One hand remained on her thigh as he circled her once again with his thumb.

  She gasped, undulating, acutely aware of the metal on her heart, the delicate sensation of green leaves and feathery soft petals against her throat, the fragrant scent, and Jace circling and pushing and circling and pushing. The music built to a crescendo as if orchestrated. Her climax built like a hurricane.

  He let out one long, loud ecstatic groan, driving inside her, breaching forbidden mysteries and fulfilling unmet longing. Completely enveloped by him, Zoé slid toward ecstatic release. She moaned as he impaled her, compelling her to surrender to him. “Oh, Jesus, Jace. Oh, God. Jace!”

  He echoed her groans, seeming to lose control into his own letting go.

  Her cries became animalistic as the climax built. She wanted to shout to the heavens, calling out holy hosannas as the orgasm tore through her. Instead, crying out simply, “Jace!” her awareness exploded in a million directions like a volcano. “Oh, dear, God.”

  Jace’s body hammered inside her, pounding against her while his fingers dug into her legs. “Fuck!” he roared, as he came inside her. “Oh, fuck!” He stayed inside her, pulsing, soothing her off her high with his hands. “I’m completely, head over heels in love with you, Zoé Dubois. It scares the shit out of me but I may as well own up. I love you, baby.” He said the words like they were a celebration.

  “I love you, too, Jace Savage.”

  “But now…sorry but…” Without giving her a moment to linger in the afterglow, he swiftly withdrew, and began rapidly moving through the space, blowing out the candles, hustling about, turning the music off, returning things to where he got them.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, feeling vulnerable and suddenly cold. The talisman lying on her chest seemed to burn into her skin.

  “Shhh, baby, shhh.” He moved with lightning speed, fabric sliding, zippers, snaps…a din of sounds accompanied his every movement. Next, the jewelry was peeled from the wax marking her skin. Buckles were released from her ankles. “Extend your legs,” he said. He slid her panties up her legs, then her skirt.

  Her hands were released from the bolt, and she was guided up to sitting. Her arms ached from being held in place for so long. She hadn’t even noticed. She lifted them to push the blindfold off but he quickly snatched the cuffs, bringing them in front of her and locking them with a snick.

  He hefted her in his arms. “Arms up and around my neck, baby.”

  She did as she was told. Holding her with one hand, he seemed to be smoothing, patting, putting things back in order with a speed that made her head spin.

  Slow footfalls landed on the steps outside.

  She gasped.

  He cursed and stilled.

  The footsteps made their way overhead, receding into the back of the building.

  Jace tiptoed up the stairs, holding her tight to his chest. “Don’t make a sound, baby. Don’t even breathe.” When they reached the twelfth stair, he paused. He shifted her weight until it was supported by one arm and turned the door handle. A couple soft steps, another door handle and they reached the outside. He moved stealthily, like a panther, padding along the gravel and dirt. He pressed her against cold, solid metal. A door opened. “Arms off my neck, baby. Now.”

  She hoped the seat she landed on was the seat of her Jeep.r />
  He hooked her linked hands around the stick shift.

  “Jace, what’s going on? I can be more help if I can see and move.”

  “Shhh, baby, we need to scoot. I’ll be right back. I had an idea. I need to do something to finish this off.”

  “Wait! Don’t leave me here!”

  “Right back, baby, I promise.” He brought his warm mouth to hers and kissed her before disappearing.

  She heard a huge clanging bang that made her jump, then a whoosh, like cascading water. A few minutes later his pounding footsteps indicated his return. Her door opened. “Where are the keys?”

  “They’re in my pocket.”

  “Which pocket?”

  “This one.” She tipped her head to the side.

  His hands rooted around in her shirt pocket, pulling free the keys. The door slammed next to her and footsteps crunched outside. Jace leapt in the driver’s seat, leaned across to secure the cuffs to the door handle, and fired up the engine, roaring out, tires shrieking against the pavement.

