CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

April thought she should be nervous, but for some reason, she wasn’t at all. She’d waited for this moment for years, and the fact that it was finally here made her tingle with anticipation. Her memory coming back was a miracle. And for a moment, when she’d been in Jack’s arms in her apartment, all the worries she’d had for years almost overwhelmed her.

But she’d pushed them aside. They were bullshit. Her age, the fact that Jack was her boss . . . they were just excuses. She wanted him, and it was obvious he wanted her too. She didn’t want to wait any longer. Yes, Jack was intense. And he wasn’t wrong, she’d probably get irritated with him more often than not when he got all heavy handed.

But she’d spent too many years with a man who barely noticed her existence. She probably could’ve announced to her ex that she was going to walk across a tightrope stretched over the Grand Canyon and he wouldn’t even have looked up from whatever he was doing.

If April told Jack that she wanted to go skydiving, or bungee jumping, or any of the other things she’d once wanted to do in her lifetime, she knew without a doubt he’d veto each and every one of them. But if she insisted, he’d give in—after personally inspecting all the gear, interrogating whoever would be assisting her, and probably doing a very thorough background check on the company. Even then, he’d most likely insist on doing everything with her. Be the man she was strapped to when she jumped out of a plane or tandem bungee with her.

And that didn’t turn her off. Not at all. Why would it?

Smiling to herself, April stared into the mirror in Jack’s bathroom. He’d brought her back to his place and tucked her in to bed, and she’d slept like a log for two hours straight. When she’d gotten up, he had a delicious turkey soup in the slow cooker. While eating, they’d laughed about things that had happened at the office over the years, then watched a paranormal show about finding Bigfoot somewhere in Southwest Virginia.

When it was over, she’d excused herself to get ready for bed . . . and now she was staring at herself, letting the anticipation of what she hoped was about to happen sweep over her. She studied her face, trying not to let the wrinkles around her eyes and the way her skin sagged a bit more each year bother her.

Instead, she focused on what she liked about herself. She was tall for a woman, at five-nine, and average size, not skinny or overweight. Her breasts weren’t as perky as they used to be, but they were full and perfectly round. She had good hair . . . had always loved the brown color with the natural streaks of blonde thrown in, giving it depth.

Squinting, she could see a few sprinkles of gray beginning to grow in, but she wasn’t overly concerned about them. She was almost fifty, after all. Okay, she still had a few years before she hit that milestone, but either way, fifty was just a number. She had roughly half her life left. And if she could spend those years with Jack, she’d be a very lucky woman.

Her blue eyes sparkled with anticipation, and while she kind of wished she had her nightie from the night before rather than the oversize T-shirt of Jack’s she’d borrowed, she dismissed the thought. It wasn’t as if she’d be wearing anything at all for long . . . she hoped.

A smile crept over her lips at the thought of waking up that morning to Jack in nothing but his briefs. The man had run out into the cold night with almost no clothes on because he was desperate to get to her. Yeah, she might get annoyed with him in the future, but all she had to do was remember last night and she had a feeling any annoyance would fade. He hadn’t even paused to put on pants or shoes. He’d raced to her side simply because she’d needed him.

Closing her eyes, April took a deep breath. Jack was overwhelming, but in the best way.

“April?” His deep voice came from the bedroom.

Her eyes opened, and she smiled again. Turning, she opened the door without hesitation.

Jack was standing in the middle of the room, looking a bit unsure about what he should do next. It was almost . . . cute. Jackson Justice wasn’t a man who was unsure about anything. He was used to making decisions about the business, as the leader of his Delta Force team, in emergencies. So seeing him standing in his own bedroom, looking vulnerable, made April love him all the more.

Yes, she loved this man. Now that her memories were back, she knew that without a doubt. She knew everything there was to know about him. And she admired all of it. The reason she’d felt so safe with him, despite having no memory of the man, made perfect sense now. Deep down, her unquestionable love for Jack made her yearn to be near him, stranger or no.

