Small town romance boxed set

by Goodwin, Emily

  I go out to get it, hoping the thing didn’t get fried in the heat. It was sitting in the shade, thankfully. I reach for the door and hesitate. He probably needs this. He does graphic design for work, after all, and there’s a good chance he won’t come back over.

  Drop off the computer and leave, I chant over and over in my head. I take in a breath and think back to the hours and hours of meditation and yoga I did at Berkeley and center my chakras. I can do this.

  I knock, and the moment Jack answers the door, my resolve begins to crumble.

  “Nora?”

  “You…you…uh, you left your computer.”

  “Right. I did. Thanks.” He steps aside, holding Charlie back. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line back there.”

  “You didn’t.” I come in the house and hold out my hand for Charlie. “Well maybe…no, you didn’t. I did. Or didn’t.” I shake my head, annoyed with how flustered I’m becoming. Jack takes his computer from me and sets it down by his feet. I haven’t been inside the Harringtons’ house since before Jack and I broke up. It’s almost the exact same.

  “What?” Jack shuts the door behind me, and the quiet closes in on me. The gentle hum of the air conditioner fills the space around us.

  “I don’t even know. You didn’t cross a line. I freaked out, and I never freak out.” A painting on the opposite wall catches my eye. It’s dark and detailed, and I’m immediately drawn in. “Is that one of yours?”

  “Yeah.” Jack follows my gaze.

  “It’s incredible.” I step out of my flip flops and cross the foyer. “That’s the lake, right?”

  He half-smiles. “You’re the only one who got it that fast, you know.”

  I can only nod in response. I’m the only one who got it that fast because I’m the only one who stood on the overhang and looked down at the lake with Jack.

  “It’s really good,” I tell him.

  “Thanks. It’s the ‘most appropriate’ painting I’ve done so far, according to my mom.”

  “What else have you done?” I look around the house.

  “Nothing in here. I could, uh, show you the last cover I did. I mean, if you want to see it.”

  “Yeah,” I say, ignoring the voice inside of me screaming to get out of the house. “I would like that.”

  We sit on the couch and Jack unzips his computer case. He opens his laptop and brings up his saved documents.

  “This is one of my favorites,” he starts, showing me an incredibly detailed digital drawing of a female warrior in front of a dragon. “It took hours to get the shading right on that dragon.”

  “That’s amazing!”

  “Thanks. And if you want to tell me ‘I told you so’, go ahead.”

  I turn, finding my face close to his. It’s familiar and safe and I want to move closer. I take a moment to study his features, remembering the way I felt the first time I really looked into his deep, brown eyes.

  He’s grown over the last few years, maturing from the teenage boy I fell in love with to a man I don’t know anymore. His hair is cut shorter and neater than before, and the five o’clock shadow lining his jaw emphasizes how handsome he already is.

  “I told you so.” I lean back, resting my head on the couch. “How’d your dad take the news you were switching to art?”

  “He told me I’d never make any money and would regret not being able to get a ‘real’ job after I graduate. So very supportive, of course.”

  “Sounds like it.” I look at thumbnail images on the computer and see one that catches my eye. I point to it. “What’s that one?”

  “It’s just a drawing. Not a cover or anything cool.”

  I lean in, subsequently getting closer to Jack. “Is it a rose?”

  “Yeah.” Reluctantly, Jack clicks on the thumbnail, bringing up the digital painting. It is a rose and looks just like the little hand painted, glass rose he gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Only this one is wrapped in thorns and dripping with blood.

  “Now you can see why my mom thinks most of my art is inappropriate,” he tries to joke.

  “I like it. It is dark yet beautiful. And so detailed. Did you draw this by hand?”

  “Most of it. Some of it’s stock images that I drew over or used for reference.”

  I reach up, fingers touching my collarbone out of habit. I still wear the rose necklace from time to time. Jack closes his laptop and puts it on the coffee table.

  Silence falls between us, and just like before, it’s not awkward even though everything about this situation says it should be. We were strangers, then friends, then lovers. Now we’re strangers again.

