by JB Salsbury
“It’s only you and me. You’re safe. I promise.”
His pace picks up, and soon I’m rocking my hips, helping him work me into a frenzy of need.
“That’s right, take what you need from me.” His voice is thick and heavy with desire, and I feel his erection at my hip.
I’ve moved beyond the worst of my fears. The rest should be easy, right? But what if it’s not? What if I ruin everything we’ve managed to overcome by panicking and pushing him away?
Jack
The fact that I can keep a hard-on with the rage that courses through my veins is a testament to how much I love and am turned on by Sadie. Having her in my bed, completely naked and bared to me, my fingers buried deep in her silken wet heat, her breasts inches from my mouth—she’s the ultimate fantasy. My forever dream girl. Yet watching her pull herself back from the brink of a panic attack has me envisioning busting open skulls. Sexy, right?
The only thing that’s keeping me from throwing up my dinner is her bravery. I watch her battle her demons. The darkness in her eyes comes over her and her muscles tense, and every time, she manages to push it back and work with me to give her the pleasure she deserves.
I know the physical part of our relationship will take time and patience, and she’s said she may never get to a place where she’s able to have sex again, but she’s showing me tonight that she wants to reclaim that part of her life. She isn’t going to give up what she wants without a fight.
I kiss her clenched jaw. “It’s me, Sadie girl. Breathe.” Her thighs release their death grip on my wrist and pick up the pace I’d set before her head sent her on lockdown. “That’s it. You feel so good. I’ve missed this.”
She nods quickly, but I can tell she’s not ready to relax enough for talking. Maybe I can fix that with my mouth. Her nipples are hard and so damn close… I lean down and draw one between my lips, licking and tasting the sweet, supple skin. That seems to work. She moans and her knees fall wide. I pull my fingers from her body and her breath hitches. Bringing my soaked fingers to her chest, I rub them on her nipple, transferring the wetness there before sucking it off with a long groan of satisfaction.
“You taste the same. So fucking good.” I put my fingers in my mouth and lick them clean while she watches with wide eyes. I smirk. “Can I taste more of you?”
With a shuddered breath, she nods.
“I’m gonna need to hear the words, love.”
“Yes. I want you to taste me.”
Not as specific as I hoped, but we’re getting there. I slip down her body, drop to my knees on the side of the bed, then scoop my hands under her sexy ass to pull her to the edge. Her feet come to my shoulders and I grin. She remembers. I know her brain and her heart are working through some dark times, but one thing is for sure—our bodies are as familiar with the other as if we’d never been apart.
I run my hands along the outer part of her thighs, soothing her with my touch until I see her relax further. Her eyes are open, but they’re not on me. She stares at the ceiling but seems to be seeing something other than the white plaster.
“Stay with me.”
She blinks, and finally I get her eyes. I reassure her with a soft kiss to her inner thigh, then I slide down, kissing and caressing as she watches me until I finally get my first real taste. Her breath catches in her throat, but her muscles remain pliable and relaxed. I sink deeper, loving the different moans and sighs that fill my ears. Her head falls back on the bed. This time her eyes are closed, and I celebrate the enormous victory by giving in to my ravenous need and sucking on her tender flesh. Her back arches, her heels press against me, and her knees fall as wide as her flexibility will let them. Fingers sift through my hair and fist. Her hips roll. She’s loving this. I close my eyes and lose myself to her taste, her touch, the satiny feel of her against my tongue.
Her muscles tense again, and I’m afraid her thoughts have taken her someplace dark. But when I peer up to check on her, she’s lost in the throes of ravishment. Her lips are parted, hair tossed around her face, back arching off the bed, and the sweet sound of my name falls from her lips. My eyelids slide closed and I lose myself in her release. It fills my soul with feelings of possession and victory over what was done to her.
With a gentle pressure from her feet, she presses me back and I reluctantly give her up. I run my hands up and down her legs, bringing her back to earth. When she opens her eyes, I’m happy to see no regret, only a lazy contentedness for an internal battle won.
“You good?”
Her beautiful lips tilt up on the sides. “Not really. I’m ready for more.”
If it weren’t for the fact that I’m already on my knees, I may have dropped to them. “You serious?”
God, why am I smiling like a kid who got offered the most decadent candy? Because you did. I clamber to my bedside table drawer so quickly it makes her laugh.
“Eager?”
I wish I could be the cool guy, the laid-back picture of composure, but I’ve never been able to pull that off with Sadie. Not at three and not at twenty-three.
I rip open a box of condoms and fumble one to the floor. I finally get my hands on it and feel my face get hot as she watches me make a fool out of myself. “Sexy, huh?”
She chuckles—the sound is throaty and so hot. “I’ve always loved that I could make you nervous.”
I release my dick from the confinement of my jeans and slide on the condom. Am I shaking? “Can’t deny that.”
I climb on the bed, kicking off my jeans. When she holds out her arms for me to crawl between her legs, I hook one arm behind her and slide her up the bed to place her in the middle. She welcomes me into the cushion of her thighs, and when her arms wrap around me, I allow my weight to drop. We’re pressed together, hearts pounding against the other, and like everything else, our bodies know exactly how we fit together.
