Page 112 of The Other Side of Green

“Don’t be sorry, just know that I love you more than fucking anything, Jack.”

His breath wrenched audibly in his windpipe. “And I love you, Lyra. You’re like a dream in a nightmare of a life. Every day it lasts I expect to wake up and to find that I’ve never had you at all.”

“You had me, you will always have me.”

He glanced at the door, lips twitching. “Think I’ll break some rules now.”

I laughed, chest easing, the moment passing as Jack returned from his dark mood of secrets he wouldn’t share. “Now that I can get on board with.”

He almost growled as he angled his lips onto mine, pressure firm and insistent, demanding that I open for him and let him in. I did, parting my mouth so he could steal in. His fingers tangled painfully through my hair, gripping tight at the roots and hauling my body close against his so that space didn’t exist. The hard lines of his body grew against me and I pushed in, desperate for connection in anyway. Dropping my hold from around his neck, I lowered my hand and slid it between our bodies, cupping his hard-on in my palm, running my fingers up and down. His kiss hardened, the probe of his tongue searching in my mouth, faster, determined. I whimpered, my body aching all over. With my other hand, I untucked his shirt, seeking the heat of skin.

“Lyra,” he growled into my ear, teeth pulling on my lobe and making sparks of fire light in my tummy. My legs ached with heaviness and the unexpected sensation of being pulled down.

“What?” I grinned against his mouth before refixing my lips to his, desperate to meet him in some way.

His hands in my hair loosened, and I groaned as he peeled his body away slightly, creating cool air to smooth the fire across my skin.

“Lyra Lennox.” His lips quirked into my most favorite smile.

“Jack Cross,” I countered.

We grinned, stupidly. His gaze slightly dazed.

“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” His fingers trailed my cheek with his words.

“Thank you.” I dropped my gaze slightly, but he tilted my chin and forced me to look up.

“You don’t believe me?”

Unwilling to meet his eye, I focused on his hair I’d unknowingly made stand on end. “It’s hard to believe it when you don’t know truly who you are.”

His lips pressed into a line. “And you can’t be happy just being you, unique, a firecracker.”

I laughed, the heaviness in my chest easing. “Firecracker.”

Jack arched an eyebrow. “You’ve always been a firecracker to me, and you are here too. People are both at once in awe of your ability, your style, individuality, and also scared.”

I cringed. “Just what everyone wants—people being scared.”

“Not in a bad way at all. I was watching them all when he split you into groups in that seminar. They all wanted to be with you, but at the same time the look of trepidation on their face was impressive.”

“Why?”

“Because they are scared of what you have…” He tapped my chest. “In here.”

“I have you in there.” I met his stare with complete honesty and decided to pitch in, even if it ruined the moment. “Jack, I know you’re keeping something from me. And I know you probably think that you are doing it to protect me, but you really aren’t. With Grams dying, I… I’m just…”

“Trying to find your way?”

Breaking away from me, he sat on the stool by the keyboard and patted his lap so I’d sit down. Grinning, I perched on his knee, wiggling slightly until I felt him grow against my thigh again.

“Lyra,” he warned.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I grinned.

His expression grew serious, all flat lines and shadows in place of his habitual beauty. “I know how it feels to lose your way,” he whispered, arms wrapping tight around my middle.

“The night you left home?”