Jack Frost, page 4
She gestured toward the shop briefly before returning her hand to her hip. Her lips thinned, pressing tightly together, and there was a strange glimmer in her eyes. The movement of her chest slowed, as if her breath was catching. He could hear her heart racing. Was it attraction or fear?
A shiver passed over his skin as he realized for once he wasn’t interested in the latter. He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. He wanted… He wasn’t sure yet. Jack moved in closer, leaning down so his face was right in front of hers. He stared into her eyes, trying to figure her out—as well as her strange effect on him.
In a softer voice, she said, “People always want something. There’s always a price.”
“Well, aren’t you a jaded little being?” he murmured, even though he agreed with her. A perverse part of him wanted to prove her wrong—to see how many things he could do for her while asking nothing from her in return. The challenge of that intrigued him, bringing his smirk back to his face. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a person.”
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
His smile deepened as he stood straighter and turned toward the flower arrangements. “At the moment, all I’m interested in is glimpsing this Prince Charming.”
One of her eyebrows hitched, and her mouth pulled into that rich, lopsided frown. He wanted to brush his thumb over it, to see if her lips would part at his touch, if her heart would race in anticipation of more closeness. Why would he want such a thing?
Shaking himself, he gruffly said, “What?”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Stop it with the weird double questions,” she said. “I have a ten-year-old. You can’t throw me off topic. Why do you want to see this guy so badly? And don’t give me some crap line about checking out your competition.”
He felt himself grin. “Fodder for town gossip?”
She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners and teeth flashing white. Her entire face brightened for a few brief seconds—seconds that had his breath sticking in his chest and his heart pausing in its beats. It was like the first spring sunlight breaking through the winter clouds. He had never seen such radiance. His heart picked up its beat again, but at a pounding speed. What was wrong with him?
She pulled her features back into a frown, but it wasn’t as severe as before. “Town gossip, huh?”
“What’s so funny about that?”
“Nothing,” she said, but she was fighting another smile. When he kept staring at her intently, she relented. “I was just picturing you sitting on a porch in a rocking chair, knitting with a bunch of grandmas. And Hayden. She’s the one who knitted Charlie’s hat.”
“I would charm their lovingly hand-knitted socks off if that ever happened. But there are other people who might be more interested in this particular gossip.”
“Who?” Somehow, she made the word seem like a challenge.
“I know people,” he said, oddly offended.
“What people?” She started packing up the flower arrangements again as she spoke. He joined her, working at her side with an ease that surprised him.
“You know that Christmas-themed bakery over on Holly Street?”
“Yeah, I know it. The Yuletide Bakery.”
“I happen to be very tight with the owner’s bestie.” He chuckled to himself as he remembered their last interaction and just what Lord Snow, better known as the Krampus, would say if he heard Jack speak of their relationship this way. “In fact, I’m responsible for setting him up with his lifemate.”
“Lifemate?” Her forehead crinkled. “You mean wife?”
“Sure,” Jack said, shrugging. “I also helped a couple of close friends of his patch things up.”
“Aren’t you the little matchmaker?” She smirked at him, handing him a vase as she bent under the counter to get out another box.
He positioned himself so that he was right next to her when she stood. Her eyes widened when she realized how close they were, but then she leaned even closer. This was a game he would enjoy playing. He loved to see how other Fae squirmed when he came into their personal space. Ava didn’t seem the type to back down quickly. He wondered what it would take to make her be the first to move away.
“If you have so many friends, why are you going to be crashing on my cot?” she asked.
“Because I have no plans to ask for anything in return for the help I’ve given them.”
Well, nothing that hadn’t already been offered—and earned. The Yuletide King had granted Jack a boon for helping his family. Getting the King back in the good graces of his Queen had been a bonus that Jack couldn’t resist throwing in. He slid even closer to Ava. Her cheeks darkened, an odd flush spreading down her neck and across her chest.
Leaning down close enough that their noses almost touched, he said, “I’m just a fan of happy endings.”
Chapter Six
Was he doing this on purpose? He had to be doing this on purpose. Getting right up in her space with that cocky smirk and those ice-blue eyes, as if he was daring her to kiss him. Ava wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or not, but ideas for several ‘happy endings’ started parading through her mind. It had been so long since she’d cut loose. They had the entire shop to themselves, and had finished the order early enough that she had hours to kill. Normally, if she had a bit of extra time, she would work on… Who was she kidding? She never had extra time. There were always bills to pay and dishes to clean and cooking to do.
Jack… The options he presented were so much more appealing.
“It’s okay, you know,” Jack said, his voice husky.
“What is?”
“Wanting something for yourself.”
Her breath caught in her chest. It was like he could read her mind. She hadn’t let herself want something that wasn’t related to being a mom in so long. The temptation Jack presented was irresistible.
“Happy endings, huh?” She brushed his nose with hers ever so lightly. “Right now, I’m more interested in beginnings.”
