She takes the hem of my shirt and pulls it up. I take over grabbing the back of the neckline in my fist and dragging it over my head. Mac’s breathing escalates when I throw the shirt to the side. Then her soft, warm hands are on my chest. They lower slowly and her eyes fix on the ink above my left nipple.
Her hands freeze as she stares, silence beating thick and heavy between us. “This is a tiara,” she states, her voice scratchy. She clears her throat and drags her eyes upward. “When did you get this?”
“When I was sixteen. It was my first tattoo.”
Mac covers the image with the flat of her palm as though absorbing it into her own body. “It’s me, isn’t it? You marked me onto your skin.”
“It’s not on my skin, it’s beneath it … just like you are.”
She exhales loudly. “That is unbelievably hot.”
A laugh escapes me. “You think?”
“I know,” she corrects. Her gaze dips to where my cock strains against my shorts. Her eyes widen. “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed.” A huff of laughter leaves her lips. I’m not sure if the sound is one of disbelief or apprehension. “So much.”
She puts her hand flat on my dick. Her fingers curl around the fabric of my shorts, squeezing. I jolt in surprise. “Mac!”
“For fuck’s sake, Romero. Touch me.”
I want to, but I fear the moment I do it will be all over for me. She makes the decision for me and grabs my hand, slapping it on her breast. Oh god. An involuntary groan escapes me when firm, warm flesh fills my palm. I squeeze. Oh holy mother of god. Mackenzie Valentine is beneath me, mostly naked, my hands are on her body, and my cock feels ready to blow. I scrunch my eyes closed, fighting to breathe. How ridiculous it feels to be so jaded in life and yet so innocent in this.
“Let’s lose these shorts,” she says over the roaring of blood in my ears. “I want to see you.”
Her hands fumble with my button and zipper. I unlock the tight grip I have on her boob and bat her away. “Don’t.”
Not one to be denied, Mac keeps coming at me until my shorts and boxer briefs are shoved down and my cock fills her small hands. White spots dot my vision. “Oh god,” I breathe.
Mac’s eyes are focused on what she’s holding. “You’re so hard and warm and smooth.” Her breath is coming fast. “I like it.”
I do too. Hell yes, I like it too.
I watch her watch my cock in her playful hands, trying to keep my wits but it’s too late. My ship has sunk. I lower my head and take a nipple between my lips, sucking it deep inside my mouth.
Mac lets out a squeak. I look up. Her head has fallen back, her eyes glazing over. Mac is beneath me, finally under my control. A powerful, primitive surge overtakes me. My mouth shifts to her other nipple and bracing on my knees, I grip the sides of her panties and shove them down. “Oh god.” She’s panting now. “Touch me,” she orders.
I rear up over her, my head lost deep in lust. “When we’re together, and we’re doing this, don’t ever tell me what to do. I’m in charge.” My palm lowers down her belly as I loom above, my eyes on hers. When I reach between her legs I delve inside. She’s slick and wet and so deliciously hot, I want to weep from it. “Got it?” A moan leaves her lips. I pause my fingers, my gaze locked on hers. “Do you understand?”
Relief sweeps across her features, as if relinquishing control is everything she needs. “Yes,” she breathes, nodding. “I understand.”
MAC
For what feels like the first time in my life, I let go. I just … let go. Of everything. I put my whole world right in the palm of Jake’s hand, and he stepped up taking it on instinct.
There’s always a fight inside me. It’s constant and exhausting, but it’s who I need to be to survive, to show I can stand on my own two feet, to prove myself. In a singular, monumental instant, Jake has taken that fight away, freeing me. The liberation leaves me lighter than the clouds in the sky. Even if it’s only just for this moment, it’s enough.
My eyes burn as his fingers began moving again. Pleasure floods my body, white-hot and consuming.
It isn’t just his touch that has me burning hotter. It’s the intimacy of what we’re doing, his body and mine so close and feeding off each other. My breath comes faster and my heart beats harder. An orgasm rips through me like a freight train. I cry out, eyes closing as I get caught in the waves of it.
