“Khloe?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes, sorry. Long day at the library.”
“Well, come in and take a load off. I’ve got wine.”
He ushered me into the house, and I brushed by him. The heat of his body, alone, caused my gut to jump. But the smell of his cologne made my nipples pucker. It seemed as if my nonexistent sex drive had been awakened, and I felt my mouth running dry.
I need a distraction. Something. Anything.
“Hello there, Piper. How are you? Oh, come here. Hey there, fluffy puppy.”
I bent down, and Piper came rushing toward me. I focused my attention on her as Jay stood at his perch, watching us. I scratched behind her ears as she sat in front of me. She scooted a bit closer, then laid her snout against my shoulder.
“Aw, you’re not so bad. Such a good puppy. There’s a good girl.”
I even chanced a kiss against her coat of fur, which elicited a soft whimper from the golden retriever.
“And here I thought you didn’t like animals,” Jay said.
I stood. “Ah, well. Piper’s a good girl when she’s not trying to jump on me.”
Piper answered with a resounding bark before nuzzling her nose against my leg.
“Here, let me take your coat,” he said.
His fingertips slid against my skin as he removed my coat from my shoulders. Electricity sizzled down my spine, and I tried my best to ignore it. I was here for answers. Not anything else. I deserved answers to my questions, so I had to stay in a frame of mind to ask them.
“And a glass of wine for you,” he said.
I turned around. “Did you have this on standby or something?”
He smiled. “A man never reveals his secrets. Here. Mine’s in the kitchen still.”
I followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table, right where one of the plate settings were. The table was full of amazing food. Cornbread and macaroni and cheese. Mashed potatoes, and what looked like a homemade gravy.
“Are those turnip greens?” I asked.
“Collard greens, I think is what they’re called. But yes,” Jay said.
I watched him slide the chicken out, and the kitchen filled with a wondrous lemon scent.
“Wow, you really went all out,” I said.
He chuckled. “I think I went a bit overboard, yes. But that just means you can take yourself a plate home.”
“And with how good this smells, I just might.”
He sat down after placing the chicken where it needed to be. And his glistening forehead made me wonder what else on his body was glistening with sweat. I swallowed hard before taking a long pull of wine. I’d need a lot of it to get through tonight.
Okay, Khloe. Settle down. You have questions, he has answers.
“Khloe, I want to start off by saying—”
“Why did you never call?” I blurted out, cutting him off.
He blinked. “I guess we can hop right into it.”
I nodded. “I’d like that, actually. It’s been a struggle, not asking you up until this point.”
“Well, then it’s about time you had your answers.”
I watched him fill my plate with food before he filled his. A scoop of everything, with gravy drizzled all over. His hands trembled, and I saw the fear in his eyes. My heart went out to him. It really did. As hard as this was for me, I could only imagine how hard it was for him.
So, I offered my hand to him.
“Talk to me, Jay. What happened?” I asked.
His eyes dropped to my hand before he took it, and I felt his pulse racing against my fingertips as they settled against his wrist.
“When I left with my aunt, the flight back was hard. She couldn’t stop crying. She couldn’t stop reminiscing. And it tore me apart. She always wanted to talk, and I just wanted her to shut up.”
I nodded, but I didn’t interject.
“I slipped into a terrible depression when we got to Vegas. I slept all the time. I barely ate.”
“I’m so sorry, Jay.”
“I should have called. I need you to understand that I know I should have called. I just…”
“I know that kind of depression. The kind that makes even breathing a chore.”
“I barely passed most of my classes. Some Ds. Some Cs. My GPA dropped to a two-point… something. I mean, I tanked.”
I snickered. “Yep. I get that, too.”
He sighed. “Career Day happened at school, and I almost didn’t go. But my aunt forced me to. So, I did. And the Marines had a booth set up. I mean, I didn’t have a chance at college by that point. So, I figured, why not?”
“So, you enlisted.”
He nodded. “Yep. I did. I went to basic training that summer and was shipped out into an area no eighteen-year-old boy should ever have to witness. Or any boy, for that matter.”
“Where were you?”
“I was stationed at Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan. Supposedly, it wasn’t a very active area at the time. So, we should’ve been safe. But I went out on patrol with my guys one day and—”
I hung on to his every word as he squeezed my hand.
“It’s okay. I’m right here, Jay,” I said softly.
He sighed. “We were out on patrol. Our convoys rolled right over a set of IEDs. I watched the explosions. Saw the vehicles just shoot up into the air.”
I held back tears. “My God.”
“I lost everyone. Everyone I had befriended on that patrol. Soaring through the air felt like slow motion. Like, in the movies. I couldn’t save any of them. They all just—just bled out around me. I held all of their hands. Just—pulled them as close as I could get them, so they knew they weren’t alone.”
I shot up from my chair and pulled him in for a hug.
“I gotcha, Jay. I’m right here. It’s okay. You’re safe.”
“I see them every night. I can’t—I can’t stop smelling the—the-the-the—”
I closed my eyes as I felt his tears dripping against my shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Jay,” I whispered.
