Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
"You’re so wet already," I say, voice dropping into that playful dirty register I know she’s fond of. I’ve always been a talker in bed. It’s part of the fun. "Is this for me, Sadie? Did kissing me get you this worked up?"
She nods, biting her lip, and I grin against the soft skin of her inner thigh. "Good girl. Let me take care of you."
I don’t rush. I kiss and lick and tease, learning what makes her breath hitch and her hips lift. When I finally drag my tongue through her wetness she moans, soft and sweet, and her hands fist in the sheets. I take my time, sucking her clit into my mouth. I slide one finger inside her, and then another as I finger fuck her. I curl my fingers, hitting that spot deep inside her.
"Fuck, you taste incredible," I tell her between strokes, because it’s true and because I want her to hear it. "So sweet and perfect. I could stay down here all afternoon. You’re so responsive. Every little sound you make goes straight to my cock."
She’s close already. I can feel it in the way her thighs tremble around my head, in the way she starts rocking against my face. I add another finger, fucking her slowly with them while I suck harder on her clit, and she cries out my name like it’s the only word she remembers.
"Come for me, Sadie," I say against her, the words vibrating through her. "I want to feel you come on my tongue. Let go, baby. I’ve got you."
She does. Her whole body tightens, back arching off the bed, as she screams out my name. It’s music to my ears. I keep going, making sure her orgasm doesn’t end too soon.
She’s still catching her breath when she reaches between us, her hand brushing over the hard line of my cock through my jeans. "Jace... let me. I want to."
I catch her wrist gently and bring her hand up to my chest instead. "No. Not today."
She looks at me, confused and a little hurt, and I shake my head, pressing a kiss to her palm. "I want to hold you all afternoon. That’s all I need right now. You. Here. Like this."
We rearrange on the bed, her head on my chest, one leg thrown over mine. The sheets are cool against our skin where we’re not touching. Late afternoon light slants through the windows, turning everything gold and soft. Outside, the ocean keeps its steady rhythm, waves rolling in and out, completely unaware that everything inside me has changed.
But it has. My father’s alive. He’s here. And the questions are already gathering in my mind, the first rumble of a storm I can’t stop. Why did he disappear? Why’s he using a different name? What the hell has he been doing for the last few years while my brothers and I tore apart every lead we had? The relief of seeing him is already twisting into something darker. Anger. Confusion. The sick feeling that whatever he’s into might be worse than we thought.
Sadie traces idle patterns on my chest with her fingertips. She doesn’t push for more. She stays close, warm and solid and real in a way nothing else feels right now. I tighten my arm around her as my mind spins.
There’s one person who might know what’s going on. One person who might have answers or at least a piece of the puzzle. The one woman who told Mack to not pursue this.
My mother.
She left Texas years ago after my father died (well now we know he faked it). Packed up and moved to a small coastal town not even two hours from here. We haven’t spoken much since we started searching. She might know something. Dad always kept secrets, even from her, but maybe something slipped. Maybe she’s heard rumors or seen something that didn’t make sense at the time.
It’s late afternoon when we finally emerge from the bedroom. Sadie’s pulled on one of my shirts, the hem hitting mid-thigh, and I’m still in my jeans, shirt still off because the house is warm and I catch her looking at me more than once, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. We stand in the kitchen while I make us both glasses of water. She leans against the counter, watching me with those serious eyes that see too much.
I set her glass down and meet her gaze. "I need to go see my mother. She doesn’t live far from here. Left Texas years ago and settled in a small town up the coast. Not even two hours away."
Sadie nods without hesitation. "Okay."
Just like that. No questions about why now, no hesitation about being left alone or about the danger. She accepts it and offers that quiet support that reaches places I’ve kept guarded for years. Because I’m already in too deep with her. The kiss, the way I went down on her as if I needed it more than air, the way I’m standing here wanting to pull her back into bed instead of dealing with my family mess.