“I didn’t read them all. I didn’t have to. I learned more than I wanted to in the ones I did read. It wasn’t what I thought.”
“What wasn’t?”
“Our marriage. Our life. My life with Zack. We weren’t what I thought we were. Or he wasn’t. Or I wasn’t. I’m not making any sense, am I?”
“I’m listening.”
“After he died, all I could think was that we would’ve been okay. When he came back from Afghanistan, we would’ve been okay. We would’ve started a family. Now I realize, we wouldn’t have. We fought before he left. I told you that we didn’t say goodbye.”
“I’m sorry, darlin’.”
“But, Jace, I don’t want to talk about Zack. I want to talk about you.” She shifted again, so she could look into his eyes. “No one else showed me the kindness you did. But more, no one has ever made me feel the way you do.” She put her hands on his chest and clenched his shirt. “No one. Not even Zack. Especially not Zack.”
When she put her lips on his, Jace couldn’t hold back. His mouth took hers harder than he should’ve. He ran his hands down her sides and grasped her hips, pulling her closer to him. “I missed you so much,” he said into her mouth, before his tongue tangled with hers. He stood, offered his hand. When she stood as well, Jace picked her up and carried her upstairs.
Bree filled her lungs with the scent of him. He must’ve taken a shower just before she got there. She kissed his neck while he carried her, and ran her tongue over his skin. She nuzzled his ear as he rested his knees against the edge of the bed and slowly lowered her onto it.
His breath was ragged as he pulled her sweater up over her head, and tossed it aside. His gaze idly drifted over her, down to her jeans. He unfastened the button, eased the zipper down, and slid them over her hips. He threw those in the same direction as her sweater.
His lips ran from her ankle, up, trailing soft kisses from her knee to her thigh. His hands stroked over her belly, and when he reached her bra, he pulled at it, exposing her breasts. Jace ran his lips where his hands had been just before. He sunk his teeth into the cup of her bra, reached around, unfastened it, and pulled it away from her skin with his teeth.
His lips returned, nipping, then licking to soothe the sting. Her muscles rippled beneath the heat of his mouth. She gasped, she sighed, she groaned. She may have even screamed. She couldn’t hear anything above the roar of blood, pounding in her ears, her body, throbbing.
Bree watched Jace’s fiery gaze sweep over her body as he stripped his clothes away. She closed her eyes, waiting to feel him rest on top of her.
“Open your eyes and look at me,” he demanded. When she did, his eyes were trained on hers. “I want to know it’s me you see. Me making love to you. No one else.”
“I see you, Jace” she said, and gasped as he entered her. She dragged her nails down his back and felt him shudder. His slow, gentle movement changed. He quickened, bucking against her, slamming into her. He turned her brain to mush with his frantic, savage kisses. Soon, he threw his head back and groaned. She felt him shudder again, as she tightened her interior muscles around him, coming with him.
Jace didn’t move away from her but rested his body gently against hers. She ran her hands down his back, stroking his flawlessly hard body, and rested them on his bottom.
“Did you feel it?” he asked her.
“I think so, but did I feel what?”
“Best. Sex. Ever. Wanna know why?”
She giggled. “Why?”
He shifted suddenly, startling her, getting right in her face. “Because I love you.” His mouth descended on hers again. Fo
rcefully, his lips claimed hers, as his body had staked its claim on her, in her, just moments before.
21
Jace kissed her. “Happy Christmas Eve.”
“Mmm. Same to you too.”
“How do you feel this morning?”
“Tired, a little sore, and very well sated.”
“I have a little surprise for you, but it requires getting out of bed.”
“Do I have to? Can’t we just have breakfast in bed?” she smiled up at him.
“We could, but it’ll be cold by the time I get back here with it.”