She tilted her head slightly, bringing their lips together. His body went ramrod straight, freezing in place as she moved her lips on his. She always ran hot, and the odd coolness of his skin soothed her even as her nerves lit up.
Why wasn’t he kissing her back? She broke off the kiss, but stayed close, trying to assess his expression.
Those dark eyebrows of his were pulled tight together, forming creases above his straight nose. His equally dark lashes narrowed over his icy eyes, the muscles in his taut jaw flexing as he ground his teeth. He set both hands on the table behind her, boxing her in with his arms. Her heart pounded, heat building low in her belly. It was too easy to imagine them tangled in her sheets upstairs. His gaze darted over her face, as if he was searching for something. Something that either confused or infuriated him. She couldn’t tell which. Had she completely misread him?
Leaning in so close that she felt the coolness of his breath, he said, “Do that again.”
She swallowed hard. “Is that a command or a dare?”
“Again,” he repeated.
She half-smiled as she lifted her face to his, watching his response. Their lips touched, heat blooming in her belly. His eyes darted to the sides, as if he was confused. She softened her lips, gently massaging his, coaxing him to relax. Suddenly, he let out a groan, his breath rushing from him as he grabbed her arms and pulled her against his chest. His eyes rolled shut as he finally kissed her back, his mouth ravenous.
They were too close to the arrangements if they were going to get carried away. She clasped his waist and pushed against him, keeping her body tight to his. He growled a protest, but when she deepened the kiss, he relented, letting her guide him toward one of the empty tables.
Wait, was she seriously considering having sex with this guy in the middle of her flower shop?
His lips moved down her neck, latching on to the sensitive skin just above her shoulder. Her nerve endings lit up, pleasure cascading over her body, nipples tightening, as her core clenched. She moaned as his hands slid around to her backside, his fingers flexing against her flesh.
“We need… We need to lock the door,” she somehow managed.
“It’s already locked.”
The breathlessness of his voice sent another shock of pleasure through her. He pressed his face against her skin as he spoke, trailing kisses along her collarbone and down over her chest where her shirt was unbuttoned. She didn’t remember locking the door, but if he kept kissing her like that much longer, she was pretty sure she’d forget her own name.
“What about the windows?” The last thing she needed was for someone to walk by and see the new-ish shop owner cavorting on a table.
“No one can see.”
He reached between them and quickly undid more of her buttons, revealing her not-at-all sexy standard cotton bra in a light beige with a green ivy and purple flower pattern covering her underwhelming breasts. The grunt he let out as he took one into his hand, kneading it against his palm, chased away her feelings of inadequacy. More fiery pleasure spread through her, her breath quickening as he flicked his thumb over the pert nub of her nipple. Before all reason fled, she looked at the front of the shop to confirm what he was saying.
A fine coating of frost covered the glass windows, rendering them completely opaque. The temperature must have dropped outside or something. The deadbolt was in place, even though she was sure she hadn’t locked it after Hayden left. She hadn’t seen him anywhere near the door, either. Maybe Hayden had locked it on her way out?
Jack squeezed Ava’s breast more firmly, then latched his lips on the other, banishing the last coherent thought from her brain. His hips ground against hers, his erection promising pleasures she had denied herself for far too long. She slid her thigh up his leg, trying to open herself to him more. Fire flooded her body, her nerves coming alive with it. Her core clenched, wanting to wrap around his cock so badly it was driving her crazy.
“More,” he murmured against her chest. “I need more. I need… I need us naked. Why do I need us naked?”
“We don’t have to be naked. Just get my pants.”
He looked up from her breast, his gaze fiercely intense and possessive. She should have been afraid. Instead, it sent a thrill through her. An aura of mist seemed to float around him, similar to the morning dew turning to fog as the warm earth cooled the surrounding air. The lights reflected from his pale skin with a silvery glow. For a moment, he looked like a predator. But she didn’t feel like prey. No, she felt like she was something very different to him.
They both straightened, keeping their bodies close as he undid the fastener for her jeans. He dropped to his knees, pulling them down to her ankles as he did, leaving her in her open shirt, bra, and panties. Her boots should have given him trouble, but he didn’t even pause as he pulled them off. How had he untied and unlaced them so fast?
He tugged off her jeans and socks, then paused, kneeling in front of her. The muscles of his jaw were tense and flexing again, his lips clenched tight. He ran his hands up along her thighs, his cool skin sending shivers of pleasure through her.
“I want to do things to you,” he said, his voice low and even.
“That sounds a little ominous.” She chuckled, knowing in her heart that he wouldn’t hurt her—and in her mind that she could kick his ass if he tried. “What things?”
He shook his head, staring at her panties with that intense gaze of his. Her idle curiosity became much more active.
“Things I’ve never thought about before,” he said.
She reached out and brushed the backs of her fingers against his cheek. He looked up, his cold blue eyes burning with desire and… uncertainty?
“You know you’re safe with me, right?” She wasn’t sure why she said it, but felt it was important. “Just as I know… I know I’m safe with you.”
