Fragments (The Broken Series Book 2) Read online

He freed my hands and turned his attention to my other breast, nipping at the sensitive nipple.

  I yanked at his T-shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine.

  He laughed at my desperation and helped me peel off his shirt. I pulled him down onto me, feeling his hard chest against my sensitive nipples. I reached behind his back and raked my nails along his skin.

  He buried his mouth against my neck and groaned. “I want you so much,” he said.

  My hands went to the zipper of his jeans. My eyes had now become fully adjusted to the dim light, and the light of the crescent moon and stars shining down on us was just bright enough for me to see the contours of Jack’s body.

  I licked my lips as Jack stood up and removed his jeans. I missed feeling the weight of him on me and was desperate to feel his hard body pressing into mine. But he didn’t resume the same position. Instead, he kneeled in front of me, beside the sofa, and reached up to pull off my jeans slowly. Inch by inch, the material peeled back over my legs, and he stared into my eyes.

  I couldn’t wait for him to touch me again.

  He looped his hands around the elastic of my lace panties and started to lower them. My pulse spiked. When he’d removed my underwear, his eyes raked over my body, and it was all I could do to stop myself covering myself with my hands. I was embarrassed, but I was also incredibly turned on.

  He moved forward, slowly like a predator, until his head was between my legs, and I could feel his breath on the most intimate part of my body. He propped my leg over his shoulder pushing my thighs open.

  “I can see how wet you are. Christ, that is so sexy.”

  My cheeks burned scarlet. I wanted this so much, but I wasn’t used to this dirty talk.

  My fists clenched at my sides as I fought against my need to cover myself.

  He noticed my discomfort. “Relax, Kristina. Do you want me to stop?”

  I shook my head frantically. That was the last thing I wanted.

  He gave me a smile that sent butterflies shooting around my stomach.

  “I want to taste you,” he said.

  Holy crap.

  “Uh, what if someone comes in? Someone could hear us.”

  “No one ever comes up here. Just relax. No one will hear.”

  As soon as his mouth touched me, I forgot all about the possibility of someone overhearing us. My hips bucked as his tongue delved between my folds. My fingers tangled in his hair. “Oh. My. God.”

  I moaned as he slid a finger inside me. His tongue lightly flickered over the sensitive spot between my legs, driving me crazy. He kept up the pace, but held back just enough to keep me on the edge.

  My whole body was humming with need.

  As he moved his finger in and out and circled my clit with his tongue, the firm pressure sent pleasurable waves through me. I couldn’t take much more.

  “Come for me, baby,” he said, and the deep vibrations of his voice sent me over the edge.

  He slipped a second finger inside me as my body arched. I felt my internal walls clench around his fingers as the waves of my orgasm overtook me.

  I closed my eyes as the last waves ebbed through me, leaving me limp and exhausted.

  “That was amazing,” I murmured sleepily.

  I felt the cushions of the sofa shift as he climbed over me. “It’s not over yet,”

  I inhaled a sharp breath of surprise when I felt the tip of his erection between my legs.

  I grinned up at him as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

  He held himself above me for a moment, staring into my eyes. “I’m glad you came back.”

  Before I could answer he kissed me deeply, and I felt him move between my legs, pushing against my inner thighs as the thick length of him entered me.

  I was so wet that he entered me easily, despite his size.

  “You feel so sweet and tight,” he said, with a husky rasp to his voice.

  My nails dug into his back as he plunged deeper into me. With each thrust, I could feel the familiar sensation building. I bucked my hips to meet each thrust.

  “Faster.”

  He groaned as he crushed his lips to mine and thrust into me harder and faster.

  “Oh, yes,” I moaned as he lowered his head to suck on my nipples.

  It tipped me over the edge, and I cried out as my inner walls clenched, and I felt myself tighten around him. I couldn’t believe I was going to come again in such a short amount of time.

  I clutched him to me and ground my hips into him as my orgasm ripped through my body.

