Fire and Ice (Guardians) (34 page)

"I'm sure it'll catch up with me sooner or later," Maia said sadly as she contemplated getting more food.

Aunt Nat suddenly plopped down on Jack's seat. "So Maia, we haven't had a chance to talk to each other. I'm Natalie, Nat for short. I'm Frances's sister."

"It's great to meet you," Maia replied politely, suddenly on guard.

"So I hear you're a marketing executive for a medical company?" Aunt Nat began.

"Yes, I am," Maia smiled as she shoveled the last slice of ham into her mouth.

"Sorry to hear about your accident last week, that bruise on your cheek must hurt. So how did a defense contractor and marketing executive get together?" Nat asked curiously.

"Oh, through Derek here, of course," Maia said sweetly as her friend choked again on his beer. "Derek and I are old friends."

"Oh really," Stephanie purred as she sidled up to their group. "Did you and Derek ever hookup? These two men like to pass their women around," she said maliciously as Aunt Nat gasped in outrage.

"Steph dear, I think you've had enough to drink," Aunt Nat snapped.

Stephanie looked at Maia with pure venom. "You know, Jack only ever loved Claire. He's not capable of loving anyone else."

Derek got up and pulled Stephanie away. "I think you've had enough to drink, let's get you some water."

The blonde trained her glazed eyes on Derek and leaned into him suggestively as she walked away with him.

"Jack has so much love to give, Maia," Nat said gently after the pair left. "It may have taken him a while to love again, but that man looks smitten with you."

"Jack and I like each other," Maia replied carefully. "We've known each other less than a month."

Nat's eyes widened. "Really? And he's already invited you to Thanksgiving? Hmm, Frances was right. When McCord men fall, they fall hard."

Maia smiled: Frances and her romantic ideas.
 

Aunt Nat was regaling Maia with stories of Jack as a boy when a stocky Italian looking man dropped into the seat Derek had vacated. "Aunt Nat! Happy Thanksgiving to you."

"Tony Bianchi! Are you married yet?"

"Well, if you would introduce me to this lovely lady, it may happen soon."

"Don't you dare flirt with Maia, Tony. She's Jack's girl."

Tony's eyes swept over Maia with a hint of disappointment, but it was quickly replaced by a determined glint.

"Maia, I'm Tony. First time Jack's brought someone to these gatherings," he murmured thoughtfully.

"So, how do you know the McCord's?" Maia asked in cordial conversation. She did not like the way this man was undressing her with his eyes. Obviously, the fact that she was Jack's girlfriend meant nothing to him.

"I'm a friend of Anna, Jack's sister," Tony said. "Which reminds me, where is Steph?"

"She had a bit too much to drink," Nat replied as she scrunched her nose in disapproval. "Derek Lockwood had taken her for some water."

Just then, Jack came back. He eyed Tony unhappily. "Maia, you ready to grab some dessert?"

Maia controlled her urge to jump up quickly and join her man, relief probably written all over her face. It felt weird getting sandwiched between Aunt Nat and Tony; she was not ready to be interrogated about her relationship with Jack.
 

They made their way to the living room where an assortment of desserts was on display.
 

"Where the hell is Derek?" Jack asked in annoyance.

"Steph was causing some trouble. Derek intervened and whisked her away."

Jack frowned. "Like what?"

"Like how you and Derek like to pass your women around."

"That f..., you know that's not true, right?"

"Of course not. I know Derek. And I know how possessive you are," Maia said.
 

"What else did she say?"

Maia shrugged, but Jack gave her a little shake. "Tell me."

"She mentioned Claire. It's not important," Maia said. Her eyes softened as she reached for Jack's hand. "I know how much you loved her. It's not as if Steph told me anything new."

"Babe, Claire is the past. I loved her, she died, took me twelve years to get over her, but I've finally moved on. With you," Jack said as he looked intently into her eyes. "Promise me one thing, Maia. Whatever you hear that makes you question what we have, no matter who says it, whether it's my mom, Aunt Nat or Stephanie. Tell me, OK? I don't want any stupid misunderstanding between us."

