Jacob
Holy hell.
That went from zero to sixty in no time at all.
We barely made it inside the house before she cornered me, and frankly, I didn’t waste much time resisting. Why resist when I’m holding my fucking dream in my arms? Especially when she seems as hungry for me as I am for her. I could blame adrenaline, but the truth is, we’ve been working toward this moment for years. I’d like to believe the outcome was inevitable.
“Rajani…” I mumble when she abandons my mouth and runs her tongue along my jaw and down my neck.
She works her hands under my shirt, but I stop her before she can get very far. Grabbing her wrists, I spin her around and press her back against the door as I stretch her arms over her head. I pin them with one hand while mapping her body’s contours with the other.
Ducking my head I nip her collarbone, dip my tongue in the hollow at the base of her neck, and inch my way down to the swell of her breasts. I love the taste of her skin, the feel of her soft curves in my hand, and the small sounds she makes in the back of her throat as I explore her body.
“You’re teasing me,” she complains.
“I know,” I admit, as I lift my head and take her mouth again.
She manages to free one of her hands and slides it down the back of my jeans, grabbing on to my bare ass. Guess she doesn’t like being teased.
Before this goes any further though, we should move from this foyer.
I release her mouth, step back and, holding on to her one wrist, begin to move in the direction of her bedroom.
“Where are we going?”
“Your bed,” I tell her firmly. “This is not going to happen up against a door.”
I assume she’s on board with that when I hear no objection.
Her bedroom is much like the woman she presents as on the outside: classy, balanced, and comfortably serene. Who knew there was such passion looming under the surface? I hope the king-sized bed I put together can hold up.
I pull Raj to me, turning her so her back is toward the bed as I kiss her. Slipping my hands under the back of her shirt, I locate and release the closure on her bra.
“Arms up,” I mumble against her lips.
As soon as I feel her lifting them, I bunch up her shirt and slip it, and her bra, off in one move.
My throat is instantly dry when my eyes take her in, standing in front of me. Strong shoulders and prominent collarbones, sloping down to generous breasts with dark brown areolas against her glowing, dusky skin. The gentle dip of her waist makes the flare of her rounded hips more pronounced.
I’m momentarily stunned.
Everything about this woman is perfection; from her gorgeous classic features, to her hourglass figure, but nothing is as beautiful as the look in her dark eyes aimed at me right now.
The next moment she reaches for me and flings herself back on the mattress, pulling me down with her. My mouth finds her breast, closing over her nipple and tugging deep. Her hips lift off the mattress in response, and I go straight for her pants, fumbling slightly to get the buttons undone, before sliding my good hand inside.
I dip my fingers between her legs, finding her warm and slick, and I groan against her skin. My cock strains against my zipper and I press my hips into the mattress.
“Jacob, yesss,” she hisses when I roll her clit underneath my fingertips.
All I can think of is burying myself to the root inside her wet heat, but I’m determined to make her come first.
She grabs on to the back of my shirt when I press my thumb on her clit and pump first one, then two digits inside her. She rocks against my hand, undulating her hips unapologetically, and it’s the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
When she comes, her entire body tenses like a bow as she plants her heels in the mattress and presses her head back into the pillow. She collapses with a deep groan. Then her eyes find mine and a satisfied smile stretches her tempting mouth.
“I want you inside me.”
Hell, yes.
I grab the waistband of her pants and, along with her panties, pull them down over her hips and off. The neatly trimmed patch between her legs glistens with the remnants of her orgasm, and my eyes are instantly drawn there. It’s not until I take in the whole of her gloriously naked body, I notice a large bruise just starting to form on her hip. Then as my eyes travel up, I see another mark along the side of her ribs.
Raj props herself up on her elbows and looks down her body to where my eyes are fixed.
“Oh no. No, no, no. I’m fine,” she insists, sitting up. “Don’t you dare stop now.”
I’m about to assure her—even if I wanted to—I don’t think stopping is an option, when I hear Opal’s voice call out.
“Raj? Where are you?”
Shit.
Raj is already scrambling to her feet, grabbing for a robe draped over the chair beside the bed.
“Go,” she urges me, gesturing furiously for me to get out of her bedroom.
“Really?” I return.
Then I point at my crotch and my prominent erection, which will clearly need some time to subside.
“For Pete’s sake,” she mutters. “I’ll go.”
Then she pulls open the door, only to reveal Opal standing right outside. Her eyes zoom in on me like a homing beacon before they flit to Rajani.
“Are you okay? Janey called me and told me something happened to you, but I couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“The SUV rolled and my phone flew out somewhere. It must’ve broken. I’m okay, though,” Raj responds.
“You still have some blood on your face,” Opal points out.
Raj lifts a hand to her hairline where medics didn’t quite clear away the blood.
“I was just about to have a shower.”
“You should wait for those cuts to properly scab over.”
“I’ll be careful,” Raj assures her friend.
Then she ducks into the bathroom, leaving me standing by the foot of her bed. Opal is still in the doorway, grinning at me.
“Well, well…Hamish. This is an interesting development.”
Last thing I want is the third degree from Opal, so I use her words and redirect them.
“Yes, it was. Someone put seven rattlesnakes in her SUV. She’s lucky she didn’t get bitten.”
“Seven? I didn’t know that. Janey just mentioned a snake.”
I called Pearl when Raj was being looked at by the EMTs, but I should have given her an update after we talked to the wildlife guy. I need to get my head in the game and stay sharp. I can’t afford to be distracted.
“Does Jacob know?” Opal asks, stepping aside as I walk out of the room.