“I should’ve called. I’m so fucking sorry for not calling,” he said breathlessly.
“It’s okay. It’s done. It’s past. And we’re here now. It’s going to be okay.”
“I was so in love with you for years, Khlo.”
I paused. “What?”
He sniffled. “I was. I know it’s pathetic to admit now. But God, there wasn’t a fucking moment growing up where you didn’t steal my breath away.”
I held him out with my hands. “Are you serious?”
“I know it’s shitty to bring up now. But you should know.”
I gazed into his watery eyes. “I was in love with you, too, Jay.”
He furrowed his brow. “You were?”
I snickered. “Yeah. Big-time.”
He cupped my cheek. “All this time.”
I closed my eyes. “We were both idiots, Jay. Big, young, dumb idiots.”
I clung to his shirt, feeling him slowly move closer to me. His breath against my lips gave me a taste of him. The way he held my cheek made my heart skip a beat. All this time, he had loved me. I shut my brain down. I closed all logic on the situation. And when his lips touched mine, nothing could have prepared me for how wondrous he tasted.
“Oh, Khlo,” he groaned.
His arms cloaked my back. He pulled me in as I wrapped my arms around him. My head fell off to the side, and his tongue slid along mine, pulling me along for the ride. My knees weakened. My legs quivered. Electricity surged through my body, jolting me alive for the first time in years. Our teeth clattered together as he stood up and gripped my hips. I jumped, and he bent down, allowing me to wrap my legs around him before he carried me toward the stairs.
I devoured him as he walked up the steps. I sucked on his lower lip, pulling growls from his throat. My back pressed against the wall as his hands journeyed along my body, massaging and gripping, exploring in all the ways I’d wanted as a teenage girl. I gaspe
d as his lips slid down my neck. He nibbled my pulse point and massaged my clothed breasts. I rocked against him, wanting nothing more than friction to take us both away, to carry us off into a land of happiness we both deserved.
“Jay,” I moaned.
“Oh, fuck, Khlo,” he grunted.
And as a door slammed open, he pulled me away from the wall.
My back fell to a mattress before he crashed against me. I heard the seams of our clothes tearing as we practically ripped them from each other’s bodies. My eyes rolled back as his lips wrapped around my pert nipples, his tongue lapping against my skin. My pussy was soaked , ready for his intrusion as his cock fell against my thigh, pulsing and thickening and leaking for me.
“Now. Jay, please.”
“I want more of you. All of you.”
I reached for his cock. “I can’t wait a second longer. Please, Jay.”
He groaned as I stroked him. I felt him growing in my hand as I positioned him at my entrance. My eyes found his, and he grinned. Then, his lips captured mine once more. His body came forward, and I felt him pierce me, filling me up as he slid against my walls. I clung to him tightly, wrapping my legs around his hips. And as he bottomed out inside me, my head fell back to the pillow.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
He started slow, softly rocking, kissing my neck and my shoulders. He massaged my tits and tugged my nipples to painful peaks. I felt my juices dripping down below us as he teased me, his tightly wound curls tickling my swollen clit. My toes slid down the backs of his legs, and my nails curled into the chiseled muscles of his back. I felt every part of him moving against me, working for our mutually beneficial pleasure.
“Faster,” I whispered.
He growled in response as he picked up the pace.
“Harder,” I moaned.
He grunted as the sounds of skin slapping skin echoed off the corners of the room.
“More,” I groaned.
He sank his teeth into my neck and marked me as my body quaked underneath him.
He slipped my leg over his shoulder, opening me up more. He rose up, giving me the perfect view of the thick rings around his abs. He gripped my hips and pulled me closer. I felt him slide farther into my body as my jaw unhinged. He pounded into me, filling me and growling out my name as the pleasure choked off my ability to speak.
“Khlo. Yes. Holy fuck. All this time. Oh, shit.”
My eyes rolled into the back of my head. My toes curled with the force of my orgasm. My back arched and my body released, drenching him in my juices. The sound of us colliding together shot fire through my veins, and the sound of my name falling from his lips brought my heart back to life.
“Jay. Yes. Fuck. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.”
And as I collapsed against the bed, he came along with me, blanketing my body as his cock filled me to the brim, marking me as if I had been his own all along.
Chapter 18
Jasper
Waking up with Khloe in my arms the next morning was something I could have never expected from our dinner. With the food cold downstairs and the stale scent of wine hanging in the air, I felt her nuzzle even closer to me. She turned over and sighed, her soft snores quickly falling from her lips again. As I gazed into her angelic face, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Everything about this was so new to me. Having her here. Naked. Her gorgeous curves keeping me warm all night. Not only that, though, last night was the first night I’d been nightmare-free since coming home from that deployment. I smiled at the thought. Who would’ve thought a few good rounds of sex was all it would take to keep my mind quiet?
I had a feeling it wasn’t just the sex, though.
Thank you for doing your part for your country, beautiful.
I snorted at the thought, and I felt Khloe jump.
“What in the world are you laughing at this early?” she murmured.
I chuckled. “Sorry, beautiful.”
I kissed her softly on her cheek before she pulled the covers over her head.