“You okay?” he asked when she simply stood in the bathroom doorway, staring at him.

“I’m perfect,” she said, feeling calm. She wanted this. Him.

She walked toward him slowly and didn’t stop until she was plastered against his front and her arms were around his neck. His own arms automatically wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

His lips twitched. “Yeah. But I’m not the one who’s had the headaches.”

“Well, my head feels fine right now.”

“You sure?”

April could tell he was asking about more than just how her head felt. “I’m more sure about being here, about making love with you, than anything I’ve ever done in my life. To be honest, I never thought we’d get here. I want to be with you, Jack. I’ve always wanted this. Always wanted you.”

She saw and felt the relief sweep through him. His arms tightened even as the rest of him relaxed. Well, all except for the part pressing against her belly. His cock was hard, and the thought of finally seeing it, touching it, having him inside her, made April squirm in his grip.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the bottom of the T-shirt she wore and pulled it up and over her head in a move that underscored his decisiveness. He wasn’t waiting. Wasn’t moving slowly. Now that they were here, about to make love, he wasn’t wasting another second.

April blushed as she forced herself to stand still under his intense gaze. She wasn’t wearing anything under his shirt, and it took every ounce of strength she had to let Jack look his fill.

The overhead light was still on, and every one of her flaws was on full display.

“Damn, woman . . . you’re so beautiful,” Jack breathed, before reaching for his own shirt. Within seconds, he was standing just as naked as she was. So handsome, it took April’s breath away.

They stood there inches apart, breathing hard, each taking in the other.

Then Jack blew her mind by lifting a hand and holding it near her face . . . but not touching. “May I?” he asked, seeking permission to touch her.

Any other man would’ve been on her by now. Would’ve grabbed her boob. Would’ve stuck his hand between her legs. But not Jack. He wanted to be sure she wanted this.

In response, April took his hand in hers and placed it on her cheek. “Yes. Please, Jack. I need you.”

He took a step forward, bringing his body flush with hers. She felt his hard cock against her belly, skin to skin now, and inhaled deeply. His other hand rested at the small of her back, and he roughly yanked her closer.

That small loss of control made April smile. That’s how she wanted this man. Not controlled and methodical but out of his mind with lust for her. Because that’s how she felt about him.

“I’m terrified of doing something to scare you. To turn you off,” he said in a low, almost tortured tone.

“You don’t scare me, and you definitely don’t turn me off,” she reassured him. “Make me yours, Jack.”

“You are mine,” he returned. “Have been for years, even if I was too chickenshit to admit it.”

God, April loved hearing that. She snaked one hand to his butt, the other clenching against his back. She squeezed his ass and smiled up at him. “I’ve wanted to do that forever. You have the best ass.”

He grinned. In turn, his hand went to her breast and squeezed. “I’ve wanted to do this for years. You have the best tits.”

April laughed. When she’d imagined how things would be if she and Jack ever got together, she’d never suspected they’d laugh together like they were, not with his focused, almost surly demeanor.

His fingers rolled her nipple and pinched gently. The slight pain went straight between her legs, and she could feel herself cream for him. April arched her back into his touch, and her fingernails dug into his butt cheek. “Please, Jack . . . please.”

“You don’t have to beg for anything, sweetheart,” he told her, his gaze glued to her chest where he was playing with her nipple. He began to walk them backward toward the bed. “I’m gonna love you so hard,” he promised, “you’re never going to want another man. You won’t even be able to think about anyone else.”

Goose bumps broke out on her arms. If any other man spoke to her that way, she’d probably roll her eyes and tell him he had an overinflated ego. But this was Jack, and she had a suspicion he was right.

The back of her knees touched the mattress, and Jack dropped his hands from her and motioned to the bed. “Scoot up.”

Keeping her gaze locked on his face, she did as he requested, quickly moving backward until she was sitting in the middle of his king-size bed. The same bed she’d slept on for the last week and dreamed about him joining her under the covers on.

