Breathe [Running to Love 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (11 page)

She gave him that smile, the one he wanted her to reserve only for him, begrudging even a millimeter of it spilling over onto anyone in close proximity. “That would be great, sweetheart.”

Jace preened in the face of the endearment and then looked around cautiously. No one seemed to notice his less than manly reaction, and he realized how little it mattered if they had. He smiled back at Rowan, and they finished their meal in comfortable silence after making arrangements for leaving town on the Saturday morning.

* * * *

The drive back to the city involved a lot of handholding and Jace pretending really hard that Rowan’s choice in music was something he could come to live with. He suspected that she in turn didn’t care for country and also compromised. It made him happy to think that they were acting like a real couple, or at least some version of what he hoped a real couple acted like. Without the sex of course, but when they did get into bed together or on some other horizontal service, the wait would make it all worth it in the end. Rowan was staying with Jackie, despite his suggestion that they take a hotel room, and so he had called Max.

Max willingly offered his spare room and told him that he’d made arrangements for them to meet with some old friends at the club for the game. He walked Rowan from the car up to Jackie’s place, carrying her little overnight bag, and kissed her good-bye, promising to return the next day in the afternoon to pick her up. It was hard to leave her, but he saw the excitement in her eyes and knew she really needed time with her friend. Jackie didn’t seem terribly pleased to see him, and Jace ruefully remembered how he had harassed her in the past for news of Rowan. It was something else for him to make amends for in the future, although he suspected she might forgive him. He headed over to Max’s home, and once he had exchanged a manly, shoulder-pounding hug with his friend and caught up a little, addressed the plan to visit the club.

“I’m not sure that Alistair will appreciate me turning up there, Max.”

“He’s past your fuck up, Jace. He was the one who suggested we get together and have a few drinks.”

Jace felt considerable relief. He liked ’Stair, despite their past difficulties, and hoped this meant they could connect again, although it would never be like old times. What he and Rowan had now didn’t include that piece of his life. Jace ignored the twinge of regret he felt at the thought. He was content in this new thing he’d found.

“Are Ash and Jackie still an item?”

Max smiled. “They are. And I was getting invited over sometimes, but now I think there’s somebody else in the equation. Oh, well, there’ll be other opportunities.”

Jace shook his head. “I don’t get the appeal of sharing, buddy, but whatever floats your boat. It’ll be good to hang out, because I’m going to be kind of lost without Rowan. We’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

Max stared at him for a long moment, and Jace knew he had just missed something. “What?”

“I never thought I’d see the day, Jace. Or hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Good for you, man. I’m happy for you.”

“I’m happy for me, too.” Jace heard the truth in those words, and if a tiny part of him wanted to unleash his dominant sexual side with Rowan, well, that could wait or even go away if it wasn’t suitable. He had to keep on this path, because it had led to the best thing he’d ever had in his life. He quickly changed into jeans and a clean shirt and decided not to shave again that day. The guys wouldn’t care and he spent his time on vanity for Rowan and only Rowan.

* * * *

Someone had hauled in a big screen and much of the furniture had been dragged over to group loosely around it. Jace had almost forgotten about the big game, but then his spare time had been fully occupied by a certain tall brunette. He remembered that Rowan had said she liked baseball and football but not hockey and wondered what she was presently doing. She and Jackie were probably working on a bottle of wine and playing catch up. Hopefully they weren’t dissecting him. Nope, Rowan wouldn’t do that. Jace felt comfortable in accepting that fact. She might tell Jackie that he and she were an item, and reassure her friend that it was all good, but Rowan wouldn’t feel the need to discuss him. Jace shook the hand of yet another friend who commented on how the lost had been found, and grabbed a beer on the way to a waiting chair. He hadn’t seen Alistair and wondered out loud where he was.

“Probably in his office,” someone volunteered.

Jace figured ’Stair had seen him arrive on the security feed, and it felt strange that he hadn’t come out to greet him. Maybe the guy was still pissed at him.

