Conquer Your Love(Surrender Your Love 02)

Chapter 15





EVERYTHING WAS SO bright. The room, the colors, even my dress. I could hear myself laughing and felt Jett’s arms around me as I squirmed against him, unsure whether to free myself or melt into his embrace.

“I’d do anything for you. You know that?” he whispered into my ear. “If you fell, I’d hold you. If you were afraid, I’d wrap my arms around you and take away your fears. I’d die to keep you safe but more than anything I’d do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. For you I’d conquer anything, everything, anytime.”

I smiled against his hot skin and inhaled the fresh, clean scent of his hair. So good. So soft. I felt serene, the world around us forgotten. It was just he and I, and no one else in the world.

Something soft caressed my shoulder. His lips? His hot breath? My hands reached out to touch him—only to feel the cold, empty space next to me.

What the—

Confused, I pried my eyes open and squinted against the unnatural brightness coming from the sun spilling through the windows. My eyes slowly adjusting, I realized Jett’s side of the bed was empty, the sheets crumpled in a heap.

There I had been thinking he was in bed with me, only to find it had been just a dream. I grimaced, disappointed, and jumped out of bed, scanning the room for any message he might have left. Except for the jacket he had tossed over the back of a chair last night, there was no indication of him, nothing to signal last night even took place. Everything was quiet; the lights in the adjacent bathroom turned off.

Where the heck was he? Would he sneak out on me after he got what he wanted?

I grabbed his jacket. It smelled like him: manly, intoxicating. I pressed it against my bare chest and for a moment I closed my eyes to enjoy the images of us kissing—and doing other stuff—flickering through my mind. Either he forgot to take his jacket, or he had left it behind on purpose, which could only mean he’d be back soon. Excitement rushed through me at the prospect of seeing him after everything that happened between us.

The past twenty-four hours were nothing short of mind-blowing. Scary, yes, but still mind-blowing. The date, the car chase, the sex, the fact that I knew so much about him now. No idea what it all meant for us; whether we were back together. But I couldn’t wait to find out. All I knew was that my fears about him were gone, replaced by a firm belief that I had been wrong about him and he had been telling the truth back in New York. I was in danger and he had tried to protect me from whoever had been following us.

Standing in front of the hotel mirror, I stared at my reflection and wrinkled my nose in disgust. My dark, naturally curly hair looked a tangled mess. With my makeup gone, dark circles framed my chestnut eyes and made my skin look a pasty yellow shade. To my utter dismay, I realized I had no fresh underwear or clothes, no makeup to fake a glow, no hairbrush, not even a toothbrush. The only two things available to help me scrub up were the hotel’s shampoo and soap.

At least my cheeks had a soft glow to them and there was a sparkle in my eyes. The signs were there: I was still in love—with Jett.

Sylvie would be so mad.

No doubt the moment we’d be back home she’d try to run an intervention, stating my fixation with him was unhealthy.

However, what she didn’t know was that this love I felt for him, I didn’t seek it out. I had tried to keep my emotional distance, choosing not to let Jett enter my heart. Yet this love—or whatever feeling it was that caused fluttering butterflies and a raging storm inside me—chased me, found me, and finally captured me, holding me tight amidst my fears. The more I fought it, the more it grew. The longer I hid my feelings for him, the harder I fell for him.

I knew I’d tell Jett someday, but we hadn’t reached that point yet. Maybe because there was a tiny fraction inside my mind that kept warning me we might not be meant to be and only time would tell. The best I could do with now was enjoy it while it lasted.

I found a trial size toothpaste and damp hotel toothbrush, which I assumed Jett used before leaving, and brushed my teeth quickly. Jumping into the shower, I let the warm water trickle down my body to soothe the ache in my muscles—courtesy of Jett’s insatiable appetite for sex.

My hands were busy lathering in the hotel’s shampoo when the door cracked open, making me jump.

“Brooke?” Jett asked. He popped his head through the shower curtain.

My arms lowered to cover my chest on instinct, but it was too late. Like a wildfire a grin spread across his beautiful lips and he scanned my body up and down, lingering a bit too long on my covered breasts.

“Hi, beautiful.” His voice was soft as velvet and dark as chocolate. I’d recognize that tone blindfolded. Usually it turned me on; right now I wished I had thought of locking the door. He had seen me naked countless times but never like this: under the bright fluorescent light, with no makeup on, and no bed sheets behind which I could hide. I probably looked like shit and didn’t want him to see me this way. Embarrassed, I retreated to the farthest spot in the shower and shot him a frown.

