I’ve known for a while now that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I just haven’t been able to focus on that. It’s been more important that I focus on our immediate future and the fight.
But now, nothing’s as important as her answer. Why isn’t she saying anything?
I reach out and cup her face, running my thumb along her lower lip. “Baby?”
Her eyebrows pinch together. Not a good sign.
With a few rapid blinks, she focuses on me. “What if you win tomorrow night?”
Ah, fuck. Not this again.
No matter how many times I assure her that I can throw this fight, she’s never totally convinced.
“I told you I’d lose it. I mean it. Now leave it alone.” My words are terse and powered by irritation. I don’t mean to be rude, but fuck. I just proposed, and this is the shit she wants to talk about?
I push both hands through my hair and take a deep breath. Her soft hand brushes my cheek. I look at her, my jaw cramping and eyes narrowing. She jumps, but quickly recovers, and places a lingering kiss on my cheek.
“I believe you can lose the fight, I do. But what if I say I’ll marry you and then something happens? Something terrible, like you get hit too hard and flip the switch on Del Toro? Or what if, I don’t know, he does something to forfeit the fight? You want to marry a prostitute? You want to share your wife with the wealthy men of Las Vegas?”
I grimace at the thought. No, I won’t share my wife with other men. I’d f**king kill any man who came near her with those intentions.
Her expression goes soft and she nods. “That’s what I thought. So what are our options? We could run, take off, live out our married days moving from place to place . . . ’til death do us part.”
She brings both hands up to cup my face. “You deserve better than that, Jonah. Your mom deserves better than that.”
“I don’t want to live without you.” Emotions surge within me making my voice rough.
A single tear trails down her cheek, betraying her smile. “And I don’t want to live without you. Of course, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Her expression hardens. “But I don’t want to talk about the future. Not until we know, with one-hundred-percent certainty, that we have one.”
So that’s a yes. Right? A maybe? Shit.
“Nothing will keep me from you. I know what’s going to happen tomorrow night. But if things don’t go as planned, I’ll take you away. Living a life on the run is better than living a life without you.” I wrap my hand around the nape of her neck and pull her face close to mine. “No one can keep us apart.”
“I love you, Jonah." Her hands run down my shoulders, and chest, settling on my abdomen.
My blood roars from the heat of her touch. I need her to understand that her life means more than my own. I’d give it all away: every dream, every accomplishment. Everything for her.
With a gentle tug, I tilt her head and hold her lips mere centimeters from mine. She closes her eyes and leans in for a kiss. I fist her hair tighter, holding her in place. A moan vibrates deep in her throat. We swallow each other’s breath from our parted lips. Electricity buzzes between us. My teeth scrape against my lower lip with the urge to take her mouth. Her eyes dilate and her breath quickens.
She shifts and steps closer. The side of my mouth curls into a half smile. My girl. Always so anxious and ready.
She licks her full lips. Our mouths are so close I can almost taste the moisture her tongue left behind.
“Jonah—”
“Baby, you look so sexy right now.”
She closes her eyes at my whispered words. I hold on tighter.
“Holding you like this, putting you close to what you want. It’s hot, baby. You shift and rub your thighs together like you’re trying to put out a fire.”
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth.
“You press into me, like you’re hoping our bodies will melt together.”
A whimper escapes her lips.
“Mmm. Love that sound.” I flex my h*ps into her stomach.
Her eyes shoot open and plead with me to end to her suffering. Pissed or begging, smiling or crying, my girl is damn sexy.
My girl.
Dominick’s words echo in my head. I take care of what’s mine. His? The f**k she is. I don’t care what I have to do tomorrow night to make it happen, but I will walk out of that arena with Raven under my arm and our entire future ahead of us.
I lean forward and brush my lips softly against her forehead. Her eyes flutter closed. I brush my lips against each of her eyelids, taking my time to savor the soft pear scent of her hair. Finally, my lips hover over hers.
“You’re mine, baby. Always.”
“Promise me.” Our mouths are so close, her lips brush against mine with her words.
My chest cramps at the desperation in her voice. “I promise.”
And that’s all I can take.
I cover her lips with mine, and she immediately opens to me. Our tongues glide together in gentle strokes. I grab her hair, tilt her head, and delve in deeper. Soft, wet, and delicious. A groan pushes up from my chest and she takes it with an answering moan.
My ass planted on the hood of the Impala, I use my leverage to pull her tight between my legs. Her hands slide under the legs of my shorts and up my thighs. She pushes her soft fingers under the hem of my boxers and my h*ps roll into her touch. I let go of her hair with one hand and snake my arm behind her back.
“I love you.” A storm of emotion and hunger swirl in my chest, making my declaration come out on a growl.
“I love you.”
She pushes her hands the extra few inches to my throbbing hard-on. The muscles in my stomach contract as her touch sends waves of pleasure up my spine. With both hands, she grabs hold and strokes. I’m light headed. Her grip tightens as I rub and tease her br**sts over her shirt. I want to go soft. Be gentle. But my hands claw at her clothes, itching to get to her skin.
