by Lucy Lennox
“Did you remember to refill the water bowl in the kitchen?” he asked me.
Suddenly, I felt my chest tighten, and it was almost like I couldn’t draw another breath without telling him how I felt about him. How I was completely in love with him so much I thought I might break with the weight of it.
“I… I…” The words were stuck in my throat because I knew, just knew, saying them out loud would make him run away sooner than he was already planning on. I veered away at the last minute. “I just really want to thank you for everything with Zoey tonight.”
Jake turned to look at me with a furrowed brow. “I didn’t do anything.”
I swallowed. “You did, though. And it meant the world to me. You mean the world to me.”
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Jake’s face softened as he walked up and pulled off my big coat, hanging it on the hook beside his own. “I meant what I said, you know. You really are the most amazing—”
I cut him off with my lips. The time for words was over, and the time for action had arrived. If I couldn’t tell him I loved him, I would show him.
His arms came around me as his mouth opened under mine in surprise. I took advantage of it and swept my tongue in to devour his. We kissed like that for a long time, lips and tongues dancing with each other, arms wrapped tightly around each other’s bodies. I never wanted to let go.
Finally, after a break to suck in much-needed air, Jake grabbed my hand and yanked me toward the bedroom. The cabin air was chilly from having sat uninhabited for several days, but I knew within mere moments, we’d create enough heat in the bedroom to take care of that problem without having to adjust the thermostat or start the fire.
Instead of taking me into the bedroom, however, he turned into the bathroom and started the shower. He left the main bathroom light off and reached under the sink to pull out an emergency candle lantern. He lit the candle, setting the small space aglow in a soft, warm light before turning and reaching for my clothes.
We didn’t say a single word, just locked eyes and stayed completely connected without speaking. With every article of my clothing he removed, his pupils dilated more and more until they were almost a deep obsidian, glittering in the candlelight.
With only my briefs left on, I began pulling at his clothes until we both stood naked in the small room. Jake leaned forward and kissed the base of my throat, just light enough that I could barely feel it. I sucked in a breath as he did it again and again, leaving a trail of tiny kisses up my neck until he got to my lips. When his mouth landed on mine, I grasped his face and took his mouth in a desperate crush.
Enough with this light bullshit, I wanted to crawl into his very body and curl up there, force myself into him so he couldn’t ever let me go. The desperation I was feeling was obvious in the way I was attacking his face.
He indulged me for several minutes until pulling back gently and drawing me into the shower and under the warm water. Without a word, he soaped a washcloth and began scrubbing every millimeter of my body.
It was magnificent. Every pass of his fingers on my skin raised goose bumps and caused full-body shudders until I was whimpering for more and more of his touch. I wished he had octopus hands so I could have even more of his attentive touch on my body.
When I was finally incoherent with lust and desire, Jake positioned me under the hot spray, threw down a towel to kneel behind me, and nudged my legs apart. His hands found my ass cheeks, and his mouth found my crease.
His tongue danced between gentle and firm, alternately teasing me and owning me. My hands shook where they supported my weight against the shower wall, and I finally gave up and tilted my forehead against the cold tile.
“Jake,” I breathed. “Please.”
I couldn’t say more than that without crying out in pleasure as he hit my prostate with a soapy finger.
“Oh god, f-fuck,” I stammered.
“You taste so good, baby,” he murmured between nibbles of the round flesh of my left cheek. “Want to make you come like this.”
I moaned again and bit my fist as his finger fucked in and out of me. The soapy, slick digit was joined by another until both of them were gently grabbing for my hot button with every thrust.
I couldn’t have held back if I’d wanted to. Jake’s opposite hand came up to grasp my cock and tugged until I screamed out my release. My knees went weak halfway through the orgasm, and I ended up coming all over the shower wall, his hand, and my own knees.
By the time I caught my breath, we were huddled together in a pretzel of wet limbs on top of a soaked towel in the bottom of the bathtub. Jake’s strong arms kept me from slipping down any farther while his whispered reassurances were drowned out by the sound of the shower water.
