Sweet Vengeance (34 page)

Somewhere
inside, she couldn't help but think he intended to make this the last time
they'd make love.  If so, he was dead wrong. 

She
shivered as his kisses moved from her lips, along the side of her neck,
stopping near her collarbone.  He paused, and then slowly pushed the edge of
her robe down over her shoulders.  Her breasts still lay beneath the fabric,
but they were so close to being exposed.  The act of not quite baring
everything was more seductive than she could have imagined.  His fingertips
grazed over her bare skin, giving her chills, making her ache for his touch in
other places.

The
lightning flashed.  "Jase," she whispered, suddenly scared of the
intensity of her feelings for him.

"Hmm?"
he whispered in return.  He kissed the curve of her shoulder, his tongue like
white fire as he licked her skin.

A
rush of nerves flooded to her core.  "I've missed you, Jase.  Missed
this."

"Oh,
God.  Me, too, Allie."  He kissed her bare skin, down along the edge of
the robe, tempting and teasing her.  He was close, so close, but not nearly
close enough.

She
fumbled with her sash, loosening it, letting the fabric open to her waist.  His
groan of pleasure and searching fingers sent shivers rocketing through her. 
She could feel more than see him.  He kissed along the tops of her breasts, his
fingers barely grazing underneath.  The sensations were too much.

She
ran her hands across his spiky hair and held his head.  Arching her back, she
angled her nipple toward his lips and gasped when he sucked it inside.  The
feel of his hot, moist mouth tugging on her sent her over the edge.

"Oh,
God, Jase."  She panted and tried to catch her breath.  But he didn't back
off.  Her pleasure only seemed to add fuel to his fire.  He sucked and tugged,
and a moment later he captured her other breast.  Allie held him there,
savoring each shockwave that rippled through her.

His
hands tugged at her sash until it fell completely away.

She
laughed, the sound of it breathy in the darkness.  "What's the matter?  Are
we going too slow for
you
now?"

"Mmm..." 
His mouth captured hers, pulling her into his intoxicating world.  "Much
too slow," he said against her lips.  His rough hand stroked across her
belly, giving her goose bumps.  "You're so soft."  He kissed her belly
button.  "I love that."

Her
humor deserted her when his hand bypassed her stomach and slipped farther down
her body.  Her senses tingled as he traveled across her sensitive skin.  She
waited for him to find her center.  When he did, she inhaled sharply, and he
let out a soft chuckle.

He
stroked her with a finger, bringing her closer and closer to the edge.  She
pulled his head to her, desperate for his kiss.  There were no soft and gentle
expressions of love this time.  His kisses were hard, demanding, and she
answered them with equal demands of her own. 

She
arched as he slipped a finger deep inside her, giving her a taste of what was
to come.  It had been so long since a man had touched her there.  "I can't
wait anymore."  She pushed him away and swung her legs over the edge of
the bench, joining him on the floor.

Their
hurried fingers collided as they both tried to relieve him of his clothes, and
Allie thought she might die from anticipation when Jase paused long enough to
run to the bathroom for a condom. 

Then
he was back and everything was right again.

She
tugged him down to her level, their lips meeting as though it had been years
instead of moments since they'd kissed.  She'd missed him so much.

She
exerted a little force, and he allowed her to claim the top.  Her heart
thundered as she straddled him, enjoying the strength of his body as she
caressed his chest with her fingertips. 

His
hands were hungry for her hips, her behind, her breasts.  She leaned forward,
letting him suckle her into his mouth until she gasped with pleasure. 

He
groaned when she sat back.  The strength of him pulsed against her.  She
positioned him against her opening, but didn't take him inside her. 
"Jase?"

He
lifted a little, but she held back.  "You're killing me with this
torture."

"I
just want you to know I've dreamt about this every night since the last
time."  She leaned over and kissed him.

He
gave her a fierce kiss.  "God, me, too.  Every night.  I wondered if I'd
be tormented my whole life with thoughts of never having you again."

"You
won't."  She knew it was an unfair thing to do at that moment, but she had
no intention of losing him a second time.  "I want you to promise me,
right now.  Promise me you won't push me away again."

"Allie."

"Promise
me."  She pushed down against him, barely taking him inside before she
pulled back again.  "Don't take this away from us.  Please."

He
hesitated only a moment.  "I promise."

She
had her promise, and she intended to hold him to it.  "I love you,
Jase." 

She
slipped around him and sucked in a breath.  This was where they belonged. 
Making love with Jase was something she intended to keep in her life forever. 
Whether he liked it or not.

She
knew he loved her, and he couldn't take back those words.  She smiled as he
rolled them over, covering her with his beautiful body. 

*       
*        *

Jase
woke with a feeling of dread choking him.  Dark clouds still hung over the
city, echoing his mood.  He and Allie had made their way to his bed sometime
during the night, and now Allie lay curled against him, her arm over his rib
cage, her leg resting between his thighs.  The soft rhythm of her breathing
confirmed she was still asleep. 

Damn. 
How could he have let his guard down with her?  He knew she was a potent
force.  He also knew that by telling her he loved her, he'd put her in danger
again. 
Promising he'd never push her away
?  If he kept his word, he
might as well sign her death warrant.

He
turned his head, burying his nose in her soft hair.  She smelled like him. 
Like his shower gel.  He'd never be able to use it again without thinking of
her and the wild, amazing night they'd spent together.  Their storm had raged
just as furiously as the one outside.

How
the hell would he extricate them both from the mess he'd entangled them in
without leaving deep scars?  He couldn't stand the thought of hurting Allie
again.  If he pushed her away once more, he knew it would be forever. 

