Page 67 of The Heiress

“Not a problem. Riddick has things handled. Let’s get out of this hell hole.”

* * *

I took a very long,very hot shower when we got back to the club. The hot water never seemed to end—and it also didn’t seem to be able to wash away the night, no matter how long or hard I scrubbed.

I sat on the corner of the bed, wrapped in my towel, shaking.

Jace slipped into the room and immediately panicked. “What’s wrong?” He fell to his knees in front of me and grabbed my shoulders.

“They wanted to kill you tonight.” I was not in the mood to play word games or dance around facts.

He froze. Became stone. And then, “Yes.”

Tears began to spill out of my eyes even though I wasn’t crying. Just raw sadness and fear building up inside me until it boiled over. “They wanted to kill you.” I began to hyperventilate. I couldn’t stop picturing Jace dead, blood pouring out of his chest.

“Sam.” His voice was firm. Demanding. “Real life is ugly. Lots of people want me dead. A few people wouldn’t mind seeing you disappear again, too.”

“No.”

He blinked.

“No!” I said louder, firmer. Like a judgement coming up from my soul. “You cannot die. I refuse to die. They can’t kill us just because theywantto.” I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I want you.”

He cupped my face. “I want you too.”

“No. Not justwant.I want our life. I don’t want someone to take it from us because that’s just how it is. They can’t just walk in and kill us.”

“They won’t. I won’t allow it. That’s why I’m the biggest, scariest motherfucker around.”

A man I didn’t know at all. My Jace was kind and sweet. The man he kept describing was a stranger. I slid down, my knees outside his, and let my towel fall away. “Show me.”

His eyes widened with panic. “Show you what, Sam?” His voice was hard.

I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and threaded them into his hair. My breasts smashed against his chest. “Show me this other Jace. The one who everyone is scared of.”

“No.” He held perfectly still. Granite.

I ground against him, kissing his cheeks and lips. “Let me see you.”

He held me back, his eyes darting between mine. “Ineverwant you to see that side of me. Ever.”

“They came tokillyou.” I held nothing back. I let the shivers of fear shake my body, let the fear push tears out of my eyes, let Jace see how wrecked I was at the idea of being out of control.

His jaw set and he came to some sort of decision. “I am two people, it’s true. But in the end they’re bothme.And you know me.” He did what I’d just done. His hand snaked around my neck and into my hair, making a gentle fist, while his other hand stroked between my legs, through my folds, lightly massaged the tip of my clit. “The only difference is that this other Jace is more decisive. More demanding.” He illustrated this by holding me in place while he pleasured me. “He takes what he wants.” He lowered his mouth to my breasts, teasing my nipple in slow circles with his tongue before he sucked it into his mouth, releasing it with a pop that made my core clench.

He slipped a finger inside me and began to stroke at my G-spot. “Heknowswhat he wants because he’s planned for it. Every contingency. Anyone can turn traitor. Anyone can be turned into a temporary ally.” He toyed with my other nipple. Slow circles, then flicks, then suction. My breathing grew deeper as I rode his finger. “See? A little coaxing and here you are, doing exactly what I want.” Then he blinked andmyJace returned. “I don’t want to manipulate you, Sam. I just want to love you.”

I sucked a kiss to his throat. “Thank you.” And then another. I kept riding his finger. “But maybe sometimes you can be both in the bedroom?”

He choked on a surprised laugh. “Um. What?”

I leaned up and kissed his lips. “Demanding Jace is hot, in case you couldn’t tell.”

He jumped again, his muscles twitching. “Uh, yes. Actually, I can.” He slipped in a second finger and massaged harder.

“I like making love with you. I do. But sex can be where we show all sides of ourselves, no? The needy, the sad, the demanding…” I didn’t want him to hide an entire piece of himself from me. “In here we can be who we are. It’s safe here. If you want to be sweet, be sweet. But if you need to be someone else, you can be him too.”

He groaned and adjusted himself behind his zipper. “Is there another side of Samantha Rossi I should know about?”

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