“He does.” I stop at the front door and turn to her. “Do you plan on being here for a bit? I need to pick up a few things but I won’t be long. I’ll be staying here until this is sorted out.”
“I’m curious, did you pass that by Jacob?” she inquires with a smirk.
“No, but I will.”
Onyx
I close my eyes and let the warm water run down my body, forcing myself to relax.
I’m starting to feel the impact of the rollover on my body. My muscles ache and my energy is drained. Although, I can’t blame all of that on the accident. I’m sure the orgasm Jacob gave me contributed to my current state.
I’m never going to hear the end of it from Kate, especially once she finds out it was actually Jacob she caught in my bedroom, so I’m not in a hurry to get out of the shower.
But I should’ve known she wouldn’t let me hide out here very long.
“Raj? Are you drowning in there?” she calls out, accompanied by loud banging on the bathroom door. “Jacob just messaged, he’s calling a meeting in five, so get your ass out here.”
As I turn off the water and grab my towel, I find myself curious how he’s going to pull off a meeting. Knowing how observant Kate is, she might notice him sitting in his truck down by the stables and wonder what the hell he’s up to.
“Your boyfriend left,” Kate announces, unapologetically leaning against the doorpost while I get dressed.
“Oh?”
“He’s gone to grab some stuff because he plans on staying here. With you,” she adds with emphasis.
I shrug, feigning nonchalance as I bend over to put on my socks. In my mind I’m processing the information, wondering whether he is being overprotective, or if he intends to finish what was so rudely interrupted by Kate. I guess time will tell.
“Come on, Raj, give me something,” she pleads, making me laugh.
“You’re incorrigible,” I admonish her as I bump her aside.
She’s on my heels when I walk into the kitchen.
“So is this serious?” she tries again, but this time the ringing of her phone saves me a response.
She answers, puts the phone on speaker and lays it down on the island between us.
“Onyx, are you there? How are you feeling?”
The temptation to roll my eyes is great. He knows better than anyone how I’m feeling.
“I’m okay, it left me a little achy, but I’m sure an early night in bed will bring some relief.”
I suppress a satisfied smirk when I hear Jacob clear his throat.
“Right. That’s good. So…seven rattlesnakes, someone isn’t messing around.”
“Wheeler?” I hear Mitch ask. “Because he hasn’t left Grandview. We’ve been monitoring.”
“He wouldn’t get his own hands dirty,” Lee contributes.
“And besides all that, I haven’t met him face-to-face yet,” I remind them.
“He might have seen you though. I’m sure he has security cameras on the property.”
Of course, but even if he saw me, it doesn’t mean he recognized me. I wasn’t the one who held his interest all those years ago. I was no more than a prop in his sick control games. Not that I feel I can bring that up, it would almost be like a betrayal of Nathan’s memory.
No one knows what happened in that kitchen, no one but me and David Wheeler.
“One more thing,” I add. “The SUV has been sitting idle. Hamish has been driving his truck almost everywhere. So it likely happened right outside.”
“I already started checking the video feed from the security camera at the front of the house,” Pearl volunteers. “Unfortunately, the camera only catches part of the passenger side.”
“Who else would have reason to harm you?” Mitch asks.
“I have no idea, but perhaps instead of looking for a motive first, we should be looking at who had access to my keys and the vehicle,” I propose.
“Or who might have seven freaking rattlesnakes, for that matter,” Kate adds.
“What’s that trainer guy’s name again, Hamish? What about him?”
I almost laugh out loud at Lee’s suggestion but keep my mouth shut as I wait to see how Jacob is going to get out of that one.
“It’s not him,” he states firmly. “He didn’t even know Onyx before I contacted him. He has no reason whatsoever to want her hurt.”
“Actually,” Kate pipes up. “I think Hamish is getting to know Onyx quite nicely but I agree, it’s highly unlikely he had anything to do with this.”
“Didn’t you hire two stable hands?” Janey brings up. “What do you know about them?”
“I only just met them a week or so ago as well. They don’t have access to my keys or the house, and there’s no reason for either of them to be involved.”
But even as I say it, I’m trying to remember if there might not have been a time where one of them could have had access to both.
“Still,” Jacob says. “Pearl has a point. We should look at everyone. In the meantime, keep the alarm engaged, even when you’re inside, and don’t go anywhere alone.”
I bite my lip. I’ll save my thoughts on his brusque orders for when we’re alone.
“I can stay here,” Kate volunteers.
“No,” I jump in. “There’s no need for that.”
“I agree. I already spoke to Hamish earlier and he’ll be staying. He’s there most of the time anyway. Also, I might need you in the field, Opal.”
Jacob asks if anyone has anything else before instructing us all to check in with him first thing in the morning.
“Does Jacob know…” Kate lets the sentence trail off.
I try to ignore her and dive in the fridge to see what I can scrounge up for dinner, but she will not be deterred.
“Because, you know, he might not be so happy about his friend encroaching on his turf.”
“His turf?” I echo incredulously, standing beside the open fridge door. “Is that supposed to refer to me? Because last time I checked, I wasn’t a piece of property to be claimed.”
“Oh relax, will you?” Kate dismisses me. “This is me talking. And you’re avoiding my point.”
I close the door and face her, planting my fists on my hips.
“How very perceptive of you. Yes, I am avoiding it, because frankly, I haven’t had a chance to figure out what is happening here myself.”
“So you admit something is happening?”
I throw up my hands.
“Oh my God, I give up.”
She grins wide in response.
“You’re so easy.”