Blyssfully Undone: The Blyss Trilogy - book 3 (8 page)

After talking and working out the final logistics for another half hour, the guys then split apart, each man having their own task to carry out. They’ve left Jules and me to ourselves for a little bit so I can make sure her volatile mood is truly diffused. Plus, I need to brief her on what’s about to go down, and what’s expected of her. I don’t think they wanted to be around for when I have to break the news to her anyway.

Of course, after I lost my temper earlier, I imagine she’ll think twice before copping another attitude with me or the men. I don’t have time to play games or sugarcoat shit. These are real bullets with real-life repercussions, and I need her to stand in line and be subordinate, or it could cost someone their life. I’m sure as shit not willing to risk any of my men over a temper tantrum.

Chase is the last man out the door with his gear, and when the door slams shut behind him, I head to the bedroom to check on Jules. It’s quiet, and I find myself tiptoeing down the hallway to see what she’s up to. When I peek around the doorframe, she’s sitting in a chair by the small table still wrapped up in a bathrobe, and wearing a towel wrapped around her head like a turban. I’m pleasantly surprised to see her breakfast plate has been cleaned off. I internally smile; I’m glad she’s not mentally checked out on me. Her eating means she still gives a damn and she’s still in the game.

She’s gazing rather serenely out the window as she takes in the city scene below. We’re on the highest floor in this Raleigh hotel. It’s damn near a skyscraper, so it’s safe for her to have the curtains drawn back. It’s impossible for anyone to spot us from down below. I shake my head in awe of her. She has constantly impressed me with how she’s been able to handle one fucked-up situation after another, and how easy she rolls with the dice every time…or at least it seems that way.

I was not happy she slept into the next day the way she did. I’m sure the mental stresses combined with the drugs Quinn gave her must’ve been too much for her petite body to handle. I’d also bet ten-to-one the sedative she got was meant for a man twice her size, hence her being out of it for a lot longer than she should’ve been. That thought pisses me off all over again. Thank God for Stryker. He kept monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure constantly, and he had other meds to give her should something have gone wrong. Quinn and I had terse words over him arbitrarily deciding on his own what he thought Jules needed. After our talk, I don’t think he will ever give her anything ever again, not even an aspirin.

She must have sensed me staring at her, because she turns around and meets my gaze. She looks tired despite the vast amount of sleep she’s just had. Maybe tired is the wrong word; defeated and mentally worn down is a better description of the Jules I see. My chest tightens with remorse, because I know this is the beginning of the chaos to come. She probably thinks we’re having a reprieve from the battle, and she couldn’t be farther from the truth. I know she’s a tough girl, but even some of the toughest men I’ve known have met their breaking point, and she’s no different.

I enter the room at a slow pace, paying close attention to her mood. She’s been through too much to stay even-keeled. I can deal with grumpy on occasion, but becoming a loose cannon is unacceptable, especially right now. I’m prepared to put her in her place if need be.

“It’s quiet. Where is everyone?” she asks in a low voice. She appears to be calm and at peace with her situation right now, and that’s a good sign.

“They left a few minutes ago.” I pull up a chair and sit down beside her, still studying her. “Why are you still in a bathrobe?”

“I didn’t have any clean clothes to change into, and I couldn’t find the clothes you took off me last night. I didn’t want to disturb your meeting, so I was just waiting in here until you were done.”

“I had a runner go pick up a few things for us. I’ll go get them.” I start to get up, but Jules stops me by grabbing onto my forearm. I look from my arm to her face in confusion.

“Travis,” she softly begins, but then stops, hesitating to continue. I can see all the emotions running through her baby blues: fear, worry, betrayal, and God help me, hopefully a little forgiveness is in there. My heart grows heavy from all the turbulence swirling around those sad eyes. She looks so desolate and lonely, and it guts me.

I sit back down and look at her with some much-needed compassion. “Baby, I am so, so sorry.” I reach out and caress her face, not knowing if she wants to punch me or have me touch her.

She leans forward into my touch and places her index finger over my lips to shush me. “I promise I will try to be patient and listen to you. I’m in an odd place right now in my head, you know? I have so many questions, and I’m still not getting any answers. One question in particular keeps circling around in my head, and I have to know.” She hesitates to continue, but I stay silent as I wait for her to find the courage to ask. “I know you said I wasn’t your slave, but you never denied the fact I’m your prisoner. Am I…your prisoner?” she asks, looking me square in the eyes.

