Melt Into You (22 page)

“You like seeing me fuck into you, pet?” he asked, his voice like sand in his throat.

“Yes,” she said—no shame, no embarrassment. He gave her a hard thrust, and her teeth pressed into her bottom lip. “Makes me wish I had my camera with me. You’re too beautiful not to photograph.”

His balls tightened, the idea of Evan taking photographs starring the two—or three—of them an enticing fantasy. “Maybe next time. Or the time after that. Or after that.”

Her lips parted on a gasp as he pushed deeper, burying himself to the hilt and grinding his pelvis against her clit.

“Because I’m never going to get enough of you, Evan.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head back, exposing the damp column of her neck. “Jace.”

A simple plea. Maybe to fuck her harder. Maybe to stop making long-term promises. He didn’t know. And at the moment he didn’t care. He lowered his mouth to her neck and pressed his teeth to the tender skin, eliciting a moan and a buck of her hips.

Fuck
. Her response to the roughness sent electricity curling down his spine and winding around his cock. Her cunt clenched around him, and his own groan of pleasure filled the balcony. His hips dialed up the speed without his conscious awareness as he mouthed her throat. The lounger creaked beneath them, mixing with their ragged breathing.

She dug her nails into his shoulders. “Jace, I’m so close. Can I—”

The request rippled through him like fire. She was asking. Asking to fucking come. Without the pretense of a scene happening. Every muscle in his body seemed to coil tighter, her submission like sexual heroin to his already climbing pleasure. “You have my permission, baby. Let me feel you come.”

He reached down to give her even more pressure on her clit and stroked. Her torso arched and he claimed her neck again, this time sucking her skin so hard he knew it’d leave a hickey. A proud, visible mark for Dr. Dan and the world to see.
Mine
. The word whispered through him, feeling more right than anything had in a long time.

He held on, driving into her with rocketing need. A freight train without brakes. Sensation enveloped him. Evan cried out in orgasm, calling his name and burying her face against his chest.

And that’s all it took. The pleasure pooling at the base of his spine exploded like a sunburst, and waves of bliss rolled through him as his cock pulsed inside her. “Oh, baby. God. Yes.”

Mine
.

When their breathing slowed, he eased out of her and settled her skirt back down. She didn’t open her eyes, simply laid there with a sated smile. He quickly discarded the condom and zipped back up, even those few seconds too long away from her. He settled back down next to her, and she cuddled against him, both of them perfectly content lying in silence next to each other.

As he lay there watching the sky turn to dusk, feeling her heart slowing to a steady beat against his side, he realized that two months would never be enough. That he wanted her to walk away from Dr. Dan. That he’d never stopped missing her. And that he’d claimed her as his long before he’d known what that meant.

There was no walking away unscathed. It was already too late.

“So Andre told me about your proposition,” she said long after he thought she’d dozed off.

He traced his fingertips down her arm. “Is that right?”

“Mmm
-
hmm.”

“And?”

Her sigh was weary, but she snuggled closer. “And I can’t imagine going back to The Ranch and letting anyone else touch me.”

He closed his eyes, letting her statement wash over him. “Glad to hear it, Ev.”

“Daniel gave me two months of freedom before the wedding and the move, so I might as well spend it how I want it, right?”

“Of cour—” Every tendon in his body went stiff as he registered the rest of her comment. “Wait, what move?”

She sat up on her elbow to look down at him, her brow furrowed. “To L.A. For the show. As soon as we get back from our honeymoon we’re going to start packing up to head west. I thought you knew.”

Her words twisted his windpipe into a knot. He tried to clear his throat, but no response came out. Two months and she’d be gone? Like cross-country gone?

She ran her thumb along his forehead, smoothing the creases. “What’s wrong?”

He swallowed hard, forcing down the lump. “Nothing, it’s just, I’m a little surprised is all. I didn’t know. I mean, I knew that we would end this part when you got married, but I was hoping to still be a friend afterward. I just found you again. And now you’re leaving.”

Her smile held heartbreak. “You think Daniel would’ve let me do this with someone local, someone I’d have a chance of seeing after we’re married?”