  “You look good, Nora,” he says softly. “If I haven’t told you already.”

  “Thanks. You do too.” I smile and reach for his face. “I like this.” A shiver runs through me at the feel of his stubble-covered jaw under my palm. “You look all grown up.”

  He gives me a half-smile. “I don’t feel like it.”

  “I don’t either. I suppose we never will, right?”

  He puts his hand on top of mine, curling his fingers and bringing my hand to his lips. “Probably not.”

  My body reacts on its own accord. Heat flashes through me and I cannot find the strength to move away. It’s easy to fall back into old habits. I haven’t decided if Jack is a bad one or not.

  He trails his fingers over the back of my hand, up my arm, and around to the small of my back. I bristle, wresting both the urge to push him away and to pull him close.

  “I know what you said.” He lowers his head down to mine, and his gruff voice sends waves of desire through me. I want to feel him in every way possible, like I did before. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I never knew one person could make me feel so much, and I never knew how much my heart was capable of feeling until I met him.

  No one has come close since, and I’ve been working hard to deny the fact no one else ever will. It’s Jack. It’s always been Jack.

  His lips part. “And I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go.”

  “Jack.” My voice comes out strained. I’m weak and only he can make me stronger…or he’ll ultimately be the death of me.

  “Tell me to stop and I will.”

  I open my mouth and inhale. The words die in my throat. I close my eyes and turn my head up, lips meeting his. We kiss, and it’s like the last four years never happened. I wrap my arms around his neck and move up onto my knees. Jack’s hands settle on my waist, urging me on top of him until I’m straddling his lap.

  He kisses me like his life depends on it, and I kiss him back just as hard. He moves his lips from my mouth to my neck, finding the spot at the base that drives me crazy. He pulls my hair to the side, teeth nipping my skin. I arch my back and reach for the hem of his shirt, balling it in my fists. Jack leans back, raising his arms so I can lift his shirt over his head.

  It falls to the floor and I run my hands over his muscular chest, not stopping until I feel the scar from the bullet wound under my fingers. We kiss again, and I feel Jack’s cock harden against me. Holding me to him, Jack stands and slides his hands down to my ass. We can’t stop kissing, and he stumbles up the stairs with me in his arms.

  The door to his old room is closed, and I blindly reach behind me for the knob. Finally, I find it and open the door. A blast of cool air hits us and Jack steps in, going right to the bed. We fall down together with Jack between my legs.

  I pop the button on his jeans and pull down the zipper, reaching inside for his cock. I caress the wet tip and slide my hand down, wrapping my fingers around his shaft. Jack groans, then moves away just enough so I can take his pants all the way off.

  My tank top comes off next, followed by my shorts and panties. My heart races and I long for Jack with everything inside of me. He kisses me harder than ever before and then stops, resting his forehead against mine.

  “I still love you, Nora,” he whispers, and then kisses me again. He doesn’t give me a chance to say it back because he knows I won’t.
<
br />   I can’t.

  Chapter 28

  Jack

  I’ve been with Nora more times than I can count, yet I felt a shock of nerves rush through me when she pulled my shirt over my head. It’s like my first time all over again, and I wish it could be. A new beginning and a new end.

  With Nora.

  Her fingers press into my back and her legs curl around me. I grab a handful of her hair and pull her head to the side, exposing her neck. Nothing ever felt more natural than making love to Nora and pleasing her is second nature. I remember all the little things that drove her crazy and made her squirm with pleasure beneath me.

  I trail my tongue along her neck, stopping at the nape. I kiss, suck, and bite. Nora groans and brings her hands down to my waist. I put my mouth back on hers and move to her side, facing in. Nora bends her leg up over me, and I grab the back of her thigh, slowly inching my fingers toward her ass.

