Under My Skin (Skin Deep #2)

Chloe was due back in a couple days; she was bringing her car with her this time, so she and Brandon were driving from L.A. They’d left, from what I’d heard, this morning to head back to Ohio, but that trip is going to take them a couple days, because I can’t imagine that they’d try to drive straight through. That would be ridiculous!

The house was dark when I pulled into the driveway, which scared me. I parked my car and rushed in, yelling Jackson’s name. I got no answer and the kitchen was empty. I headed for the living room to check there, planning to go room by room until I found him or figured out what the hell was going on. He wasn’t on the first floor, so I headed up to the master bedroom, hoping and praying that nothing was wrong. I skidded to a stop in our bedroom doorway when I saw dozens of tea light candles flickering throughout the room from every available surface.

I looked to see Jackson standing on the far side of the glass fireplace looking positively edible in a black fitted button down and sharply creased smoke-grey dress pants. Pushing away from the wall he was leaning on, he sauntered toward me with a sly half-smile creeping across his face.

With a huff I drew myself up, bracing my hands on my hips. More shrilly than I intended, I asked, “What the hell are you doing? You scared the hell out of me with the lights off and you not answering when I yelled!”

Jacks stopped in front of me, his hand coming up to softly cup my cheek. “Sorry baby,” he murmured, running the pad of his thumb lightly over my bottom lip.

I nipped at it as he made a second pass and he chuckled quietly, the low, deep sound sending a shiver up my spine. Dropping my hands from my hips and stepping away from him to take in the room, I noticed that not only were there candles everywhere, there were rose petals strewn across the bedspread with a single red rose laying across my pillow, and a trail of rose petals leading to the bathroom. I followed it to see that he’d drawn me a bath, complete with rose petals floating on top of the water, and a bucket of sparkling cider chilling on the counter.

I looked at him in confusion and he drew me into his arms, capturing my lips in a sweet, altogether too brief kiss before he knelt before me, taking my hand in his.

“Jacks…” I whispered, but he just shook his head, stopping my words.

“I didn’t get to do this part. I know the whole candlelight, rose petals thing is pretty clichéd, but I just wanted to do something romantic and special for you. And I wanted to ask you again, this time on bended knee, if you would please do me the honor of becoming my wife. So, Allie…will you marry me? Still?”

I laughed and nodded, charmed and completely falling in love all over again. “Yes!” I said out loud, and then tugged at his hands until he rose and pulled me into his arms again. He kissed me breathless as he stripped me out of my clothes and then pulled me into the bathroom.

“I wanted to carry you in here, but I’m not allowed to lift heavy objects quite yet,” he said in complete seriousness.

I gasped, “Jacks!” and laughed as he stumbled over himself trying to apologize. “I know what you mean, silly man. It’s okay…this is perfect.” I smiled up at him and stepped into the tub, sinking down into the blissfully hot, scented water with a sigh. I took a sip from the icy glass of crisp, bubbly cider that he handed me, and then sat up when he knelt beside the tub, still fully dressed with the exception of his dress shirt, which he’d taken off and hung on the back of the door.

“Aren’t you getting in with me?” I asked.

“Nope. This is just for you baby…let me pamper you a bit.”

With that he pushed me down gently by my shoulders until I was lounging in the tub once more. With slow, methodical movements, he carefully and tenderly washed and conditioned my hair before moving on to my body. But, instead of washing me, his hands smoothed down my shoulders, massaging all the way to my fingertips before lifting my legs one by one and doing the same to them. I moaned as he continued his ministrations all over my body, caressing me…teasing me mercilessly.

“Jackson…” I groaned, arching my hips as he studiously ignored those specific parts that were aching the most for his touch.

He didn’t say a word, just smiled and continued to run his hands over my body, soothing yet building the anticipation, heightening my senses. I was writhing in the water, chasing his hands, trying to make him touch me where I needed it the most but he still refused, driving me crazy with want.

I finally had enough of his torture and, grabbing my loofah and my favorite body wash, I made short work of cleaning my body and standing, the water sluicing off my body and splashing Jackson.

“Impatient much?” he said sardonically, standing and brushing the water droplets from his face and arms. He grabbed a large, fluffy towel and wrapped it around me as I stepped out of the tub. I dried myself off as he let the water out of the tub and grabbed the cider, taking it into the bedroom.

I followed him, intending to get him onto the bed and torture him for teasing me like that…but he had other ideas. Before I could move, he jerked the towel away and pulled me against him, cradling my naked softness against the still-clothed hardness of his body. He walked me backward until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed and then pushed me gently so that I fell onto the bed, the silky, soft feel of rose petals surrounding me.

He stood by the side of the bed, slowly stripping his clothes off, eyes roaming over every bare inch of my body. Wanting to tease him a little I laid back on the bed, parting my thighs just a bit as I arched my back, thrusting my breasts forward, the heavy weight of them swaying with my movement. I hid a smile as Jackson’s jaw clenched, his breath hissing through his teeth on a sharp inhale. His slow, deliberate moves became hurried until his clothes were strewn across the floor and he was as naked as I was.

He put one knee up on the bed and I parted my thighs as wide as I could, baring the glistening pink flesh of my sex. His breath came faster and he groaned as I moved my hand down my stomach, the tip of my middle finger nudging the swollen nubbin of my clit, circling it once…twice…three times, before I slid my finger through my wetness and pushed it inside.

“Jesus…” Jackson bit out harshly on a moan. He surged forward onto the bed, moving over me as he grabbed my hand and tugged, removing it from the warmth between my thighs. He brought my fingers to his mouth and slid them between his lips, licking away the liquid proof of my desire. “Mmmm…” he whispered. “I love how you taste, Allie…but we’re doing this my way.”

Without another word he laid beside me, our bodies close but not touching. I whimpered, wanting to feel him, and he shushed me as he reached out for the single rose still lying on my pillow. He brought it up to my nose and I inhaled the heady scent, gasping as he brushed the velvety soft bud over my lips and down my throat. He stroked the flower lightly over my body…my nipples, down my stomach, up my sides, over and over again, goosebumps trailing in the wake of the feathery touch. A shuddering sob escaped my lips as he stroked the delicate petals over the bare flesh of my sex, and that finally broke him.

He shifted suddenly, tossing the rose away and moving down my body until his mouth was level with my mound, sliding his hands beneath my ass, lifting me up as his mouth came down.

My brain short circuited as he buried his face between my thighs, his tongue lapping at my clit before plunging inside. He fucked me with his tongue, using every part of his mouth in a relentless assault on my most tender flesh that had me bucking and screaming beneath him. He brought me to the brink again and again but refused to let me go over.