“You deserve it. That means you have a wedding to plan and a date to set. Better do it before she changes her mind about you.”
“Very funny, Allie. I better get going.”
“I’m glad everything is situated. Now, you can relax and enjoy life again.”
“Almost, I have a stop to make before I go home.”
“Where? Oh, no. Kris, are you sure you want to deal with that today? You just got back.”
“No time like the present.”
“Be civil and don’t lose your temper. Call me if you need me.”
“For once, you actually have good advice. Thanks, but I’ll be good.”
***
Kris took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She took a step back and waited. Part of her hoped she wasn’t home, but the footsteps growing louder on the other side of the door told her she wasn’t so lucky.
The door opened. “Kris?”
“Hi, Skylar. Sorry to drop by like this. I should’ve called, but I thought I might lose my nerve if I didn’t come straight here.”
“No problem. Come in.”
“Thanks.” She followed Skylar into the living room where they sat down.
“I know they say it’s unusually warm this December, but my Texas blood has to disagree.”
“Yes, the weather can be a bit strange here. Mother Nature has a mind of her own.”
“I’m beginning to realize that. As long as it’s not snowing, I can’t complain too much.”
“I’m not sure if you know this or not, but I’ve been out of town the past few days with Jenna.”
“Jenna sent me a text that you had driven down all night to see her. How is she?”
“She got through it, but it was hard. Her grandmother meant a lot to her.”
“Yes, she told me a few stories about her. Sounds like she was a real firecracker. Did you ever meet her?”
“Unfortunately, no. We spoke on the phone though.”
“I offered to fly down with her, but she wouldn’t let me. She can be real stubborn sometimes.”
“Yes, she can be. Has she told you that she’s moving back home?”
Skylar shook her head. “No, I only received that one text from her the entire time. I was starting to get worried about her, so I called her parents. I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t know how she deals with them. Anyway, they told me she had left yesterday.”
“Trust me, that’s not being rude at all. They’re something to deal with. Anyway, we’ve talked and it seems that I owe you an apology. I thought the two of you were,” Kris shifted uncomfortably, “together.”
“No, we’re just friends, nothing more. She’s my best friend. I love her like a sister. I wanted to tell you that when you confronted me at Cynthia’s shower, but she made me promise not to say anything. I was afraid it would lead to more questions, and I didn’t have any answers to give you. I’m happy she finally opened up and let you back in. Like I said, she can be frustrating to deal with sometimes, probably gets that from her parents.”
“I wouldn’t doubt that.” She reached for Skylar’s hand. “I’m sorry for blaming you and that you had to get dragged into this. Thank you for being a good friend to her and for being there for her when she wouldn’t let me.”
“You’re welcome. I liked having her around, but I missed having your company. I hope it didn’t cost us our friendship in the process?”
“No, I understand things better now. You’re her best friend, and she needs you. You’re the first person she has confided in since moving here. It’s good for her to have someone else to talk to.”
“She told me she wished she had someone to be close to like how you are with Allie. I was hoping I could be that person for her, but I had no idea it would lead to any problems for you. I just wanted to be there for her.”
“I know. It’s fine, we’re good. You were in an awkward position. Let’s all get together this weekend for dinner. I want Jenna to know that there’s no hard feelings between us.”
“I’d love to.”
“Great. I should get back home before Jenna spoils Jax with too many treats. She thinks I don’t know that she sneaks them to him.” Kris stood to leave.
“Thanks for stopping by, Kris. Stop by any time. I’m here for you too.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Thanks for dinner and dessert,” Jenna said.
“It was our pleasure,” Erin responded. “Liz and I enjoyed having you over. We have to do this more often.”
“Yeah, it’s not like you guys are that far away. Didn’t you walk here tonight?” Liz asked.
“Yes, we did. We figured we would enjoy the late spring weather. Last winter started out mild, but it turned out to be one of our most brutal. I was beginning to wonder if all that snow would ever melt,” Kris said. “Let us help you with the dishes.”