“I’ve got you, Princess.”
And he does. Jake has me.
My eyes burn as the pleasure takes me to another place.
Then I feel him. The intrusion. He’s pushing his way inside my body. It’s incredibly surreal. His cock pulses as he pauses, gritting his teeth. My hips push upward, feeding my instinctive need for more.
“Move again,” he says through gritted teeth, “and I’ll spank your pretty little ass.”
The very thought leaves me dizzy and fevered. I want him to. I want it. What the hell is wrong with me that I want to feel the sting of Jake’s palm on the naked skin of my butt? My body is more than on board with the idea, but my mind balks. Either way, my hips are moving of their own accord. Jake groans and surges forward until he’s fully inside me. I suck in a breath at the sharp stab of pain.
Sonofabitch! Ouch!
“I told you not to move.”
“I couldn’t help it.”
“You’ll pay for that, Princess.”
Jake draws back a little. The friction hurts and I hold still. “I think I already am.”
“I’d stop. Let you adjust,” he rasps, pushing back in and pulling out, “but I don’t think I can.”
He thrusts again, and my body responds as the pain slowly recedes.
“That felt good,” I say on a moan, my insides squeezing him tight around me.
“Too good,” Jake mutters, and this time when he drives forward, he doesn’t stop. Three deep, forceful thrusts and he’s groaning long and hard, hips grinding and face buried in my neck.
So this is sex.
My first time was at the beach in the back of Jake’s car. A grin spreads across my face. He feels my mirth and draws back to look down at me.
“What?”
My grin widens. “We just did it on the backseat of your car.”
“Shit,” he mutters. “This was not how I ever imagined making love to you, Mackenzie Valentine.”
“You imagined this?”
“All the time.”
“Even after years of not hearing from you at all?”
Jake closes his eyes for a brief moment and swallows before he opens them again. “Can we not do this right now?”
My eyes spark fire. “What, now with your cock inside me isn’t a good time for you?”
MAC
I just had sex. Me. Mackenzie Valentine. I squirm a little in the front passenger seat, my body parts sore and throbbing. We’re driving back to Jake’s place and with the humidity rampant, both windows are down. A wild breeze blows through the car.
I turn to look at him as he drives. One tattooed arm controls the steering wheel and the other rests outside the open window. Jake looks mussed and sexy and completely carefree. A wide grin splits my face.
“What?” Jake asks, glancing across at me before turning back to the road. A grin curves the corners of his lips.
I shove the windblown hair off my face.
“Nothing,” I reply when right then it’s everything.
I turn my focus out the window, unable to stop smiling. I’m alive. Relaxed. Happy.
Sex is not how I imagined it. It’s messy and awkward, but it’s so intimate, as if in a single moment we became one person. Jake is right. It should have been special. Planned. But with him all my plans seem to get tossed right out the window. I become reckless and lose my mind. It’s a good feeling.
“I can’t believe we just did that,” he says without taking his eyes from the road.
“Me either.”
“We should do it again.”
Again? The idea sends my body in
to overdrive. I’ve always imagined my first time, but it never went further than that. Now I’m quickly realising that this is something we can do every day. My insides quiver and the throbbing between my legs intensifies at a rapid pace. “When?”
Jake indicates before turning left into a tiled driveway. A frown forms. The house is unexpected. It’s imposing and beautiful despite the front lawn being overrun with cars. The gardens are chaotic, but the scent of jasmine in the stifling heat is rich and sweet. The address is also not the last house on my list. If I hadn’t stumbled across Jake while hitchhiking, I would never have found him.
He turns off the ignition and looks at me with heat in his eyes. “Now.”
My heart rate escalates. “Now?”
Jake reaches behind and plucks my bag off the back passenger seat. There’s no centre console in his car. The front seat runs all the way along and when he opens his car door, he grabs my hand and pulls me out his side.
The front door is timber and wide. It swivels inward as we step inside and through to the living area. The space features three long leather couches. They’re black and occupied by three guys who are passing a joint around. The air is thick with smoke and makes my throat burn.