“You’re not saying yes to this for me, right?”
She looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her, and when she cups my face and says, “No, I’m one hundred percent doing this for me,” I believe her.
I flex my hips, shifting forward, and bury myself inside her. Her heat envelops me, her eyes consume me, and I’m reminded what it feels like to be home.
For so long, I’ve been living for my next A grade, next promotion, bigger paycheck. I thought all those things would fill the emptiness I felt in my soul shortly after leaving Sadie. I was so stupid to think any of those things would fit in the space my soul had carved out for her. And now that I have her back, her legs locked behind my thighs, her hands sifting through my hair as she looks at me with all the trust in the world, the burn of tears gathers in my eyes.
I kiss her, hoping she won’t notice. What kind of a pussy-ass bitch cries during sex? This is so much more and you know it.
If she notices my emotion, she ignores it and kisses me as if the key to her happiness lies within the depths of our love. I thrust in slowly and pull back at the same pace, my hips matching the rhythm set by our kiss. My elbows braced at her shoulders, I hold myself up to feel the tips of her breasts slide against me with every slip inside. Her nails scrape at my scalp—her demand for me to pick up the pace, deepen the depth, increase the pressure. I roll my hips in a firm circle, and her body tightens beneath me. Around me.
She’s going to need more.
At the risk of being too rough, but feeling in my heart it’s what she needs to send her over the edge, I pull almost all the way out then slam forward. When she moans my name, I repeat the action over and over until she’s clawing at my back and waking the neighbors with her cry of release.
The second hers hits, mine quickly follows, and I chase her right over to drop into a free fall of explosive ecstasy. I kiss her hard, and she swallows my moan while I fight to keep from blacking out. My vision tunnels, I fight for my lungs to accept a full breath, and then I collapse on her for a second before rolling off and pulling her to my chest.
“We’ve always been amazing,
but that?” I’m still catching my breath. “How did we get better?”
She sighs. The sound is so comforting and satisfying as she settles her cheek on my pec. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d been practicing.”
I hold up my right hand, flex my fingers, and flip it over a few times. “This here is a poor substitute for you, Sadie girl.”
She giggles sleepily. “I should hope so.”
I close my eyes, basking in the glow of our shared release, her steady pulse, warm body, and the hope that after tonight, she won’t be able to walk away from us.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sadie
I wake to the scent of coffee and bacon. My body is sore in places that only remind me of Jack, and that realization makes me smile. Rolling to my side, I see the door open and take the opportunity to grab my phone and punch out a quick update to Dawn.
I don’t know what I would’ve done this weekend without her to talk to about all of my resurfacing feelings for Jack. Having her to help me make decisions has been a godsend and makes me sad that she doesn’t live in San Diego anymore.
When I open the app, I see I already have a message from her—sent at eight o’clock this morning, almost an hour ago.
* * *
How’d last night go?
* * *
I bite my lip to keep my smile under control, but it’s pointless. I grin like an idiot and type back.
* * *
Oh, Dawn… I think I might be in trouble here. I don’t think I’ll be able to live without him after last night!
* * *
I hit Send and hear Jack fumble in the kitchen with a muttered, “Shit.”
Still smiling, I wonder if he’s out there cooking breakfast in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs or if maybe he decided to go commando in only his worn-out jeans. My curiosity gets the best of me, and I pull back the comforter, in search of my clothes. I check the floor and the bench at the foot of the bed. Huh… I spot a gray NYU T-shirt hanging over a chair, my underwear folded neatly beside it. Did he really hide my clothes so I’d be forced to wear his shirt? He really is the same ol’ Jack.
With a yawn, I get dressed and get my phone to see I have a new myBubble message.
* * *
Then don’t.
* * *
If only it were that easy. I close the app and toss my phone on the bed, then I follow my nose to the kitchen, where I’m met with the smooth landscape of Jack’s incredibly toned back. He’s absently stirring a steaming pan of scrambled eggs while looking at his phone in his other hand. He hasn’t noticed me yet, so I allow my eyes to drop to his narrow waste. He went with the jeans. Excellent choice. I trace the upper swells of his ass and crack, which peek up above the sagging waistband. Such a pretty picture. And bonus, he’s barefoot.
“Good morning—”
“Shit!” He startles, dropping his phone and flinging half-cooked eggs into the air.
“I’m sorry!” I laugh and bend over to retrieve his phone. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
His eyes are wide on his phone in my hand. “I didn’t know you were up.”
I hand him back the device. “I can see that.”
He grabs his phone, checks it—I assume to make sure it’s not broken—then slips it into his back pocket. “Work stuff.”
“What?”
“I was on my phone dealing with work stuff.”
I shrug, because I don’t really care. “Smells good.”
He blinks a few times as if he’d forgotten what he was doing. “Yeah, you hungry?”
I tilt my head, studying his gorgeously built, yet rigid body. “Why are you being weird?”
“I’m not.” He chuckles and turns to pull the eggs off the burner.