“No, don’t even think about it,” Erin said.
“Are you sure? It’s the least we could do since you invited us for dinner.” Kris handed her plate to Erin who was standing with her hand out.
“It’s not up for debate,” Erin said taking the plate into the kitchen.
Liz called Jenna into the living room.
Kris followed in behind Erin carrying more dishes. “I hope you and Liz enjoy your vacation. I don’t think I remember you taking a vacation since I’ve known you. You’re leaving tomorrow?”
Erin closed the dishwasher door and started the cycle. “We’re leaving first thing in the morning. Do you mind keeping an eye on the place while we’re gone for the week? Do you still have the key we gave you?”
“Of course, I’ll check by every day. I do still have your key. Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Liz wanted to surprise me. All she told me was to pack for warm weather. She thought I needed a vacation after taking care of my mom. I miss having her here, but she’s making new friends at her retirement village now.”
“That’s good to hear. Who knew Liz was so romantic? That’s so sweet.”
“That remains to be seen. For all I know, she could be taking me to a comic book convention in the desert.”
Kris laughed. “Either way, it’s the thought that counts. You never know, you might enjoy one of those conventions.”
Erin poured them a glass of wine. “Honey, I know for a fact that is not my idea of a vacation. I need you to keep your phone close in case I need you to come rescue me.”
“Oh, please, it can’t be that bad.”
Erin shot her a glance over the top of her glass. “I love that woman to death and I would do anything for her, but surprises and gifts are definitely not one of her more lovable qualities.”
“You two are my inspiration. Still together after all these years and still madly in love.” Kris looked down at her watch. “I didn’t realize how late it was. We should let you get to bed. Try and get some sleep and don’t worry about it. Trust Liz.”
“Thanks, I’ll try.”
Kris found Jenna talking to Liz out on the front porch. “Jenna, we should get going. They’re leaving early in the morning.”
“Yes, Liz was just telling me about it.”
“Oh, she was, was she? Tell me everything,” Erin said slipping her hand into the crook of Jenna’s arm.
“Sorry, I’m sworn to secrecy, but it sounds amazing,” Jenna said.
“Okay, but I hope you’re right. If not, you can join Kris when she comes to rescue me.”
Jenna hugged Erin. “Deal.” Then, she hugged Liz. “Good luck.”
Kris hugged them both. She waved from the sidewalk. “Have a good time you two and take plenty of pictures.”
“Thanks, we will,” Liz called out.
***
Jenna sought out Kris’s hand and they began walking. She made a right and pulled Kris along when they reached the main sidewalk.
“Where are we going? Our house is the other way,” Kris said.
“I wanted to get your opinion about something.”
&n
bsp; “What? You must’ve been hanging out with Liz too long. You’re planning surprises now too?”
They walked a few feet and Jenna stopped in front of Kris’s old house. “I saw the way your eyes lit up tonight. Do you miss living here, or do you just miss having Erin and Liz as neighbors?”
“Here? You mean this house?” Kris looked up at the porch. She loved that wide porch. The rocking chairs that used to be there were missing. She spent many nights out there rocking away her worries and stress. “Both. I miss this house and I miss Erin and Liz.”
Jenna led her up the sidewalk and then sat down on the porch stoop. “Well, what should we do about that?”
“What are you asking me? What are we going to do if the tenants who live here now find us sitting on their porch?”
Jenna put her arm around Kris. “They won’t.”
Kris turned and looked back at the door. “How do you know? What’s going on?”
Jenna pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in Kris’s hand.
As soon as she felt the metal against her hand, Kris knew what it was. “What did you do? Did you buy this house?”
“No, I told you I’m not making any more decisions without you, and that would be a huge decision. But, that’s what I wanted your opinion on. Ms. Tarlton is putting the house on the market. She told Liz last week when she came by to do a final inspection and cleaning.”
