Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
No, it would be a very, very good thing.
Throwing aside the sheets, she crawled out of bed, shivering lightly as she left the warmth. Heat that was still present from when he’d been lying in bed with her.
She hesitated a moment, eyeing the bathroom, waiting for the telltale sign of steam from the shower. After a few minutes, she heard the water turn on and she quietly made her way to the door.
His shower was huge. Easily big enough for two. Or even three. Completely glassed in with multiple showerheads, one overhead and two jets mounted on the wall. His outline was visible through the fogged glass and she could see him washing himself, his hands drifting lower and lower . . .
She opened the stall door and stepped inside before she lost her nerve. His eyes came open, his hand circled around his cock. He blinked in surprise, but the surprise quickly turned to molten desire. His eyes went liquid and his hand stroked over the length of his cock.
He went from a semi-flaccid stage to erect and straining in two seconds flat. If there was any doubt in her mind that he’d welcome her into his shower, it fled as his body came to life in front of her eyes.
“That’s my job,” she murmured as she slid her hand over his erection, removing his in the process.
“By all means,” he said.
Water streamed down his back and rolled down his gorgeous body. His hair was soaked and she could see it was longer than she thought it was. With the weight of the water, there was no body to it, no slight unruly curl. It hung past his neck to the tops of his shoulders.
“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered as she moved closer so their bodies touched.
The water hit her, pulling her in, the heat an exquisite temptation.
His body tensed and his eyes grew rougher, darker. His arms came around her, molding their bodies together as she continued to caress him with her hand.
“You’re the beautiful one, Bethany. I never get tired of just looking at you.”
She smiled and rolled up on the balls of her feet so she could kiss him.
“I’ve never had shower sex before,” she said huskily against his mouth.
“Then we most assuredly need to remedy that right away.”
She slid down his body to her knees, water raining down over them. She glanced up to see his gaze locked with hers, and then it drifted to his groin, where she caressed him to further hardness.
As light as a hush, her mouth feathered over the mushroomed head, her tongue flicking out to tease the sensitive underside. Drops of water hit her tongue, filling her mouth as she sucked him deeper.
A tortured groan sounded above the spray of the water. His hands went to her hair, now drenched and plastered to the side of her head. He framed her face with his palms and held her tightly as he pushed inside her mouth.
His features were harsh, lines forming at his mouth and at his temples. She could see his chest work up and down, his breath coming in ragged bursts as she worked him deeper, to the back of her throat.
Applying light suction, she took him even deeper, boldly making love to him. He hit the back of her throat and she swallowed. This time he emitted a hiss, the violent expulsion of air loud over the sound of rushing water.
He stroked over her head, then to her cheeks, lightly caressing the lines of her face as her throat worked around him. His touch was infinitely gentle, so tender that her heart squeezed in response.
He was her addiction. Replacing everything else. With him, there was no need for the coping mechanisms of the past. He was her anchor. He was what sex and pills used to be for her. A safe place in a world of uncertainty.
Had she merely traded one addiction for another?
The thought took root in her mind, a shadow that gave her pause. But she shook it off, determined not to let her past ruin what she had with Jace. Right here and now. She was finished living in the past, wasn’t she? Jace had given her new life. He’d made her believe that they were starting new and fresh, that what had been no longer mattered. That it was what was to come that was important.
With everything else he’d given her for Christmas, this was the most precious gift she could ever hope to receive.
She sucked deeply again, pouring every bit of her heart, her feelings for him into her movements. She hoped he could see, could feel what she was giving him. It was the only thing she had to give him. She just hoped it was enough.
Jace’s grip tightened on her face. Then he roughly slid his hands down and underneath her arms. He lifted, hauling her up his body. His mouth met hers in a heated clash that left her gasping for breath.
Then he hoisted her and, in one swift movement, he turned and pressed her against the wall of the shower.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he growled.
The fierce command sent shivers down her spine. Her belly clenched and butterflies took flight in her chest. Already his cock had found her opening and as she hooked her ankles at the small of his back, he plunged, finding his depth in one forceful thrust.
His fingers dug into her buttocks, massaging and molding, holding her open as he pounded into her again. His mouth brushed teasingly against her neck and then he sunk his teeth into the sensitive column, eliciting another gasp from her.
He sucked as he plunged over and over, driving her body against the shower wall. His hands seemed to be everywhere, his mouth driving her insane with lust. She’d have a mark on her neck later, evidence of his possession and the bruising force in which he took her. And yet she wanted more. More strength. More ferocity. It would never be enough.
“Not going to last long, baby,” he said roughly, his voice strained and garbled. “How close are you? Want you there.”
She took one arm from around his neck where she was gripping him tightly and slid her hand between their bodies, down to her clit. As soon as she touched herself, her body coiled into a tight knot.
“Close,” she gasped.
“Good. Get there.”
He leaned into her, trapping her hand between them. She barely had room to caress the taut bundle of nerves between her legs. He pounded into her, driving her against the wall, driving himself deeper into her. She felt bruised and shaken, the force with which he took her overwhelming.
She was his. She truly belonged. To him.
Her thighs shook, her entire body quaked. Desire rose, sharp and edgy. Overpowering. Her climax built into a crescendo that was nearly deafening. The roar in her ears. The pounding of her heart. She screamed hoarsely and then his shout of triumph joined her cries.
He leaned into her, buried deeply, his chest heaving with exertion. He kissed her neck. Her jaw. Then her lips, his breaths mingling with hers.
Dimly, she became aware of the water still rushing over them. The steam was choking, the air so moist it was hard to breathe in.
“Christ,” Jace muttered. “You undo me, Bethany. How the hell am I supposed to even move now, much less finish showering and get to work?”
She smiled against his neck and then let her body slide down the wall until she stood on shaking legs.