The Pawn (Shattered Series Book 1) (38 page)

        His descent was purposefully slow, and mentally, she tracked his travel.

        And there, it was, she mulled, pushing back a distraught moan. Lower, lower, and lower…right until it hovered at her source of fire.

        Somehow, her fractured thoughts found his words again.

        “I asked you, do you know what it does to me.”

        “What?” she asked, biting her trembling lips. “What does it do to you?”

        “It makes me hard as hell, and all I want to do is bury myself in you until I can’t think straight---not that I’m thinking straight anyway when I’m with you.” As he parted her slick folds, he slid his finger along the wet cave, one that awarded him with a deep moan from her. “It makes me want to feel the shudders as they rack your body…I want to see the pleasure as it steals you. When I touch you there, I can feel the very core of you down to my soul---your every wish and desire. Your desire to be with me and only me.” With those words, he began a slow, dangerous, and sensual stroke. His own breathing was heavy and fractured as he did so, and it only intensified the moment more. “You like that, don’t you sweetness?”

        “Jarrod…please,” she pleaded, collapsing against him. His hard body shook against hers as he fought to maintain control, and against her hip, she felt the hardness of his dark cravings. “I can’t hold on…I can’t…”

        “I don’t fucking want you to,” he rasped unsteadily, sliding a finger into her forbidden well, hovering on the fringes of his own sensual destruction. “I want you to
let go
…..”

         And oh, she thought, drugged, taking in a sharp breath as he stroked her again. His sweet assault was so deliriously intense and deadly.

         She held no will or control against it….

         Her senses fled, and once more, she was lost in a plateau of mindless wonder.

         As he held her tightly against him with one arm, his hot lips branded her nape, and all the while, he whispered nothing but wicked promises.

        “I need you…Jarrod…” she whispered, distraught, holding his hand in place, and only drove her pleasure higher. “Please…”

        “Fuck, Olivia…
I want you
,” he rasped again, grasping her chin, and stole her lips in a deep kiss again. As he tongued her, his furious pace quickened between her thighs. Then, he found that delicate nub, the trigger point to all of her defenses.

        “Jarrod…..”

        “Can I touch you there?” he breathed, nicking the delicate flesh at her nape again, and she shivered as he massaged the tiny nub. “Tell me that I can.”

        She bit back a tortured moan. “Y-yes,” she gasped instead, writhing uncontrollably, and he stayed her with a firm hand. And again, he showed no mercy as he stroked it, oh so right. The tide rose within her----the juices flowed within the forbidden well. Desperate, eager, she fought to hold on, but couldn’t. As she reached the high crescendo, her body stiffened in response. At once, her explosive release overtook her, and her pleasurable cries became lost in the kiss.

        Breathless, weakened, she collapsed against him.

        “My sweet Olivia---” he murmured huskily, sliding his moist fingers up her abdomen and upward until they met her face. When his fingers met her lips, she supped them into her mouth, and was rewarded with a deep groan from him. “What kind of spell have you cast upon me?”

        She turned to him blindly. “And I will ask the same,” she whispered, pressing passion-swollen lips against his chest, and nipped at it gently. Then, she pulled back to look at him with tear-filled eyes. “Every part of me belongs to you…you’re the only thing that matters.”

        “Because of you, my whole world is spinning off the fucking axis,” he said hoarsely, cupping the back of her head, and then pressed his forehead against hers. The intensity of his green gaze nearly stifled her. “And it scares the hell out of me.”

        “We’ll be scared together,” she said tearfully. “There’s nowhere else for us to run, but to each other.”

        With his strong arms, he lifted her.

        She held on, too afraid to let go.

        For if she did, would she lose him again?

        As he followed her down on the chaise lounge, his large body settled on hers.

        Their kiss ignited fire.

        Within seconds, their swimsuits melted off, leaving only their naked bodies writhing on the chaise lounge. Her desperate pleas mingled with his fractured breathing, and it only signified their lack of self control. And his hands were everywhere, she mulled, drugged, hanging onto him tightly. Not a part of her naked flesh was left untouched.

        As his heavy body rose over hers, she parted her thighs wide, allowing his deep entry. Her entire world was ignited as he entered inside her. “
Jarrod…
” she whispered, burying her face in his nape, gasping wildly at his every thrust. She clenched his hips tight as he drove into her, and then closed her eyes shut at the arriving madness. The rising waves of pleasure washed through her, and she embraced the storm. “
Yes…yes…yes…
”

        Her words only fueled his fervor.