  She splays her fingers over my cheek and takes my bottom lip between her teeth. I squeeze her ass and move my hand around to the inside of her thigh. Nora widens her legs, giving me access to her pussy. I circle the entrance with my fingers, already feeling her heat. It ignites the fire inside of me, burning bright and hot. The light came back the moment she kissed me, and I vow right then and there to do everything I possibly can to win her back.

  I push my tongue into her mouth as I sweep my fingers over her clit. Nora inhales sharply, muscles tensing for a split second. She’s so fucking wet, and if I wasn’t already kissing her, I’d bury my face between her legs and lick up every drop she gives me.

  Nora moves her hand from my face to my arm, squeezing my bicep and digging her nails into my flesh. I kiss her slowly and slide my finger along her pussy even slower.

  Tantalizing.

  Teasing.

  It’s been so long since I touched her, I want to enjoy every fucking minute of it. And it’s been so long since she’s had my touch. I want her to remember just how good it is, how she’ll never get the same satisfaction from anyone else.

  I put my fingers over her clit again, moving them in small, slow circles. She’s getting wetter by the second, and I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out.

  “I want you,” she pants, and I plunge a finger inside of her, going right for her g-spot. I didn’t forget for one second how she likes to be touched. I know exactly what to do to make her come, to feel her pussy contract around my fingers as the first of many orgasms rolls through her.

  I curl a finger in, alternating between tapping and rubbing her sweet spot. Soft and slow. And then faster and faster until Nora stops kissing me, mouth falling open in pleasure. I push another finger in, then spread her wetness from inside her pussy to her clit. Nora’s fingers press into my arm harder, and I know she’s close to coming.

  Her breathing quickens, and she arches her back, pressing her pussy onto my hand. I simultaneously rub her g-spot and clit slowly, knowing how desperate she is to feel the release.

  “Jack,” she moans, and I’m so fucking hard right now, hearing her say my name might do me in. I kiss her again and speed up my movements until I feel her pussy tighten around my fingers, wetness spilling onto the sheets. Her nails bite into my flesh, leaving little half-moon prints that will turn me on all over again when I see them later. Her entire body goes rigid for a moment, followed by a shudder. Fuck, I missed watching her come.

  Wasting no time, I pull my hand back and run my fingernails down her thigh. Nora quivers, eyes squeezed shut, body still reacting from the orgasm. I bring my hand up her leg, over her hip, and along the curve of her side. I repeat the motion, enjoying the fuck out of the reaction it gets from Nora.

  Still reeling, she squirms against me, trying to catch her breath. Once she does, she brings her hands down and wraps her slender fingers around my cock. She puts her thumb on the tip, slowly moving it in a circle, spreading the pre-cum down my shaft. My eyes fall shut and I melt into her. I want to lay back and watch Nora go to work, making me come in seconds flat.

  But I’m not done with her yet.

  I slit my eyes open and look down at my cock wrapped in her hands. I groan, let myself enjoy her touch for a moment longer, and then grab both of her wrists and move her hands over her head.

  Nora gives me a wicked smile and then bites her lip as she lays back. We’ve done this before. She knows where things are going. But she has no idea how hard I’m going to make her come. Again.

  I start with her lips like I always do and make my descent down. I kiss her neck, her collarbone, her breasts. I take one in my hand and put my mouth over the other. Fuck, I’ve missed this. Her pert nipple presses against the roughness on my palm, and I flick the other with my tongue.

  Tearing myself away from her perfect tits, I kiss my way down her stomach, moving back on the bed until I’m kneeling on the floor. I grab Nora’s ankles and yank her down, bringing her pussy to my mouth. This time, I start right away, too eager to taste her sweet pussy again to draw it out for her and subsequently me.

  I spread her wide, hooking her legs over my shoulders, and dive in with my lips parted. I run my tongue around her pussy, circling her clit before I cup my mouth around it and gently suck. Nora cries out and her hands land on my head. One takes a fistful of hair. She’s pulling hard without realizing it and fuck, the pain turns me on even more than I already am.

  I slip my hands under her ass, angling her hips up, and brush a finger over her asshole. The muscles in her thighs quiver and she tightens her grip on my hair. I give her everything I have, rapidly flicking her clit with my tongue.

