“Okay! I promise to keep smiling! Please stop! Please!” I beg, totally on the verge of having an accident.
Intently watching my face, James’s fingers slow then stop completely.
At first, after all the laughter, it’s easy to keep the smile like I promised. It’s natural. Comfortable even.
But after a few seconds, it becomes difficult to hold.
I’m too damn aware of it.
As soon as I start to let it slip, though, his fingers wiggle against me. Not enough to tickle, but enough to be threatening.
“You’re a jerk!” I cry while stretching my smile bigger and wider.
James chuckles softly. “First I was a bastard, then I was a cretin. And now I’m a jerk?”
Showing my teeth, I flutter my eyelashes and clench out, “Yes.”
Leaning down until his face is only inches from my face, his expression suddenly turns serious. “I’ll take it.”
Quickly closing the distance between us, his lips capture my lips in the sweetest kiss. So sweet, all my resentment and irritation over being tickled and forced to smile instantly vanishes.
Drawing back a slow suckle, he tugs on my bottom lip, then sweeps his tongue past my teeth.
As soon as his tongue touches mine, my toes curl against the bed.
His stroke is so slow, so unrushed and languid, it feels as if he’s cherishing me and savoring me at the same time.
With each gentle pull and thrust, I lose myself a little more in the kiss.
Lose myself in him.
Sighing into his mouth, I feel all the tension melting out of me as if his touch alone warmed and liquified it into wet heat.
Maybe it’s because I’m weak. Maybe it’s because he makes me weak.
But I don’t have the strength or will to fight against this. Something that doesn’t hurt for once. Something that feels both good and right.
His weight begins to press down on me as he fits himself between my legs.
And I’m so relaxed, so eager for more of his sweetness, his tenderness, I rub my leg against his before I tighten my thigh around his hip.
Groaning into my mouth, James begins to rock against me. His hips rolling in the same slow, languid rhythm of his kiss.
Losing myself even more, I get caught up and swept away by the affection he’s pressing on me.
So caught up, my poor heart nearly jumps out of my chest when someone starts pounding on the front door.
“Goddammit,” James growls then he suddenly deepens the kiss.
He kisses me so hard, so fast, I struggle to keep up with him and his demand.
When the loud, booming knocks start up again, he makes a feral noise and rips himself away from me. “I’m going to fucking murder Johnathan.”
My brain still trapped in the kiss, I pant up at him in confusion. Not understanding.
Staring down at me, James takes in my dazed eyes then his attention drops to my swollen, parted lips.
As if he just can’t help himself, he kisses me again. Hard, fast, and desperate.
The knocking starts up again, so loud it sounds like someone is trying to break the door down.
“I know you’re in there, fucker!” I hear Johnathan yell. “Open up before I break the door down!”
“That’s fucking it,” James growls viciously as he tears himself away from me again. “That’s the last fucking straw.”
Breathing deeply, I watch his chest rise and fall as he reaches over my head. There’s a click and my body immediately tenses, expecting the sound of chains.
When he pulls his arm back though he’s not holding chains.
He’s gripping a pistol.
Pushing himself up into a kneeling position, he pulls the slide on the Glock and chambers a round. “I warned Lucifer I was going to put a hole in him. I’m going to blow his ugly fucking head off.”
Carefully climbing off me and out of bed, James stalks angrily toward the bedroom door.
My stupid brain finally catching up to what’s going on, I call out, “Wait!”
James throws a quick glance back at me over his shoulder. “Just stay right there, kitten. I’ll be right back.”
Then he disappears into the hall.
Oh my god, he’s totally going to shoot Johnathan.
15
Sophia
Jumping out of bed, I chase after James.
“You can’t kill him, James. You can’t!” I insist as I follow on his heels down the stairs.
I’m not dumb enough to try to grab the gun out of his hand, but I’m sorely tempted.
“The fuck I can’t,” James growls. “The fucker has had it coming for a long time.”
I have no clue what he means by that. I honestly thought he and Johnathan were friends, but I guess not.
I try to argue, “But Beth…”
He glances back at me again. “We’ll take care of her, don’t you worry. Besides, I’m probably doing her favor.”
When we reach the bottom of the stairs and he still seems intent on murdering Johnathan, I grab his arm out of desperation. “She’s pregnant, James. Don’t you dare do that to my best friend. And Charlie’s with them. You can’t kill his father in front of him!”