“Can you wait outside? I’ll be done in a minute.”

That was his clue to leave, but Jett didn’t move an inch. I licked my lips nervously and kept my breasts covered while the hot water continued to trickle down my body.

“You’re so hot.” His tone came low. Scorching. I could say the same thing about him. “You’re even more beautiful than in my dreams.”

I searched his face for any signs that he was joking. His smile was gone, replaced by seriousness. His eyes were filled with passion, mirroring my lust. Slowly—with my gaze on him—he stripped off his clothes until he stood naked in front of me. I tried my best to avert my gaze, but couldn’t. The magnetism he exuded held me tight. He was breathtakingly beautiful—a view I could look at over and over again, just like the most fascinating painting.

His chiseled chest with his dark hair was on full display—all defined muscles and bronze skin. My tongue flicked over my lips as I pried my gaze away from his sculpted chest to the three rows of hard muscles on his abdomen, and finally came to rest on his erection promising to take me to pleasure heaven.

“What are you doing, Jett?”

Stupid question.

What would anyone think he was doing?

He joined me in the shower cubicle and gathered me in his arms. The water rained down on us, and for a moment I thought he’d try to get it on. I could only hope he didn’t insist we do it in the shower because I didn’t want to slip and break my neck.

“Can you pass me the shower gel?”

I stared at him in confusion as he just grinned at me and reached out to get the bottle, then lathered the foam into his glorious skin. I watched it run down his torso and gather in the soft hair around his manhood.

“Want me to do your back?” he asked, still grinning.

I shook my head, unsure whether he was being serious. He was behaving like we were an old couple, comfortable in each other’s presence. And while I was comfortable in his presence, the entire situation had something way too intimate about it.

“Then you’re ready to get out?” There was a sparkle of naughtiness in his eyes.

Struck speechless, I nodded.

Jett stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, then draped one around my shoulders. I even let him pat down my wet hair, squeezing the water out of it, until soft waves and ringlets formed. He took one and wrapped it around his fingers, the light tugging sensation making my scalp tingle.

“I want you to be open for me,” he whispered.

His eyes mirrored the array of emotions in his voice. For a moment I wasn’t sure which direction this conversation would take—whether he wanted more or whether he was just enjoying keeping me intrigued.

Jett’s hands trailed from my breasts down my hips and then with no warning he lifted me up in one swift motion, as though I weighed nothing. My cheeks heated up at the new and intimate way he pressed me against his naked body. Gathering my arms around his neck, I let him carry me into the bedroom and lay me down on the unmade bed, our limbs entangling, mouths finding each other.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked playfully.

“I want you to be open for me,” he whispered again, his eyes reflecting the desire in his voice. He pulled my towel away and removed my hands from my breasts. “I want you to be the one asking for it.”

His authoritarian tone built a strong contrast to his gentle actions. His thumb was stroking my face, his wet hair was dropping on my skin, the coldness making me shiver. And yet, his kiss was hot, devouring my mouth, his hand going lower to explore my breasts, my hips, my legs.

“I want you,” I murmured.

“Not need me?” He raised his eyebrows, his erection pressing against my legs.

“I want you, I need you. What’s the difference? I’m open to anything.” I removed his towel from his hips, eager to taste him, to feel him, to have him inside me. I knew I was wet.

“You’d be surprised.” He pushed me down and his hands wrapped around my wrists. Gazing into my eyes, he pushed inside me, making love to me until we were both succumbing to an orgasmic release.



***



Later, I lay in his arms, gathering my breath, my hands trailing up and down his sculpted torso, marveling at the smoothness of his skin and the hardness of his muscles. He was perfect.

“I hope I’m the reason behind your smile,” Jett said, stroking my cheek. His statement caught me off guard. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling.

“Mmh.” I placed a soft kiss on his chin and regarded him lovingly.

Do people not smile after sex? Was it just hormones or something else?

Less than three days ago, I had been unhappy. Actually being unhappy was an understatement. I felt betrayed, lost, deeply hurt, and heartbroken. How strange he had been the reason why I tumbled into my second lowest point in life, and yet all it took to pull me out of it was for him to re-enter the picture. His words and actions had both killed my hope and rekindled it. He had destroyed and shattered my love only to conquer it again. If he hadn’t persisted in trying to reach out to me, I would never have known he didn’t hurt me on purpose and we wouldn’t be where we were today—in each other’s arms.

