Page 69 of Carry Me Home
The wheels turned as the float moved forward. They blocked my view of the street, but I kept my gaze locked on the spot where I had seen him. The wheels passed and?—
He wasn’t there.
Shit, he wasn’t there.
I shot to my feet, my head pivoting like a weathervane in a bipolar storm, eyes frantically roving the crowd. Where the hell was he?
There.
Jack moved through the crowd like he was pushing aside paper dolls instead of real people. My heart beat so hard I could feel it in my eardrums. My breath came in shallow, rapid pants.
He’s coming.
I was fucked. Figuratively and soon to be literally. Adrenaline tunneled my vision and made my limbs shake. My belly fluttered like a million butterflies had taken flight. Fear. Arousal.
Run!my brain shrieked again.
This time I listened.
My eyes locked on his determined face, I scrambled backward, bumping into people as I went, one step, then another—oh, god, he was gaining on me—I squeezed between two women and let their bodies protect my own.
I whirled and ducked, fighting my way through the throng. The crowd was too tight for me to truly run, and frustration made me clumsy and stupid. But there—a break in the bodies. Freedom. I bolted toward it, toward the alley beyond it. I was so close! I could make it. My feet moved faster, buoyed by hubris.
I never stood a chance.
Right before I veered into the alley, I turned around. Just to see how close the danger really was. Too close, it turned out. Jack lunged forward. All the breath left me in an audible whoosh as his arm wrapped around my waist and lifted me off my feet. He spun us in a dizzying circle, moving us deeper into the alley, almost like we were dancing, until the momentum landed me against the store wall.
My ass hit the brick with enough force to make me wince. My head would have done the same, but his hand got there first, protecting me from the worst of it.
I was surrounded by him, effectively caged in by a hard wall and a body that might as well have been a hard wall. Honestly, I would have a better shot at knocking down the bricks as moving him. We matched each other breath for heavy breath as we stared at each other, my breasts brushing against his muscled chest with every intake of air.
And, god, I was soawareof it—aware of everything.
The scratch of brick against my bare calves. My hard nipples straining against the soft cotton of my bra. The hot, slick feeling between my legs. And the gentle stroke of his thumb against the nape of my neck.
It was that tender touch that made my bones turn to water.
“Hurt?” he asked curtly.
I shook my head. “How did you find me so fast?” The words came out grumpy, but I couldn’t help it. If I had known he meant every word, this wasn’t the place I would have chosen tobe caught. Sure, knowing someone could walk by and see us at any second was a turn on. But it smelled like pee.
“I never lost you.” He squeezed my nape and then slowly skimmed his hand down the curves of my body like he was taking inventory of what was his. “You’re all I see, Janie. I couldn’t look away from you if I tried.”
It was threat and promise, danger and safety, all rolled into one. I shivered in the sudden chill as the shade of the building enveloped my damp, overheated skin. His jaw clenched tight, a muscle popping in his cheek, as his gaze roved over my face.
“I was very clear on the rules, Ace. I fuck you where I find you.” He hooked his index finger in the waistband of my shorts, his thumb running over the metal button, toying with it. Toying withme. “Were you ready to be found?”
“No,” I admitted.
His fist closed around my waistband, pulling the fabric taut until the seam wedged between my pussy lips. I gasped and then whimpered as he shifted even closer. Outside the alley, the noise of the crowd pitched higher. My heart damn near pounded out of my chest with it.
Jack’s eyes were shards of blue ice as he looked down at me, his grip still tight on my shorts. “Tell me you’re not wet.” He lowered his head to mine and nipped small, sharp bites along my jaw. I tilted my face to give him better access because even here, like this, I couldn’t resist his touch. “You can’t, can you? Because it would be a lie, and you’re a terrible liar.”
I fisted his shirt in my hands, but even I didn’t know if I intended to push him away or pull him closer.
“God, I want to fuck you. Ineedto fuck you.” His voice was hoarse and frayed. “Tell me I can. Please.”
Everything snapped into focus. The fear, adrenaline, and arousal were all still there, but so was a heady rush of something else altogether. Something I had experienced precious little of inmy lifetime. I feltpowerful.This incredible, strong, lethal man was under my control. He would never hurt me, not as long as he had breath in his body.
