Every Road Leads Back To You

EVERY ROAD LEADS BACK TO YOU

Kori Roberts

® www.loose-id.com

Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id® e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

***** This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable.

Every Road Leads Back to You Kori Roberts This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-2924 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com

Copyright © July 2007 by Kori Roberts All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 978-1-59632-508-1 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Ann M. Curtis Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter

www.loose-id.com

Chapter One

Tonight was the night. It had to be. She was leaving for college tomorrow, and Clarke Adams was determined to experience this, experience him, before she left. She’d been trying to get Jackson “Jack” Parker to notice her since she first met him four years ago. Only fourteen at the time, she’d stood five feet and weighed one hundred pounds, just a skinny little girl -- and about as curvy as a straight line. And Jackson was a cop, partner and best friend to her surrogate brother, Tony. Clarke was so obsessed with Jack she’d spent the past several years coming up with as many ways to be around him as possible, paying attention to his and Tony’s work schedule and making sure she volunteered to help out at Clarke’s Café, the restaurant her father Pops owned. Jack always stopped in at the café on the days he was off duty. But no matter how hard Clarke tried, she knew that a man as fine as Jack, who could have any woman he wanted, only saw her in one light: as his best friend’s sort-of little sister who had a huge crush on him. Yeah, she was jonesing for him badly, and now that she was eighteen, Clarke was going for what she wanted. Although she was no longer the straight line she used to be, she knew she wouldn’t be considered voluptuous by any stretch of the imagination. But after waiting for what seemed like an eternity, she’d finally blossomed, developing breasts that required more than a training bra, hips that were actually wider than her waist, and a small, but firm and rounded ass that filled out her jeans quite nicely. Jack may have thought of her as a little girl before, but she was determined to change all of that tonight. It didn’t matter that he was a whole decade older. Clarke had wanted him from the moment she’d first laid eyes on him, and she was determined to make that happen tonight.

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Sounds from outside pulled Clarke from her reverie, and she jumped from the bed, cautiously peeking out the window. It was almost midnight and the street was quiet. Clarke frowned. She looked in both directions but didn’t see anything. Shrugging, she assumed she was hearing things and climbed back into bed. She stretched out and moved her hands slowly over her breasts, closing her eyes as she imagined that the hands belonged to Jack. Gently rolling her nipples between her thumb and forefinger, sparks of pleasure shot from the hardened tips straight down to her pussy. Clarke moaned low. One hand abandoned the breast it played with and headed south toward her soft, smooth, and hairless mound, which she’d freshly waxed just for this occasion. Clarke rubbed her fingers up and down her slit, then gently pushed inside to circle her clit. The sensation was so intense she cried out and raised her hips off the bed. She was soaking wet, her fingers slick with her juices. Clarke brought her glistening fingers to her lips and tasted herself as she sucked on them, moaning as she imagined that it was Jack’s cock in her mouth instead. Clarke had never had sex before, but she had a very active imagination. She’d fantasized frequently while pleasuring herself, always imagining that it was Jack making her wet; making her scream; making her come. Her mind wandered back to a different night a few months ago, during Pops’ fiftieth birthday party at her house, when she’d accidentally walked in on Jack and one of the women from the party fucking in a guest room. The woman’s wrists had been stretched above her head and bound tightly by his leather belt to the bedpost. Her skirt had been bunched up around her waist, and the muffled sounds from the other guests that filtered into the room when Clarke opened the door drowned out her moans and pleas for more. They had their backs to Clarke, so they never knew she was there, watching them in fascination and longing, as Jack thrust into the woman from behind, her cries of pleasure and release echoing through the room. Clarke remembered how her entire body ached with need as she looked on, wishing desperately that she was the woman that Jack had tied to the bed; that Jack fucked; that Jack wanted. Placing her hand back on her nether lips, Clarke resumed playing with her clit, alternating between sharp pinches followed by gentle strokes to ease the sting. Lips parted, her breath came in soft pants. God, it felt so good. It was always like that when she imagined Jack fucking her. She was sure the reality would be so much better than the fantasy once it finally happened. Her body was on fire. Clarke’s heart beat furiously as she worked her clit, then rolled her nipples even faster. Her gyrating hips pressed against her hand as she raced towards her orgasm, wishing, needing more than just her fingers to give her this pleasure. So hot, so close, so --

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The room suddenly flooded with light. “What the fuck are you doing in my bed?” The voice of her dreams thundered through the room, putting an abrupt end to her fantasy and leaving her hanging on the edge of a climax.

***** Jack was hallucinating. There was no other explanation for what he was seeing. It was either that or admit that she had finally made him lose his fucking mind. He’d spent the last few hours suffering through a party and trying to ignore the guest of honor, who happened to be the hot little piece of ass currently in his bed. She’d been haunting his dreams and waking thoughts for what seemed like forever. And he’d been trying for equally as long to ignore the looks, the not-so-innocent touches, and those fucking killer smiles that always made him hard. Made him melt. Made him want things a twentyeight-year-old man had no business wanting from an eighteen-year-old, barely legal jailbait girl. Which is why he’d gone so far as to hook up with Amber, who he knew from experience would be up for giving him the nice hard ride he needed to help get him through the night without ending up in jail or dead. Or both. It just wasn’t fair. Jack had been fighting a losing battle against the growing attraction he’d felt for Clarke, knowing he had no business looking at her as anything other than a little sister.

Yeah, right. Tell that to his cock, which got rock hard each time Clarke strutted through the restaurant, her tight shorts cupping that perfect ass, fitted T-shirts molding against her firm round breasts. No, Jack didn’t have any business wanting her, but it didn’t change the fact that he practically ached with the need to have her. Christ. He still didn’t know what happened. It was like she’d transformed overnight. One minute she was this sweet, young, innocent girl, and the next thing he knew, she’d turned into a walking wet dream. And he wasn’t the only one to notice, either. Tony was going crazy, too, working overtime, trying to keep the boys and grown-ass men who should know better away from her. Men like him. And, it didn’t help that Clarke never seemed to have gotten over her childhood crush for him. The older she got, the bolder she’d become with her flirtations. It was taking all of Jack’s willpower not to grab her, rip off her clothes, and sink his cock into that young, sweet pussy. Tony would kick his ass if he knew even half the things going through his mind about Clarke. And he couldn’t blame him. Hell, he needed to kick his own ass. But he couldn’t seem to control it. The older Clarke got, the more he craved her. And now here she was, gloriously naked in his bed, looking good enough to eat. God knows, Jack had envisioned her just like this on more occasions than he cared to admit.

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Oh man, he was so fucked. “What the hell is going on here, Jack?” Amber’s voice rang in his ear. “And, who is this…child in your bed?” she demanded. “I’m not into group sessions, Jack. I don’t share what’s mine.” Jack was so distracted by the sight of Clarke in his bed, he’d forgotten for a moment that Amber was there. He’d told her to wait for him downstairs. She obviously hadn’t listened and followed him upstairs anyway. She peered over his shoulder and glared at Clarke, who cowered in his bed, clutching the sheets in front of her with that deer-in-theheadlights look on her face. “And since when did you start liking chocolate?” She looked at Clarke with contempt. “I thought you had better taste than that. You always seemed to prefer vanilla when you needed to satisfy your sweet tooth.” Jack heard Clarke’s sharp intake of breath and watched her body suddenly became very tense. He saw the tears shining in her eyes. “Shut up, Amber!” he barked, turning towards her, blocking her view of Clarke. “Get back downstairs and wait for me like I told you to.” Amber’s face reddened, her green eyes flashed with anger. “No, I will not shut up, and I will not go back downstairs,” she hissed. “What? You think I’m just going to stand around and wait for you to finish up with this bitch? How dare you try and throw me to the side in favor of some fucking little nig --” The look on his face stopped her in mid-sentence. “I have never hit a woman in my life,” Jack spoke with deadly calm, his voice as hard as steel, “but I promise you this; if you finish that sentence, it will happen. Right here. Right now.” His nostrils flared, his jaw clenched in barely contained anger. “And you’re right. You’re not going to wait for me downstairs. You’re going to get the hell out of my house. Now!” he bellowed, and without a word, Amber turned and practically ran down the stairs. A few moments later, he heard the door slam. Jack took a deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions -- not to mention his raging hard-on. He saw movement behind him and turned around in time to see Clarke’s dress go over her head and slither down her body. His view was brief, but he saw enough to know she wasn’t wearing anything else underneath. Jack bit back a moan, his cock throbbing like a toothache. He was so hard he felt like it would burst through his zipper at any moment. “Jesus, Clarke! What in the hell are you doing here? Like this? What were you thinking, huh? I could have shot you!” He paced around the room, frustration and anger rolling off of him. “And how did you even get in here? You take up breaking and entering as a new hobby these days?” He was being an asshole, and he knew it, but at the moment Jack didn’t give a shit. He was pissed off with her for coming here and tempting him like this. And, more importantly, he was pissed off with himself for his inability to control his body’s reaction to her.

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Her head snapped up, and he saw her hazel eyes, a beautiful mixture of green, light brown, and gray, glaring back at him. Right now they were as gray as thunderclouds, flashing sparks of hurt and anger at him. Still staring at him, she reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of keys. “Remember these, Jackson?” Clarke dangled the keys in the air. “You gave them to me. You told me I could use them whenever I wanted. You said I was always welcome here,” she choked, her voice thick with emotion, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She threw the keys across the room. Jack caught them in midair. Damn. How in the hell did he forget that? And he’d accused her of breaking in. God, he was such an asshole. Running a hand through his hair, Jack sighed. “Clarke, honey, listen --” “And,” she continued, cutting him off, “you don’t have to worry. This will be our little secret. Trust me,” she forced a laugh, “the last thing I want is for anyone to know what a fool I am for trying to give myself to someone who has no interest in me whatsoever.” Jack stared at her for a moment in amazement. If only she knew just how badly he wanted her, if she knew the ways that he wanted her, she’d probably run from the room screaming and never look back. Before his brain could talk him out of it, he moved. Three long strides across the room and he grasped her by her upper arms, pulling her body tightly against his. He was only going to shake a little sense into her, he told himself. He wanted to make her understand that a man would have to be crazy to not want her. Someone as beautiful as Clarke could have any man she chose. She was still young and should be focused on enjoying herself. Right now she should be at home, packing to leave for college tomorrow and thinking about meeting a young man her own age instead of tying to get involved with someone as old as he. Yeah, that’s what his brain said. His body had different plans. “Is that what you think? That I have no interest in you?” Jack’s voice was hard, strained. He looked into her startled eyes and saw the fear, the confusion, and the excitement there. “You feel that?” He ground his erection into her stomach. “Does that feel like I’m not interested in you?” he rasped in her ear. His lips trailed from her earlobe up to her temple. Jack felt her tremble in his arms. He couldn’t tell if it was from fear or arousal. Jack hoped it was fear. She needed to be afraid. Needed to know this wasn’t a game. Clarke wasn’t dealing with some inexperienced kid who barely knew what to do with his dick. Jack was a grown man with very few sexual boundaries. His appetite for sex was so intense that it scared grown women -- let alone some young girl trying to act more experienced than she was. “Is this what you want, huh?” He moved his hands down her back, caressing her slender frame through the silky material of her dress, continuing until he reached her rounded ass, where he grabbed a cheek in each hand and lifted her slight weight in his arms,

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causing her to wrap her legs around his waist and clutch his shoulders in order to keep her balance. “You think you can handle this, little girl?” Jack ground his cock against her pussy, made her whimper. Using one hand to support her, he slid his other hand under her dress and cupped her mound. Jack felt her wetness on his fingers. He used the palm of his hand to massage her clit, while his middle finger teased her opening. Clarke panted for breath. Her head fell back as she moaned and gyrated her hips against him. Jack buried his face against her collarbone, inhaled the scent of her, the feel of her in his arms. He was losing his mind, knowing he had no business being here with her like this. But goddamn, it felt too good -- she felt too good -- to stop. He backed her up against the wall, spreading her legs and holding them apart with his hands, allowing him to fully position himself between them. Her dress was bunched above her waist, exposing her pussy. He continued to rub his hardened shaft against her, her juices soaking the front of his jeans. “Look at me,” he demanded, as he continued to torture her with his hands. Clarke raised her head and peered at him, her eyes half closed, her lids heavy with desire. His eyes lowered, watching how she bit down on her bottom lip. Clarke had the sexiest lips he’d ever seen. He imagined all of the things he wanted her to do with those full, sensuous lips. Suddenly, Jack needed to know if they were as soft as they looked. Lowering his head, he nipped at her bottom lip before taking it into his mouth and gently sucking on it. He repeated it with her top lip, before tracing an outline of her lips with his tongue. Her lips parted in an open invitation, and unable to resist, his tongue darted inside to taste her. Her tongue hesitantly met his before she began to explore his mouth with more confidence. Their tongues tangled against each other. He deepened the kiss, and his deepthroated moans intermingled with Clarke’s whimpers of pleasure. She tasted so good, felt so good that he had to force himself to withdraw from the kiss and ignore her whimpers of displeasure. Trailing his lips down her throat, Jack continued until he reached her breast, where he sucked the hardened nipple into his mouth through her dress. Clarke cried out, and her body trembled a little more with every lick, every suck, and every bite Jack inflicted on her nipple. “Jackson…p-please…” “Say it.” “I…I need…”

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“Tell me, baby. I wanna hear you say what you need.” He continued his assault on her nipples while his hands on her ass began to play with her back hole, the tight ring of muscles gripping the tip of one finger.

“Aahhh…Jackson!” she cried out. “Please, I…oh, God…please…make me c-come…” she whimpered in a trembling voice. Releasing her nipple, Jack nibbled up her throat and along her jawline before returning to her lips. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he murmured, his voice husky and rough with desire. She yelped in surprise, frantically clutching at him as she suddenly began to rise. “Shh, relax baby. I got you,” Jack told her, his voice soothing. Using his body to hold her steady, Jack slowly lifted her, sliding her up the wall, until her pussy was even with his face, her legs resting on his shoulders. His mouth watered as he stared at her velvety-smooth mound. Her dusky pink lips were swollen and glistened with her cream. Inhaling deeply, he breathed in the scent of her. Jack needed to taste her. Now. Using his thumbs to hold her folds open, his tongue darted out and licked her. Her sweet, tangy taste exploded on his tongue. He closed his eyes and moaned. She tasted so much better than he could ever have imagined. And he wanted more. Holding her by the rounded globes of her ass, Jack buried his face in her cunt. He was like a man possessed. He couldn’t get enough of her. Clarke’s harsh breaths and throaty moans told him she didn’t want him to either. She clutched him by the hair and smashed her pussy against his face. He felt her body began to tremble. She was so hot…so close…so ready to come. Jack sucked hard on her clit and inserted a fingertip back into the tight rosette of her ass, pushing her over the edge. “Oh, God…I’m…oh…oh…Jackson…aahhh!!!” Her scream of release echoed throughout the room. Jack tasted the warm wetness of her cum as it flooded into his mouth. He continued licking and sucking, holding on tightly as her body shuddered through her climax, not stopping until he got every drop. He held her limp body as she slid down the wall. With her straddling his waist once again, he stumbled over toward the bed and sat down on the edge. He couldn’t wait any longer. Reaching a hand between them, Jack unzipped his jeans and pulled his hard cock free. She looked between them, and her eyes bulged, her mouth hanging open in surprise. Jack couldn’t help the purely masculine smile that spread across his face as he watched her stare at his long, thick erection. He knew women were impressed when they saw the size of his dick, but for some reason it had never been that important to him until the moment he saw the look of awe on Clarke’s face. He rubbed his thumb across the large, purple head before pumping up and down the thick, veined shaft. Clarke watched, seemingly mesmerized, as the tip began to leak pre-cum. His eyes followed her gaze. He wiped his thumb across the tip and brought his thumb to her

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lips, tracing their outline before placing it in her mouth. Clarke sucked eagerly, nearly causing him to blow his load before he’d even begun. Christ, she was so fucking sexy. Taking his cock in his hand, he rubbed it up and down the entrance of her wet pussy. “Think you can handle this?” Thick desire laced his voice. “Yes…oh please, yesss!” she begged, thrusting her cunt toward the bulbous head of his cock. Jack fumbled in his drawer for a condom. Finding a strip of three, he ripped off one and tossed the rest on the bed. Wrapping his hand in her hair, Jack pulled her mouth to his in a hard, deep kiss, tasting all of the flavors that were her. Breaking away from the kiss for a moment, he opened the packet, removed the condom, and began rolling it down his stiff cock. God, those little mewling sounds she was making were killing him. If he didn’t get inside her soon, he was sure he was going to explode, die, or both. Jack positioned her over the head of his cock and began working himself inside, his eyes rolling shut as he clenched his teeth to keep from crying out at the pleasure. Jesus, she was so hot, and her pussy clutched him so tightly his dick felt like it was being strangled. So fucking tight. Almost…too tight. Shit, he was big but not that big. Just then, the head of his cock brushed against her hymen, and he froze. His eyes flew open, and he stared into her face. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and she was grimacing, biting down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out. But this time it wasn’t because of the pleasure, it was because of the pain. A virgin.

Fuck! Jack felt like he’d just been punched in the face. He had no idea that she’d never had sex before. And how could he? Hell, she was more sensual than many women twice her age. But you should have known, a voice inside his head insisted. This is Clarke, for God’s sake, not some trick that had been around the block more times than she could remember. Suddenly, he felt sick. Jesus. He was no better than those pervs that he saw being booked down at the precinct. “Jackson? What’s wrong?” Her soft voice interrupted his frantic thoughts. “Why…why’d you stop? Did I do something wrong?” The sound of her voice, so uncertain, tore him up inside. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He didn’t have to explain what he meant; the look on her face said she knew what he was talking about. “I…I wanted you to be the first,” she whispered, staring at his chest instead of making eye contact.

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After he didn’t respond for several moments, she began to climb off his lap. “Stop!” He gripped her tightly around the waist to still her movements. He was barely holding it together, and too much movement from her would cause him to lose what little control he still had. His cock hadn’t actually penetrated her hymen, so he knew her virginity was still intact. And that was exactly how he wanted it. In spite of what she’d said, she needed to save that gift for someone more deserving. Someone other than him. Carefully, Jack lifted her from his lap and set her away from him. He couldn’t contain the groan that escaped him when their bodies separated. It hurt like a physical blow. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he took deep, ragged breaths to calm himself and hung his head as his heart filled with self-loathing and disgust. Sitting next to him, Clarke placed her hand against his back, causing him to flinch against the feel of her touch. She quickly pulled her hand away, withdrawing from him until she huddled against the far end of the bed. Risking a glance in her direction, Jack saw the hurt, the anger, the embarrassment, and surprisingly, the desire still burning in her beautiful eyes. God, he wanted so badly to reach out and hold her, to tell her that everything would be okay. But he couldn’t, because he knew that if he did, there would be no way in hell he’d be able to stop himself from kissing her, touching her, fucking her. Instead, he did the only thing that he could do. “You don’t belong here, Clarke.” Rising abruptly from the bed with his back to her, Jack forced his aching erection back into his pants. “But… I don’t understand. I thought you wanted this…wanted me?” Her voice quivered.

“This should never have happened…we can never happen!” he yelled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her jump, and he couldn’t help but see the fear in her eyes from his yelling. That was something he’d never done to her before, and her tears made Jack feel like an even bigger bastard. He had to get out of there. Opening the bedroom door, he paused. In a calmer voice, he said, “Go home, Clarke. Go to school and find some nice kid your own age to make you happy. Not someone like me. Never someone like me.” His voice was hoarse, the words ripping through his chest, tearing a hole in his heart. Jack closed the door softly behind him and headed down the stairs. Her heartwrenching sobs filled the quiet night. He fled from his own home, feeling like a coward, dying a little more inside with every step he took away from her.

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Chapter Two Seven years later… “I need a favor.” Jack briefly glanced up into the face of his partner and best friend. Something about the look on Tony’s face told him he wasn’t going to like what was coming next. He was right. “I need you to help Clarke with her move back here.”

Goddammit. “You want me to do what?” he yelled, his voice echoing across the room. Several heads turned in their direction. The surprised look on Tony’s face confirmed he was over-reacting, but shit, Jack couldn’t help it. Jesus…Clarke. He hadn’t seen her since…that night. And, after all these years, just the thought of her made him ache in places he didn’t want to think about. He’d spent years trying to forget her, forget what happened between them so long ago, even going so far as to take on additional assignments when he knew she would be in town, just so he would have an excuse not to be near her. Since the night he left her in his bed, Jack had gone from one woman’s arms to the next, desperately trying to fuck away the memory of her. The beautiful contrasts of her smooth, caramel-colored skin next to his, her full, sensuous lips, so soft, so sweet against his, her sexy body that responded so easily, so willingly, so explosively to his every touch. It seemed that the harder he tried to get away from those memories, the more he was plagued with them, damn near to the point of obsession. “Before you say no, just hear me out,” Tony rushed on, completely oblivious to the turmoil his request was causing. “I already have a ticket to fly out to Atlanta. All I have to do is change it over to your name. I’ll take care of any fees, so you don’t have to pay for

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anything. And Clarke has room at her place, so you don’t need a hotel. Besides, you always had schedule conflicts every time I went to visit her, or when she was in town, so you’ve never had a chance to see her since she’s been gone. This would give you a chance to spend some time with her.” Tony flashed him a smile. “Just look at it like a free weekend getaway. At the most, you’ll have to help her pack a few boxes and then keep her company on the ride back here. And, since we’re not on schedule for this weekend, you don’t have to worry about missing work. Admit it. This is the easiest free trip you’ve ever earned.” Tony sat back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. He clearly thought he had it all figured out. “Why the hell can’t you do it yourself?” Jack snapped, fighting the urge to smack the smile off Tony’s face. Tony had the decency to look sheepish. “Uh…well. See, it’s like this. You remember that flight attendant Lisa that I met a few months ago, right?” Not bothering to wait for Jack’s response, he continued. “Yeah, well, we’ve been trying to hook up again since the last time I saw her, and she’s finally going to be in town this weekend. So I’m trying to get in a little quality time with her. You know how it is, right?” “Not really,” said Jack dryly. And it was true. When he was with a woman the last thing he was concerned with was quality time. It was more like quantity time. The more pussy he got, the better. Quality was too closely tied to commitment for him, and he’d made considerable efforts to avoid that for years. Besides, the only woman Jack wanted quality anything with was someone he couldn’t have. Someone he’d worked hard to avoid. Someone he was being forced to face again, whether he wanted to or not. Tony must have seen his indecision, because he tried again. “Aw, come on, man! This is Clarke we’re talking about. You telling me you’re not willing to help Clarke out? What about Pops? You know he’s swamped with the restaurant. With everything going on there, he doesn’t have time to help her himself. And you know he’s not as young as he used to be. That’s why I was going instead. Besides, it’s not like Clarke can just ship her things, and hop on a plane ride back here. You know how afraid she is of flying.” Tony’s intense gaze stared back at him, his eyes pleading, filling Jack with guilt. Well, shit. Tony always knew how to get under his skin, and Jack knew there was no excuse he could give that would justify not helping without sounding like a completely selfish prick. And Tony knew it. But telling Tony the truth was not an option for so many reasons. Jack was all too aware of how overly protective and hotheaded Tony could be when it came to Clarke. So much so, most people would never guess that they weren’t related to each other at all. Jack knew that Tony was actually the son of Pops’ longtime friend, who’d been a cop as well. After Tony’s father was killed in the line of duty, and his mother died of cancer a year later, it was Pops that took in a teenaged Tony and raised him as his own son.

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Tony was as loyal to Pops and Clarke as if they were his biological family, taking his role as Clarke’s big brother seriously -- especially when it came to protecting her from the opposite sex. And that’s why Jack knew that too much honesty about his feelings for Clarke would only result in him catching a beat down in the middle of the police station. Not that he was afraid of Tony, or couldn’t handle himself. They both worked out regularly, and kept in good shape. If it came to a fight, Jack knew they would be pretty evenly matched. At 6’4” he had a slight height advantage over Tony’s 6’2” frame. However, Tony weighed 245 pounds, which was fifteen pounds more than Jack, and all of it solid muscle. Having sparred with him many times while working out over the years, Jack knew firsthand the strength of Tony’s punches -- and that was when he wasn’t angry. Jack would just as soon not find out what they felt like when he was in a rage, which was exactly what state Tony would be in if he knew the truth. There was no way in hell Jack would admit the full truth to anyone. Hell, he could barely admit it to himself. It wasn’t just how he felt for Clarke, which was fucked up in and of itself, but it was also how those feelings had made him -- a tough, jaded, hardened bastard who had seen and done damn near everything over the years -- terrified, plain and simple. Terrified of seeing Clarke again, of being alone with her, and of being unable to control his feelings for her once he was near her. Whoever said “out of sight, out of mind” was full of shit. Jack hadn’t seen her in years, and he wanted her as fiercely today as he did all those years ago. “Well, you gonna do this or what? Will you help me out?” Tony stared at him, an expectant look on his face. Sighing deeply, Jack rubbed his hand across his face. He’d avoided this -- avoided her -long enough. She was moving back to Chicago permanently, and would be co-owner of Clarke’s Café with Pops. It was a guarantee they would be seeing each other all the time, especially since he was closer to Pops and Tony than he was to his own father and brother. Fuck it. He couldn’t run from her anymore. It was time to face his demons. “Yeah, man,” he said with resignation. “I’ll take care of it for you.” “Yes!” Tony pumped his fist in the air. Reaching across the desk, he extended his fist toward Jack, who reluctantly tapped it with his own outstretched one. “Thanks, bro, for having my back. I owe you big time for this.” The excitement in Tony’s voice made Jack smile in spite of his own anxieties. “Yeah, well, just make sure you tell Clarke that it’s me coming and not you.” His tone was light, but Jack was dead serious. He could only imagine what her response was going to be once she found out. “No problem. I’ll call her today. Although I’m sure it won’t be an issue. You know Clarke loves you.”

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Yeah. Just like an ass wart. Shaking his head, Jack couldn’t help wondering exactly what the hell he’d just gotten himself into.

***** “Attention, ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our final descent into Atlanta…” The voice of the flight attendant pulled Jack from a restless sleep. Adjusting his seat, he stared out the airplane window and watched the city of Atlanta as it came into view. The closer the airplane got to the ground, the more his anxiety grew. Christ, Jack hoped this didn’t turn out to be as bad a decision as it was suddenly starting to feel. His mind knew that clearing the air between Clarke and him was the right thing to do. But his heart and his body begged him to hop on the next plane headed back to Chicago just as soon as his feet hit solid ground. Clarke was twenty-five now, and as much as it pained him to think about it, he was pretty sure Clarke was no longer a virgin. He couldn’t even imagine her surrendering her innocence to some sweaty asshole while the man lay on top of her, thrusting and grunting like a fucking animal. The rage boiling up inside was enough to make him want to hunt down every bastard she’d ever been with and put a bullet in their ass, particularly the one who’d had her first. Once the plane landed, Jack exited as quickly as possible. He only had his carry-on luggage, so he was able to skip the baggage claim area and head straight to the nearest cab stand. Clarke was scheduled to be at work that evening, so she wasn’t going to pick him up, which he was happy about. Tony had provided him with her address and a key to her apartment, so he had time to regroup before he finally saw her. The cab ride passed in a blur; Jack was too distracted to take in the scenery of the city. Before he knew it, the cab stopped in front of a high-rise building. He took the elevator to her apartment and used the key Tony gave him to gain access. He took a brief tour, carefully maneuvering around the numerous moving boxes throughout the place. Clarke’s apartment was a lot like how he remembered her; beautiful and stylish, without a lot of unnecessary flash. Jack made his way through the other rooms until he located the master bedroom. Her room. A king-sized bed that occupied most of the space in the middle of the room drew his attention. This was the only room that wasn’t completely packed, and several articles of her clothing lay scattered throughout. Picking a lacy bra up off the bed, Jack lifted it to his nose. The material had a sweet, floral fragrance, reminding him of Clarke, and his cock instantly hardened. God, he wanted her so bad he could almost taste it. Suddenly feeling like a pervert, Jack dropped the bra back onto the bed, but not before he noticed the cups were made to accommodate breasts larger than he remembered hers

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being. It reminded him of how long it’d been since he’d seen last her, and he wondered if her bra size was the only thing about her that had changed. Returning to the living room, he tried to figure out what to do while he waited for Clarke to get home. He had no idea what time she got off work. Might as well get comfortable. He headed to the kitchen. Hopefully, she still had some food in the fridge. He opened the door and swore when he saw the note attached on the inside. Or more specifically, the word Tony that was written in neat, feminine letters across the front. Snatching the note, Jack opened it and began to read:

Hey T -Hope the flight went well. I figured the fridge was the best place to leave this note since it’s one of your favorite things about my place (smile). Sorry, there aren’t any goodies to be found this time, but there will be plenty at the party tonight. Please tell me you didn’t forget! And, make sure you wear something nice. I want to show off my handsome “big brother” to my soon-to-be ex-co-workers. In case you forgot the name of the restaurant where I work, it’s called Indigo. Just tell the cab driver the name. They’ll know it. See you around 9. Love, C. Son of a bitch! Tony never told Clarke he was coming! And, she expected him -Tony -- to be at a party tonight. Slamming the refrigerator door shut, Jack crumpled the note in his fist, wishing it was Tony’s balls instead.

***** By the time Jack finally talked himself into going, the party had already started. He got out of the cab and walked toward the restaurant. A sign on the doors stated it was closed for a private party that evening. He looked through the window and saw groups of people mingling throughout the room. When he tried opening the door and found it locked, he thought that might be a sign that coming here was yet another bad decision in a string of bad decisions that he’d made lately, and considered leaving. But before he could seize his opportunity to escape, he caught the attention of a tall brunette, who began heading in his direction. Jack watched as she sauntered towards him, wearing a black, lacy see-through top that reminded him of lingerie, with strategically placed beads meant to camouflage the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her short, black-pleated skirt barely covered her ass, making her already long legs appear even longer. Standing in front of the open door, her green-eyed gaze traveled the length of his body, blatantly appraising him. As her focus returned to his face, her glossy lips spread into what was meant to be a sexy smile.