Jack moved like a panther, sleek and smooth. He put one knee on the bed, then the other as he crawled closer. When he loomed over her, April lay back. He caged her in, lowering his naked body to hers. His cock brushed her thigh, branding her with his heat as it came to rest against her belly.

She grabbed hold of his biceps, which rippled as he stared down at her with his weight on his forearms. He didn’t say anything for a long moment.

“Jack?” she asked tentatively, not sure what he was waiting for.

“I’ve got condoms,” he said, seemingly out of the blue. “But I haven’t been with a woman in years. Not since I met you.”

The implication of that sank in, making April love him all the more.

“It’s always been you,” he went on. “Even when I didn’t want to admit it. Even when I told myself that nothing could happen because I’d break if you walked away. I was still yours.”

“My ex was the second man I’d ever been with, and we hadn’t made love for over a year before calling it quits.”

Jack blinked at her. “Seriously?”

April nodded. “Yeah.”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then they opened, and April swore they were even darker than they’d been a moment ago. “I can’t believe there weren’t scores of men who wanted in there.”

It was a crude statement, but April didn’t take offense. “I’m not exactly a Kardashian,” she said with a shrug.

“No, you’re a Marilyn Monroe.” He shifted, and one of his hands slowly caressed down the length of her body. “You’re curvy, and mysterious, and gorgeous . . . and all mine.”

April shivered and gripped his biceps harder. “If you stopped talking and started some action, I would be,” she sassed, her body practically vibrating from waiting.

He grinned, then got serious. “Where do we stand on pregnancy?”

April gaped. Was he really asking her if she wanted kids? Now? Besides, she thought they’d already talked about this. “What?”

“How do I protect you?”

Oh! He wasn’t literally asking her about future plans for children. Thank God. He was being a responsible adult, having the birth control talk.

“I had an ovarian cyst . . . when I was in my twenties,” she explained haltingly. “I had to have it removed, along with my ovary and fallopian tube. Only on that one side, but as a result of another cyst found the next year on my remaining ovary, my doctor put me on the pill. I’ve been on it for over twenty years now. It’s highly unlikely that I can get pregnant anyway, because of my age and all the other factors.” She was babbling now, but this was a little awkward. She’d never had the birth control talk with a man because she’d been married and James had known all about her medical history.

“You okay? Those cysts won’t come back?”

Her heart melted. Figured that he was lying on top of her, naked, anticipating what she hoped would be the best sex of her life, and the second he heard she’d had some sort of medical issue, all his attention was on her well-being. “I’m good.”

Jack nodded. “As I said before, I’ve got condoms.”

“Latex bothers me,” she blurted. “I don’t know if I’m allergic or what, but every time I’ve had sex with one—which was only with one guy, but still—I got a UTI. If you trust me, I’d prefer to go without. If that’s okay,” she added at the end, because she was nervous and couldn’t read the look on Jack’s face.

“Are you seriously asking me if it’s okay if I take you bare?” he asked.

“Um . . . yes?” April said uncertainly.

“Not only is it okay, it’s a fucking dream come true,” Jack rumbled. “Can I come inside you?”

April licked her lips and nodded, his words making her ridiculously hot.

Jack leaned down and put his forehead against hers. And he didn’t move for long seconds.

“Jack?”

“Give me a minute,” he whispered.

April wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but she did as he asked, running her hands up and down his back soothingly. After a moment, he lifted up and braced his hands on the mattress on either side of her. His gaze went down her body. He looked at her so adoringly, April squirmed beneath him.

“I never knew all those years ago that a simple game of chance would bring me the most important thing in my life. Would turn out to be such a gift.”

April’s eyes teared up at his words. He didn’t give her time to respond.

“I’m going to love every inch of your body tonight, April. Worship you. Show you how much you mean to me. I don’t deserve you, but I’m damn sure going to ruin you for any other man.”