        As he increased the pace, she fought to hold on.

        But, it was a useless fight.

        “Jarrod,” she sobbed on a ragged breath, feeling the intense pleasurable spasms as they came. Her muscles contracted around him, and her release expelled in powerful waves. Only her broken sobs filled the air. “I love you….I love you.”

         At her words, his large body quaked, and he shouted her name as his own powerful release came. But, rather than being sated, their hunger flared wildly again. Desperate, eager, they stole another deep kiss, blinded by their dark needs. Their breathing was labored, and their movements were quick as they changed positions again, this time with him behind her.

        “Take me…again, again and again…” she begged, throwing him a fast side glance, and nearly came apart at the dangerous primal look in his eyes. But, rather than being afraid of it, she relished it. “I have never needed or wanted anyone as much as I do you.”

        “I need you…so fucking much,” he breathed hoarsely, pulling her hips against his erection, and then entered her. As he did, she released a helpless cry, so lost she was. She braced her hands against the sofa’s arms, bearing his thrusts with a deep moan, still watching him all the while. The dangerous glint in his eyes darkened as he breathed her name, and it only spurred her on more. Pushing against him deep, she increased their pace, and she heard his guttural grunts of satisfaction.

        Now, lost and torn herself, she gasped at the impending rush of sensations. “Jarrod!” she cried out, finally looking away, and her dazed gaze fixated on a point in the salon. “
Oh….oh…
..”

       “Damn it, Olivia,” he rasped, fisting her hair in one hand, and pulled her head back slightly. “Baby, I need you…I need you…”

        In a fury, they chased the madness, and in a blinding moment of wonder, their explosive releases came.

        Exhausted and finally sated, they collapsed on the sofa. As he pulled the cotton throw over them, she went into his arms. Still, they didn’t speak and only held each other close. The shadows of their passion told that they were one.

Chapter 20

        In the darkness, later that evening, they lay in bed together. Again, the moon emitted a single stream of light through the port hole into the cabin.

       “I’m so happy that we decided to spend the rest of the time out here. I feel like we’re the only two people in the world,” she confessed shyly, propping on his chest as she lay on him. As he traced a lazy path along her face with his finger, she shivered in turn. “Nothing else but what we feel exists.”

        Since they’d been here together, alone, hadn’t they proven that?

        Falling deeper into an obsession that held them both within its binds?

        “Maybe we’re like ghosts whispering across existence,” Jarrod suggested, twirling a loose curl around his finger. Then, he parted her full lips with a thumb and smiled at her breathless gasp.  “An existence no one else in the world knows or understands.”

        “And I don’t want them to,” she whispered, holding his green gaze. “What we feel, it belongs to us and only us. The rest of the world doesn’t matter.”

        A deep silence stole the space.

        “Are you going to tell me everything that happened with you and Javier?” she probed, still lying across his chest. Her gaze tracked the lingering wounds on his face. “I know that it must be difficult to think or talk about. But, I’m here for you. I want you to feel like you can come to me when things are wrong.”

        He tensed beneath her. “Olivia, I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

        “But, how can we not?” she asked, and the hot tears burned her eyes. “If you hadn’t come back to me, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I can’t lose you, Jarrod. I’d die without you.”

        “Baby, listen to me,” he rasped, and then, altered their positions until she lay beneath him. He caressed her face gently with a large hand. “You’re not going to lose me.”

        “But, why do I feel like I will?” she asked, staring at him teary-eyed. “Even now, it feels like some part of you is pulling away from me. The moment that I mentioned your attack, I could feel the walls coming up.”

        “I don’t want to hurt you,” he rasped hoarsely. “It’s the last thing that I want to do.”

        She laid a gentle hand against his cheek. “Don’t shut me out, then. The good, bad, horrible, ugly…I need to be a part of all of it. There’s nothing in the world that I wouldn’t do for you.”

        His expression was pained. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing,” he said, looking away from her. “I’m damaged goods, and I’ll never be the kind of man that you deserve---”

        She shook her head. “No, don’t say that. I love you. You’re all that I want---I know that’s how you feel, too.”

        “Do you know how incredible you are to me?” he asked, finally looking at her again, and what she saw in his eyes, haunted her. The lost look within his green orbs was too great. “You’re the silent whisper that I’ll hold in my soul forever.”