  She comes hard, harder than before, pushing my head away with her hands but holding me there with her legs tightly wrapped around my neck. Her pussy contracts wildly, and I know I won’t be able to hold out much longer.

  Panting, Nora weakly brings me to her. I grab her under her arms and bring her back up in bed, resting her head on a pillow. Her cheeks are rosy, and her breasts rise and fall as she sucks in air. It’s hot as hell and my cock throbs against her stomach, begging to push inside her tight pussy.

  Trying to give her a moment to recover, I bury my head in her breasts and rake my nails up and down her arm. Once she catches her breath, she takes my hand and moves it away, pushing me down onto the mattress. She gets to her knees and gathers her hair to one side, twisting it in an attempt to keep it in place.

  Hovering above me, she licks her lips, and then goes down, holding my cock in her hand first, pumping it up and down, hand slippery from pre-cum. Then she takes my cock in her mouth.

  “Fuck,” I moan, watching her full, pink lips slide up and down. She sucks hard, swirling her tongue around the tip. She remembers what drives me crazy too.

  Knowing I’m going to come if she keeps my dick in her mouth any longer, I move her back onto the bed and get on top. She bends her knees and bucks her hips, rubbing herself against me.

  I kiss her, tasting both myself and her pussy on her lips. Nora grips me tight and I push my cock inside. Fuck, she’s tight. She lets out a loud moan, and I thrust in and out. Hard. Fast. Desperate. She clings to me as I come, and we both fall back on the mattress, panting.

  I hold myself there, cock buried inside of her, forehead resting against hers. Nora rakes her fingers down my back one more time and then her hands fall to the bed. She lets out a breath and opens her eyes, looking right into mine. I pull out and lay down on my back, pulling her onto my chest. Nora slides her hand across my torso to my side, finger circling the scar.

  “We’re good at that.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “We’re really good at that.” My arms are wrapped around her, and I turn my head to kiss her once more. A faint smile is on her lips, and she closes her eyes, snuggling in closer.

  If only Nora could slip back into my life this easily.

  “Can you get me a towel or something?” she asks quietly.

  “Yeah.” I was so caught up in her I didn’t think about it, and this is only the second time I’ve ever come ins
ide Nora. We were always so careful before. I pry myself away from her and grab a towel from the bathroom, taking it to Nora. She cleans up what she can, and carefully gets out of bed to go to the bathroom. When she closes the door, I lay back, heart still racing.

  Instead of getting dressed when she comes into the room, Nora climbs back into bed, laying close next to me. I spoon my body around hers. Being together again feels so fucking right.

  Nora shivers, and I pull the folded blanket from the foot of the bed and spread it over both of us.

  “I like this,” I say quietly, kissing her neck. God help me, I just can’t keep my hands off her. “I want to do it again.”

  “Me too.”

  “Then we should.”

  Her body tenses. “We can’t.”

  “Why, Nora?”

  She faces me. “It’s not that easy.”

  “It can be.”

  “I don’t know. Things are complicated now.” She laces her fingers through mine, holding my hand close to her chest.

  “Life is complicated.” I bury my face in her neck. “What I feel for you isn’t.”

  The air conditioner kicks on. There’s a vent right above the bed and cold air blows down on us. Nora moves closer, pressing her bare ass against my dick. It won’t take much to turn me on again.

  “Do you still have flashbacks?” Nora’s voice is gentle, caring but not judgmental.

  “I haven’t in a while.”

  “What changed?”

  “I started going to a PTSD support group. And moving into the cabin. The solitude forced me to come face to face with my demons and being away in the quiet was a lot more calming than I expected. Sounds lame, I know.”

  “No, it doesn’t. There is peace in nature, and sometimes the noise of the world around us deafens us to hearing what we need.”

  “I didn’t realize being around people worsened things until I stopped being around them. There was a constant pressure and I was always waiting for them to bring up Jason.”