“I couldn’t hear your voice and not hop on a plane. So I’m here now and I’m not leaving. I love you.”

I need her. Right now. Lacing my fingers in her hair, I take hold of her again. I push her back and lift her onto the counter. When her legs wrap around me, I feel her heat and I lose it.

Every part of my brain detaches and all I can think about is feeling her. Her small hands glide up my arms as my lips press against hers. I graze my tongue at the seam of her perfect mouth, waiting for her to let me in. She opens them slightly and it’s all the permission I need. My tongue pushes against hers and I pull her closer to me as she whimpers.

I pull back and nip at her ear. “I fucking need you. Tell me you want this.” She has to tell me before I fucking erupt.

“I-I,” she stutters, and my mouth covers hers again, pushing her to give me the damn answer I need. If I can keep her from overthinking, we might be able to get through this.

“Do you want me, Catherine?” My lips brush over hers, and every part of me is rock hard.

Her breathing increases and I take my tongue and sweep it across her lips. Per-fucking-fection.

“Jackson,” she moans my name and I cover her mouth with mine again.

Fucking hell.

“Answer me. Do you want me?” I kiss her swollen lips, needing her again. “To keep going?”

“Yes!” she cries out as my hand finds its way up her shirt where I find she doesn’t have a bra on. Nice.

“I’m not going to stop, so you better be absolutely fucking sure, baby.” I don’t know how or why I’m still talking.

She grabs my shirt and our eyes lock. Her pupils dilate and the fire burns through them. “You better not.”

Hell yes. Don’t have to tell me twice.

As much as I’d love to tease her and make her beg, I don’t have the patience for it. I want to claim her. I want to feel her wrap her perfect legs around me and fuck me until all I can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell is her. I hope she’s ready because I sure as shit am.

Releasing her perfect tits, my hands glide down her sides and pull her shirt off. I tease her with my tongue before sucking her nipple in my mouth as she writhes in my arms.

“You missed me, baby? Want me to fuck you now?” I know how much it turns her on when I talk dirty to her.

“God, yes.”

I break away and smirk. I’m a cocky bastard but I can’t help it. “I told you I was compared to God.”

Her head falls back and she laughs. When she looks back up, she smiles. “Your humility is astounding. Now,” her eyes harden, “Do you want to talk or do you want to show me how much you missed me?” She winks and pulls my head close.

There’s my sex kitten.

Catherine takes hold of the kiss and I give her the control for a minute. She needs to feel the power and I’m willing to give it up for her. Plus, it’s hot as hell when she gets aggressive. Her fingers weave in my hair and she pulls—hard. I almost blow my load right there.

I pull back and her eyes are liquid. I lift her and slide her shorts and thong off. I’m completely unprepared when she hops off the counter and backs me against it.

She’s completely bare and she hooks her finger in my belt loop and pulls me against her. My hands glide across her delicate back to her round ass and I grip it roughly, lifting her up. Her hands fumble with the button and my jeans fall around my ankles.

With her mouth fused to mine, I shake my jeans off and grind down against her as she tries to line herself up with my dick.

“Not yet, baby,” I manage to choke out as I try to find the bed or a couch.

“Hurry,” she moans and then pushes her lips to mine.

Not able to see where the hell I’m going, I walk into the table.

Perfect.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard right now, but I promise I’ll be sweet next time.” I give her warning because the very thin thread is about to snap and I can’t control myself.

Her hand wraps around my dick and I almost drop her. “I don’t need sweet. I just need you.”

Jesus Christ that feels fucking amazing.

“You’ve got me, baby.”

She glides her hand up and down and I’m harder than I’ve ever been.

“Promise?” she asks, placing a kiss on my neck.

“Oh yeah, I promise.” I lay her on the table and pull her hips close.

Before she can say another word, I push inside her.

Home.

I’m home and I don’t plan on leaving again.

Her eyes close and I lift her hips and sink deeper. Wet, hot, and mine.

She moans and I wrap her legs around my back and lift her up. I can’t get deep enough. I want her to feel me everywhere. I’m like an animal needing to possess her. There will be no doubt when we finish how I feel.

“Catherine,” I say through gritted teeth. “Look at me.”

When her deep brown eyes meet mine, her hands cup my face. “Take me.”

I snap. The words I need to hear from her. With her back on the table, I take this time to plunge into her again. I ride her in and out, allowing her to milk my cock as I lose my fucking mind. She’s every breath I breathe, every beat of my heart, and I never want it to stop.

“Fuck. I’m losing it.”

Needing her to come, I put my thumb on her clit and rub in circles. I feel her clench and I have to bite my tongue to stop from finishing right then. Her hands find my arms and she holds on while I pound her relentlessly. Each thrust I lose myself in her. I claim her each time I slide in and out. The need to protect her, keep her safe, and ensure she never runs from me again surges through my body.

“I fucking love you. You’re mine.”

My fingers press harder into her clit and I feel her thighs tighten around my hips. I fuck her harder and as her eyes stay locked on mine, I can feel her get closer, her nails digging into my forearms. She scrapes them down my arms as she falls apart. I can’t last much longer.

My hands grip her thighs roughly and she screams my name over and over.

“Catherine!” I call out as I slam against her harder and lose myself over the edge while her pussy squeezes around my cock draining every ounce of me until I’m empty.

My head drops and rests on her breasts as our breathing calms.

That was intense.

I close my eyes and focus on her heart beating beneath me. Catherine’s hands slide slowly up and down my back when she lets out a deep breath.

If she pulls away, I’m gonna lose my shit.

“How long are you here for?” she asks, already sounding defeated.

“Forever.”

She huffs, “I don’t think that’s funny.”

“I wasn’t kidding.”

Why does everything with this woman need to be so damn complicated?

“Jackson, be serious.”

Standing up, I put my hands on her sides and look at her. I need to make sure she sees everything in my heart when I get this out. Considering she seems to need me to spell it out, it’s best I give myself little room for misinterpretation.

“I sold Raven.”

Her eyes go wide. “You what?”

“I sold it. It’s gone.”

“Why?” Catherine’s mouth falls open.

“Because I love you. Because a life without you isn’t the life I want. Because every day I think of you. Every moment I want to be with you. So you being in California and me being in New York isn’t working. The day you left me, I made a choice.”