Page 199 of Under Her Skin
‘So pretty,pretty.’
She hit his hand away and he grabbed her wrist. For a moment, she could see nothing but murder in his eyes. Then he smiled, turned her hand over and kissed it. He dropped her hand and walkedout.
Trembling, Jess got up and threw her clothes on, grabbing her purse, skittering down the grand staircase and out to her ancient Gremlin. What the hell had she been thinking? She had to get out ofhere.
Now.
Theo had sleptin his car outside her apartment when it became clear she wasn’t in. He’d left a thousand messages on her voicemail. Her silence was the loudest thing in his life. He woke now, stiff and aching. He opened the door and almost rolled his huge frame out of the car. He stretched and rubbed his hands through his short dark curls. His chest hurt with the fear that he’d lost Jess and for what? A stupid misunderstanding. He didn’t blame Max, it had been a ‘funny story’ to tell, he would have had no way of knowing she would react the way she did. Theo could not get it straight in his head. Why the hell would she think that he had been lying to her all this time? He gave a short bark of laughter. All of this time. What was it, amonth?
He sighed and turned,leaning against the car, was about to call her again when a movement caught his eye. He turned his head and saw her, at the end of the street getting out of her car. She looked exhausted. She saw him and froze, her eyes wide and wary. He hesitated for a brief second then walked towards her, afraid she was would skitter away fromhim.
‘Please. Please, Jess,wait...’
Jess wavered but stayed still and as he reached her, he was shocked by the distress in her eyes, the thick violet circles under her eyes. He reached out to touch her face. She ducked away at first but when he caught her face in his hands, she stiffened and relaxed, seeming to slump into his touch. He tipped her chin up so he could look into those beautifuleyes.
‘Jess…what Max told you, it was a joke. A coincidence. A drunken bet which has nothing, nothing to do with us. Nothing. I love you. I could lose every penny I have, every home or ridiculous extravagance I surround myself with and I’ll still be the richest man on the planet because I hadyou.’
He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. ‘You are my world, Jessica Wood. I would die foryou.’
That got her. She exhaled shakily and leaned against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her tightly for a second then she pulled away. He bent his head to kiss her but she shook herhead.
Stung, he drew back but she smiled then. ‘I haven’t brushed my teethyet.’
He laughed, relieved, and she took his hand and led him into herapartment.
Jess brushedher teeth the minute she got the apartment, with Theo stripping her even as she brushed. She rinsed, reaching in to crank the shower on as Theo shed his own clothes then pulled him under the spray with her. He kissed her finally, his mouth fierce against hers, his fingers tangled in her hair. She pressed her body against his, feeling the hard chest against her nipples, his already stiffening cock against her thigh. God, this is all she wanted, his skin on hers, his mouth against her lips. Theo swept his hands under her buttock and lifted her so he could plunge his cock deep into her and she cried out as the force of his thrust slammed her back against thewall.
‘I’msorry…’
But she shook her head. ‘No… harder… Theo…please…’
They fucked almost violently,clawing at each other, biting, scratching, wanting consume the other. Theo manoeuvred her so they lay on the bathroom floor, her legs hitched high around his waist, his hips ramming against hers as he drove deeper into her, his lips against her throat, kissing and murmuring his love for her over and over. Jess squeezed her thighs, locking him inside her and Theo trapped her hands under his, forcing them above herhead.
Jess felt totally naked and open and vulnerable and she loved every minute, delicious delirium screaming through her brain, through her body. She tilted her hips so he could slam into her as deep as he could and cried out her excitement as he bit down on her shoulder. Her orgasm made her almost demented withpassion.
Afterwards, they lay, their limbs entangled, breathless and sated. Theo smoothed the damp hair from her forehead and smiled down ather.
‘Don’t ever runfrom me again, myJessie.’
She brushed her lips against his. ‘I promise. I’m sorry that I didn’t give you the chance to explain. I just…I don’t find it easy to trust, especially…’ – and she grinned ruefully – ‘very rich and handsome young men. I’m sorry if that offendsyou.’
She sawthe hurt in his eyes but he nodded. ‘Understood. Then it’s up to me to prove you can trust thisone.’
She stroked his cheek. ‘We have time to work this all out. Unless – ‘ and she stuck her tongue into her cheek and grinned, ‘-of course, you need to get married by Christmas, save yourself somemoney.’
Theo rolled his eyes. ‘Neither Max or I were serious when we made that bet. He just thought I was working toohard.’
‘Wereyou?’
Theo considered. ‘Maybe – although I’ve certainly made up for that this last month.’ He moved his body on top of hers and she revelled in the weight of him, chest to chest, belly to belly. Her legs, with a mind of their own, twined around his hips. Theo looked down at her, his eyes suddenlyserious.
‘Jess…you’re not the only one who’s overwhelmed. I’ve never felt like this before, I didn’t even know it could be like this. We fit so perfectly, it seems, but yeah, we’re gonna find some obstacles, have some misunderstanding, going to disagree on stuff. If you’re not ready to share certain things yet, that’s fine. Let’s just promise to be open, honest. Please just don’t run away without giving me the opportunity to make itright.’
Jess nodded,tears glistening in her eyes. He always seemed to know exactly what to say, she thought and as he kissed her, she found herself with an undefinable ache in the centre of her chest. She wanted to tell him about Jules, what he had done to her, what he still might do to her, feel the protection of Theo’s arms, know it was over forever and she wassafe.
But not today. Today she wanted to forget that last night ever happened. She knitted her fingers into Theo’s hair and kissed him back, wanting to taste every part of him. Theo shifted his weight and she drew in a deep, shaky breath as his cock, diamond hard and huge, pushed into herslowly.
Theo’sgreen eyes burned into hers as he began to move and in and out of her, thrusting harder each time. She lost herself in his gaze, every nerve ending on her skin onfire.
