Moira Rogers - Crux

He raised his free hand and twisted it into her hair, holding her mouth closer to his skin. “Yes.”

Satisfaction thrilled through her, more powerful than the pleasure from his maddening touch. She licked the pulse pounding in his throat and closed her teeth gently over it.

He answered her claim with a soft groan. “You have no idea how messed up I was while you were gone, Kenzie.”

“I’m here.” She dropped her head back to the bed as he brought his thumb up to rub dizzying circles in counterpoint to the thrusts of his fingers. Her entire body tightened, barreling toward release so fast it stole her breath. “God, God , I’m going to—”

“ Yes .” His mouth found her neck, and he echoed her action by sinking his teeth into her skin as she arched her hips into his touch. It wasn’t gentle—it almost hurt—but it twisted something inside her, something primal. Something needy.

It burst the dam, sending pleasure sliding through her in a scalding wave that curled her toes and tightened her fingers around the headboard until she swore it would bear the imprint of her fingers. She choked on a scream and scrambled to clutch at the bedspread as he coaxed the wave to crest again with nothing but his skillful fingers and his mouth on her throat.

He crushed his mouth to hers as he moved over her but froze between her legs. “Dammit. My wallet…”

Mackenzie fought a brief inner battle even as her hips pushed against him. The woman won out, and she groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. “I haven’t exactly been picking up my birth control prescription on the run.”

“So I figured.” He panted and rolled away to reach over the edge of the bed. Finally, he made a triumphant noise and sat up, condom in hand. “Got one.”

“Then get back here.” She plucked the condom from his fingers, tearing it open with hands that shook. “You’re making me a little crazy, Jackson Holt.”

He stretched out on the sheets and watched her, one hand on her thigh. “So my evil plan to tease and torment has worked.”

The shaking in her hands only increased as she smoothed the condom on, teasing her fingers down his erection until he thrust against her hands. She sucked in a breath and pulled back. “Sit up. Against the headboard.”

He obeyed and gripped her hips as she climbed over him. “We seem to be doing okay without the shapeshifter-sex crash course,” he noted. “Maybe you should try holding on to me.”

“Maybe.” The thought of hurting him made it hard to concentrate. She curled her fingers around the headboard on either side of his shoulders and brushed her lips over his as she lifted her hips. “But this is nice too.”

He framed her face with his hands and smiled gently. “Yeah. This is nice too.”

She wanted to go fast, to slam her hips against his and drive them both over the edge. Instead she savored the feeling as he slid inside her, digging her teeth into her lower lip as she lowered herself. She fought the urge to close her eyes and focused on his face instead, on the way he watched her, like there was no one outside their room. No one else in the world.

His head thumped against the headboard, and he ran his hands around to splay across her back. “Jesus Christ.”

“Yeah.” She sank down the last few inches and clutched at the headboard as the feelings intensified. She lowered her mouth to his throat, and licked across his pulse and up to his ear. “This is perfect.”

“Mmm.” His big hands urged her closer, until her mostly bare breasts pressed tightly to the wall of his chest. “I can already tell… Slow sex is going to be a tough one for us.”

Slow was impossible at the moment. Mackenzie rocked her hips and moaned. “Maybe later, when we’ve had lots of practice.”

Jackson’s breath came in short, labored pants, and she could tell he was struggling for control. “You have some of the best damn ideas, darlin’.”

She rubbed her cheek against his. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want all of you,” he whispered. “I want to make you come.”

“Again?” She closed her eyes and savored the friction of their bodies rubbing together as she moved against him. “Greedy.”

“Lust and avarice,” he agreed. His hands dropped to her hips and dragged her down more sharply. “My only vices.”

She gasped and let her head fall back. Her fingers tightened on the headboard and she quickened her pace. “Help me. Come with me.”

A short, harsh curse was his only answer. He guided her hips, thrusting up harder when she lowered her body to his. Passion and pleasure mounted, and a light sheen of sweat dampened Jackson’s skin. “Shit,” he hissed. “Baby—”

She barely heard him. Blood pounded in her ears and she ground down, chasing the release that trembled just out of reach. He thrust into her one last time and the world flew apart. She cried out as everything faded but his body inside hers and the sounds and scents of pleasure and release.

Jackson’s fingers clenched on her hips, holding her as he stiffened and shuddered. His rasping, desperate groan tickled her ears and shivered up her spine. Then he relaxed, dropping his forehead to her shoulder.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she mirrored him, nuzzling her face into his neck. “Jackson. God.”

His chest heaved at first and settled into a steady rhythm as he slowly caught his breath. “Yeah.”

She inhaled deeply. “Maybe I need to put the magical pants back on.”

“Would that involve getting out of this bed?”

Mackenzie couldn’t remember where the pants had ended up, or how many pieces they’d been in at the time. “Maybe it’s not that important.”

He raised his head and sighed regretfully. “I think it probably is.”

“Okay, except I don’t know if I can move. My knees aren’t feeling all that solid.”

Jackson lifted her off his body with a grin and laid her gently on the bed beside him. He paused by the bed and found her pants. “Here. Now you don’t have to move.” He brushed a kiss over her forehead and headed for the bathroom.

There was so much to talk about. So much to say , not just about what she’d gone through, but what had happened at the mansion. Mackenzie wiggled into the warded pants and rebuttoned the oversized shirt before curling up again with her head on the plush pillows. Too much to say…and all she wanted to do was snuggle into Jackson’s arms and sleep. Even knowing intellectually that the danger was far from past…

He padded quietly out of the bathroom and warmth flooded her. She felt safe with him. She felt peaceful now that he was here with her, now that he was safe. After the past week of terror, she was so giddy with the sudden relief that she felt light-headed.

He stopped and frowned at her as he reached for his underwear. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little spun.”

“I feel like we should be getting dressed and going to find everyone else. Like we need to be making plans or something.” She inched over as he slid into the bed next to her. “But I’m so tired, and I feel safe now.”

“We can go downstairs,” he offered. “Or we can sleep. Trust me when I say Nick and Alec aren’t expecting to see us until breakfast.”

“But everything that happened…” Her protest sounded weak, even to her own ears. She didn’t want to go anywhere. “I guess we can wait to talk to them. I couldn’t process much right now anyway.”

“We can talk about it later. Everything, Mackenzie. Just…later.”

Later. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. His body felt warm, strong. Perfect. We’ll talk about it later.

As reprieves went it wasn’t much, but it was something. Enough. Whatever comes tomorrow, I won’t have to face it alone.