Page 18 of Final Drive

I feel his knot start to swell.

“Jackson.”

“I know.”

He hitches me higher and the new angle puts him deeper on the next stroke. The pressure builds with every thrust, stretching me around him while his control starts to go. His forehead drops to mine, breath breaking against my mouth.

“Come for me.”

The bond pulses hard between us and I do.

The orgasm tears through me, my whole body locking around him as I bury my face against his shoulder. Jackson goes over right behind me. His knot swells fully and locks us together, his hips jerking through the last few strokes before he goes still with a rough sound against my neck.

For a while, neither of us says anything.

We stay pressed to the tile while the water goes cold around us. His knot pulses inside me, every throb hitting an oversensitive nerve, and his heart is going hard enough against mine that I can feel it without the bond.

Jackson shifts his grip and takes more of my weight. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet.

“You said something downstairs.”

“I said a lot of things.”

“About wanting us but not knowing where to put it.”

I go still.

His hand moves slowly over my back. “I need you to know something.”

“Okay.”

“I didn’t claim you because Tyler needs paperwork.”

“I know.”

“No.” He lifts his head and looks at me. “You don’t.”

There’s no anger in it. That’s almost worse.

“Jackson—”

“Eli made sense to me.” He looks frustrated already, like the words are objects somebody handed him without instructions. “He still does. Three years ago, we knew what it was before we started. We made rules. We knew where everything went.”

“And I don’t make sense.”

“You didn’t.” His mouth twists. “You walked in and started yelling at us before you knew everybody’s names.”

“You deserved it.”

“We did.” His thumb moves against my side. “Then you kept being there. In the boat. At the house. In my head. I didn’t want to want you because I didn’t know what to do with it, and then I couldn’t stop.”

My chest tightens. “That’s very romantic.”

“I’m not finished.”

“Sorry.”

He gives me a look. “You’re not the bond. You’re not biology, and you’re not another name Tyler needs for a form. I wanted you before I bit you. I want you when the bond is quiet. I want you when you’re pissing me off.” His jaw works once. “You’re you, and I want you. That’s the best I can say it.”