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“Hey, handsome,” she purred. “As much as I’d love to be able to service you, we’re not open to the public tonight. But,” she stepped closer to him, her fingers playing with the lapels of his leather jacket, “I’d be more than happy to personally service you later, if you’re interested.” She gave him a wink and licked her lips. Up close, he saw that the beads did absolutely nothing to hide her small, firm breasts through her top. If anything, they drew more attention to them. “I’m actually here for the party.” Jack gave her a polite smile as he took a discreet step away from her, his movements helping to extract his jacket from her fingers. “I’m…a friend of Clarke’s,” he tried to explain as vaguely as possible. Her eyes lit up. “Ooh! You must be Tony. We’ve heard all about you! Come on in.” She stepped away from the door to let him enter. “Uh…well…” he began, trying to figure out a way to correct her. Before he could formulate an appropriate response, she grabbed his hand, turned on her heel, and pulled him further into the restaurant. “Hey, everybody, look who’s here.” Jack felt his face heat with embarrassment as several heads turned in his direction. “Clarke’s guest finally made it,” she announced to the group. Jack summoned a smile and gave a brief wave to the group, trying to ignore all those pairs of eyes as they scrutinized him, particularly some of the more heated looks he was getting from the women in the room. At that moment, he really wished he was Tony, because Tony was much better at dealing with unwanted attention than Jack was. The pretty brunette looked around the room. “And, where is our guest of honor, anyway?” “She’s in the kitchen,” a petite Asian woman responded as she blatantly stared at Jack. “I’ll be happy to take him back there,” she said, walking toward them. “Oh, no you don’t! I saw him first.” Still clutching his hand, the brunette began dragging him back towards the kitchen. When they reached the swinging doors, she turned to Jack. “Just go through here. She’s somewhere in the back.” She took her hand and caressed his chest through his shirt. Leaning close to him, she whispered, “I’ll be waiting for you when you come out.” Turning around, she strutted back toward the party, her narrow hips swinging back and forth, making her skirt bounce up and down and giving Jack a nice peep show of her ass. He watched her for a moment longer, and then shook his head. Any other time, he would have already taken her up on her offer of personal service. But this definitely was not a normal time. Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the swinging doors and came to an abrupt halt when he saw Clarke. She stood with her back to him, bent over at the waist, her upper body halfway inside an oven that was twice the size of his own. The black, stretchy material of her fitted dress molded to her perfectly rounded ass, and his mouth went dry at the sight of it, pointing directly at him, damn near calling to him, enticing him, daring him to come

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and touch it. The dress ended just above her knees, revealing smooth, caramel-colored legs, with shapely calves and feet that were wrapped in a pair of strappy fuck-me sandals. The blood that originally heated his face earlier suddenly changed directions, rushing directly to his cock. “Dammit! Why won’t you fit?” Clarke muttered in frustration, her voice muffled inside of the oven. He heard banging noises as she tried to force whatever it was she had into place. “You look like you could use a little help.” He watched her go completely still at the sound of his voice and braced himself for the fireworks.

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Chapter Three Clarke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she heard him. Over the years, his voice had come to mean so many things to her. Hearing it was like experiencing danger and desire, pain and pleasure, heaven and heartache, all at once. After all this time, his voice still had the ability to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, her skin tingle, her stomach quiver with excitement, and her pussy convulse with need. Slowly rising from her bent position of being practically inside the oven, Clarke turned around to face him. This was the man she had both longed for and dreaded seeing face-toface for so long. Starting at the large feet encased in black, steel-toed boots, her gaze moved up his body. Up over his black jeans, taking note of the way the material molded to his incredibly muscular thighs before landing directly on the bulge that rested between them. Her eyes remained transfixed, unable to blink, much less look away from the impressive mound before her. Memories of a night so long ago flooded her. Clarke knew firsthand just how impressive that mound was. A mound that was very aware of the extra attention it was getting at the moment. Her face heated with embarrassment and her gaze, released from its temporary paralysis, flew upward, barely taking in the black shirt that stretched across a flat, rippled stomach and the extremely broad and well-developed chest, before reaching his face. And what a face it was. If possible, it was even more perfect than it had been the last time she’d seen him. Clarke’s eye paralysis chose that exact moment to reappear, and for the second time she was again completely unable to look away. Her vocal cords decided to join in on the fun, and engaged in a game of hide-and-seek. The harder she sought to speak, the more her voice hid from her. It was probably for the best, anyway. At that moment, even if she did have the gift of speech, her mind had gone blank. She wouldn’t have been able to think of anything to say.

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After all, what does one say when they’re faced with perfection? That was exactly what she was looking at. Piercing blue eyes stared back at her, surrounded by long, black lashes, thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and full lips. His short, jet-black hair looked tousled, like he’d been running his fingers through it.

How can a man be so gorgeous? So much so that it was difficult to maintain eye contact with him, yet impossible to look away. Any other man who looked liked him would be called a pretty boy. But this man had always exuded so much testosterone, there was no way he could ever have been mistaken for anything other than what he was, always had been, and always would be: absolute, masculine perfection. The look on her face made him chuckle. “You’re actually speechless. I think this is a first. I never thought I’d see the day when you didn’t have a response ready for anything I said to you.” His smile slowly left his face, his expression becoming serious. “It’s been a long time, Clarke.” His gaze intense, he re-familiarized himself with all the things that remained the same about her, taking special note of the things that had changed. Like her hair. Jack remembered the thick, dark tresses being long and straight. Now she wore a natural style, with soft ringlets of shoulder-length curls framing her face, the new auburn color complementing her bronzed skin. The tight black dress she wore fit her like a second skin, showing him that the size of her breasts weren’t the only thing that had changed over the years. He remembered her being rail thin growing up. Then, one day she just blossomed, getting curves in all the right places. But looking at her now, Jack could see that those curves were only a teaser for what was to come. The woman who stood before him was so voluptuous, so stunning, and so beautiful, she took his breath away. Looking into her face, Jack felt himself getting lost in her beautiful hazel eyes. God, he’d missed her. Even standing here in the same room with her, he still felt the ache of missing her, wanting her, needing her. How pathetic was that? “What are you doing here, Jackson?” Clarke demanded. No pleasantries, just straight, no chasers. That was Clarke. She was the only person who ever used his formal name, other than his mother. He loved hearing his name on her lips, loved being the focus of her beautiful gaze, even in anger. “Do not ignore me, Jackson. I asked you a direct question.” She’d gone from mute to surround sound in a matter of seconds. “I want to know what the fuck is going on, and why the hell you’re here!” Her voice rose with every word she spoke. Jack’s eyes narrowed at her words, his hard gaze raked over her, and he matched her glare with one of his own. Clarke took a deep breath then slowly released it. “Where’s Tony?” she finally asked with forced calm. Jack took an exaggerated look around the kitchen, peeped under one of the tables, and peered in the open oven. “Not here.” He shrugged, a slight smile playing on his lips.

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Jack knew he was being petty for trying to make her angry in retaliation for her yelling at him, but he just couldn’t help himself. And, from the look on her face, he seemed to be succeeding quite nicely. “I realize that it doesn’t take a genius I.Q. to become a cop, but I figured even you could comprehend a basic question.” Her voice dripped with condescension, and Jack felt his face color with anger at her insult. “Now, let’s try this again.” Clarke’s arms were crossed in front of her, and one foot tapped impatiently on the floor. “You wanna tell me why you’re here instead of Tony?” Yep, she was taking his being here as badly as he’d anticipated. As hard as he tried to ignore them, her shitty comments still managed to get under his skin. His bad attitude, he reasoned, was simply in reaction to hers. “Is it just this new attitude of yours that sucks, or have you always been such a smartass?” He ignored her question. “Oh no, Mr. Big, Bad Officer, this is the attitude that I reserve for assholes only,” she replied sweetly, her smile more pronounced. “Particularly those uninvited, unwelcome assholes who show up to crash my party and ruin my evening.” She was yelling by the time she finished speaking. His mouth pressed into a thin line; the color in his face deepened. She was really pissing him off. He wanted nothing more than to turn her over his knee and give that ass a good thrashing. And didn’t the thought of doing that just make his cock swell even further. He took one step toward her, placing himself mere inches from her, and stared down into her face. In spite of herself, Clarke couldn’t help but notice how fine he was, even in anger. Damn, he’s a tall drink of water. She struggled against the urge to take a step backwards to put space between them. She refused to allow him to intimidate her. And she was definitely intimidated. By the scrutiny of his gaze, the arrogant way he spoke to her, and most of all, by the way her body reacted to him as a man. Every time he spoke, she was torn between wanting to kick him in the balls and climbing up his body and purring like a satisfied cat. He was so close she felt the heat generating from him, saw the flaring of his nostrils and the muscle pulsing in his jaw. His blue eyes had turned so dark they almost looked black. “Is that right?” His whispered response was low and deceptively calm. Clarke felt his mint-scented breath feather across her face like a gentle caress. He moved even closer, crowding into her personal space until their bodies made contact. The bulge of his hardened cock pressed against her. “Maybe I should show you what happens to little girls who need an attitude adjustment.” Clarke licked her suddenly dry lips, too nervous to be bothered that he’d just called her a little girl. Her brief confidence of a few moments ago evaporated into thin air. She found herself trying to think of something, anything, to say that would get her out of this situation. But as she opened her mouth, she again found herself unable to utter a word. Only this time,

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it wasn’t because her body was betraying her; it was the hard crush of his lips against hers that rendered her speechless. The feel of Jack’s lips on hers shocked her to her core. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, her mind warring with the flood of memories his touch evoked, her body melting at the feel of his hands on her. She was instantly eighteen again, wanting him with everything she had, utterly powerless to say no, and completely unwilling to do so even if she could. Her shock was short-lived. Almost immediately, she melted into his body, the feel of his lips on hers. Her tongue tangled against his as he plunged deep, exploring every crevice of her mouth. His hands freely roamed her body, clutching at her ass, entwining in her hair. Had she really thought she was over this? Over him? Jack knew he was doomed as soon as he walked in the kitchen. Hell, as soon as he’d made the decision to come here in the first place. Knew he didn’t have enough self-control to be in the same city with her, let alone the same room. Not enough years had passed for him to have gotten over her. He’d started to think that it’d take more years than he had left on this earth to accomplish that. In spite of her bad attitude, Jack would have gladly given his left nut in exchange for this opportunity to be here, right now, with her in his arms, her lips pressed against his, her soft, sexy curves molded against his hard body. How long had they kissed? For a minute? A lifetime? It was hard to tell. It was only when Jack’s oxygen-starved brain interrupted the moment with its demand for air that he managed to separate his lips from hers, leaving them both gasping for air. Clarke started to speak, but Jack claimed her mouth in another heated kiss, cutting off her words. Just one more kiss, and he was going to end it, Jack promised himself. But first, he needed just a little bit more, for a little longer, and then he would put an end to this before it went too far. Shit, who was he kidding? It had gone beyond appropriate years ago. If Jack was really honest with himself, he’d acknowledge that this was just the continuation of unfinished business between them. When she started making little moaning noises in the back of her throat, her hands busy, searching for and finding his stiff shaft through his jeans, and…aahhh, fuck…there was no way he could let her go at that moment. Suddenly he wasn’t sure if he could ever let her go. The slight squeak of the kitchen door swinging open was their only warning that they were no longer alone. “Hey, Clarke, I…oops…uh, sorry…” Clarke recognized the voice of her best friend, Bianca. She felt Jack tense against her before breaking their kiss. He rested his head against hers, his eyes closed tight as he took deep breaths to calm himself. She knew the feeling. The kiss had all but short-circuited her brain, leaving her unable to think past the feel of him.

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Her entire body ached with a need so deep she trembled. The awkward silence was finally broken by the sound of a throat being cleared. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Clarke. I just wanted to know if I could be of any service to you in here.” Bianca’s voice filled the silence. “But,” her tone became amused. “I see you’re already being…serviced just fine.” Peering around Jack, Clarke threw an evil glare in Bianca’s direction, who laughed outright. “On that note, I’ll just head out the same way I came in.” With a sigh, Clarke stepped away from Jack and looked at her friend. “No, it’s okay, Bianca. You can stay.” She glanced at Jack. “We’re…finished here.” Jack’s jaw clenched in anger at the double meaning in her words. He knew she was right, but it still pissed him off that she’d said it. Stepping closer, his lips brushing against her ear, he whispered, “This isn’t over just yet, baby. We still have some unfinished business between us. And, we will settle it before we get back to Chicago.” Stepping away, he turned and glanced in Bianca’s direction before turning back to her. “I’ll wait outside and leave you two alone.” Jack turned and walked back to the restaurant. As soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind him, Bianca sent her a smirk. “So, based on your description, I’d say he’s not big brother Tony. Am I right?” Clarke released the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding as her face flushed with embarrassment. “Um…no, it was…no.” She was so rattled that she couldn’t even form a complete thought. A million questions raced through her mind. Why was Jack here? Tony never mentioned that he was planning to come, too. And speaking of Tony, where was he? Wouldn’t he have come to the party as well? Unless…oh, God…unless he hadn’t come on this trip with Jack at all. The realization that this was probably the case made her see red. But why would Tony do that without telling her? She was so going to fucking kill him when she finally saw him again. Complete dread filled Clarke at the thought of being alone with Jack. Regardless of what she’d tried to convince herself all these years, she was far from being over him. The past few minutes had certainly proven that. Hell, she was still shaking from the aftershocks of being in his presence, and he wasn’t even in the damn room anymore! Clarke had no idea how she was going to deal with being alone with him for however many hours it took to travel from Atlanta back to Chicago. Damn her fear of planes! If she didn’t have such an irrational fear of flying, she wouldn’t be in this predicament in the first place. “Earth to Clarke.” Bianca’s voice interrupted her internal panic attack. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed that Bianca had moved from standing across the room to directly in front of her, where she waved her hand back and forth in front of her face to get her attention. “Sorry, B. What did you say?” Clarke desperately tried to focus on her friend. Bianca chuckled.

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“Never mind, sweetie. I can see you’re a little distracted right now. Besides,” her eyes sparkled mischievously, “I think I’ve already gotten my answer.” Bianca’s look of amusement suddenly turned to concern. “Hey, it was just a joke. You okay?” She rubbed Clarke’s back in slow, comforting circles. “Yeah…yeah, I’m fine.” Clarke gave Bianca a small smile. The expression on Bianca’s face said she remained unconvinced. “Really, B., I’m good. I was just a little…surprised to see Jackson here. I wasn’t expecting him.” If she wasn’t so flustered, she would have laughed at the comical look on her friend’s face. “You mean the Jackson?” Clarke nodded. “Oh shit! Well, no wonder you’re a mess.” She clasped Clarke by the hand and led her over to a table, gently directing her to have a seat in one of the chairs. Although the events between Clarke and Jackson happened before they met, Clarke had told Bianca all about it. “So, what’s going on? Why is he here? You didn’t invite him, did you? What are you going to do?” She fired off questions so fast Clarke couldn’t get a word in, even if she did have an answer to any of them, which she didn’t. “Damn, B. Slow down!” She frowned in exasperation. “You are truly scary when you switch into reporter mode.” At least Bianca had the decency to look contrite. Shaking her head, Clarke sighed deeply. “The answer to your question -- to all your questions -- is that I just don’t know. I have no idea why Jack’s here, I don’t know why Tony isn’t here, and I’m too outdone at the moment to even think about what I’m going to do about any of it.” She looked at her friend. “Jesus, you would think that after all this time, I’d be over this, over him, you know?” Bianca nodded her encouragement. “You know, I always knew I’d see him again, and I had this whole scenario planned out in my mind of how I’d react when I did. I’d return home one day, and I’d have all of my shit together. I’d be successful and beautiful and glamorous, and he’d see me and feel sick because he’d realize just what he’d passed up so long ago, in favor of one of his skinny, pale flavorsof-the-month that he seemed to prefer.” She frowned as an image of Jack’s preferred type of woman flashed through her mind. “And, instead of being the one who gets left behind this time, I’d be the one to dismiss him because he was no longer man enough for me anymore.” Shaking her head, Clarke closed her eyes. “Then suddenly, I’m actually face-to-face with him, and I’m thinking, this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, to be able to return the favor and dish out a little of the pain he caused me so long ago. But for the life of me, I can’t remember one single damn thing about my master plan, because all I can focus on is…him. How good he looks…how good he smells…how good he feels…” Groaning, she buried her face in her hands. “Oh, God, B., I still want him.”

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Clarke felt her cheeks burning and knew how ridiculous she probably sounded to her friend. “Yeah, I know. I’m crazy, right?” She kept her face covered, her eyes tightly shut, too embarrassed to even look at Bianca, focusing instead on the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen, the sounds from the music in the restaurant, the laughter of her co-workers at the party. Her party. The one she was currently avoiding, suddenly too afraid to be a part of because he was out there. Waiting for her. She was surprised by the feel of Bianca’s arms wrapping around her in a tight hug. After a slight pause, she returned the embrace. Sitting back, Bianca looked at her, then reached up and brushed her hand across her cheek. Clarke was shocked when she saw the wetness on Bianca’s fingers as she pulled her hand away. She didn’t even realize she’d been crying. Oh, great. She cringed; now her humiliation was complete. She was so freaking pathetic, she could barely stand her own self at the moment. As if reading her mind, Bianca looked at her and smiled. “I’ve known you since our freshman year of college, and I’d call you a lot of things.” She tapped one perfectly manicured finger against her chin before she began to count. “Hmm, let’s see.” “Stubborn…bossy…outspoken…demanding…slave driver -- oh, wait, that’s two words. Oh, well. What else?” Clarke shook her head, laughing at her friend’s description of her. Bianca raised her second hand so she could continue her count. “Oh, yes.” Her eyes twinkled with laughter. “Smart…beautiful…funny…loving…wonderful…” By the time she’d finished her list, Bianca was holding up all ten fingers, and Clarke felt her chest tighten with emotion at her friend’s words. “Like I said,” Bianca continued, “I’d call you a lot of things, but crazy definitely ain’t one of ’em.” Clarke laughed and hugged her again. “Thank you. Thank you for being my friend, and for putting up with me all these years.” Her eyes began to tear. “Oh, B. I’m going to miss you so much.” “Me too, sweetie. Me too.” They were silent for a moment, both struggling to control their emotions. “Okay. Enough,” Bianca said abruptly. Stepping back, she gave Clarke a watery smile. “We said we weren’t going to do this. And look at us acting just like a couple of…girls.” They both burst into giggles. “Seriously,” Clarke said in between laughter. “Just because I’m not going to be here doesn’t change anything. Promise me that we’ll still talk and see each other as often as possible.” “I promise.”

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“Pinky promise?” “What -- oh, good Lord.” Bianca laughed at the sight of Clarke’s outstretched pinky finger. Giving an exasperated sigh, she entwined her pinky finger with Clarke’s. “Pinky promise, you nut.” Looking at both of their fingers together brought on another fit of laughter. “Okay, missy, you’ve stalled long enough. It’s time to go on out there and face him.” Bianca’s words caught Clarke by surprise. Damn, damn, damn. Her friend knew her way too well. “Was I being that obvious?” “Obvious, no. Human, absolutely.” Bianca looped her arm over Clarke’s shoulders. “Besides, you can’t help who you love.” Clarke immediately opened her mouth to protest, but the knowing look on Bianca’s face stopped her. Bianca turned to her and placed both hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me. I know this is hard for you, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. Regardless of how Jack ended up here, the fact is, he is here, and from what I overheard earlier, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. So, you’re going to have to deal with it. Deal with him. You need to do this, sweetie. You have to settle whatever it is between the two of you, because you’re never going to be able to move forward and be happy, whether it’s with him or someone else, until you can let go of the past.” The kitchen door swung open before Clarke could respond. “Here you are. Everybody is looking for the guest of honor, and you two are holed up in here. What are you doing, anyway? Hiding out or something?” Robert, the restaurant owner and Clarke’s soon-to-be-ex boss, stood in the kitchen doorway scowling at them. The look on his face would have been scary if she didn’t know he was a big old teddy bear. “Sorry, boss,” Clarke said contritely, trying hard to hide the smile on her face. “Don’t mention it,” he said gruffly. “Now go on out there and enjoy your party.” She began walking out of the kitchen, slightly ahead of Bianca. At the door, she glanced behind her and mouthed “thank you.” Bianca smiled and gave her a wink. Then Clarke headed out to face her past, her present, and her future.

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Chapter Four Jack had exceeded the limits of his patience a long time ago. And he was dangerously close to exhausting any manners he did possess. From the moment he’d left the kitchen to give Clarke a chance to talk to her friend, Megan -- aka “The Brunette” -- had been all over him. True to her word, she’d been waiting for him when he came out and attached herself to him like flypaper. At first it was flattering. Then it was amusing. Then it became annoying. Now, it was outright pissing him off. And while he’d been fending off Megan and any other woman who managed to get a word in around her constant talking, clinging, and groping, he kept one eye on the kitchen door, waiting for Clarke to come out. He’d made the mistake of clarifying that he wasn’t Tony, and, if it was possible, his declaration seemed to make Megan even more brazen. It had gotten to the point where he figured he wouldn’t get any peace unless he went to the john, and even that was questionable. Megan seemed the type who would follow him there as well. Besides, he preferred to stay within eyesight of the kitchen doors so he would see Clarke as soon as she came out. All Jack wanted to do was get the hell out of there, get back to her apartment, and get this over with. The sooner the better, as far as he was concerned. Because the longer he had to be around her, the more Jack felt his control slipping away from him. Working on his third Scotch in less than an hour, he stood with Megan and two other people, only half listening as they asked him asinine questions regarding police work. Fresh out of patience and feeling frustrated, he’d been reduced to growling out one-word responses to their questions. Not that the ladies seemed to notice. Jack got the impression they just liked to hear themselves talk.

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He’d decided to go back into the kitchen and drag her out when the door swung open. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. As if she felt him staring, Clarke turned, her gaze immediately connecting with his. His brows creased in a frown. Even from across the room, he could see she’d been crying. Jack was moving toward her in an instant, overwhelmed by the need to protect her, comfort her. He left her friends staring at his back, their mouths hanging open in surprise at his abrupt departure from their conversation. Not that it mattered. The only thing that mattered at that moment was Clarke. His heart ached with the need to take away the pain he saw in her eyes. Pain that he suspected he caused. Jack stalked across the room, his face intense, his focus solely on Clarke. She just stood there, staring at him as he approached, looking scared shitless, like she was ready to take refuge in the kitchen again. Before she had a chance to bolt, he was in front of her, crowding into her personal space, scowling down at her. “Let’s go,” he demanded, gripping her upper arm and pulling her behind him. He stopped suddenly when she snatched her arm away from him. He turned to find her glaring at him. “Jackson, in spite of what you think, I am not a child,” Clarke hissed. Her voice was low, but firm. “You will not come in here and order me around. Now, if you want to talk, that’s fine, we’ll talk.” Stepping toward him, she poked him in the chest. “As adults. As equals. Or not at all. Got it? And, I do not appreciate being manhandled!” Anger replaced the pain in her eyes. She was so pissed at that moment her eyes practically shot sparks. And God help him, but it turned him on more than it had any right to. Looking at her now, seeing her flushed face and those sexy lips still slightly swollen from their earlier kiss, made him want to lay her across one of the tables and fuck her until neither one of them could stand. As it was, it took every ounce of his self-control not to pick her up, throw her over his shoulder, and run all the way back to her apartment. But she was right. He needed to get himself under control. Sighing, he told her, “Look, you’re right. And I know you’re not a child.” As if that body could ever be confused for a child’s, he wanted to say, but didn’t. She probably would have slapped the shit out of him if he had. Clarke stared at him a moment before replying, as if trying to gauge his sincerity. Finally, she took a deep breath. “That’s better,” she responded, seemingly satisfied. “But,” he continued, painfully aware the entire room was now watching them, “we really need to go somewhere a little more…private so that we can talk.” He watched as understanding dawned in Clarke’s eyes, and she glanced around the room, meeting the gazes of her co-workers, who were hanging on their every word. Groaning, Clarke closed her eyes. “Oh, crap! Can this day get any worse?” Jack seriously doubted it. Just as he’d imagined, this had quickly turned into one of the worst days he’d had in recent memory. The only bright spot was that it was almost over.

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Clearing her throat, Clarke replied, “I guess you’re right. We need to finish this somewhere else. Just let me say a proper good-bye, and then we can leave. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of being the evening’s entertainment for one night.” She turned and walked away. He watched her move about the room, sharing hugs, kisses, and smiles with everyone she encountered. “She’s a very special person, isn’t she?” He was so mesmerized by Clarke he didn’t notice he was no longer alone. Jack turned toward the voice. Her friend from the kitchen stood next to him. Bianca, if he remembered correctly. He’d been so focused on Clarke earlier he hadn’t really paid her much attention. Now he took in the entire package. Tall and slender, but not thin, and very exotic looking with lightly-tanned skin, green eyes, and long, sandy-blonde hair -- which hinted at her mixed heritage -- and, when she spoke, Jack detected a slight Latina accent. There was no question she was beautiful, a fact Jack was pretty sure she was well aware of. He didn’t doubt she was used to being on the receiving end of plenty of attention. It occurred to him that while he found her physically attractive, he wasn’t attracted to her -- or any other woman in the room, for that matter. Except Clarke. The object of his obsession began laughing, and he turned in her direction. His chest tightened at the sight of her with her head thrown back and a smile on her face, looking so happy, so beautiful. “She’s incredible.” A light chuckle next to him reminded him he wasn’t alone -- and that he’d spoken out loud. “Yes, she is that as well,” she agreed. “I’m Bianca Mendez, by the way.” She extended her hand. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.” “Jack Parker,” he said, giving her a brief handshake. “Oh, I’ve heard all about you, Mr. Jackson Davis Parker IV.” She smirked. He grimaced at her use of his full name. “I guess I have Clarke to thank for your knowing that piece of information,” he commented dryly, staring back at her. Laughing lightly, she said, “But of course. Clarke and I have known each other since college. She’s like a sister to me, so it’s only natural she’s told me all about you and your…encounter so many years ago.” Bianca gave him a slow, appraising look. “But, I must say, Clarke’s description of you did not nearly do you enough justice.” Smiling, she patted his arm. “I suspect there’s still hope for the two of you.” Her face became serious. “But if I’m wrong, just do me a favor, okay? If you’re not serious, and you don’t want her, tell her. But don’t lead her on. It took her years to get over what happened between the two of you, and she doesn’t deserve to have all of those old wounds opened again if this isn’t leading anywhere.” He watched her walk away, unable to

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formulate a response, her blunt words making him wince as the truth of her statement cut deep.

***** They were silent during the cab ride back to Clarke’s apartment. Stealing a glance in her direction, Jack admired her profile silhouetted against the cab window. His eyes trailed down the graceful length of her neck to the steady rise and fall of her full breasts. His mouth watered at the sight, and he had to fight the urge to drag her across the seat and into his lap. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jack inhaled deeply, which only succeeded in filling his senses with her scent, and his cock responded immediately. Just to talk, he reminded himself, as he discreetly tried to adjust his erection in his pants. His thoughts were interrupted as the cab pulled to a stop in front of Clarke’s building. Ignoring her attempt to pay the fare, he gave the driver the money, exited the cab, and followed her into the building. Clarke remained silent for the brief elevator ride. Once inside her apartment, she headed toward her bedroom but stopped abruptly when she noticed his bag sitting on the floor. Turning, she raised an eyebrow. “I’d tell you to make yourself at home, but it looks like you’ve done that already.” She nodded her head at his bag before continuing to her room, leaving him to wait in the living room. He grimaced. “Yeah, about that. Listen, Clarke. I’m sorry.” His eyes were glued to her retreating form as she moved down the hallway, all but salivating at the sway of her hips and ass in that dress. “Tony was supposed to call and let you know that I was coming instead of him.” “Well, he didn’t.” Her voice drifted out of the bedroom, sounding slightly muffled, like she might be changing her clothes. Jack fought the urge to follow her into the room to see if he was correct. Maybe he could offer his assistance with peeling that dress from her luscious body.

Get a fucking grip, man. Sighing, he turned in the opposite direction, took off his leather jacket, and tossed it on the nearest chair. Standing in front of the window, he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the glass. The cool surface did little to soothe the heat raging through him. “Yeah, I sorta figured that out when I found the note you left addressed to him,” he responded. “And exactly why was it he couldn’t make it to begin with?” He heard her moving around her room, and his mind was going crazy as he wondered whether she was wearing any clothes. He got an image of her walking around in just those killer heels she’d been wearing, and his cock throbbed. He cleared his throat before responding. “He had to work,” he lied smoothly.

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“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” she said. “If T. was working, you would be, too. The closest he’s coming to work right now is working on getting some pussy.” Jack didn’t know what shocked him more; hearing the word “pussy” come out of Clarke’s mouth, or just how hard his dick actually got from hearing her say the word. “What I want to know is how he got you to agree to come.” Jack swung around, startled by the sound of her voice behind him. Damn, she was quiet. He hadn’t heard her enter the room. His earlier suspicions were correct. She had indeed changed her clothes. And, just when he thought she couldn’t get any sexier, he was once again proven wrong. A bodyhugging T-shirt and a pair of boxer-style pajama shorts so tiny he could see her ass cheeks, had replaced her dress. His cock apparently thought she had great fashion sense, judging from the way it was pushing against his zipper, all but standing up and applauding her latest clothing selection. And Clarke had the perfect body to wear it. She was toned and firm without looking hard and bulky, with enough meat on her bones that allowed her to maintain the soft, shapely curves he associated with being a woman. Jack tried not to stare as she walked over and curled up on the couch, her coral-tipped toes peeking from underneath her smooth legs. Damn, even her feet made him hot. “You said you wanted to talk, Jackson…so talk.” “Yeah, I did say that, didn’t I?” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. Sighing, he began. “Listen, Clarke. We never had a chance to talk about what happened that night, and I wanted to be sure that you understood why I…well…why things didn’t work out before.” She remained silent, waiting for him to continue. “I know you probably believe that I told you no because I didn’t want you --” “What,” she cut him off, “you’re trying to tell me there’s another reason?” Her eyes narrowed, her voice dripped with scorn. “Let’s see if I remember correctly. I offered you virgin, disease-free pussy, no strings attached, and you told me no.” She snorted. “Oh, sure, I can see how I might have gotten confused into believing that you didn’t want me.” “That’s right, you are confused.” He was getting pissed, feeling the familiar frustration building inside him that only she could cause. “You’d have to be, or plain crazy if that’s what you believe.” He saw the hurt look on her face, and he softened his tone before continuing. “I thought I made it clear that night that I wanted you.” “The only thing you made clear is that I was good enough to be an appetizer but not enough for the main course.” She gave a bitter laugh. “I guess your little friend was right that night. Maybe you really don’t like chocolate after all.” “Are you fucking kidding me?” He stared at her in disbelief. “Are you really trying to suggest that I told you no because you’re black?” She glared at him without responding.

