lost control, but I wish you hadn’t had to.”
Jane thought of the feeling of that man’s arm around her, the cold metal pressed against her skin, and waited for remorse to hit her.
It never did.
“Maybe it makes me bad, but I’m not sorry. He would have killed me without a second thought. Shot poor Henry. Henry,” she said, remembering something that had managed to slip her mind momentarily.
“I’m so sorry, Jane,” Exander said, voice brimming with pity.
She hated it. “Don’t,” she said firmly. “Don’t pity me.”
“I don’t pity you. I pity her,” he said with conviction.
“So it’s true?” Jane asked, searching Exander’s eyes for a denial that she knew would not come.
“Yes. Jewel and Henry were working with the other man.”
Jane closed her eyes against the stabbing pain that spread through her chest. Some small, stupid part of her had hoped…
“Where is she?” Jane asked a moment later, opening her eyes to meet Exander’s.
“With Sebastian and Kyr,” he said.
She glanced away again, not sure how she’d ever come to terms with this.
“I’ll be here, Janie. I’ll help you through,” he said.
And she believed him. Somehow this man, a dragon shifter with whom she had nothing in common, had become the only person in her life that she knew she could rely on.
“Thank you, Exander.”
“I love you, Janie,” he said.
“I—”
“ N o ,” he said, pressing his fingers against her mouth, “don’t say anything. I just needed you to hear it. I was too close to losing you, and I couldn’t miss the chance.”
He wanted to hear the words from her, and he knew that he would, but not now and not like this. When she spoke them, it would be with a full heart, not weighed by her sister’s betrayal. She sighed deep and then curled into Exander’s arms, her warm, heavy weight against him just right.
“Exander,” she whispered, meeting his eyes with her own.
“What do you need, Janie?” he responded.
“You,” she said, her voice soft but the words reverberating through the very core of him.
He kissed her softly, increased the pressure when she opened to him. She smoothed her hands down his shoulders, pressed herself against him, her curves against his body igniting him. But he held back, kept his touch light and unhurried as he molded her flesh under his hands before he came to rest at the apex of her thighs, moaning when he found the wetness there, felt the hard nub of her clit.
She cried out when he strummed at the distended bud, and though his own desire raged, he kept his movements slow, controlled, stroked her until she cried out her climax. When she opened her eyes and met his, he pushed inside her, knowing that he had found his home.
Chapter Twenty
“ W e don’t have to do this,” Exander said two days later.
“I can’t hide here forever. I need to face her.”
Jane had spoken with more strength than she felt, because her stomach was twisted in knots, her heart rattling around her chest untethered at the thought of seeing Jewel. But she had to do it, had to finally see her, put an end to this.
“She’s at her apartment,” Exander said.
“Then take me there, please,” Jane said.
He nodded, then turned the car toward the interstate. She hated to leave, to go back to the city, but she had to do this before she could move on with her life, with the life she hoped she’d have with Exander.
They made the entire forty-five minute drive in silence, but it was comfortable, or as comfortable as anything could be given what Jane would have to do next. And when they finally arrived, Jane was surprised at the memories that assaulted her. How long they’d searched for a place, how disappointed Jewel had been at the price, how excited when Jane had said she’d cover half.
Jane wondered if that was all she’d ever been, the paycheck, an unquestioning, undeniable place to land, wondered if all those memories of the loving bonds that she’d thought had
Jane thought of the feeling of that man’s arm around her, the cold metal pressed against her skin, and waited for remorse to hit her.
It never did.
“Maybe it makes me bad, but I’m not sorry. He would have killed me without a second thought. Shot poor Henry. Henry,” she said, remembering something that had managed to slip her mind momentarily.
“I’m so sorry, Jane,” Exander said, voice brimming with pity.
She hated it. “Don’t,” she said firmly. “Don’t pity me.”
“I don’t pity you. I pity her,” he said with conviction.
“So it’s true?” Jane asked, searching Exander’s eyes for a denial that she knew would not come.
“Yes. Jewel and Henry were working with the other man.”
Jane closed her eyes against the stabbing pain that spread through her chest. Some small, stupid part of her had hoped…
“Where is she?” Jane asked a moment later, opening her eyes to meet Exander’s.
“With Sebastian and Kyr,” he said.
She glanced away again, not sure how she’d ever come to terms with this.
“I’ll be here, Janie. I’ll help you through,” he said.
And she believed him. Somehow this man, a dragon shifter with whom she had nothing in common, had become the only person in her life that she knew she could rely on.
“Thank you, Exander.”
“I love you, Janie,” he said.
“I—”
“ N o ,” he said, pressing his fingers against her mouth, “don’t say anything. I just needed you to hear it. I was too close to losing you, and I couldn’t miss the chance.”
He wanted to hear the words from her, and he knew that he would, but not now and not like this. When she spoke them, it would be with a full heart, not weighed by her sister’s betrayal. She sighed deep and then curled into Exander’s arms, her warm, heavy weight against him just right.
“Exander,” she whispered, meeting his eyes with her own.
“What do you need, Janie?” he responded.
“You,” she said, her voice soft but the words reverberating through the very core of him.
He kissed her softly, increased the pressure when she opened to him. She smoothed her hands down his shoulders, pressed herself against him, her curves against his body igniting him. But he held back, kept his touch light and unhurried as he molded her flesh under his hands before he came to rest at the apex of her thighs, moaning when he found the wetness there, felt the hard nub of her clit.
She cried out when he strummed at the distended bud, and though his own desire raged, he kept his movements slow, controlled, stroked her until she cried out her climax. When she opened her eyes and met his, he pushed inside her, knowing that he had found his home.
Chapter Twenty
“ W e don’t have to do this,” Exander said two days later.
“I can’t hide here forever. I need to face her.”
Jane had spoken with more strength than she felt, because her stomach was twisted in knots, her heart rattling around her chest untethered at the thought of seeing Jewel. But she had to do it, had to finally see her, put an end to this.
“She’s at her apartment,” Exander said.
“Then take me there, please,” Jane said.
He nodded, then turned the car toward the interstate. She hated to leave, to go back to the city, but she had to do this before she could move on with her life, with the life she hoped she’d have with Exander.
They made the entire forty-five minute drive in silence, but it was comfortable, or as comfortable as anything could be given what Jane would have to do next. And when they finally arrived, Jane was surprised at the memories that assaulted her. How long they’d searched for a place, how disappointed Jewel had been at the price, how excited when Jane had said she’d cover half.
Jane wondered if that was all she’d ever been, the paycheck, an unquestioning, undeniable place to land, wondered if all those memories of the loving bonds that she’d thought had
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