Free Chains (The Club #8) by T. H. Snyder

toward the back of his jacket, urging him to deepen the kiss. As our tongues dance together, I’m swept away into a pool of emotions. This man makes me feel like nothing else in the world matters right now but us. I can’t help but want so much more, yet I am afraid.
    A groan escapes his throat as he ends the kiss, resting his forehead against mine.
    “Jesika, you have the power to destroy me,” he whispers.
    “No, Connor, I’d never,” I reply.
    “Will you allow me to show you the man I really am and try to be the man you make me want to be?”
    Stepping away from him, I look into his eyes. The man who demands control, is gazing back to me with a look of fear. I want nothing more than to share in everything he has to offer, even if it means shelling my insecurities.
    “Yes, Connor. Take me, show me and let me see the man you really are.”
    No words are said as he intertwines our fingers and leads me out of the museum into the night.

    Stepping out of the cab in front of Connor’s condo, a moment of déjà vu hits me. Glancing down both sides of the sidewalk, memories from our past linger in my mind. I don’t want tonight clouded with what’s happened before. Right here, right now, I want things to be different. If he is willing to show me, I must let down my guard and accept him as the man he is.
    He reaches for my hand, warmth spreading through my arm from his touch. A smile forms across my face as hope and excitement rush through me. Together we walk through the lobby toward the elevator leading us to his home. Standing outside his door, he pauses for a moment before moving inside.
    “Last time I brought you here things didn’t end well for us. Tonight, I don’t want you to fear me. I’ll never hurt you again, Jesika. I need for you to understand that. You bring something out in me that I’ve never felt before. It’s because of you that I’m willing to try, but know now it’s not going to be easy. From this point moving forward there’s nothing I want more than to make memories with you of us.”
    As I listen to the words coming from him, I can’t help but want him even more. Apart we may be a disaster, but together, allowing our walls to crumble, we can become something beautiful.
    “I want that too, Connor. Please, take me inside,” I request stepping onto my tiptoes and kissing his lips.
    He opens the door, escorting me through the condo as he leads us up the stairs to his room. Once inside, he flips on a switch which dimly illuminates the room. My eyes scan my surroundings as I take a few steps toward the bed centered on the far wall. Dark curtains drape along a large window, black bedding covers a king sized bed accentuated by dark wooden furniture. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but his room is beautiful.
    I can feel his body approach, the hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention as anticipation surges through me. His hand falls onto my shoulder, pushing the strands of hair from one side of my neck to the other. Pressing his body against mine, I lean my head to the side, exposing my neck as he begins to trail kisses from the lobe of my ear to my shoulder. A tingling sensation rolls through me while his hands begin to roam over my body. In this moment, I feel nothing but pure bliss. Every fear and insecurity I’ve ever felt is pushed away as I let my walls down, trusting him with my mind, body and soul.
    “I want to touch you,” I voice in a breathless whisper.
    Turning me toward him, he captures my lips with his. My hands instantly reach up into his hair as our tongues unite. Urgency floods my veins, my impulse and need taking over my every thought. He nips my bottom lip, a moan pulling from my throat. Our mouths rapture one another, as my hands shift to remove his jacket from his shoulders. Without breaking away from our kiss, we rapidly discard our shirts, shoes and pants.
    Feeling braver than I ever have, I choose this moment to take matters into my own hands and I trace