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“What kind of stupid shit is that to say?” he exploded, pacing around the room before stopping and pointing a finger in her direction. “In case you’ve forgotten, two of the closet people in my life -- your father and the man that we both think of as a brother -- are black. How could you ever believe that I’d have a problem with your skin color?” God, she had no idea how much he loved the color of her skin. “Then you tell me what I’m supposed to think!” Clarke yelled, jumping to her feet. “If it wasn’t because you didn’t want me, and it wasn’t because I’m black, then what was it? Huh? Tell me!” she demanded. “I mean, you fucked every piece of imaginable ass you could find the entire time that I’ve known you, and yet, you couldn’t fuck me? What is that about?” she ranted, as the words and emotions poured out of her. “Was I not pretty enough? Not good enough? What was it, Jackson? Since I’m so off base, why don’t you school me, tell me what the correct answer is, because I’ll be damned if I can figure it out!” Jack’s heart broke as he watched Clarke struggle to get her emotions under control. He knew she was trying to keep the hurt and anger out of her voice so he wouldn’t know just how deeply his rejection had cut her. But no matter how hard she tried to hide them from him, he could still see all of her emotions bared in front of him, as clearly as if they were on display. God, this sucked. He never wanted the conversation to go this way. Never wanted to see the extent of her pain, never wanted to cause her anymore heartache. But that’s exactly what he did. “Goddammit Clarke, you were just a fucking kid!” he yelled. “My best friend thinks of you as his little sister, for Christ’s sake. You were supposed to be off limits. I had no business being anywhere near you, let alone trying to fuck you.” He saw the look of shock on Clarke’s face, and watched as she tried to recover from the sting of his words. “I was a legal adult.” She spoke through clenched teeth. “You were eighteen and a virgin,” he stressed. “And I was a twenty-eight-year-old cop who knew better.” “I wasn’t a child,” she insisted stubbornly, “and you wanted me.” She stood there, looking so fragile and defiant at the same time. Jack couldn’t deny his feelings any longer. “Hell, yeah, I wanted you,” he admitted softly. “How could I not want you? How could any man not want you?” Reaching out, he stroked a finger down her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she leaned into his touch. He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. He’d always loved her lips, and he couldn’t resist them any longer. Cupping her face with both hands, he lowered his mouth to hers. He only meant to taste her, to give her a gentle kiss to let her know that he cared. But as soon as he felt those full, soft lips against his, the kiss became anything but gentle, filled with hunger and passion

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and need. His tongue plunged into her warm, wet mouth, tasting the sweetness of her, moaning as she sucked and nibbled on his lips. His body throbbed as the familiar sounds of her whimpers filled his ears. The kiss soon became more, their hands freely traveling as they groped, touched, and rubbed every available inch of each other. Jack caressed her breasts and ass, while Clarke was busy working her hand down his pants to massage his cock. They were pressed together, bodies grinding, mouths devouring one another. “I’m not eighteen anymore, Jackson, and I want you so much,” she breathed against his lips. Jack stilled, her words hitting him like a glass of cold water in the face. “God, baby, I didn’t mean for this to happen between us…” He sighed and stepped away from her. “I don’t understand. You said that we couldn’t before because I was too young. I’m not anymore.” She was clearly confused, and he was doing a piss poor job of helping the situation.

Dumb ass, he berated himself. He was supposed to be clearing the air between them, not complicating it even further. For a supposedly intelligent man, he was constantly stuck on stupid when it came to Clarke. No matter how hard he tried, Jack couldn’t seem to stop his dick from overriding his common sense. He cleared his throat. “Clarke, I didn’t come here to pick up where we left off that night…I came to put closure on it.” Clarke stared at him. “So, you’re telling me that you don’t want me? You don’t feel anything for me at all?” “Of course I do.” He reached for her, his hand stopping halfway before it dropped to his side. “I care about you very much. You’ll always be special to me.” “Special. But nothing more. Right?” Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he looked her square in the eyes. “Yes,” he lied, feeling like his heart was just ripped out. Silence stretched between them as she stared at him for several long moments. Jack had to force himself not to look away from the intense scrutiny of her gaze. Shit, she would make a hell of an interrogator. She could give the stare down better than most cops he knew. “You are such a fucking liar.” Her words were spoken low but clear, catching him completely off guard. “You want me as much as I want you, you feel the same way about me that I feel about you, but you’re too much of a coward to admit it.” “I never said I didn’t want you. I just…this just won’t work between us.” He caressed her jaw. “God, baby, you should be with someone who will cherish you for the beautiful, talented, smart woman that you are. Someone who will give you what you want, what you need.” His arms spread wide. “And what do I have to give you, huh? A good fuck?” He dropped his arms and stared at her. “You may think that’s what you want from me, but

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you’re so much better than that. You deserve better than that. And I…I just don’t think I have it in me to give it to you.” “You know what, Jackson? Fuck you! And while you’re at it, do us both a favor and stop trying to act like you know what’s best for me, because you don’t. You have no frigging clue about me and what I need.” Clarke turned on her heel and stormed to her bedroom, the sound of the door slamming echoing like a gunshot through the room. “ASSHOLE!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. He stood there, too stunned to speak, to even move. What the fuck just happened? Collapsing onto the couch, Jack rubbed his hand across his face. “That went well,” he said out loud to the empty room. Laughing bitterly, he sighed. “Christ.”

***** Clarke was pacing a hole in her carpet. “Self-righteous, sanctimonious sonofabitch!” she seethed. God, that man drove her completely insane. If she were smart, she’d get as far away from him as possible. Kick him out of her apartment. Leave him stranded in Atlanta. Bar him from the restaurant in Chicago. “ARGHHH!” She threw herself across her bed and buried her face in her pillow. She knew damn well she wouldn’t do any of those things. Why? Because she loved the prick. Always had loved him. Always would. She knew in her soul there was no other man for her but him. She wanted, needed, and craved this man so much, she could barely think straight. She couldn’t get enough of him, his touch, his scent. He was her addiction, and she’d rather die than be cured. She needed him like she needed the air she breathed, the food she ate, the water she drank. And she was sick of waiting for him to get his head out of his ass and admit he felt the same way about her as well. That whole speech a moment ago was complete bullshit. He was scared, plain and simple. And his fears were really starting to piss her off. Rolling to her back, Clarke lay there with her pussy on fire, sexual frustration radiating from her pores, and all because he was too afraid to admit his true feelings for her. She hadn’t kept in touch with him the years she’d been away, but she knew from Tony that Jackson had never had any long-term relationships. He just floated from one person to the next, staying only long enough to take care of physical needs, moving on before any emotional attachments could be formed. And she was just arrogant enough to believe it was because of her, just as she’d been living the same way because of him. In spite of the urge to march back out there and kick his ass, she knew her heart belonged to him. And she was tired of only half living because he wasn’t a part of her life. She had been patient long enough. This waiting shit was about to come to an end. He wanted to ignore his feelings and pretend that he didn’t want to be with her? Well, that was

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just too damn bad. He wanted to pass her off to someone more “deserving” of her? Clarke didn’t think so. He thought he could just show up after seven years, get her all hot and bothered, only to start singing the “let’s be friends” song? Oh, hell no! Jack obviously did not know who he was playing with. She’d been dumb enough once to sit back and let him walk away. But that was so not going to happen again. This time, Clarke had every intention of claiming what was hers. Him. And she wasn’t going to allow the fact that he was too fucking stupid to realize it get in her way.

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Chapter Five Jack awoke the next morning with a pounding headache, a stiff neck, and a raging hard-on. Moving gingerly, he dragged his aching body off the couch. All that Scotch from last night demanded to be released. He was halfway to the bathroom when Clarke walked in the room looking fresh and well rested, wearing a tight black shirt with a bright yellow happy face on it, low riding jeans, and a pair of Nikes. Jesus, did the woman not own any clothes that didn’t look like she’d been poured into them? “Good morning, Jackson. I was just coming to wake you up.” Her greeting was surprisingly pleasant, considering how their conversation ended the night before. “Um…morning,” he mumbled hesitantly, watching her move around the room. She paused and turned to look at him, her gaze taking him in from head to toe, no doubt seeing the unmistakable bulge in his pants. “You might want to get freshened up. The movers will be here any moment.” Turning away, she continued to pack up last minute items. Right. Get freshened up. That’s exactly what he should be doing. Not standing there watching her. Before he had the chance to move, Clarke squatted down next to a box, her already low jeans dipping even lower, revealing the top of her rounded mounds and the yellow scrap of material nestled in the slit between them. The sight effectively rooted him in place better than if his feet were encased in cement, making it completely impossible to turn away. Clarke could feel his eyes on her. She heard the rapid increase of his breathing and knew what he must be seeing with her in this position. She felt her thong as it rubbed against her pussy and became damp from the juices flowing from her. She’d awakened early that morning after having barely slept at all, unable to stop thinking about the man on her couch who should have been in her bed. She’d tried several

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times to relieve the tension he’d created in her body, but each release she did manage left her feeling even more hollow and unfulfilled. Now she ached for him so badly she was hard-pressed not to turn around, throw herself into his arms, and beg him to fuck her. Finally, he moved, and she released the breath she’d been holding when she heard the bathroom door close. She sat down on the floor and groaned into her hands. Acting nonchalant when what she really wanted to do was rip off his clothes was going to be harder than she expected. Forcing herself to her feet, Clarke walked around the room, making sure she’d gotten everything. She picked up a crumpled piece of paper off the floor and noticed that it was the note she’d left for Tony. She recalled how she’d tried to reach him several times last night before she went to sleep, to take some of her frustrations out on him. But of course, he didn’t answer any of his phones, which meant he was either truly at work, avoiding her calls, or somewhere getting laid. She’d bet money on the latter. Lucky him. She’d wait until she saw him to give him the ass chewing he deserved. Right now, she was more concerned with surviving the next twenty-four hours with the man in her bathroom. In her shower. Completely nude. Soaking wet. Definitely hard. “Oh, God.” Clarke whimpered as images of him ran through her mind. The sound of the doorbell made her jump, saving her from getting any more worked up than she already was.

***** By the time Jack emerged from the bathroom, the movers were in full swing, having completely loaded the furniture and boxes out of the living room and part of the kitchen. Since everything was packed, there wasn’t much for him to do other than stand around and watch. He spotted Clarke talking to one of the movers, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the way the guy talked to the happy face on her shirt instead of her. Glancing around the room, Jack noticed the prolonged stares she was getting from the other movers in the house as well. In spite of himself, every possessive instinct he had kicked into gear. Glaring at one mover in particular who was so engrossed in watching Clarke he nearly walked into a wall, Jack snapped, “You need to pay a little more attention to your job and a little less attention to her breasts.” The guy mumbled an apology before ducking out the door. Clarke’s gaze locked with his, a smirk playing on her lips, and it dawned on him that he’d spoken louder than he realized. Turning away, he blew out a frustrated breath. The woman made him crazy. Last night, she was so furious with him he’d considered sleeping with one eye open, just in case. This morning, she was all Little Ms. Sunshine and shit. He didn’t know if she had a serious Sybil complex going on or if she was trying to play head

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games with him. The only thing Jack was certain of was that he had no idea how he was going to survive the trip home with her. Once the movers had the entire place packed on the truck, he and Clarke stopped by the building office to make arrangements to leave the keys and have the place cleaned before the new renters moved in. They were ready to hit the road in less than two hours from the time the movers arrived. And not a minute too soon, as far as Jack was concerned. The faster they got back to Chicago so he could put some space between him and Clarke, the better. When they got to the garage, Jack followed Clarke to her car and waited for her to unlock the doors so he could load their luggage into the trunk. Then he proceeded to get in the driver’s side seat. Clarke stopped and stared at him. “What are you doing?” He looked confused. “What do you mean?” “You…what are you doing over there?” He gave an irritated sigh. “I’m sitting in the car.” “Yes, I can see that, Jackson. But why are you sitting in the driver’s seat?” “Because I’m driving.” He said it like it should have been obvious. The man was so arrogant sometimes, it was almost laughable. Almost. “Oh, I don’t think so.” She motioned with her hand. “Up. Out. Now.” He glared at her. She could see that he was fighting for control. “You got a problem with me driving your car?” “As a matter of fact, I do.” He bit back a curse. “Listen, Clarke. It’s a long trip back to Chicago. I’ve been driving quite a bit longer than you have. I’m more experienced than you are with driving for long periods of time.”

Oh, here we go again. It took every ounce of her self-control not to yell at him. He was always trying to throw their age difference in her face. “You may have been driving longer, but it’s still my car. I’m driving. End of discussion. Now move.” His jaw muscles were clenched, and his fingers squeezed her steering wheel in a death grip. She had no doubt he probably wished it was her neck instead. After a brief stare down, he finally snapped, “Fine. You drive,” before pulling his large body from the car. She smiled as she heard him mutter, “fucking spoiled little brat.”

Oh, yeah, this was going to be one hell of a road trip. She got behind the wheel.

*****

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They stopped to get gas, breakfast, and coffee to go before hitting the highway. It didn’t take Jack long to think that he’d been a little too quick in agreeing to let her drive. Things that most drivers adhered to, like obeying the speed limits, not tailgating, or cutting other drivers off at the last minute, Clarke completely disregarded. The woman was a complete menace on the road. If he could, he’d write her a ticket himself, just to teach her a lesson. After one particularly risky maneuver caused the car behind them to slam on its brakes, tires screeching as the driver worked to avoid hitting them in the ass, he yelled, “Christ, woman! Where in the hell did you learn how to drive?” She glanced at him briefly, a huge grin on her face. “You and Tony.” “Well, I’m pretty damn positive that neither of us taught you any moves like that one,” he said indignantly, and Clarke burst out laughing. “Oh, Jackson, stop being such a pussy.” There was that word again coming out of her mouth. It made him instantly hard. He forgot all about her shitty driving. Shifting slightly in his seat to hide the swelling in his jeans and to relieve some of the pressure in his groin, Jack grumbled, “Yeah, well, I’ll stop acting like a pussy when you stop acting like you’re auditioning to be a stunt driver.” He turned up the radio volume to tune out the sound of her giggling. Several hours later they were behind schedule, having been delayed by a road closure because of a bad accident. By the time traffic moved again, and they were able to get to a gas station, it was already ten at night. By Jack’s calculations, they still had a good four hours of driving to go. Clarke had gotten tired a few hours ago and relinquished the driving to him. He glanced over at her as she reclined in her seat, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. She took to his decision to just be friends better than he expected. And for some reason, her easy acceptance really pissed him off. Jack wanted her to be upset like him, which made no damn sense whatsoever, especially since he was the one who came up with the “just friends” rule. As if she could feel him looking at her, Clarke’s eyes opened, her sleepy gaze meeting his. Sitting up, she stifled a yawn and looked at her watch. “Wow, it’s later than I thought.” She looked over at him. “Since we’re not going to get to Chicago until tomorrow anyway, why don’t we stop somewhere so we can get some rest tonight? We can resume in the morning.” She stretched her arms behind her, her breasts pressing against the fabric of her shirt, making Mr. Happy Face appear even happier. “God, my back is killing me.” She groaned, and the sound went straight to his dick. Jack made a noncommittal response. The last thing he wanted to do was stop. He was trying to get home as soon as possible. But she wouldn’t give up. “Come on, Jackson. I didn’t get much sleep last night. You probably didn’t, either. And we both got up early. I know you’re tired.” She was right. His head still hurt like a son of a bitch from too much Scotch and arguing, and too little sex and sleep. And all of the coffee he’d been guzzling during the day was sitting like lead in his stomach.

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“Ooh, look! A motel.” Clarke pointed out the window at a sign for a motel about a mile away. “We can just stop there. It won’t even take us off our route. Come on, Jackson. Please…” She was bouncing in her seat like a kid. Part of him was annoyed at the way he allowed her to so easily manipulate him. The other part was willing to do anything to make her happy, and he knew there was no way he was going to say no to her. God, he was such a fucking sap. Without a word, he continued down the highway until he reached the motel and pulled into the parking lot. Clarke let out an excited screech, hopped out of the car, and all but skipped into the motel office. In spite of his irritation, he couldn’t help but smile. Jack helped her carry her overnight bag up to their adjoining rooms. The room was small, but clean, and good enough to crash in for the night. Clarke headed toward the bathroom and turned on the shower. She came back out, and they both stared at each other silently for a moment. She cleared her throat. “Well, I’m going to take a quick shower, then hit the sheets.” The image of her tangled in the sheets underneath him while he pounded into her made Jack’s mouth go dry and his heart rate increase. “Yeah…me, too. I’ll see you in the morning.” He crossed through the connecting door into his own room. “Goodnight, Jackson,” she said softly. He turned and looked at her. “Goodnight.” He closed the door softly behind him. A few hours later, Jack woke to sounds coming from Clarke’s room. Sitting up abruptly, he quickly got out of bed and went to the door connecting their rooms. Pressing an ear to the door, he listened, but the sounds were too low for him to make out what he was hearing. Cautiously, he opened the door, not wanting to disturb her if she was just talking in her sleep. There was just enough light in the room for him to make out Clarke’s silhouette in the bed, and what he saw almost made his heart stop. Clarke was completely nude, her legs open, hips gyrating as her soft moans intermingled with the low hum of her vibrator. He could smell her excitement from across the room, making his cock hard enough to drill through rocks. Jack knew he should leave, knew he had no right to be in there invading her privacy, knew it was wrong to continue watching. But God help him, he couldn’t move, could barely breathe, as he watched her, wishing there was more light in the room so that he could see her body clearly as she lay there writhing on the bed, her movements becoming more frantic the closer she came to her orgasm. Suddenly, she grabbed a pillow and placed it over her face to muffle her screams as she came. Jack barely had time to push the door closed before his cock erupted, and he shot hot jets of cum into his boxers, something he hadn’t done since he was in high school. He bit his tongue so that he wouldn’t yell out, and his hand still gripped the door knob to support him as his legs threatened to give out.

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When he was finally able to breathe again, he stood on shaking legs, and stripped out of his boxers. He used the soiled underwear to wipe himself off before he stumbled across the room, fell onto his bed and into a deep sleep.

***** They reached the city limits of Chicago just after one the next afternoon. The last few hours of the trip went by in a blur for Clarke. Unable to sleep the night before, she’d put her favorite vibrator to use to take the edge off. Afterwards, she’d had the feeling someone was watching her, but by the time she’d turned on the light, there was no one there. Brushing it off as paranoia, she’d finally managed to drift off to sleep. But when she got up the next morning, Clarke noticed that the door connecting hers and Jack’s room was slightly open. She was certain he’d closed it completely when he left her room the night before, and it only confirmed her suspicions that he’d watched her pleasure herself last night. The thought turned her on more than she thought was possible. She pushed the door open further, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jack in bed, but when she went into the room, the bed was empty. Clarke could hear the shower running, and her mind went into overdrive as she imagined the water running off his hard body. Unable to stop herself, Clarke walked toward the bathroom, stopping abruptly just outside the slightly open door as the sound of wet skin sliding against skin and a chorus of grunts and moans reached her ears. Her pussy immediately flooded with wetness at the realization that he was jerking off in the shower, the running water helping to muffle his shout of release and heavy breathing when he came. Feeling guilty and embarrassed for acting like a Peeping Tom, Clarke all but ran back to her room. When he finally knocked on her door twenty minutes later, she could barely look him in the eye, afraid he’d be able to figure out what she’d done. In spite of that, she couldn’t help but notice just how good he looked in his gray T-shirt and faded blue jeans, his black hair still damp from his shower, and those piercing blue eyes that took in every detail. And he smelled so damn good. Like springtime and outdoors. He made her want to crawl up his body and curl into his warmth. Outside of agreeing that Jack would drive and a few brief conversations along the way, they didn’t really talk much during the ride, instead allowing the music to fill the sexually charged air between them. Neither of them commented on it, both of them preferring to act as if they didn’t notice anything. Clarke’s cell phone rang, providing a needed distraction. She smiled when she recognized her father’s number. “Hey, Pops. How are you?” “Hi, baby girl. I’m doing fine. Be even better once you get here. How’s the trip going? Is Jack treating you good?”

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She glanced at Jack, who was pretending like he wasn’t listening to the conversation. “Um…yeah. The trip was fine. Jack’s good. We’re back in the city now.” “That’s good…real good.” Pops cleared his throat. “Listen, baby. I know you’re probably mad with Tony for not showing up and all, but he told me to let you know he’s real sorry he couldn’t --” Clarke cut him off. “Oh, please. Do not make excuses for Tony, Pops. He knew what he was doing. But it’s cool. He can’t hide from me forever. I’ll catch up with him eventually. And when I do? It’s on.” Pops sighed. “Don’t be like that baby. Tony’s like family. Besides, I’m sure he had a good reason for not being able to make it.” She bit her tongue to keep from telling him exactly what she thought of Tony’s reason for standing her up. “Yeah, well, he was on the verge of getting his family pass revoked.” Knowing that Jack was still listening, and tired of discussing it, she told her father, “Listen Pops, we’ll talk about it later, okay?” She stared out the window at the familiar scenery of the city. “Right now, I’m just ready to get to my place, take a hot shower, and rest. Everything else can wait for a while.” She heard him sigh. “No problem. I’m sure you’re exhausted. Jack too, I would imagine. Is…is he going home with you?” She frowned. Why in the hell would he ask her that? “Uh…no. We’re stopping at his place first so he can go home, and then I’m going to my place from there.” “Oh.” Was it her imagination, or did Pops sound disappointed? “Well,” Pops changed the subject. “I took care of everything with the movers at your place, and your keys are waiting for you in the management office.” She smiled. “Thanks, Pops, for helping me find a place to stay and getting everything moved in. I could never have done it all by myself.” “Don’t mention it, sweetheart,” Pops said. “It’s the least I could do, since I couldn’t come and help you in Atlanta.” “I love you, Pops. See you later tonight.” “Love you too, baby girl. Get some rest.” “Everything okay?” Jack asked. Clarke put her phone back in her purse before looking over at him, taking a moment to admire his profile before turning to look out the window again. “Yeah. Everything’s good.” A few minutes later, they stopped in front of his townhouse, and Clarke was flooded with memories of her last time there. Jack’s silence told her he was thinking about the same thing. Jack spoke first. “So, are you sure you’re not going to need some help over at your place?”

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“No, I’ll be fine.” She opened her door and got out of the car. She could barely look at the house without her face burning with embarrassment. Jack got out as well. He stepped aside so that she could get into the driver’s side, and then he went to the trunk, opened it, and removed his bag. He walked back over to the driver’s side door, and Clarke let the window slide down. “So, um…thanks, Jack, for…well…thanks.” He was wearing sunglasses, so she couldn’t see his eyes, but she saw how tightly clenched his jaw was, how his lips were pressed into a thin line. Jack leaned down in the window, his face only inches from hers. “You sure you’re okay…that we’re okay?” Even with the glasses, she knew he was looking at her intently, waiting for her response. “No worries, Jackson. Everything will be fine.” Clarke plastered a fake smile on her face. “Now stop worrying and go get some rest.” He hesitated for another moment, opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, then abruptly snapped it closed. With a sigh, he finally stood and stepped away from the car. “Welcome home, baby,” he said softly. Clarke drove off without responding.

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Chapter Six Jack stood in the shower, hot water raining down his body, and let it soothe him as it washed away the aches, pain, and filth from the previous night.

Five weeks. That’s how long he had been working his latest undercover narcotics assignment. Tony had called him the same night he’d gotten back into town from Atlanta with Clarke, and they’d been wrapped up in it since then. It was a case he and Tony had been working on for years, the trail going cold each time they started making any type of progress. But this time it seemed they had finally gotten the break they’d been looking for. Leaning his head against the shower wall, Jack’s thoughts went back to last night. He remembered standing with Tony under the rotted, broken stairs of the abandoned drug house, the stench of garbage in the alley overpowering as they talked with their informant, Antwon, a low-level street dealer they’d used over the years to obtain information. Up until that point, Antwon had been as trustworthy as a two-bit street thug could be, but his information had always been reliable. As hustlers and liars went, he was more credible than most. That was, until the little rat bastard decided to ass fuck them, almost costing them the entire operation -- not to mention their lives. Antwon had alerted them that their target, Dimitryi Ivanov, was in town. Dimitryi, a man believed to have strong ties to the Russian mafia, was considered a major supplier of everything from drugs to flesh to illegal firearms throughout the Midwestern states. It was Antwon who made the arrangements for Tony and him to meet with Dimitryi, something they’d been trying to accomplish since they first started the case. They learned later that it was also Antwon who’d blown their cover, selling them out to Ivanov in exchange for promises of more money and power.

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Dimitryi’s son, Andrei, was the enforcer in Dimitryi’s organization and a complete fucking animal. His acts of brutality, rape, and torture were almost as legendary as his murder count. It was well known that only bad things happened whenever Andrei showed up. Which was why when they saw the car they’d been waiting for slowly pull to a stop along the side of the building and Andrei, along with a couple of his crew members got out, they knew they had a problem. Dimitryi was nowhere in sight. Jack remembered exchanging a glance with Tony and knew his partner was feeling the same thing. The uneasiness formed in the pit of his stomach, growing progressively worse as their suspicions were confirmed by Antwon’s trademark twitch and stutter routine, two uncontrollable habits he developed whenever he was lying about something. Jack remembered his heart beating so loudly in his ears that he could barely follow the conversations around him as he tried to stay alert, knowing that the shit was about to hit the fan. He didn’t have long to wait. He’d barely had time to ease his weapon out from the back of his pants before Andrei suddenly pulled his gun, firing off two rounds into Antwon’s temple that left a hole as big as Jack’s fist. After that, it seemed that hell literally opened up and broke loose all over the place. Gunshots erupted in the night, people scattered for cover, and bodies fell in agony before total silence prevailed. Jack had immediately dropped to the ground, firing as he went, using Antwon’s body to cover his ass, while trying to keep one eye on Tony’s ass as well. The welcome sounds of sirens filled his ears as their backup quickly moved in. Although it felt like forever, it was only a matter of minutes before it was over. He was just thankful that he and Tony hadn’t been among those seriously injured, and neither were any of their team. The only highlight of the evening was that Andrei Ivanov was permanently out of the rape-torture-kill business. Jack couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of a bullet between the eyes, and he took grim satisfaction in knowing that he was the one who put it there. The only thing that would have made it sweeter would have been if Dimitryi’s lifeless body were cooling in the dirt next to his son. He’d worked through the night and well into the morning talking to witnesses, being interviewed by his own internal guys, then by the F.B.I., A.T.F., D.E.A., and God only knows how many other three-letter acronym government agencies. Then he spent even more time completing reports and wrapping up the other loose ends in the case. After last night, it was agreed that the case was as cold as Andrei’s dead body, and the likelihood that they’d catch Dimitryi the next time around was slim to none. By the time Jack had finally left the precinct and dragged his ass home, the sun had been up for a while. He’d barely managed to strip off his clothes and fall nude into bed, practically asleep by the time his head hit the pillow. When he finally awoke hours later, the sun was going down.

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Stepping out of the shower, Jack dried off quickly and found some clean clothes to wear. Damn, it was good to be home again. He’d been away longer than usual, and he missed his place. Missed his bed. Missed real, home-cooked food. Missed Clarke. Since he’d been gone, he’d spent more time than he should have thinking about her. Hell, it had taken all of his focus to think about anything other than her. When it came to an assignment, he was known for having tunnel vision, always focusing solely on the mission at hand. His lack of focus only confirmed what he already knew but had refused to admit until now. He was in love with her. Hell, he’d probably always been in love with her. And he’d fucked up when he’d turned her away. Jack felt like such a dumb prick for all the time he’d spent denying how he felt about her, all the time they’d wasted, all the years he’d been miserable. He’d been stupid enough to torture himself all this time, but it ended today. He wanted her, and he intended to have her. He didn’t know what he’d do if she didn’t feel the same way, and he prayed that he’d never have to find out. The only thing he knew for certain was that he’d never be able to let her go. Now that he was finally ready to be honest with himself, he was more determined than ever to get her back. He was going to do whatever it took to make it happen, even if it meant dropping to his knees and begging her. It was well past time for them to be together.

***** It was a few minutes before nine o’clock at night when Jack got to the restaurant, and it was crowded as usual. He scanned the room as soon as he walked in but didn’t see Clarke. He spotted Tony sitting at the table reserved for them in the corner, and he walked over and joined him. “What’s happening man?” Tony greeted him. “I thought you went home to get some rest. You don’t look any better than you did the last time I saw you,” he joked. Jack snorted. “This from the man wearing sunglasses at,” he glanced at his watch, “almost nine o’clock at night to hide that big ass black eye that he got last night?” Laughing, he asked, “Didn’t that ‘sunglasses at night’ shit play out in the 80s?” “See, that’s where you’re wrong, son,” Tony told him. “It never played out. It just didn’t work for those not cool enough to pull it off.” He motioned toward himself. “As you can see, I have enough cool in me to rock the shades, anytime, anywhere.” Shaking his head, Jack just laughed. Tony got quiet for a moment. “But seriously, good looking out last night, man.” He extended his fist across the table to Jack. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner to cover my ass in a battle.” Jack’s fist met his. “That’s what brothers are for.” Tony nodded his head in agreement.

