Page 15 of Triple Threat
“Come on, hotshot. Give me everything you’ve got.”
“That fucking mouth.” Jace grinned. “Must be something wrong with me. Every time you insult me, my cock gets harder.”
I went to tease him more, but then his hands found my hips and slammed me onto his cock, proving his point. Holy. Shit. When he said he was holding back before, I should have listened, because this was like night and day. While his touch had been sweet, almost reverent, this time, it was brutal and claiming in all the best ways. My hands gripped the sheets as Jace continued to pound into me, turning my body into his to use. “Fuck,” I moaned as pleasure and heat teased my spine. “God, Jace. Don’t you dare stop.”
“Never,” he said, the word coming out in sharp pants. “This fucking pussy is my version of heaven, Kins. I want to live inside of you forever.”
Pleasure ruptured all my coherent thoughts, and I barely remembered my name, let alone an answer. A gasp escaped me when he reached down and toyed with my clit. It was enough to break through all my barriers. I screamed his name as the orgasm crashed through me, unable to keep my eyes open when I returned to Earth. Jace followed only seconds later, his arms shaking as he tried to hold himself up. Once the pleasure left his gaze, his eyes found mine. “Where the hell did you come from, Kinsley?”
My nails ran down his chest, and I smiled when he shuddered at my touch. “Guess that means it was good for you?”
“Good?” he laughed as he slowly pulled out of me. He sat up to clean himself, but before he left, he kissed my forehead. “Woman, you just ruined me for life. Can’t feel my legs, but I want to have you again.”
I wanted to have him again too.The sudden intrusion almost made me sit up.Oh God, what had I done?Tonight was supposed to be a quick detour from my life, to forget everything for one night. But being around Jace—being in his arms—was more natural than anything had been in a long time, as if the pain of the past month was worth it to lead me here.
When Jace returned to the bed, I half-expected him to ask me to leave. Instead, he gathered me in his arms and pulled me close, guiding my head to his chest. It was nice—comforting, in a way I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
As his arms held me close, it was easy to pretend this was just the beginning for us, that my life could be so much more than the losing battle I’d fought on my own for so long. Jace’s lips pressed against my forehead, and he breathed me in. I shuffled against him, staring up at his already closing eyes. “Should I go?”
“Stay,” Jace muttered, pulling me closer. “Please, Kins. Stay here with me.”
I nodded, and Jace softened against me, holding me close to his chest. As his eyes shuttered closed and his breathing evened out, I shifted to stare at him. I reached out, toying with his dark blond hair. It was just long enough that the ends had started to curl, and I loved how soft it was between my fingers. In sleep, his face softened, reminding me of his genuine smile, the way his lips pulled more on the right side.
Jace would be easy to fall for. Hell, I’d only known him one day, and I was already halfway there. Too much. Way too much, way too soon. Fear flickered in my chest, the crushing reality making the room suddenly seem too small. I needed to get out of here while I had a shred of my sanity still intact.
While he continued to sleep, I slipped out of his bed into the adjoining bathroom. After cleaning up, I moved in front of the sink and stared into my reflection. I didn’t recognize the person staring back at me.
Over the past few weeks, I’d lost a lot to my grief. My appetite, my smile, and, most of all, my happiness. For one night, I’d tried to grab it back, tried to wrench it away from the darkness inside of me, but as I stared at myself in the mirror, it was still there, lingering in the shadows lining my eyes.
I scoffed before I headed back into the bedroom. The rising sun broke through the curtains, highlighting the smooth wooden floors and the dark navy sheets. My eyes traced the beam until it reached Jace, still soundly sleeping in the same spot. He deserved more than I could give. No matter how much I wanted to be ready for someone like Jace, I wasn’t. Not yet, at least. Not when I was still trying to remember how to stand on my two feet.
One night was all I had to give.
Jace twisted in his sleep, reaching out to the empty side of the bed. His brow furrowed when he only grabbed air, and he sat up, searching for me in the dark. When he found me by the bathroom, he stretched out his hand. “Come back to bed.”
“I can’t,” I said, stepping closer to him. As soon as I got within reach, he tugged me to his chest. “Need to get going. I have a lot I have to do today.”
“Do it later,” he grumbled, his eyes closing again. “Not done with you yet.”
I didn’t want to be done with him either, but after a lifetime of trusting my head over my heart, I wasn’t about to change now. Better to leave this one perfect night than ruin it by asking for more.
Wanting to avoid the argument, I climbed into the other side of the bed and gave him one last kiss, hoping to savor it for as long as possible. “Get some rest, Jace. Thank you for tonight.”
“Don’t leave. I’m not done with you, Kinsley,” he repeated, yawning as he dropped back against the pillow. I waited until his breathing evened out before I threw my clothes back on and headed out the door. But before I could exit Jace’s bedroom, Iturned back and stared at him, taking another mental picture to hold on to. With one last sigh, I slipped out of the room, sure I would never see Jace Lyons again.
TEN
THREE MONTHS LATER
“Jesus,” Cam hissed from his spot in the dugout. “What the hell was that? You can’t keep giving up runs, Lyons.”
Not even bothering with words, I scowled at my teammate.Was that the point of this goddamn game?No shit, I shouldn’t be giving up runs. My fist pounded into my glove as the scoreboard taunted me, the inning number shifting because of my fucking mistake.
The batters lined up, practicing, while the lower half of our order got ready to make up some points. Weber barked commands at them but didn’t even bother to turn my way when I walked to the bench, my head hung in shame, hands tightening at my sides. We needed this win, needed to gain back some momentum after Houston swept us last series. Seattle should have been an easy shutout, but from the moment I walked out onto the field, everything seemed off.
Blame the lack of sleep, blame the drugs leaving my system after last night, but no matter how I looked at it, I’d fucked things up for the entire team. As much as I wanted to get my head together, nothing seemed to work.
The only time I’d felt anything close to normal was during those few stolen hours with Kinsley almost three months ago. For that one night, I’d reclaimed a piece of myself, away from all the pressure and the rush of the game.