But
he couldn't let her stay.  Things were more dangerous than ever.  With the new
information he'd received about Max, it looked like his best friend might have
turned traitor.  There was just the one picture of him and Benny Trasatti
together.  Shouldn't be a big deal.  Jase paid Max to keep tabs on the
Trasattis.  But it was the way they both had looked so relaxed in the photo, not
on guard with each other, which made him suspicious.  That, and the fact that
Max had never mentioned meeting with Benny.  Something about the whole
situation stuck in his gut like a dull knife.

Jase
also couldn't forget the fact that Max had never stopped talking about finding
Allie.  The rest of his men, hell even the Trasattis had quit inquiring about
her years ago.  She wasn't safe anywhere near Chicago.

He
glanced at Allie who looked so innocent, so untainted, even after all the
violence that had saturated her life.  His chest contracted, stealing his air. 
It was that simple.  It was a choice.  He could choose Allie over revenge.

He
should
choose Allie.

So
what the hell was wrong with him? 

He
threw a hand over his eyes as though the action would block the memories of his
dying family.  His sister.  God.  He could not get the image out of his head of
her gasping for air as her blood pooled around her.  His parents had died
immediately.  But not Charlotte.  She'd struggled, begged for help, while her
murderer stepped over her like she was trash.

The
worst part was, he hadn't done anything to help her.  His injuries hadn't been
fatal, but he'd been too frozen with fear and shock.  He'd never forgiven
himself for that. 

As
usual, a junkie had been arrested and confessed to the crime.  The police had
ignored Jase's insistence that they had the wrong man.  The district attorney
had gotten
his
man, a conviction, and that had been enough.  Lazy,
political bastards.

Shit. 
He needed to nail the Trasattis so he could finally put everything behind him. 
That was the solution to all his problems.  With the Trasatti organization
destroyed and Franco and Bones Trasatti in prison, Jase's family could rest in
peace.  And maybe then, he could
live
in peace.

He
slipped from beneath Allie's leg.  He needed to get up, away from her, so he
could think clearly.  There had to be some kind of solution. 

He
lifted her hand from his chest, not wanting to wake her.  It was hard enough to
think around her when she was awake.  As he slid away from her, he pushed her
shoulder back toward the bed as delicately as possible.  She rolled onto her
back with a sigh, revealing a familiar tattoo on her breast.

Jase
choked while inhaling a shocked breath.

Cool
air caressed her skin, waking Allie from the most wonderful slumber.  The
delicious hours she'd spent making love to Jase had carried over into her
dreams.  If the reality hadn't been better than the fantasy, she'd never want
to wake up.  But Jase was hers now, no doubt about it. 

She
reached a hand across the cold sheet, searching for his warm body, ready for a
replay of the previous night.  When she didn't find him, she forced her eyes
open.  She was alone in a tangle of soft cotton sheets, but not alone in the
room.

The
sight of Jase sitting nearly naked on a chair next to the bed startled her.  He
had a notepad in one hand, a pencil in the other, drawing as his gaze shifted
from her body to the paper.

"What
are you doing?"  She tried to sit up higher in the bed, but he put a hand
on her bare stomach, stopping her.

"Wait,
I'm almost done."

"Tell
me you're
not
sketching me naked."  The thought of him drawing her
while she slept was a little unnerving.

"Your
tattoo," he answered absentmindedly.  He drew a few more strokes and then
switched his focus to her face.  "I can't believe it," he said, as he
held up a pretty good rendering of her tat.  "If this is what I think it
is, we've just hit the jackpot."

Allie
blinked, trying to clear the fog of sleep from her eyes.  "What are you
talking about?"  She glanced down at her breast, wishing she didn't carry
the mark from another lifetime.  "It's a bunch of Chinese symbols."

"Exactly. 
Joey had one that was almost identical."

Allie
nodded.  "He had this grand idea we would show our love for each other by
getting tattoos."  She traced the heart shape that encased their initials,
and then wiped a hand over it, wishing the ink would disappear, along with the
tragedy that came with it.  "It was a stupid, silly idea." 

She
pulled the sheet up to cover her, feeling exposed and vulnerable.  It was
obvious Jase's longing for revenge had replaced his desire for her.  All the
ground she'd gained last night had been ripped away. "It's supposed to say
something about love and forever." 

"Is
that what Joey told you?"

"Yes." 

"Well,
he lied."  Jase stood and crossed the room. 

"It
wouldn't be the first time," she mumbled.  The longer she was alive, the
more she'd come to realize, if nothing else, Joey had been a liar.  She didn't
want to consider what her and her baby's lives would have been like if he'd
lived. 

Jase
removed a brown book from a small desk in the corner and returned to the
chair.  He put the book on the bed between them and opened it.  Inside was a
copy of the same photo Cates had of Joey's chest that had been taken during the
autopsy.  She cringed when she saw it.  Apparently, Jase had used it as a book
mark.  She turned her head and looked away.

"I'm
sorry.  I know this is hard."  He put a hand on her sheet-covered thigh,
and for the first time since she'd awakened, it seemed as though he saw her as
the woman he'd made love to and not as a piece of evidence.  "I forget how
much this particular bullet hole changed your life."  The concern in his
eyes softened her.  "I have my own nightmarish pictures to deal
with."

Yes. 
He knew her pain very well.  "I know, Jase.  It's just I wanted to wake up
in your arms this morning, not to photos of my dead boyfriend."

He
stood and leaned toward her, planting a very warm kiss on her lips.  "I
know.  I've told you all along I'm a man possessed by a damn obsession." 
He kissed her again, stirring the desire inside her.  She tried to wrap her
arms around him and pull him back into bed with her, but he moved away with a
chuckle.