Unwritten Rules (25 page)

“New Years. I’m going home for New Years.”

“Oh, Jonah! That’s wonderful! How do you feel?

Did you speak to your brother? Dad?”

“El e,” he crooned. “Don’t want to talk. I need to
feel.
”

And that was when I understood his shift in mood. The feelings were too much for him to deal with, and instead of shutting me out, he was letting me al the way in the only way he knew how.

I was powerless to stop him.

Jonah lowered his lips to mine and kissed me. It was slow and gentle then began to spin out of control. His tongue delved into my mouth as he turned my head to the side to deepen the kiss. I licked his top lip and slid my tongue against his. My lust had been simmering for weeks, waiting for the right time to be unleashed. As the emotions of the last two days spil ed out, my need for his body boiled over. I craved the completeness I only felt when Jonah was loving me.

“Tel me this is okay, Red,” he breathed, his

nimble fingers teasing the hem of the tank I’d changed into. Each time they touched my skin, I felt a jolt from the shock. If this was what he needed, I would give it to him wil ingly. “Yes,” I breathed.

I wanted to drown in him. He made me feel whole, and so completely happy. I exhaled into his mouth as his hands moved to cup my ass. They crept under the waistband of my shorts and grasped my cheeks harshly. He moved his mouth along my jaw and down my neck, devouring me with a need I’d never felt from him before. My body was alight with desire, everything tuned into the man hovering above me. I was here for him and would make him feel better.

I bit his earlobe, gaining a hiss, and he gripped my ass cheeks harder. He pul ed me closer to his body. I could feel his arousal through his sweats as it pressed against my stomach. I removed my hands from his hair and fumbled with his waistband.

“Need you naked...now,” I gasped.

“Hel , yes,” he rumbled, helping me remove the sweat pants. He was back blanketing me before I had a chance to miss him.

I glided my hand across his toned stomach. The hair tickled my fingers. I could feel his muscles contract sharply. His hard arousal rubbed against my thigh. His fingers started to tug at my shorts. I bit my lip to stop my smile, lifting my hips and al owing him to remove my clothing. He didn’t bother with my top, just pushed it up to reveal my breasts.

The cold air caressed them, and my nipples grew taut. Jonah flicked his thumbs across them, making me buck at the sparks he produced.

“Please!” I begged, trying to reach out for him as he engulfed the nipple of one of my breasts with his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the peak, moans

and sighs escaping my lips. His scent encapsulated me, and my heart dissolved into goo when he hooked his pinkie in mine. This was us. Raw in the throes of passion, healing one another the only way we knew how.

I could feel little tremors in his thighs as I held him close. I rubbed my legs against his, teasing him, wanting to hear those guttural noises he made. His grasp on my pinkie was getting tighter, but I wasn’t about to break the contact. His, our completion, felt far too right.

I looked up to his flushed face and smiled. His stare was intense and made my stomach swirl in excitement. He was so beautiful. I loved him so much. I wanted to actual y say the words, but I held back, knowing he was in a precarious place emotional y. I didn’t want to push him the wrong way. Instead, I hooked a leg over his hip and aligned my core with him. I licked his swol en lips as he broke the silence.

“I need to be inside you, El e. I need to feel that completeness.”

“Yes,” I muttered, pushing my hips against his in a silent demand for more.

He was rough as he entered me, his movements

harsh. His hands held my hips tightly as he tried to tug me closer to him. I pushed against him, my hunger for him overwhelming me. He squeezed my thighs as hard as he could as he continued to thrust into me. Each touch more desperate than the next; it was never enough.

“So good,” he mumbled before lowering his head and nibbling across my col arbone.

I kissed and licked his neck, tasting his tangy sweat. His hot breath floated across my shoulder, and I shivered. A fire was raging through my body heightening with each thrust.

“Tel me you want me. Tel me you’l
always
want me,” he whispered, need evident in his tone.

I cupped his face in my palms, those three words on the tip of my tongue. “I want you, Jonah.”

I couldn’t say always, not just yet, but Jonah had paid the price for his mistakes; now he needed love. My love. What I said must have been enough, because he peppered light kisses al over my face as he rocked his body into mine. I gritted my teeth to stop from screaming out. Having him like this, so receptive, so caring, was making my heart weep.