        “I know that you love me as much as I do you. While I know that you’re not ready to say those words out loud, I feel them every time that you touch me,” she whispered as the tears spilled over. “You make me feel so loved and cherished. How could I possibly ask for anything more?”

        The pain filled his green gaze. “You deserve the fucking best, and I know that it’s not me---”

        “You’re wrong, Jarrod,” she whispered tearfully, silencing him. “You are the best, and I want you to believe that. You’re the only man that I love or ever will. Nothing will ever change how I feel.”

        A sad smile played at his lips. “Spoken like a true, hopeless romantic. Olivia Lange, you are an extraordinary woman. But, you are wrong about one thing, and that’s me being able to tell you how I feel. For the longest time, I’ve been running from the truth. Baby, I can’t deny it any longer,” he murmured, and his tortured gaze met hers. “I love you.”

       “
You love me
.” She released a pent-up sob. “I’ve waited so long to hear those words,” she cried, laying a trembling hand against his lips, and she wanted to capture the words and hold onto them. Then, she was completely mesmerized as he caught her hand in his and kissed it. “Please…tell me again.”

        “I love you….I love you…” he repeated, parting her thighs before sinking between them. His words were husky and low as his head lowered. “Let me show you just how much.”

        And he did just that…

        Made sweet and tender love to her like she was a delicate treasure…

        As if it was their last day on earth…

        Many moments later, Jarrod cradled her in his protective embrace as she slept. As she snuggled closer to him, he pressed a soft kiss against her head and smiled at her soft snore. “Tomorrow, I’m going to tell you everything. Somehow, I have to make you understand,” he whispered to the darkness, and the hot tears smarted his eyes. “I can’t lose you.”

        But, would he?

        The troubling question plagued him until he fell asleep.

***

        At 2:17 am, their peaceful slumber was interrupted. Even the lapping waves against the yacht became more tumultuous at the intrusion.

        Outside, the extremely loud sounds roared, and soon, the blinding lights entered the cabin. It sounded much like a flying helicopter, she mulled, raising a heavy head from the pillow. Pushing the hair from her face, she propped up on the pillow with her elbows before peering around with sleep-filled eyes. “Goodness…what’s that noise?”

        Already, Jarrod was responding to the intrusion. “What the hell?” he muttered, springing from the bed fast, and then grabbed the sleep trousers from the floor. His steps were unbalanced as he pulled them on. As he reached the side port window, he released a sound of surprise. “It’s the coast guard and marine police. I don’t know why they’re here because we sure in hell didn’t give out any kind of distress call---”

        “We have you surrounded,” the deep male voice boomed on the megaphone, and it seemed to echo across the ocean water. “Come out with your hands up.”

        That was enough to spur her into action.

        She rushed to the closet and retrieved the thick terry robe. Belting it quickly, she met him midway the room. “What’s happening?” she asked confusedly, meeting his troubled look. “Why are they treating us like we’re criminals?”

        He grabbed her by the upper arms. “I want you to stay down here. There’s no point in you getting involved---”

        “I’m going with you and there’s nothing that you can do to stop me,” she said defiantly, frowning hard. “Stop trying to protect me every second and let me stand with you. I’m sure that it’s nothing anyway.”

        The megaphone boomed again. ‘Again, we are asking that you cooperate. Please come out with your hands up.”

        They left the stateroom.

        The darkness bathed the short hallway.

        A blue halo of bright light filled the salon as they entered it, along with the flashing red lights. Through the window, she caught sight of the hovering helicopter as well as the rescue boat. To her surprise, it was filled with a horde of marine police officers. Their yellow hooded slickers, black trousers, and high black boots made them all the more intimidating, she mulled, hurrying to keep up with Jarrod’s long strides.

        The wind from the helicopter was forceful once they reached the deck. To no surprise, a string of officers were already there waiting. The bulkiest and most intimidating officer broke away from the pack and advanced toward them with intent. All the while, the remaining officers on deck formed a defensive front along the fringes of the yacht. Not to mention the others on the rescue boat.

        She fought to breathe as she took in their visages.

        A naked fear filled her.

        The truth lingered within the air.

        They were all expecting a confrontation.

        “Go back downstairs,” Jarrod muttered, turning towards her, and his expression was unreadable. He grabbed her by the upper arms and then desperation played across his handsome features. “I need you to call---”
        The click of the officer’s firearm stayed his words.