“Is the sun even up yet?” she murmured.
“Barely,” I said.
“Then, I’m barely up. Shush, so I can sleep.”
I grinned. “I can do that.”
As she nuzzled that soft ass of hers against my pelvis, I slipped my arm around her. I pulled her close, sliding underneath the covers with her. I buried my face into the crook of her neck and kissed her softly as she sighed and yawned.
“You’re not helping,” she said flatly.
I kissed her shoulder. “All right, all right. I’m done. I promise.”
This felt an awful lot like happiness. The weight off my shoulders. A good night’s sleep. My heart, beating with a need for more of life. I wasn’t sure I trusted it, though. Everything good in my life always crumbled. From my parents to the guys on that patrol to my friendship with Khloe.
That’s on the mend, though.
I snorted again, and she groaned.
“If you’re going to keep making noise, at least get me some coffee,” she grumbled.
“How about I just make us breakfast?” I asked.
“Yes. Out of bed with you. Give me five more minutes of sleep.”
I chuckled. “Of course, beautiful.”
I kissed her shoulder once more before sliding out of bed. I didn’t know if this was what happiness felt like, but I’d grab it with both hands and hang on for as long as I could. I pulled on some pajama pants and a T-shirt, then headed downstairs. I needed to put up dinner before starting breakfast, and Piper needed to go out.
But every part of me wanted to go back upstairs and wake Khloe up the right way.
Focus. The woman needs coffee. Not cock.
Piper whimpered at the sound before she saw me. Then, she came rushing to my side. I opened the back door and let her dart out. As she marked her territory, I filled up her bowls. I felt generous this morning, so I gave her two scoops instead of one, which she rejoiced over with a loud bark.
“Shh, we have a guest, and she’s sleeping,” I whispered.
I put my finger to my lips before petting Piper’s head.
“Enjoy, Pipes. It’s time for my breakfast, too, though.”
I made a couple of to-go plates for people, then put the rest of the food in the fridge. I wanted to send Khloe home with food for later. But, I also promised her father and Kent a plate. Running into her father at the general store yesterday to get those donuts didn’t go as roughly as expected. In fact, he’d greeted me with a smile and a hug, and even winked at me when I told him Khloe was coming over for dinner. It wasn’t the anger I’d expected from him, especially after everything I had done.
Slowly, this town was starting to feel like home again.
I pulled out eggs and bacon and cheese. I arranged the donuts on a small tray and got them warming in the oven. I put on a pot of coffee and pulled out orange juice just in case. Then, I set the table for the two of us to eat. I chopped up some leftover vegetables and decided to throw all of it together in an omelet. That would go well with the donuts and the coffee.
Then, Piper started barking at the front door.
“Piper! Sh!”
But she didn’t stop.
“Fuck. Piper. Cut it out. What are you doing?”
I rushed over to the front door and heard her growling, poised, and ready to attack. She kept barking, and I snapped my fingers, letting out my sharp whistle. However, when I looked out the window, I saw what she was barking at.
“Oh, shit,” I murmured.
Khloe’s parents were parked in front of the house, pointing at her car. I watched them talking before her mother swatted her father. I sighed heavily. Fucking hell, there was no way we’d be able to hide from them.
“I smell coffee. And bacon.”
Khloe’s muffled voice wafted down the stairs, and I looked up at her. She had on my T-shirt with a pair of my socks pulled up to her knees, an
d I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked amazing, wearing my clothes. I felt my cock already stiffening against my pants. I took one last look outside and found her father staring at me. Through the window. Directly into my eyes.
And after he nodded at me, his mother leaned out the window to give me a thumbs-up.
Making me snort again.
“What in the world?” Khloe murmured.
I smiled out the window before turning in her direction.
“Coffee’s ready, and the omelets are already on their plates. I just have to pull the donuts out,” I said.
“I thought I smelled my father’s donuts.”
“Uh-huh. Ran by the general store at the last minute yesterday and picked them up. Figured they’d go well with breakfast this morning.”
She giggled. “So, you planned on us having breakfast.”
“No, actually. I wasn’t planning on sharing.”
“So, what are you looking at?”
I followed her into the kitchen. “What?”
“Out the window? Who was out there?”
“Uh… just—just some neighbors.”
“It’s my parents, isn’t it?”
I watched her pour a mug of coffee before she turned around.
“Yes,” I said.
“They saw my car, didn’t they?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
She nodded. “I figured as much. It’s not like I did much to hide it.”
“Did you want to hide it?”
“I mean, even if I wanted it, they live four houses up the road.”
“That didn’t answer my question, though.”
She sipped her coffee as I held my breath.
“I don’t think so,” she said.
And fucking hell, I’d take it.
“You got any plans for today?” Khloe asked.
I got myself a mug of coffee before ushering us both to the table.
“Well, I do have a few errands to run. And I really need to drive down to the VA and sign some paperwork before Monday,” I said.
“What’s Monday?” she asked.
“My first appointment with my new therapist.”
“That’s good. That’s really good. What time Monday?”
Dating My Best Friend: A Second Chance Romance Page 11