"Okay, Jack."

Maia turned her attention to the dessert table. Jack lingered behind her and wrapped his arms around her while planting a very wet open-mouth kiss on her neck. Maia's lips curved into a smile as she started filling a plate with sweet treats.

"Want some cream puffs?" Maia asked as she offered a mini-pastry to Jack, who had rested his chin on her shoulder. He took the cream puff deliberately, making sure to caress her fingers with his lips as he swallowed the sweet treat. Just like that, her knees went weak.

"Do you want to take the desserts back to the cottage?" Jack suggested wickedly.

"Jack, it's four o'clock in the afternoon," Maia laughed softly.

"So?" He leaned forward and slipped his hand under her dress, edging it up. Maia's eyes widened as she quickly balanced the plate on one hand and stilled Jack's marauding fingers.

"Someone's going to see us!"

"You want it here or back in the cottage?" Jack asked thickly. "I can't wait to bury myself inside you."

Oh my God, Maia thought. His words were making her so hot. She felt like just hopping on the table, spreading her thighs and having him slam inside her.

Since she was on the verge of capitulating, Jack grinned and led Maia out the house, through the portico and into the gardener's cottage.

***

They were in front of the fire place, just kissing and touching each other in between sips of wine. Maia was curled up against Jack, sitting on a soft, plush rug, and leaning against the edge of a love seat.

Maia noticed, however, that Jack was slightly withdrawn, as if he was in deep reflection.

"Anything wrong, Jack?" Maia asked.

Jack shook his head and sighed. "The holidays usually remind me of what my family had lost. Seeing my sister's friends reminds me of Anna; thinking of Anna reminds me of Claire."

Maia felt a twinge in her chest that felt like physical pain. Trying to keep her face passive, she said, "Tell me about Anna."

"She was the life of the family," Jack said fondly. "She and Stephanie always got into the worse scrapes. I had to bail them out all the time: pick them up when they were out partying too late and cover for them when they ended up drinking too much. I did lecture them about underage drinking—I never condoned it. But sometimes they needed to learn their lesson so I let them puke their guts out to feel the pain."

Maia started laughing. "I see where all this overprotectiveness comes from."

Jack quirked a brow at her. "Yeah, you could say that. Anyway, Anna was wild in high school and gave me a headache keeping her in line—besides I was only three years older than her. My Dad spoiled her shamelessly, and so did Mom—someone had to be the parent. Thankfully, Anna had calmed down when she went to college, about the same time I joined the SEALs. She turned out to be the sweetest girl, believe it or not. She and Claire got along so well."

Realizing the insensitivity of his last statement, Jack looked instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, Maia," he whispered.

"Tell me about
her
," Maia said softly.

Jack hesitated, Maia squeezed his hand. "Claire had an aura about her. She wasn't even my type, but she just drew me to her like a moth to a flame—clichéd as that sounds. She was an event planner. I met her when Mom was planning an elaborate homecoming to welcome me home after an extended deployment. She was a strong woman; she took my deployments well, except that one time when my SEAL team took a big hit and one of my buddies didn't make it and I ended up in the hospital for two weeks. She freaked out—everyone in my family did. I loved her so much I didn't want to put her through the constant worry, so I quit the SEALs. Little did I know that my ex-job was going to haunt us and cause her death. Hers and Anna's."

"Jack, don't."

"Babe, it took a while, but I've accepted that their deaths were not on me. It was on those assholes with the Colombian drug cartel. And vengeance became ours eventually to the families that they had dared fuck with. That chapter is closed," he stated firmly. "But the scars are lasting. Two women that meant a lot to me—I couldn't protect. Fucking nearly lost my Mom too."

He curled his arms around Maia and hugged her tight. "I know I drive you crazy sometimes, but I can't help it. It's my nature to want to protect—with you it just goes into overdrive."

Maia started doubting if her relationship with Jack had a future. He had wanted a quiet life with Claire, and that was why he had resigned from the SEALs. He was not getting that from her. Maia knew for certain she would not be happy doing anything Jack considered "safe". That was not the life Viktor had prepared her for. It was going to be Mike Callahan all over. Sure, the sex was fantastic, but was that enough?

