Boarded by Love Read online

  “Stop,” I say, meeting her defiant gaze. “What did I say to Jayden? Those girls didn’t matter. You matter. I don’t want anyone looking at your body but me.”

  She looks away as she shrugs. “I don’t know why it bothers me, I really don’t. I just don’t get it. Why did you think it was okay to have no respect for those girls?”

  Leaning on my elbows, I let my weight fall on her as I meet her gaze again. “Because it was no challenge. They gave it to me like you give a kid candy. It was easy and fast and I didn’t have to put any emotion into it. You’re right that I had no respect for them, but it’s different with you.”

  “Why, though? It doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “You made me work for it the first time I met you. You didn’t just fall in bed with me, and then when you did, I wondered if I should. I actually questioned my motives with you, and I knew that it meant something, you know?”

  She brings her lip between her teeth and then lets out a breath. “So what happens when it’s not a challenge anymore?”

  “It isn’t a challenge now, Claire,” I say slowly.

  “Yes, it is! I won’t give it up.”

  I nod. “Maybe, but I don’t need it. I need you. I need this.”

  She reaches up and cups my cheek, her thumb slowly moving through the scruff on my jaw. I need to shave but I have no real urge to. Looking deep in my eyes, she asks, “So you aren’t addicted to sex or anything?”

  I laugh, breaking our intense stare-off, and shake my head. “I’m addicted to you, Claire. I don’t want anyone but you.”

  Meeting her gaze again, I see hers is full of heat, and I swear I see her whole heart. My chest constricts while everything inside me goes hot. This girl is going to be the death of me with only a full-of-heart look. It’s intense. We are intense.

  “This isn’t about sex, is it?”

  “It isn’t for me,” I answer. “Is it for you?”

  She shakes her head before I get the whole sentence out. “Not at all,” she says. Then she asks, “You like me, don’t you?”

  I nod slowly, leaning down, my lips only a breath from hers. “Oh yeah, I do. A whole fucking lot, too.”

  “I feel the same,” she whispers.

  Getting lost in her eyes, feeling her heart bang against mine, feeling the heat between her legs… It’s too much to handle and soon the words are out of my mouth before I can even process them.

  “I think I’m falling for you.”

  Her thumb pauses on my cheek as her eyes go wide. “Seriously?”

  My heart is in my throat. Fuck. She doesn’t feel the same. Looking down at her nose, I take in a deep breath, embarrassed, feeling so dumb. Why would I say something so fucking stupid? So soon?

  Before I can even say anything, she brings her face down some so she can meet my gaze. “I feel the same, Jude. Don’t hide. I just thought that I was crazy for thinking that. I mean, it’s only been a week, and I’m convinced you are the guy I could fall completely for.”

  My heart falls out of my throat and hits my stomach hard, leaving me breathless. “I know I can, with you and only you.”

  “I’ve never trusted anyone, Jude. It took Reese and Phillip forever for me to fall for them and trust them. I don’t know why it’s so easy with you. This world is full of empty promises and false hope, but when I look at you, I don’t feel that. I feel all these crazy butterflies and shit. They scare the hell out of me because I’ve been hurt so many times, but I just have this urge to jump with you. To trust you, completely, no matter what.”

  Cupping her face, I feel like I can’t breathe because that’s everything I feel. I feel like this is real. Like it’s forever-type shit, as insane as it is. “I know you’ve been hurt, and I know that people have not been the greatest to you, but I want to change that. I want to be good for you. Worthy of you. I want to make you proud.”

  Closing her eyes, she brings me down, our lips touching ever so softly. Parting, I kiss her gently again, enjoying the sweet tenderness of our kisses. Pulling back, I look down at her, and she is just so beautiful. Her eyes are heavy-lidded, her lips parted and swollen from my kisses. Her breasts are pushed up against my chest, her hands at my sides holding me close while stray pieces of her hair fall from her braid.

  “You’re so beautiful. So amazing, Claire.”

  She cups me behind my neck and brings me down to her lips for a long heart-pounding kiss. My whole body catches on fire, moving against her, rubbing myself to the point that I’m sure I’m going to come in my boxers. Our limbs are tangled, our mouths moving together in such a perfect way. I’m humming with awareness of her, our breaths coming so harshly while we continue to tease and drive each other crazy. I know I should stop this. I already can’t see straight and I’m harder than a board, but I can’t seem to pull my mouth from hers.

  Finally, she does and I thank the Lord above, but then she whispers, “Make love to me.”

  Everything stops. I’m frozen, and oh God, how I want to. My dick jumps to life, pointing right to her heavenly center, but my brain is screaming that it isn’t time yet. We have to wait. No matter how much we both want it, it’s better this way. This way I know she’ll never doubt me, doubt us, because if I can hold out from being inside this beautiful woman, I have to love her. That’s all there is to it. Maybe I need it too. Maybe this is the real test to show me that I don’t need anything or anyone but her.

  Shaking my head slowly, my lips dust against hers as her breath comes out in a whoosh. “We have eight days left.”

  “Bending the rules, remember?”

  I shake my head. “No rule bending, you naughty girl. We’re in this together.”

  Moving her hands into my boxers, she cups my ass, pressing her center against my raging hard-on, and fuck, I go cross-eyed. Letting out a ragged breath, I take in another deep one as she says, “I want you, though.”

  “Oh baby, you have no idea how much I want you,” I basically whimper. “But it’s better if we wait. Remember, guarantees and showing you you’re the one and all that jazz. Please, don’t make this any harder than it already is,” I say, pleading. “I don’t think I can keep saying no.”

  A grin crosses her lips as her hands leave my body and come between us. I think she’s going to touch my dick and ignore my plea. If she does do that, fuck it, put a fork in me, I’m done. But to my surprise, her hand goes into her panties.

  Meeting her gaze, I know my eyes are wide as she says, “I’m so fucking turned on, Jude. I have to get off, and if you won’t do it for me, I have to. I just do.”

  She moans as her fingers touch her center, and I can’t speak. I can’t even think. Somehow, I push myself up, giving her room to touch herself. With her eyes locked on mine, she starts to finger herself and I can’t breathe. Falling back on my haunches, I reach for her thong and pull it off her, throwing it over my shoulder so I can watch her fingers slowly move in her wet pussy. I’ve never had a girl finger herself in front of me like this; my dick is rock hard. I can’t see straight but somehow I continue to watch her, my heart pounding in my chest as I watch her fingers glisten with her wetness, teasing me in the most unfair way. I want my mouth on her, I want to lick her pussy dry, but I know if I touch her, I’m going to lose it. I’m going to fuck her so hard that both of us won’t be moving for the next twelve hours.

  Closing her eyes, her hand pulls her bra up, catching her nipple between her fingers as she slowly fucks herself with her beautiful fingers. The thought that she must do this often turns me on even more, and I’m not sure how I’m still sitting here without touching her.

  I must fucking care. A whole hell of a lot because soon she’s panting, moaning sweetly as she plays with her clit, her eyes meeting mine again, and my body is so tight, I don’t dare move. I’m scared even the littlest move and I’ll fall dick-first inside her, intentionally. Holding my gaze in her hot, lusty, dirty one, she runs her tongue along her lip and then her whole body seizes up. She moans out loudly, hittin