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“Hey, look who finally made it!” Pops walked up smiling. Jack was struck again by how much he and Clarke resembled each other. Same skin color, same eyes, same smile. Pops, at almost sixty, looked great for his age. He could easily pass for someone ten years younger. “It’s good to see you, Pops.” Standing, he shook Pops’ hand. “Things look real good around here.” He motioned around at some of the changes to the restaurant since he’d last been there. “They sure do. My baby girl’s been going a damn fine job, hasn’t she?” His smile was huge, and he was practically glowing with pride for Clarke. Clarke walked out of the kitchen at that exact moment, taking plates to a couple of diners. As she was headed back toward the kitchen, she looked in their direction, and her eyes met and held his for a long moment before she finally smiled, waved, and walked back into the kitchen. Jack was so caught up in seeing her again that he was oblivious to Tony and Pops, who were silently watching the exchange between them. Pops cleared his throat. “So, Tony told me a little about what happened last night. I’m just glad both my boys are back here safe and sound.” “Yeah, it was --” Before Jack could finish his response, Clarke walked out of the kitchen again at the same time the door of the restaurant opened. A smile appeared on her face, and Jack turned his attention to the newcomer who’d just walked in. His eyes narrowed as he watched the man walk toward Clarke, quickly assessing him. The man hovered right around six feet tall, with Latin features, his lean build draped in designer clothes, his white teeth appearing even brighter against his deep olive skin. He was model handsome, and Jack wanted to knock those perfect teeth right down his throat. “Who the fuck is that?” he growled, staring at Clarke and the guy. “Oh, him.” He glanced at Pops, and saw the frown on his face as he looked in Clarke’s direction. “Just some young cat that’s been sniffing around Clarke.” Jack clearly heard disapproval in his tone. “How long has he been coming around?” Tony asked. “A few weeks now. Started seeing him not long after the two of you went on your last assignment.” Pops looked over at them again. “I don’t like him. Not one bit.” Jack didn’t like him, either. Didn’t like how he was all in Clarke’s personal space, didn’t like how he was looking at her, and he especially didn’t like the fact that she did seem to like him. When the guy reached for her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss, Jack saw red. Nobody touched what was his without his permission. And she was his, whether she knew it or not. He erupted from his chair and stalked toward them, unaware of the knowing looks exchanged between Tony and Pops.

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Clarke saw Jack walking toward her from the corner of her eye, his face tight with anger. She focused hard on Gil’s handsome face, trying to follow what he was saying, but she became more and more distracted the closer Jack got to her. “… a friend of mine owns that new comedy club on --” “We need to talk.” Jack cut Gil off in mid-sentence. Standing next to Gil, Clarke couldn’t help but notice just how big Jack was. Gil wasn’t a small man, but next to Jack, he looked downright frail. “This isn’t a good time, Jack.” She glared at him. “We can talk later.” Gil flashed a smile, extending his hand to Jack. “How’s it going? I’m Gil Medina. And you are?” Jack gave him a dismissive glance. “No, we can talk now,” he told Clarke through clenched teeth. “Excuse me, but we were --” Gil started. “Done. You were done.” Jack looked directly at Gil, his cold stare and hard voice making it clear the conversation was over. “Jackson, you’re being rude.” Clarke’s eyes shot daggers at him. “No, it’s fine Clarke.” Gil smiled at her, glancing at Jack. “I can wait. I’ll just grab a seat at one of the tables.” She held Jack’s gaze for another moment before turning to Gil. “Thank you, Gil. I apologize about this. I’ll be back in a moment.” Turning on her heel, she practically stomped through the restaurant and kitchen to the office in the back, not bothering to stop and check to see if Jack was following her, knowing that he was. As soon as the door closed, she whirled around and shouted, “What is your fucking problem?!”

“He’s my fucking problem!” he shouted back, pointing in the direction of the restaurant. “What’s up with you two? You going out with him?” “Why do you care? You don’t want me, so why should you give a damn about who I’m seeing?” “Because I do!” Because you’re mine, he wanted to say, but didn’t. Running his fingers through his hair, he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Look, Clarke, forget about him. I don’t want to talk about him. I want to talk about…us.” She stared at him blankly. “Us? There is no us, Jackson. You made that clear in Atlanta. What else is there to say?” His heart sank a little at her matter-of-fact tone. “Listen, I don’t have time for this. I have a restaurant to run. As far as I’m concerned, this topic is finished.” As she moved toward the door, he grabbed her arm.

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“That’s where you’re wrong, baby. We’re not finished by a long shot. This is just the beginning.” His words were tense, spoken through clenched teeth. She stared at him. “Uh-huh. Whatever.” Clarke snatched her arm from his grasp and headed out the door. Pausing for a moment, she turned and looked at him. “And one more thing; in case you’ve forgotten, this is not just any restaurant, it’s my restaurant, my place of business. And if you ever cause a scene or embarrass me in front of my customers again like you did today, I will bar your ass from coming here. And there won’t be a damn thing that either Pops or Tony will be able to do about it.” She walked away before he could respond. By the time Jack returned to the table, Pops had brought out a hot steak dinner for him. At the moment, he was too pissed to eat it. “You good?” Tony asked him carefully. “Yeah, fine.” His eyes were glued to Clarke talking to that asshole. He was so involved with watching them that it took him a moment to realize that Tony had asked him something. “Sorry man…what was that?” Tony sighed. “It’s cool, man. I’m headed out anyway. I got plans for the night.” He stood and grabbed his jacket. “Involving a woman, I’m sure,” Jack drawled. “Oh, no doubt.” Tony smiled. “It’s been five long ass weeks since I’ve had some pussy, and I’m going to get laid. I suggest you do the same.” Jack didn’t bother to respond, his attention again focused on Clarke and that little prick who was kissing her on the cheek. Jack heard growling and realized it was coming from him. Tony’s gaze followed his before looking back at him. “You know, you and Clarke really need to work out whatever is going on between the two of you. My suggestion: fuck and get it over with and put the rest of us out of our misery.” Jack watched Tony’s retreating form in stunned silence as he left the restaurant.

***** “So, what do you say? A night of good food, good drinks, and good laughs. Sound like fun?” Gil smiled hopefully at Clarke. In spite of being pissed at Jack, she couldn’t help but respond to Gil. The man was fine. And persistent. He’d been asking her out at least once a week since he first started coming around almost a month ago, but she’d never agreed to go out with him before. But as she watched Jack sitting at his table out of the corner of her eye, she’d decided it was time for a change. “Actually, it does sound like fun,” she told him, laughing at the surprised look on his face. “Yeah?” His smile got even wider when she nodded. “That’s cool. So…the show starts around ten. We can have dinner first if you want.” Suddenly, he looked embarrassed.

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“Well…maybe not dinner. You probably don’t go out to other restaurants since you own this one and all, and you probably eat here…so…yeah…scratch dinner.” He was becoming more and more flustered, and Clarke couldn’t help feeling flattered by his concern for her having a good time. “Dinner sounds great, Gil. Believe it or not, I don’t get to eat while I’m here as often as people might think. And, I love being able to go somewhere and let someone serve me for a change.” He looked instantly relieved. “Why don’t you give me your address and phone number, and I can pick you up?” Clarke hesitated. She liked Gil, but she knew this wasn’t going anywhere, and she wasn’t comfortable giving him her personal information, knowing that it was a one shot deal. “You know, I’m going to be working tomorrow,” she hedged, “so I’ll probably bring my clothes and change. I can just meet you at the restaurant.” Gil looked upset for a moment, but then it was gone, and his smile was back in place. “Sure, sure. No problem.” Changing the subject, he asked, “So, do you like sushi?” When she nodded, he said, “Good. There’s a really nice Japanese restaurant on Chicago Avenue. I can make reservations there for seven o’clock. It’ll give us plenty of time to eat and make the show.” “Yeah, I know which one you’re talking about. That sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Clarke walked him to the door, and was surprised when he leaned down to kiss her. If she hadn’t turned her head as quickly as she did, he would have kissed her on the lips. As it was, he ended up kissing her on the side of her mouth. She didn’t even need to look over to feel Jack’s eyes burning a hole in her back. “Thanks, Clarke, for saying yes,” he told her softly. He was so close, she thought for a moment he was going to try to kiss her again. “You don’t know how you just made my day.” Suddenly feeling uncomfortable and not sure why, Clarke stepped back slightly, putting some distance between them. “Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow night, Gil,” she said, opening the door so he could leave. She headed back to the kitchen, ignoring Jack’s heated gaze from across the room.

***** Outside, Gil pulled out his cell phone and dialed the familiar number. “Who is this?” the heavily accented voice demanded. “It’s Guillermo. I need to speak to Dimitryi.” There was a pause before Gil heard Dimitryi’s voice. “What the fuck do you want?” he asked coldly. “It’s about Parker,” Gil said quickly. Dimitryi always made him nervous. He held his breath during the long silence.

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“Continue,” Dimitryi finally said. “I found a way to get Parker and make him suffer. It involves a woman.” Gil told him his idea. “Make it happen,” Dimitryi instructed before disconnecting the call. Gil smiled. Luck was finally on his side. With another glance back at the restaurant, he had a fleeting moment of guilt about using Clarke. He’d first started coming into the restaurant after that dead snitch told him that Jack Parker and his partner, Tate, had some kind of connection to it, and they both spent a lot of time there. Dimitryi knew that Parker and Tate were conducting an investigation into his operation, and he wanted Gil to learn as much as possible about both of them so that they could be taken out before their investigation was complete. Once Gil started hanging out at the restaurant, he ended up meeting Clarke. He licked his lips. She was very hot, and he’d been trying to get into her pants ever since. Gil knew that Andrei had been killed the night before, and that Parker was responsible for it. Dimitryi was out for Parker’s blood, and Gil felt the heat to come up with a solution to make Parker disappear permanently. Today was the first time Gil had seen Parker in the restaurant since he’d started going there. He couldn’t believe his luck when he saw the lover’s quarrel between Parker and Clarke. That’s when the plan to use her to get to Parker formulated. It was too bad she had to die because she had an asshole for a boyfriend, but her loss was Gil’s gain. Dimitryi would get vengeance against Parker for disrupting his operation, and for killing Andrei, and Gil would finally get the respect from his father that he deserved. And, if he was really lucky, he’d get to fuck Clarke tomorrow before Dimitryi killed her. Gil couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, things were definitely looking up.

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Chapter Seven “Hey, pretty lady. You still with me?” Clarke blushed, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. “Sorry about that. I was just thinking.” She smiled slightly. “Oh, yeah?” Gil continued, not dropping the subject. “About what?”

About Jack. “About the restaurant,” she lied. In fact, she’d thought of little else but Jack since she’d seen him the previous night. It’d been over a month since she last saw him, then he’d appeared at the restaurant, looking tired, bruised, and battle weary. Clarke could only imagine what he and Tony had been through the past several weeks. Her heart ached when she first saw him, and all she could think about was going to him, comforting him. But then he started acting like an asshole, blowing the whole situation with Gil out of proportion, and pissing her off so badly that she decided to give him something to really be angry about. Now here she was on a date with someone whom she had no interest in whatsoever. Sure, Gil was gorgeous, but he did absolutely nothing for her. As it was, she’d spent the entire night either thinking about Jack or comparing Gil to Jack. Unfortunately for him, Gil came up severely lacking. The whole night just felt wrong, and she couldn’t wait for it to be over. When Gil excused himself to go to the men’s room, she was filled with the overwhelming need to get out of there. Searching through her purse for a pen, she grabbed her napkin and wrote a note before placing it on Gil’s chair. She knew she was taking the coward’s way out, but she just couldn’t bring herself to continue on this date a moment longer. Her mind and her heart were someplace else, with someone else.

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Clarke quickly left the restaurant and walked past the group of people waiting for their cars, glad that she’d parked in the nearby parking garage instead of using valet parking. She practically ran to her car, feeling inexplicably relieved when she was finally secured behind the locked doors. As she drove home she couldn’t help but call herself all types of fool for obsessing over a man who was probably lying in another woman’s bed at that very moment. When Gil didn’t see Clarke at the table when he walked back, he wasn’t too concerned, thinking she was probably in the ladies room. When he saw the napkin on his chair with his name written on it, he got worried. When he read her message that she’d left, he got nervous. When he ran out of the restaurant looking but unable to find her, he got frantic. When he realized he was going to have to call Dimitryi and tell him that he’d lost her, he was terrified. When he hung up from his call, he knew that if he didn’t deliver Clarke as promised, he was a dead man.

***** Jack had been sitting outside Clarke’s apartment building for the past hour, waiting for her to get home. He’d purposely positioned his SUV outside the building’s attached garage so that he could see her car when she arrived. He’d been by the restaurant earlier that evening, but it had been so crowded he hadn’t had a chance to catch her alone. Then she’d changed her clothes, putting on a flimsy, multicolored piece of a handkerchief that she’d called a dress, and waltzed out, saying that she had a “date.” The longer he waited for her to get home, the angrier Jack became, imagining what she and that bastard were doing together. He knew that he had nobody to blame but himself for Clarke being with another man right now. But God help him if the guy tried to get her into bed. Jack would kill that motherfucker with his bare hands. He sat up as Clarke’s familiar car pulled up to the garage entrance, and she waited for it to open before driving inside. He hopped out of his SUV and ran across the street into her building. By the time he found her, she was standing by the elevator. “Clarke,” he called out. She swung around, eyes wide with fright. When she realized it was him, she whacked him across the arm. “Jesus, Jackson! Are you trying to give me a freaking heart attack?” “Sorry about that.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her in her barely-there dress. She looked amazing, and it was really fucking him up that she’d dressed that way for another man. “What are you doing here, anyway?” She stood there frowning at him, looking like sex in four-inch heels. “I figured you’d be buried knee-deep in one of your usual model chicks by now.”

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He followed her into the elevator, ignoring her comment. Outside of her apartment door, he asked, “How was your date?” “Fabulous,” she lied. “You still didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?” she asked again. “Did you fuck him?” he growled out, unable to stop the question from coming out but desperately needing to know the answer. Clarke cocked her head to the side, her hands on her hips. “What if I did? Does it make you jealous, Jackson?” she taunted him. “You think that just because you don’t want me, nobody does? Believe it or not, there are some men who actually think I’m worthy enough to be with.” She turned away from him, but not before he saw the hurt in her eyes, and all of the anger drained out of him. Jack saw her hand tremble as she tried to unlock the door, and he placed his hand on top of hers to still her movement. “It’s me who isn’t worthy of you,” he said gently, as he inserted the key. Standing directly behind her, he could feel the heat from her body, and the tenuous control he had on his emotions snapped. Groaning, he buried his face in her shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent. Pressing closer to her, he trapped her between the still closed door and his body, feathering kisses up her neck and jaw until he reached her earlobe, sucking it into his mouth. Clarke jerked, a gasp escaping her lips at the feel of his mouth on her. With one hand still holding hers against the doorknob, his other hand went around her midsection, pulling her back tightly against him as he began to grind his erection against her ass. His hand moved up her waist to cup her breast. She whimpered as her head fell back against his shoulder, her face turned up toward him. Taking advantage of her position, his hand released her breast and moved up her body to cup her chin and hold it in place for his kiss. The feel of Jack’s body pressed up against hers, the hard heat of his cock nestled between her ass cheeks, was almost more than Clarke could take. When his mouth covered hers, his tongue sweeping inside, his teeth nibbling on her lips, she felt her entire body begin to shake so hard, she knew she was only seconds away from an orgasm right there in the middle of the hallway -- just from his touch alone. She didn’t think it was possible to want someone as much as she wanted him at that moment. He held her tightly against him, and still it wasn’t close enough. He wasn’t close enough. Clarke was desperate to feel him on her everywhere, to feel him in her everywhere. She wanted to touch him, to hold him, to reassure herself that he was real, that this was real, that they were actually standing here together, even if it was in the hallway where anyone could see them at any moment. She needed to know that he wasn’t just another figment of her imagination, like so many that she’d had for so long. In her need to get closer to him, she began to struggle against his hold as she tried to turn around. Jack mistook her struggles to mean something else and immediately let her go.

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When she wailed, “Don’t!” his heart practically stopped beating, his brain screaming that he’d fucked this up before it had even begun. Jack stepped back to give her space. They both stood there, shaking and panting in the quiet of the hallway. Finally, Jack found his voice. “Clarke, I --” “Don’t stop.” Her whispered response was said so low, he almost missed it. He was too afraid to actually believe what’d he’d heard. “What?” His voice sounded strained, filled with disbelief and hope. “Please…don’t stop.” She still spoke softly, but there was no mistaking her response. Her back was still to him, her head leaning against the door, one hand still gripping the key in the lock. He moved toward her, leaning into her warmth, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close. He released a deep, shuddering breath. “Do you know what you do to me?” he breathed in her ear. He felt the slight shake of her head. “God, baby, you make me feel…I never felt…never thought…” He trailed off, his mind and body in turmoil, seeking but unable to find the right words to express what he was feeling. Reaching for the key again, he managed to unlock the door and move them both inside. The door had barely closed before he was pressed up against her again, his mouth crashing down on hers. They were all over each other. Frantic hands were touching, rubbing, groping, desperate to feel more. Lips hungry and demanding, tongues sliding and tangling together, teeth nipping and teasing, their sighs and moans echoed throughout the room. Jack’s whole body ached with the need to fuck her. His straining cock was harder than he ever recalled it being before. His heart pounded so hard he felt like he’d run five miles. With one hand gripping Clarke by the ass and the other wrapped in her hair, he ground his shaft against her pussy. “Oh, fuck, baby. You feel so damn good.” His voice sounded deeper, filled with need. “Mmm…yes. So good…” Clarke moaned, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He moved his hands down her body until he reached the hem of her dress, pulling it up around her waist, before sliding his hands over her exposed hips and ass. The firm, round globes were bare to his touch, and he felt his cock jump when his fingers brushed against the thong’s thin strip of material. Using both hands, Jack lifted her slightly and slid his knee between her open legs. Clarke began grinding against his thigh, the heat of her pussy and the wetness of her juices seeping through her thong and onto his pants. She was moaning loudly, her movements becoming frantic, and Jack knew she was close. He remembered how beautiful she looked

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when she came, and he wanted to see it again, but not like this. Not against the door. No, the next time Clarke came for him it would be in a bed with his cock filling that sweet, hot pussy. Jack held her hips tightly to still her movements. Leaning his forehead against hers, he placed gentle, calming kisses on her lips. “This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.” His voice was low, breathless, his heart still beating way faster than it should. “There were some things that I wanted to say to you before we got to the good part.” He chuckled softly, nipping at her bottom lip. “But every time I’m near you, I seem to lose my damn mind.” His nibbling turned into a heated kiss, his tongue pushing deep into her mouth, before sucking her tongue into his mouth. Jack was surprised when Clarke pulled away from the kiss. “I’m so tired of talking, so tired of waiting, so tired of getting my hopes up only to end up being hurt all over again.” Her hazel eyes searched his face, staring at him so intently it felt as if her gaze penetrated his soul. “So just tell me and get it over with Jackson. What is it that you want from me this time?” “I want everything you have to give.” “I’ve been trying to give you everything…I’m still trying to give you everything, but you keep turning me away!” she wailed, and the anguish he heard in her voice nearly tore him apart. Holding her tightly against him, Jack kissed away the tears that had begun to trail down her cheeks. “Shh, baby. I’m sorry…so sorry. I know I turned you away and I was wrong…so goddamned wrong. But I’m not turning you away now…never turn you away again…never leave you again.” He continued to hold her, whispering apologies, promises, and words of comfort as the dam broke inside her, releasing everything she’d been holding in for so long. When the tears finally subsided, he raised her face to his for a slow, unhurried kiss that was filled with so much pain, forgiveness, passion, and love that it left them breathless, trembling. “Want you so much,” Jack whispered against her lips. “You make me ache…make me need.” “I need you, too…please, Jackson.” “God…me too, baby…me too. But…” “But what? What is it?” Sighing, he took a deep breath and jumped off the deep end. “I’m scared.” Clarke frowned. Her expression was clearly confused as she stared at him. “I don’t understand. Scared of what?” Reaching out, he pushed a stray curl away from her face. “Would you believe that I’m scared of you?” Her expression told him she didn’t.

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“It’s true.” He looked deep into her eyes, swallowed his pride, and spoke directly from his heart. “I know this is my one and only chance to finally make things right between us. I fucked up and let you slip away, and I’m scared that I’m going to fuck up again and lose you for good.” He caressed her jaw. “I won’t let that happen again. I can’t let that happen again.” Clarke closed her eyes as the last of her unshed tears fell. Jack’s lips feathered across her face as he kissed her tears away, kissed her pain away, kissed her fears away. She turned into his hand caressing her face and placed a kiss in his palm. Opening her eyes, she looked at him, a sexy smile playing on her lips. “The only way that you’ll fuck this up again is if you don’t fuck me. Right here. Right now.”

***** One moment, they were in the living room, and the next thing Clarke knew, Jack’s hard body was pressing her into the soft material of the comforter on her bed. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, and she moved her hands across his body, stroking her palms across the muscles of his shoulders and back before cupping his ass and pulling him as close to her as possible. Sliding one hand between them, Clarke caressed his shaft through his jeans. Jack’s moan of pleasure vibrated against her neck just before his teeth clamped down on her shoulder, the sting from his bite making her entire body tremble. Jack saw her hands shake as she frantically worked to unfasten his jeans. Equally as needy, he began untying the straps of her halter dress from around her neck and exposed her breasts. His mouth went dry.

Well, I’ll be goddamned. The light reflected off the silver hoops that pierced her nipples and made them sparkle. “Pierced nipples, huh?” Jack massaged her breasts, flicking the rings back and forth with his fingers. “Mmm…” He purred. “Very nice.” He continued to play with the rings, drawing soft moans from Clarke. “Do you like them?” she gasped. “Oh yeah, baby. I definitely like them.” His lips found a nipple and began sucking hard, his teeth gently tugging on the ring while his free hand played with the ring in the other nipple. Releasing her nipple, Jack lifted his head. “Got any more like these?” “Uh-huh…oh, God, Jackson…don’t stop…feels so good.” Clarke hissed, arching off the bed and pushing her nipple near his mouth again. He chuckled and resumed sucking and playing with her breasts. Oh, yeah, his sexy siren had grown into a little freak. He couldn’t wait to see what else was pierced.

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While he was busy working her breasts, Clarke was busy with his pants. They finally came undone, and she dove inside for his cock. Wrapping her hand around the thick shaft, she began pumping up and down his length. “Oh…fuck, baby.” Jack inhaled and pitched his head back. “Yeah…just like that.” He was pushing into her hand, his body tightening a little more with each thrust. Abruptly, he pulled away and stood by the edge of the bed, panting harshly. “Clothes. Off. Now,” he ordered, his voice strained and husky, too worked up to use real sentences. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He had to get in her soon, or he was going to end up making a complete fool of himself by shooting in his pants. Clarke stared back at him, her eyes glazed, lips wet and slightly parted, swollen. She slowly sat up until she knelt in the center of the bed and began to work her dress down her body, staring directly at him the entire time. Jack stood in front of her, watching her every move, his entire body getting harder with every bit of skin she revealed. Absently, he began rubbing himself as he watched her strip. As Clarke’s dress moved past her waist, the sparkling metal of the piercing at her navel caught his attention, and his cock jerked in anticipation. Gently swaying her lush hips, she worked the dress over her curves, taking the thong with it, until they were pooled around her on the bed. Clarke remained completely still, and Jack’s heated gaze traveled hungrily over her naked form, drinking in every detail. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in between her legs and the hint of metal that peeked from between the folds of her smooth pussy. Damn, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. “Your turn,” she told him. “I want to see you naked. Now.” “Oh, yeah…anything for you, darlin’.” He gave her a slow, sensuous smile before making quick work of removing his clothes, and then he stood before her in all his naked glory. Well…damn. Clarke was utterly speechless. Jack was fine as hell with clothes on, so she figured he’d be pretty impressive without them. But she was so not prepared for the sight in front of her. The man was massive, rippled, chiseled. Everywhere she looked, she saw nothing but muscles and more muscles. Impossibly broad, well-defined shoulders, rock-hard pecs, and -- my, my, my -- an actual six-pack!! The only men she’d ever seen with those were in magazines and porn movies. And, those arms. Good Lord, his guns were huge! Hell, he was huge. Clarke looked at his cock, so hard and straining, pointing straight up and flat against his stomach, and her mouth watered. Crawling toward him, Clarke stopped just inches away, her mouth even with his cock, watching his body tense as he fought to remain still. She stuck her tongue out and licked his

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shaft from the base to the tip, savoring the rich, salty flavor of him. She smiled at the way he shuddered and moaned in reaction to her touch. Looking up, she stared into his eyes. “I want you in my mouth,” she told him just before she slid her mouth over his length. “Oh, Jesus…fuck!” Jack shouted, his body jerking and trembling. Clarke moaned around his shaft, her cheeks hollowing as she increased the sucking pressure to his cock, flattening her tongue and rubbing it up and down the length of him. His cock was as large and thick as she remembered, but she’d never had the chance to experience this with him before, and she loved the taste of him, the feel of him in her mouth. Using one hand to hold him, her other hand was busy playing with his balls, gently squeezing them in her palm. Her mouth soon joined the hand at his balls as she sucked on one, then the other, feeling the sacs tighten in her mouth. She kissed and licked her way back up to the crown of his shaft, delving her tongue into the slit, before engulfing it into the heat of her mouth again. “Oh yeah, baby…that’s it…take it deeper.” Gripping her by the back of her head, Jack began thrusting, fucking her mouth with his cock. Looking down, his gut clenched at the sight of his dick disappearing between her full lips, then sliding out again, glistening from her saliva. He held on as long as he could, loving the feel of her lips wrapped around him. But her mouth was killing him. He needed to fuck her soon, but he was determined to taste her again before he did. “Enough.” He panted, his breathing ragged, as he stilled her movements. Picking her up, he scooted her further back on the bed, moving with her and settling between her legs. “My turn,” he growled. Opening her up, he stared at the piercing in her clit. The silver ring was similar to her others, except this one was adorned with a deep blue stone. “Why sapphire?” Sucking the clit and ring into his mouth he let it go, then leaned back and stared at the way it glistened in the room’s muted light. Clarke inhaled sharply, her breath whistling through her teeth. “It re-reminds me…of y-your…eyes…” she ground out. Her words shocked him, humbled him, excited him. Groaning, Jack buried his face in her pussy, pressed two fingers into her wet folds, and fucked her with his mouth and his fingers. Clarke squeezed his head between her thighs, crying out in pleasure as her orgasm poured over her. The sound of her voice was music to Jack’s ears. Taking one final lick from her crease to her clit, he climbed off the bed, trying to ignore his trembling legs, and picked up his jeans to remove a condom from his pocket. Crawling back onto the bed, Jack positioned himself between her legs. Leaning forward, he kissed her hard and deep before sitting back and opening the foil package, his

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hands shaking with emotion and need. Using one hand, he slid the condom over the length of his erection. He looked up to find Clarke’s lust-filled gaze staring back at him. “You ready for me, baby?” His voice low and husky, he waited for her response. Clarke simply nodded as she stared into his eyes, and he saw everything she felt, but was unable to say at that moment, in her gaze. “Open up, baby,” he told her, as he began pushing his thick length inside. “Oh…Jack. Wait!” Clarke tensed up, instinctively pushing at his chest. “Are you okay?” He stopped immediately, concern and need warring within him, as he held his breath, his body straining to hold still, looking at her expectantly. She nodded. “I’m sorry. I knew you were big, but I just didn’t expect for you to be so…well…big.” She gave him a slight smile. “For a moment, I thought you were pushing a pole inside me.” “Do you want me to stop?” Please say no, he silently prayed. The vehement shake of her head made him exhale in relief. “It’s just that I’ve been on a sort of sexual…um… hiatus.” She turned her face against his shoulder to hide her blush. “And my toys are nowhere near the size of you.” “Sexual hiatus, huh?” Jack placed a kiss behind her ear, on her neck. “How long are we talking?” Her response was muffled, and he pushed himself up on his elbows to look in her face. “How long, baby?” he asked again. She gave a long suffering sigh. “Fourteen months, one week, and five days,” she blurted out, her eyes clenched tightly shut as she blushed furiously. When he didn’t respond, Clarke wanted to melt into the mattress and through the floor. Could this possibly get any more embarrassing? “Open your eyes, baby.” Okay, so he didn’t sound like he was laughing, which was really good, because if he was, she’d have to fucking kill him. Clarke summoned enough courage to peek at him, and saw the satisfied look on his face. “I should have known you’d be pleased to hear that.” she said dryly. “Oh, I’m pleased baby, but not nearly as pleased as I’m going to be. And neither are you.” Her breath caught at the predatory look on his face as Jack leaned down to take her mouth in another hard kiss. “Do you promise?” she whispered against his lips. “I can do better than that. I guarantee it.” Pressing his hips forward, Jack’s still hard cock surged deeply into her, making her gasp.

