Beneath This Man (This Man 2)

I throw my head back and moan. ‘You don’t play fair, Mr Ward.’

He withdraws slowly. ‘Say yes!’ he shouts as he pounds forward, knocking the wind right out of me, forcing my arms to fly back to brace myself on the headboard. ‘Have I got to f**k some sense into you, Ava?’

Oh, here it comes. He’s going to f**k some sense into me that makes no sense at all. Moving in with him? It’s way too soon.

My muscles tighten and my blood heats, sailing through my veins at a ridiculous speed. I hate that he does this to me. All sensibility is well and truly derailed. ‘No!’ I snap, and he thunders into me again, grunting as he does. He reaches forward with his bad hand and slides his palm under the back of my head, pulling me up to face him. I’m not sure if the scowl on his face is because he’s mad or because his hand is hurting.

‘Say it.’ he orders and then charges forward again.

I’m not going to give in on this. It really is too soon. He won’t stop this; he’s too far gone himself. ‘No.’ I state firmly and precisely on a pant.

He growls and hammers forward, pounding mercifully into me. I grip onto him with the muscles of my womb as he forces me further up the bed. ‘Fucking hell, say it, Ava!’ he roars. A bead of sweat trails down his temple and his frown line jumps into position.

‘No!’

‘Ava!’ he shouts, and it echoes around the bedroom before he smashes our mouths together viciously. I buck and writher under his forceful body and greedy mouth as my pending release simmers low in my groin. ‘You like that?’ he gasps against my mouth as he persists with his relentless pounds.

‘Yes!’

‘You want this every day?’

‘Yes!’ I cry. I really do!

He yanks my hair tighter and grinds his hips harder. ‘Say it then.’ he growls. I feel the wound up coils snapping inside me as I fly into a bottom pit of pure pleasure beneath him. All reason is lost as he takes ownership of my body, soul and mind.

‘Yes! Yes! Yes! Fucking hell. Yes!’ I scream.

‘Watch your f**king mouth!’ His booming voice is piercing as he joins me in my pleasure and releases my hair before punching his fist into the mattress. That had to hurt! He pushes himself into me as deep as he can and holds himself there, his head rolling back.

He groans.

I feel his hot release pumping deep into me, and I bring my hands down from the headboard to rest on his chest. His head drops, his eyes find mine and he slowly circles his hips against me, easing us both down.

‘That wasn’t so hard, was it?’ His voice is hoarse and dry.

I smooth his solid chest under my palms. ‘I was under the influence.’ I say, and then mentally slap myself for my poor choice of words.

He can’t hold me to this, surely. But then I realise…this is Jesse, my unreasonable control freak. He can, and he will.

He smiles a glorious, full smile and kisses me tenderly, then rolls us over so I’m sprawled across this chest. His finger traces the column of my spine and he smoothes my hair. I snuggle happily into him.

He sighs.

‘I can’t be with you every second of the day.’ I say thoughtfully, though how I feel right now, it’s tempting. Why wouldn’t I want this day and night, and a little bit between as well?

He exhales, long and wearily. ‘I know you can’t. I wish you could.’

‘I have a job, a life.’

‘I want to be your life.’ he says quietly.

‘You are.’ I argue softly. He can be so vulnerable and delicate, and I know I’m the answer to that. It is miles away from the domineering brute who just f**ked some sense into me. Is it sense, though, or just pure craziness?

Chapter 7

I’m freezing cold. I wince at the invasion of light that’s attacking my eyes as I open them and bolt upright in bed.

Where is he?

I brush my hair out of my face, jump out of bed and rush into the bathroom. He’s not there. In a blind panic, I hot foot it downstairs and skid to a stop at the kitchen entrance.

‘Morning.’ He puts his coffee down and gets up from the island, walking casually towards me. It’s like I’m looking at a different man. Have I dreamt the last couple of days?

He is fully clad in a charcoal grey suit, crisp white shirt and a soft pink tie. He’s clean shaven, his messy blonde hair has been manipulated to the side and his green eyes are twinkling in delight. He looks stunning.

‘Urh…morning.’ I stutter. I’m confused.

He reaches for me and wraps an arm around my waist, then hoists me off my feet and up to his lips. ‘Sleep well?’ he asks, brushing his lips against mine.

‘Hmmm.’ I hum. I’m staggered. I was sure that I would be set for battle this morning with Mr Challenging.

‘You see, this is exactly why I want you here morning, noon and night.’ he muses.

‘Why?’ I ask on a frown. So he can do this every morning? Maybe moving in with him wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

He lets me slide down his front, then stands back to look me up and down. He clasps his newly shaved chin with his bad hand and arches a brow on a mild grin.

Oh f**king hell! I’m naked!

‘Shit!’ I turn and make a hasty retreat to the stairs.

I don’t get very far. He catches me halfway up, wrapping his arm around my waist and lifting me from my feet. ‘Watch your mouth!’ He turns and takes me back to the kitchen, sitting me on the breakfast bar.

‘Oh!’ I yelp, as the coldness of the marble spreads across my bare backside.