Finally, I was alert enough to know we were going to run out of hot water any minute. If Jake’s water heater was like mine, when it happened, it would be swift and brutal.
“Let’s dry off and get in bed,” I suggested, struggling to get myself up.
Jake’s deep chuckle vibrated against me as he helped me stand. His arm stayed strongly wrapped around my middle until I was safely dried off and standing firmly on the bath mat in front of the sink. As soon as he dried himself off, he led me to the bedroom and pulled back the thick blankets and flannel sheets for me to hop in.
We lay there on our sides, simply staring into each other’s eyes. I traced his jaw with a finger before thinking of something.
“Have you ever had a best friend?”
“Hm?” Jake’s eyes lifted from their half-mast position. I wondered if I’d lulled him into a semi-asleep state with my caresses.
“You seemed to appreciate and understand my relationship with Zoey. It made me wonder if you’ve ever had someone you were close to that way.” I knew I was treading a fine line by asking such a personal question, and I half expected him not to answer, but when he did, a happy feeling went through my entire being. It felt like the tiniest of wins.
“Mm. I guess I’d say my brother, Zach. We were super close growing up, and I could always tell him anything.”
When he fell silent, I wondered if I should try to press him for more information. But before I could ask him anything else, he whispered to me.
“You really are so beautiful, Oz. Inside and out. Do you know that?”
My heart began to trip like a newborn foal. While he’d said those exact words to me more than once, somehow this time was different. It was… more.
“Jake.”
Jake placed his hand on top of mine and then linked our fingers. He began easing our joined hands down his own side. My palm trailed briefly over the scar on his hip, but I refrained from asking him about it. I expected him to guide my hand to his cock, but instead, he moved it so it was resting on the spot at his lower back, right above his crease.
“Would you… would you be willing to switch things up this time, maybe?” he asked.
My heart nearly thumped all the way out of my chest. “You want me to…”
His eyes were full of need. I’d never seen Jake so vulnerable before.
“I want you inside of me. Want to feel you there, filling me up. Will you do that for me, sweetheart? Please?”
I reached for his face and pulled him in for a kiss. He’d always been so in charge when we’d gotten together in the past. Seeing this side of him nearly brought me to my metaphorical knees. I briefly wondered what was behind the sudden change, but I realized it didn’t matter. This was something Jake both wanted and needed. And while the idea of topping him was making my insides knot with excitement, it was the need to take care of him, to give him what he was asking for, that had me nodding my head.
We kissed for several long minutes before I reached over to the side table to grab what I needed. Both of us were hard and dripping all over each other’s bellies. Jake’s hands were firmly clenched around my ass and kept our cocks together while I fumbled with the condom. Finally, I got it open and reached between us to
slide it on myself.
“On your back, Jake,” I said in a steady voice. Jake’s eyes widened, but he complied immediately.
I knelt between his spread legs and reached for the lube. I couldn’t hide the fact that my fingers were shaking.
“Baby, gotta say, I’m a little worried about that maniacal grin on your face,” Jake teased as his hand covered mine briefly. I knew there’d been no maniacal grin on my face. If anything, I probably looked like I was going to burst into tears, I was so damn nervous. He’d deliberately misread the look in an attempt to lighten the moment.
It worked.
I grinned down at him. “Can’t believe you’re letting me do this. I might be a tad more excited than I let on.”
My fingers rubbed together to warm the glop of lube before I reached for his hole. He hissed and clenched immediately before blowing out a breath and concentrating on relaxing.
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”
Jake’s eyes opened and his face relaxed. “I know that. You could never willingly hurt anyone, Oz. I trust you with my body. I trust you completely. With my life.”
I leaned forward and kissed him hard on the lips, pressing harder against his entrance with my finger until I gained entry. I tapped and toyed with it until I felt his chest heaving with uneven breaths and knew he was ready for more.
