Freeing Destiny (Fate #2) Read online

  Jack met me in the middle, tapped a soft kiss on my lips before he grabbed two corners of the unruly blanket. “You look beautiful tonight. I don’t know if I told you that yet.”

  He didn’t have to say a word. His eyes did all the talking. I hadn’t put too much thought into my clothing or my hair tonight, but something about the way he looked at me made me feel all done up. “Thank you.” I loved how effortless it had become between us. “You look hot, as always.” I smiled and winked as I admired his scruffy five o’clock shadow and the way the wind tousled his hair into a just-screwed-and-loving-it style. And now my thoughts are starting to wander.

  “Oh, crap!” Jack’s outburst stopped my cheeks from blushing with thoughts of what I hoped would happen underneath the stars tonight. “We don’t have a bottle opener. How will we drink the wine?”

  Truth was, I didn’t need any kind of alcohol to satisfy me tonight. I was already dizzy and loopy from the mixture of stunning atmosphere, beautiful company, and wayward, naughty thoughts. I leaned down to grab my bag. “Wait, I think I might have one.”

  “Lush, much?”

  “Don’t judge.” I laughed. “It was a favor at a graduation party I went to this summer. I never got to cleaning out my purse—and aren’t you happy I didn’t?”

  “What else you got in that bag of tricks?” He snatched it from my hold and started to rummage.

  I didn’t mind that he was invading my personal space, but—oh, no! I’d bought a pack of condoms! I wanted to be prepared. I didn’t want him to—

  “Well, looky what we have here!” he sang, dangling the small box of Trojans.

  Mortification! Ocean, swallow me whole. Now. Please? “Oh my God, give me those!” I crawled across the blanket, trying to yank them from his hands. He lifted the box above his head, teasing me.

  “Not so fast. I have questions. They say you can tell a lot about a woman from what she carries in her bag. This, my hot, steamy, adorable Sunshine, tells me you’re horny.”

  Oh my God. Kill me now. Put me out of my misery and humiliation. “Jack, please,” I begged, unable to make eye contact. “Just hand them over. You weren’t supposed to—”

  “Oh, so they were meant for someone else to see? You got another fine young gentleman wooing your pants off that I don’t know about?”

  I huffed long and loud, my ears burning so badly I was afraid they might catch fire. I’d welcome flames to my head over this embarrassment. Not knowing what to say, I covered my face and whimpered.

  “Hey,” Jack whispered in a deep, soothing tone. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I’ll put them away. Pretend I never saw them. That better?” Without looking up I could hear him replacing the box in its rightful—not as discreet as I’d hoped—place inside my bag.

  “I’m such a moron.” I sighed and looked up, and my eyes met big, coffee-colored ones that had a hint of mischief swirling around.

  “You are not a moron, Stella. You’re adorable.”

  “Please don’t patronize me, Jack. I didn’t mean for you to see those.”

  “And who cares that I did? It doesn’t change anything. You could’ve had a box of Gas-X, wart cream, and a bag of tampons swimming around in that thing and it still wouldn’t change anything.”

  That I had to laugh at. “Gas-X?”

  “Let loose, baby. There is nothing you can do or say that will turn me off. Promise.”

  Seriously? Who is this amazing man? “I don’t know how you do it, Jack, but you turn catastrophe into . . . nothing.”

  “You toting around a box of condoms is not catastrophic. Us not getting a chance to use them . . . now that might be a calamity. But I won’t hold you to it. Even if I’m so fucking happy I found those things because I know they’re there for me.”

  My time to joke. “And how can you be so sure of that, Mr. Cocky.”

  “Do you really want to go there again?”

  Jesus, could I ever not stumble on my words around him?

  Together we laughed and Jack cupped my cheek in his hand, washing away my fear and replacing it with giddiness. After a sweet, slow kiss he backed away to make busy setting out the food we bought at Ruddy’s. There were a few pre-prepared meals that didn’t need to be heated, a container of cubed cheese, a bunch of red grapes, and sliced vegetables with dip. As I laid them out and opened a box of plastic utensils, Jack uncorked the wine and poured some into the plastic cups we’d bought.

