Jack & Sadie

by JB Salsbury

  “I think...” She seems shy and hesitant when she says, “I’d be happiest with you.”

  Sadie

  I don’t know whether to guide Jack to the couch or try to catch him before he passes out. His face is white, his lips parted, and he’s looking at me but not seeing me. I handed him my heart and I’m afraid he’s going to drop it at my feet.

  I didn’t know what to expect when I got the bright idea to ambush him at his house. My plan was to hear him out, but when I saw him, all those old feelings rushed back and I knew I didn’t need to hear his reasons. Ricky was right—we do stupid things for love. I couldn’t deny my feelings for a second longer.

  I’ve been in love with Jack my entire life. I foolishly convinced myself that if I didn’t see him or talk to him, I’d fall out of love with him. When he was in New York, when I refused to take his calls after Tanner’s wedding, and when I had to sit on my hands in my bed to keep from looking out the window when he pulled a Say Anything at my doorstep, I really believed that not seeing him would dull my feelings. All it really did was trick my heart into remission.

  When he sways on his feet, I grip his biceps to steady him, but he’s a big man. If he goes down, there’s nothing I can do to stop him. “Are you okay? I think you should sit.”

  He’s not looking at me but at my hands fisting the sleeves of his T-shirt. His skin is tanner than it was when I last saw him, his muscles a little bigger. His gaze moves slowly from my hand, up my arm, to my shoulder, and then slips to the side to focus on my lips. His eyes flare then darken.

  “Jack, I—”

  My words die as his lips mold gently to mine, so I’m left with only my body to communicate. I grip his shirt tighter, pull him closer, push up on my tiptoes, and return his kiss. His mouth opens for a breath and I sink deeper, arch my back, and give myself over to the swell of emotion between us.

  He rips his mouth from mine, his breath coming in heavy bursts as he rests his forehead against mine. “Tell me this is real.”

  “It’s real.”

  The corners of his lips twitch. “Are you saying you’re mine?”

  I clutch his forearm resting at my hip and bring his hand to my heart, pressing his palm against my breastbone. I pull back enough to get his eyes, and with the focus of an obsessed man, he peers through to my soul. “I have always been yours. Even when I thought I didn’t want to be.”

  His six-foot-something frame folds around me, his arms over my shoulders, hands tangled in my hair, lips at my temple, where he groans. “I don’t deserve you.”

  With my arms wrapped around his middle, my face buried in his neck, I shrug. “That’s probably true.”

  He chuckles, but when he releases me and focuses on my mouth, his laughter dies. The way he kisses me sears through me, further branding him on my soul. We’ve always been like this, and life has never been okay when we’re apart. Standing with the backdrop of the setting sun over the ocean, we kiss until we’re trembling. Arms holding, hands gripping hard in a desperate need to never let go. Whispered words of apology coupled with confessions of love encapsulate us in a space where our separation becomes distant and our future falls out before us.

  “Did you eat dinner?” he says while peppering kisses along my jaw.

  My eyes are closed, my chin tilted toward the ceiling as I lose myself to his touch. “You’re thinking of food right now?”

  He dips lower, his lips sliding along my collarbone, tongue gliding and tasting as he makes his way to my opposite shoulder. “No. I’m thinking of you right now. What I have in mind is going to last far into the dinner hour. I want to make sure you don’t get hungry.”

  I gasp at the way he nips my neck while he speaks, as if eating me is an option. Yes, please. “I’d love a tour of your house.”

  He freezes with my earlobe between his teeth.

  “Start in the bedroom.”

  “Oh yeah?” I feel his smile against my skin as he catches my meaning. “Then where?”

  “Hmmm…” His mouth is heaven against my throat. “The bathroom.”

  He moans against my skin, his grip on me growing tighter.

  “The kitchen.”

  “Yes,” he says breathlessly.

  “And then, when it’s nice and dark, the deck.”

  I laugh when he scoops me into his arms and carries me toward the hallway and into his bedroom.

