Jason (Blue Halo Book 2)

“Ican’t keep letting you sleep on the couch.”

Jason chuckled softly at Courtney’s stern words as he rinsed another dish and placed it in the dishwasher. Her place was small, but he kind of liked that. It made it easy to keep her in his sight. Fewer entry and exit points.

“I told you, Court, I don’t mind.”

Her little huff nearly had him laughing. “It’s been almost a week. Your spine must be permanently curved by now.”

Five days, in fact. Helen was still in the hospital, and Bernie at the vet. They’d both probably still be there for a few more days. Eddie, however, was home and recovering well.

He shot a glance over his shoulder. She’d stopped wiping down the island and was now standing behind him, hands on hips. She reminded him of an angry pixie with her high pigtail buns and multicolored short dress.

When he grinned, the little red dots on her cheeks deepened.

“That’s it. I’m sleeping on the couch and you’re not stopping me.”

He put the last dish into the machine, then turned to dry his hands on a tea towel. “You’re not.”

“Wanna bet?” She pivoted, just about marching out of the room.

Rather than follow, Jason stepped into the living room and waited. He was actually intrigued to see what she’d do. Would she just camp out on the couch and think he wasn’t going to move her?

A couple of minutes passed, then she stepped back into the room, the scent of peppermint and flowers infusing the air. She wore an oversized T-shirt that almost hit her knees. The outline of her nipples pushed against the soft fabric showing that there was nothing between her breasts and the top.

Blood roared in his ears, arousal flooding his system.

She’d barely made it halfway to the couch when he was in front of her. He only just kept the rumble from his voice. “You’re not sleeping there.”

“I am.”

She tried to step around him, but he was there, in front of her, touching distance. “You’re not.”

One brow lifted. “How are you going to stop me, Jason? Carry me to the bed and physically restrain me for the entire night?”

Fuck. That was not a good image to put in his head right now. And damn but her sass was making him harder.

He took a small step closer, his hand rising to her chin, thumb grazing across her bottom lip. “Courtney, could you just listen to me for once?”

Something dark, almost molten, flashed through her eyes. “I’ve never been a good listener.”

Her words vibrated through him. Her heated breath touched his finger. His hand. Burning him. He lowered his head, lips almost touching her ear. “You’re not. Sleeping. On. The couch.”

Two delicate, warm hands rose, grazing his neck before running through his hair. “Well, I mean, we could both sleep in the bed?”

Desire, hot and intense, cascaded through his limbs, her words like a rough caress across his skin.

When he lifted his head, he saw the slight parting of her lips. The softened eyes. The yearning. Then her tongue poked out of her mouth, wetting her lips, taunting him.

He dove, crashing his lips onto hers and lifting her against him in one fell swoop.

There was no soft and gentle. No warming up to it. The kiss was heavy and intense. It was his tongue diving into her mouth. Taking. Giving. Both of them surrendering to each other.

She wiggled her hips, rubbing her core against him, fingers tugging at his hair. His breath hissed out of his chest, his normally perfect self-restraint in tatters.

Stepping forward, he pressed her against the wall, her cry matching the internal one of his own. The sleep shirt rode up her legs and he took advantage of her exposed flesh, sliding his hand up her thigh, her waist.

He’d barely skimmed over her rib cage before he was taking one perfect mound in his hand, strumming his thumb over the pebbled nipple.

Another spine-tingling whimper hissed from her lips.

“Tell me you want this.” His voice barely sounded like his own. It was too deep. Too gruff.

“I want you, Jason. And if you stop, I might kill you.”

He smiled against her lips before plunging back inside, swirling his tongue around Courtney’s. Wrenching his lips away, he bent slightly, yanking her shirt up and taking a taut nipple into his mouth, sucking it between his teeth and flicking it with his tongue.

Her whimpers became cries, desire evident in the pounding of her heart.

He released the nipple with a pop, switching to the other one, before he forced his head up and his legs to move. Seconds later, he was lowering her to the bed, hovering over her, pressing his hardness into her soft.

Reaching for the bottom of her top, he tugged it up. Her back arched, desperate fingers grabbing at the material along with him. Next, they worked on his own shirt and jeans. Pulling everything off.