  Once settled, we toasted and took a sip of the zesty white wine.

  Jack’s whisker-tickled lips curled up at the ends and I worried for what he was about to say. “Seriously, though. The condoms. Can we talk about this for a second?”

  Worries were valid. Damn it! “Really?” I slapped my knee.

  “Really.” He took another long sip of his wine, cocking a brow.

  “What’s to talk about?”

  “Are they new or have you had them for a while?”

  “New,” I blurted.

  “Did you buy them recently, or before the wedding?”

  “That’s kind of the same question, Jack.”

  “Answer the question.” He smoothed his tongue across his teeth and narrowed those mischievous eyes.

  “Why don’t you just ask what you want to ask? Did I buy them for you? For us?” This time I gulped my Sauvignon Blanc. I needed something to ease the truth out of me.

  He set his glass down in the sand, inching closer to me. Taking mine from my hand, he placed it beside his. Inches apart, his hand traveled into my hair, the fingers of his other hand tickling my leg with up and down motions. “Did you? Is that what they’re for?”

  His lips grazed my jaw and worked their way up to my ear. He nibbled and sucked and I clenched my legs together to contain my squirming. “Yes,” I managed to whisper. “They’re for us. For tonight. I want you to—”

  His fingers were at my mouth, stopping me. “Shhh. I want you, too. I’ve wanted you since the wedding. Haven’t been able to think about anything other than feeling your skin against mine, your tightness wrapped around me, your fingers clawing at my back. I’ve been hard since the moment my eyes landed on you. I’ve never wanted someone as much as I want you. But—”

  But? How on God’s green earth was there a but to this? I stiffened underneath his touch and his reaction was to hold on tighter.

  “I know you need more time. I won’t take that from you until you’re ready.”

  “But . . . but . . . I am ready, Jack. I want it to be you. I’ve thought about it. I’ve made up my mind.”

  “Then that’s half the battle. But even though time is not on our side, I want to take things slow. For you. I don’t just want to fuck you—I mean, I really, really want to fuck you, Stella. Believe me. I can’t stop thinking about anything but fucking you—but, I want to do this right. I have things I want to show you first. I want you to enjoy every second of your first time, not rush through it to get it over with. Do you understand?”

  As much as it stung to know that box of condoms would go unused, I totally understood. Wordless, I brushed aside the plate of his food, maneuvered the other bowls, and secured the wine so it wouldn’t spill. In a move that was brave and spontaneous and oh-so-necessary to tame the ache between my legs, I straddled Jack’s lap and dug my fingers into his hair. “I totally understand. Now show me . . . everything.”

  Jack

  Do not shoot a load in your pants like a fucking fourteen-year-old. You cannot disappoint this girl—this virgin—and let her think you’re some minute man who can’t contain his jizz.

  “Here? You want me to get down and dirty here?” I joked.

  “Yes,” was all she said as her body rocked against mine and her hands wandered, begging me to touch her in response.

  “Fuck,” I growled, unable to contain myself. “Don’t do this to me.” I wanted her to do it. All of it. But here? Was I really going to explore her body out in the open where anyone might see?

  “Would you rather me not do this�
�?” She slowly unzipped my jeans and then delved inside, jerking my cock up and down.

  I gulped. “No. I mean, yes. Don’t stop.” I was the one with the experience. I was the one who wasn’t supposed to unravel. But, goddamn it, she had me all kinds of twisted and I loved it.

  Our lips found each other and we kissed frantically. Her hand worked me like a pro, like she’d done this a million times before. I didn’t want to think about that, though. Just her. Just us. Just her hands on me. “Oh, Sunshine,” I moaned into her mouth. My tongue darted out to lick the seam of her lips.

  “Touch me, Jack.” Her words, while bold, were soft. I was more than happy to indulge. It was my original plan anyway.

  Pulling her down, her hand still working its magic, I positioned us on the blanket so that we were laying down and facing one another. Slipping my hand into her linen pants, I played with the waistband and tickled her skin from her bellybutton to her delicate pelvic bone.

  Stella shuddered at my touch, but never stopped pumping my cock. Her fingers spread the thin coating of pre-cum around my tip with her thumb. My own fingers traveled further south and reacted to the heavenly pleasure.