After a final demanding kiss, I pulled back and knelt so I could tip his legs back toward his shoulders. I slicked up my cock and met his eyes. What I saw in those gray depths was an intense storm of emotion–heat, desire, affection. They were all there, brimming and ready for me to take.
I leaned in to press my cock into his body and felt the incredible power of controlling a man’s pleasure this way. I closed my eyes and reached for his hand with one of mine. He knew exactly what I needed. He threaded our fingers together immediately and held on tightly while I continued to push deeper into his body.
“Fuckkkk,” I gasped as I felt the tight grab of his channel around me. “Oh god, Jake.”
“That’s it, baby,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Keep going.”
“Jake.” It was a whimper, as usual. Whenever my body was joined with his, it felt like every wall of mine came crashing down, leaving me naked and vulnerable, exposed and fragile. “Jake.”
“I’m right here, baby,” he murmured. “You feel so good. So fucking good inside of me.”
Once I was completely inside him, I fell forward onto his chest. My eyes closed for a brief moment of disbelief as I tried to get my breathing under control and keep from coming. He was so fucking tight and hot. His legs wrapped around me before I felt him try to move his hips so he could start fucking himself on my cock.
I shifted and began to thrust, causing him to cry out and tighten around me.
“Oh god!” The stars were already piercing the edges of my vision and I’d barely been inside of him for two seconds. “Oh fuck. Oh god.” I couldn’t stop the words from babbling out as I relished the feel of him all around me.
His hard dick pushed against the skin of my belly, his strong legs squeezed my hips, his skin was damp with sweat, and his large fingers clasped mine, pulling my arms outstretched above his head. In that position, I suddenly felt almost like a dancer, rolling my hips to press deeper inside him and using my entire body to thrust in and out in the rhythm of our thundering hearts.
Jake’s hungry lips found mine and devoured them, grabbing with teeth and sucking bruises into my tender flesh. What had started out as sweet and sensual had turned into an all-consuming ravaging.
The orgasm of my life was busy speeding from my spine to my balls, and I was afraid I’d get there before Jake did. I reached down between us to grab his cock, but before my hand even touched his skin, I felt him shudder and shoot his warm release between our stomachs.
He threw back his head and cried out my name as I shouted his into the damp heat of his neck. My last thrust deep inside of him was where I finally let go and gave him everything I had left.
Including every last piece of my heart he didn’t already have.
Chapter 22
Jake
The following day, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it had felt to have Oz inside of me. It was intense, but also gut-wrenching in a way. There had been something bordering on panic between us, as if we’d stumbled into a magical kingdom filled with amazing discoveries, only to learn the entire place had been rigged with explosives set on a timer we couldn’t stop.
I looked across the newly designed clinic lobby to where Oz sat whispering in Zoey’s ear. I knew without being able to hear what he was saying that he was trying to distract her from the upcoming ultrasound and checkup we’d arranged with Doc Sharma. When Oz looked over at me, I shot him a wink. The pink blush that crept up his neck in response made my pulse kick up. His creamy skin was terrible at hiding his true feelings from me, and I loved every bit of it. I also knew that just below the collar of his thick fleece pullover was a dark bruise from where I’d been overzealous in tasting his pulse point that morning in the shower.
“Ahem.”
I turned back to the reception counter where I’d been waiting for Nancy to appear. She stood there beaming and flicking her gaze between Oz and me.
“Morning, sunshine,” I said to her with a smile. “I brought some fresh meat for Becky’s baby bump obsession.”
Nancy chuckled. “She’ll be delighted. Maybe one of these days she’ll consider getting her own instead of creeping on everyone else’s.”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I think she just fell in love with the ultrasound equipment when Doc let her get certified in Denver.”
Ever since Becky had gotten certified to perform OB sonograms, she’d been desperate for more pregnant patients to practice on. The clinic was lucky she was so invested in staying in Haven, otherwise we would have lost her to higher-paying jobs in the city.