  “Kristina,” he groaned, and his whole body stiffened as he spilled his seed deep inside me.

  Afterwards, he laid on top of me for a moment before shifting his weight and propping himself up on one elbow.

  He smiled at me and stroked my face tenderly, and I felt my stupid heart flip flop in my chest.

  In the past, it wouldn’t have been easy for me to leave Jack Harding, but I had a feeling that it would be impossible now.

  3

  The following morning I got up early to unpack. I had dumped the entire contents of my suitcase onto the bed and was putting my clothes back on hangers when I thought I heard angry voices.

  I paused for a moment, but heard nothing except birds singing outside.

  Shrugging to myself, I picked up the thin, white bra I wore yesterday and put it in the washing basket. I blushed as I remembered Jack’s fingers peeling back the delicate straps last night.

  I bit my lip and wondered if things would be awkward today. It wasn’t going to be easy trying to act normally around Brian and Olga. Especially Brian. He was pretty perceptive when it came to Jack.

  I took a deep breath and ordered myself to focus. I would never get finished at this rate.

  I hated packing and unpacking. I’d never been any good at it. For my trip out here, Kate had insisted on helping me pack, showing me carefully how to roll certain things so they wouldn’t get too creased. But I hadn’t paid much attention, and I’d been in such a hurry the day before that I just crammed everything into my case.

  As I began to fold my favorite sweatshirt, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I walked towards the large window and looked out. Lauren and Alexander were standing on the patio. I couldn’t hear what they were saying from this distance, but it looked like an intense conversation.

  Alexander towered over Lauren. He seemed to be very agitated, so feeling protective towards my friend, I leaned forward so I could see better.

  But Lauren appeared to be holding her own in this conversation. She was angrily gesturing at Alexander, and when Lauren finally seemed to run out of steam, Alexander put a hand on her shoulder, but she wrenched herself free and turned away from him.

  I moved closer to the window – so close my breath steamed up the glass – but I couldn’t hear anything other than some very muffled curses coming from Alexander.

  I opened the sash window a little further, hoping it wouldn’t creak and alert them to the fact I was eavesdropping. I didn’t feel good about spying on them, but… dammit. He had better not be making her cry!

  After a moment, Alexander spun around and stalked back towards the house. I let out the breath I’d been holding.

  Jeez, what on earth was going on with those two?

  I was really worried about Lauren. Alexander had always been very courteous to me. He seemed polite and helpful, but a little uptight, and I didn’t exactly think Alexander was a fun-loving kind of guy. Would someone like him really make Lauren happy?

  Maybe this was just a quick fling between them. But then why was she so mad at him? It was none of my business, but I just didn’t want her to get hurt. Alexander didn’t really strike me as the steady boyfriend type.

  I smiled and shook my head. Who was I kidding? I, of all people, knew you couldn’t control who you fell for.

  I watched Lauren, with her shoulders slumped and head down, walk back towards the house.

  When I lost sight of Lauren, I turned away
and stuffed the last few items of clothing into the oak chest of drawers, smiling as I imagined the look of horror on Kate’s face if she could have seen my method of unpacking.

  I shoved the overstuffed drawer closed on my second attempt after poking back an overhanging, crumpled T-shirt. Then I stood up. It was time to face Jack.

  I couldn’t put it off forever.

  I took my time walking downstairs, willing myself to relax. I inhaled a deep breath before I entered Jack’s wing. Inside, I paused in the sitting area. There was no one there, but I could hear noises coming from his bedroom.

  I glanced at my watch. It would be time for Jack’s workout with Brian.

  I cautiously poked my head around the bedroom door.

  “Hi,” I said shyly.

  I’d planned on trying to read Brian and Olga’s reactions. I wasn’t sure whether they would be angry with me or curious as to why I wasn’t around yesterday, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Jack.

  He winked at me and grinned. “Hi.”