  I wanted to strip her bare and discover every inch of her, but that wasn’t possible because of our surroundings. I wouldn’t risk someone feasting their eyes on what was mine. Yes, mine. With her hands on me, and mine on her, I was claiming her. She was mine. No matter how close or far. “Stella, you are mine.” It came out without thinking and I didn’t even give a fuck. I wanted her to know. Needed it.

  “Yes, Jack. I am. I’m yours. I’m all yours.”

  That’s all I needed.

  I shot up from the blanket and hovered over Stella. She dug her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer. My arms framed her face, my legs nudged between hers. In a plank above her trembling body, I dipped down and kissed her. Hard. Then soft. Then desperate again. My body wilted against hers and my hands became wild. Suddenly touching her wasn’t enough. I needed more.

  I threw her hands from my hair and slithered down her body. Inching her shirt up, I cupped her breasts and pushed her bra over them. Stella purred and her hips jerked forward. I took that as an invitation for my tongue. It darted out and tasted her silky flesh, as my hands kneaded her tight nipples.

  When my lips had reached the vicinity of their destination, I removed my hands from her perfect tits and shimmied her pants down her hips. “May I?” I asked, not really wanting to wait for her approval, but knowing it was the right thing to do.

  “Please, Jack. Please do.”

  I should’ve stopped. I should’ve given her more time. I should’ve been a gentleman and respected her innocence. But—fuck that—we had to start somewhere. I wanted to be her first, that honor would belong to me. No, it didn’t have to happen tonight, but that didn’t mean other things couldn’t. I’d make one last effort to give her a choice. “You sure?”

  “Yes! Yes! I’m so damn sure, I’ve never been more sure.” Her body trembled beneath me, a pair of dainty white panties the only thing in the way of me and what I craved.

  I took it all in—her hasty breathing, her quivering limbs, her goosebumped skin, and the look of pure serenity on her face. I knew she was ready, but I wanted to know something first. “Has anyone ever done this to you before?”

  Her stomach muscles visibly tightened and her fists grabbed the blanket. “No.”

  I couldn’t help the smug smirk that formed on my lips. She is mine. Really, all mine. “Well then, lie back and relax. You have no idea what you’ve been missing.”

  Stella

  He was going to kill me. His tongue was going to kill me. I’d read about this, heard about it, woke up from dreams where it was happening to me, but the reality of it was nothing compared to the fantasy. This was heaven. An orgasm brought on by something so wet and powerful and raw—this was intensity at its finest. “Oh my God, Jack,” I screamed. I tried to keep it down to low moans and soft sobs, but I couldn’t take it anymore. What his mouth wasn’t doing, his hands were. One worked my chest, paying special attention to my nipples that were so erect I thought they’d erupt. Two fingers plunged in and out of my sex as his tongue sucked and nibbled at my clit. I didn’t know how long he’d been at it—seconds, minutes, days—but I was unraveling quickly and I had no control.

  “Let go, baby,” he finally hummed against my core. “Let yourself go for me.”

  As if what he was doing wasn’t enough, his words sprang me free of my restraint. I did as he told and rode the wave of hot-blooded pleasure. I saw stars. I felt bliss. I smelled paradise. “Holy crap! Holy, holy . . . Jack! That was—”

  “Everything you thought it would be?” He emerged from between my legs and lay beside me as I panted.

  “More.” It was a truth I’d been trying so hard not to admit.

  Jack placed a hand over my rapidly beating heart and chuckled before he turned serious. “There’s more where that came from—if you let me show you.”

  If his more included that again, I was willing to do anything, risk anything, and forget anything for more time. “What are you doing to me, huh?”

  “I’m giving us a chance. I’m showing you how good we are together. I’m hoping and praying with every passing second we spend together that some twist of fate will swoop in and give us more time.”

  Time. Tick freaking tock. Why was it haunting me?

  “And what exactly would you do if your wish was granted?” I had to play devil’s advocate. Maybe it was a sick form of torture, but I needed to get inside his head.

  “This is a dangerous game, Stella. Don’t play unless you know what you’re doing.”