Her question is like an electrical shock to my heart, and I feel the voltage shoot through me. No matter how I slice it, she will not be able to understand the complexities of her circumstances, even if I had all day to explain them to her. Nick did a fantastic job of pinning her down, cornering her in like a hunted fox. There is no way out for her. How do I tell her that?

I try my best to downplay her question, cupping her cheeks as I search her eyes imploringly. “Prisoner? No,” I shake my head several times, “but it’s a little more complicated than that.”

“I thought so,” she softly murmurs, interrupting me before I can finish. Her eyes shift away from mine, falling to the floor in defeat.

“No, Jules, look at me.” I patiently wait until she looks up. “You’re right. I can’t let you go, but what you need to understand is that what we had at the cabin wasn’t a lie.” Her eyes start to turn glassy, and I don’t know what to do to fix this. “What we have, what we felt for each other…it’s all real.”

“I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

“Yes you do, baby,” I softly urge. I slip my hand inside the V of her bathrobe and rest the palm of my hand over her heart. I close my eyes and feel the tempo it’s playing. It’s fluttering fast against my touch, and I know I’m affecting her. “As sure as I feel your heart beating, you feel this thing between us.”

The edge of my hand is only inches from touching her nipple, and I clench my jaw, forcing myself not to stray. My thumb didn’t get the memo as it drifts, slowly stroking her supple skin over her breastbone. I notice her chest silently rise and fall with excitement as I caress her with a feather-light touch.

Her gaze turns heated as she pleads on a whisper, “Travis, take away this pain inside. Make me forget.”

I lean forward, only inches away as I huskily whisper over her lips, “Let’s get one thing straight, Jules. I’m not your escape from reality. I
am
your reality, and if it’s a fuck you want, it’s a fuck you’ll get.” She gasps, taken aback by my dirty mouth, and her reaction makes my lips quirk in an arrogant grin.

I slowly remove the towel from her head, and her damp blonde hair spills out all around her. The strawberry smell is gone, replaced by the hotel’s cheap shampoo, but I don’t care. I’d take her in a gunnysack; she’s that priceless to me. The silence in the room is filled with a potent mix of longing and heart-pounding desire.

Her breathing picks up when I untie the belt to her bathrobe. I take my time, drawing out the sweet torture of anticipation. It’s been a few days since we made love, and I for one will not turn down a chance to keep ruining her for all other men. I know she’s confused about her feelings, and I’m a real bastard for taking advantage of her weakness, but my plan is to sway her any way I can. I’ve never claimed to play fair, or be her Prince Charming. I slowly push aside the fabric of the bathrobe, exposing her bare breasts, and the sight of their creamy fullness spilling out before me has my mouth watering.

When I graze my fingertip over a nipple, she inhales a sharp breath and arches her back, pushing her breasts firmly against my hand. “I think my girl likes the dirty talk.”

Instead of taking her nipple into my mouth, like she thinks I’m going to do, I surprise her by lifting her up out of her chair in one quick motion. She squeals as she’s lifted into the air. Her chair falls backward against the carpeted floor as I push her a few steps back, flattening her body against the hotel window, and then lean in to brush against her lips with mine.

“Why do I have such a hard time resisting you?” she asks in a breathy whisper.

A low chuckle resonates deep within my chest as my fingers find their way to her erect nipples, and I gently pinch them as I reply, “Because you know we belong together. Your body screams it loud and clear; it’s your mind that needs to get the message.”

I slide my hands toward the outside of her breasts to slip the bathrobe off her shoulders, and down her arms, never letting my hungry gaze leave hers.

Tiny rivulets of water drip from that luscious blonde hair of hers, sliding down to her chest. I lean in to lick the cool water off the swell of her breast, and a visible shiver runs through her. “Are you cold?” I ask, peering up at her out of the corner of my eye. She inhales a sharp breath as her eyes flutter closed. “You won’t be cold for long,” I promise just before I take her hardened nipple fully into my warm mouth and lightly suck. “Mmm,” I moan while palming the weight of her full breasts in my hands as I savor the feel of her nipple against my tongue. I think my dick just grew another few inches.

