It shouldn’t feel right to have Sophie Sullivan in his bed. But nothing had ever felt quite so right before.

“Good night, princess.” He whispered the words against the top of her head, pressing a soft kiss there. Sleep claimed Jake long before he thought it would, with the one woman he’d never thought he could have safe and warm in his arms.

Chapter Twelve

Sophie felt so safe, so warm, as she floated in that in-between space between sleep and coming completely awake. She knew exactly where she was, knew precisely why she felt so good. Jake was holding her, his arms curled protectively around her shoulders, with one of his hands splayed flat over her stomach beneath the T-shirt as if he were trying to protect more than just her.

And he was completely naked.

She could feel the rigid flesh of his erection against the small of her back, the hairs on his thighs against the smooth skin of her legs, and as desire swiftly stole through her, she couldn’t stop her half-asleep body from wanting to get even closer.

She’d assumed night would be her enemy, those dark hours during the seven days she’d promised. But now she knew it didn’t matter whether it was day or night, light or dark.

She was her own worst enemy.

Jake wouldn’t have to ask her for a darn thing. Just to be near him like this, if only to know the sweetness of his touch for a few seconds, she’d give up everything.

Obviously hearing her secret admission, Nice Sophie came completely awake inside of her and started yelling at her to protect herself from being hurt any worse than she already was. Nice tried to remind her of the pain she’d felt for two long months, tried to hold out those truths she’d made herself face the day before.

But Naughty Sophie, the part of her that had clearly been held down for way too long, wanted to go back to that place where Jake had been touching her, teasing her, taking her to heaven and back. She’d be careful this time. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to blurt out her love for him—or even to admit that she felt it—no matter how good he made her feel.

Of course, when Jake softly blew the hair away from her neck and pressed his lips to the sensitive skin there, it was inevitable that Naughty would win the battle over Nice. Rather than trying to fight it, knowing it was pointless to even try to pretend she didn’t want to be his lover for the next seven days, Sophie did what came naturally and arched her neck to give his mouth better access.

His low groan of pleasure rumbled from his chest to hers as he pulled her hips even more tightly against his, his hand never leaving her stomach. His tongue slid over her exposed neck and she shivered at the delicious sensation of being tasted. Savored. And when he blew over her damp skin, she felt the tips of her br**sts become sharp points of need. Her br**sts were more sensitive now, probably due to her pregnancy. And, oh, how she wanted his hand to move those few inches, up from her waist.

But then his mouth was back on her neck, nipping at her skin, causing a trail of thrill bumps in its wake before latching onto her earlobe, and the breath Sophie hadn’t realized she’d been holding whooshed from her chest as his teeth bore down on the soft flesh.

More ready for sex that she’d ever been in her life, she instinctively pressed her hips into his erection, trying to widen her legs for him, so that he could take her. But his thigh between hers held her captive.

“Jake,” she pleaded, barely awake and already begging.

“Shhh,” he soothed, and she might have pressed her case for quick and fast if not for the fact that he finally started moving his hand.

Sophie went completely still, not wanting to do anything that would make him stop the sinfully slow press of his fingertips over her belly button and then her lowest ribs. But even as she tried to hold still, she could feel herself trembling.

How long had she dreamed of Jake touching her like this? Like she was the most precious thing in his world? Like he’d never let anything hurt her? Like he’d slay all her dragons just for one more moment with her?

As his fingers skimmed over her skin, it didn’t matter that Nice Sophie was screaming at her to know better, to wake up and face reality. Naughty Sophie promised that reality could wait, and it would have to, because there was no way she could leave Jake’s arms now, not when he was so close to touching her—

His hand stilled just below the swell of her br**sts and she nearly groaned with disappointment.

“Soon,” he promised her, and the wicked intent in his voice—along with the shocking tenderness of his promise, had her toes curling against the tops of his feet.

Her breath came fast as he rained more kisses and soft little bites down from her ear, over her neck, then across her raised shoulder. She could have sworn his erection was actually throbbing against her back by that point, that he was teasing himself just as much as her, but his own clear desire for her didn’t make him move any faster. If he kissed his way up and down her body like this he would drive her nearly insane...every press of his lips on her skin taking her closer to the peak, but never all the way there.

At long last, his fingers recommenced their erotic journey, lightly brushing over the curve of both br**sts until his hand was in position to touch both at once. The taut peaks ached from the slightest touch of his palm and she arched into his touch to try to get him to take more from her.

Everything. Jake could have everything from her in this moment. It didn’t matter what it was, she would give it to him, just as long as he made good on his promise of pleasure.

“So soft.” He cupped one breast in his hands, so gently she gasped at the sensation of his slightly rough skin against her. And then he was pressing his mouth into the curve where her shoulder met her neck and her gasp turned back into more begging she couldn’t control.

“Please, Jake.”

From the way she couldn’t stop her hips from rocking into his, he had to know what she wanted. Just to be taken like this, while he was holding her and she was in the sweetest heaven anyone had ever known.

But when her begging didn’t get her any closer to her goal, Sophie realized Jake would always be in control when they were together like this. The thought shocked her, but not as much as the realization that she loved it.

And oh, to be his princess, if only for a little while in his arms like this...even her Nice inner voice had no choice but to go quiet. A moment later, even the newly unmuzzled Naughty voice was silenced as Jake’s tongue slid against her skin again, moving slowly down her spine just as he shifted his hand to fill his palm with her other breast and slowly pressed his thumb and forefinger over one taut peak.