He grimaced. Of course not. The guy may be an idiot but he wasn’t stupid. “I see your point.”

She laid her head against his chest again. “Guess we just need to make these two months count.”

Fucking-A he was going to make them count. Screw it all—his rules, his fears, all of it. No way was he letting Evan walk out of his life again. Not without doing everything in his power to stop her.

He curled his arm more tightly around her, his resolve hardening like steel inside him.

Game on, Dr. Dan.

Game fucking on.

TWENTY

“Tuck your tits in more. You have nip showing,” Finn advised
as he adjusted the lighting on Callie’s left.

“Professionalism, Finn,” Evan reminded her intern from behind her camera.

“Sorry.” Finn cocked his chin up in a haughty pose. “Pardon me, Ms. Jessup, for my crassness, but there may be a wee bit of your naughty bits exposed on top.”

Callie giggled and adjusted her boobs in the snug red bustier she’d donned for the first part of her boudoir photo session. “No worries, dollface. It’s not like I’m a real customer. But the British accent does sound cute on you.”

Finn blew her an air kiss.

“That looks good. Keep the light at that angle. And muss up the pillows behind her on the bed. They look too perfect.” Evan adjusted a setting on her camera, then straightened. “You look gorgeous, Cal. You still sure this is what you want to do?”

Callie shot Evan an eager smile. “Definitely. I didn’t spend four hundred bucks on lingerie and have you drag an air mattress in here for nothing. I’m going to show Brandon exactly what he’s missing if he keeps hanging out in the slow lane.”

“You trashy whore,” Finn teased.

Callie stuck her tongue out at him. “Says the man slut.”

Evan waved Finn out of the shot. “Enough you two. Let’s work on some make-your-man-drool magic. Ready?”

Callie smoothed her expression and gave the camera her best come hither look. Evan snapped a few shots, then checked the preview window to make sure the lighting looked as good on film.

“Looks all right?” Callie asked, her voice not quite as confident as it was before.

Evan sized her up in mock evaluation, then smiled. “I’d do you.”

She grinned. “Excellent.”

Evan spent the next hour and a half snapping shots of Callie and adjusting each background in between Cal’s outfit changes. Finn also jumped behind the camera for a small chunk of the session to get some practice. He kept telling Callie to look fierce, which inevitably made Cal laugh instead of looking fierce at all. But even with that, there was no doubt they had gotten some great shots.

By the time Callie had headed out in her street clothes to meet Brandon for a date, it had gotten dark outside. Evan checked the time on her cell phone. Damn. She’d told Jace and Andre that if the session didn’t run too long, she’d try to stop by before heading home for the night. But she was going to have to text one of them and cancel.

They’d all gotten in the habit over the last month of stealing whatever time they could together, not bothering with the pretense of going to The Ranch anymore. That home turf boundary had already been crossed the day she went to Jace’s apartment and made love to him on his balcony. She’d stayed the night there with the two of them, cutting through every safety net she’d set for herself.

No matter. She could fall for them just as easily wherever they were having their interludes. Her heart certainly didn’t care about the location.

But having “the end” looming at the end of eight—now four—weeks had kept her in check. Ever since she’d broken down and cried at the cabin, she’d made sure to hold a piece of herself back when she was with them. It’d taken her a few days to get her footing again once she’d returned home, but now her guard was solidly back in place. Leaving herself that vulnerable again was not an option. Especially after she’d felt the shift in Jace.

Over the last few weeks, he’d morphed from Mr. Distant Dom to a grown-up version of the boy she used to know—playful, sweet, and so fucking flirty that it was hard to believe that when the bedroom door closed, he could be such a ruthless cuss. The combination was the sexiest damn thing she’d ever encountered. Add in Andre with his relentless charm and giving nature, and a girl could completely lose herself.

She wanted to lose herself.