  He lays me on the bed and crawls over me, his body fitting perfectly between my open legs. Holding his weight over me with powerful arms, he dips to kiss me and whispers, “So this is the bedroom.”

  And without another word, we lose ourselves in another kiss.

  His hips roll in firm, rhythmic waves, and I’m grateful I wore a dress. The only barriers between us are my panties and his shorts, and the heat created between us becomes unbearable. He must feel it too, because he reaches behind his neck and pulls off his shirt. He slips the spaghetti straps down my arms to reveal my strapless bra. I sit up, and reading my mind, he unclasps the hooks with one hand, freeing my breasts to his ravenous gaze.

  I drop back to the bed, and he drops his weight to my side. His mouth finds my nipple while his hand pushes up my dress to find my thighs open and waiting.

  “I never thought I’d feel you again,” he says. My back arches off the bed as his breath ghosts over my breast, left damp from his kiss. He caresses my inner thigh, his palms roughened with calluses that weren’t there the last time we were together. “I’m never letting you go.”

  “Don’t stop touching me.” It seems like such a silly thing to say, but I can’t think of a better way to express my need. When his hands are on me, I feel safe, cherished, and like I’m the only woman he’s ever seen.

  “Never.” He teases me from the outside of my panties. “So wet.”

  He knows what I want, he always does, and I don’t have to beg, because he never makes me wait or suffer longer than I can bear. He tugs my panties down and I lift my butt so he can slide them off my legs, then I kick them to the floor. I’m not surprised that he doesn’t remove my dress. He’s always liked when I looked rumpled—shirt shoved up, shorts to my ankles, bra pulled down just enough to free my boobs.

  Shifting his body to the foot of the bed, he presses my thighs open until I feel the twinge of stretching muscles in my hips. He holds me there and lowers his mouth to me. He starts off slow, with close-mouthed kisses that tease, until I’m pressing against his hold. He picks up on my cues and gives me more. Long swipes of his tongue gradually grow deeper until I’m gasping and lifting my hips to meet his mouth.

  I’m so close, so damn close, when he stops.

  “What are you doing?” My hands grip his bedding to keep from grabbing his head to make him finish the job.

  He chuckles, the sound so low and promising it sends goose bumps up my body as he climbs above me. His shorts and boxers are off and he has his hard-on clenched in his fist. “I want us to finish together.”

  I run my hands over taut muscles to link my fingers around the back of his neck. “Yes.”

  He sucks in a breath. “There’s only one problem.”

  His words are a splash of cold water. “What?”

  “No condom.”

  “Oh.” I gaze down at his erection, his big hand wrapped around it, and the view supercharges my arousal.

  He narrows his eyes. “I know I’ve given you no reason to trust me, but I would never put your health in danger, Sadie.”

  “I believe you.” And I do.

  “Yeah?”

  I nod. “I’m on the pill.”

  He frowns, and although he doesn’t speak, I can see the question in his eyes. I bring my legs up and lock them around his back.

  His entire body trembles. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  And with that, Jack sinks inside me, filling my body the way his love fills my soul.

  Jack

  Being wrapped up in Sadie feels like a dream—her legs locked around me, her hands in my
hair, and her tongue in my mouth. And her heat, with no barrier between us… fuck. This is the closest to heaven I’ll ever be.

  Our lovemaking has always been tender. When we were younger, I never wanted her to feel anything less than worshipped. I never took her as hard as my imagination fantasized, and that was fine with me. I’d take what I could get and die a happy man.

  But something has changed in Sadie.

  As I move inside her and revel in the sensations that skate up my spine, her body language is restless. Her hips lift off the bed, meeting me thrust for thrust. Her nails dig into my back hard enough to leave marks. She sucks my bottom lip, and when my pace stays steady, she bites.

  I grin at her, really fucking enjoying this side of her. I slip one hand under her ass and scoot her up the bed until her back is against the headboard. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing—all I know is that I want to take her harder up against something solid. She trembles and her eyes gleam as I shift my position enough to grab the headboard with both hands. I punch my hips forward and she moans. The sound goes straight between my legs.