Closer.
I break the kiss, grab the hem of her gray tank top, and pull it over her head. My eyes go wide at her bright red, lace bra. Fuckin’ hell.
I slide off the hood of the car, mesmerized by her br**sts as they strain against their lace cage. My hands cup her and squeeze gently. Her head falls back on a moan. I run my thumbs across her n**ples watching how they react beneath the fabric.
My hands travel down her tight, flat stomach to the waistband on her shorts. With a swift tug, I pop the button and open to what I know is matching lace panties.
Raven shifts her h*ps and slides her short shorts down her long, tan legs. My head tilts as I take in her body from head to toe. Each sliver of soft skin, every curve of decadent flesh, all perfect and mine in every way. My eyes linger on the parts of her body I want to get to first, covered in red lace. I lick my lips.
“Your turn.” She motions to my shirt with a tilt of her head.
I want her hands on me. “Uh-uh. You do it.”
Her eyelids are heavy over blue-green pools of liquid heat. She slips her hands beneath my shirt, eyes locked on mine. Her fingernails drag against my skin as she runs her hands up to my chest. I suck air through clenched teeth as the bite of her nails sends pleasure straight down. I raise my arms and bend for her to pull my shirt off over my head.
The weight of her stare on my nak*d torso shoots heat through my veins. She runs her hand along my arm to my shoulder while her other hand glides down to the button of my shorts. She stops there and slips her fingers inside the waistband of my boxer briefs, brushing against the tip of my dick. My head falls back on a groan. I’m going to explode if I don’t get inside her soon. I reach down to undo my pants.
Her hand covers mine and she pushes up on her tiptoes, placing her lips against my neck. “No, I got it.”
Soft, wet lips part at my neck as she licks and nips while unbuttoning my shorts. They fall to the ground and I kick them off. I press her back against the Impala, placing her sexy, lace-clad ass on the hood. She lifts an eyebrow in question, but her crooked smile tells me she knows exactly what’s about to happen.
She leans back, resting her weight against her elbows. I pin her with my eyes, plant my knee between her legs, and climb up.
Raven
His body covers mine, pushing me back. My stomach jumps at the thought of our nak*d bodies tangled together surrounded by the smell of oil and rubber. This scenario has run through my head a few times since I started working with Jonah. I rest my heels on the bumper as Jonah covers my face, neck, and shoulders with hot, wet kisses.
A fantasy come to life.
Just like his spontaneous proposal. Not at some romantic beach locale or in some crowded restaurant. But here, in my sanctuary. No cheesy sonnets read down on one knee or even a ring. I don’t need that. Any of it. All I need is him.
Sucking and nibbling, he makes his way down to my breast. He continues lapping at my skin before pulling my flesh into his mouth over my bra. The combination of his warm tongue and the friction from the lace make my back arch, pushing me further into his touch.
No one has ever claimed me like he has—stood his ground, willing to fight, just so he could have me. Our future depends on that fight. I may lose my future. I won’t take his down with me.
His attention shifts from my br**sts, and he kisses down my body. My knees fall apart. He settles himself between my legs, teasing my inner thigh with his tongue. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow night, but for now, tonight, I am his and he is mine.
Completely.
With one finger, he traces the seam of my panties from my hip down. He slides the delicate fabric to the side and, without hesitation, dives in. A groan rumbles in the back of my throat. He slides both hands beneath my butt, pushing me deeper into his mouth. I rock my h*ps against him, unable to stay still.
My body ignites at his attention. With the slightest touch he brings comfort and, with a little more, intense ecstasy. But this time there’s an extra layer of emotion. Belonging.
A powerful urge to bond rockets through my veins. Power, need, passion all mix into a potent cocktail and I’m overcome with desire to take him. I use my foot to push his shoulder back. He looks up at me, eyebrows pinched, hands up in surrender. Something that looks like concern etched in his face.
I want to give him a reassuring smile. Let him know that everything’s okay, but animalistic yearning wins out.
With a quick flip of my thumb, I unhook my bra, sliding the straps down my arms and tossing it across the room. I lie back and lift my h*ps to rid myself of my panties. His eyes go dark, forehead dropped so he’s looking at me from beneath his thick eyelashes.
If I don’t move fast, he’s going to pounce.
Hopping from the hood, I reach for the waistband of his boxers. He watches as I slide the cotton down his sculpted thighs to his ankles, where he kicks them to the side. In a crouch on the floor, I take advantage of my position and take him deep into my mouth.
“Aww, damn.” He groans and rakes both hands into my hair.
I look up from my position on the ground and watch the ripples of his muscles contract with every thrust of my mouth. Here on my knees, in a position of submission, I’ve never felt more powerful. His body responds to every flick of my tongue, every pull of my mouth. My heart swells with the love I see in his face as he looks down at me.