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“Shh, relax baby. Let me in.” He nibbled on her lips before trailing lower to pull one of her nipples into his mouth, his lips sucking on the hard pebble in a rhythm that matched the slow entry of his cock. Fully seated, eyes closed, he held completely still, trying to control the urge to move. He still couldn’t believe he was here with her like this right now. He’d waited for this moment forever and wanted to savor the feel of her tight, warm heat surrounding him. Jack looked down into her face and in that moment, he knew with absolute certainty that there’d never be another woman for him. He was driven with the need to love her, to protect her, to claim her. “Jackson, baby, please…fuck me.” Wrapping her legs around his thighs, Clarke gripped his muscular ass and pulled him deeper into her. He began thrusting hard and deep, sinking into her heat over and over again. Sweat ran down his back and pooled at the base of his spine, his body taut as he pounded into her, spurred on by the sounds she was making. “You. Are. Mine,” he growled, staring into her eyes, punctuating each word with a thrust. “Yes. Yours. Only yours. Always yours.” She moaned, her hands roaming over his slick body. She always knew being with Jackson like this would be incredible. Need was etched on his face, and desire blazed in his eyes. His intense gaze was focused totally on her. Only her. Clarke was completely overwhelmed by the intensity of his loving; so dominant, so powerful, and so possessive. No man had ever made her want, made her need the way he did. Every touch, every kiss, every heated look, every hard thrust had her in such a state that she didn’t know whether to beg him to stop or plead with him for more. Sitting back on his thighs, Jack pulled her legs apart, holding them by the ankles, pushing them open as far as possible, changing the angle of his cock as it stroked into her body. He turned his head, placing kisses on the insides of her calves, the soles of her feet, the tips of her toes. He had her on fire, her body coated in a fine sheen of sweat, legs shaking, heart pounding, pussy throbbing. And the sounds. Lord knows she had never heard sounds like this in her bedroom before. She was whimpering, moaning, begging, he was groaning, cursing, growling, the bed was rocking, creaking, slamming against the wall. Shit, she’d probably be sore for a week after this. The man was a beast -- and she loved every second of it. “That’s it…take it. Ah, fuck…baby, yeah. So good…feels so goddamn good.” “Yesyesyes…harder please! Oh, God…ooh, right there…oh, yes…don’t stop. Don’t ever stop…”

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“You like that, huh? That feel good, baby? You like feeling my cock inside you, fucking that sweet pussy?” “Yes, baby, yes…feels so good…I…oh…gonna make me come…” “Oh hell, yeah…come for me baby…milk me…wanna feel you come on my cock…” Jack was babbling incoherently, words of sex, pleasure, and need pouring from his lips. It seemed the dirtier he talked, the more turned on Clarke became. Clarke’s orgasm hit her like a freight train, ripping a scream from her throat, filling her with unbearable pleasure, bringing tears to her eyes as she sobbed his name. “God…so beautiful,” he whispered at the sight of Clarke, her face bathed in ecstasy. Her body trembling through her orgasm and her pussy pulsing around his shaft was just too much. His body shook. Jack’s back arched, and his muscles bunched. His head fell back, and he roared her name as white-hot pleasure raced down his spine, his balls drawing tight, his seed erupting from his cock over and over into the condom, filling it to capacity. He collapsed as his arms gave out, his large body completely covering her smaller one. The sound of their heavy panting echoed through the room as they stared into each other’s eyes, and Jack knew that in spite of what they’d called it, what they’d just shared was so much more than simple fucking, that they’d made a connection of body, heart, and soul to each other. He couldn’t find words that were strong enough, deep enough, and intense enough to express what he was feeling at that moment. So, he chose the words that came closest. “Did you know that I love you?” he whispered. A smile lit Clarke’s face. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say those words.” She ran a hand down his face. “It’s about time you finally admitted how you feel about me.” Jack stared down at her; his eyes roamed over her face. “You have no idea how much I love you,” he said. “If it’s even half as much as I love you, then it’s more than enough.” Her hand reached up and caressed his face. “Definitely more than half…more than you could imagine…more than I ever thought possible.” He nuzzled into her touch. “Good.” She smiled. “I’d hate to think I’m all alone in the way I feel.” “Oh, you’re not alone. I’m right here with you.” He leaned down and kissed her. “And there’s no other place I’d rather be.” He wrapped her in his arms, and held on tight until they both succumbed to sleep.

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Chapter Eight Clarke awoke to a growling stomach and the smell of coffee drifting into her bedroom. Stretching, her body sore and tender from frequent use the night before, she slowly rolled over and looked at the clock. She blinked. It was after nine o’clock in the morning. She and Jack had been M.I.A. for over twenty-four hours, stopping only long enough to leave vague messages with Pops and Tony so nobody would come looking for them. They’d turned off their phones and locked themselves in her apartment, barely leaving her bed the entire time. Clarke ached in places she never imagined existed, but she welcomed each ache, knowing that they represented the serious loving Jack had been putting on her. She’d lost count of how many times, how many places, and how many ways Jack had fucked her since they’d started going at it almost two days ago. She took a quick shower and was spreading lotion on her damp body when she heard a light tap on the door before Jack peeked in. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Clarke felt the familiar heat rising through her, saw the lust smoldering in his eyes as he stood watching her. “Morning, baby.” His voice was husky and filled with desire as he moved further into the bathroom with her. “Need help with that?” Without waiting for her response, he reached for the lotion and began rubbing it on her back. Leaning down, his mouth followed the trail of his hands, feathering kisses down her spine. Moaning, Clarke gripped the sink for support, arching her back as she leaned into the pleasure of his touch. He dropped from view in the mirror and knelt behind her, his strong hands kneading the round globes of her ass, rubbing more lotion on her. She spread her legs apart; his tongue snaked out, and he began feeding on her pussy. “Oohhh, that feels good…lick it, baby…eat me…” Clarke started panting, spreading her legs even further apart as she pushed her ass toward his face to give him better access.

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Jack could feel her body trembling more and more the closer she got to orgasm. His fingers began fucking her cunt and pulling on her clit ring while his mouth moved back to her rosette, so he could tongue fuck her tight hole. Clarke cried out, her entire body shaking as she came, and Jack felt the wetness of her juices as her cunt pulsed around his fingers. Clarke’s legs threatened to give out, and Jack stood up, wrapping his strong arms around her waist to keep her steady. Turning her around, he stared into her eyes, which were glazed from pleasure. Reaching a hand between them, she caressed him through his pants. “I think you could use a little help yourself.” Sitting down on the closed toilet seat, she grabbed him by his belt, pulling him toward her until the bulge of his erection was even with her face. She gave him a gentle squeeze before unzipping his pants and reaching inside to free his cock. Jack’s body jerked as her lips wrapped around the crown of his shaft. She moved down to his sacs, sucking them into her wet heat as her hand pumped his dick up and down. He clenched his fists to his side as he tried not to grab her head and ram his dick down her throat. Luckily, he didn’t have to, because Clarke suddenly deep throated his shaft, taking him well into her mouth and the back of her throat. He was too big for her to take his entire length in her mouth, but she gave it a damn good try. Jack wrapped his hand in her hair, whispering words of encouragement. “That’s it…suck it harder. Christ, baby…your mouth…you feel fucking amazing…” With his body racing uncontrollably toward an orgasm, he tried to pull back. “Baby, stop…gonna come…can’t…” Clarke sucked even harder, her hands gripping his ass, pulling him deeper into her mouth, and Jack couldn’t hold back any longer. “Oh…oh…fuck!” he yelled, and she moaned, her mouth still milking him, swallowing his hot cum as it shot out of his dick and down her throat. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her, his tongue sweeping deeply, tasting himself in her mouth. After a moment, Jack pulled back slightly so he could rest his forehead against hers. “I love you, Jackson,” Clarke whispered, her hand reaching up to caress his jaw. He groaned; her words made him shudder. “Say it again.” He was practically begging, needing to hear the words. “I love you.” She was smiling, her eyes filled with emotions that confirmed her words. “God, what you do to me,” he breathed against her lips. “Love you too…so much.” They stood there holding each other tight, neither willing to lose contact with the other. The moment was soon interrupted when her stomach growled loudly, making them both chuckle.

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“That reminds me of why I came in here in the first place.” He placed a kiss to her temple. “Damn woman, you drive me to distraction.” He tucked his still semi-hard erection back into his pants. “I made breakfast,” he told her, looking slightly embarrassed. “Nothing fancy like you’re probably used to,” he said quickly, and Clarke watched as a hint of a blush stained his cheeks. “But, I figured you’d be hungry when you woke up and judging from the noises coming from your stomach, I was correct.” Well, damn. The man looked like a god, fucked like a dream, and he’d cooked for her. When most men found out what she did for a living they were either too intimidated to cook anything because they thought she’d judge their cooking skills, or they acted like they’d never seen a kitchen before and expected her to supply all the meals during the relationship. If Jack was trying to spoil her, he was doing a hell of a job. Clarke suddenly reached up and grabbed his face with both hands, pulling him down toward her for a slow, deep kiss. “Thank you,” she told him. “Yeah…okay…let’s eat.” The blush now covered his entire face as he grabbed her by the hand and led her out to the kitchen, stopping only long enough for her to grab a robe to put on. With his back to her, he couldn’t see the smile on Clarke’s face as she followed behind him. Clarke sat on one of the stools at the kitchen counter while Jack removed her plate from the microwave. Her mouth watered as the aroma of French toast and bacon filled the air, reminding her of just how hungry she was. Jack stood on the other side of the counter from her, sipping on a cup of coffee while she all but inhaled everything on her plate, eyes closed, moaning with each bite. After a moment, she paused, opened her eyes, and looked at him. “Aren’t you eating?” “Already did,” he murmured with an amused smile as he watched her devour her meal. They settled into an easy, comfortable conversation, and Jack was reminded of the times they spent together before she went away to college. As Clarke ate her breakfast, she joked and teased and laughed with him like she always had in the past, as if the last seven years never happened. And, for a brief moment, Jack felt sorry that they’d never be able to recapture all those years they’d lost being apart from each other. As much as he was enjoying being with her like this and wanted this moment to go on forever, Jack knew it was time for them to rejoin the world outside of her apartment. As if she were reading his mind, Clarke said, “I can’t believe it’s Saturday already. It doesn’t feel like we’ve been here for almost two days.” She shot an uncertain glance in his direction. “I guess it’s time to get back to normal, huh?” she said quietly, trying to keep her voice neutral. Jack looked at her for a long moment before answering. “Yeah, I suppose we can’t stay here forever. We’re gonna have to show our faces sometime soon, so that people will know

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we’re still breathing.” Reaching across the counter, his large hand cupped her jaw, lifting it so he could look into her eyes. “But,” his thumb rubbed her lips, “unless ‘normal’ includes you and me, we’re not going back to it, yeah?” A heart-stopping smile lit up her face. “Yeah,” she agreed, dipping a piece of the cinnamon-flavored bread into the syrup, then popping it into her mouth. His hooded gaze watched her lick the syrup off her fingers, his cock stirring to life at the sight of those full lips wrapped around her digits. Watching her eat was practically an orgasmic experience. Clarke’s heart jumped a little at the heated look Jack gave her. Still staring at him, she slowly began sucking her finger in and out of her mouth, her tongue snaking out to swirl around the tip. “Careful, baby,” he warned. “When it comes to you I have very little self-control, and I’m about five seconds away from hauling your pretty ass off that stool and fucking you until neither of us can walk.” “Promises, promises,” she teased, dipping her finger into the syrup on her plate then rubbing it across her lips. She gave a startled screech, her mind having only a moment to process Jack hopping up and over the counter, moving with amazing agility for a man his size as he grabbed her by the back of the neck, pulled her to him, and pressed his mouth to hers, devouring her as he licked, sucked, and nibbled on her lips. “Umm…so sweet,” he moaned into her mouth, his hands going to the opening of her robe, reaching inside to massage her breasts. He pulled his hands away long enough to slide his fingers through the syrup on her plate, before placing them back on her breasts, rubbing the syrup around her nipples. Leaning down, he sucked on the first nipple, his tongue circling the hardened tip, his teeth pulling on the nipple ring. “God, Jackson! Again…do it again…” Clarke gasped, pushing her breast into his face. He happily obliged, switching to the other breast as he sucked the sweet taste of the syrup from her body. They were both startled when his cell phone rang. “Damn, I thought I’d turned that back off this morning after I checked my messages.” Jack frowned, reaching for his phone, sighing when he checked the number. “It’s Tony. This is probably the tenth message he’s left for me since yesterday.” Reluctantly, he released her. “I guess this is as good a time as any to join the land of the living.” He brushed another kiss across her lips before he stepped away to call Tony back. Clarke admired his retreating form for a moment, before walking back to her bedroom to check her own messages. As expected, most were from Pops, and a couple were from her friend Bianca in Atlanta. Clarke dialed Bianca first, leaving a message when she didn’t answer.

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“Hey, chica, it’s me. Sorry it took so long to call you back. A lot’s been going on here. All good things though.” She sighed as a shudder moved through her. “Very good things…” She couldn’t suppress the giggle that bubbled out of her throat. “Oh, God, B., I wish you were home. I have so much to tell you. Hurry up and call me back, and I’ll fill you in on all the details…well…maybe not all of them. A girl’s gotta have a few secrets.” She was still laughing when she disconnected the call.

***** Jack stood looking out of Clarke’s living room window as he waited for Tony to answer. “So you are still breathing, I see.” Tony’s voice came across the line. “I was starting to think I was gonna have to come kick your door in to make sure you weren’t rotting away in your bed.” “Oh, that’s nice, T.” Jack grimaced at the image. “Besides, you would have been wasting your time ’cause I’m not at home,” Jack said carefully. “Oh, so you finally got you some, huh?” Tony laughed. “Anybody I know?” Jack hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m with Clarke.” There was silence on the other end as Jack waited for Tony to respond. “It’s about damn time. You two have been driving me fucking crazy,” Tony grumbled, and Jack released the breath he’d been holding. “How long have you known?” Jack asked. “Oh, man, I’ve always known. You don’t think I didn’t notice how you used to look at her when you thought no one was paying attention?” “But you never said anything,” Jack commented in surprise. “What was I supposed to say? I knew how Clarke felt about you…shit, everybody knew how she felt.” He and Jack chuckled. Then Tony’s voice turned serious. “Why do you think I was working so hard to keep those other men away? What? You thought it was all just the ‘overprotective big brother’ routine?” He didn’t bother to wait for Jack to respond. “I mean, yeah that was part of it. But the real reason why I kept running interference? Because I knew you wanted her. But you were too worried about what Pops and I would think to do anything about it.” Jack was silent, shocked by his friend’s words. “Damn, was I that transparent?” “No, bro, just in love,” Tony said matter-of-factly. “And,” he continued, “I don’t know what happened that made you two stop speaking to each other for all those years -- and I don’t need to know. But I think both of you have suffered long enough because of it. It’s time for the two of you to be together. You both deserve to be happy.”

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Jack felt like he was finally able to take off that guilt suit he’d been wearing all these years. “Jesus. I don’t…” He cleared his throat. “Thanks, man. It means a lot to know that you’re okay with this.” “Well, I’m just happy all of my hard work finally paid off.” Jack could hear the smug tone in Tony’s voice. “What hard work are you talking about?” Jack was certain he probably wouldn’t like Tony’s answer. “You don’t think it was a coincidence that I asked you to go to Atlanta, do you? You needed somebody to help you get your head out of your ass so you could handle your business. That just happened to be the perfect opportunity.” Tony laughed. “Hey, I’m just happy that it worked -- probably would have been sooner if we hadn’t gotten wrapped up in that case.” Jack was too astonished to be angry. His laughter soon joined Tony’s. “You know, for such a mean, tough bastard, you’re awfully sentimental when you want to be.” “Yeah, well, somebody’s got to look out for your sorry ass,” Tony joked. “And now that you two are all in love and shit, it’s time to celebrate. Which leads me to the real reason that I’ve been trying to reach you.” “I thought it was because you were worried that I was rotting away in my bed,” Jack remarked dryly. “Man, please. You are way too ornery to die.” Tony chuckled. “No, I was calling to make sure you hadn’t forgotten about tonight.” “What about tonight?” Jack asked, his voice sounding serious in spite of the smile on his face. “Don’t play,” Tony warned. “You know what day this is.” “Other than Saturday, what is it?” Jack was barely holding on to his laughter. There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, before Tony finally spoke. “You really did forget, didn’t you?” He sounded so disappointed that Jack couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. “I’m just fucking with you, bro. I know today is your birthday.” “You asshole,” Tony grumbled. “My birthday party is tonight, and I expect to see you and Clarke there by ten.” “Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, we’ll be there. But I can’t guarantee that we’ll make it by ten,” Jack warned. “Uh, uh. No excuses. You two have had plenty of time to get the excitement of your first fuck out of your system. Now it’s time to party.”

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Jack turned from the window, his eyes watching Clarke as she paced back and forth in her bedroom. “Speak for yourself. I still have seven years worth of fucking to make up for.” “TMI, dude! That is way too much information for me!” Tony yelled out in mock horror. “Look, I gotta go so I can get my beauty rest for tonight, and you can get back to making up for lost time.” “Cool. I’ll see you tonight. And Tony,” Jack stopped him before he could hang up, “happy birthday, bro. And, thanks again…for everything.” “No problem, man. Like you said, that’s what brothers are for.”

***** “Hi, Pops,” Clarke said when she heard her father’s voice on the phone. “Hey, baby girl! How are you? Is everything okay?” Clarke heard the worry in his voice, and she felt horrible for putting it there. “I’m fine, Pops,” she tried to assure him. “I’m sorry if I made you worry by disappearing like that. But there was something I needed to take care of.” “Honey, as long as you’re okay, then that’s all that matters,” he assured her. “I just don’t want you to think that I’m irresponsible, and don’t take my role as your partner in the restaurant seriously.” “Listen to me, sweetheart, there’s no way I could ever think that. You’ve been practically living in the restaurant for the past month. I’m still amazed at all of the work you’ve done in the short time you’ve been back. It’s like I’m walking into a new restaurant every day. It’s only reasonable that you’d need a day or two for yourself. In fact,” he added, “you should take the rest of the weekend off. You can pick up again on Monday.” “Are you sure?” She really wanted the rest of the weekend to just enjoy being with Jack before his furlough ended and he had to return to work, but she felt so guilty for even thinking about doing it. “What? You think the old man can’t handle it on his own?” he joked. “Of course I’m sure, baby.” He paused for a moment, switching subjects. So,” he asked hesitantly, “you haven’t heard from Jack, have you?” “Um…yeah…he’s with me.” She bit on her lip nervously. “So…I take it he’s that ‘something’ you needed to take care of, huh?” Clarke suddenly felt like a kid again, trying to explain herself to her father. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or not, and she hoped like hell that he wasn’t, because she refused to back down. Not about this. “Yes, Pops, he is. And --” “Good for you, baby.” His words interrupted her, leaving her speechless as she prepared to defend Jack and herself.

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“W-what?” she stammered. “I said, good for you,” he repeated, chuckling at the confusion in her voice.

It can’t be this easy. “But…I thought…” “What did you think? That I’d be angry? Did you think I’d disapprove because Jack’s white? Or did you think that I’d be bothered that he’s older than you?” he gently chided her. “I don’t know!” She threw her free hand up in the air and paced around her room. “I just…I mean, I knew you wouldn’t care about Jack being white, and I’d hoped that you wouldn’t be too bothered about the age thing. I guess I just didn’t expect for you to take to the idea of Jack and me as a couple so easily.” “And why wouldn’t I? You two have been in love with each other for years.”

Well, shit, the surprises just kept coming. “You knew?” And all this time she thought that was her little secret. Damn, she seriously needed to work on her poker face. Groaning, Clarke fell back on her bed and covered her face with her hand. “Of course I knew.” He laughed. “I have eyes, baby, and I’m not so old that I don’t remember what it’s like to love someone. I’m just glad that you two finally moved past your differences and admitted how you felt about each other.” “Wow…I don’t know what to say,” she said softly, swallowing past the lump in her throat, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. “You don’t need to say anything. Don’t you know how proud I am of you, Clarke? I just want you to be happy. Jack is a good man, and I think of him like a son. I can’t think of a better man for my baby girl.” His voice suddenly turned disapproving. “I certainly wouldn’t choose that young man you went out with a couple of days ago.” Clarke groaned at the mention of Gil. So much had been going on, she’d completely forgotten about him. “Well, I have no intention of going out with him again, so you’ve seen the last of him,” she assured him. “Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” he warned. “He’s been practically living here since that night you two went out.” Clarke’s attention was drawn to Jack as he walked back into the room and laid on the bed. “Hmm, considering how our date went, I’m surprised he’s even coming around.” She chewed on her lip absently, distracted by Jack’s hand moving steadily up her thigh before disappearing under her robe. “Don’t worry, Pops. I’ll talk to him.” Jack’s hand stopped moving, and he began shaking his head, a scowl on his face as he mouthed the word “no.” “It’s been taken care of already. Tony had a talk with him yesterday.”

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Clarke frowned. “Yeah, I know what Tony’s ‘talks’ are like. I can only imagine what he said to the guy. No doubt it involved a few threats and the risk of bodily injury if he came around anymore.” She looked up to see Jack grinning in approval. “If he did, I’d be okay with it,” Pops told her. “There’s something strange about that young man. I just don’t trust him. He was getting way too pushy about seeing you and getting in contact with you. I just didn’t like it.” Clarke didn’t like it either, but decided not to comment, especially with Jack staring a hole in her head. The last thing she wanted to do was get him worked up for nothing. Hopefully, whatever Tony told Gil would keep him away. If not…well, she didn’t even want to think about what Jack might do if Gil wouldn’t move on. She just hoped for Gil’s sake that he would. Jack’s hand started traveling again, and his lips followed, kissing a path along her inner thighs as he inched closer and closer to her cunt. “Okay, Pops. I’m…uh…” The feel of Jack’s tongue playing with her clit ring made her breath catch in her throat, and she almost dropped the phone. “So…ah…I’m gonna go n-now.” Pleasure shot through her as Jack pushed her legs farther apart and began sucking on her clit. Pops chuckled knowingly. “Okay, baby girl…you do that. And tell Jack I said hello.” He hung up without waiting for her to respond, probably knowing what she and Jack were doing and not really expecting a response. Clarke knew she should have been mortified that her father knew she was getting freaky while she was talking on the phone with him, but at the moment, Jack was making her feel too damn good to care. All too soon, he lifted his head, leaving her feeling disappointed and aching for more. “Everything okay?” “It was great until you stopped,” she complained. He laughed at the pout on her face, and leaned over to kiss her. She could taste herself on his lips. “I meant is everything okay with Pops?” “Yeah, yeah, Pops is great…fine…wonderful.” She reached for him, trying to pull him closer to her for another kiss, but he eluded her, instead kissing up her jawline before his tongue snaked out to play in the hollow of her ear, sending a shiver through her. “So what’s the deal with the pretty boy?” His warm breath caressed her ear. “What pretty boy?” she moaned in confusion, his words distracting her from the pleasure he was giving her. “Your little date from the other night.” She started laughing, suddenly understanding who he was talking about. “What’s so funny?” he growled in her ear, nipping her lobe. “Ow…that hurt, asshole!” She whacked him on the shoulder before reaching up to rub her abused ear. “And you’re what’s so funny. You call Gil a pretty boy, but look at you!”

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“What about me?” He looked both horrified and offended, and it made her laugh even harder. “Come on, Jackson. If you weren’t so big and intimidating and growly and didn’t have such a big…piece,” she gestured toward his gun holster hanging on her chair, “you’d easily be mistaken for a pretty boy.” “Never gonna happen,” he said adamantly. She pushed him back on the bed before straddling his waist. She leaned down, tracing his lips with her tongue. “It’s okay, baby,” she whispered as she sucked on his bottom lip. “I like pretty boys.” She kissed his chin, then the hollow of his throat before sitting up and sliding her robe off her shoulders. Her hands moved under his shirt, traveling over the ripples of his muscled stomach. Once his chest was exposed, she leaned down and took his nipple into her mouth. Jack groaned, his body jerking as she sucked on the hard pebble. He gripped her hips tightly, grinding his erection into her core. She reached between them and worked his pants open, her hand finding and releasing his cock. “I stand corrected,” she murmured, pumping his thick shaft with her hand, watching as the tip began to glisten and leak pre-cum, “you may be pretty but you are definitely not a boy.” “And don’t you forget it,” he warned just before he rolled them both over, and Clarke found herself looking up at him. His mouth found hers while his hands were busy pushing his pants and shorts down past his hips, not even bothering to completely remove them. Jack grabbed a condom packet off the night table and quickly sheathed himself before he pressed her legs apart, his hands resting on her inner thighs. He penetrated her in one long stroke, thrusting deep and hard, stealing the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping to catch her breath. He suddenly leaned back and took her with him, and she was once again straddling him. “Ride me baby,” he rasped. “Fuck yourself on my cock.” Clarke moaned, his words emboldening her as she gripped his upper arms for support and began bouncing up and down on his thick length, her hips grinding against his, her tight pussy sucking him in and out of her body. “That’s it…oh, yeah, baby…take what you need,” he encouraged her. She was covered with a fine sheen of sweat, her stomach muscles tightly clenched, and Jack felt her pulsate around his shaft as her climax washed over her. Jack shifted again, lifted Clarke from his throbbing dick, and positioned her on her hands and knees in front of him. He palmed her round ass cheeks with both hands, then, unable to resist, he leaned over and took a bite, before kissing the sting away.

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Taking his cock in one hand, he rubbed the crown through the juices flowing from her swollen pussy, before teasing her anus. “Ever been fucked here?” His cock head brushed over her tight rosette. “Aahhh…no, just…toys,” she said breathlessly. “Prepare yourself, because I’m gonna fuck you here real soon…real often.” Jack moved back to the entrance of her pussy and slid in. The snug, wet heat of her surrounded him, and unable to hold back any longer, he started slamming into her, each thrust more brutal that the last. Clarke met him stroke for stroke, pressing back against his pounding cock, begging him for more. “Please…God…don’t stop…take it…it’s yours,” she pleaded. His large body covered hers, one arm wrapped around her waist, and the other moved between her legs to play with her clit. Jack felt her begin to tremble in his arms, knew she was ready to come again, and he increased the pressure on her clit. The sound of her screaming out his name as she came, the feel of her juices flowing over his cock, pushed him over the edge. Jack felt his balls draw up tight, and his cock was as hard as granite just before an almost unbearable pleasure shot through him like a bolt of lightning. “Oh…goddamn, baby…fuck!” he hollered, his entire body seizing as his cum poured from his dick into the condom. Clarke’s body gave out first, and she collapsed onto the bed, taking him with her. He had just enough energy left to roll to the side before his full weight landed on her. He pulled the used condom off and dropped it somewhere on the floor next to the bed before pulling her tightly against him, burying his face in her hair. It still amazed him that this woman had the ability to make him weak in the knees. He never imagined that he’d love someone with the intensity that he loved her. And it wasn’t just the sex, although it was the best he’d ever had -- and he’d had plenty over the years. It was so much more than that. The more time he spent with her, the more he learned about her, the more Jack saw that they had more in common than he ever realized. He was convinced that she was his other half. “I don’t know how I survived all these years without you in my life.” He kissed down her neck and shoulder. “You’ve always had me in your life, Jackson,” she softly replied, lacing her fingers through his hand at her waist. “Not like you should have been. Not like this,” he insisted. They lay quietly for a moment, and then he asked the one question that he’d been dying to know but dreaded hearing the answer to. “Why didn’t you ever move on and find someone else? I mean, I’m so damn glad you didn’t because I’d have to kill the bastard. But…didn’t you get tired of waiting and wondering if I’d ever get my shit together?”

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Clarke remained quiet, and he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Finally, she said, “I did think about it. I thought about everything that happened between us. A lot.” She paused for a moment before she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “I was so hurt and angry for so long. I tried so hard to hate you. But I just couldn’t. I loved you too much. And, in spite of everything, I believed you loved me, too.” She sighed. “So, I waited…and hoped…and prayed that you’d eventually come around. And, God knows, Jackson, it wasn’t easy. I got so tired of waiting for you. I wrote you off more times than I can even remember.” “So, what happened?” Jack asked. “What changed that made you wait it out?” His voice was filled with genuine curiosity. “I never met anyone who was worthy,” she said simply. “Nobody good enough for you, huh?” he joked. “No, that wasn’t it.” She turned toward him. “It wasn’t that they weren’t good enough for me, they weren’t good enough to replace you.” Her words sucked the air right out of him and left him speechless. “Damn…baby…” Words failed him as he tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. Instead, he covered her mouth with his, letting all his emotions and feelings come through in that kiss. Jack pulled back and looked into those beautiful hazel eyes. “I’m such a lucky bastard,” he said, caressing her face with his hand. Smiling, she said, “And don’t you forget it.”

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Chapter Nine “Where is the girl?” Dimitryi demanded when Gil answered his cell phone. “I’m working on it.” Gil’s voice wavered when he spoke. “What does that mean, ‘I’m working on it?’ Do you have her or not?” Dimitryi yelled. Gil winced, his ear ringing. “Um…not yet…no,” Gil said, trying to keep the reluctant sound out of his voice and failing miserably. “I don’t know why I ever listened to you!” Dimitryi thundered. “You are worthless,” he spat, “just like your whore of a mother.” Gil closed his eyes, the words cutting deep. “It’s not my fault!” Gil tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but it still crept in. He was scared shitless of Dimitryi. “I can’t find Clarke anywhere. I’ve looked. It’s like she knows I’m looking for her, and she’s hiding out.” Earlier that day he’d followed Clarke’s old man home, and when the man left later that night, he’d broken into his house and tore it apart until he found Clarke’s address. Now Gil stood inside of her apartment, having given it the same treatment that he’d given the old man’s place. He’d still come up empty handed. He knew she’d been there. And from the unmade bed and the lingering scent of sex in the air, he figured that fucker Parker had been with her, too. But they were gone by the time he’d gotten there, and Gil couldn’t find a clue as to where they might have gone. “I’ll find her, Father --” “Don’t you ever call me that!” Dimitryi roared. “You haven’t earned the right to call me by that name.” “But I’m your son.” Gil hated the way Dimitryi always seemed to reduce him to begging and groveling. Hated how Dimitryi treated him like he was less than shit. Damn, he just hated Dimitryi -- almost as fiercely as he loved him.

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“My son is dead! You are nothing more than a mistake. You never deserved to be my son.” The force of the hatred in Dimitryi’s voice hit Gil like a physical blow. “Why do you hate me so much?” Gil’s whispered. “Why?” Dimitryi laughed, the sound bitter and brittle over the phone line. “Because you still breathe while Andrei lies rotting in the earth. But I promise you this, Guillermo. If you don’t bring me that little cunt within the next twenty-fours, you will be joining him.” Gil stood motionless in the room, paralyzed and unable to move. The buzz tone on the other end of the line continued long after Dimitryi had hung up. Dimitryi’s words replayed over and over in Gil’s mind, and he knew this would be his final chance to prove himself and win his father’s love. And save his own life.