“I love it when you smile,” he whispered. “But I love it even more when I see your smile and know I was the one who caused it.”

“Having sex three times in less than twenty four hours would make anyone happy,” I replied.

“It’s all thanks to you, Ms. Stewart.”

“Me?” I cocked a brow. He pretty much instigated all of them. “What about you? You were the one to initiate them.”

“I followed your thoughts’ command. Besides, I’m just human. I can’t help myself when you’re around me. You can’t blame a man for being weak at a vixen’s feet.”

The way his eyes glimmered with mischief I wanted to do him again, even though my body screamed ‘no more.’

“I didn’t do anything,” I pointed out.

“Exactly. You didn’t do anything.” Jett’s gaze bore into me, touching my soul. “I’m not perfect. God knows I have many weaknesses, but my biggest one happens to be you, Brooke.”

His words made my smile widen. He was piling on the compliments. Coming from any other man, they would’ve hit on nothing but a brick wall. But coming from Jett, I wanted to hear more, absorb each word, and cherish it forever. If there was one person in the world whose words were special, it was Jett.



***



Feeling a need for a bathroom break, I entangled myself from him and only noticed the tray on the table upon my return. It held two cups of coffee, two plates with croissants and another two plates of bagels with fresh cheese spread. My gaze settled on the small violet gift box almost hidden between the coffee and the plates.

“I woke up early. You were still asleep so I thought I’d get us breakfast.” Walking over, Jett pointed at the tray and cleared his throat, answering the question I had been asking myself since waking. “I know last time didn’t go so well but I figured why not give it another try? I hope you’ll like it.”

He picked up the tiny box and handed it to me.

“Thank you.” My throat constricted. My legs began to shake again, so I sat down and left my fingers trail over the gift box.

It was surprisingly heavy for its size. The shiny satin-feel paper shimmered in the sunlight spilling through the window. I untied the white ribbon, and opened the lid, then removed the black cover. Even before I saw it, I knew what it contained, but the knowledge didn’t quite register in my consciousness until I saw it before my eyes. Sitting on a black velvet mount was a sleek steel watch with a silver wrist bangle and tiny gemstones that sparkled like diamonds.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

And, judging from the feel and look, expensive.

“I thought it might be the perfect gift so you’re never late again for our dates.”

I grimaced at him, unsure whether to feel offended or laugh. In the end, amusement won.

“Seriously?” I glanced up, biting my lip.

“I’m just kidding. I got it a while back.” He slumped down in the chair next to mine and regarded me coolly. “Call it intuition. Come one, take it out.”

I gingerly removed the watch from its box, and was about to unfasten the clasp, when I noticed something was engraved on the back.

“In the stream of life, I’ll always search for you. As time goes by, you’ll always be on my mind. Jett. Did you come up with this?” My questioning gaze searched his, begging him to tell me he had picked it up from somewhere and it didn’t mean anything.

Jett nodded. “It’s the way I feel.”

For a few seconds, I was utterly and deeply moved, unable to say a word. My throat constricted, and my eyes swelled up with moisture. I forced myself to take slow breaths, so I wouldn’t give away the storm of emotions tormenting me inside. The bathing suit was one thing—an expensive gift but nothing too personal. I could give it back, because I didn’t want to feel like I had been bought. But the watch was an entirely different situation. The personal message showed me he cared about me and I couldn’t be happier that we reconnected, but more than anything I was happy there was still an us.

I wanted him to know just how much I loved him and yet I kept silent as I kissed him in complete abandonment of my heart, my brain racing to engrave every little detail about him forever.

“Thank you. It’s…I want to say beautiful but that’s an understatement.”

His hand touched my chin and he moved closer until we were barely an inch apart. “It’s nothing, Brooke. It’s just a watch. Promise me that you’ll keep it.”

Ever so gently he lowered his soft gorgeous lips onto mine. I breathed in his heavenly scent, savouring his proximity, the moment.

“I do,” I whispered forcing a smile to my lips. “I will treasure it forever.”

Even if things weren’t meant to last, I wanted to at least remember, because in the end my memory could be the only thing left.