His lips parted, and the crease between his eyes finally lessened as his features relaxed. There was no trace of the cocky smirk from before, his face easing into a look that was part awe, part… something she didn’t want to name. He slid his hands up over her hips, hooking his fingers in her waistband and pulling her panties down to the ground so she could step out of them.
Without pausing, he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss against her dark curls. She gasped, lifting her leg to wrap around his shoulder and burrowing her fingers through his hair. He deepened his kiss in the most intimate way, his tongue flicking over her nub. Pleasure coursed through her, flickers of ecstasy lighting up the edges of her vision, promising more.
He brought his hand to her slit, running his fingers along her core before plunging them in, sending her hurtling over the edge. Her fingers tightened in his hair, curling across his scalp as she threw her head back and cried out, riding his movements with her hips, the arcs of pleasure he was giving her melting into her bones. She was still struggling to catch her breath when he stopped and gazed up at her, a heady look of triumph on his features.
That sexy-as-hell smirk returned as he looked up at her and said, “Again.”
Ava laughed, running her fingers through his hair. “Gladly.”
Chapter Seven
Powerful magic was at work here. Jack didn’t even care where it came from or what it was about. He just wanted more of Ava’s intoxicating warmth. Needed it. His body was reacting to her in ways he didn’t understand, instincts coming alive that he never suspected he possessed. She pulled his face forward so she could kiss him again. The heat of her breath, her lips, flooded him. Tingles that almost felt like lightning swept over his skin, swirling deep in his belly. Her hands dropped to the front of his pants, undoing the clasp and opening them.
For the first time in his eternal existence, his cock had hardened. The unfamiliar ache commanded his full attention, a throbbing intensity that spread through him, readying him for… something he’d never experienced. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and squeezed firmly. Pleasure exploded out from where she touched him. Every cell in his body cried out for more, energy spreading everywhere so intense it was almost unbearable.
He pulled her close, crushing her to him, his mouth plundering hers. His hips thrust against her hand without thought, his physical form taking absolute control. Magic didn’t matter. Fae politics didn’t matter. All that mattered was this feeling of warmth and longing that made his chest feel so full it might burst at any moment.
She kissed her way along his jaw, reaching his ear and running her teeth over it. He barely maintained his glamour, using the only vestiges of concentration left to him aside from holding Ava close, but somehow, not close enough.
“Kind of making it hard for me to maneuver here.” She nuzzled his neck.
“Maneuver?” He barely recognized his own voice, it was so low and breathless.
“I can do a lot more if you give me some space.”
He forced himself to pull back far enough to see her face. She was smirking, lips plump from his kisses.
“I don’t want space,” he said. “I want… closeness.”
Her smirk softened into a smile. “Closeness is good.”
“Tell me what to do.”
She laughed, then put her hands on the table behind her and hoisted herself up to sit on its edge. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him close, his shaft pressing against her slick core. The most incredible heat he’d ever felt coaxed him to rock against her, the friction sending shockwaves of pleasure through his body. She leaned forward and kissed him again, taking her time, deepening their connection. He still wanted more.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. “I think you know what to do.”
His reality would never be the same after this. Jack would never be the same. And he didn’t care. He was binding himself to her, giving her a piece of himself that he had never dreamed of sharing with anyone.
He claimed her lips again, grasping her hips with his hands as he lined himself up with her core. She tightened her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into her molten heat. What was left of his control snapped and he plunged forward.
The pleasure was dizzying, all-encompassing. His nerves sang with it, fire and lightning flooding him. Her sheath clenched around him, sending a shockwave through his body. It called on him to move.
He rocked against her, not wanting to break their connection, but desperate to increase this intoxicating stimulation. She angled her hips in time with his movements, as if asking him for more. His thrusts grew longer, harder. Pressure built deep within him, white light spreading across the edges of his vision. Warmth rose in his chest, his arms, his legs, and especially where they were joined, a warmth that grew into heat.
She lifted herself up, bracing her arms on his shoulders, giving herself more room to rise and fall on his shaft. He tightened his grip on her ass, his skin tingling more with each stroke. Her breath caught in her throat, then she threw her head back and cried out his name. The word was like a command breaking down the last of his thought. His thrusts became faster, almost frenzied. The light at the edges of his vision flooded it, his body becoming molten, white-hot. Everything he knew, everything he was shattered as the most incredible pleasure he’d ever known coursed through his being.
Finally, he slowed with a few last languid thrusts before he held himself deep within her. Panting, he set her back on the table, keeping their connection. He cupped her face in his hands, wanting to memorize every detail of her, searching her expression for… something he didn’t dare name. Not yet.
Mortals needed time to form lasting bonds. Fae… Fae didn’t. And he knew he had bonded with her. His soul was hers, and he had given it to her. His freedom, his life, both were now linked with hers forever. The biggest miracle was that he didn’t mind. Happiness bloomed in his chest at the thought of caring for her and her family and friends. Of being part of something beyond himself. Finally. His body filled with warmth, knowing this was his life. She was his life.
