Jake leaned forward and cupped her pussy with one large hand. “Who does this belong to?”

The possessiveness in his tone should frighten her, but it made her feel powerful and womanly and sexy. “You.”

“That’s right. This is my pussy.” He stroked one long finger over her clit and she couldn’t suppress a moan of pleasure.

Jake stood and she almost cried out as his hand lost contact. She swallowed it back and waited, her body trembling as she anticipated his next command. He walked around the table, studying her.

He leaned down and tweaked one puckered nipple, making it tighten even more. She arched into his touch and his low, pleased laughter washed over her. “Jesus, you’re so responsive.” He lightly pinched her other nipple and she cried out, her pelvis lifting off the table.

“Touch your breasts, baby. Pinch your nipples as light or as hard as you want. But keep your legs open. I want that pussy nice and hot and needy.”

Oh God. She didn’t know if she could stand much more of this. She took both nipples between her thumbs and forefingers and teased them. It felt even better than it usually did because she knew he was watching her pleasure herself.

Jake walked back to the sofa, his eyes never leaving her breasts. He ripped his sweater over his head, exposing his chiseled chest and washboard abs. She longed to touch him, to lick every inch of his body.

He settled back on the sofa and opened his jeans. He wasn’t wearing underwear so his cock sprang forward, eager and ready. He grasped the hard length in his hand, stroking once, twice.

Sapphire was panting harder now, her pussy wetter than it had ever been before. Jake motioned to his cock. “I want your mouth on me.” He crooked his finger at her.

She sat up and gracefully knelt between his spread thighs, remembering to keep her legs wide apart.

“Hands behind your head.”

She placed her hands in position, linking her fingers together to keep them there.

“That’s perfect,” he praised. He sat forward and fed the flared head of his cock into her open mouth. She closed her lips and sucked. “Fuck, that’s good.”

She used her tongue and the light scrape of her teeth on his shaft as he moved his length in and out of her mouth. One large hand cupped the back of her head while the other toyed with one of her distended nipples. Her hips swiveled and she whimpered with growing need. She felt so empty without him inside her.

He suddenly gripped her hair and pulled out of her mouth with a wet pop. “Come here.” He lifted her in his arms and laid her out on the sofa, lifting one leg so her foot sat on the back. She was wide open and totally exposed once again.

Jake knelt between her legs, lifted her hips and brought his mouth to her. The second his tongue touched her clit she exploded. She cried out, her entire body jerking. Jake licked and sucked at her pussy while she came, pushing her into another orgasm. The room went dark around the edges, but she hung on, wanting to see him.

He was such a big man, tanned and muscled. So much larger than she. He hovered over her like some dark avenging angel, strong and ready to defend what he considered his.

He leaned back and swiped a hand over his jaw, wiping away her essence. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a condom, quickly sheathing himself. Then he sat back on the sofa and reached for her, lifting her easily until she was straddling his lap and facing him.

She loved him. It hit her like a ton of bricks. She really loved this man even with his insecurities and controlling ways. She knew he would always put her first and would never cheat on her. In their time together, she’d come to know him well. He was genuinely interested in her as a woman and as an artist and was supportive of her career. He might want to control her in the bedroom, but outside they were equals and neither of them would have it any other way.

All that went through her head in a split second and then the ability to think disappeared when he impaled her on his cock. He stretched the swollen sensitive tissue in her channel as he forged inward. The rough brush of his jeans against her thighs was arousing. Sapphire dug her nails into his shoulders and clung to him.

Dark pleasure coursed through Jake, feeding his voracious sexual appetite. Sapphire satisfied him in a way that no other woman ever had or ever would. He knew she was special, knew she was the only one who could quell the growing darkness within him. She gave him peace and an anchor in this world.

He could still see her naked and spread across the coffee table for him, so fucking perfect, her nipples straining, her pussy wet. And the way she sucked his dick was like a wet dream.