***** Jack pulled up in front of the nightclub a little after ten that evening, and already a line of people waited to get in. He helped Clarke out of the car, handed his keys to the parking attendant, and led her toward a private entrance into the club, past the long line waiting out front. At Clarke’s questioning look, he said, “The owners are friends of ours. T. and I met them back when we were in the academy. They both quit the force a few years ago and opened this place.” When the security guard stationed at the entrance noticed Jack, he opened the door, letting him and Clarke inside. “Hey, Mike, how’s it going?” Jack shook Mike’s hand as they entered. “Busy as usual,” Mike replied, glancing at Clarke. “Your group is in the regular spot upstairs.” His gaze lingered on Clarke as she walked into the club. “See something you like, my man?” Jack asked, his gaze following Mike’s as he watched Clarke. “Shit, what’s not to like?” Mike blurted out. “No offense, man,” he said quickly, and Jack laughed. “None taken,” Jack told him. “So, is she decoration for the evening or…” “She’s forever,” Jack clarified, and Mike turned to look at him. “No shit? Damn…you’re a lucky man.” “Don’t I know it.” Jack caught up with Clarke, who stood watching the crowd on the large dance floor. He slid his arms around her waist. “You like to dance?” She nodded. “Show me later?” he asked. She turned and smiled at him, mouthed the word “OK.” They climbed the stairs to the second level where the party was located. This section of the club was private and had its own bar, wait staff, and small dance floor. About fifty people

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milled around, and Clarke didn’t know a soul. It suddenly occurred to her that this was the first time she’d been around any of Jack’s friends, or acquaintances, for that matter. Unlike her, Jack seemed to know everyone, and several people stopped them as they made their way to the bar. Each time, Jack introduced her and held her possessively by his side. “About time you two got here!” Clarke turned around at the sound of Tony’s voice. He scooped her into a big hug that lifted her off the ground. “Put me down, T.” She laughed, and playfully hit him on the arm. Tony gave a dramatic sigh. “Yeah, I guess I should,” he motioned toward Jack, “since your boyfriend here is practically growling at me.” As soon as her feet touched the floor Jack pulled her against him and glared at Tony. “Find your own woman. There’s plenty to choose from,” he growled, and Tony laughed. “Now, I have to agree with you there, partner,” he said, winking at a smiling woman who sauntered past him. Clarke shook her head. “On that note, I’m going to get me a drink, and you two can stand here admiring the scenery.” She turned to Jack. “You want anything?” He leaned closer. “Just you,” he whispered in her ear. “Already got me.” Clarke smiled. “Anything else?” “Scotch is good.” Jack kissed her temple. She looked at Tony. “What about you, T.? You want anything?” “Yeah…but not from the bar,” his said, his attention focused on the dance floor. Clarke looked over and saw two women dancing together, beckoning for him to join them. “I just bet you do,” she said dryly. “Try and stay out of trouble,” she told them both before walking away. Jack’s eyes were glued to her as she walked toward the bar, the dress she was wearing causing more than a few men to take notice of her as well. The black drop-waist mini dress was made of a soft jersey material with a blouson-style top and long, off-the-shoulder sleeves. The slim skirt only came mid-thigh and molded to her shapely ass. The back of the dress dipped low, leaving most of Clarke’s back exposed and advertising the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. The dress hugged her large, firm breasts. A pair of black stilettos graced her feet and wrapped around the ankle. The heels were so damn high Jack was amazed she could even walk in them. But she did, and she looked fucking incredible doing it. Tony let out a low whistle. “Damn…Clarke sure has grown up, hasn’t she?” Jack frowned. “What? I have eyes, I can see, and I mean, I’m just saying…the woman is fine.” He glanced at Jack again. “So, have you given her a tour of your place yet?”

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“Not yet. But I will tonight.” Jack watched as some asshole tried to start a conversation with Clarke at the bar. She shook her head at whatever the man said and pointed in Jack’s direction. The guy looked over at him. Jack recognized him. He worked for the state police and was a decent man. It would be a shame to have to beat his ass if he didn’t move away from Clarke. The guy raised his beer bottle in salute, and Jack nodded his head in acknowledgement as the guy wisely walked away. “You planning on showing her your playroom?” Jack turned his attention back to Tony. “Yeah, I am,” he said, looking Tony directly in the eye. “For some crazy reason that I still don’t understand, she seems to love me for me. My playroom is part of who I am. I’m not going to hide it from her.” Clarke rejoined them. “What are you two doing over here looking so serious?” She handed Jack his drink. “I thought this was supposed to be a party?” She sipped her drink as she looked back and forth between them. “It is a party, darlin’,” Tony said, changing the subject. “I was just explaining to your boyfriend that since it’s my birthday, I get to dance with you first.” He took her glass out of her hand, handed it to Jack, and ignored the scowl on his face. “Come on, girl, and show me what you’re working with,” he teased. Clarke laughed and let him pull her onto the dance floor. Jack smiled as he watched them, admiring the way Clarke moved her body when she danced. He’d just finished having a conversation with Scott and Dave, the club owners, when he heard a familiar and unwelcome voice next to him. “Hi, Jack,” He didn’t even bother to look in her direction as disdain colored his features. “I think I need to have a talk with Scott and Dave about their security. Somebody is not on their job if they let you slip through,” he drawled. “Wow, so I guess we’re past the pleasantries stage, huh?” If he didn’t know her so well, he might have believed the hurt he heard in her voice. But he did know her; knew more than he cared to think about, and he knew what a bitch she was. “Cut the bullshit, Amber.” Jack shot her a withering look. “The only thing that was ever between us was fucking, and that ended years ago.” He continued to watch Clarke and Tony on the dance floor. Her eyes followed his. “I see your cravings for chocolate are back,” she said snidely. He finally turned around to actually look at her, and Jack saw that time had not been kind. Too many years spent in tanning salons, getting liposuction, and barely eating had taken their toll. If she wasn’t such a cunt, he might have felt sorry for her. If memory served him correctly, she was only thirty, but she could easily be mistaken for someone ten years older. Her body looked like it had been made with replaceable parts, making her look like a grotesque caricature of her former self.

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“What’s the matter, Amber? You mad because you were nothing more than a fuck toy to me, and now you’re not even good enough to be that?” Her eyes turned hard, and her face tightened in anger, making her look even older. “Fuck you, Jack!” she snarled. “I’ll take a pass,” he drawled, “But I’m sure there’s at least one unsuspecting loser here that you haven’t fucked already who’ll take you up on your offer.” Jack turned away, dismissing her, and searched out Clarke again. He barely noticed when Amber stormed off. Even though Clarke danced with Tony, Jack constantly drew her attention. God, the man was so damn hot, he was like walking fire. That custom-tailored black shirt he wore emphasized just how broad and sculpted his chest and shoulders were, and his black pants made his firm, muscular ass look so good it made her mouth water. He just stood there, practically oozing with sex appeal. Clarke was so turned on, she was ready to pull him into a washroom stall and fuck his brains out. He was talking with two men, when he suddenly looked at her and gave her a look so smoldering, Clarke felt as if she needed to make sure she was still wearing clothes. He made her feel as if they’d melted off. “That’s a good look on you,” Tony commented. Clarke pulled her attention away from Jack. “What is?”

“Happy. It looks good on you.” He smiled. She blushed, even as her face broke into a huge grin. “Yeah, it feels pretty good, too,” Clarke agreed. “So, does this mean that I’m finally forgiven for the Atlanta thing?” The sheepish grin she knew so well flitted over his face. She glanced at Jack again before turning back to him. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. You and Jack have been on assignment, so I never got the chance to give you the tongue lashing that you deserved for that little stunt.” She gave him a mock frown. “Luckily for you, everything worked out okay, so I’m willing to let you off the hook this time. Otherwise, I would have given you another black eye to match the one you already have.” Clarke reached up and gently smoothed her thumb across the fading purple bruise under his eye. When she looked in Jack’s direction again, some skinny blonde chick had replaced the two guys he’d been talking to. Clarke started to simmer as the woman tried to get cozy with Jack. She knew Jack had been far from a saint over the years, and she suspected there were probably several women here he’d probably known more intimately than she cared to think about. Still, it pissed Clarke off to see some little skank trying to move in on what was hers. “What the fuck is Amber doing here?” Tony said in disgust. “I’m telling you, that woman is like a hound dog when it comes to Jack. She can sniff him out no matter where he is.”

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Clarke stopped and looked at Tony. “What did you say her name was?” “Amber.” He looked at her curiously. “Why?” “Nothing…just wondered,” Clarke replied distractedly, her mind wandering back to that night in Jack’s house, remembering the blonde with the cold green eyes who taunted and insulted her. She’d never forgotten how Jack had protected her, had made the bitch leave. Clarke saw Amber suddenly storm away from Jack, and she was torn between following Amber so she could kick her ass or going over to re-stake her claim on her man. Clarke chose the latter. When she and Tony reached Jack, he pulled her into his arms. “I thought I was going to have to come and get you.” Jack glared at Tony over her head. “Go find somebody else’s woman to monopolize, birthday boy.” “Oh, so it’s like that, huh?” Tony tried and failed to look wounded. “That’s cool. I think I see two pretty ladies on the dance floor who would love for me to monopolize them.” He strolled off. “Now,” Jack whispered in her ear, gently nipping on her lobe, making her shiver. ”I believe you promised me a dance. I’ve been patiently standing here watching you get your groove on. It’s my turn now.” Clarke was surprised and impressed with how well he danced. For such a big man, Jack had more coordination and rhythm than she would have anticipated. She decided to tease him a little, doing a little bump and grind move against his groin. Jack remembered hearing that the way a person danced said a lot about how they fucked. He couldn’t help but think that was true. Jesus, she had him hard as stone the way she was moving her hips and ass against his cock. They danced together for a long time before the music turned slow. Jack held Clarke tight, her back pressed against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist. They swayed slowly to the beat. “So,” Clarke said, her voice light. “Tony told me the woman you were talking to was named Amber…” She paused before continuing. “Is she the same Amber…” “Yeah, that was her,” Jack sighed, finishing her sentence. “She’s like a fucking recurring rash; every time I think I’ve gotten rid of her, she pops up to irritate me all over again.” “Well, can you blame her?” Clarke chuckled. “She knows a good thing when she sees it.” Jack turned her in his arms so he could look in her face. “No, baby, don’t defend her. Not after what she said to you that night.” “Oh, don’t worry, I wasn’t defending her,” Clarke scoffed. “Hell, I was about half a second away from coming over to step in her ass once I realized who she was. But,” she

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smirked as she ran her hand up and down his chest, “I can definitely understand why Amber can’t let go.” “Well, she needs to. She’s a pathetic excuse for a woman, and if I hadn’t been raised any better, I would have beaten the shit out of her myself that night.” “Well, I’m glad you didn’t. She’s definitely not worth it,” she assured him. “No, she’s not. But you are.” Jack brushed his lips across hers, once, twice, before delving inside. Her tongue eagerly joined his, exploring his mouth, making him moan. “Let’s get out of here. Need you,” he growled, licking at the crease of her lips. “Mmm…me too.” She sighed against his lips. “I just need to use the ladies room first.” Jack saw desire blazing in her eyes, a desire that matched his own. “Hurry back.” He watched her walk away and then went to find Tony to tell him they were leaving.

***** Clarke was just getting ready to flush the toilet when she heard Jack’s name mentioned. “Is it just me, or does Jack look hotter every time I see him?” Clarke peeked through the stall door at the three women standing in front of the mirror. She immediately recognized Amber in the group, and her eyes narrowed in anger. “I wonder who that woman is that he’s with,” the redhead said. “Just some ghetto trash trying to fit in where she doesn’t belong.” Amber’s vicious comment had the other two women staring at her in surprise. Clarke barely controlled the urge to kick the stall door open and break a stiletto off in Amber’s bony ass. Ghetto trash, Clarke mouthed silently. Oh yeah, this bitch was seriously asking for a beat down. “What, do you know her or something?” the blonde asked her. Clarke saw Amber roll her eyes in the mirror. “I don’t have to know her to know her type.” “Really? And what type is that?” Red asked. “Another project chick looking for a baby daddy.” She smirked. “Too bad for her, the only word that starts with a C that Jack likes is ‘cunt,’ not ‘commitment.’” Amber laughed at her own joke. “You can’t be serious, Amber.” Red frowned. “I mean, ‘ghetto trash’ ‘Project chick’ That’s pretty low -- even for you. You don’t even know her!” Amber turned to Red with her hands on her hips. “And what exactly do I need to know that I can’t see with my own two eyes?” She looked between Red and Blondie. “I mean, have you looked at her?” she questioned, as if the answer should be obvious. “Yeah, what about her?” Blondie asked.

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“Even you can’t be that stupid, Kelly,” Amber spat, ignoring the look of hurt that crossed Kelly’s face. “Do either of you honestly think she’s the type Jack would be interested in?” “He looked pretty interested to me when he had his tongue down her throat on the dance floor,” Red quipped, and Kelly snickered. Clarke had to bite back her own laugh. “Please! What would Jack see in her, anyway?” Amber demanded. “Oh, I don’t know,” Red said sarcastically, “Maybe the fact that she’s gorgeous, has a great body --” “A fat body is more like it,” Amber snorted. “You’re kidding, right? I would kill for a body like hers,” Red told her. “I’d kill for an ass like hers!” Kelly said, as she and Red laughed. “Not everybody strives to be ninety pounds like you, Amber,” Red told her. “For your information, Erin,” Amber sniffed, “I weigh 119.” “Yeah, but you’re five-eight,” Erin said dryly. “Whatever,” Amber huffed, as she continued to put on more makeup. “Anyway, I’m not surprised that you’re sticking up for her. Everybody knows how much you love dark meat. I just never knew it included women as well as men.” “You know what, Amber?” Erin said quietly, her face flushed with anger. “I never knew how much of a fucking bitch you truly are until this very moment.” “Hey.” Amber shrugged. “I just call it like I see it.” “What the fuck is your problem?” Erin demanded angrily. “My problem,” she glared at Erin in the mirror, “is that it pisses me off to see a man like Jack with that type of woman.” Kelly cocked her head to the side. “That type? And what type would that be?” Clarke had heard enough. She flushed the toilet and opened the stall door. “I think she means ‘black,’” she said to the shocked threesome. Turning toward Amber, Clarke continued. “That is what you meant, right?” Her voice was casual as she walked over to the sink and started washing her hands. Inside she was steaming, barely controlling the urge to slap the shit out of her. “Although I seem to recall you using a slightly more…colorful word the first time you saw me with Jack seven years ago.” Clarke had to fight to keep from laughing at the comical look on Amber’s face as she realized who she was. “That was you?” Amber’s face turned crimson. Clarke ignored her question and kept talking. “And I always said that if I ever saw you again, I’d give you the ass whipping you deserved for the things you said to me that night.” She confronted Amber, crowding into her personal space, backing the taller woman against the wall.

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As much as she might have wanted to, Clarke knew she had no intention of actually striking the woman. Not that it would do any good, anyway; Amber would still be a hateful, racist bitch. Although Clarke admitted that it felt damn good to see the fear flash through Amber’s eyes when she thought she was about to be attacked. Besides, when it was all said and done, Clarke was the one going home with Jack tonight -- and for many nights to come, if she had anything to say about it. “But now that I’ve seen you, I won’t even bother to waste my time.” Clarke looked her up and down in contempt. “From the looks of things, Mother Nature has been kicking your ass enough already.” Clarke gave a slight shiver, her lips curling in disgust. Ignoring the muffled snickering from the other two, Clarke focused her gaze solely on Amber, daring her to say something. Finally, Clarke glanced at her watch. “Well,” she smiled brightly, “as fun as this has been, I really must go. Jack’s waiting for me.” She looked at Erin and Kelly. “Enjoy your evening ladies… I know I will.” She winked, chuckling at the shocked and amused expressions on their faces, and, completely ignoring a speechless Amber, Clarke sauntered out the door. As soon as she walked into the hallway, Clarke practically ran into Jack. “Finally. I thought you’d fallen in the toilet and needed to be rescued.” The sound of Amber screaming profanities reached their ears, and Jack gave her a narrowed look. “You wanna tell me what you and Amber were doing in there, baby?” “Nothing to worry about.” She smiled innocently. “Just a little girl talk.” Clarke looped her arm through Jack’s as they walked out of the club.

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Chapter Ten “So…this is your playroom?” Clarke slowly walked around the room in amazement. She’d never seen anything like it. The fuck room was a more appropriate description. In the center of the room was a large California King bed that was custom-fitted with adjustable wrist and ankle shackles. An additional pair of wrist cuffs hung from the top of the canopystyled bed. In one corner of the room, there was a dance pole built into a small platform surrounded by a shiny marble floor. Across from the pole sat a chair that looked liked it should be in a gynecologist’s exam office, complete with restraints that could be adjusted to push the legs farther apart or bring them closer together, depending on preference. On the other side of the room, the entire wall was covered in padded leather with more wrist and ankle shackles attached. With the exception of the leather-padded wall, every wall in the room was covered in mirrors -- including the ceiling. “Yeah…it is. What do you think?” he asked, watching her closely. “What do I think?” Clarke repeated as she stopped walking in a circle and turned to face him. “I think…that you…are such a freak!” A huge grin lit up her face as she laughed uncontrollably, and Jack finally relaxed enough to start breathing again. “Oh, my God, Jackson,” Clarke giggled, tying to catch her breath, “when did you get all of this stuff?” Jack couldn’t help but smile, feeling relieved -- and oh so pleased -- that the room seemed to excite rather than repulse her. “I started putting it together shortly after I bought the place.” He walked up behind her and kissed her on the neck. “But I didn’t finish getting it the way I wanted it until a couple of years ago.” Clarke walked over to the three large cabinets on the wall. She opened the first cabinet. Jack saw her eyes grow wide when she saw the cuffs, whips, collars, and leashes of different

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sizes on the shelves. The second cabinet was filled with everything from lubricants, gels, and foams to condoms and dental dams of all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. The third cabinet was empty. “What do you keep in here?” Clarke asked, holding the door open and looking over at him. “Normally, I have different types of toys in there.” He came up behind her and started caressing her shoulders. “Oh, yeah? Like vibrators and stuff?” Clarke leaned into his touch. “That, and other stuff, too.” The feel of her ass against him distracted him, his cock already stiff, as he imagined all the things he wanted to share with her in this room. Jack’s hands began exploring her body, played with her nipple rings through her dress. “What else?” Clarke said, breathless, as she wiggled her ass a little closer to him. “Mmm…” Jack moaned, the feel of her rubbing against him shooting sparks of pleasure through him. “Dildos, nipple clamps, clit clamps, cock rings, butt plugs, strap-ons,” he absently rattled off the list, more focused on kissing along her shoulder. Clarke stilled. She leaned her head back to look into his face. “Did you say… strap-ons?” When he nodded she asked, “What do you need a strap-on for?” He chuckled at the confused look on her face. “They weren’t for me to wear. Sometimes there were several women here and, well, one of them would strap it on so they could play together.”

“Several women, huh? Such a stud.” She laughed. “Yes, I am.” Jack gave her a smug smile. “But I can’t take all the credit. There were usually other men here, too.” “Has Tony been here?” she asked. He snorted with laughter. “What do you think?” “I’ll take that as a yes.” “Good answer.” “So…what? Was it just like one big orgy or something?” “Something like that,” he murmured. “And everybody just fucked?” “That’s usually what happens at an orgy,” he teased. Clarke’s face was like an open book, and Jack could clearly see how much this turned her on. “Hmm…so was it just heterosexual fucking, or was there same-sex fucking, too?” “Both.” Jack sucked her earlobe into his mouth. “And…did you do both?” He couldn’t help but smile. She liked hearing about the kinky things he’d done. Jack suspected she’d like doing them even more. “No. But others did.”

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“Anybody I know?” She was a persistent little thing, determined to hear every little detail. “Mmm.” He trailed kisses down her back. “Remember Scott and Dave from the club tonight?” “Uh-huh.” She moaned. “They’re not just business partners.” “Oh. Oh!” She was so damn cute. All innocent and sexy rolled into one. “Yeah…oh.” Jack laughed. Clarke was quiet for a moment. “So where are they now?” “Where are who now?” Jack had completely lost track of the conversation, too busy thinking about what he wanted to do to her first. “Not who, what.” She laughed at his obvious confusion. “I’m talking about the toys, Jackson. You said they’re normally in here. Where are they?” “Got rid of ’em.” He started undressing her, pushed the sleeves of her dress off her shoulders. “Why?” She moaned when his hands palmed and caressed her bared breasts. “Didn’t want to use something that had to touch you so intimately that had been used on someone else,” Jack explained. “So I threw them out. We’ll buy new ones. You can help me pick them out.” Clarke shivered as Jack’s hands played with her nipple and navel rings. Her dress had already been eased down her body and now pooled around her feet. “Is there anything in here that bothers you?” he whispered against her ear. “God, no.” Clarke moaned, her eyes fluttering closed at his touch. “What do you want to try?” His dick was hard and throbbing. Jack couldn’t wait to get inside her. “Everything!” He chuckled at the need in her voice. “Then let’s start here.” He picked her up and walked over to the padded leather wall. He put Clarke down. “Turn around,” he instructed. He watched Clarke maneuver so that she faced the wall with her back to him. She bent down to take off her stilettos. “No.” He stopped her. “Those stay on.” Jack secured her wrists, then her ankles, before stepping back to look at her. Her arms and legs were stretched wide open, making an X across the wall. With the exception of the shoes, Clarke was completely nude, her round ass beckoning him. Jack reached out and caressed her ass before trailing his hands up her back. “You trust me, baby?” “Yes,” she whispered without hesitation.

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“Good,” he said. “But if at any time you don’t like something I do to you, tell me immediately, okay?” At her nod, Jack pressed his body against hers, his head lowering to kiss along the column of her neck. “Do you know how incredible you look right now, all spread out for me?” He ground his cock into the crease of her ass. When Clarke gave a slight shake of her head, Jack said, “You are so fucking sexy.” His hand moved between her legs, and he slid his fingers through her slit. Clarke was soaking wet, her juices already starting to leak from her swollen pussy. “You like this, don’t you baby?” Jack crooned in her ear. “You like being tied up and at my mercy. Hmm…I wonder what else you like?” He suddenly released her. Before she could figure out where Jack had gone, he was back. She gave a startled squeal when she was suddenly plunged into darkness, her eyes covered with a mask. “Relax, baby. I’m right here,” Jack soothed. “I won’t hurt you. Never hurt you again.” His voice was soft, reassuring, and Clarke immediately calmed down. “That’s my girl.” His hands caressed her body. “Don’t worry about seeing. Just feel. Enjoy.” Clarke shivered as something feathered down her spine. The ticklish caress continued for a moment, gradually progressing into stronger, stinging bites of pleasure-pain across her ass. She soon realized that Jack was using some kind of flogger on her, his expert touch making it just hard enough for her to feel the burn without doing any real damage. Clarke couldn’t believe how quickly, easily, and willingly she was submitting to this act of bondage. She’d never done this before, had only fantasized about what it would be like to actually do it. And, damn if it wasn’t one of the most erotic things she’d ever experienced. The more Jack increased the pressure from the flogger, the more she pushed her ass out toward him, her body silently begging for more. She’d begun to make little mewling sounds as tremors raked through her body, and her juices were running down her inner thighs, signaling just how close she was to coming just from getting her ass whipped. Suddenly, Jack’s hands replaced the flogger, kneading and massaging the burn away. He shifted behind Clarke, and she jumped when his lips touched her ass. He spread her cheeks apart, his tongue teasing the puckered hole of her ass for a moment before tilting her hips back. Jack buried his face in the folds of her cunt, his tongue sweeping through her slit and lapping up her cream. Clarke was thankful she was still restrained, because she would have collapsed to the floor when Jack stopped and stood up. She was panting and achy all over, sitting on top of an orgasm, needing just a little more to push her over the edge into the extreme pleasure her body craved. Jack’s hand continued to caress the crease of her ass. “Do you know how much I love your ass?” He rubbed his hard cock between her ass cheeks. “I love it so much that I’m going

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to fuck it. Tonight.” She whimpered, and Jack stepped back long enough to remove his clothes and grab some lube and a condom out of the cabinet. Standing close behind her, he watched her breathing increase, saw that a fine sheen of sweat shone on her back. He poured a large amount of the lube on his fingers before he slowly inserted one into her ass, pushing past the tight ring of muscle. Clarke gasped, and Jack held his finger still, giving her a moment to adjust to the feel of him. He began to move his finger in and out, adding a second finger when he heard her moaning in pleasure. Jack looked down at his throbbing cock, so hard and engorged, the crown purple and leaking, and knew he couldn’t wait any longer. Jack removed his fingers, slid a condom on, and added more lubricant to his stiff shaft. Then pulling her ass cheeks apart, he lined his cock up with her hole. “When I push in, you push out against me.” Clarke nodded that she understood, and he began to work the head of his cock inside. “Push out now, baby,” Jack instructed just before his cock thrust into her, invading her body deeply. Clarke gasped. The burn from his huge shaft flared through her, taking her breath away. She instinctively tried to pull away, but Jack held onto her hips tightly and would not allow her to move. One of his hands snaked between her legs, teasing and stroking her clit, and soon the slight discomfort of his penetration was replaced with overwhelming pleasure. Clarke began rocking her hips back against him, and he started thrusting again, slowly pushing past the tight ring of muscle until he was fully seated in her, his balls pressing snugly against her ass. “Jesus, baby,” he groaned hoarsely in her ear. “You feel so fucking good.” He thrust into her with long, steady strokes, the fingers of one hand tightly gripping her by the ass while his other hand continued to play with her clit. “Harder, Jackson…please…harder.” Clarke had completely relaxed into the pleasure. Her body opened to take Jack in deeper than he’d ever imagined she’d be able to manage the first time he fucked her this way. Her ass slammed backwards to meet the thrust of his cock, like she couldn’t seem to get enough fast enough. All too soon, Clarke felt the push she’d been craving and fell headfirst into a pool of pure bliss, shrieking incoherently, her body shuddering violently as she rode out a pleasure so intense, it was almost painful. Clarke was still coming when Jack’s orgasm hit him like an explosion, dimming his vision, making his ears ring, leaving him light-headed. He bellowed Clarke’s name, and it echoed through the room. Jack clamped his teeth down on Clarke’s shoulder just before his knees buckled, and he slumped against her, gasping for air. Jack finally pushed away from her and eased his still semi-hard erection from her body. After removing the condom, he unfastened the shackles from her legs and wrists, rubbing and massaging the joints. Jack removed her blindfold last then turned her to face him. She

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leaned against him, the glare of the light in the room making her blink. Jack cupped Clarke’s face with both hands and kissed her slowly, deeply. He pulled back from the kiss and looked into her eyes. “You okay?” Clarke smiled at him, her eyes still slightly glassy. “Mmm…yes. That was incredible, Jackson,” she purred.

“You’re incredible.” Jack bent to kiss her again. “I love you,” he said, as he picked her up and walked over to the bed before laying her down. “Stay right there. I’ll be right back,” he told her. Clarke felt completely boneless as she listened to Jack moving around the bathroom. She heard the sound of running water and shortly after that Jack stood over the bed. He scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom. She was still in his arms when he stepped into a huge Jacuzzi and eased them both into the water. He nestled her between his strong legs, and Clarke leaned against him. His arms held her tightly to his chest as the feel of the warm water soothed the tenderness from her body. They stayed like that for a long while, neither saying anything, both simply enjoying the feel of the other. The soothing comfort of the scented water and the feel of Jack holding and caressing her had lulled Clarke into a light sleep when she heard him talk. “Stay with me,” Jack said softly, and she smiled sleepily. “You already talked me into staying the night. Remember?” “Yeah, I remember. But that’s not what I mean.” Jack paused a moment before continuing, “Move in with me…live with me,” he whispered against her hair. “I want to wake up to you every morning, not just tomorrow morning.” “Jackson…I…” Clarke was too shocked to respond, his request catching her off guard. “You don’t have to answer at this moment, baby. Think about it. Just know that I love you, and I want you here with me.” Jack kissed her temple and hugged her tightly against him. “I love you too, Jackson. So much.” Her voice was thick with emotion. Clarke leaned her head back, offering her lips for a kiss. Jack washed Clarke, then himself, before standing and helping her out of the cooling water. After drying her off, he carried her to his room and laid her on the bed. Jack searched through Clarke’s bag until he found her lotion, then climbed on the bed with her and began massaging the lotion into her body. By the time he’d finished, Clarke’s entire body hummed with need. It didn’t seem to matter that they’d just had some of the most amazing sex she’d ever experienced in her life. When it came to Jack, she couldn’t seem to get enough, never wanted to get enough, of his touch.

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Jack rolled her over on her back and started kissing down her body, stopping to play with the ring in her navel before settling between her spread legs. He took his time, eating and sucking her slowly, using his fingers and his tongue to bring her sweet pleasure until she cried out in release. He eased up her body, kissing her skin as he went. His shaft was nestled in her wet folds, and Jack began making gentle rocking motions, the friction causing sparks of pleasure for them both, making them moan. Clarke’s hand went into the drawer of his nightstand, her fingers frantically searching for a condom. Jack’s hand found hers, stilling her movements, and removed her hand from the drawer. “I’ve always used a condom, never even considered having sex without one. Until now.” He stared at her intently, watched as understanding shone in her eyes. “I don’t want any barriers between us. Just want to feel you…only you.” She nodded. “I want that, too. Want to feel you come inside me,” she whispered. Jack hesitated. “What about pregnancy?” he asked carefully, trying to ignore the flutter of excitement the thought of her carrying his baby gave him. “It’s okay,” she assured him. “I’m protected.” She reached out and caressed his jaw. “But if I did? It would still be okay, yeah?” He groaned and kissed the palm of her hand. “Oh yeah, baby.” His voice sounded husky to his ears. “It’d be more than okay.” Jack’s lips found hers at the same time his cock slid into her body. He slowly thrust into her, savoring the feel of her warm, wet pussy as it clenched around the hard heat of his cock. Looking into her eyes, Jack whispered words of love and need and devotion, his cock penetrating her deeply as he made love to her with slow, unhurried strokes. “ Jackson…” The feel of her pussy pulsing and rippling around him when she came, the look of love in her eyes when she cried out his name as pleasure washed over her, stole Jack’s breath. He exploded, his hot cum pouring deep inside her, filling her body with his seed, as she filled his heart with her love.