“Really? I thought she would never sell this place. I tried to buy it from her several times.”
“Liz told her that you might still be interested, and she gave her the key. Liz called me a few days ago and told me about it, and she gave me the key just now.”
“Wow, I guess Erin is wrong about Liz. She is full of surprises. Does Erin know?”
“No, Liz said Erin can’t keep a secret and wouldn’t go on their trip if she knew. She said Erin would stay here and try to persuade you to buy it.”
“I don’t know, Jenna. We’ve talked about selling ours, but this is kind of sudden. It’s not just my opinion that matters either, this would be our decision to make together.”
“I want you to always be happy, like you were tonight. I told you before I am ready to sell. It’s just a house. We can think about it and look around at other houses.” Jenna nodded at the key in Kris’s hand. “Should we go inside?”
Kris didn’t have to go in. She knew the place by heart. There wasn’t one creak in the floor or thin crack on the wall that she wasn’t familiar with. “Might as well while we’re here.”
She placed the key in the lock and turned it a quarter turn before jiggling the knob. “She still hasn’t fixed the doorknob.” She pushed the door open. There was no denying the instant feeling of home that welcomed her.
Jenna pushed past her. “It looks the same as it did before. Even the walls are the same color. I guess the previous tenants didn’t paint. It could use another coat or two now.”
“I remember choosing the color. I must’ve brought home twenty different paint chips, and I still couldn’t decide. I laid them all out in the middle of the floor, closed my eyes, and picked one. I had never painted before. Instead of picking another color over the years, I just stuck with the same one.”
“Well, if we decide to buy this place, we can keep the same color or I’ll help pick a new one. A light gray would look nice.”
“Yeah, that would look good with our furniture. But, I’m still not sure what to do. I’ll be honest, I love this house, but I want you to love where we choose to live too.”
Jenna sat down on the couch in the middle of the living room. It was the only piece of furniture left, probably because the color was so awful. “I love this house too. It’s where I began to fall in love with you. It already has plenty of good memories built into it. I’m sure we could add some more.”
“Does that mean we should buy it? Maybe, we should. Oh, but what if there’s another house we’d like better. We haven’t looked. I mean, of course, I know all the houses on the market right now, but—”
“Calm down. We don’t have to make a decision tonight…but I do have one request.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s one memory we never got around to making while living here.”
Kris took Jenna’s outstretched hand and straddled her lap facing her. “Well, I think we can take care of that right now.”
“Oh, really? Hmmm, do you have something in mind?”
“I do have something in mind. Same thing that I thought about when you moved in. Would you like me to show you?”
“Yeah, I’d like that. I’d like that a whole lot.”
Kris rubbed herself against her and tilted her chin up for a kiss. She melted into Kris’s kiss. There were so many nights she had thought about kissing Kris like this when she lived there. Just being there, kissing and about to do more, heightened her arousal.
“I like the way your mind works.” Jenna whispered.
Kris smiled. “I know it’s not just my mind that you want.”
“You’re right about that.” Jenna lifted Kris’s T-shirt up above her head and kissed her chest down to her cleavage. “I want so much more than just your mind.”
“I thought I was the one seducing you?”
“Oh, you were, but that was a long time ago. You knew exactly what you were doing to me, didn’t you?” Jenna moved her fingers around to Kris’s back to unclasp her bra.
“If I would’ve known then, this wouldn’t be our first time getting acquainted in this room.”
“Come on, you can tell me now. You didn’t suspect the way I felt, not even a tiny little bit?” She had the bra unclasped and tugged the straps down Kris’s arms. She swallowed hard as Kris’s breasts came into full view. She still took her breath away.
Kris brushed her lips across Jenna’s. “I was so busy trying to hide my feelings, that I was unaware of yours. I need to keep my eye on you. You’re good at hiding things.”
