When Jaxxon Reginhardt walks into my gym, my rigidly structured existence begins to crumble. He’s a beast of a man, the personification of power, and more beautiful than any man has a right to be. He’s everything I avoid. Everything I fear. Yet, the second I see him, something deep within me roars to life. He makes me want. He sets my body aflame with just a look, and makes me wish I wasn’t a damaged shell no one will ever love.
I don’t have time for men when my whole world is built around self-preservation. But Jaxxon breaks down all of my strategically constructed boundaries like no one ever has.
How can I give into these new cravings, when there is a half-remembered demon from my past waiting for me to fall asleep, preying on my vulnerability?
If he ever knew the truth, he would run, and it would destroy me ...
Jaxxon.
The last thing I need in my complicated life is a snarky, frustrating, spitfire of a woman like Valentina Durare. As if that isn’t bad enough, there’s something haunted about her. My head says stay the hell away, but I can’t seem to get on board with that logic.
Something about me scares her. I can feel it. She’s a beautiful enigma I ache to understand.
The closer we get, the more she responds and draws me in. It can’t be me she fears. There must be something else ... Something tied to the scars she refuses to show me.
But I’m stubborn son-of-a-bitch. I want all of her—not half. Because when we touch, nothing less will do but her complete surrender.
I need her to trust me, before her fear destroys us.
He moved his hands to my back and unhooked the chain holding the back of my gown together. As the sides loosened and fell open, my muscles strung tight, but I stayed where I was.
Resting his hands on my shoulders again, he slipped his fingers under the sides of the loosened sleeves. “Look at me, sugar.”
I leaned back enough to see his face and crossed my arms over my chest, which earned me the shit-eating grin that both got under my skin and made me wet as hell.
With his eyes locked to mine, he inched the top of my dress down my arms, causing my breasts to push up over the neckline.
“When’s the last time you came?”
I couldn’t stop my mouth from falling open. He wrapped his hands around my wrists, his fingers warming my overheated skin. “I think that’s a bit personal.”
“Sweetness, we’re about to get very fuckin’ personal. You’re straddling me. I can feel how turned on you are, and I’m trying not to freak you out. It’s a legitimate question, given what you’ve told me.” He kept his hold loose, but still held onto me.
When I looked down at our hands, my vision blurred...
Cuffs. Leather cuffs. Metal table. The images flashed like slides in an old movie reel and I jerked away from him on a gasp.
“Valentina!” My name came out in such a hard tone it jolted me right out of the dark place. His thumbs dug into the pulse points of my wrists, before I fell back. “Where’d you go, sugar?” His eyes searched mine, the concern visible even in the dim light. “You okay?”
I gave a quick nod. Fast, it was so fast, so clear—but enough ...
No! Not now ... Please, not now!
“You sure?” Letting go of my wrists, he brought both hands to the back of my head.
“Mmm-hmm. Yes.” I covered his hands with mine and interlocked our fingers, holding onto him like a lifeline.
“When, baby?”
“I—I don’t remember.”
Please, Jaxxon. Please, take it away ...
He nodded. “Then that’s way too long.” He pulled me against him.
I wedged my arms between the back of his head and the cushions. The warmth of his bare skin, the strength of his huge arms, transferred to me as I pressed my body harder against his.
For a while, he simply held me. When my breathing regulated and the shock of the memory waned, the contentment to simply be held faded. His erection lay pressed against my throbbing clit. A simmering heat built in my core and spread outwards. I buried my face against his neck, brushing my lips under the tender part of his ear, lightly at first, but when he started rubbing my bare back with firmer, more aggressive strokes I sat up in his lap.
No more preamble needed, he slid the top of my dress down my arms, dragging the material between our bodies. The seam of the neckline scraped over my swollen nipples. I inhaled quickly at the twinge of pain, and embraced the pleasure it left behind.
Resting his hands on my shoulders again, he slipped his fingers under the sides of the loosened sleeves. “Look at me, sugar.”
I leaned back enough to see his face and crossed my arms over my chest, which earned me the shit-eating grin that both got under my skin and made me wet as hell.
With his eyes locked to mine, he inched the top of my dress down my arms, causing my breasts to push up over the neckline.
“When’s the last time you came?”
I couldn’t stop my mouth from falling open. He wrapped his hands around my wrists, his fingers warming my overheated skin. “I think that’s a bit personal.”
“Sweetness, we’re about to get very fuckin’ personal. You’re straddling me. I can feel how turned on you are, and I’m trying not to freak you out. It’s a legitimate question, given what you’ve told me.” He kept his hold loose, but still held onto me.
When I looked down at our hands, my vision blurred...
Cuffs. Leather cuffs. Metal table. The images flashed like slides in an old movie reel and I jerked away from him on a gasp.
“Valentina!” My name came out in such a hard tone it jolted me right out of the dark place. His thumbs dug into the pulse points of my wrists, before I fell back. “Where’d you go, sugar?” His eyes searched mine, the concern visible even in the dim light. “You okay?”
I gave a quick nod. Fast, it was so fast, so clear—but enough ...
No! Not now ... Please, not now!
“You sure?” Letting go of my wrists, he brought both hands to the back of my head.
“Mmm-hmm. Yes.” I covered his hands with mine and interlocked our fingers, holding onto him like a lifeline.
“When, baby?”
“I—I don’t remember.”
Please, Jaxxon. Please, take it away ...
He nodded. “Then that’s way too long.” He pulled me against him.
I wedged my arms between the back of his head and the cushions. The warmth of his bare skin, the strength of his huge arms, transferred to me as I pressed my body harder against his.