  “Jace, what did we just do? Are you going to release me or what?”

  “One minute, baby.” The tires squealed as he rounded a corner, causing her to slam into the door.

  They careened along the road, finally coming to a screeching stop.

  “That was fantastic,” Jace said, breathing hard.

  “Are you going to release me, stud?” she huffed.

  “Not ever.”

  The words lanced into her, like a binding commitment had been made. “Well, can you at least remove the handcuffs? The scarf? I’d love to see where I am.”

  “We’re back where we started.” His voice sounded gleeful, ecstatic. “Only we’ve changed the inner landscape.”

  “Jace, handcuffs? Scarf?”

  He leaned across her, his big body warm and solid against her. When he’d removed the cuffs, she rubbed her wrists, bringing life back, before lifting the scarf. She blinked in the dawn light. The sun shone brightly along the Grievous Angel, heralding what would surely be a splendid day. She turned her attention to Jace.

  He seemed reborn, his face a triumphant, transcendent wonder, as he gave her the sweetest, most satisfied smile she’d ever seen.

  She returned the smile. “You look different.”

  “So do you. You look even more beautiful.” His smile grew wider.

  “What did we do tonight? Where did we go? Did we break in somewhere?”

  “We changed our lives, baby, that’s what we did. You’re completely mine now.”

  “Come on, that may be, but where did we go?”

  “Seems a water pipe broke somewhere tonight.”

  “What?”

  “I had to do it, baby, I had to.” He gave her a scorching look. “That motherfucker, Billy, tried to take you from me, the same way he did Kate. We slipped into one of his favorite lairs and had a beautiful, sacred experience -- something he could never in a million lifetimes do.”

  She stared at him, unsure what to think. “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy to speak in such a way. What’s the thing you carry around as sacred?”

  His face got serious and he pulled a gold talisman free from his pocket, now covered with beeswax, his eyes regarding her warily. “I got this in New Mexico on assignment once -- same place I got this ring.” He tapped the turquoise, silver and gold ring she’d noticed the first night she met him. “It’s a golden spiral. It combines the golden mean with the Fibonacci spiral. It’s a symbol of the cycles of life…and natural beauty. It keeps me going when shit gets rough. Like you.”

  She nodded, floored by the reverence with which he spoke.

  “He desecrates women, Zoé. He uses them. He tried to use you tonight, I know he did. We transformed one of his fucked up domination and abuse palaces into a place of beautiful surrender, then I took it away from him so he can never use it again. That broken water pipe washed it away. Boy’s got to get a better plumber.” He let out a short laugh. “I had to do that, baby.” His eyes grew moist. “That was the most beautiful fucking experience I’ve ever had in my life. And you’re the one who gave it to me.”

  Chapter 25

  “So, when are you moving to Port Townsend?” Jace lay against the headboard of his king-sized bed, a mess of pillows behind him, Marni tucked into the hollow of his arm, sucking a bottle. The phone lay next to his head.

  She held her bottle with one hand, sucking rhythmically, the other picking at the hairs on Jace’s forearm.

  “Excuse me?” Zoé spluttered on the other end of the phone.

  “With me. When are you moving in with me?”

  “Uh, we didn’t actually discuss it.”

  “So now we’re discussing it. When?” A grin split his face as he pictured her squirming.

  “Jace! I happen to like my house! And, I start school in a couple weeks. It’s my last semester.”

  “You can commute. Think how much you’ll like coming home to me.” He smiled as he listened to her protest. “You’re wet, aren’t you?”

  “Jace!” she said again.

  “Well?”

  “I’m not telling you. And, you’re too far away to check for yourself, so there.”

  “My point exactly. You belong in my arms, under me, with me between your legs, rolling into you like a thunderclap.”

  “Damn it, Jace!”

  “I like the way my name sounds on your lips, baby.” He chuckled softly. “Shouldn’t there be a prize for telling you all my shit?”