Becky’s head popped out of the back hallway with a giant grin on her face. “Did someone say ultrasound?”
After leading Oz and Zoey back to the exam room and introducing Zoey to Becky and the doctor, I ducked out. Obstetrics wasn’t my specialty, whereas the doc and Becky both had tons of experience from their years of general practice in the small town.
I made my way back out front and ran into Wade from the tavern.
“Hey, man. What’s wrong with your hand?” I nodded at the bloody bar rag wrapped around his left fist.
“Hey, Jake. Looks worse than it is. I punctured it on a rusty piece of metal while moving some shit around in my garage and realized I might need a tetanus shot or something. Don’t think it needs stitches. Was hoping the doc had some time this morning.”
“I can help. Come on back,” I said, catching Nancy’s eye on my way past. “Will you grab Wade’s file for me, please, and bring it to exam room three?”
“Sure thing.”
Once I got his wound cleaned up and bandaged, I found Becky in the hallway.
“Oh hey. Can you give Wade a tetanus booster, please?” I asked. “How’d it go with Zoey?” Becky’s forehead wrinkled in concern and my stomach dropped. “Fuck. What did you find in the ultrasound?”
“It wasn’t that. Her blood pressure is up and there’s protein in her urine. Dr. Sharma is a little worried about it. Wants her stay off her feet as much as possible until he can recheck in a few days. He’s telling them now.”
Shit. I knew this was going to freak Oz out. Sure enough, I heard his familiar voice rise in panic. I ducked my head back into Wade’s exam room and told him to hang tight for his injection. Then I made my way to Zoey’s room and knocked before entering.
Zoey was rolling her eyes, Doc Sharma was taking her blood pressure again, and Oz was freaking the fuck out.
“Oz, can I ask you something really quick out in the hallway?”
His face lifted to mine, anguish and worry clear as day across it. “Right now?”
I nodded. “It’ll just
take two seconds.”
He leaned down to kiss Zoey’s forehead before making his way toward me. Both Zoey and Doc Sharma flashed me grateful smiles.
Once in the hallway, I pulled Oz into my arms and hugged him as tightly as I could. He melted into me with a soft exhale against my neck.
“Baby, this could just be a fluke, okay?” I murmured against the top of his head. “You need to calm down. If anything, your freaking out is going to ratchet up her blood pressure. Do you understand?”
Another sigh. His body pressed tighter into me, if that was possible. “Shhh, I’m sure she’s going to be okay. I have a BP cuff at home and can monitor her closely. She has both of us to look out for her full-time. It’s going to be fine.”
Oz pulled back and looked up at me, worry still clear on his face. “I wish we’d brought two cars so you could take her home while I go get what we need at the grocery store. I want to make her favorite salad for lunch and she loves this chicken stir-fry thing she makes for us sometimes. I’ve never made it, but if she tells me what to do, I can probably try.”
He was so damned sweet and loving. I leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips.
“I’ll drive you both home and come back for the groceries. In the meantime, why don’t you start me a list?”
I felt the door open next to us and saw Wade’s head pop out. “You say someone needs a ride? I’m off the rest of the day now because of this stupid cut. I can take them up the mountain for you.”
I opened my mouth to respond that we were okay when Oz reached out and clutched Wade’s arm. “Oh my god, would you? That would be amazing! It’s my friend Zoey, and she needs to go back to my place and rest.”
Wade nodded. “Sure, no problem. I’m all fixed up here, thanks to Jake, so I’ll just wait for you out in the lobby. Looks good out there, by the way. Becky said you’re the one who did it, Oz. That right?”
Oz’s face pinked up a little. “Kind of. I just tweaked what they’d already planned.”
“Not true,” I said. “He redesigned the whole thing and came up with the concept for the mural. He incorporated those god-awful red chairs into the design and somehow made them not look as bad as we’d feared.”
