Page 14 of Echoes of a Southern Song

He rips open the package and quickly rolls on the condom. He drops onto the bed and pushes my legs open. I watch as he positions himself between my legs. His eyes lock onto mine as he slowly pushes inside me. He thrusts deep, filling me completely. I gasp at the sensation.

Jack’s hips move steadily in a rhythmic motion, his skin sliding against mine with each pass. I tilt my head back, letting out small moans as our bodies move in sync. His hands grip my hips tightly, guiding me up to meet his thrusts. It feels so good, yet it feels like we’ve only just begun.

I reach up and run my fingers through his hair, urging him to go deeper. He responds by pushing in even further until I can feel him at my deepest core. I cry out as the sensation overwhelms me, my body arching off the bed under the force of this newfound pleasure.

He pulls out, shocking me with the absence of him. “Roll over,” he mutters.

I do as he says, my heart racing as I feel vulnerable with my back turned toward him. His hands grip my hips, pulling me to my knees. Steadying himself behind me, he nudges my legs apart further before pressing his hardness against my entrance once more.

He thrusts deeply into me, his hot breath brushing over my back. It sends shivers down my spine as his movements grow more assertive. One hand moves up to grip my breast roughly, rolling the nipple between his fingers as if claiming it as his own.

I cry out, lost in the sensation of being taken from behind like this. It’s primal and possessive. Jack pumps into me relentlessly, his hips snapping against mine in a rhythm that is punishing in the best way. He bends down his nibbles on my shoulder. Pleasure dominates every thought. It is beyond intense. Jack’s thrusts become even deeper and harder as he senses it too. His fingers dig painfully into my flesh as he holds on tight for the ride.

And then it hits me, like a wave crashing against the shore—a powerful orgasm that ripples through my body from head to toe. I let out a long moan as every muscle in my body tenses up around him. Jack lets out a groan of satisfaction before following me over the edge into blissful oblivion.

He pulls out and walks into the bathroom without a word. I climb under the blanket, swirling with mixed emotions. It was amazing sex. I can’t deny it, but it felt different.

The way his hands gripped my hips just a little too tight, the way his kisses landed with more hunger than heat. Like he’s chasing something instead of savoring it. Like he’s trying to prove something.

He comes out of the bathroom and looks at me. “Want me to go?” he asks.

“No. Come to bed.”

He climbs in beside me and pulls me against him. His gaze is on the ceiling. I can tell there is something on his mind.

“You okay?” I ask, rolling onto my side to face him.

“Yeah.” He blinks, like he’s coming back from somewhere far away. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

His fingers still. “Sam.”

The name lands between us like a stone.

“That’s...odd.”

He smirks. “Not like that.”

“What about him?”

Jack exhales through his nose. “Just wondering what he’s like. What he could possibly want from you. Is he going to make a move?”

I reach for his hand, lacing our fingers together. “Jack, listen to me. There is nothing between me and Sam. He left. He’s gone. The only reason he’s back now is because he wants something, and it’s not me. He can beg and plead and it won’t matter. There’s nothing I want from him. We’re over.”

Jack studies our joined hands, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Does it bother you to be with me knowing I’m legally married?” I ask.

Jack’s eyes meet mine. “Does it bother me? Yeah, a little. But not because of you. Because of him. Because he’s out there somewhere, still connected to you in a way that makes me feel like I’m trespassing. But, Jinnie, I know you. I know your heart isn’t his anymore.”

There’s still a flicker of doubt in the back of my mind—not about Jack, but about how this whole mess might play out.

“What if he tries to complicate things?” I ask quietly, my fingers tightening around his. “What if he shows up and makes demands or tries to mess with you?”

Jack’s jaw tightens for a moment, but then he smiles—a crooked, confident smile that makes my stomach flip. “Let him try.” He chuckles softly. “I’ve dealt with worse than some guy who couldn’t see what he had when he had it.”

I lean in, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “That’s what was bothering you tonight, huh?”

A half-shrug. “Part of it.”

I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. Instead, he pulls me closer, his arms wrapping around me in a hold that feels more possessive than protective.

We settle into silence, the only sound Max’s soft purring from the foot of the bed. Jack’s breathing evens out eventually, his grip loosening as sleep takes him.

But I lie awake, staring at the shadows dancing across the ceiling.

Something’s still off.