But nothing compared to having his dick buried deep in her pussy. There was resistance at first, because he was so big and her channel was swollen from her orgasms, but there was no stopping him.

This wasn’t what he’d planned. He had intended to run her a hot bath and then gently love her. But having her sit so close to him while they watched the ballgame had challenged his control and pushed his libido to his limits.

He had to have her.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders and he savored their erotic bite. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and her pussy clasped him tight. He was in heaven.

He started to move and she moaned, her head falling back to expose the long, slender column of her neck. He leaned forward and gently nipped at the tempting curve where her neck and shoulder met.

Her sweet cries of passion grew louder the more he nipped and sucked at her neck. Her hot sheath clamped down tight around his shaft. His balls grew impossibly tight and he knew he’d run out of time.

Jake gripped her hips and lifted her an inch or two before dropping her back onto his lap. His cock pulsed hard, loving the way her wet channel surrounded him.

“Jake.” His name was a whisper from her lips, but he heard it as loudly as if she’d roared it, felt the telltale tightening of her slick walls around him, experienced the ripples as she came yet again.

His balls tightened and his orgasm erupted, shooting up his shaft and spilling into the condom. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his heart. His cock continued to pulse as her sweet pussy wrung every last bit of juice from him.

When he was done, he dropped his head on her shoulder and inhaled her sweet scent mixed with the darker tang of sex. She nuzzled against his neck and sighed, resting against him, trusting him to hold her.

He never wanted to disappoint her again. That she’d given him another chance was nothing less than a miracle. He knew that and wasn’t about to fuck things up again. Sapphire was it for him. She might be younger and more innocent than he’d ever been, but somehow she was perfect. It was as though she’d been made specifically for him.

He’d pushed her even though he’d told himself to back off and give her time to adjust to him slowly. But she’d risen to every occasion, with little or no hesitation.

She squirmed on his lap and moaned. He needed to take care of her. Carefully, he lifted her off his chest. She shivered and he frowned. It was chilly here and the last thing he wanted was for her to get sick.

He had to take better care of her. He hitched up his jeans, ignoring the condom for now. Sapphire’s eyes fluttered open when he lifted her. “Where are we going?”

He started down the short hallway. “I’m putting you in the tub and then to bed.”

Her hand rested over his heart. “Are you staying?”

“Yeah, I’m staying.” He sat her gently in the edge of the vanity in the bathroom. “But no more sex for you tonight.”

She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

He cupped her cheek in his hand, marveling at the softness of her skin. “I want to hold you all night long.”

She sighed. “I’d like that.”

He didn’t just want to hold her, he needed to hold her through the long hours of the night. He needed to know she was safe and that she was his.

She shivered again and he turned away to start the water running into the tub.

Chapter Eleven

Sapphire glanced at the large picture window of a travel agency as she walked down the street. The woman reflected back at her looked happy and confident, but there was an underlying sense of unease hovering just beneath the surface.

It had been a week since she and Jake had last made love. Since that time, he’d been attentive and gentle, nothing like the commanding presence she’d come to know and love. It was as though he was forcing himself to be something he wasn’t, something he thought she needed. She didn’t like it.

She knew what it was like to try to be something you weren’t and it wasn’t fun. The consignment shop had been the first thing on her to-do list today. She’d taken all the new clothing she’d bought—all the short skirts, low-cut tops and spiky high heels—and dumped them there for resale. Two of the guys she’d dated during her “new Sapphire” phase had called in the past three days and were gently turned away. She was happy with herself, the way she dressed and the way she lived.

She just wished Jake would be himself too.

Oh, she loved snuggling up next to him watching movies and it was nice to go out to dinner, but when it was time to go to bed, Jake either went home or lay beside her in bed, not touching her. It was enough to drive her crazy. She was horny as hell and he wasn’t doing anything about it. And the one time she’d come on to him, he’d gently put her off.

What was he doing? What was he thinking?