“But?”
“But I knew this was a part of him when I married him,” she said softly. “I sensed it was a part he wouldn’t be able to leave behind him. ”
Admitting that to herself was something that had been hard for Keiley to do over the past few days. Looking into herself and seeing that she had known this path was coming, whether she let herself realize it or not, hadn’t been easy.
“You’re too good for this. ”
Keiley could hear the anger in his voice. Like Mac, he hid it well. It came out as a gruff rasp that could have been many other emotions. But it was anger. Anger and self-disgust.
“Don’t fool yourself. ” She tossed the cloth in the sink before turning back to him and staring him squarely in the eye. “And don’t turn this into something it isn’t. I’m not the delicate fairy Mac keeps wanting to see me as. I have my own needs as well, Jethro, and I’m not above admitting to them. I don’t know if it’s Mac’s hungers that make me wild, or merely my own in the face of his acceptance. Whatever the reason, I’m not going to lash into myself or Mac over it. And I’m definitely not going to blame you. I’ve never walked the same path other people found comfortable and I’m not going to start now. ”
“That’s not exactly true,” he pointed out with an edge of humor. “You’re not known for being a wild card, Keiley. You wouldn’t have the solid reputation you have in business if that were the truth. ”
Keiley shrugged off the compliment. “It doesn’t change the truth. I’ve known this was coming. Just as I knew it would be you he chose when he brought someone else to our bed. ”
“And you knew that how?”
She saw the frown, saw the edge of anger in his eyes, but she saw something in him that she had seen in Mac when she first met him. He was as lost inside as Mac had been.
“Because you’re like a brother to him,” she said gently. “He’s missed you these last three years. Missed working with you. Missed sparring with you. Mac doesn’t trust many people, you know. ”
Jethro shifted uncomfortably then. “Yeah. I know that. ”
“And neither do you,” she pointed out. “I’ve stood between the two of you for three years as I’ve tried to find my own footing with Mac and who and what I am within our marriage. I can’t be the good girl all the time. I wanted to be. I thought I could be. ”
“You married a man who lets you be free,” he stated.
“Maybe too free. ” She shook her head at the thought. “Whatever the reason, Jethro, don’t think I’m being coerced into what happened. I accept who and what I am. That’s something you’d better do as well. I’d prefer you called me a whore than to blame Mac for something he didn’t initiate. ”
“Never say that again,” Jethro suddenly snarled, moving quickly across the room, reaching for her and jerking her into his arms as he glowered down at her, angry flames licking in his blue eyes. “Never say that word in reference to yourself again or so help me, I’ll paddle your ass in a way that you won’t soon forget. ”
17
Keiley stared back at Jethro in shock. His arms were tight around her, holding her flush against his hard body, his erection pressing demandingly into her stomach.
And she was aroused. Panic began to consume her. Mac wasn’t here, and Jethro was holding her. His fingers were digging into her hair, jerking her head back, his head descending, and Mac wasn’t here.
She whimpered in distress, her fingers curling against his chest as his lips covered hers. Covered them. Possessed them. Rocking the foundations of her belief that she only gained pleasure from this because of Mac’s pleasure. That it wouldn’t happen without his presence. That it wasn’t disloyal. That it wasn’t Jethro.
Sensation swamped her as he forced her lips to part, as he dragged her closer, lifted her, and pressed her tightly against the wall.
Lust tore through her. Her hands were suddenly gripping his neck as his hand lifted her leg, wrapping it around his hips before his fingers moved between her thighs.
It was happening so fast. Too fast to stop it. Too fast to control it. Jethro’s lips slanted over hers as a rough male groan of hunger shook her to her core and vibrated through her with an answering passion.
She should be pushing him away, but she was holding on to him, crying out into the kiss as she felt his fingers rubbing over the silk that covered her sex. Imperative, desperate fingers that pulled at the material until they revealed the silky heat blooming between her thighs.
A second later they were filling her.
Keiley arched, screaming into his kiss as she felt the impalement. Her muscles locked around the two fingers inside her, her hips arching, riding the incredible pleasure he was stroking into her as his lips traveled down her neck.
Questing. Commanding. He refused to ask for permission. He was demanding her response and receiving it, and she was helpless beneath it.
Helplessly, agonizingly responding to the hard thrusts inside her quaking center as her juices began to flow in demand.
As he pushed her past reason with the invasion the other hand tore at the bodice of her breasts, popping buttons, revealing her bare breasts and the hard nipples standing out like beacons of lust.
“God, I can’t touch you enough,” he bit out against one swollen mound. “I can’t fuck you enough. Can’t kiss you enough. ”