“I’m okay with that, as long as I can do the same,” she retorted.

He grinned then. “This is gonna be fun,” he said—before he lowered himself quickly and latched his lips around one of her nipples.

April squealed and arched into him. He didn’t ease into his caress. He sucked hard on the stiff peak and shifted so he could take hold of her breast with his hand.

“Jack!” she exclaimed as she writhed beneath him.

His lips made a popping sound as he let go of her nipple, and he grinned at her. His fingers went to the nipple he’d just been feasting on, rolling it and pinching slightly. Again, electricity shot to the aching spot between her legs.

Jack didn’t speak, simply turned his attention to her other nipple and lowered his head.

How long he spent worshipping her breasts, April had no idea. She’d also had no idea she was so sensitive! She’d never had a man pay as much attention to her chest as Jack. Her pussy was dripping, and he hadn’t even touched her there.

“Jack, please,” she moaned as she grabbed a handful of his hair.

“Please what?” he asked, blowing across her stiff nipple.

“Touch me!”

“I am,” he reasoned, sounding very satisfied with himself as he played with both nipples now.

April let out a small growl and tried to push him onto his back. But of course she couldn’t move him. When she let out a dissatisfied grumble, he acquiesced and rolled them.

But as soon as she was on top, Jack’s hands went to her hips, and he pulled her up his chest.

April was embarrassed. She knew he could feel how drenched she was, since her legs were spread so wide over his chest she was leaving a trail of wetness on his skin. She wasn’t sure what he was doing when he continued to pull her forward, his intention not dawning on her until she was hovering over his face.

In her defense, she’d never had a man do this before. Yes, her ex had gone down on her, mostly at the beginning of their marriage, but it was obvious he’d never enjoyed the act, so she didn’t push for him to do it.

The way Jack stared and licked his lips made her thighs clench in anticipation. He grabbed a pillow and shoved it under his head, bringing his mouth closer to her pussy.

“I’ve dreamed about this moment forever. You like oral, hon?”

She shrugged and stared down at him, his gaze like a brand.

He grinned. “Guess we’ll find out.” And with that, he lifted his head, not taking his gaze from hers as he licked the slit between her legs.

April jerked in his grasp and braced herself on the headboard.

“Yeah, hang on, sweetheart.”

Then there was no more talking as Jack began to eat her out in earnest.

Dear Lord, April had never experienced anything like it. His hands on her thighs, holding her open to him; his tongue licking slow at first, then faster; the way he sucked on her clit; the sounds he made as he feasted on her.

Before long, her thighs shook from holding her own weight. April was terrified she’d somehow smother him, so she tried to keep herself way above his face. But he was having none of that. He growled, and the sound reverberated through her pussy, up her entire body, as he pulled her down roughly, making her widen her stance.

All thoughts of trying to protect Jack flew from her mind as she neared orgasm. She barely realized she’d started to undulate, searching for more direct stimulation on her clit. A frustrated sound escaped her lips when she wasn’t getting what she needed to come. His tongue felt amazing, but she needed more.

“Show me,” Jack ordered. “Touch yourself. Show me what you need to come.”

If April hadn’t been so turned on, so lost in the pleasure Jack was giving her, there was no way she’d have had the guts to touch herself. But she wanted to come so badly and was completely uninhibited at this point.

One of her hands unclenched painfully from the headboard, and she snaked it down her body. She frantically strummed her clit in the way she liked best as she chased the orgasm, which felt just out of reach.

“Holy hell, that’s hot,” Jack said. His hands were clamped around her thighs, basically holding her up, and she felt his tongue against her folds as she stroked herself. Her inner muscles clenched against nothing as she neared her peak, and April whimpered. She wanted to be filled, but there was no stopping her orgasm at this point.

She continued to rub herself as Jack licked and sucked at the juices dripping out of her body. Every last one of her muscles clenched as she stood at the precipice.