But that’s exactly why she couldn’t. There was no way she would give someone else that power again—the ability to define if her life was happy or sad. She was in charge of her happiness now, and she would be in charge of it when she got on a plane to California in a few weeks. She’d prove to herself she could survive all on her own when she walked away from Jace this time. Pass the ultimate test and stop worrying that one emotional slip-up would send her spiraling back into dangerous depression. Maybe then she could go forward and live her life without the white knuckles.

Evan turned off the last of the lights in the studio, too tired to pack up the bedding and equipment. She’d take care of it tomorrow. She headed back toward her office in the front. Finn, who’d parked himself in her chair, looked up and smiled. “I’ve got all the shots loaded onto the computer.”

She sat on the corner of the desk. “And?”

“They’re almost sexy enough to make me think straight thoughts. We did good.” He clicked a few buttons to send the pictures to a flash drive. “They’ll still need some touch-up, but if that stick-in-the-mud boyfriend of hers doesn’t jump her bones after this, then he’s just after her for her free cupcakes.”

“Or maybe he plays for your team,” Evan teased.

Finn’s expression turned sardonic. “If that were the case, he would’ve checked out my ass when he stopped in here last week, not yours.”

Evan cringed and instinctively glanced at the door Callie had gone through to go out on her date. “Did he really?”

“No doubt. Ogled actually.” He rose from the chair and stretched. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. Men are pigs, and that skirt you were wearing that day was kind of daring a guy to look.”

She scoffed, affronted. “I had just changed. I was on my way out to go . . . dancing.”

Well, not really dancing, per se. Not vertically at least. Jace and Andre had sent over a box with a brand-new outfit and a note to leave the panties at home. The V-neck blouse, snug little leather skirt, and matching boots had definitely been a step out of her comfort zone. But driving over to their place, knowing she was bare beneath, had gotten her heart racing and her thighs damp by the time she’d stepped out of her car. The three of them had barely made it out of the foyer before the guys had bent her over the back of the couch, skirt shoved around her hips.

A little flutter of heat tickled her sex at the memory. Finn’s eyebrows disappeared beneath his shaggy bangs. “Must’ve been some night out. You’ve gone all blushy.”

She automatically lifted her hands to her cheeks, feeling the burn beneath her fingertips. “What? No. I—I’m a little embarrassed that Brandon checked me out. Cal’s really gone on him. I want it to work out for her.”

“I think it’s fine. He’s a little stiff, but it seems like the guy is treating her well.” Finn lifted the flash drive. “Mind if I work on some of these at home? If you don’t like my edits, the originals are still on your hard drive.”

“Sure. Just make sure to guard the files. The pictures are private. No working on it with your classmates or anything.”

He grinned and tucked the drive into his pocket. “No worries. I’ll guard them with my life.”

A sharp rapping on the main door made them both jump. Evan looked toward the front, but she’d closed the blinds on the front door when Callie had left and couldn’t see who was on the other side. Weird. No one would be looking for a photographer at eight at night. It was probably the homeless guy on the corner wanting a bathroom. Or maybe Cal had forgotten something. “Let me go see what that’s about.”

Finn frowned. “If you don’t recognize whoever it is, don’t open the door. Callie said one of the shops down the street was robbed at gunpoint a few weeks ago.”

She nodded, her stomach tightening a bit. “I’m just going to take a peek. I won’t let anyone in. You stay by the phone in case we need to call the police.”

She made her way over to the door and discreetly lifted one slat of the blinds. Familiar chocolate-brown eyes met hers, and her shoulders sagged in relief. Unlatching the dead bolt, she called over her shoulder, “It’s fine, Finn. It’s a friend of mine.”

She pulled open the door and had to swallow down her gasp. Andre. In full uniform. Holy mother of God. Black button-up shirt stretched broad across his chest, badge gleaming in the streetlight, pants that fit him in all the best places. But her body’s lightning-fast response was thwarted when she took in the worn expression on his face. She lifted her hand, planning to reach out and touch his cheek, ask him what was wrong, but she remembered they weren’t alone. She lowered her arm quickly.

“Hey,
bella
.”

“Hey.” She glanced over her shoulder at Finn, who’d stepped away from the office area and into the main part of the gallery. “Finn, this is my friend Andre.”

