“Fuck that.” She’s pissed now, her cheeks flushed with anger, her blue eyes burning with fire.

Good.

I prowl around the room as I peel off my vest and throw it on a chair.

“You’ve been in a pisser of a mood since you picked me up, and then you insulted both Max and me up on that balcony. What the fuck, Zack? Did you think we were planning a secret time to screw each other’s brains out and laughing about it?”

The thought of it sends me into a rage. I advance on her and take her shoulders in my hands and push her up against the wall, caging her. I’m breathing hard as I take in her gorgeous face, her hair, and I know I’m a fucking bastard for what I’m about to say.

“I know I’m not fucking good enough for you, Jillian. I get it. You deserve so much better than the likes of me. I’m just a broken soldier with a kid and a fucking bitch of an ex-wife, but God damn it, you’re mine. I’m not letting you go back to LA.”

Her mouth opens and closes and her brow furrows in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know that I can’t just run out and spoil you with all of those fancy things you love. We’re simple here, Jill. And I’m okay with that, but I see it eating at you. I heard you say that you miss LA.”

She pushes on my chest, and begins to pace the room when I back away from her, giving her space. The loss of her heat against me is painful.

“You think I want to move back to LA so I can go shopping?” she asks incredulously.

“I think—”

“You’re a fucking idiot, Zack King.” She props her hands on her hips and glares at me. “I’ve made it pretty clear that I want to be here, with you. So if that’s not what you want, you need to say so now and stop playing these damn games with me.”

“It’s not a damn game!” I pull her to me again, plant my hands on her ass, and lift her, wrapping her legs around my waist, then brace her against the wall so I can look into her eyes.

“Just tell me what’s happening! Talk to me!”

I brush my fingers down her smooth face and then bury my face in her neck, holding on tight.

“Kensie called today,” I murmur softly. Jill stills and I can feel her pulse speed up.

“What did she want?” Her voice is low and hard.

“Seth.” I pull back and meet her gaze with mine. “She says things didn’t work out with the fucker she was with and she misses Seth.”

“Fuck that!” Jill’s lips peel back from her teeth, and I swear to God, she snarls. “She’ll never touch him again.”

“I told her that she couldn’t have him and she’d best not set one foot on my property or she’d land her ass in jail.”

Jill cups my face in her hands. “Is this what had you so upset?”

“I can’t have her make Seth’s life any more difficult than she already has.”

“She can’t. She gave up custody. Right?”

“Yeah, I have full custody. She didn’t even ask for visitation. In the court’s eyes, she abandoned him.”

Jill’s nodding and pushes her fingers into my hair. “You have all the power here, babe.”

I nod and rest my forehead on Jill’s, drawing strength from her. Jesus, she’s so fucking strong.

“Now, about the rest of it. Why in the bloody hell would you think I’d want to move back to LA?”

“You deserve nice things, Jill. You deserve—”

“I deserve you. And Seth. And even that silly dog of yours. I don’t want LA. I left there for a reason, Zack.”

I sigh, knowing I’ve fucked up. “It was a motherfucker of a day, sugar. Between the lack of sleep last night, that call, the fireworks, seeing you in Max’s arms . . .”

Jill throws her head back and laughs. “In Max’s arms? He hugged me, Zack. That happens sometimes.”

“He had his hands on you.”

“That happens when a person hugs you.”

“I didn’t like it,” I growl.

I turn with Jill in my arms, cross to the bed, and crawl onto it with her still clinging to me. I kneel between her legs and tug her expensive shoes off her feet, and toss them on the side of the bed as she pulls her shirt over her head.

“I think I should remind you who you belong to, sugar.”

“Is that so?” She cocks a brow and pulls at the hem of my shirt until I tug it over my head and toss it aside. Her hands glide over my stomach and to the button on my jeans.

I peel her sexy jeans down her legs and take in the sight of her lying on the bed in a sexy lacy bra and matching panties, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

“Holy fuck, Jill.”

“Back at you, soldier.” Her eyes are taking in my torso, my shoulders. “Take your pants off.”

“Not yet,” I reply and cover her sex with my hand. She hisses in a breath and stares up at me with wide eyes as I yank her panties down her hips and legs, toss them aside, spread her legs, and look my fill. “Do you know how gorgeous your pussy is, sugar?” I scoot down to my belly, shoulder between her thighs, and run one finger through her already wet folds. “God, it’s so beautiful. Pink. Puffy.” I raise her clitoral hood with my thumb and blow on her clit and grin wickedly when it swells. “So fucking responsive.”

“Zack,” she whimpers.

“That’s right, Jilly. Mine.” I lean in and lick her, from her opening to her clit and back down again. “This is mine.”

I push two fingers inside her and press my tongue to her clit, barely moving it back and forth to give her just a tiny bit of friction. Her hips buck and she grips my hair in her strong hands.

“Oh my God!”

“Whose pussy is this, Jilly?” My fingertips brush over that rough sweet spot and I feel her tighten around me like a fist. My cock twitches in anticipation, throbbing with want for her. “Tell me, baby.”

“Yours,” she whispers and moves her hips, trying desperately to make me increase the friction against her clit, but I pull back.

“Say it again, Jill.”

“Yours,” she repeats, stronger now.

I wrap my lips around her clit and pull gently, and my fingers increase speed, fucking her harder. “Again.”

“Yours!”

“Fucking right,” I growl and then pull on her clit again until she comes violently, bucking and trembling, panting, chanting my name.