“Come for me, hon. I want to see it. Drench my face,” Jack ordered.

April barely heard the words as she was already flying over the edge.

She shook and trembled and felt Jack desperately licking her flesh as she orgasmed, his moans loud and deep. She lifted her hand from between her legs, and Jack immediately latched onto her clit. She shrieked and tried to pull away, but he had a firm grip on her legs and she couldn’t move.

What had been an amazing orgasm turned into something almost painful, in a good way, as Jack continued to stimulate her overly sensitive bundle of nerves.

She almost blacked out and could’ve sworn she felt the world sway around her, until she realized that was Jack sitting up and throwing her backward in one smooth motion. Then he was between her legs, and she could feel his cock notched against her extremely sensitive folds.

“I need you,” he growled.

April wondered what the hell he was waiting for, because she wanted him inside her more than she wanted to breathe—then she realized he was waiting for permission once more.

“Yes! Please, Jack. Inside me. Now!”

That was all he needed to hear. One second she was empty, and the next, she was so full it was almost painful.

Jack’s head lowered, and he kissed her. Hard and deep, almost desperately, as he held still inside her body, letting her adjust. April could taste herself on his lips and feel her juices all over his face. Sex had never been like this for her. Desperate, messy, and so damn passionate, she felt as if she was burning up from the inside out.

JJ felt as if he was going to combust. He’d always loved giving oral, but with April, it was a whole new experience. Seeing her masturbate inches from his face, feeling her fingers brush against his tongue as he licked her while she stroked her clit . . . it was hotter and more intimate than anything he’d ever experienced before.

When she’d come, he could literally see her inner muscles clenching, since she was spread open so wide right in front of his face. Seeing her juices seep out of her cunt, knowing her body was wet and ready for him, made him lose all control.

He’d thrown her to her back even as she was still coming and had his dick notched at her opening before he’d come to his senses at the last second. He’d never taken a woman without her consent, and he wouldn’t start now.

When she’d told him yes, JJ’s hips pushed forward without any input from his brain. One second he was panting with need, then he was buried inside the hottest, wettest, tightest pussy he’d ever had.

His nipples were hard against his chest, he could smell her juices all over his face and neck, and he still needed more. Cognizant that it had been a long time for her—even more so than it had for him—he continued to kiss April, trying to distract himself from the need to thrust.

It didn’t work. Feeling her tongue duel with his made him even more desperate.

JJ lifted his head and stared down at the woman he couldn’t live without, couldn’t imagine going a day without seeing for the rest of his life, and willed himself to calm down. To make this good for her.

To his amazement, April smiled. Her hands went from his neck to his chest, where they ran up and down, catching on his nipples and making him shudder.

“You’re big,” she whispered.

JJ smiled at that but couldn’t unclench his teeth enough to respond.

Then she moved her hips. It was just a tiny motion but enough to make his cock twitch deep inside her body. He knew he’d let loose a spurt of precome, and the image in his mind of coating her channel with his essence was so erotic, he was amazed he didn’t blow his load right then and there.

“Move, Jack. I need more!”

Slowly, he lifted his hips. The loss of her warmth around his cock was almost painful. Desperate not to hurt her, he slowly sank back inside her welcoming sheath.

“More,” April moaned again, trying to thrust up into him.

JJ took a deep breath. “I’m trying to go slow,” he managed to get out.

“Well, stop it!” she scolded. “I don’t want slow. I want you. Unrestrained. Wild. I want you to want me as much as I want you.”

A harsh snort left JJ as he stared down at April. “Impossible,” he said. Then added, “Hang on.”

April grinned.

If she wanted him out of control, she was about to get her wish.

JJ scooted his knees up a little on the mattress and hooked her knees in his elbows before resting his palms on the mattress. She was spread wide open for him now, and JJ couldn’t help but look down to where they were connected. His cock was buried so far inside her, all he could see was their pubic hair meshed together. He shifted his hips and was rewarded with the sight of his dick, covered in her juices, appearing from between her folds.