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Chapter Eleven Jack blindly reached for his ringing phone, wondering who in the hell was calling him at six on a Sunday morning. By the time he finally found it, the damn thing stopped ringing only to start up again as soon as he put it down. “Yeah,” he practically growled into the receiver, absently rubbing a soothing hand over Clarke, who’d started moving around restlessly. She settled immediately, burrowing closer into his side. “Jack, its Pops. Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning.” Jack frowned. Pops had always had his phone number, but he could count on one hand the number of times he’d ever used it. “No, its fine, Pops. Everything okay?” He could hear Pops’ deep sigh through the phone. “No, it’s not. Someone broke into my house last night. Tore the place apart good.” “What!” Jack sat up, startling Clarke awake. “Were you there when it happened? Are you okay? Did you call the police?” He spared a glance at Clarke, who stared at him, her face a mixture of confusion and concern. “I’m fine. I was at the restaurant when it happened.” He sighed. “Found the mess when I came home last night. The police already came and went.” Jack could hear the anger and frustration in his voice. He sat up straighter. “Wait. This happened last night, and you’re just calling now?” The line was silent for a moment before Pops spoke again. “Well, I knew that you and Clarke were probably celebrating with Tony for his birthday,” he said hesitantly, “so I didn’t want to disturb you. Besides,” he continued quickly before Jack could say anything, “it doesn’t look like they actually took anything.”

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Jack paused, holding a hand up to Clarke, who’d been listening to the conversation and was now bursting with questions. “What do you mean, they didn’t take anything? Are you positive?” “Oh, yeah. I’ve gone through the house over and over -- while the police were here and after they left -- but I can’t find anything that’s missing. It’s the weirdest thing. Police thought it might have been kids looking for quick money.” Jack didn’t think so. Kids looking for quick money didn’t break into houses and tear them apart without so much as taking one single item that they knew they could sell on the street for easy cash. If what Pops said was true, somebody was looking for something, but it didn’t have anything to do with money. Jack decided to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment. No use upsetting either Pops or Clarke any more if he didn’t have to, especially since he couldn’t prove anything at the moment. “Okay, Pops, hold on a moment. Clarke wants to speak to you.” Jack handed the phone off to Clarke a second before his cell phone started ringing. Jack reached for his pants and pulled it out of his pocket. “You talk to Pops?” Tony asked as soon as he answered. “Yeah. Clarke’s talking to him right now.” “I went straight to his house when he called this morning. Whoever did it really fucked it up.” Tony’s voice was tense. “So I’ve heard,” Jack said neutrally, glancing at Clarke on the bed talking to Pops. He got up and walked downstairs so he could talk to Tony freely. “He also said they didn’t take anything.” Jack stood in the kitchen and began making coffee. “Does that sound like a typical breaking and entering to you?” “Who commits a breaking and entering without taking anything? No, this sounds like they were looking for something very specific.” Jack closed his eyes. Tony confirmed his suspicion. “Yeah, that’s what I say, too, although I have no idea what that would be. We’re talking about Pops, for God’s sake. The man owns a restaurant. Unless they were looking to steal some secret recipe or something, I can’t imagine what they could have been looking for.” “Something’s not adding up.” Tony agreed. “Did you tell Pops about your suspicions?” “Nah. I didn’t want to upset him any further. The responding officers on the scene told him it was probably kids. He seems to believe it, so I’m leaving it alone for now. Clarke and I are heading to the restaurant as soon as we’re dressed. I want to get the name of the detective assigned to the case and see what I can find out.” “Cool. I’ll meet you there in about an hour.”

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Jack hung up and headed back upstairs. He could hear the shower running in the bathroom. He went in, quietly opened the shower door, and joined Clarke, gently pulling her into his arms. “You okay?” He kissed her on the forehead, holding her a little tighter when he felt the slight tremor go through her body. “Yeah.” She sighed, and leaned her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I think so. Just worried, you know? Having somebody come into his house, the house I grew up in? It’s scary.” Clarke was silent for a long moment. “You know my mother died when I was young, right?” Jack nodded. Tony had told him about it years ago. “I was only eight.” Her voice was soft, barely audible over the spray of the shower. “She had a brain aneurism and fell down the stairs at home. Pops was at the restaurant, and I was staying over at a friend’s house, so there was no one there to help her when she got hurt.” Her voice thick with tears, she continued. “What if Pops had been there …gotten hurt…gotten…” her voice trailed off, and Clarke choked back a sob, her body trembling harder. “Shh…easy, baby,” Jack soothed, his large hands gently rubbed her back. “It’s okay…he’s okay.” She took a deep, shuddering breath before looking up at him, her eyes shinning brightly. Jack leaned down and kissed her, then pulled back and looked at her. “Let’s get dressed so you can go see for yourself that he’s fine.” She gave him a smile. “That sounds like a plan.”

***** Gil sat in his car across the street from the restaurant, a grim smile on his face as he watched Clarke and Parker go inside. He’d seen Parker’s partner, Tate, drive up not long ago, and he figured they wouldn’t be that far behind him. This was the first time he’d seen Clarke since she’d taken off on their date, and he tried to tamp down the anger and excitement he felt so he could focus on a plan. It wasn’t like he could just walk into the restaurant and try and coax her out. From the way that bastard Parker was draped all over her like a coat, Gil knew he didn’t stand a chance in convincing her to have a private conversation without that asshole tagging along. Besides, that other prick Tate had barred him from coming back to the restaurant, so he couldn’t even get in if he wanted to. No, Gil needed to come up with some type of diversion that would allow him to abduct Clarke while she was outside the restaurant.

***** Clarke hugged Pops, trying to control the emotions coursing through her. As if he could read her mind, he chuckled softly. “I’m fine, sweetheart, I swear.” She hugged him a moment longer before reluctantly releasing him.

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“I know you must be tired. Why don’t I stay here, and you go home?” she offered. “I should be here, anyway.” Guilt consumed her. Pops shook his head. “I’m fine. And no, you shouldn’t be here,” he continued, ignoring her protests. “Listen, it’s only one day. Go ahead and take this time to be with Jack. You’ll be back here soon enough tomorrow. And it’s not like I’m here by myself anyway; the rest of the staff is here, too.” “But --” Clarke began, but he cut her off. “No buts, baby,” Pops said with finality. “End of discussion. Besides, all I’d do at home is sit around and be angry about what happened. I can do that here, and focus on something other than the mess they made that I still need to clean up.” He grimaced. Clarke knew when she’d lost an argument with Pops, but she still wasn’t pleased. “Well, I still don’t know why you didn’t call us last night when this happened,” she grumbled. “If you had, we could have helped you clean up.” “We still can.” Jack and Tony walked up to them, and Jack placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling Clarke tightly against him. Pops noticed the gesture and smiled. “Besides,” Jack said to Pops. “I want to get a look around the place myself.” He looked down at Clarke. “We can head over there after we leave here.” “Good,” Tony said. “And I’ll hang around here for a while and help Pops out.” Tony and Pops walked them to the door. “Call me if you need anything, Pops,” Clarke called out as she climbed into Jack’s SUV. Jack was ready to pull away from the curb when Clarke stopped him. “Hold on, Jackson. I don’t have my set of keys to Pops’ house.” She looked through her purse. “We’ll need to borrow his to get in.” She moved to open the door. “No, you wait here. I’ll get them,” Jack got out and headed back inside. She was still looking through her purse when her cell phone slipped out and fell along the side of her door. “Shit,” she muttered. She bent over and felt around for it with her hand. Finally, she located it in the side compartment on her door. She was so focused on finding the phone, she never heard the driver’s door open, just felt the vehicle suddenly pull forward, causing her to lose her balance and her grip on the phone, allowing it to drop back into the compartment. “Dammit, Jackson! Slow down!” Clarke complained, trying to right herself. “I’d like to make it to Pops’ house in one piece.” “Oh, you’ll be in one piece, but you’re not going to the house.” Clarke’s head whipped around at the sound of the familiar voice. “Gil?” she whispered, her voice filled with shock. Gil couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been sitting in his car, trying to figure out a way to get to Clarke, when he saw her and Parker leaving. Just when he thought his opportunity was gone, Parker had gone back inside the restaurant, leaving Clarke in the SUV with the

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engine running. Gil had gotten out of his car and jumped into Parker’s vehicle before his brain could second-guess his actions. He smiled. Damn, he couldn’t have planned it better if he’d tried, which he had. And the best part had been seeing the confused and surprised look in Clarke’s eyes when she saw him in the car instead of Parker. Gil wished he could be in two places at once, because he’d love to see Parker’s face when he realized she was gone. An evil grin spread across his face. “Hey, baby. I’ve been looking for you. Miss me?” “What the hell is going on, Gil?” she demanded. “What are you doing here? Where are you taking me?” she yelled at him. Gil didn’t respond. He just turned and looked at her, his expression cold, hard, and dangerous. Clarke barely recognized the man in front of her. For one hysterical moment, she couldn’t help thinking that there was no way Jack would mistake him for a pretty boy now. Looking at him, Clarke found it difficult to believe that he was the same person who’d been asking her out for the past month. Gone was the man with the model good looks and expensive clothes. A psycho with wild and unfocused eyes sat in his place instead. Good God, Gil still wore the same clothes he’d had on the night of their date. They reeked of the sour stench of sweat, alcohol, and filth. Clarke didn’t know what Gil was up to or what he had planned for her. But, she was certain that none of it would be good. With her heart pounding in her chest, and fear racing through her, Clarke started screaming at the top of her lungs. Swinging her leg around, she kicked out as hard as possible. She missed Gil’s face by inches and connected instead with his shoulder. She immediately kicked out again, her foot hitting him in the face this time. She followed the kick by hitting, punching, and scratching every available body part she could reach. Gil howled in pain, his hands momentarily leaving the wheel as he tried to fend off her attack. Clarke continued to use her feet and one hand to fight while she tried frantically to open her door. She knew they were speeding along the expressway, but Clarke decided she’d rather take her chances with oncoming traffic than be trapped with him. She’d just managed to get her door open when she realized she still had her seatbelt on. Before she could unfasten it, the SUV swerved, causing her to lose her balance and her grip on the door. Gil released a string of curses as he struggled to get control. With one hand on the steering wheel, he pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket and swung it in her direction, the butt connecting with the side of her cheek. “You fucking bitch!” he bellowed as he hit her again. “Don’t make me kill you!” Clarke screamed in pain as a bright light exploded behind her eyelids. Her vision began to blur. She fought the urge to puke and pass out. “Stupid cunt,” he muttered, wiping at the blood flowing from his nose. “If I didn’t need you so badly, I’d put a bullet in your brain right now.” He glared at her before looking back at the road. “If you broke my nose, I just might kill you anyway.”

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Clarke lost her battle to stay conscious. Her body slumped against the window as blackness overcame her.

***** “Yo, it looks like your girlfriend got tired of waiting and left without you.” Jack turned around at the sound of Tony’s amused laughter, frowning when he didn’t see his SUV sitting outside. “What the hell…” Jack walked toward the window and looked in both directions but didn’t see his Explorer anywhere. It didn’t make any sense. He’d told Clarke he’d be right back. Jack hadn’t been in the restaurant that long. What was so important she couldn’t wait? “Maybe she just ran to the gas station or something,” Pops said. “Maybe…” Jack said distractedly. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her cell number.

***** A slight buzzing sound roused Clarke back to consciousness. She tried to open her eyes, and pain immediately bloomed across her face, forcing her to keep them closed. The buzzing continued, and she finally realized that it was coming from her phone. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, as joy and panic seized her at the same time, knowing without a doubt that the person calling her was Jack, even without being able to see the number on the display. She said a silent prayer that the music on the radio was loud enough to cover the vibrations from her phone. With her eyes still closed, she tried to move as little as possible so that Gil wouldn’t notice that she was awake, as she slowly slid her hand into the compartment on her door, until she felt her phone. Once Clarke found the phone, she cracked one eye open just enough to see the number on the display, and confirmed that it was Jack. She was torn between pressing the answer button and screaming for help, and turning it off to prevent Gil from hearing it and taking away her only means of communication. The phone stopped vibrating only to immediately start again, and Clarke knew she had to make a decision. She chose both.

***** Alarm bells blared louder and louder with each call Jack made to Clarke’s phone that went unanswered. Tony and Pops, already concerned that Clarke wasn’t responding, stood next to him and stared at him anxiously as Jack waited for her to answer.

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He was just about to hang up and dial Clarke’s number again, but before he could press the end button, he heard Clarke’s voice. The sounds of her agonized moans came across the phone, and his heart almost stopped beating. Before he had a chance to speak, he heard Clarke start talking. It didn’t take him long to realize that she wasn’t speaking to him. What he heard made him want to growl with rage. “You motherfucker,” Jack whispered through clenched teeth, as blind fury consumed him. His hand rose suddenly, preparing to throw his phone across the room, before abruptly halting in mid-air and dropping to his side. He looked up and saw Tony and Pops’ alarmed looks. “It’s that pretty boy, Gil.” Jack said. “He’s got her.”

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Chapter Twelve Clarke pressed the answer button on her phone at the same time she started moaning, praying with everything in her that she’d be able to cover up any sounds that came across the phone line. Gil spared her a glance. “You’re waking up, huh? I guess I didn’t kill you after all. Lucky for you, my nose doesn’t feel broken, so you might just live to see another day.” Clarke tried to sit up, and the pain in her face radiated throughout her entire head, graying her vision around the edges. For a moment Clarke thought she’d pass out again. With trembling fingers she gingerly touched her cheek, the light contact making her bite her lip to keep from wailing in agony. When Clarke withdrew her hand and looked at her fingers, they were sticky with blood. She didn’t have to look in a mirror to know her cheek was starting to swell. Clarke figured she’d probably look like she’d gone twelve rounds of boxing by tomorrow…if there was a tomorrow. The thought sent ice cold terror down her spine, and Clarke had to clench her eyes shut to stop the tears that threatened to fall, knowing the salty moisture would burn like hell. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Just last night everything was so perfect; she’d been so happy, and finally with Jack where she belonged.

Jack. His image went through Clarke’s mind, and she silently prayed to every higher power that would listen. Please don’t take me away from him now. I’ve been waiting for him, needing him, loving him for so long… With a resolve Clarke didn’t realize she possessed, she mentally forced her overwhelming terror down to a more manageable fear. Clarke knew Jack would come for her, and when he found her, God help this crazy sonofabitch next to her. But first, she needed to get information from Gil for Jack so that he could use it to find her. She could only

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hope that the connection hadn’t been broken, and that Jack was still listening. She had faith that he’d do everything in his power to get to her. Now she needed to do her part. “Gil, why are you doing this?” Clarke looked around, trying to get her bearings and figure out a way to communicate her location to Jack. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings when I left you on our date, but you can’t be so upset that you had to kidnap me because of it.” “Don’t flatter yourself, bitch.” Gil shot her a withering look. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a hot piece of ass, and I’d had plans to fuck you all night long, but it didn’t have anything to do with it.“ He gave her a sly smile. “At least not directly, anyway.” “I don’t understand. If it wasn’t because I ran out on our date, then what is this about?” As she talked, Clarke busied herself with reading and memorizing the road signs they passed, in case she needed the information later. “You want to know what this is about?” Gil suddenly shouted. “It’s about your boyfriend Parker fucking with the wrong man when he killed my brother!” Clarke looked at him in stunned silence. Finally she said, “I’m sorry about your brother, Gil. But I know Jack. He wouldn’t kill another man for no reason. Your brother must have been involved with…” Clarke’s head snapped back against the headrest from the force of Gil’s hand as he hit her across the face. She screamed in pain and outrage, her already injured face on fire, and she immediately turned to attack. She came face to face with his gun instead. Fucking

bastard. Such hatred and rage filled Clarke that her entire body shook. Her nostrils flared as she took deep, shuddering breaths. Clarke was so angry she was damn near breathing fire. Through clenched teeth she said, “If you put your motherfucking hands on me again, you’re going to need more than that gun to keep me from killing you.” Gil looked at her for another moment before he burst into laughter. “You got balls. I like that.” He rubbed his gun against his crotch suggestively. “That shit turns me on.” He leered at her, and Clarke’s stomach rolled as she silently prayed that his gun would fire and shoot his dick off. “Yeah, you’re definitely no punk,” he continued, “unlike that pussy boyfriend of yours. It was Clarke’s turn to snort. “You must be on drugs. Either that or you’re even crazier than I thought you were. Jack is more man than you and ten others just like you.” “You’ve obviously never met my father.” A combination of pride and what sounded to Clarke like fear filled Gil’s voice. “And who exactly would he be?” Clarke asked dryly. “Dimitryi Ivanov. And you’re going to see firsthand just how much man he is, because you’ll be meeting him soon.” Gil grinned at her. “Just before you die.”

*****

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“Can somebody please tell me how the fuck it’s possible to spend years with intelligence and surveillance on Dimitryi Ivanov, and still manage to miss the fact that he had two sons, not one?” Jack yelled as he walked a hole in the carpeted floor. Once they’d realized Clarke had been abducted, Pops closed the restaurant. The only people it currently housed were law enforcement officials, all of whom wisely chose to remain silent while he ranted. “His mother was Dimitryi’s long-time mistress,” Agent Matt Sullivan finally said. Sullivan was head of the local F.B.I. office and someone with whom Jack had worked with several times over the years, particularly on cases involving Dimitryi. “Medina uses her last name, which is how we missed the connection.” “Well, that’s just great.” Jack glared at the man. “And now, because of your incompetence, my woman…” Jack’s words died in his throat as the sound of Gil hitting Clarke came through the phone. “You motherfucking cocksucker!” he roared. “I’m going to fucking kill you! Cut your fucking hands off and shove them down your goddamned throat!” The sound of physical violence against Clarke enraged Jack so badly, he shook. It took Tony and two other officers to physically restrain him as the sound of her screams echoed through the room. He was just thankful that his cell phone was on mute, and she couldn’t hear him falling apart. “Oh, Jesus…” Anguish filled Pops’ voice. “My poor baby.” “Get your fucking hands off me!” Jack shouted, struggling to get loose. “Jackson,” Tony said sternly, holding Jack’s face between his hands while the other two held him by his arms. “Look at me, bro. I need you to stay with me. Focus on my voice. I know you’re upset.” Tony held his face even tighter when he tried to pull away. “But you’ve got to calm down. If you don’t, I’m afraid you’re going to stroke out, and then you won’t be any good to Clarke at all.” “Let me go. I’m good,” he said to the officers still holding him. They seemed hesitant to do so, looking to Tony for direction. Tony sighed and nodded. They released Jack and stepped back. Jack started pacing again. His heart pounded so wildly and his chest felt so tightly constricted, he figured he’d go into cardiac arrest long before he even had a chance to have a stroke. Jack was surprised it hadn’t happened already. He was pretty positive he’d stopped breathing several times since he’d heard Clarke’s first moans on the phone. But the sound of that sonofabitch putting his hands on her, listening to the pain in her voice when she screamed, almost made him go insane with rage and helplessness. He knew Tony was right, but Jack couldn’t help the feeling of guilt that was eating him alive. She was in this situation because of him, because of what he did for a living. Fuck, this

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was every cop’s worst nightmare; having someone they loved hurt because of them. Because of the job. All of the waiting was killing him. Clarke’s abduction had started less than an hour ago, but it felt like a lifetime, and Jack didn’t know if he could survive much longer. Shit, he didn’t know if she could survive much longer. He frowned when he heard brief laughter in the room and looked up in confusion. “That’s one brave woman you’ve got there, Parker.” Admiration filled Sullivan’s voice as he walked up to him. “She must be scared out of her mind, but she’s standing up to that bastard, not taking any of his shit. She’s got him giving up information he probably never meant to share, and she’s still managing to drop clues about where they are.” Sullivan looked Jack straight in the eye. “We’ll find her. I promise you.” He patted Jack on the back and walked away. Sullivan’s words filled him with pride, but despair immediately followed to weigh him down. He’d always known Clarke was smart and strong and could take care of herself, but he couldn’t help feeling like she shouldn’t need to; especially not in this situation. It was his job to protect her, to keep her safe, and he was doing a piss poor job of it. Clarke was living a nightmare at the moment, and he was the one ready to have a fucking breakdown. Shit, Jack was starting to feel like the pussy Medina said he was a few moments ago. He needed to get his shit together. If Clarke could be strong in the face of all of this, he damn well could, too. Jack took a deep breath. “I need a moment,” he told the room in general, and walked through the kitchen toward the office. Jack sat down heavily in the chair behind the desk. Leaning his head back against the seat, he closed his eyes. Visions of Clarke played in his mind, and Jack’s heart ached with the need to hold her, to touch her. “God help me, I can’t lose her. Not now…not when I just found her again.” Raw pain and emotion filled his hoarse whisper, and his throat was so tight he could barely swallow, barely breathe. “Not gonna happen,” Tony declared. Jack opened his eyes and blinked back a few tears as he looked at Tony standing in the doorway, Pops behind him. “Nobody’s getting lost on our watch, especially not Clarke.” They walked further into the room, and Jack stood. His pride refused to allow him to remain seated and appear any weaker in their eyes than he probably already did. When they reached for him, he allowed them to pull him into their embrace. He eHedrew strength from the two men who loved Clarke as much as he did. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” They all looked up at the sound of the voice behind them. An officer stood nervously in the doorway. “But we have a lock on the location of your vehicle…” Jack and Tony were out the door before the young officer could finish his sentence. “Where is she?” Jack demanded when they got back to the command post in the restaurant.

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“Joliet, Illinois,” Sullivan told them. “We have reason to believe he’s headed to the Joliet Airport. We haven’t suspended planes flying out yet. We don’t want to give him the heads up that we’re on to him, if that’s where he’s truly headed.” Jack shared a horrified look with Tony and Pops. “Jesus…he’s going to put her on a plane? Unless he’s planning to knock her out, he’ll never get Clarke on a plane. Planes terrify her.” He ran a hand down his face. “Joliet is an hour away. We have to get to her before he can do that.” Sullivan nodded. “We’ve alerted the Joliet police of the situation, and we have a helicopter on the way here now. It can get you to Joliet in about twenty minutes. There will be a car and additional backup waiting for you when you get there. You should be able to intercept him before he gets to the airport.” Jack and Tony spent the next several minutes getting prepared, putting on their vests and securing their weapons. By the time they’d finished, the sound of the helicopter could be heard on the roof. As they headed toward the stairs, Pops stopped Jack. “Bring our baby girl home.” “Yes, sir…I intend to.” Jack shook Pops’ hand before he and Tony ran up the stairs. Once the helicopter was in the air, Tony turned to Jack and said, “How do you want this to go down?” Jack met his gaze unflinchingly. “As far as I’m concerned, that motherfucker might as well go dig his own grave and crawl into it, ’cause he’s as good as dead.” Tony gave a tight nod of agreement. “I got your back.” He extended his fist to Jack, who knocked his. “Nobody fucks with family.”

***** Jack, please come and get me, Clarke silently prayed. Gil’s earlier threats had scared her more than she dared admit, and the longer she was with him, the more she’d started feeling like she’d never see her family again. The throbbing in her head had gone well beyond the point of being unbearable, and Clarke’s face had become so tight and swollen it was difficult to speak. Her jaw had stiffened so that it felt like it had locked into place. Each time she was forced to speak, the pain was so great, it exploded through her, sending shudders of agony down her body. She’d break out into a sweat, and her words would come out slurred and awkward. Clarke didn’t know if her jaw was broken, but it if wasn’t, it was pretty damn close. Gil pulled out his cell phone. She tried to see the number he dialed, but he held it away from her. After a moment, he began talking. “It’s Guillermo. Yes, I have her. We should be at the airport in an hour.” He listened a little longer before disconnecting the call, but all Clarke could focus on was airport.

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She felt the nausea rising in her throat, knowing there was no way Gil could make her get on a plane. Clarke would fight him with everything left in her before she allowed that to happen. Her heart sank as she acknowledged the fact that she’d very possibly be dead before the day was over. Before she had a chance to ponder that thought any further, a sign going by the window caught her attention. “Why did you say we’d be at the airport in an hour when that sign said we’re only two miles away?” She ignored the pain pulsing through her and forced herself to speak as clearly as possible so that on the off chance someone was still listening, they would understand what she was saying. Gil didn’t respond immediately. Finally, he glanced at her. “Because you and I are going to finish our date first.” Clarke could only stare at him in shock and disbelief as the implications of his words sank in. Oh, God, he was going to… She clamped her teeth shut and swallowed down the bile that flooded her mouth and threatened to spew out. That almost caused her to gag all over again. Gil drove off of the highway and onto a side road next to a wooded area. He let the SUV roll to a stop, then turned off the ignition and removed the key. While still pointing the gun at her, Gil opened the driver’s side door and climbed out of the vehicle. Once he’d closed his door, he engaged the locks with the remote access button on the keypad, and then he quickly walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle. He unlocked and opened her door. “Get out,” Gil demanded. “No.” Clarke’s voice came out barely above a whisper. A fear like none she’d ever known gripped her, making it impossible for her to move. “That wasn’t a request, bitch!” he yelled, grabbing her by the hair and pressing the gun against her head. “That was an order! Get out now!” Clarke’s legs trembled so badly, she could barely swing them out the door. “Hurry the fuck up!” Gil pulled her out of the SUV, still holding her tightly by the hair. He dragged her farther into a secluded area densely populated by trees and further away from the SUV. Clarke struggled frantically against his hold as she stumbled along after him, fighting more and more with each step she was forced to take, her screams and pleas for help dying under the shroud of thick trees that surrounded her and the noise of the fast moving traffic on the highway behind her.

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Chapter Thirteen “Jack, what’s your E.T.A. for the airport?” Agent Sullivan asked over the radio, and Jack’s gut clenched at the urgency he heard in Sullivan’s voice. He glanced at Ian O’Rourke, one of the field agents who’d met him and Tony when their helicopter landed. Ian held up five fingers. “About five minutes out. What’s up?” There was a slight pause before Sullivan responded. “Jack, we have a problem. Medina made a detour while en route to the airport. Based on the information your girl was able to feed us, he’s stopped a couple of miles out near some type of wooded area. They’ve left the SUV, so we no longer have audio to monitor what’s happening.” As bad as Sullivan’s news was, Jack had a sick feeling there was something even worse he hadn’t shared yet. He heard Sullivan’s heavy sigh. “And Jack…he said they were stopping so they could finish their date before they got to the airport.” Jack’s fist slammed against the side of the helicopter. The fucker had just signed his death warrant.

***** Clarke gasped for breath as she desperately fought to escape Gil. The moment he felt they were deep enough under the cover of the trees, he attacked her. He was like an animal, throwing her to the ground, ripping at her clothes, using his entire body to subdue her, his hot, rancid breath blowing in her face as he tried to force his tongue in her mouth. His teeth bit at her, his nails dug into her exposed flesh, his knees forced her legs apart as he ground his erection into her core.

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She had screamed so loud for so long, Clarke’s throat burned, her words sounding ragged and broken as she begged, coerced, and raged against Gil’s violation of her. But it was all to no avail. He was like a machine, focused on one goal and determined to succeed. Oh, God, he was so much stronger than she would have ever imagined. Clarke felt her energy seeping from her as swiftly as her air supply and knew she didn’t have much strength left to defend herself.

***** The helicopter had barely touched the ground before Jack was out and running. They’d located his Explorer within minutes of his conversation with Agent Sullivan, the abandoned vehicle sitting on a side road next to the highway, the door on the passenger side still open. Jack and Tony approached the vehicle on one side with their guns drawn. Agent O’Rourke and his partner Rick Martinez approached from the other. Jack wasn’t expecting to find anyone inside, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He looked through it, searching for the cell phone, and finally found it in the side compartment on the door. He picked it up and called back to the command post at the restaurant. “Sullivan, its Parker. We’re at the vehicle, but there are no immediate signs of Medina. We’re headed into the…” The sound of Clarke screaming propelled him into motion, and Jack dropped the phone onto the seat and began running at full speed into the trees. He was vaguely aware of Tony and the other agents moving behind him. Jack could only focus on Clarke’s voice. As much as her screams were tearing him apart inside, Jack needed for her to keep doing it so he could pinpoint her location. He suddenly heard Gil’s voice, and Jack knew he was getting closer. “You little cunt! You think you’re too good for me?” Gil shouted. “You let that bastard Parker fuck you senseless. I bet you even let Tate fuck you. I bet there’s nothing like a little brotherly love, huh?” Gil’s deranged laughter mingled with Clarke’s screams. Jack finally spotted them in a small clearing, and froze. The sight of Clarke trapped and struggling under Gil, whose larger body held her down while he dry humped against her as she frantically tried to get away, almost sent him into a blind rage. Only the hand on his shoulder restraining him stopped Jack from opening fire. “Take a deep breath, brother,” Tony whispered in his ear, placing his hand on top of Jack’s, gently but firmly lowering his gun hand. “You don’t have a clear shot. If you take it now, you might hit Clarke.” “As long as this is done cleanly, we’ll defer to you and won’t interfere with how you take him down,” Agent O’Rourke said. “Agreed?”

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The muscle in Jack’s jaw worked as he tried to calm himself. He looked at the three men in front of him and gave a terse nod of agreement. “Agreed. But I lead. I take him down.” Once they were all in agreement, Jack turned in time to see Clarke’s hand wrap around a rock before she swung and connected with the side of Gil’s head. Gil yelled and loosened his grip on her, and Clarke was able to push him off her enough that she was able to roll away and stumble to her feet. Jack and the others were moving through the trees toward them at the same time, but Gil managed to get up and grabbed her again before she could get very far. “Guillermo Medina, police!” Jack shouted as soon as they reached the clearing. “Drop your weapon! Now!” His gun, along with those of the other three men, was trained on Gil, who’d pulled Clarke in front of him, using her as a shield while he held his gun under her chin. Jack tried not to focus on the tears sliding down Clarke’s face, tried not to notice the swelling and bruises and blood that covered her; tried to overlook the torn shirt, broken bra, and ripped pants that left her body exposed; tried to ignore everything as he concentrated on the man responsible. “Consider this your last warning to lose the weapon, Medina,” Jack warned, his voice filled with menace. “I guarantee you will not get another one.” Gil’s crazed laughter filled the air. “Hey, Parker, you’re just in time! We were just getting ready to party, weren’t we, baby?” He roughly jerked Clarke’s head back and licked up the side of her neck. “Why don’t you join us? I’m sure your little whore would enjoy being fucked by two cocks at once.” Gil looked at the other men. “In fact, why don’t you all join in? We can run a train on her. You’d love that, wouldn’t you slut?” Gil taunted as he slid his gun lower, across her breasts, before rubbing it between her legs. “Easy,” Tony murmured to Jack. “Don’t let him fuck with your head.” Jack didn’t respond. He addressed Gil. “You know there’s no way I’m allowing you to walk out of here alive.” “Yeah, well, Dimitryi will kill me if I don’t deliver her as planned, so I’m a dead man anyway.” Gil’s voice was filled with the resignation of a man who didn’t think he had anything to lose, which made him dangerous. “And, since I probably won’t live to see another sunrise, why don’t I just fast forward to the end of this little drama.” Gil pressed his gun to Clarke’s temple. He looked at Jack. “Say good-bye to your little whore, Parker.” Time stood still. Clarke took that moment to suddenly go limp in Gil’s arms just before he fired, throwing him off balance and causing his shot to go astray. Jack’s shout of “No!” echoed through the air at the same time he opened fire, his bullets hitting Gil once in the head and twice in the chest, killing him before his body hit the ground.