Andre gave a cursory nod to Finn. “Nice to meet you.” Then he looked back to Evan. “Am I catching you at a bad time? I didn’t realize you’d still be working.”

“No, we just wrapped up a little while ago. Both of us were about to leave.” She sensed a disquiet coming from Andre, something unruffled in his normally smooth exterior. “Finn, why don’t you go ahead and leave? I’ll finish locking up, and Andre will make sure I get to my car safely.”

Finn eyed Andre, wariness in his hazel eyes. “You sure?”

She offered him a bright smile, one that hopefully didn’t say
get the hell out of here please
, which is what she’d been tempted to say. “Yes. Go. I’ve already worked you into the ground tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Evan waited until she made sure Finn had driven away on his motorcycle without getting mugged, then dead-bolted the door and turned to Andre, who had sank into one of the club chairs in the waiting area she had near the door. “What’s going on?”

“Jace said you weren’t going to be able to come by tonight. And I just . . . needed to see you.”

“My session ran late and I told Daniel I’d be home by ten.” She squatted down in front of him, placing her hands on his knees. “Is everything okay?”

He leaned forward and touched her hair with gentle reverence as if making sure she was really there at his feet and not a mirage. She hadn’t seen him in a few days and, since then, bags had taken root under his normally sparkling eyes. “I just needed to see something good after the shift I had.”

The simple sentiment tugged at her. She leaned her face into his touch, feeling the warmth of his palm against her cheek and adjusted from a squat to a sitting kneel. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not really. Just working a pretty gruesome case with the detectives. It’s what I signed up for. But it never gets easy seeing innocent people die,” he said, the words as tired sounding as he looked. “I can’t get the images of the crime scene out of my head tonight.”

“Oh, honey.”

He rubbed away the crease in her brow. “And look at me, laying this macabre shit on you. I’m sorry.” He glanced around at her studio. “I shouldn’t have even come here. I know this is your job. If I had known your employee was still here, I would’ve never—”

“Shh . . .” She laid her hand over his. “It’s fine. He thinks you’re my friend. No harm done.”

The corner of his mouth hitched a bit. “Am I your friend?”

She ducked her head. “I’d like to think so.”

“Then why does it always feel like more with you,
bella
? Why when I had a shitty day are you the first person I wanted to see?”

Her breath hitched, the naked honesty in his voice catching her off guard. He hadn’t said it in that patented Andre seduction tone, but in a way that made her believe he really was curious about her answer. She glanced up at him, her shields flying up in defense. “Because you had a bad day and wanted to get laid.”

Hurt descended over his features, making her immediately regret her glib remark.

“You know, you and Jace are way too much alike sometimes.” He shifted forward in the chair. “Come on. Do what you need to do and lock up. I’ll walk you out so you can get home to Daniel.”

“Wait.” She put a hand on his thigh and pushed him down before he could stand up fully. “I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean that. It’s just . . . I can’t be that person. For you or for Jace. In a month, if you have a bad day, I’m not going to be here. We can’t pretend like this is something more than it is.”

“And you can’t go on pretending that it’s not,” he said softly.

She looked down, her eyes stinging. “Won’t change the outcome.”

He slipped a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face toward him. “So be it. But at least be honest when you’re with us. Trust us with the real you. Not some edited version. Do you think you can do that?”

She swallowed hard, the tempting idea sending cold fear through her. “I can try. But this scares the shit out of me.”

His hands cupped her face as he leaned down until his mouth was just a breath away from hers. “Join the club,
bella
.”

His lips met hers in an unhurried tenderness, one that belied the fierce grip he locked around her hair. She adjusted her legs beneath her so she wouldn’t lose her balance. His tongue stroked hers, his taste and scent filling her senses and lulling her down from fear to something far more pleasant. Her fingers gripped his thighs, the durable fabric of his uniform pants making a scratching sound beneath her nails. She smiled against his mouth.

He pulled back, amusement replacing some of the sadness that had been there when he’d first walked in. “You little harlot. The uniform’s doing it for you, isn’t it?”