  She looks so beautiful propped up in front of me, her hair a mess around her face, those eyes crystal clear and focused on me, her lips dark pink and parted. I lean in and suck them while I pin her in place with my hips.

  Keeping a close eye on her responses, I quicken my pace, and she encourages me with deep kisses and the bite of her nails. My orgasm coils at the base of my spine, and the logical side of my head tells me to slow down, draw it out, but Sadie is as desperate for release as I am. So I push a hand in her hair, grab tight, tilt her head back, and kiss her until she explodes around me.

  In a rush of heat, I follow her right over the edge. I pump my hips, emptying myself inside her, joining our bodies in the most intimate way for the first time. I don’t have a single fucking regret.

  We’re both breathing heavily. I pull her close and roll to my back, taking her with me to rest against my chest. Our hearts pound against each other, finding comfort in the other.

  “What are you thinking about?” I ask.

  “Trying to remember if I forgot a pill this week,” she says, but there’s a smile in her voice.

  “From what I’ve heard, it’s a lot harder to make a baby than they led us to believe in high school.” As feeling flows back to my extremities, I trace patterns against the soft skin of her back.

  “But it’s possible.”

  “It’s always possible.”

  “I didn’t think your heart could beat any faster than it was, but…” She presses her cheek to my chest, and I feel her grin against my bare skin.

  “Don’t mistake that for panic. Talking about having babies with you makes me excited. For a lot of reasons.” Now it’s me who’s grinning. If our relationship goes where I hope it’s headed, I’m going to enjoy every second of the baby-making process. Which reminds me… “There’s something we should talk about.”

  At the seriousness in my voice, she props herself up to look me in the eyes, her expression matching my tone. “What’s wrong?”

  Her bright eyes, pink-stained cheeks, swollen lips—I have to catch my breath, because looking at her steals the air from my lungs. “Marry me.”

  The tension in her face dissolves. “What?”

  “You heard me.” I cup her face and bring our lips together. “Marry me, Sadie. Don’t make me live one more day without you.”

  “You want me?”

  “Fuck yeah!”

  “Like, forever?”

  Jesus, has she lost her mind? I sit up, bringing her with me so we’re face to face on the bed. I lean over, hit the light, and open my side table, searching for something… anything… ah-ha!

  I turn back toward her with a rubber band that I used to keep all my electrical cords together when I moved. She’s naked with a pillow clutched to her chest, and I pull her left hand into mine to slip the too-big, tan elastic around her ring finger.

  “Since I was aware you existed, I have been in love with you.” Her eyes fill with tears as I speak, and satisfaction fills my chest. “I was so young, and I didn’t realize that I had to become a man who deserved your love.” I loop the band around her finger again. “Since I was a toddler, I felt like you were mine. I never considered the possibility that I could lose you. And then I did.” I make another pass around her finger. “I had a lot of growing up to do. I realized that even though we were made to be together, that doesn’t mean I don’t have to earn your love.” With a final loop, the band is tight enough to stay put but not cut off her circulation. “Like this rubber band is a never-ending circle…”

  She giggles tearfully.

  “No end and no beginning, so will be my love for you, forever if you’ll let me.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her ring finger. “Marry me, Sadie. It doesn’t have to be next month or even next year. We’ll take things as slow as you need. Just please say you’ll be mine.”

  She sniffs, thumbs her temporary ring, then grins at me.

  “So?” I scrunch up my face with my heart in my stomach. “Is that a yes?”

  She launches at me, knocking me back on the bed. Crawling on me, she kisses me.

  I turn my head, breaking the kiss. “I’m gonna need to hear you say it—”

  “Yes, okay! Yes. Yes. Yes!” She punctuates each word with a kiss. “I will marry you.”

  I roll her over and kiss her until time fades around us and all that exists in the world is our racing hearts and eager bodies.

