Read Online Rising from the Ashes by Jessica Prince - Free Book Online Page B

killed me to do it, I’d walked away from him for a second time.
    I didn’t have the strength to do it a third time. “Jeremy, I can’t do this,” I whispered as tears welled up in my eyes.
    I tried to shove him away, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. When he grabbed my hands and held them to his chest, even more of my resolve crumbled. I could feel his strong muscles through the thin cotton of his T-shirt, and all I wanted to do was slide my palms across those hard ridges.
    I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. When I glanced back up, Jeremy was smiling down at me. I couldn’t understand how he could be smiling when I felt like my world was crumbling around me…again.
    “You’re not getting away this time, sugar,” he replied.
    His mouth came back down on mine, and he kissed me like he owned me—and damn, if I didn’t want him to in that moment.
    Just as quickly as the kiss had started, it ended. Jeremy pulled away and began heading for the front door, leaving me in a quivering pile of limbs.
    “Where are you going?” I hated the shakiness in my voice, but there was no controlling it.
    Jeremy had just ripped my walls down, and pretending to be unaffected was impossible.
    “I’m going home,” he replied with a nonchalance that had me wanting to smack him and climb him like a tree all at the same time.
    “ What? ” I squeaked. “Why?”
    He turned to face me and crossed those strong arms across that even stronger chest. I felt my face heating up as images of what we could have been doing right then—had he not walked away—played on fast-forward through my head.
    Yeah, I was totally affected. And it was driving me crazy that he seemed so casual. I wanted him to be panting and as hot for me as I was for him.
    He squeezed his eyes closed and gave his head an irritated shake, and I was finally able to see that he wanted me too. I breathed a sigh of relief that the feeling was mutual.
    “You made it clear that you thought all I was looking for was sex, so I’m leaving to prove you wrong. I’m gonna head home, take a cold-ass shower, and maybe jerk off once or twice.”
    My jaw dropped. He was just as affected as I was. Then why was he leaving?
    “But…you said…”
    “I know what I said, and I meant every word of it.”
    Oh, thank God.
    “But,” he continued, and my hopes for him staying deflated a little, “that being said, for the past seven years, I let you control how things went between us whether I agreed with them or not.”
    I opened my mouth to interrupt him, but he held up his hand and cut me off.
    “I wasn’t lying when I said I wasn’t letting you go this time. But from here on out, we’re doing this my way.”
    I felt my hackles rising again. “Excuse me?”
    He shot a smile at me that had my knees quaking. “Now, don’t start the attitude again. It won’t change a damn thing.”
    I let out a huff and narrowed my eyes at him.
    “There’s no doubt in my mind that you want me just as badly as I want you, and sugar, you gotta know I love that. But I’m done letting you dictate how things are going to be between us. It’s my turn now.”
    I felt the effect of his words deep in my gut. This unexpected dominant side of Jeremy was new to me. And it was Totally. Freaking. Hot!
    I was contemplating tackling him to the ground and ripping off his clothes when he turned and started for the door again.
    Once he got it open, he looked back and gave me a wink over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, sugar. I won’t make you beg me to get in your panties too much.”
    Oh hell, I’m so screwed!

Sleep did not come easy that night. I spent hours tossing and turning, replaying every kiss and every word out of Jeremy’s mouth. I was a bundle of nervous energy, bouncing between wanting him and knowing it wasn’t a good idea.
    I lay there, staring at the ceiling while my heart and my brain battled it out over what I should do. After hours of constant back and forth, I finally