I kissed him, tasting desperation on his tongue as he began to pump harder. We panted. We gasped. We pushed for more, until we both fel into the consuming white heat of our orgasms. Mine ripped through my body with such force it was as though it had claws. I screamed and thrashed like never before. Jonah snarled into my neck; pinkie finger stil locked onto mine. His eyes were closed tightly. He moved to rest his wet forehead against mine. We were both breathing heavily. It was the most intense experience I’d ever had; no words could describe it.

“Sorry,” he panted.

“For?”

He rol ed off me onto his side, removing my top completely before pul ing my back against his chest. He nuzzled my neck, kissing the skin below my earlobe before speaking. “I didn’t mean to pounce on you. I just...”

“I know what you needed and why you needed it, so don’t be sorry. Wil you talk to me? Tel me what happened with your mom?”

He grew quiet, but tightened his hold on me. I could feel his indecision. “Funny thing?” he blurted out. “She thought something was terribly wrong, because I only cal at Christmas. There are stil a few weeks to go until then.”

“Mom’s panic,” I added inanely.

Jonah continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “She just wanted to know how I was, crying and sobbing through it al . I didn’t know what to say at first, but it got easier.”

“What made it better?”

“Talking about you,” he confessed.

I tried to turn to see his face, but he held me firm.

“Yeah, she knows as much about you as I do now. She wants to meet you.”

I stammered, stunned that he’d chosen to talk

about me. Encouraging, and my stomach fluttered with the knowledge that I was important enough to him that he’d spoken to his mother about me.

“It’s fine,” he soothed, kissing my shoulder and tugging the sheets up around us. “She doesn’t mean right now, but I’d real y like it if you would. That’s why I promised to go for New Years. I thought that...wel , it’s kind of a new start and...I just....shit.”

This time I did move. I spun in his arms, tilting his head up so he had to meet my gaze.

“I think it’s very thoughtful. A new year and a new start, am I right?”

He nodded, casting his eyes down as if he was

ashamed. I urged him to explain, disliking the expression on his face. I waited patiently, not wanting to push him too far, and I was eventual y rewarded.

“I’m sorry I broke down. I never meant to jump on you, even though you understand. I know this is a start. It’s so precarious, but damn, El e, I need to thank you. I just don’t think you have any idea what you’ve done for me.”

“I didn’t do-”

“You did,” he stated, his hand tightening on my hip. “Just accept that you did.”

I lifted my hand to smooth the furrows between his brows, smiling when he kissed my wrist. Being with him like this felt so good. I didn’t want it to end.

“And you said you spoke to Quinn?” I probed

further.

“Oh God, Red, he doesn’t hate me,” his voice

broke. “Do you know how amazing that feels?”

“Oh, Jonah.”

“He did rage at me, though. Do you know why?

Because I’d made Mom cry, and because I’d run away.” He grew serious. “I’ve fucked up so much.”

“I’m not going to lie to you – you have messed up, but then who am I to say what the
right
way would have been? What happened to you al was horrendous, and running away was never going to solve anything, but it’s clear your family loves you. Maybe that forgiveness came with time, time that you gave them by leaving. I don’t know, Jonah, but you’re right, this is a new start. I’m so happy for you.”

I rubbed my legs deliciously against his, surprised that was al it took to kick my libido up a notch. My hand was flat on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. When I felt it speed up I knew Jonah was encountering the same sensation.

He kissed me hard, pul ing me so close that I

could barely breathe. I wouldn’t have moved for anything. It was perfect. His hand began to roam over my back, his fingers crawling up my spine as his mouth made love to mine. His arousal grew hard and heavy against my thigh. I couldn’t help but tease him a little, rubbing against him. He hissed, pul ing away sharply and quirking a brow. I offered a weak smile in apology, even though he knew I didn’t mean it.

“El e?” he questioned, his voice serious. “Wil you come with me?”

“Home? To Phil y?” I asked, nerves making my

voice quiver.

He nodded, holding my stare. I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights. It didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to go. I wondered if I could be the buffer between him and his family, though by the sounds of things, it may not be needed.

