My heart pounded. Did I? I still had no idea where we were headed. I was still overwhelmed with all that lay ahead for me with Noah, with the bookstore. But I also knew the only times I hadn’t felt completely alone lately were when I was with Jake.
That had been nice. With him, I felt more like me than I had in years.
I looked at him. “I don’t know.” His gaze dropped. Shoot, not what I meant. I reached out and touched his chest, and his eyes shot back up to find mine. “I mean, I’m a mess, Jake. I have so much going on in my head right now. But I want to see you. I want to be near you.” Drat, I felt emotion welling up. I was officially cried out.
Jake stepped up, pulling me against him, and he pressed a kiss to my temple. “That’s all I need to hear, babe. The rest we can sort out later. As long as you don’t need space, I’m here.”
“You’re here for me even when I’m wearing crazy pajamas?”
His laugh reverberated through his chest as I rested my head against it. “I am here for these pajamas. To be honest, all I can think of is how much I want to see them on your bedroom floor,” he whispered, his mouth coming to my collarbone. Tracing it with his mouth, he then moved up and whispered in my ear, “And this bra.” His finger came to lightly trail under the band of the bralette around my back, across my ribs, and then under the swells of my breasts. My nipples hardened in response, and my happy place reminded me that my rationale was simply bullshit. Whatever.
“This print is gorgeous,” I said breathlessly because of course I did.
“Baby, there’re stripesandflorals,” he said as his mouth worked down my neck again.
“So?” I asked as my voice hitched.
Jake stopped his downward descent and lifted his head to meet my eyes, crinkles forming at the corner of his as he leaned forward and lightly brushed my lips. “Just saying, I think we’ve found Addie’s style influence.”
“Hey,” I began, but then thought of what I really wanted to know. “So, we’re good?”
“We’re good.”
“And we can go slow while I sort my life out?” I asked, holding my breath.
“How slow, Ivy?” Another brush of his lips scrambled my brain.
I let my eyes close as his lips hovered over my collarbone. “Not too slow,” I said in his ear.
“Good. Though I won’t complain if you button up,” he said pressing a kiss on the upper swell of each breast, then leaning over to put one on my stomach that made everything quiver and goose bumps race over my arms. “You are gorgeous, but Drew doesn’t need to see all this goodness.”
My cheeks heated. I mean, part of the feminist in me wanted to argue that I had less on display than the average swimmer at the public pool. However, the woman who’d given birth to a child five years ago and was conscious of, but always working to accept, the stretch marks and extra weight that I couldn’t seem to shed was fine with buttoning the shirt.
I looked up at Jake, suddenly ready to ask Drew to take Addie to a park and not come back for hours. Pressing my mouth to his neck, I whispered, “But you’re good with seeing me again?”
He groaned, his hands finding my waist and quickly helping me to hop up on the counter. Within seconds, my legs parted and his hard ridge met my core. I then knew exactly how okay he was with seeing me. “Mmmm, seems someone is happy to see me,” I said with a small laugh.
“Babe,” he said, meeting my eyes. “It’s been three days since I’ve spent any time with you and far too many days since my mouth has worshipped your body. I’m dying.”
“Dying,” I looked up at him. “Can’t have that, Jake.”
He nodded with mock seriousness. “Because you care about me.”
I tilted my head as I looked at him. “No, because I need the Homestead to keep me supplied in that buffalo chicken sandwich. I worry that with you dead and gone, I might have to go without.” I replied with a shrug.
He tipped his head back and let out a deep laugh. Looking at me, he kissed my nose. “At least I know where I stand.” Keeping his arms wrapped around my waist, he looked to the side. “So, babe, what do we have to do to have those rolls? Because damn, they smell amazing.”
“They taste even better,” I said. Because truth.
“So do you,” he said with a raised brow.
“Maybe you should taste me,” I said and immediately gasped as I clasped a hand over my mouth. I mean, who was I?
He nodded, apparently not fazed by my brazenness. “I guess I’ll have to settle for your mouth. For now,” he said as his lips crashed to mine. He nibbled at my lower lip until I opened and his tongue slid in.
I knew Addie was in the living room. I just hoped she’d do her typical pounding run if she was coming back to us. Because, for the life of me, I couldn’t pull away.
I hooked my leg around Jake’s hips, pulling his core even closer to mine. I could feel the outline of him against me, and it felt delicious. Just another minute, I told myself.