“I have nothing left to hide.” Jenna kissed her, pressing her lips hard against Kris’s. She gripped Kris’s waist and pulled her hard against her. During the kiss, her fingers found the top of Kris’s jeans and unbuttoned them. She was in the process of pulling the zipper down when Kris stopped her.
“Someone’s moving fast.”
“You have no idea how bad I wanted this to happen here.” She pushed Kris to the side off of her lap and positioned herself between Kris’s legs. She leaned down and kissed her neck. “This reminds me of that night we played truth or dare, except this time I don’t have to stop myself.”
She kissed a path down the middle of Kris’s chest while she rolled Kris’s nipples between her thumbs and fingers. The moan it caused from deep within Kris never failed to make her heart race faster. She pushed Kris’s breasts together and kissed down her cleavage. Her tongue took over where the fingers of her right hand had been. The hard bud pushed past her lips and teeth where her tongue greeted it. She trapped it between her teeth while her tongue flicked across the tip. She knew how much it drove Kris wild. She pushed her hips and pelvis into Kris, moving with her. Not wanting to let the left nipple go unnoticed, she ran her tongue over it, sucking it between her lips. Kris clawed at her shirt, trying to pull it over her head but she wouldn’t let her.
“This time is about you. All those times you walked around here in those tight little outfits driving me wild, and I couldn’t do anything about it. Now, I can.”
“Me? What about—”
Jenna placed her fingers over Kris’s mouth. “Save your energy. You’re not going to win this one.” She kissed her again, this time with more lust and desire than passion. Her hair dragged between Kris’s breasts as she kissed her way down her stomach. Her tongue dipped down into Kris’s belly button as it slid past it. She stopped when she met the top of Kris’s jeans. The look of desire in Kris’s eyes fed her own growing appetite. She slid the zipper the rest of the way down trailing her middle finger down the front of Kris’s panties in the process.
&
nbsp; “Are we really going to do this here?” Kris questioned.
“Why not?” She tugged hard on Kris’s jeans and dropped them onto the floor. “No one is going to see us. The windows are covered. If I do my job right, they might hear you though. I can’t be held responsible for that.”
“What about the door? Did you lock it?”
“I’m not sure. It’s closed and that’s all I care about.”
“Jenna? Are you sure about this? What about Erin and Liz? Don’t they know we’re here? What if they come over?”
“Just relax. You’re saying one thing, but your body is way ahead of you.” Jenna ran her fingers over the wet spot on Kris’s panties. Kris moaned and her eyes rolled back. She threw one leg over the back of the couch. “That’s more like it.”
Jenna dragged her body between Kris’s legs pressing into her causing more friction. Kris’s back arched beneath her while her pelvis pushed up against her. She kissed Kris hard, her tongue diving past Kris’s parted lips. At the end of the heated kiss, she drew Kris’s bottom lip into hers and bit it before releasing it. Kris’s nails clawed at her back and her heels dug into the cushions. Kris drove her insanely wild.
She raised up and ran her hands along the outside of Kris’s thighs. “Looks like you’ve gotten over your fear of someone walking in.”
“Like I ever had a chance? You know I can’t resist you.” Kris’s fingers worked slowly unbuttoning Jenna’s shirt.
“Being more careful this time, huh? The first time you tried getting my shirt off, I recall losing a few buttons.”
“Would you rather me rip it off of you?” Kris asked working on the second button.
“Mmmm, I’m not complaining. Is this how you pictured taking my shirt off when we met?”
“No, not at all.” Kris grabbed the shirt on either side and pulled the shirt apart. “That’s how I imagined it.”
“Damn, I guess you weren’t interested in a slow build-up back then.” Jenna turned to see the last button roll all the way across the floor until it hit the wall.
Kris pushed the shirt back off of Jenna’s shoulders and raised up on her knees. Looking down, Jenna watched the buttons pop off of her sleeves underneath Kris’s quick fingers.
Jenna's Future (Dr. Jenna Harper Series Book 3) Page 13