  Life is so fucking unreal. I woke up this morning having to remind myself again that Sadie was out of reach and had moved on with someone else, only to fall asleep tonight with Sadie in my arms as my fiancé.

  Like a needy animal, I’m hard and rubbing against her again. Self-control is a whisper in the back of my head as she reaches between us, grasping my erection. A hiss of pleasure escapes through my teeth.

  “What’s next on the tour?” she asks seductively.

  “Um…” I bite my lip as she strokes me, hard and demanding. Fuck, it feels so good. “I think the, uh…”

  “Bathroom?”

  “I have a shower.” I sound so stupid, but ohh my… “Fuck, don’t stop.”

  “Take me to the shower, Jack.” She licks her lips.

  As if thrown from the bed by an unseen force, I’m up and pulling Sadie with me. She laughs, shimmies her dress to the floor, and steps out of it as I drag her toward the master bathroom. I reach in the shower, hit on the hot water, and when I turn around, I’m slammed back against the wall by Sadie. Her smile is all sex and promises as she slides down my body to her knees at my feet.

  “This is a really nice bathroom.” She fists me tightly.

  My hips jerk forward. “Thank… you.” I swallow a lump of lust at the visual of her eyes cast up toward me with a glint of excitement.

  “Do you plan to do some remodeling in here?” She licks me from base to tip.

  I groan and my head falls back to the wall. She stops touching me and lifts her brow.

  “What are you doing?” Don’t stop!

  “Remodel. If I’m going to be your wife, I want to hear what your plans are.”

  “While you’re—” I gasp when she puts her mouth on me. “Um, I, uh… tile. Tile floors, and—oh yeah.”

  She backs off again.

  “Tile! And… and…”

  She grins and takes me in her mouth again.

  “And the shower, I’m tiling the shower. Sink. New, um… faucets, but… towels and…” At this point I’m just naming shit that goes in a bathroom. I think at one point I was throwing out random colors, any color. My head spins, and I grip her hair. “Coming.”

  She digs her fingers into my ass cheeks, holding me in place while the surge of my release comes from what feels like my toes to her throat. Wave after wave of euphoria washes over me until I’m left drained and dizzy. But when her naked body slides up my torso and she fuses her mouth to mine, awareness hits me like an electrical shock. I
lift her in my arms, bring her in the shower, and love her with my hands, my mouth, and my body until the water runs cold and we’re a slumped heap on the shower floor.

  Life with Sadie.

  Loving Sadie.

  From this day forward, nothing will come before her ever again.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sadie

  I wake to the feeling of Jack attempting to stretch out on the cot, and his contented groan rumbles against my back. The marine layer on the coast is thick this morning and gives me the sensation of sleeping in a cloud. With the cool breeze on my face and his warm body pressed against my back, I’ve never been more comfortable.

  His arm snakes around my waist and I feel him smile at my ear, where he whispers, “So yeah, that’s my house.”

  I laugh, the sound throatier than usual after a long night of making love and breaks filled with long conversations. “You’re a great tour guide.”

  He kisses the back of my head. “I’d be happy to give you another one if you’re up for it.”

  “Is there anything else to see?”

  “Oh, baby, there’s always gonna be more to see.”

  My giggle turns into a yawn that crawls up my throat. “Maybe later. How long did we sleep for?”

  “Couple hours?”

  A fish taco wrapper is kicked about by the wind and dances around the deck. After sex on the kitchen counter, we were starving. Wrapped in sheets, we pulled the cot outside and ate under the stars. No ridiculously expensive restaurant, only us under the moon with nothing between us but bedsheets. This is the Jack I remember and the kind of romance he knows I love.

  With a lot of maneuvering, and some grunting, I manage to turn around and face him. We interweave our legs, and my arms are smooshed between us in order to fit. He has one arm folded under his head and the other holding me close. I study his face, the day’s worth of blond scruff shadowing his strong jawline and high cheekbones. Green eyes glint from behind puffy, sleep-deprived eyelids, and his full lips quirk in that confident half-smile that has managed to make me feel warm all over since I was a girl.