        Jarrod’s features hardened as he turned. “Is there really a need for such---”

        “Take your hands off the prisoner and put your hands behind your head! Do it now!” the officer shouted, aiming the weapon straight at Jarrod’s chest, taking a defensive stance. The officer cut a quick glance in her direction. “Ms. Lange, are you okay?”

        “Why wouldn’t I be?” she demanded, firing an angry glare at the officer. She stepped before Jarrod, shielding him from the officer’s weapon. “Put your guns down, he’s done nothing wrong! If you shoot him, you’ll have to shoot me, too.”

        “Again, we ask that you let us handle this,” the officer soothed, still holding the gun steady. “You’ve been through a horrible ordeal. It’s not unusual for victims to become confused by events. This man is a criminal---”

        “He’s not a criminal!” she shouted. “If you’d give us a chance to explain things---”

        “The last thing that I need or want is for you to get hurt. Just trust me, okay? I’ll take care of this.” Jarrod said stiffly, and his body was like hard granite behind hers, and she easily realized it was fear for her safety and hers alone. He addressed the officer again. “There’s no need to cause a further scene, she’s upset enough as it is. She’s innocent in all of this. Don’t make her pay for my sins.”

        So, as not to heighten the taut tension any further, he pushed her aside, and then blocked her small form with his. Leaning against him, she sobbed into his back, and he absorbed her desperation with quiet words. With reluctance, he raised his hands and placed them behind his head.

        “Jarrod, no,” she cried, holding onto his waist. “Please…don’t do this. I don’t understand. Tell them the truth.”

        “Baby, no matter what happens…I want you to remember one thing. I love you more than my next breath,” he said quietly, but just for ears alone. “And I’d give anything to right the wrongs that I’ve done. I swear on my life that I’m going to make things right. I will be the man that you want and need me to be.”

        “You already are,” she cried, tightening her hold, and her tears wet his naked back. “Why won’t you believe that?”  

        “Don’t you fucking move!” the officer shouted, rushing in fast, and was determined to ensure that Jarrod was no longer an immediate threat to anyone. “Keep your hands where I can see them!”

        Staring straight ahead, Jarrod said nothing.

        “Jarrod Sabatino, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Olivia Lange and obstruction of justice….” the officer recited the memorandum rights, proceeding to handcuff Jarrod as he did. “You have the right to an attorney…further action will be decided by the American embassy…”  

        “Please…leave him alone,” she sobbed, fighting to cling to him as they pried him from her. As he left her grasp, the horror seeped through her, and all she could do was watch helplessly as they hauled him away. 

        When two officers grabbed hold of her, she struggled against them like a wildcat. “Let go of me! You’re making a terrible mistake,” she pleaded, almost drowning out their repetitive questions about her well-being. “Please, you have to listen to me. There hasn’t been a kidnapping---”

        “Olivia!”

        She gasped in surprise.

        The officers freed her as she turned.

        Seemingly out of nowhere, a stranger appeared and strode towards them.

        An attractive, blond guy around thirtyish or so---

        But, as he drew closer, her trepidation rose.

        Even from her distance, she sensed the stranger’s despicable attitude and deadly intent. As his eyes swept over her, they turned even colder---or maybe glacier was a more apt term.

        With every step he made, her own animosity grew, she realized with a start. Was it possible to actually hate someone instantly?

        Well, she did, she mulled, forcing back the bile in her throat. A pure monster breathed within the expensive designer suit that he wore.

        “Well, I’ll be damned,” the stranger said, stopping before her, obviously amazed. “I can’t believe it’s really you. Have to say that you’re putting on one hell of a show, Olivia.”

        When he reached out to touch her, she flinched before stepping back.  A cold feeling of dread filled her as she looked at him. “Who are you?” she asked, instinctively putting more space between them. “Perhaps you can help them understand that arresting Jarrod is a mistake----”

        “Oh, trust me. There’s been no mistake,” the man laughed coldly.

        “You’re just as senseless and crazy as the rest of them! But, this is not over!” she vowed, and the anger burned in her deep brown eyes. “I will not stand for him to be treated this way---”

        An ugly sneer passed along the stranger’s face. “Don’t tell me that you’re going to have the nerve to defend him! Not after the way that bastard has humiliated me for months!”