One of them glances up at our arrival and does a double take. He’s built with blond hair that hangs in his eyes. He exhales a deep plume of smoke, his green eyes widening on my face.
I know him, though I have no idea what he’s doing here. He spent one year at my high school before disappearing like smoke. He used to hang with a crowd of motorcycle heathens, the kind my brothers would lock me up for if I were caught talking to them.
“Luke,” I say. “Luke Fox.”
His gaze drops, assessing my hand clasped inside Jake’s. A furrow creases his forehead when he looks back up. “Mackenzie Valentine.”
“You two know each other?” Jake asks.
Luke’s gaze shoots to Jake, his eyes wide. “She’s your princess?”
“Wait, what?” Jake had mentioned me?
Brows rise all around the room and I don’t understand it. Luke passes the joint toward the guy next to him and gives Jake his full attention. “Does this mean you win the—”
Jake’s grip on my hand tightens. “Not now, Little Fox.”
“Little?” I almost laugh. Luke is huge.
Jake points to Luke. “Little Fox.” Then he points to the guy beside him. An older version of Luke with cool eyes. “Big Fox.”
“For the record…” Luke’s palm goes to his junk and he winks “…I’m not little.”
Jake rolls his eyes as if he’s heard the line a thousand times before. “So how do you know each other?”
“Luke went to my school. We were in grade seven together.”
“Small world,” Luke adds then cocks his head, eyes crinkling curiously. “How did you meet Mac?”
Jake’s response is unexpected. “We used to be neighbours.”
“Didn’t know you lived in Sydney, Romero.”
Jake shrugs. “I used to.”
“Didn’t know it was the famous Mackenzie Valentine who stole your heart either. I should’ve known. I tried pinning the girl down all school year, but her brothers guarded her like she was the crown jewel of England.” Luke’s gaze shifts to me and he winks again. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
My hackles rise at the endearment. “I’m not your sweetheart.”
“I guess you aren’t.” He looks at Jake. “I’m impressed, Romero. You’ve got balls the size of King Kong to take on the Valentine clan and survive.”
Neither of us mention that my so-called Valentine clan don’t quite know I’m here. From the way Jake squeezes my hand, I figure I should keep quiet about it too. “I guess that’s something you wouldn’t know about, is it, Luke?”
Jake snorts with laughter. Even Luke cracks a grin. “And a pity that is too, isn’t it?” He gifts me with a wistful sigh as his eyes trail down my legs and back up again. “We could’ve had it all, you and me.”
“Put your dick away,” Jake retorts before I can say the exact same thing. “Mac doesn’t want your STDs.”
Laughter fills the living area. “Don’t listen to him, Mac,” Luke says in an overly serious tone. “I’m still a virgin.”
My cheeks warm in an instant. Luke is only teasing, but I’m not a virgin as of an hour ago and the reminder makes me hot.
Jake squeezes my hand again. I turn my head. He’s looking at me, his eyes hotter than my cheeks. We share a small smile that can only be described as goofy.
“Well this was fun,” Jake says and leads me down the hallway of the house, away from Luke and the smoky haze.
“Say hi to your brothers for me, Mac!” Luke yells after us. “I remember them fondly!”
I follow Jake up a set of stairs and inside his room. He sets my bag on the big bed and scrambles to collect random clothes that are strewn about the floor. Sheets are spread across the mattress in a haphazard fashion and empty bottles litter the bedside tables. Jake tosses the clothes in the corner and scratches the back of his neck, shrugging.
“It’s a bit of a mess. Wasn’t expecting company, you know?”
“I don’t care about the mess.”
Jake straightens and gives me a look I can’t decipher. “Well, it’s just for one night, right?”
“One night?”
“You’re going home tomorrow, Mac. You can’t stay here. I mean…” he waves his hand about “…look at the people I live with. You don’t belong here.” My nostrils flare as he grabs another shirt from the floor. The reason I’m here is because I don’t like being told how to live my life, and now Jake is trying to do the same thing. “You need to go—”
“Not this again, Jake. I belong wherever the hell I choose.”
