Page 38 of Forced Mate Bride
“You managed to hold off Lucas for a good long while before I managed to get to you,” he said. “If you couldn’t handle yourself, then you would have frozen the first second he grabbed you instead of fighting with all you had.”
“I froze the second I realized who it was,” she said with that same bitter self-loathing.
That tone was enough to make him grasp her tighter, willing her to see just how wrong she was. “I’m not surprised. The guy tormented you during one of the most traumatic parts of your life, and you never thought you would see him again. Of course you froze. Anyone would.”
“You wouldn’t,” she muttered.
“Maybe not,” he conceded. “But that’s because I have years of training and experience. You don’t, and you still managed to keep your head for a good long while. And today, if you couldn’t have handled yourself, then you’d be in Lucas’s clutches right now. You managed to break free and run away. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“Then why do you always have to come to my rescue?”
“Do you know how many times Camden or Franco or Cillian had to save my ass?” Jasper asked. “Because I’ve lost count.”
“But you don’t always need rescuing,” she pointed out.
Jasper sighed. He reached out and nudged her until she was looking at him.
“Nikki, I need you to understand something. I didn’t want to protect you, not because I didn’t think you could handle yourself. I wanted to protect you because I care about you and want to make sure you’re safe. I would do the same if you’d beentraining in self-defense your entire life, if you could fight off any opponent. What you can do, or your background, has nothing to do with it.”
She stared up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She blinked and glanced away. Not finished and unwilling to end the conversation, Jasper took her by the chin and guided her head until she was looking at him again.
“I will always come chasing after you,” he said. “And I will always be protective of you, no matter how strong you are or how capable you are of protecting yourself. Because I care about you, and I would rather rush to help you and you not need it than sit idly by.”
Something seemed to shatter, and tears began streaming down her face. She wiped them away.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice broke. She moved to stand, but Jasper tugged her back down.
“It’s all right,” Jasper muttered. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer against him. “It’s all right.”
She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, then nestled herself in the crook of his arm. Her scent wafted toward him. He was aware of everything about her, of every inch of her that was pressed against him. Something unbidden sparked inside him, and he tried to tamp it down.
She twisted to look up at him. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“I’ll always be there to help you, Nikki,” he said.
She smiled up at him, pressing herself closer to him. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek. She leaned into it, not taking her eyes off him.
“I’m starting to realize that,” she muttered.
Everything combined was too much to handle. Without realizing what he was doing, as if he wasn’t fully in control of himself in that moment, he slipped his hand to the back of her head, pulled her toward him, and kissed her.
At first, her eyes widened, and she twitched, as if to pull away. A moment later, her eyes fluttered shut. It was meant to be a gentle, tender kiss, one that was meant to be reassuring and comforting. But it deepened almost instantly, mutating into something more, and the need for her that had been holding back for so long began to slip past his defenses. He tightened his grip on her, his tongue parting her lips and slipping into her mouth. She responded, melting into him, her fingers gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened.
All of the urges that he had been refusing to act on surged forth, threatening to take over him. He had been holding back for so long that giving in felt almost unnatural. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone before.
He tugged her to her feet, pulling her to him. His hand slipped down to the hem of her shirt. She sucked in a breath when his fingers brushed against bare skin, her body pressing against him, responding to that gentle touch. His hand trailed upward, tracing smooth, bare skin, pausing on her waist. He could feel himself growing hard, that need for her growing stronger every minute.
His hand slipped further up, until his thumb brushed against her bra, waiting for her to stop him. When she didn’t, he took her breast and squeezed.
She let out a soft moan, and something about that gentle sound shattered something inside him, his final restraint breaking. With a snarl, he pushed her against the wall, pressinghis body against hers. She sucked in a breath, staring up at him with wide eyes filled with both surprise and undisguised longing.
He wanted to savor this; he wanted to take his time, but that look made it nearly impossible to restrain himself. That overwhelming need for her continued to swell, growing exponentially. He lifted her shirt slowly, watching her expression, that yearning and excitement radiating off her growing with every inch her shirt slid upward. He pulled it off and threw it to the floor. A moment later, he unclasped her bra and tossed it aside as well.
His eyes ran along her bare torso, the smooth pale skin. His gaze lingered on her breasts, and his cock twitched, that overwhelming need becoming nearly unbearable.
His hand went to her waistband, tugging gently. She sucked in another breath, a mix of hesitation and longing anticipation running through her. He paused a moment, waiting for her to stop him if she wanted. She didn’t. She bit her lip, waiting, her breath ragged and timid at the same time.
Slowly, he undid her jeans and tugged them down. His gaze roamed, looking shy and nervous, though she had nothing to be shy about in the slightest. Pale, smooth skin, a slender frame. He stepped closer, not saying anything, his eyes still drinking her in.