“Nah,” Max said, and Jace realized he’d muttered his concern out loud. “He’s probably busy getting one of the rooms set up for later.”

Jace stared at Max. “I thought this was just a get-together for the game. I didn’t come for a scene.”

Max shrugged. “Really? I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

“I think I’ll just go and say hello to Alistair and then head out.”

“Whatever, man. You’ve got a key to the house. I’ll catch you later.”

Jace was ticked. It seemed like Max had misled him or something, and Alistair could fuck himself if he couldn’t be bothered to drag himself from his haven to see an old friend. He shoved his way through the green door to the back area of the club and strode toward Alistair’s office. He’d be civil, rise above this shit, and then go back to Max’s. Maybe he could call Rowan just to talk. He stopped inside ’Stair’s office, and the other man looked up from his computer screen and gave a noncommittal nod. Jace’s annoyance grew, but then Alistair came around the desk and offered his hand, wringing Jace’s with a strength that belied his initial reception.

“Good to see you again, Jace. I understand you’ve figured some shit out?”

Jace hung onto his temper and forced a smile. He wondered how Alistair knew, but could afford to act the gentleman. He had indeed figured his shit out. “I have so, Alistair. Good to see you again. I just thought I’d say hello. Got to get going.”

“What’s your rush, man? Stay awhile, enjoy the game.”

“No, I think I’ll head on out.”

Alistair shrugged and walked with him. They continued down the hallway, chatting superficially when Alistair suddenly stopped and turned to face him. Jace’s senses went on high alert. Something was up. Alistair stepped into him, and Jace stumbled backward to avoid the other man. His momentum carried him into a member room, closely followed by Alistair who then turned and left, pulling the door shut behind him. Jace found himself gaping after him, at the closed door, and then felt her presence. He turned slowly and felt his vision narrow and his temples pulse as all his blood went south. Rowan stood directly in front of him, the huge bed a backdrop to her slender form encased in the dark crimson scrap of silky stuff she had worn on their first night together. She stared at him out of her dark, luminous eyes, her olive skin glowing, flushed with excitement, her arousal visible. Jace’s cock sprang to instant attention, and he forgot to breathe. Holy mother. They had set this up, and it was the best surprise ever.

His lungs shuddered in his chest, and Jace managed to form one word. “Strip.”

Rowan slowly removed her dress, this time pulling the thin straps down over her shoulders one after the other, leisurely baring each inch of her flawless skin. Jace succeeded in hanging onto his self-control and didn’t rip it off of her. He wanted her to wear that dress again. She shimmied to force the fabric down over her hips, and her breasts jiggled in the confines of a pale-pink, strapless lacy bra. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep a groan from escaping and nearly had to close his eyes when the matching briefs were revealed. Rowan slipped the front clasp of the bra and let it drift down to join the dress now pooled at her feet, and the panties whispered down her thighs at the tug of her thumbs. Jace thought of visits to the dentist and drills and long needles when her bare folds, glistening with her arousal, came into view. He dragged his eyes to her beaded nipples and lost the battle.

He was on her in the next heartbeat, covering her naked form with his fully clothed one, taking her lips with all the emotion surging from his heart, kissing her until she sobbed for air and ground her body against his. He set her away from him with studied control and reveled in her moue of disappointment.

“On the bed, hands above your head, legs apart, feet flat on the mattress.”

He stripped with brisk efficiency as Rowan did as she was told, and stroked his cock to calm it, watching Rowan’s eyes follow his movement. She licked her lips and his little man jumped in response. It seemed as if there was nothing else on the face of the earth other than the two of them. Jace wanted to explore every inch of Rowan’s body, but once again his control eluded him. He somehow pulled on a condom before crawling up between her legs, pausing only to press a kiss on her abdomen and on each of her breasts before settling his weight over her. Once again his cock easily found her opening and pushed inside past the initial tightness, then into her liquid heat. They both moaned as one, and Jace stilled. He rested his forehead on hers and gathered her closer.