Jake pauses in his attempt to fold the tee shirt. He bunches it in his hands and sighs deeply, his eyes fixing on the open window. “Why with me? I’m not anyone special. I don’t have anything to offer you. You have so many opportunities to live a crazy and exciting life. Who would throw all that away for some guy they used to know a long time ago?”
My eyes burn. Since when did Jake become so defeatist? I move toward him and take the shirt from his hands, tossing it to the floor. With his hands free, I take them in mine. “I’m not throwing anything away. I want to live a crazy and exciting life. I just want to do it with you.”
I push up on my toes and press my mouth to his. He responds, his touch heartbreakingly tender. It sends my pulse rocketing clear through the roof. “This is a bad idea,” he mutters against my lips. Then his arms snake around me in a fierce hold and lift me until my feet leave the ground. “But I don’t know how to be smart when it comes to you, Princess. You make me stupid.”
A smile pulls at the corners of my mouth. “Then we can be stupid together.”
He laughs and the sound is beautiful and light. “I can’t argue with you. You have an answer for everything.”
“So don’t argue.”
His expression darkens. “We can talk about it tomorrow.”
“There’ll be no talking tomorrow…” my eyes drop to his lips “…and you know it.”
Heat replaces the dark, and he tosses me on the bed. I know then that I have him and giddiness consumes me. Laughter spills out as I bounce on the mattress. Jake jumps on the bed above me, hair falling in his face as he grins down at me. “You’ll always be mine, Mackenzie Valentine, won’t you?”
“Yours,” I confirm.
His smile sobers as his eyes search my face, serious in an instant. He tucks wayward strands of blonde hair behind my right ear with care. My lungs constrict at the intimate gesture. Literally. I can’t get any air. “I don’t deserve you.”
I wake the next morning with Jake wrapped around me. His body is warm and heavy. I love it. Happiness settles in my gut. I was right coming here. Jake is the man for me. No distance, time, or age, will change that.
A knock comes at the door. It opens without invitation.
/> “School, fuckface!” Dark brown eyes settle on me. “Well, well. The rumours I heard downstairs at the breakfast table were true.”
I pull the sheet high from prying eyes as Jake stirs behind me. “And who are you?”
The guy grins, hand resting on the door handle as he gives me the once-over. “I’m Rowan, sweetheart. Lead singer and stud for hire, if you’re interested.”
My eyes frost over. “Do I look interested?”
“Not yet, but I can change that.”
“I’m with Jake in case that escaped your attention,” I snap.
“I can change that too.”
Jake groans from behind me. “Get lost, Rowan. It’s school holidays.”
Rowan gives a mock pout as he throws up his hands and turns to leave. “Fine. I get it. I’m not wanted.”
I roll and face Jake. His eyes are a little puffy and stubble lines his jaw. He’s sexy and all mine. My lips curve. “Good morning.”
His eyes light with warmth. “Morning, babe.”
“Oh, I’m babe now?”
I poke his naked chest.
“Yeah.” Jake laughs and wraps his arms around my head. My face gets stuck in his armpit and the hair tickles my face. His grip tightens when I try squirming free. “You don’t wanna be my babe anymore, babe?” The big dork chuckles at his own joke. “Didn’t realise you were so fickle.”
I’m slowly suffocating in a haze of man smell and warm skin. I manage to rip my head free and sit back on my knees, dragging air inside my lungs. “Oh, you wanna fight?”
Jake grins. The sight sends my heart into jackhammer mode. “Give it your best shot, babe.”
Before he can do anything more, I have him flipped over, his right forearm pinned behind his back while I reach for the left. “Holy fuck,” he mutters into the pillow where his face is now mashed. “I’m so hard right now.”
I laugh. My hold loosens enough that he gets free and rolls beneath me. “Jesus, Mac.” Jake’s expression sobers as my hands rest flat on his chest. His heart is pounding an erratic beat beneath my fingers. “Don’t look at me like that.”