  I flushed beet red. I was pretty sure that Brian and Olga must know exactly what was going on between me and Jack. I mean, it didn’t take psychic powers to interpret my scarlet face.

  I turned to look at Brian. He was selecting the next kettle bell for Jack, and he hadn’t seemed to notice my embarrassment. Olga, who was setting up the massage table, definitely had noticed something.

  She tilted her head to the side “Are you okay, Kristina? I was worried about you. We didn’t know where you were yesterday.”

  My mouth felt dry as I swallowed. “I’m fine,” I said and smiled a little nervously. “Does anyone want anything to drink,” I said, desperate to change the subject. “I’m going to make tea.”

  Jack asked for a glass of water, and Olga said she would love a cup of tea, so I rushed back to the kitchen area, grateful for the reprieve.

  I reached up for the tea caddy. This morning was going to be harder than I expected. Why couldn’t I be more relaxed? What went on between Jack and me wasn’t anyone else’s business. No one else had any reason to pry.

  “Do you need any help?”

  I jumped, scattering loose tea everywhere.

  Olga was right behind me, looking at me curiously.

  I scooped up the tea with my hands and dumped the spilt tea leaves in the bin.

  “Are you okay, Kristina? You seem really jumpy.”

  “I’m fine,” I said again, staring at the contents of the tea caddy. “I didn’t spill that much.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” She put a hand on my shoulder. “Where were you yesterday?”

  I shrugged. “I just needed a break.”

  That wasn’t exactly a lie.

  Olga nodded slowly. “I know what it’s like to be in a foreign country far away from your family and friends. If you need anyone to talk to, I’m here for you.”

  I picked up the kettle and carried it over to the sink. “Thanks. I appreciate that. But honestly, I’m okay.”

  I turned on the tap to fill the kettle. I knew she was waiting for more from me, but she wasn’t going to get it. I didn’t think Olga wanted to gossip. I thought she really was concerned for me and wanted to help, but I wasn’t ready to confide in anyone just yet. I wasn’t sure I understood these crazy feelings I had for Jack, so I didn’t have a chance of explaining how I felt to someone else.

  4

  That afternoon and the rest of the week passed much the same as usual. So much had changed, and yet everything seemed to remain the same – except for the awesome sex, of course. I didn’t think I would ever get tired of that.

  I had expected things to be different now. I’m not sure what I’d hoped for. Perhaps I wanted Jack to talk to me and share his problems, but that didn’t happen. His moods were still like roller coasters. One moment he would be teasing and flirting, and in the next instant, he would be brooding and impatient.

  I knew he was trying to work through his demons, though, and when Brian was fooling around, Jack would grin and go along with the joke.

  But he couldn’t hide the sadness in his eyes. I hated it. I wished I could do something more to help him.

  The fact that Monaco was preparing for the forthcoming Formula One Grand Prix certainly didn’t help. It was everywhere. Every single news bulletin on the TV seemed to feature stories about the upcoming race. It was all over the Internet and the newspapers. There was no escape.

  Jack seemed to have a morbid desire to read and watch everything he could about the race. I suppose that was understandable, but it made him even more miserable, as if this just served to remind him exactly what he had lost after the accident.

  One day after lunch, we had decided to watch a film, and I was about to connect up the iPad when a news bulletin came in from a local TV station. Plastered across the screen was Carlos Dalton’s smug face. I hated him. He was Jack’s most bitter rival, and he had run Jack off the road, causing his near fatal accident.

  “Dammit,” I mumbled under my breath and reached for the remote control to change the channel.

  Maria had already started to hide the sports papers from Jack. I knew that because they mysteriously never arrived with the rest of the papers at Jack’s wing. I didn’t think Jack had noticed. He hadn’t mentioned it.

  As I reached for the remote control to change the channel, Jack made a grab for it.

  “Don’t turn it off. I want to listen to it,” he said.

  I handed him the remote control. “I don’t know why. It only makes you more depressed.”