I let her feel the strength of my thigh muscles as I nudge myself in between her legs, gently prodding them apart.

She’s breathing excitedly, and places her hands on my shoulders to steady herself.

“Are you wet for me, baby?” I huskily whisper. I settle my straining erection against the apex of her thighs, and then roll my hips into hers. She moans when I let her feel all of my fullness as I apply pressure against her sweet pussy using my body weight.

“Travis,” she murmurs as I kiss my way up her neck, leaving behind a blazing trail of fire to her jawline. Her skin smells clean and fresh, and I love the way she tastes on my tongue as I kiss my way to her ear.

“Tell me what you want,” I pant huskily between kisses, and then lick the outer shell of her ear. Using the back of my fingers, I make a slow, winding trail down to the curves of her hips before I run the pads of my fingertips over the little patch of hair between her legs. Her skin is soft and smooth, and I stifle a groan knowing she’s shaved for me, having me in mind when she did it.

“Is this what you need?” I whisper before I coax the lips of her sweet sex open and slip two fingers in, sliding deep into her slick heat with ease.

“Oh, hell, you’re soaked,” I rasp, “so wet and ready for me.” I slowly pump my fingers in and out of her warmth, my fingers coated in her juices. I curl my fingers upward and stroke that special place inside.

As she rides my hand, her hips thrust in rhythm and her pussy squeezes around my fingers. I use my thumb to rub against her clit in small, firm circles as I continue to fill her. I’m rewarded with a strained cry as she arches, exposing more of her neckline for me to devour.

Her nails dig into my biceps as I add a third finger into her core, stretching her wide open. Her head falls back against the window as her eyes flutter closed. “Travis, ohhh, God,” she moans out in pleasure.

I know what she’s doing in her mind. She’s using me as an escape from reality right now, using me to forget, and I have no intention of letting her forget me or what we had. “I’m not big on promises, sweetheart, but I can promise you this: when I bury myself deep inside your sweet sex, you’re gonna know I’ve been there for the next two weeks.” I nip at her bottom lip and thrust deep while putting pressure against her G-spot. “Look at me, Jules,” I command, and as I look into her eyes, I can see I don’t have to wonder if she’s thinking of anything or anyone else but me, but I want to hear her confession anyway. “Who owns this pussy, Jules?” I growl as my thumb rubs along the outskirts of her clit, avoiding her hard nub on purpose, driving her crazy with need.

I’m glad when she doesn’t hesitate to answer me back. “You do, Travis. You own this.”

“Don’t ever forget it either,” I warn with a stern voice.

She whimpers, reassuring me, “Yes, Travis, you have me.”

“Damn right, I have you.” Her legs begin to quiver, and I know she’s close, but I’m not going to let her come this way. I need to feel her sex squeezing around my cock. I withdraw my saturated fingers from between her wet folds, and take a step back. With a heated stare, she watches me slip my fingers into my mouth as I slowly suck her juices clean off my fingers. I close my eyes briefly, savoring her taste. “Damn, you taste fine.”

With the floor-to-ceiling windows behind her, the morning sunlight streams in, casting a golden glow around her entire body. She looks angelic, and the light catches some of her blonde hair just right, giving her a halo. I need to bury myself deep into this divine creature of mine…now. I hastily slip off my jeans, not taking the time to remove anything else, and then I stand to my full height in front of her while I wrap my hand around my thickness, and slowly stroke the length a few times, making a show of what she’s about to receive.

The ring on her finger catches my eye as it glistens in the sunlight, and a fierce, protective, dominant feeling falls over me. I figure if she keeps the ring on her finger long enough, she’ll get used to seeing it there, and then she’ll accept the fact that there is an
us
. I notice her gaze hasn’t moved from my dick, and I grin. I purposely squeeze it, and then stroke my length one last time in front of her, letting her know, “You’re mine, Jules. No matter what comes between us, we will overcome it. There’s no denying what we have. We belong together.”

I let go of my erection and step forward, nudging her legs apart with my knees as I press her back against the coolness of the glass. God, her bare skin feels so good against my straining erection. I cup her breast with my palm and squeeze.