Finally, he took each of her hands in his own, threading their fingers, pressing them beside her head to the mattress. He returned to her mouth, resting his front against hers. The heat, the spine-tingling desire, burned between them.

The woman stole his breath. His focus. His sanity. She robbed him of every little bit of restraint he possessed.

Slowly, he grazed a hand down her side, pausing at her breast, gently squeezing, before continuing down to her core. When he reached her panties, he eased beneath the material, then slipped his fingers between her folds.

The jolt from Courtney had his blood simmering.

He moved his fingers in a tight, circular motion. At first slowly. Softly. Then, he increased the pressure. Learning what she liked. What caused her back to arch and her breath to seize.

A red haze clouded her vision. It was the shade of fire. Of need. Of deep-seated hunger.

Every swipe had the throbbing in her lower abdomen intensifying. Had her teetering closer to the edge.

His lips left her mouth, grazing down the column of her exposed neck, her chest, down her ribs, before hovering over the thin material covering her.

Jason’s fingers grasped the edges of her panties, tugging them down her thighs, her calves. Then he was parting her legs.

Her breath stopped in her throat. For a second, cool air danced over her clit. Then his head descended, mouth covering her.

Courtney’s body nearly levitated off the bed, but he weighed her down in the most delicious way. Pleasure pounded in her core. The air thickened, her mind cloudy with desire as he sucked and swiped at her.

She was just there, moments from shattering, when he rose to his feet. The air whooshed out of her chest. Her whimper was one of desperation to tug him back to her.

Jason’s gaze didn’t leave her as he pushed his briefs to the floor. Her gaze dropped. He stood before her bare, looking huge and fierce and dangerous.

He opened the bedside drawer she indicated, donning a condom, then crawled back onto the bed, his eyes predatory. The man looked like he was about to claim her. Body and soul.

An excited, almost nervous churning began to flutter through her stomach as he positioned himself over her, his thickness between her thighs. She widened her legs, welcoming him.

His hand rose to her cheek, holding her. “You’re so damn beautiful, Courtney.”

Her eyes almost shuttered at his touch. His words. She just kept them open, not daring to lose him.

Slowly, he eased inside, stretching her. Filling her.

Her world slowed. Everything around her blurred. Everything, except for him.

His gaze held her hostage, watching her with a silent ferocity. For a second they were both still. A moment of quiet in the middle of a storm. Then she tugged his head down, fusing her lips to his again.

The first thrust of his hips had her core clenching. The throbbing intensified. Then he thrust a second time. A third.

She threw her head back, panting for air that was only just reaching her lungs.

His pace increased, her cries piercing the room. They were anguished sounds, physically torn from her chest.

The throbbing in her core began to sharpen, her desperation tormenting her.

Suddenly, he withdrew, pulling out of her completely. She gave a soft cry of protest. Jason chuckled before flipping her over like she weighed nothing. Grabbing a pillow, he pushed it under her hips. Then his heat surrounded her. And he was entering her again.

Courtney gasped as he began to drive in and out of her body in deep, even strokes, hitting a new spot inside that had her toes curling and her senses on overload.

His mouth went to her neck, kissing, sucking. One of his hands found her nipple, grazing the peak.

She tried to move but was trapped beneath his large form, his strength and size dwarfing her. Caging her. When he tweaked her nipple, she teetered closer to the edge, a sharp cry breaking from her lips.

His thrusts quickened, his breaths against her skin growing heavier. The hand on her breast moved down her body, where he swiped across her clit. The orgasm slammed into her core, ripping through her system. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound left her lips.

He continued to drive into her, prolonging the orgasm, demanding everything she had until his loud growl penetrated the room. Finally, his hips slowed, his head shifting from her neck and settling against her back.

She wasn’t sure how long they remained like that, unable to move. Speak. Captured within a moment of pleasure and exhaustion and deep emotion.

When Jason finally slid out of her, she almost whimpered at the loss. He dropped to the side, pulling her against him.

She curled into him, her body still coming down. Still throbbing.

“That was amazing,” she whispered, exhaustion barely allowing the words out.

His arm tightened, a soft kiss pressed to her forehead as sleep began to lull her into oblivion. “You’re amazing.”