“Please, Red. I want them to meet you, to tel them that it was you that made me look at the situation with new eyes.”

“I don’t know how I did that. I left you to deal with your own moody ass,” I added lightly. “I didn’t want to, since by then...” I stopped, knowing I’d let my mouth run away from me. He was staring at me, waiting. His fingers teased the ends of my hair and he tugged them, urging me to speak.

“Later,” I tried, knowing he wouldn’t buy it.

“Nope. Now.”

I pul ed away, sitting up with my back to him and pul ed the sheet around myself. I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be when I final y confessed my feelings. Sure, I had inferred them, but verbalizing them was a different matter entirely. Though I worried it would be too much for him, he had just asked me to meet his parents. So he could deal with this, right?

I stil ed when his hand touched my shoulder. He smoothed my hair back and rested his chin there. “Aren’t we being honest with each other now, Red?. Please tel me.”

I sagged as I gave in and whispered, “I was going to say that by then I already knew I loved you.”

I stood up, folding the sheet around my body, and hurried out of the room. I didn’t want to wait for his reaction, because I was certain it was too much, too soon. We’d only started to talk again last night, and there was stil so much left unresolved.

“Wait!” Jonah shouted, racing after me.

“I’m sorry.”

We were forever apologizing to each other. Would there ever be a time when it was no longer needed?

Jonah reached out and tugged at the sheet. It

slipped from my grasp and landed on the floor. We were staring at each other, both naked emotional y as wel as physical y.

“You love me?”

I flushed but agreed, “I told you as much when I mentioned fal ing for you, but I didn’t think you took me seriously.”

“How do you know? How can you after what you

know about me?” He asked.

“I just do.” I took a cautious step closer to him, happy when he took hold of my hand. “I love you.”

As he claimed my mouth, I expected him to be

rough and devouring, but instead, he was soft and loving. He poured every bit of emotion he had into his kiss. My hands smoothed down his back and grabbed his ass.

“OH. MY. GOD!” A voice bel owed from across

the apartment.

We shot apart, glaring at the intruder. J.J. stood in the door way, blue eyes wide with shock but a smal smirk teasing her lips.

“J.J.! I told you to only use that key in an

emergency!”

Jonah bent to retrieve the sheet, trying to cover us both up.

“Don’t do that, sweetie. You’re far too pretty to cover up,” she teased Jonah.

I rol ed my eyes at her, but she carried on talking, taking off her gloves and tossing them onto the coffee table.

“Anyway, it was an emergency. You went AWOL last night. I’ve been trying to cal you since. Guess I found out what, or rather
who
, was preventing you from answering. Interesting turn of events...”

“What is?” Jonah asked, tucking me into his side.

“Wel , El e goes on a date after you dumped her, and surprise, you turn up begging her to come back to you.”

I opened my mouth, intending to set her straight, but Jonah beat me to it. “First, I didn’t
dump
El e. I needed space to deal with some personal stuff, and second, it wasn’t her date that had me begging, okay?”

J.J. removed her black military style coat and snickered, “He begged? Nice!”

She was making it difficult to be serious. J.J. was trying to rattle Jonah, and by the look on his face, and his hold on my body, it was working.

“In the interest of modesty,” I started, hoping it would disperse the heavy atmosphere. “I think you should make some coffee, J.J., while Jonah and I put some clothes on.”

She tittered, waving her fingers at Jonah and

strol ed into the kitchen. It took me a few sharp pul s to get Jonah moving toward the bedroom. He never took his eyes from J.J. She had, without question, gotten under his skin. I tried to dress quickly, but it was difficult with Jonah groping and kissing the random parts of flesh that remained unclothed.

“We need to go and socialize,” I giggled as he backed me into the bedroom door.

“Just one kiss?”

“You’re incorrigible,” I laughed, kissing his chin. He wiggled his brows, grinning back at me. I gave in, kissing him like he asked, and enjoyed every second of it. We returned to the living room once J.J. began banging on the bedroom door, threatening to make as much noise as she could until we came out. With anyone else, I would have ignored it, but J.J. was a bal of excitement. I was under no il usion that she would not make good on her threat.