With a mighty heft, I hop up to sit on the counter next to him. “You totally are. It’s because of last night, isn’t it? Do you… regret—”
“What? No. Fuck no.” He positions himself between my knees, his big palms sliding up my thighs as he brings his lips to mine. “Can I have a do-over?”
Lost in his emerald eyes, I nod. God, that smile!
“Mornin’, Sadie girl.” He kisses me softly, sweetly. “I loved last night. Making love to you again, holding you in my arms while you slept. I cursed the sun when it came up.”
“You did?”
“I did.” He brushes my hair off my face and frowns. “I can’t believe you’re leaving today.”
I kiss him. I try to keep it sweet like he did, but I can’t control myself around him. To be honest, I never could. I tilt my head and part my lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss. And just like I figured he would, he does. I lift my knees and lock my ankles at his ass, pulling him close when I notice how aroused he is between my legs. Hands grip and explore as we nip at each other’s lips and grind against one another.
He pulls his lips away, resting his forehead against mine, our panted breaths mixing. His smells of coffee and toothpaste. “Don’t go.”
Stay in New York? Is it crazy to even consider it? I don’t work until Wednesday. There’s really no reason why I can’t milk my trip another few days.
“What about your work?”
He kisses down my jaw to my neck. “I’ll call in sick.”
“Tanner will throw a fit. He seemed really angry that you missed your meeting—”
“Fuck Tanner,” he says against the sensitive skin where my neck meets my shoulder. “He’ll get over it.”
I close my eyes and breathe in his clean, calming scent before I whisper, “Okay.”
He jerks his head back, his expression so hopeful I feel it in my soul. “You’re serious.”
“I’ll check the flights—oh my gosh!” I giggle as his arms wrap around my middle, his face buries in my neck, and he squeezes me so tight he might break a rib. But I don’t care. I hug him back just as hard.
“I’ll pay whatever they charge to change your flight.”
“You don’t have to—”
He kisses me quick and hard. “No arguing.”
“I wonder, did you and my dad go to the same school for overprotective and bossy men?”
“I should be offended that you’re comparing me to your dad.” He scoops eggs onto a plate then adds two strips of bacon and a handful of fresh strawberries. “But I’m not because your dad is the only man in the world who loves you as much as I do.” He hands me the plate. “OJ or coffee?”
I take the plate and my stomach flutters with happiness. He loves me. “Coffee.”
After one more kiss and a grab of my ass as I sit at the table, we finally get to dive into the breakfast he prepared. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I took the first bite of eggs. I clean my plate embarrassingly fast and steal an extra piece of bacon off his plate. We talk about our childhoods, laugh about our huge family back in Las Vegas, and with every story, I feel more and more convinced that we really are meant to be together.
“Could you ever see yourself moving home?” I sip my coffee while gauging his response.
His thoughtful expression surprises me. I expected an immediate no. He leans back in his chair, and his perfectly shaped pecs call my eyes, making him smirk. “If anyone had asked me that days ago, I would’ve said no. But now?”
“What?” I hear wistfulness in my voice as I await his answer to the question I’m really asking. Are you willing to leave New York?
“Yeah, I’d go home. Vegas was a great place to grow up. I think as far as raising a family, it’d be smart to do it there.”
Me too.
He stands, clears our plates, and brings them to the kitchen. I follow with our empty coffee mugs and place them in the sink.
“Why don’t you see about changing your flight while I jump in the shower? Do you need to use my computer?”
“No, I’ll use my phone.”
He picks up his wallet, which is sitting on the counter next to his keys and pulls out his credit card. “Use it.”
I take it, rolling my
eyes. “Fine.”
He slips his wallet into his pocket and kisses my forehead before heading off to the shower. A surge of excitement blasts through my body and I dab, floss, and hit the quan in Jack’s kitchen before pulling my crap together and hunting down my phone.
Where did I put it?
I head to the bedroom as the shower turns on and see Jack’s discarded jeans on the bed. I grab my phone and head back to the living room to call the airline.
After a small wait, I get on a flight for Wednesday. It leaves early enough that, with the time change, I’ll be able to work that night. After using Jack’s credit card for the two-hundred-fifty-dollar charge, I end my call with a new flight number and two more days with Jack.
I feel so reckless, so adventurous. More importantly, I feel in control, which is something I haven’t felt since that night on the beach.
Finally, I feel… free.
I go back into the bedroom to give him his card, but he’s still in the shower, so I fish his wallet out of his jeans and place the card inside. Standing there, overflowing with excitement from my newfound independence, I fall back on the bed and punch out a quick text to Dawn on the myBubble app.
* * *
You are never going to believe what I did!
* * *
I hit Send.
Jack’s phone vibrates in his jeans. Probably more work stuff. I make a mental list of the things I want to see during my last two days in New York. I’ve always wanted to go to the 9/11 Memorial.
When Dawn doesn’t respond, I punch out another message.
* * *
I changed my flight! I’m staying two more days!
* * *
Jack’s phone vibrates again.
Weird.
