Page 343 of Romeo

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “King checked. None of our people know where we are. And there is nothin’ indicatin’ that anyone knows who you are.” I reached over and took her hand, rubbing my thumb across Granny’s ring. “And before you ask, no, that doesn’t mean the SUV wasn’t Sylvia, but we have nothin’ to tell us it was.”

Fiona watched me for a moment, then nodded slowly. “So yesterday scared us, and now there’s nothing we can actually do with it.”

“Pretty much.”

She looked toward the window, where the bayou stretched beyond the porch in quiet layers of green and black. “Then I don’t want to spend the time we’re here staring at the water waiting for somebody who may not even exist.”

Something inside my chest loosened.

“Good,” I said, sliding closer until our shoulders touched. “Because I had much better plans for disappearin’ into the swamp with my wife.”

That finally brought a smile to her face.

Though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. I could see the tension still coiled in her shoulders, the way her fingers twisted together in her lap even as she tried to relax. The fear hadn’t left her. It had just gone quiet for a moment, waiting beneath the surface.

I couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand seeing her carry that weight when I’d do anything—fucking anything—to take it from her.

My hand moved to her face, cupping her jaw, thumb brushing across her cheekbone. Her skin was soft, warm, and I felt her lean into the touch instinctively. That small gesture—that unconscious trust—hit me harder than any punch I’d ever taken.

She trusted me to keep her safe. Trusted me to stand between her and whatever darkness came hunting. And I would. I’d burn the whole goddamn world down before I let anyone hurt her.

“You’re still scared,” I said quietly.

She didn’t deny it. That was one of the things I loved about Fiona. She didn’t hide from the truth, even when it was ugly. “A little.”

“I know.” I leaned in, pressing my forehead against hers, breathing her in. She smelled like the soap from the cabin, something clean and simple, and underneath that was just her. The scent that belonged to Fiona alone, the one that made something primal in me settle and ignite at the same time. “Let me take it away for a while.”

Her breath hitched. “Jasper...”

“Let me make you forget everythin’ except this.” I kissed her softly, just a brush of lips, a promise. “Let me remind you that you’re safe. That I’ve got you. That nothin’s gonna touch you while I’m breathin’.”

When I pulled back, her eyes had darkened, pupils dilating with something that wasn’t fear anymore. Want. Need. The same thing that burned through my veins every time I looked at her.

I stood, pulling her up with me, and she came willingly. My hands went to her waist, sliding under the hem of her shirt, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my palms. She shivered, and I felt it echo through my entire body.

Slowly, so fucking slowly it nearly killed me, I lifted her shirt up and over her head. She raised her arms to help, and then she was standing in front of me in just her bra and jeans, her hair falling around her shoulders, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

Beautiful. She was so goddamn beautiful it hurt to look at her sometimes.

I traced my fingers along her collarbone, down between her breasts, watching goosebumps rise in the wake of my touch. “You have any idea what you do to me?” I asked, my voice rough. “How fuckin’ crazy you make me?”

“Show me,” she whispered.

Christ.

I reached behind her, unclasping her bra with practiced ease, and slid the straps down her arms. The fabric fell away, and I took a moment just to look at her. Her breasts were perfect, nipples already hardening in the cool air of the cabin, and I wanted to taste every inch of her.

But I forced myself to go slow. This wasn’t about taking. This was about giving. About showing her with my hands and my mouth and my body that she was cherished. Protected. Loved in a way that went beyond words.

I cupped her breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples, and she gasped, her head falling back. I leaned in, pressing kisses along her throat, feeling her pulse racing beneath my lips. She was alive, warm, here with me, and that knowledge settled something dark and desperate in my chest.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured against her skin. “Always got you, baby.”

My hands moved to the button of her jeans, and I worked it open, sliding the zipper down slowly. She helped me push them down her hips, stepping out of them along with her panties, and then she was naked in front of me, vulnerable and trusting and so fucking perfect I could barely breathe.

I guided her back to the couch, easing her down onto the cushions. She looked up at me, her silver eyes wide and dark with desire, and I had to take a moment to steady myself. The need to bury myself inside her was overwhelming, but I pushed it down. This wasn’t about me. This was about her.

I knelt between her legs, spreading them gently, her breath coming faster now. I could see how wet she was, her pussy glistening, and my mouth watered. I wanted to taste her, wanted to make her come on my tongue until she forgot her own name.