  It was and I did. I needed to hear it from him, though. Needed to know I wasn’t losing my mind or only sold on how good he made me feel. “I dare you to tell me what you want from me.”

  “A dare?” He perked up.

  I pulled my top down to cover my exposed breasts and then returned my pants to their rightful place. “Yes, a dare. Are you game?”

  “Always.”

  “Okay.” I thought for a second before spilling my guts. Jack was right. This was risky business. Feelings always were. I had let my guard down and there was no turning back. “What if, by some crazy chance, there was a way I could stay a little longer? What would that mean to you?”

  “First of all, dare accepted.” He leaned over my body to grab our wine glasses. After a generous sip, he nodded in my direction. “Even though this little made-up scenario of yours is the cruelest of cruel, I’ll play along because—let’s face it—you want to stick around to experience more of my bedroom skills. The way your screams echoed out into the great unknown, you don’t want me or my dexterous tongue too far out of reach. Am I right?”

  My eyes popped from his brash supposition. I wanted to slap him for embarrassing me, but who was I kidding? He was so right. “Yes, Your Oral Sex Highness, please keep your tongue close by. I don’t think I can live without that now that I’ve gotten a taste.”

  “Oh, it was me who got the taste of a lifetime. Fucking delicious. Nothing compares.”

  “Jack! Can’t you be serious? What happened to the dare? You too chicken to get real and stop all the sex talk? Yes, I want you. Yes, you’re freaking hot. Yes, you make my body feel and do things it’s never been through before, but this can’t just be about that. Isn’t there more to us than just a strong sexual attraction?”

  “Stella.” He cupped my chin and pulled my face in his direction. His lips met mine and I could taste myself on him. This was the most erotic night of my life. I’d never forget it. I never wanted it to end.

  “There is so much more to us than just sexual attraction. I want so much more. I’d beg you for it if I knew it was a reality. But I can’t set myself up for disappointment, and I won’t be that guy.”

  “What guy?”

  “The psycho you met a week ago who wishes you’d stay with him forever.”

  Forever. It was a powerful word, but I was
n’t afraid of it. Not anymore. Not with Jack.

  “I’m gonna see what I can do. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds promising, but I can’t lie, it doesn’t sound convincing.” He poured himself more wine and I extended my empty glass for a refill as well.

  “I don’t want to be upset tonight. Not after all this.” I motioned to the blanket—the sacred ground of my first orgasm by tongue. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll figure it out. Just tell me I have a reason to want to make it work.” I couldn’t be second-guessing my plans. Could I? Hells yeah, I totally was.

  The stars seemed to twinkle a little brighter tonight, but not nearly as brightly as the sparkle in Jack’s eyes. “I don’t know how or why any of this happened, but I do know that you and me together is a reason. The reason you’re looking for. We’re it and I want you to be mine. Will you be mine, Stella? Whether here or there, can you at least promise to belong to me?”

  “Are you asking me to go steady, Jack Davis?” I had to make a joke or I might cry. This was heavy stuff. Serious as all get out. Was I ready for this?

  “That’s exactly what I’m asking you, Stella Edwards. I want you in ways I’ve never wanted someone before. Please be mine?”

  How could I say no to that? It was unimaginable. “Baby, I’m all yours.”

  Stella

  After three more days and nights of being hypnotized by Jack’s magic, I made a beautifully irrational decision. Foolish, whim-like actions weren’t normally my thing, but Jack drove me crazy in all the right ways.

  My mother was still on her honeymoon with Caleb and I wasn’t about to throw this bomb at her while she was in well-deserved bliss. But Nina backed me and, right now, as long as I had my sister’s blessing and she didn’t think I was mentally insane, I was going for it.

  My hare-brained decision had two parts. Both equally terrifying and life changing, but the alternative to either was no longer an option. I couldn’t live with myself if I chose not to go through with them.

  Part one: Jack would be my first. We had a lot of fun working our way up to the main event, but my reasons for waiting were no longer valid. I had no doubt in my mind that being with Jack was right. Losing my virginity no longer terrified me, because with Jack I wouldn’t be losing anything. I’d be giving him something I’d never given anyone else. A part of me I wanted him to have and keep forever.