My breath caught in my throat at the slight sting and desire curled heavily in my stomach. He dropped me gently onto the bed and followed me down, pressing every single delectable inch of his gorgeous hard body against me as his mouth sought and claimed mine. He kissed me hard, biting at my lips and exploring every inch of my mouth with his tongue.
I moaned as heat suffused every inch of my body and shifted so I could cradle him closer between my thighs. He responded with his own muffled groan and rocked his hips against me, hitting that perfect sweet spot, which caused me to arch off the bed as pleasure shot through me from head to toe.
Jacks broke the kiss and braced himself on his hands over me, leaving his lower body snugged tight against mine. He rocked into me again, his eyes darkening and gleaming as they watched my face, my reaction. Then he smiled-a devilish, wicked smile- and I was lost.
“Jacks, please…” I entreated softly, my eyes pleading just as my hands were, smoothing firmly down his back and hooking over his delicious, jean-clad ass, pulling it even tighter against me, making myself writhe with want.
“Shit,” he muttered, shifting against me again and letting his eyes slowly close.
In a second he was off of me and the bed, both, stripping his clothes off in a hurry. I sat up and began doing the same, but before I could even my shirt completely off, he was back, and his hands make quick work of removing every stitch of clothing I had on. My breath escaped on a sigh as he levered himself back over me and, taking my lips in a ferocious kiss again, he swiftly parted my thighs and slammed home.
I moaned, long and low, at the feel of him buried so deep inside me. Without wasting a second, he began moving, deep, hard, fast strokes that had me on a razor’s edge of release, breathlessly reaching for that shimmering explosion. Goaded by the heat spiraling out of control, I pumped my hips up, meeting every thrust of him, clenching my inner muscles around the hard length piercing me so sweetly. The thick, heavy sound of flesh smacking solidly against flesh echoed through the room and pushed me even closer to the edge.
Jackson suddenly shifted, melding our bodies together, his hands sliding under my body and up to cup my shoulders in his hands. Instead of thrusting, he began grinding against me, sliding the hard length of himself over and over that secret place inside me, even as his pelvis ground against my clit, and on a scream, I hurdled over the edge I’d been clinging to.
Clawing, my nails biting into the taut flesh of his back, I screamed again as he ground down on me once more, a harsh groan breaking from his throat as he spilled himself inside me. We laid there, chests heaving, trying to catch our breath, and I could feel my whole body shaking.
After a minute, Jackson rolled off of me onto his back, blowing out a deep breath before looking at me and grinning. I smiled back and rolled onto my side to snuggle into him.
“Wow.” I said softly, feathering soft kisses along his chest.
“Hell, yeah,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t take my time…I just needed to get inside you.” His smile faded and his face turned serious. “Allie, I know I don’t really tell you-that I haven’t really told you…but I love you. I’m so in love with you and I swear I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”
I felt tears threaten, and my throat tightened with emotion. “I…I love you, too, Jackson.” And I did. I knew I did, had known for a while, but you know how something just kind of overwhelms you at a certain point? Well, this was that moment for me. I burrowed closer into him and sighed, the sweetness of the moment a perfect counterpoint to the sharp, all-encompassing desire that had just taken us over.
We stayed wrapped up in each other, not speaking, watching as the shadows lengthened across the room, until we both succumbed to sleep.
Chapter 16
“Emma. I never imagined that I’d be standing here a year after you literally fell into my life…saying these words to you, and meaning every single one of them more than you will ever know. I know I was an overbearing ass-” Luke broke off, grunting as Emma wacked him across his mid-section, whispering ‘church, remember?’ and giving him the evil eye.
He cleared his throat and continued, grinning down at his breathtakingly beautiful bride. “As I was saying, at first I was overbearing,” he paused to make sure she wasn’t going to hit him again, “but you stuck it out. You bewitched me from the beginning and I quickly learned that I couldn’t live without you. I need you waking up beside me every morning; cuddling close to me in bed every night. I want to watch your belly grow full with our children, who I will love unconditionally and irrevocably, even more so because they will have come from you, from our love, but I want to grow old with you, as well. I want to be that old couple sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch, our grandchildren crowded around us as we regale them with tales of everything we’ve done and everything we’ll do…” He paused again.
“Well, maybe not everything,” he said, chuckling along with the rest of the congregation crowded into the church to witness Luke and Emma’s wedding. He smiled tenderly at Emma. “When you smile at me, it warms my heart. When you kiss me, you make me feel invincible. And when you hold me in your arms, you make me feel like I’m home. And you know what home is to me…and to Brandon. You’ve given me and my brother the family that we never had, and there’s no way I could ever repay you for that.”
I watched Emma reach up and brush a tear away as Luke took a shuddering breath, visibly trying keep it together in order to finish his vows.
“And so, Emma Marie Jensen, I promise to love you today, and every day for the rest of our lives. You are my heart and soul, and I will spend every day showing you how much I love you. These are the vows I make to you, sugar. Always ever.”
A little voice piped up behind me exclaiming, “Hey!” in surprise. Jenna quickly shushed Hayden, who was apparently having a hard time figuring out whether or not to be mad or ecstatic that her ‘Unca Wuke’ had just said her special phrase. She’d had a hard time saying always and forever when she was younger, so it came out always ever, and it stuck.
Hearing Hayden, her niece, yell out, Emma turned and winked at her, grinning back when Hayden decided she was happy and giggled like crazy, before turning back to the ceremony and her rather handsome groom.
I blinked tears away, wishing I had had the foresight to hide tissues somewhere on my person. I moved Emma’s bouquet to my other hand, clutching it together with mine, and I reached up to cautiously wipe the moisture away.
It had been a journey, that’s for sure, but the day was finally here. I glanced around the church, packed with family and friends, decorated simply but elegantly. It was beautiful. But nothing held a candle to my best friend. Emma was absolutely radiant in her gown, and the look on Luke’s face when she started down the aisle was priceless. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the area after that, and especially not after Luke’s vows.
When Luke had been speaking, I’d snuck a look and saw Jackson, looking delicious in his tux, staring at me. He’d winked and I couldn’t help but blush, reading his feelings and intent clearly in his eyes. Brandon, also looking absolutely hotter-than-hell (and I don’t mean heat-wise) in his tux, had smiled wickedly at me when I looked at him, and between the two, I was fidgeting more than the four year old standing next to me.