It was carnal, and erotic, and broke the last of JJ’s control.

He slammed back into her and barely registered their twin moans. He couldn’t stop now. She’d unleashed the beast, and his only goal was to fuck her hard and fast.

His hips flew, his cock thrusting in and out of her pussy. The sounds of their bodies smacking together as he entered and retreated turned him on even more. He never wanted this to end. Wanted to make love to her for hours.

Her hips attempted to meet his when he thrust inside her, but with the way he was holding her legs open, she didn’t have much leverage. April’s hands went to her tits, and she began to pinch her nipples. That made him even harder. She was so damn sexy, he couldn’t stand it.

“Touch yourself,” he ordered.

“What?” she gasped, her gaze unfocused.

“I want to feel you come on my cock. Touch yourself,” he repeated.

Without hesitation, one of her hands went between her legs.

“Watch me take you,” he told her. JJ knew he was being bossy, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her to see how beautiful they were together.

She reached for a pillow with her free hand and stuffed it under her head, giving her the height advantage she needed to see where they were joined.

Her fingers moved on her clit, brushing against his cock every time he pulled out, and it was all JJ could do not to come right then and there. But he gritted his teeth and held on. He really did want to feel her come on his dick.

Plunging into her body felt amazing, and as she pleasured herself, her inner muscles tightened around him, so JJ paused when he was as deep inside her as he could get. He looked down at the woman under him, and love almost overwhelmed him.

She wasn’t afraid of her sexuality. She touched herself in front of him with a total lack of restraint. There wasn’t an ounce of shyness in her when they were together like this, and he fucking loved it.

As they’d done when she was straddling his face, her muscles began to twitch violently as she neared her peak. He experienced her orgasm as her inner muscles squeezed and flexed around his cock. It was something he’d never felt before, and it was as fascinating as it was a turn-on.

His body once again moved without conscious thought. JJ fucked her harder, loving the way he had to fight to push through the spasming muscles of her pussy as she continued to orgasm.

“Yes, Jack! Oh yes!” she panted as she thrashed beneath him, pushing him closer and closer to the edge. April would never be the kind of lover who lay under him limply as he got off. No, she gave as good as she got; even now, she was grabbing at his ass, urging him to take her even harder and faster.

His orgasm came upon him without warning. One second he was enjoying the way her body felt around his dick, and the next, he’d slammed inside her and released his load.

He groaned, and the world went dark as he came. Spurt after spurt erupted from his dick as he orgasmed inside a woman without protection for the first time in his life. He actually felt the warmth of his own release surround his cock as he filled her. The strength in his arms gave way, and he collapsed on top of April, stopping himself from crushing her at the last second.

He lay there panting, trying to regain his equilibrium. His orgasm had turned him inside out, but almost as soon as he came back to himself, he wanted to do it again.

Lifting his head, he peered down at April.

She had a satisfied smile on her face and was grinning up at him. “Hey,” she said lazily.

JJ didn’t bother to answer; his head dropped, and he kissed her. This time it was a slow, intense meeting of lips and tongues. He wanted to thank her. Let her know how much he loved her. Worshipped her.

When he finally lifted his head, she licked her lips, and he felt her inner muscles tighten around his cock, which was still buried inside her.

“Am I crushing you?”

“No,” she said, even as she nodded.

JJ put a hand on her ass, holding her against him, then rolled until she was on top. To his immense relief, she wiggled a little, getting comfortable, then rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel their combined juices leaking out from where they were connected, onto his balls and sheets, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered but holding his woman.

“How’s your head?” he asked after a moment.

“What head?” she mumbled.

JJ chuckled. Then sobered. Jesus, he’d been so rough with her. It hadn’t been that long ago that she’d been in the hospital.

“No,” April said in that same lazy tone.

“No what?” JJ asked.

