“Us,” she said. “But what about everything you said? What about—”
Ike kissed her. “I was an asshole and a coward. And I’m really fucking sorry.” He searched her pretty brown eyes. “I never realized how closed off I kept myself until you almost got abducted and we spent this week together. Both of which shoved my feelings right in front of my face and forced me to examine them. I didn’t realize how much I’d been using the excuse of Lana’s death to avoid opening myself up to getting hurt again. I didn’t realize how much I was allowing those wounds to turn me into someone I don’t want to be. And then nearly losing Jeremy on top of it all.” He shook his head and swallowed the knot lodged in his throat. “Life can be lost in an instant. I’ve seen it, and I know you have, too. The idea that I could’ve lost you without you ever knowing…”
“Knowing what?” she whispered.
He took a leap of faith and hoped like hell that she leapt with him. “I love you, Jessica, and I want you in my life. I think I’ve wanted you since the day we met, and every day in between. I convinced myself that I didn’t deserve you and wouldn’t be good for you and that, once you knew about how I’d failed Lana, you wouldn’t want me anyway. And, Jesus, the fact that I’m in this MC is a whole other issue that I—”
Jess grasped the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss.
Was that a good sign? That had to be a good sign, right? Jesus, he was turning into a pathetic sap again. But it would be worth it if Jess wanted him the way he wanted her.
“Stop talking,” she whispered against his lips.
“Why?” he said, dread snaking into his gut.
“Because if you keep talking then I can’t tell you that I love you, too.”
Warm, healing relief speared through him, her love gently stitching up wounds he’d carried for so long. “Fuck, yes. I’m so damn glad,” he groaned, taking her in his arms and kissing her for everything he was worth. And while the heat was there, that wasn’t all he felt between them. There was something deeper, something closer, something that filled the cold, lonely places inside him. Someone knew all the worst things about him and loved him anyway. Nothing meant more than that. Nothing felt more redemptive than that. “You need to know,” he said, breaking the kiss. “I didn’t mean any of that bullshit I said the other night. Being with you meant everything to me. Means everything to me.”
“I know,” she said, fingers stroking over his face. “I didn’t mean what I said either. I’d dreamed of being with you so many times, but I never thought it would happen. I could’ve lived on those memories for the rest of my life if I had to.”
“Well, you don’t have to,” he said, claiming her mouth in another hot kiss. “Not ever.” He walked her back one step, then another, until her legs came up against the bed. “I want you, Jess. And I fucking need you so much. Right now.”
Jess couldn’t believe this was happening. She couldn’t believe that her world had gone from nearly imploding to giving her everything she’d ever wanted—all in the space of the same day. “I want you, too,” she said. “And I love you so much.”
“God, Jess,” he rasped as he kissed her neck and slowly peeled off her clothing.
When she sat naked on the edge of the bed, Ike stood in front of her and tugged his shirt over his head. He kicked off his boots and stripped off his jeans. She drank him in with her eyes. His incredible height. The cut of his muscles. The huge black tribal on his arm, a red rose with petals that wilted and turned black on the side of his ribs, and so many other pieces she wanted to explore and ask him about, one by one.
The cock jutting out from his body.
Jess licked her lips. “Come here.” When he stepped within reach, she grasped his hips and sank to her knees, her back against the bottom of the bed.
“Jess,” he whispered, stroking his hand over her braided hair.
She bathed the length of his cock with her tongue and then sucked him in deep.
“Fuck,” he rasped, dark eyes blazing down at her.
God, he was a thrilling mouthful. Heavy on her tongue. Thick in her mouth. Head meeting the back of her throat. Just the way she liked it.
She settled into a rhythm, swallowing as much of him as she could take, then pushing just a little further, and then sucking him hard on a fast withdraw. His groans and cursed words of praise were the sweetest fucking reward and turned her on so much that she reached a hand between her legs.
“Yeah, play with that *,” Ike said. “Does sucking my cock make you wet?”
“Mmhmm,” she moaned as her fingers circled her clit.
“Jesus, that’s hot, Jess.” A big hand curled around the back of her head. “So hot,” he whispered. “I want to fuck your mouth so bad.”