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I stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind me, a grimace pulling at my mouth. It was late; I’d missed dinner, and I wondered from the darkened state of the cabin if Jules was already asleep.
I toed off my boots, then left them in the tray by the door to dry and cut across the living room. I’d made it four steps when I saw her. Huddled in the corner of the couch, knees pulled up to her chest, Jules slept deeply. Long, dark curls tumbled over the arm of the couch, and I reached out to touch the silky soft strands.
A smile lifted my lips, and I dropped to one knee in front of her. My gaze slid over her pretty features. She looked younger than her twenty years, like a porcelain doll. She would hate it if she heard me say that, but it was true. Her features were Italian perfection, from the soft olive tone of her skin to her symmetrical bone structure. God, she was gorgeous. And all mine. How I’d ever gotten so lucky, I had no idea. But I wasn’t about to let her go, not ever.
She seemed distressed, her brows pulled slightly together, and I wondered if she was dreaming. She did often, sometimes crying out in her sleep. She played it off each time, telling me it was nothing, but it bothered me immensely. I hoped that she would open up to me soon. She was about to be my wife, and I wanted to know everything about her.
I reached out and smoothed the tiny ridge over her nose, and her lashes fluttered as she came awake. Sleepy emerald eyes landed on me, then blinked once before she bolted upright.
“Eric!”
Thank God I was already on the floor, because the force of her body slamming into mine would’ve knocked me on my ass.
“Babe, wha—”
Her mouth landed on mine, frantic and needy, and I twined one hand in her hair, holding her close. Small hands roamed over my shoulders and through the short hairs at the back of my neck as her kisses grew to a fevered pitch. Our tongues tangled together, and I fell backward to the floor, pulling her with me.
She ripped her mouth away from mine and kissed her way over my cheeks and jaw, teeth scraping along my throat as her hand snaked between us to unfasten my pants. Not that I was complaining, but...
“Jules? Honey, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head as she tore at my clothes. I lifted my hips, and she shoved my pants down just far enough so my cock sprang free. She slithered between my legs and ripped the shirt off over her head, then shucked her pants. All the while, I watched silently. Her face was a mask of concentration, and... something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Clambering over me, she straddled my hips and began to lower herself onto me. I caught her hips just as the head of my cock prodded her pussy, and her head jerked upward.
“Jules.” She blinked owlishly at my stern tone, and I waited a beat. “Eyes on me, baby. I’m right here. You with me?”
She blinked again, and this time, the hysteria was gone, replaced instead by love and lust. She gave a little nod. “I... I need you.” Her voice fell to a whisper. “I want to feel close to you.”
I knew exactly how she felt. Eyes locked on hers, I thrust upward and impaled her. Our mingled breaths filled the air as she moved over me, her hips lifting and falling as she found her rhythm. She bit her lip as if fighting the urge to come, and I gritted my teeth against the fire burning low in my belly.
Fuck. I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Jules... Goddamn it, baby, I’m gonna come.”
Her eyes closed for a moment, then blinked open to meet mine. “Let go.”
What the hell did that mean?
I grasped the back of her neck. “Last chance before I come inside you. Tell me to stop.”
With a little shake of her head she ground down, and the last of my control slipped away. Clutching tightly to her, I pounded upward, my balls tightening as electricity zipped down my spine. I let out a feral groan as cum spurted deep inside her, and Jules cried out at the same time, her pussy clenching around my cock. The effect drew out my orgasm, and I rode the high before crashing to the ground, literally and figuratively. I collapsed, boneless, and Jules followed, her head landing in the crook of my neck.
Panting breaths filled the air, and the rush of blood thrummed in my ears. As things slowly returned to normal, I dipped my chin and brushed my lips across her forehead. “We’re gambling hard.”
She took a long moment to respond. “I know.”
I palmed the small of her back, enjoying the feel of her splayed over my body, my shaft still buried deep inside her sheath. I could feel literally every inch of her, inside and out, her heart beating in time with mine. I never wanted to let her go.
*
I STARED AT JULES AS I paused with my hand on the door handle. “You okay?”
The wind whipped around us, lifting the strands of brown hair around her face. Standing in the parking lot adjacent to Rosie’s, I hated being in front of so many prying eyes. Ever since last night, things between us had felt... off. Something was bothering her, and I wanted to know what it was.