  “That’s up to me,” he snapped. “And you can tell Maria that I’ve noticed the sports pages from the papers have gone missing. I’m not a complete idiot. If I don’t have the newspapers tomorrow morning, she’s going to be looking for another job.”

  I put my hands on my hips. Sometimes he really pissed me off. “Hey, we’re only looking out for you,” I said. “Maria only wants to make you happy. No one wants to see you upset.”

  Jack frowned. “I don’t need protecting from this or anything else. I’m getting kinda sick of you all treating me like a child, something you want to wrap up and protect from the outside world.”

  “Perhaps if you didn’t act like a petulant baby every time you see the news, we wouldn’t have to do it!”

  Jack’s head snapped around, and he looked so furious that I took a step back. But he didn’t say anything else. He just lifted the remote control and raised the volume.

  On the screen, the TV station was running footage of last year’s race. I recognized the silver and white colors of Jack’s old car. I swallowed and felt my eyes tear up. The footage was on lap fifteen. The lap that Jack had crashed.

  I didn’t know how he could watch this, but I knew I couldn’t wait for what was going to happen next. I raced past him, through the sitting area and didn’t slow down until I was in the main part of the house. I closed the door behind me and walked slowly to the kitchen. I would have to tell Maria our plan to protect Jack hadn’t worked, and that she shouldn’t stop Jack’s newspapers anymore.

  I just didn’t understand why he wanted to do this to himself. Why did he insist on torturing himself by reliving last year’s accident at the Monaco Grand Prix all over again?

  I found Maria leaning over the stainless steel counter in the kitchen, kneading some pastry.

  She smiled brightly when she saw me, but her smile faded when she saw the look on my face.

  “What’s wrong, Kristina?”

  “Jack,” I said bluntly. “He’s not pleased with the fact we have been trying to protect him. He wants the newspapers delivered as normal tomorrow.”

  Maria frowned and then shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you think it’s unhealthy for Jack to dwell on this year’s race?”

  “He’s an adult,” Maria said, pounding the pastry in front of her. “It’s his choice. Perhaps it’s better for him to confront the issue rather than pretend it doesn’t exist.”r />
  I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “Do you really think so?”

  She nodded. “It has been a year. Maybe it’s time for him to move on and perhaps following the race news is his way of doing that. It doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for him.”

  I nodded slowly. What Maria said did make sense. Perhaps it was actually a good thing that Jack wanted to face up to what had happened last year.”

  “Can you pass me that?” Maria nodded to a huge wooden rolling pin on the counter beside me.

  I lifted up the rolling pin and set it down beside the ball of pastry.

  “What are you making?”

  “The base for a lemon tart, for tonight’s dinner.”

  I grinned. “Sounds delicious.”

  I had definitely been spoiled while I’d been in Monaco. Almost every meal had been prepared and cooked for me and everything had been delicious. I’d never been much of a cook. Now and again I prepared Jack’s breakfast, but he only ever asked for eggs or toast, so that was nice and easy. The rest of the time, Maria and a couple of the part-time kitchen staff prepared all of Jack’s meals.

  “Do you think I should support him and encourage him to follow the Grand Prix this year?”

  Maria grabbed the rolling pin and dusted it with flour. “I think Jack knows what’s best for him. I know it’s tempting to protect the people you love, but sometimes they need to face things that are painful.”

  I nodded. “I guess that makes sense. I’d better apologize. I was a bit angry with him earlier.”

  Maria smiled. “I’m sure he’ll forgive you,” she said pointedly, and I flushed.

  I had a feeling that every single person in this house knew exactly what was going on between Jack and me.

  “I’ll go and tell him I’m sorry.” I blushed again and backed out of the kitchen.

  Maria laughed as I walked away. “You’re good for him, you know,” she said. “You might not realize it, but he’s so much happier when you’re around.”

  I hoped that was true. I really wanted to believe it.