“Rowan?”

She opened her eyes and stared into him, and her sheath clenched around him.

“Rowan, honey?” Jace gritted his teeth. He had to know. “What do you want, Rowan?”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “You, Jace, all of you. Now breathe, sweetheart, breathe.”

Jace let go and a weight lifted from his soul, giving him a sense of freedom and strength. He powered in and out of his woman, doing his level best to communicate with every fiber of his being, to show her his hope and his caring, the depth of his emotion. She absorbed all of him and returned it with interest. He shuddered with the force of his orgasm and felt Rowan go over, calling out his name as she did so, the little muscles in her pussy caressing him, the long length of her body like a promise. Jace felt complete. He laid his mouth on Rowan’s against the whisper of her breath, and their eyes met again, in such close proximity that it was as if they fell inside the other. He rested against her, lost in his thoughts for the future when she spoke.

“Jace?”

“Honey?”

“Maybe later you can show me some of that other dominant stuff?”

Jace heard the sweet, teasing inference in Rowan’s voice, but it didn’t totally mask the deeper, darker need. He gave her a look guaranteed to penetrate to her very core, the one he had perfected over the years, and was rewarded with the pulse of her sheath around his rejuvenating cock. “You’re on, sweetheart. I’m not going to let what we have distract me so totally the next time.”

Rowan sighed and pressed her lips into his shoulder. She said something he couldn’t make out. “What was that?” he asked.

“I can’t breathe.”

Jace rolled to one side, pulling her to lie atop of him, his now-full erection anchoring them together. He stroked his hands down the length of her lovely back and cupped her buttocks, separating them slightly, suggestively. She sucked in air and ground herself against him and Jace only just managed not to go with it. This time it was all about her, helping her discover a little more about herself, and he rolled again, trapping her under him, and withdrew to her whine of disappointment. As he got to his feet, his cock slapped his belly as if to punish him, but Jace ignored it. He strode to the bedside table and rummaged in the drawer. Good old Alistair had stocked it well. Jace pulled out some lube and a vibrator, some wipes, and then chose a blindfold. He left the anal wand and the clamps for the time being. Rowan was watching him as if mesmerized, and Jace wondered at his luck. Together they would have it all.

The restraints were still under the mattress and Jace made quick work of securing Rowan’s hands to the headboard. Her small breasts were lifted as if for his touch, and he accommodated them, sucking first one and then the other into his mouth, tormenting the opposite nipple with his fingers. Rowan writhed beneath him, and he bit down until he felt her pain threshold, over and over before switching breasts. She panted and mewled, and Jace vowed that she would be screaming for him before the night was over. He pushed a pillow beneath her hips, as his saliva dried on her nipples and left them pointing and pouting at the abandonment. She was so tall that it was easy to tie her ankles off to the footboard, and he could smell her arousal as he did so. She responded to being restrained, he knew, but it had been a long time, and it kicked his arousal up higher until his balls were so tight he thought they would boil over.

Rowan froze when he slipped the blindfold on and Jace soothed her with long, slow strokes down her lean body. “Relax, honey, and trust me. Just feel and take it.”

She made a jerky nod and Jace kissed her with fervor, before sliding down between her widespread thighs, her pussy offered up for the taking by the placement of the pillow beneath her hips. He spread her dripping sex with his thumbs and bent to his feast. She tasted tangy and tart against his tongue, and he lapped at every tiny inch of her, lancing his tongue up inside her sheath, rimming it and then pushing inside again. Rowan made little cries, and he tightened his grip on her hips to hold her still against his invasion. When he slipped his tongue up to her apex, and pushed back the hood of flesh covering her clit, Rowan nearly bucked free. Jace sucked the little nub between his teeth, worrying it gently as she sobbed and begged. He kept her on the edge for what probably seemed like an eternity to her before sucking hard against his palate. Rowan screamed and came, flooding his lips and nose and cheeks. Jace drank her in and gently lapped until she settled.