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Jack raced toward Clarke, the other men following close behind him. He slid across the ground next to her still body, his heart in his mouth as he gently lifted her head, praying harder than he’d ever prayed in his life that she’d collapsed before the bullet did any damage. Brushing her hair away from her face, Jack carefully searched for any signs of an entry wound. Relief washed over him when he discovered she hadn’t been shot. Jack removed his jacket and wrapped it around Clarke before cradling her in his arms, holding her tightly against him, his body shaking with unspent adrenaline as he rocked her, whispering soothing words in her ear, silently thanking God for sparing her. He was only distantly aware of the sounds of sirens and additional voices around him. “Jack, the paramedics are here.” Tony placed a hand on his shoulder. “They need to check Clarke.” Jack opened his eyes and looked at the two men standing in front of him. He knew she needed assistance, but he was too afraid to let her go. “Come on, brother. Let them look at her,” Tony urged. Jack reluctantly released her and hovered near the paramedics as they examined her, refusing to leave her side until he knew for certain that she wasn’t in any immediate danger. Several long minutes later, they confirmed she wasn’t seriously injured. They placed her into the waiting ambulance to transport her to the hospital for additional tests and treatment. Unable to focus on anything other than Clarke, Jack got a ride to the hospital from one of the other officers on the scene while Tony and Agents O’Rourke and Martinez stayed behind to answer questions related to the case. Agent Sullivan was already at the hospital by the time Jack arrived and had placed a police guard outside Clarke’s room. He saw Pops in the waiting area and went to speak to him. When Pops saw him, he stood up and hugged him tightly. “Thank you.” His words were thick with emotion, and tears brimmed his eyes. “Thank you for saving my baby girl.” “You don’t have to thank me, Pops,” Jack told him. “I love her…I’d die for her.” “I know, son. I’m just thankful it didn’t come to that.” Jack nodded and cleared his throat before asking, “How is she?” “We’re not sure yet. The doctor’s in there with her right now.” Jack looked toward the door with the police guard standing out front. “I need to see her.” Jack strode toward the door, Pops’ voice following him. “They told us we had to wait until the doctor finished before we could see her.” Pushing the door open, Jack went inside. The middle-aged doctor looked up with a frown. “I’m sorry, sir, but I need for you to wait outside.” Jack didn’t respond, didn’t even look in his direction, just flashed his badge in the man’s face, his entire focus on Clarke. He walked over and sat down in the chair next to her bed. Jack picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. She looked so small and fragile; the left side of her face was swollen with painful looking purple-black bruises. Most of her body was covered by a hospital gown,

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but Jack suspected that the rest of her beautiful skin was marred by more bruises, cuts, and scrapes than he cared to think about. Smoothing her hair away from her forehead, Jack placed gentle kisses along her battered face. “Oh baby…I’m so sorry,” he whispered near her ear. The doctor released a frustrated sigh “Since it’s obvious you’re not leaving, may I at least finish examining her?” “Why isn’t she awake?” Jack asked as he moved back just enough so the doctor had room to examine her, but he refused to release his hold on her hand. “She has a concussion,” the doctor responded without looking up. “That, along with the physical and emotional trauma she’s been through, her body just shut down.” A few minutes later, the doctor finished and looked at Jack. “Physically, she’s going to be fine. She should wake up soon, and once she does, we’ll monitor her overnight to make sure the concussion didn’t do any serious damage. She should be able to go home sometime tomorrow.” The doctor looked at her face and shook his head. “Judging from these bruises, she’s going to be in a lot of pain for several days, but we’ll give her something to relieve that. Otherwise, the physical injuries should heal and go away within a few weeks. However,” he looked at Jack again, “the emotional scars may take quite a bit longer to heal.”

***** Tony and Agents O’Rourke and Martinez arrived almost an hour later. Tony knocked softly on the door before he opened it. Jack looked up from his seat next to Clarke’s bed. “Come on in, man,” he said quietly, not wishing to disturb Clarke. “How is she?” Tony came further into the room, swearing softly when he got closer to the bed. “Damn…oh, sis…” He reached out and gently stroked Clarke’s hair. Grief and anger filled his eyes. “Is she going to be okay?” Jack cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the lump that had settled there when he watched the tender way Tony touched Clarke. “The doctor said she should be. No major injuries. Just a concussion and a lot of bruises, cuts, and scrapes…” Jack’s voice trailed off. He felt too emotionally overwhelmed to speak. They were both silent for a moment before Tony spoke. “I wish I could bring that bastard back just so I could kill his ass all over again,” he said through clenched teeth. Jack just nodded, his throat too tight to respond. A knock sounded on the door, and Agent Sullivan walked in. He gave them an apologetic look. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak with both of you for a few minutes. I’ll make it as quick as possible.” Jack reluctantly released Clarke’s hand and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back, baby,” he whispered in her ear before he followed Tony and Sullivan out into the hall.

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He sent Pops in to sit with Clarke in case she woke up before he got back, then joined the other two men. “What is it?” Jack wasn’t in the mood for long discussions at the moment. His sole concern was Clarke, and he wanted to get back to her as soon as possible. “We found evidence on Medina that indicated he was supposed to meet two of Ivanov’s men at the airport and turn Clarke over to them for delivery to Ivanov. We made it to the airport in time to intercept them.” Jack and Tony exchanged looks. “Intercept but not apprehend them, right?” “Uh…that’s correct.” Sullivan looked frustrated and uncomfortable. “They spotted our agents before they could arrest them. One ended up fatally wounded, and the other managed to get away.” He paused for a moment, and glanced around before motioning for Jack and Tony to follow him further away from the other people in the area. “Listen,” Sullivan spoke in a low whisper, “you’re not supposed to know this, but we found additional information on the dead suspect that leads us to believe that Clarke wasn’t the only target. There was substantial personal information on both of you along with Jack’s family and her father.” He gave them a moment to digest the information. Sullivan looked at Jack. “Obviously, Ivanov didn’t take too kindly to you airing out Andrei’s head, and he’s looking to return the favor.” He smiled grimly. “And, I’m sure once Ivanov learns about what happened today, he’s going to be more determined than ever to retaliate.” Sullivan looked between him and Tony. “Cover your asses’ gentlemen, and those of anybody you care about, because this isn’t over.” “Thanks for the heads up, Matt, and for your help today.” Jack held out his hand. “Don’t mention it.” Sullivan shook his hand before turning to shake Tony’s. He looked at Jack again. “We’re going to need to get a statement from Clarke as soon as she’s up to it, but we can arrange that a little later. Let her know that I hope she gets better soon.” Sullivan patted Jack on the back. “You know how to reach me if you need me,” he said, before turning to walk down the hallway. “You know that this asshole isn’t going to quit until he’s lying in a grave beside his sons, right?” Tony said quietly. Jack looked at him. “I know. And I’m more than ready to reunite him with both of those fuckers in hell.”

***** Clarke’s head felt like someone had taken a lead pipe to it -- over and over again. Even the low murmur of conversation in the room sounded so loud it made her flinch. She wanted it to stop; she wanted to go home; she wanted… “… Jackson…”

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Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it must have been loud enough for Jack to hear. He hurried over to her bedside and picked up her hand. Clarke slowly opened her eyes and blinked against the bright light in the room. Her gaze found his, and Clarke was overwhelmed with joy at seeing his face again. “Hey,” she croaked out hoarsely. “Hey yourself, beautiful.” He gently caressed the side of her face that wasn’t too badly swollen. “How do you feel, baby?” Jack kept his voice calm, but worry and concern filled his face. “Like I got my ass kicked.” She tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace instead. “I know baby…just relax…you’re going to be fine. Here,” he reached for a glass of water, “drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” Jack put the straw to her mouth and held her head up so she could drink. After a few more swallows, she looked at Jack, her voice hesitant. “I don’t know what happened…at the end. Is he…” “I made sure he’d never hurt you or anybody else again.” Relief flooded through her. His meaning was clear; Gil was dead, and Jack had been the one to kill him. The control she’d had on her emotions for the past several hours finally snapped, and sobs wracked her body as tears poured from her eyes. Jack climbed into the bed with her and gathered her in his arms. He held her tight against him as she released all of the emotions she’d been holding in. Jack was only vaguely aware of the door opening and closing as everyone left the room to give them privacy. “Oh, God, Jackson…he was going to…” Her voice, so thick with tears, made her words sound slightly slurred. “I tried so hard, but I was too weak to stop him.” Jack continued to hold her against him, and he took deep, shuddering breaths as he struggled to hold back his own unshed tears. “I was so afraid,” Clarke continued. “I didn’t want to die; didn’t want to leave you…” Jack couldn’t fight it any longer, and he buried his face in her hair as the tears began to flow. “I wasn’t going to let you leave me,” he said hoarsely. “Love you too much to let you go…need you too much.” Jack cradled her face in his hands, used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears. “Do you know how proud I am of you? How brave I think you are?” The way he looked at her, his eyes filled with so much love, his tears running unashamedly down his face, made Clarke cry even harder, and he began to kiss away her tears. “You are the smartest…strongest…most beautiful…most incredibly amazing…woman I know,” he punctuated each word with a kiss. “You are my world. I’d be lost without you.” Jack held her and continued to whisper to her, pouring out his heart and soul, and soothed her until she fell asleep in his arms.

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Chapter Fourteen “He’s driving me crazy,” Clarke complained through gritted teeth. She glanced briefly at Jack sitting at his usual table. Arms folded, he practically growled at anybody who so much as looked at her. “He loves you,” her friend Bianca replied with a smile. “He’s just worried about you.” “Yeah, well, that whole caveman routine is scaring my customers and getting on my last nerve,” Clarke grumbled, refusing to admit her friend had a point. Bianca laughed. “Hello? Just three weeks ago you were kidnapped by one of those customers. Can you blame the man for being a little overprotective?” “Whose side are you on, anyway?” Clarke glared at her. “Oh, don’t even try it, chica!” Bianca hooted with laughter. “You know I always have your back, even when you’re overreacting -- like now.” “Traitor,” Clarke muttered, ignoring Bianca’s snickering as she headed back into the kitchen. Once there, she couldn’t hold in her laughter any longer at their playful bantering, which always made her smile. In spite of what she’d said, Clarke knew she could always count on B. to be there for her. In fact, Bianca had been there since the day Clarke had been kidnapped. When Pops had called her with the news, Bianca had hopped on the first flight she could get out of Atlanta She’d been there ever since, making herself indispensable to Clarke, and proving what a true sister-friend she was. Clarke delivered an order to a table then headed back to speak to Bianca for a few minutes. “So, when are you going back to Atlanta?” “Trying to get rid of me already, huh?” Bianca smirked. “You know that’s not true, B.” she said seriously. “Having you here has just reminded me how much I’ve missed you since I moved back.”

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The smile slowly slid from Bianca’s face. “I’ve missed you too, kiddo,” she said softly. “So much, in fact, I’ve been thinking that a change in scenery might be in order for me.” “What do you mean, ‘a change of scenery’” Clarke frowned. “Well…” Bianca continued, “I met with my station manager just a few days before I got Pops’ call and came out here. He told me that our Chicago news station affiliate has an opening for a reporter, and he thought I’d be perfect for it.” A smile played on Bianca’s lips. “Especially since my sister lives here, and he knew I was thinking of relocating to be closer to her.” “Are you serious?” Clarke stared at her in shock. “Well, nothing’s set in stone yet, but I’m scheduled to meet with the station manager here in the Chicago office next week.” Clarke leaned across the table and hugged her. “Oh, B., that is so cool!” “What’s so cool?” They looked up to see Jack standing at their table. “Bianca’s moving here permanently. Well…she has to get the job first, but I know she will, and when she does, she’s going to move here, and we’ll be able to hang out like we used to!” Clarke rushed on, her excitement obvious. “That’s great, Bianca. I hope it works out. We’d love to have you around more often, and I know how much it would mean to Clarke to have her best friend nearby.” Clarke stood and put her arm around his waist, letting Jack know without words how much she appreciated his acceptance of someone who was so important to her. Jack winked at Clarke then looked at his watch. “It’s almost seven o’clock. We’re headed out in twenty minutes,” he reminded her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead like Pops used to do when she was five years old. Clarke bit back a sigh. Just that quick, her lover was gone, and the “Protector” was back. After her kidnapping Jack would barely let her out of his sight, much less work in the restaurant. He claimed her not working wasn’t just for her safety but her physical health as well. But Clarke knew better. She knew how worried Jack was about her, knew that the whole situation scared him more than he admitted. The burden of guilt still weighed heavily on him, making him believe that he was the reason this happened to her. But Jack was wrong. Her kidnapping had nothing to do with him and everything to do with a nutcase who was so desperate he was willing to do anything -- even rape and murder -- to earn the love and respect of his father. She understood all of this, and so to appease him, she’d agreed to work limited hours at the restaurant for a while as she healed and regained her strength. Jack made sure she stuck to it by coming to the restaurant and making sure she left promptly at the agreed upon time each day.

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Clarke watched him walk away, taking a moment to admire his retreating form, before turning back to Bianca, who knew about the agreement and didn’t make any effort to hide the huge grin on her face, clearly enjoying herself at Clarke’s expense. “You know, on second thought, maybe you should just skip your interview next week and keep your butt in Atlanta.” Clarke glared at her. “Little Benedict Arnold,” she grumbled as she made her way back to the kitchen and away from Bianca’s laughter.

***** Clarke trembled as Jack’s lips slowly moved over her body, teasing her, exciting her, frustrating her as each caress left a trail of heat that sizzled along her skin, where it went straight to her pussy, causing it to flow with need in response to his touch. It had been so long since they’d made love; the physical and emotional scars from her injuries had left them both unable and unwilling to do anything more than hold and touch and comfort each other for the past few weeks. As if reading her mind, Jack stopped and looked at her. “Are you sure?” he asked softly, his face filled with love and concern and understanding as he watched her intently. Clarke stared at the man she loved more than life itself, and she knew in that moment that she was beyond ready. She wanted him more than she’d wanted anyone or anything in a very long time. She knew it was going to take a while before she would be completely free of the fear she felt at being kidnapped and nearly raped a few weeks earlier, free of the nightmares that woke her several nights a week and left her shaking and trembling in Jack’s arms. But Clarke refused to allow those fears to control her life, refused to stop loving Jack as fiercely as she always had, refused to let Gil win. “Yes,” she said, her voice firm and sure. “I’m positive.” Jack wanted her so badly his body shook with need. He wanted to show her how much he loved her; needed her; treasured her. Jack wanted to bury himself so deeply inside of her wet heat that it would seem like they had become one. But he was determined he was going to take his time and make love to her, even if it killed him. His lips traveled over her body kissing, licking, and sucking every inch along the way, as Clarke’s soft moans and pleas for more fueled his already raging lust. Before he could reach her pussy, Clarke stopped him. “I want to taste you, too,” she whispered softly, and her request went straight to his dick, nearly making him come before he’d even gotten started. Jack was more than happy to oblige her, gently shifting her so that she was on top of him, her lips a breath away from his aching cock. He looked at her pussy, soaking wet and covered in her cream, its sweet fragrance driving him nearly insane. Jack sucked her clit between his lips, and she cried out in pleasure just before she wrapped her full lips around him and sucked the crown of his dick into her

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mouth. Jack groaned, his hips lifting off the bed involuntarily as he thrust into her mouth. Clarke eagerly opened her mouth wider, taking him to the back of her throat, her cheeks hollowing out as she sucked him in and out of her mouth. Clarke spread her legs as far apart as her position allowed and pushed her pussy toward his face, silently begging for more. Jack held her folds apart and buried his face in her cunt, his tongue fucking into her, savoring the taste of her in his mouth, her moans reverberating around him, shooting sparks of pleasure through his shaft. “Aahhh…fuck…” He groaned, feeling his balls draw up tightly, knowing that if she continued sucking his cock he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. “Come here,” Jack told her. Ignoring her protests, he eased his dick out of her mouth, shivering at the feel of it sliding through her lips, before he shifted positions again, this time moving her so that her legs were on either side of his head. “Sit on my face,” he told her, “and play with your breasts while I eat you.” Clarke whimpered as she lowered herself to his waiting mouth. Jack held her by the hips, his fingers digging into her flesh, his mouth busy eating her, lapping up her flowing juices, while she massaged her breasts with both hands, rolling her nipples between her fingers, gently pulling on the nipple rings. Jack’s cock jerked as he watched her lower her head toward one full breast, briefly sucking the nipple into her mouth, before her tongue snaked out, entwining with the piercing. His tongue mimicked hers as he played with her clit, before sucking it into his mouth. “You feel so good…you make me feel so good…” Clarke panted. Jack could feel her thighs begin to shake next to his head, and he knew she was close to her orgasm. “Look at me…I want to see your eyes when you come.” Clarke opened her eyes and looked down at him, his words sending her over the edge, and she went willingly, her back arching, her body jerking as Jack held her to him while she rode out the intense sensations coursing through her. Jack eased her limp body down until she straddled his waist, her face hovering above his. He kissed her deeply, his tongue dancing with hers, letting her taste herself on him. He eased his cock inside her, the hot, swollen folds of her pussy gripping him tightly as his shaft filled her. He sat up, taking her with him, her arms clutching his shoulders, her legs locked around his lower back. One hand tangled in her hair, pulled her mouth to his again, while the other gripped her by the ass, holding her tightly against him as he thrust deeply into her. He pulled back to stare into her eyes and watch the emotions play across her face as he pleasured her. Clarke leaned her forehead against his. “Love you.” Her words feathered across his lips, and she began to shudder as another orgasm hit her. “Love you too, baby,” Jack groaned. His body went stiff, and Clarke could feel warm heat fill her as he came inside her.

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He lay down on the bed with her draped on top of him, gently caressing her back as they both worked to control their breathing. After a while, she finally spoke. “You know, I never gave you an answer when you asked me to move in with you,” she said softly. Jack’s hand stilled for a brief moment before he continued to rub her. “Yeah, about that…I was thinking that it might not be such a good idea for you to move in here.” His words were followed by an uncomfortable silence, and Clarke’s heart pounded painfully in her chest at the hesitation she heard in his voice. “Oh.” She knew she sounded dumb, but for the life of her, she couldn’t think of anything more brilliant to say. “Well…that’s cool…yeah…no problem.” She was rambling, trying to keep her voice light so he wouldn’t know just how hurt she was, happy that he couldn’t see her face at the moment, knowing that it would surely betray her. “I was thinking that…ah…we could…um…pick a house we both liked and …. uh…move into it…together…you know…under the same name…” Clarke was still reeling from Jack’s earlier comments, and it took a moment for her mind to register that he was still talking. “I don’t…” Clarke’s words died mid-sentence, and her confusion was immediately replaced by alarm when she looked up into his face, flushed and covered with fresh sweat that had nothing to do with their lovemaking, his hands trembling when he wiped away the moisture that was practically dripping into his eyes. “Jackson? Baby…what is it? Are you sick?” She sat up, reaching for him. “Jesus…” He swore softly, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, shaking his head as if to clear it. “I am totally screwing this up.” Clarke stared at Jack in confusion, and he smiled slightly before he reached under one of the pillows, his hand moved around as if searching for something. He finally pulled his hand out to reveal a small velvet jewelry box. The sound of Clarke’s sharp intake of breath filled the otherwise silent room. She stared at him wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open, unable to utter a word. He opened the box to reveal a round solitaire diamond ring with two sapphire side stones. Jack removed the ring from the box then slid to the floor and knelt next to the bed. Reaching for Clarke’s hand, Jack slid the ring on her finger. “I remember you told me that sapphires reminded you of my eyes,” Jack said softly, emotions making his voice hoarse, raspy. Bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed her ring finger, then her palm as he looked into her eyes, eyes that glistened with unshed tears. “I was hoping that if you agreed to be my wife, everyday when you looked at this ring, it would remind you of me and how much I love you.”

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Clarke still hadn’t responded, and her silence was making Jack’s heart sink, filling him with uncertainty. “But…I mean…if you don’t like it…or if you want something else…or you’d just rather not…” He never had a chance to finish his ramblings as Clarke propelled herself into his arms, her momentum knocking them both backwards until he was flat on the floor with her on top of him. “Yes!” she screamed, kissing him repeatedly on the lips. “Yes, yes, yes!” He wrapped his arms around her, his face buried in her hair as he held her tightly against him. “Thank you,” he breathed near her ear. “Thank you for loving me enough, for being patient enough to wait for me while I got my shit together.” Tears stung his eyes. Clarke leaned back to look into his face, and his breath caught at the amount of love he saw reflected in her eyes. “How could I not wait for you, Jackson?” She caressed his jaw. “You complete me.”

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Epilogue It was a good weekend to move. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky and helped to minimize the chill of the November day. After spending several months looking for a house, she and Jack finally saw this one and knew immediately they’d found their new home. With four bedrooms and three bathrooms the house had way more space than they needed right now, but Jack had made it clear that he wanted to fill each and every room and was more than willing to get started as soon as they got married in six months. Clarke was all for expanding their family, but she wanted to have Jack to herself for a little while longer. So for now, they made due by practicing on their baby-making techniques in preparation for the real thing. Just thinking about all of the practicing they’d been putting in sent shivers down Clarke’s spine. As if reading her mind, Jack turned and looked in her direction, and there was no mistaking the lust that burned within his gaze. “Jesus, you two,” Tony yelled out. “Get a room!” Clarke blushed, but couldn’t help laughing with everyone else. “You’re just jealous because you don’t have anybody who looks at you like that,” Jack told him as they carried the sofa off the moving truck and into the house. Jack paused as he passed Clarke and gave her a kiss on the lips. “Uh…I hate to interrupt the moment, but could you two love birds control yourselves long enough for us to get you moved into this place? Jeez,” Tony grumbled. “You’d think you two hadn’t seen each other in ages, with the way you carry on.” “It’s called love, bro.” Jack laughed. “You should try it sometime.” He winked at Clarke as they continued into the house, chuckling at the horrified look on Tony’s face. “It’s not like it’s a disease.”

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Tony snorted. “Says who? It messes up your mind, your body, and your soul. If that’s not a disease, then what do you call it?” Jack just shook his head, “You are one sorry case. But your day is coming -- and it might happen even sooner than you think,” Jack murmured.

***** “He’s such a Neanderthal,” Bianca growled, and Clarke looked up to see a fierce scowl on her face. “Who’s a Neanderthal?” she asked. “Tony,” Bianca spat and frowned, like just saying his name left a bad taste in her mouth. “Tony? My Tony?” Clarke asked in surprise. “Yes…big brother Tony. Mr. ‘I’m so smart’… ‘I’m so strong’… ‘I’m so fine’” Clarke hid a grin at the way Bianca’s Latin accent always became more noticeable when she was upset. “I swear he is so arrogant! All he does is brag about how he’s all that, and how women can’t resist him. He must be trying to overcompensate to make up for what he lacks in other areas.” She huffed. “Whoa. Time out.” Clarke made a “T” with her hands. “Come on, B. Don’t you think that’s a little harsh? I mean, granted, he can be a little full of himself, but the fact of the matter is, Tony is smart and strong and fine, so it’s not like he’s lying or anything. And, trust me,” a mischievous smile lit Clarke’s face, “he doesn’t need to overcompensate for anything.” Clarke couldn’t contain her laughter at the look of shock on Bianca’s face. “You mean…you and Tony…you two…” “What…no! Don’t get me wrong, the man looks good but…eewww! He’s like a brother to me, B.! That’s just nasty.” “Then how do you know?” Bianca demanded, crossing her arms in front of her, glaring at Clarke.

“Well…a few years ago when he came to visit me in Atlanta, I accidentally walked in on him while he was using the bathroom. And honey, believe me when I tell you, he definitely ain’t lacking in that area.” Clarke snickered as she watched a rosy blush color Bianca’s face. “But all kidding aside,” she continued, “underneath all of that machismo and testosterone is a really good guy. Now that you’ve moved here, you’ll be around him more. You’ll see what I mean.” “Yeah, well, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Bianca said, and followed her back downstairs.

*****

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“Man…that chick is such a little princess,” Tony muttered as he helped Jack carry a large, flat screen TV into the house. “Who are you talking about?” Jack asked as they sat the TV on the shelf of the built-in entertainment center in the family room. “Who do you think? Bianca! Ms. ‘don’t hate me ’cause I’m beautiful’” Jack smiled knowingly. “What happened? You tried to get with her, and she shot you down?” “Oh, please! I wouldn’t waste my time with Ms. ‘I’m too sexy for myself’” Tony scoffed. “Uh-huh. So then what’s the problem?” “The problem is women like her who think they’re so perfect that a man should feel privileged just being in their presence.” “Oh, you mean like the women you usually date.” Jack saw his laughter made Tony even more irritated. “Are you kidding me? Bianca’s nothing like the women I go out with!” Tony denied vehemently. “Really? And what makes her different?” “For one thing, the women I go out with like to fuck…a lot. And I can look at Bianca and tell she doesn’t even like sex. I bet she sucks in bed. Probably too afraid to sweat and mess her hair up,” Tony grumbled. “Jesus, man.” Jack was incredulous. “Would you listen to yourself?” He shook his head in amazement. “You know what your problem is? You’ve gotten so used to beautiful women offering to suck your dick five minutes after they meet you that you’ve forgotten what to do when you meet a woman that you actually have to work to get.” “No, that’s not it --” “Bullshit.” Jack laughed, cutting off his attempt to deny it. “That’s exactly it. But I’ll tell you this, partner. You need to figure out how to deal with her -- and soon -- especially since she’s the Maid of Honor and you’re the Best Man in our wedding.” “Yeah, well, I’ll put up with her right now, but only because of the wedding. And don’t expect me to be kissing her ass,” Tony warned. “Never say never, man,” Jack said. “Besides, you might like it once you try it.” He smirked, and Tony looked at him like he had suddenly sprouted two heads. “I highly doubt it.” Jack patted him on the shoulder. “Let me give you some advice that a wise man once told me. You two need to fuck and get it over with and put the rest of us out of our misery.”

*****

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”Alone at last.” Jack lay in bed with Clarke nestled in his arms, her back snug against his chest. “Mmm hmm, and not a minute too soon.” She sighed. “I’m telling you, as much as I love Bianca and Tony, I still couldn’t wait for them to leave. They were driving me crazy.” “Yeah…they got it bad, don’t they?” Jack chuckled, his hands moving leisurely over her. Clarke snorted softly. “Bad doesn’t even begin to describe those two. Half the time I wasn’t sure if they wanted to fight or fuck.” “Oh, I’d definitely say it was a little bit of both.” Laughter rumbled through Jack’s chest. “I swear, one minute I’m thinking I’m going to have to put Tony in a chokehold and drag his ass out of the room just to keep him from shaking the shit out of her, and the next minute they’re giving each other looks so hot, I’m ready to go in the garage and get the hose to spray ’em both down.” Clarke’s laughter joined his. “God, please tell me that we weren’t that bad.” “Oh, I’m sure we were at times. But everybody just pretended like they didn’t notice.” He kissed her temple. “Hmm, I wonder how long it’s going to take for them to admit that they want each other,” Clarke mused. “As long as they do it before our wedding, I’m good.” He feathered kisses along her jaw and down her neck. “Mmm…feels good.” Clarke leaned into his touch, his growing erection pressing into her back. “Speaking of which, we have a lot of work to do before the wedding day.” “Yeah, we do. But right now I was thinking that we could start working on our wedding night. You know, get in some practice just to make sure we’re properly prepared for the real thing.” His hand moved down her body and between her legs. “Practice, huh?” She chuckled. “Like how we’ve been practicing for making babies?”

“Exactly. You know what they say, baby; practice makes perfect.” “So I’ve heard. As it turns out, I happen to be a big fan of practice myself.” Clarke rolled over on her back and spread her legs to give him better access. “Good. Let’s go.” Jack suddenly got off the bed and grabbed her by the hand. “What? Wait…I thought we were going to practice?” Clarke stumbled to her feet. “Oh, we are, baby,” Jack’s hooded gaze met hers. “In the playroom.” A huge smile lit her face. “Ooh, that’s what I’m talking about! So what are we just standing around for?” She tugged on his hand and pulled him toward the door. “We’ve got practicing to do.” Jack shook his head. “Such a little freak.” He laughed, pulling her into his arms. “Yeah, but I’m your little freak.” She smiled up at him.

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“You got that right.” He kissed her on the lips. “You’re all mine. And I’m never letting you go.” “Do you promise?” she whispered. “I can do better than that. I guarantee it.”

Kori Roberts Kori Roberts writes erotic tales of love, lust and passion -- stories filled with strong, adventurous, and exciting characters who love hot, kinky, no-holds-barred sex. Kori’s novels reflect her belief that beauty comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes; love crosses all colors, races, and genders, and happiness can be found in the most obvious and the least expected places. Whether you’re seeking contemporary, fantasy, paranormal or suspense novels with single partners, multiple partners, same-sex partners, or all of the above, you’ll find what pleasures you within the pages of Kori’s books. Visit Kori on the Web at www.kori-roberts.com.