  “The prize, stud, is that you got a lot of stuff off your chest, and let me in, and now you don’t have to skulk around hiding. That’s your prize.”

  “What kind of answer is that,” he said, pouting.

  Marni whimpered, wriggling, struggling to keep her eyes open.

  “Hold on, baby, I need to shift Marni.” The bottle empty, he hoisted her onto his stomach, resting her head against his shoulder, so he could pat her back. “That’s it, baby girl. Uncle Jace has got you.”

  “It’s so sweet picturing you taking care of a toddler, Jace.”

  “You wouldn’t say that if you saw my complete and total resistance to diaper changing time. Or 3 a.m. scream time. Or, what the fuck does this mean time. I’m doing my best.”

  “Oh, so you want me there as backup.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it but sounds great. Thanks for offering.”

  She scoffed. “I never in a million years pictured a stud like you soothing a one-year-old.”

  “Yeah, well.” He patted Marni’s back. “Let’s get back to the question at hand. When are you moving in?”

  “I told you I love my house.”

  “More than you love me?”

  “Jace,” she said, exasperated. “Of course I don’t love my house more than I love you.”

  “Okay, then. When are you moving in?”

  “Jace.”

  “Baby. It makes sense. You love me. I love you. I told you my shit. You still love me. Move in with me.”

  “It’s not that easy. You live miles away.”

  “Exactly. We’d kill two birds with one stone.”

  Marni squirmed and whimpered in her drowsy state.

  “Shhh, baby girl, Uncle Jace has got you.”

  “You’re melting me. You don’t really have a baby there, do you? It’s a ploy to evoke sympathy out of me, right?”

  “Is it working?” He chuckled.

  “I’m changing the subject.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll change it back.”

  “Tanya’s pissed at you.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “She thinks you’re too intense.”

  “Yeah, so, she also wants what you’ve got with me. She’s jealous. I saw her looking at us.”

  “She thinks you’re a hothead.”

  “I’m passionate. Passion needs to be felt and expressed. I’m passionate about you. You were scared and angry. I was pissed. So sue me. We got through it. People try to be so PC sometimes.”

  “D
id she and Tony bore you?”

  “No, I wouldn’t say they bored me. I just didn’t find them all that interesting. They’re the kind of people that toe the line. Not my kind of people, baby, sorry.”

  “Tanya’s a good friend.”

  “Keep her. I’m not telling you who to hang out with. If you like her, keep on keeping on.”

  “I want you to like her, too.”

  “Why?” He gently jiggled Marni up and down on his chest. He liked the way she grew completely limp when she fell asleep. She slept the sleep of the innocent, safe and trusting in his arms.

  “Well, because, I just do, that’s why. Shouldn’t we like one another’s friends?”

  “Should we? Baby, you should do whatever you feel the need to do. Same with me. I support your choice of people but I don’t have to make the same choices.” He listened to Marni’s soft breathing and waited for Zoé to respond. “Talk to me. Where’d you go?”

  “I’m still here. Processing what you said.”

  “Now think how cool it will be when you can process over here, in my bed, with my arms around you. Your cogs can spin while I play with your body.”

  She laughed. “Jesus, Jace!”

  “Do you own your home?”

  “Now how do you think I could do that on a bar waitress income, putting myself through school reality? I rent.”

  “Another point in my favor. I own my home. You can save money.”

  “You bought the house you live in?”

  “Well, still paying it off. Neil co-signed for me a year after I started working for him. I’ve got a great place. It sits on a ridge. I can see the water from my front window.”

  “Sounds lovely. I see the street from mine.”

  “Exactly. Who wants to look at a street? I’ll bring the truck over and we can move you in this weekend.”

  “I have a job here. Friends. Friends at work. A life over here. School.”

  “You’re a friendly girl. You’ll make new friends. There are plenty of bars in Port Townsend, believe me. I can call in a favor and get you a new job in a snap.”

  “You’re not listening to me, Jace.” Her voice came out sharp.