“No, you aren’t allowed to second-guess the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”

He relaxed. “How’d you know what I was thinking?”

“Because I know you, Jackson Justice. You’re a worrywart. You worry about your friends, about the business, and now you’re worrying that what we just did was too rough. For the record, it wasn’t.” Her head lifted, and she stared at him. “Unless you’re regretting it. Unless I was too . . . uninhibited.”

JJ couldn’t help it; he laughed. “The only thing I regret is that it’s over. You were perfect, sweetheart.”

She sighed in relief and lowered her head back to his shoulder. “Whew! I don’t know where all that came from. I’ve never been like that before. But you didn’t seem to mind, so I just did what felt good.”

“I always want you to be that way with me,” JJ told her.

“I will. And same goes for you. You are so unbelievably sexy. I’m still pinching myself that you’re with me. I do have one complaint, though . . .” Her words trailed off.

JJ stiffened. “What’s that?”

“I didn’t get to explore you. Taste you.”

Now his body stiffened for a different reason. “You want that?”

“Duh,” she said, and he felt her smile against his skin.

“As soon as I get the strength to pull out of your warm, soft body, maybe I’ll give you a chance.”

She laughed, and he felt it in his cock. “You can’t stay in there forever.”

“Wanna bet?” he retorted. It was a stupid argument, but he didn’t care, and it seemed as if April didn’t either, since her inner muscles clenched around him.

“Careful, love,” he whispered, just as he felt his softened cock slip out of her pussy.

“Shoot,” she mumbled.

JJ grinned and shook his head.

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

JJ swore his heart stopped beating at hearing those words.

“I’m not saying it to pressure you into anything. But life is short. I’ve learned that the hard way, and I didn’t want to go one more day without telling you. Nothing has to change, I just—”

JJ rolled once more. He took her head in his hands and stared down at her. “You’re wrong. Everything’s changed.”

She bit her lip as she stared at him.

“Because I love you too. You’re braver than I’ll ever be for saying it first.”

“Whatever,” she whispered, but he saw tears form in her eyes.

“And as I said, this changes everything. I warned you before that if we did this, I’d become even more protective and overbearing. And now it’s a done deal. Knowing you love me? I’ve never wished for anything more in my life than to hear those words. I’m gonna swaddle you in Bubble Wrap and keep you in an orgasm haze, right here in my bed, so nothing can hurt you ever again.”

JJ was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it.

April simply rolled her eyes. “I don’t mind you being protective, but holding me hostage in your bed seems a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“No.”

She giggled, but the sound died when JJ moved and she felt his hardening cock against her thigh.

“Again?” she asked, one brow raised in surprise.

“Yes,” he said, as he reached down and took hold of his cock and fed it back into her body.

April moaned and arched her back, but her legs opened wider, welcoming him.

This time their lovemaking was slow and sweet . . . for the most part. It wasn’t until JJ sat back on his heels and held April on his lap, stroking her clit and feeling her explode around him once more, that he lost control.

After he’d filled her with his come for a second time, he shuffled them around so they were lying properly on the bed, and she fell asleep on his chest.

Still awake, JJ took a deep breath. She probably thought he was kidding about the protective thing, but he’d been through enough hell to understand how precarious life was. He couldn’t lose her. It would literally kill him.

Turning his head, JJ kissed April’s forehead. She mumbled in her sleep and clutched him tighter as she shifted against him. The overhead light was still on, the sheet was bunched under his ass, April was hogging the blanket, and he could feel the stickiness from their releases between his legs, on his face, and in the wet spot beneath him. But JJ had never been more comfortable.

It would be the most difficult thing he’d ever done, not locking April in his house like he’d threatened. He didn’t want to stifle her, and hell, Jack’s Lumber needed her. But she’d simply have to get used to having him hover from here on out. She was like a precious glass flower in the middle of a field of boulders. He’d be her force field, making sure nothing and no one touched her. And God help anyone who tried to hurt what he’d searched for his entire life.