For a while, he simply held me. When my breathing regulated and the shock of the memory waned, the contentment to simply be held faded. His erection lay pressed against my throbbing clit. A simmering heat built in my core and spread outwards. I buried my face against his neck, brushing my lips under the tender part of his ear, lightly at first, but when he started rubbing my bare back with firmer, more aggressive strokes I sat up in his lap.
No more preamble needed, he slid the top of my dress down my arms, dragging the material between our bodies. The seam of the neckline scraped over my swollen nipples. I inhaled quickly at the twinge of pain, and embraced the pleasure it left behind.
Eve Luccio waited years for her first love, but somehow their lives were never quite in sync. Now, at thirty-six, her only focus is completing the final year of her PhD. The last thing on her mind is the honor-driven former Navy SEAL who stole her heart as a teen and left her unable to love any other man since.
When Jake Theron walks back into Eve’s life, his presence shatters her walls of self preservation. He unleashes a dark sexuality that Eve never imagined she would experience, much less come to crave. All he wants from her is a day of her trust—twenty-four uninterrupted hours before she crosses the country for her Post Doctorate position in New York. But letting down her guard for even twenty-four hours with Jake might just destroy her.
For Jake Theron, Eve was always “the one that got away,” except even after two decades, she’s still under his skin. When Eve finally agrees to see him, Jake vows he won’t let her slip through his fingers again.
But nobody knows better than Jake what a vicious bitch fate can be. When his life gets in the way, he realizes he may have to let Eve go once again—this time for her own good.
All he has left are the next twenty-four hours. One day and night in a seaside hotel, after which he has no choice but to let her walk out of his life with no guarantee he’ll ever see her again. The problem is, now that he’s had a real taste of the woman who should have been his twenty years ago, he’s not sure he’ll have the strength to let her go.
He moved his lips to her ear. “That’s what home feels like.”
Eve framed his cheeks and leaned back. “You are home to me, Jake.”
“Mmm.” He kissed her forehead, pushed his hands under her ass and lifted her up without pulling out.
“What are you doing?” She smiled into his shoulder.
“Bed. No need to mess up the kitchen. I knew that dress would be useful for something other than looking amazing on you.” He knelt on the bed and fell forward with her.
“Jake!”
They both laughed as her back hit the mattress with him on top of her.
Pulling back, he stared down at her before kissing her forehead and slowly pulling out. “Stay here. I’ll get you a towel.” Stark ass naked, he walked to the bathroom.
A smile pushed at her lips as he came back with her towel and his boxers on.
With a longing look at the table full of food, Jake groaned as he walked past it to her.
“You’re hungry.” She fought back a laugh.
Looking amused, he dropped to the bed beside her and gently cleaned her up. Jake was like a grumpy bear when he was hungry.
“I’m fucking starving. I gotta eat something other than you.”
He stood up, grabbed her ankles and pulled her to him by the side of the bed. Then handed her one of his T-shirts.
“Go clean up. I’ll heat it up. We’ll eat then...what? Movie?”
She wrapped the towel around her and sat on the side of the bed. “A movie’s fine.”
Before she could reach the bathroom, Jake’s voice stopped her. “Baby....”
She turned to him. “Yeah?”
“You know I won’t make it through a movie with you…”
Sadness washed over her, because there wasn’t enough time.
“I know.” Never enough time.
His vivacious laugh rang through the small room. “Just so we’re clear. This right here—” He waved his hand over the food. “—Is about refueling. Don’t plan on sleeping too much.”
“I’ll be right out.” She walked into the bathroom, leaving him to heat up dinner. Eve’s body ached and her heart broke. Tomorrow…today would be on a long list of yesterdays—days she could never get back. While it would be one of the best in her thirty-six years, it would bleed into yet another painful memory with little hope of healing.
Eve framed his cheeks and leaned back. “You are home to me, Jake.”
“Mmm.” He kissed her forehead, pushed his hands under her ass and lifted her up without pulling out.
“What are you doing?” She smiled into his shoulder.
“Bed. No need to mess up the kitchen. I knew that dress would be useful for something other than looking amazing on you.” He knelt on the bed and fell forward with her.
“Jake!”
They both laughed as her back hit the mattress with him on top of her.
Pulling back, he stared down at her before kissing her forehead and slowly pulling out. “Stay here. I’ll get you a towel.” Stark ass naked, he walked to the bathroom.
A smile pushed at her lips as he came back with her towel and his boxers on.
With a longing look at the table full of food, Jake groaned as he walked past it to her.
“You’re hungry.” She fought back a laugh.
Looking amused, he dropped to the bed beside her and gently cleaned her up. Jake was like a grumpy bear when he was hungry.
“I’m fucking starving. I gotta eat something other than you.”
He stood up, grabbed her ankles and pulled her to him by the side of the bed. Then handed her one of his T-shirts.
“Go clean up. I’ll heat it up. We’ll eat then...what? Movie?”
She wrapped the towel around her and sat on the side of the bed. “A movie’s fine.”
Before she could reach the bathroom, Jake’s voice stopped her. “Baby....”
She turned to him. “Yeah?”
“You know I won’t make it through a movie with you…”
Sadness washed over her, because there wasn’t enough time.
“I know.” Never enough time.
His vivacious laugh rang through the small room. “Just so we’re clear. This right here—” He waved his hand over the food. “—Is about refueling. Don’t plan on sleeping too much.”
“I’ll be right out.” She walked into the bathroom, leaving him to heat up dinner. Eve’s body ached and her heart broke. Tomorrow…today would be on a long list of yesterdays—days she could never get back. While it would be one of the best in her thirty-six years, it would bleed into yet another painful memory with little hope of healing.
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