All Good Things(65)

"He doesn't like you either." I giggled. "But, don't worry. I like you both, so you will just have to get used to each other."

Jace stared at me with amusement in his eyes. "I didn't peg you for a cat lady."

"He needed a home and I have plenty of love to give."

His eyes shimmered. "Do you?"

My breath hitched and I marveled again at how quickly a typical mundane situation could turn to one so intense.

"I do, Jace."





Chapter 15

She had a cat.

I couldn't help but stare at her as though she had lost her mind. In the back of my mind, I remembered Trisha talking about the fur ball, but I had completely forgotten.

Would I ever cease to be surprised by her? Everything she did was a shock to my system. There was no explanation for the way I was feeling at the moment, but I knew it was dangerous. I should take her to the bed, tie her hands behind her back and fuck her. Hard. I should imagine the thrill I would attain by flogging her pretty ass, marring her perfect skin red...but, I couldn't. The only thing I wanted to do was burry myself inside of her. I wanted to run my nose along the line of her jaw, down her neck and across her collarbone. I wanted her scent to calm my nerves and her body to heal my demons.

I was not worthy of her, but, as selfish as I was, I couldn't ignore the pulsating need that plagued at my mind and body to possess her. My fucking entity craved her. She was the light that would undoubtedly singe the dark surrounding my soul, but I couldn't turn away. I was weak. I was far too pathetic to rise above my desires and do what I knew would be noble. I should walk away from her so she might live her life with someone who could give her everything I could not, but even as I had the thought, I felt my body take a step closer. And that one step was my undoing, because it was not a moment later that I closed the distance between us. I slid my hand around her neck so I was cupping the back of her head before I twined my fingers in her hair. I pulled gently, but authoritatively, at her hair, forcing her head to tilt back.

She looked up at me with wide brown eyes that were the color of spun gold...or honey. I didn't know. All I knew was they were the eyes of a fucking angel. From the first moment I caught a glimpse of those big, warm eyes, she'd had me hooked.

"Kiss me Jace." She begged. As if I could deny her...

I brought my lips down to hers; kissing her gently as she weaved her hands around my neck. I gripped her hip possessively as she rose up on her tiptoes, pushing herself into the kiss. She took the lead and I let her. Her lips crushed against mine. I swept my tongue over the curve of her bottom lip and she moaned. I swallowed her sound, needing more. I trailed slow, gentle circles against her spine as I dropped my hand from her neck to the hem of her shirt. I slid my hand beneath the fabric, spreading my fingers and pressing my palm onto the soft skin of her back. She melted against me, sighing sweetly. It was as though my touch was her catalyst. The thought sent a burning through my body. I wanted to be the one to affect her, always. That thought, in itself, was terrifying. I would rather face the crumbling of my company than this...whatever this was. I knew it couldn't be love. Hell, I hoped it was not love. I had accepted years ago, love was something I would never possess.

But, if this was not love, it was a strain of infatuation I had never before entertained.

I pulled back away from Olivia as I tugged on the hem of her shirt. I wanted her naked and surprisingly, I wanted to undress her myself. I'd never undressed a woman. I always had them strip for me. It was a way of letting their subconscious know they were submitting to my demands from the start. But, I didn't want Olivia submitting to me tonight. Tonight, I wanted to be her equal. I wanted to be worthy of her.

I stared into her wide brown eyes as I pulled the fabric up over her head, letting it fall to the floor. I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers as my fingers moved to pull at the drawstrings of her shorts. The pink fabric pooled at her feet, but she did not move. She stood frozen as she waited for me to finish what I started. I knelt down on my knees and pressed my lips to her hipbone. She shivered and I smiled. She was so responsive to me.

She was mine.

The thought rolled through me in violent waves as I looked up into her face. Her wavy brown hair fell over her shoulders as she looked down into my face with tender eyes. This was new to me. The women I engaged with sexually looked at me like I was an abomination. They were with me for the novelty of being with me. Because, I was Jace Rush, and I could, and would, pay them generously for their time. In reality, those women were nothing more than highly paid call girls.

But, this was different.

Olivia was different. She wanted me...for me. I would never understand what she sees in me, but for now, I wouldn't question her insanity. I would take it, and revel in it, because these chances were rare. They were once in a lifetime.