She gave a halting little nod. “I’m fine.”
She was lying. She could pretend that she was fine on the surface, but she couldn’t hide the worry etched deep into her features. Those green eyes held a mixture of fear and apprehension, though I couldn’t begin to determine why. Everything seemed to be going so well. Was she having second thoughts about sticking around? She was antsy and jumpy, and she’d appeared startled when I came up behind her in the kitchen this morning.
We’d decided to grab breakfast in town, our first foray into public as an engaged couple. She’d smiled and said all the right things when people congratulated us, yet there was a darkness hovering in her eyes that refused to lift. I’d held her until she’d fallen into a restless sleep, tossing and turning all night long. I hadn’t asked what was bothering her, and she hadn’t offered an explanation as to why she reacted the way she had.
I walked a fine line with her sometimes. I wished I knew what was going through her mind, but I didn’t want to press and risk pushing her away. She needed to know that I would be here for her regardless. Though I needed to get to work, Jules had the day off. Worry congealed in my stomach at the thought of what might transpire during those few hours apart.
I slipped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close. “Will I see you after work?”
She dropped her gaze to the ground before tipping her face up to meet mine. Tears sparkled in her eyes, and her teeth sank into her lower lip as she fought to keep them from falling.
“Sweetheart, is everything okay?” She nodded, but didn’t say a damn word. Helplessness raged through me. I wanted to be there for her, but I needed her to trust me, to open up and tell me what was bothering her, because I didn’t believe for a damn second that it was nothing. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“I know.” She leaned her head on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her, an irrational fear haunting me. Suddenly I was terrified that this might be one of the last times I ever got to do this. I couldn’t tell why the sensation came over me, but with the way Jules was acting, I couldn’t write anything off. I squeezed her tight one more time then released her, my heart heavy in my chest. I didn’t know what I would do if she walked away from me.
Jules peeled away and gave me a sad little smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I don’t want you to be late.”
Barely managing to hold my tongue, I closed the door behind her as she slid inside, then made my way around the truck. A heavy silence lay between us as I pulled onto the main drag, turning toward my place so I could drop her off before I headed into the department. We could have driven separately since I was already dressed and ready for work, but she’d specifically asked me to drive, which worried me all the more. She’d been here for months, yet now she refused to drive her car. Was she concerned someone was actively looking for her? And what had spurred that thought?
She knew she was safe with me, and I was sure that was the only reason she’d agreed to go for breakfast this morning. I hated the thought of leaving her alone in the cabin all day. It would be difficult to find if you weren’t familiar with the area, but still...
I snuck glances at her from the corners of my eyes as we drove down the main street back toward my house. All the while, Jules stared pensively out the window.
“Eric?” Her sweet voice washed over me like a silky caress.
“Yeah, baby?”
“I... She trailed off, looking more worried than I’ve ever seen, and dread sat in my stomach like a stone. “Can I tell you something?”
“Anything.” I both anticipated and dreaded what I was about to hear.
“I think I need help,” she whispered.
The vulnerability in her voice nearly tore me to shreds. “You know I’ll always do anything in my power to help you,” I replied forcefully.
She drew a deep breath. “Before I came here, I... I was supposed to be married.”
At the word ‘married,’ I snapped my head toward her. It was a fatal mistake. From the corner of my eye, I saw a SUV come barreling through the stop sign at the cross street. Instinctively, I threw my right arm across Jules to protect her as I braced for the impact. The black SUV slammed into my front fender, narrowly missing the driver side door. I heard a soft intake of breath as the sound of glass shattering and the airbag deploying filled my ears. The truck spun under the impact, and I watched the trees fly past in a green and white blur as I fought to regain control. With a jolt, the back end slammed into the ditch, and I pitched forward, my head slamming into the steering wheel. Everything went black.
A loud buzzing filled my ears, and I blinked in and out of consciousness as I heard voices approach. I couldn’t make my body respond, and I stared up helplessly into a pair of dark eyes as the man fisted his hand in my hair and lifted my head.
“Don’t come after her.” He paused then, sounding remorseful. “I’m sorry.”
Sorry for—?
The sound of a gunshot filled the air, and my vision went black once more as I collapsed in a boneless heap.