"Babe, I see the wheels turning in your head," Jack's voice broke through her thoughts. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm not what you want." The words came out strangled because a lump had formed in Maia's throat.

Jack's brows drew together in a frown. "What the fuck, Maia?"

She cleared her throat and sipped on her wine before continuing, "I'm not what you want. You want a quiet life. The white picket fence. The woman who's safe at home. That's what you want."

Jack looked at her steadily, his expression inscrutable. "You're right," he said, and Maia felt her heart break a little. "That's what I want. I want to take care of my woman, I want that quiet life." Jack leaned closer and cupped Maia's face gently with one hand, using his thumb to tip her chin up to him. "Babe, that's what I want, but you are what I need."

Jack brushed her lips and gave her a gentle kiss. He drew away slightly and said, "You're wrong about the white picket fence, though." Jack swallowed Maia's laughter with a teasing kiss while pulling the zipper down the back of her dress. "Done talking," he murmured thickly against her lips.

He pulled her dress off and lay her down on the soft rug in front of the fire place. She was wearing the black corset bustier that Jack had bought her. "Jesus," he muttered as his eyes drank up her scantilly-clad form. This time his kisses were more devouring and urgent, his body pushing her heavily into the rug. After a while, he angled their bodies so he could reach behind her and deftly released the ties of the corset to free her from its constraints. Her breasts sprang free as he tugged the undergarment off. He pushed up on his arms to look at her, his eyes darkening with lust as his eyes poured over her breasts and then he sat back on his feet and pulled off his sweater and shirt. Never taking his eyes off her, he began unbuckling the fastenings of his pants and dragged them off together with his boxer briefs.
 

Jack was before her in all his lean-muscled nakedness, his huge erection as hard as the rest of him, a body made for sex. Maia's heart was hammering at her chest almost painfully. His predatory gaze was raking over her with animalistic hunger.
 

He covered her body with his own, taking her lips again with plundering intent before lowering slowly to her breasts to pay homage to each peak. He lightly bit each nipple before sucking it into the warmth of his mouth.

"Jack," Maia pleaded not sure if she could take such slow torture. She wanted him in the heat between her right then!

"Quiet!" Jack ordered as he lowered his lips to lick at her navel. She shuddered in anticipation of his intended target.

"Jack....please..."

"I said, quiet Maia," Jack repeated and stopped his exploration to prove his point.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally felt his tongue prodding her there. First he licked her through her underwear. Then he nudged the sliver of silk aside to move one finger in and out while licking and sucking her swollen bud. He withdrew his finger and yanked the lacy black panties from her and threw her legs over his shoulders for an all out assault on her throbbing core. The minute his tongue hit her center, she blew apart in her most explosive orgasm yet. He emitted a guttural sound as he fastened his lips on her nub tighter and sucked as she shuddered in wave after wave of raw ecstasy.

"Yes! Don't stop! Don't stop! Jack ..." Maia sobbed in abandon. God, she couldn't breathe. She didn't know whether to push or to pull on his head.
 

Suddenly he was burying himself inside her as she felt the delicious slide of his hardness. Propping up on his fully extended arms he watched her intently as he flexed his hips to gently rock into her.

"Come for me again, Maia" Jack muttered as he moved inside her.

"I can't" Maia said even as she felt another wave building.
 

"Yes, you can," Jack growled as he canted his hips to push in deeper and Maia gasped as she felt his shaft caress her womb. He withdrew almost to the tip before pushing back slowly into her. After what felt like a maddening pace, he increased his rhythm and intensity. As he lowered himself to interlace his fingers with hers to pin her hands to the rug, he began to pound into her fiercely. His chest hair lightly abrading her breast with the force of his thrusts, the need built again to a dizzying peak before washing over her in ripples of pulsing heat.

"Jack, Jack..." Maia moaned as her shattering climax prodded his own. He shoved into her and stilled, his body shuddering and jerking almost as if in pain.

The anguished look of controlled passion on Jack's face was wiped out by relief as he yelled out his release.