“Jackson,” she mimicked.
I huffed a sigh, knowing there was no winning.
While Sarah wasn’t the type to actually stalk someone, there would be no getting her off my case until I relented. And ok, maybe I actually liked the idea of having them meet. Sarah was my closest friend, and family was important to me, and Audrey was quickly becoming someone I could see myself being with long term.
No matter how often I told myself it wasn’t going to be anything more, that Audrey only wanted something casual and it wasn’t likely going to last, I couldn’t help the way I felt. I was falling for her. I couldn’t stop it.
I was going crazy trying to work out what was going on between us. I liked Audrey more than I had liked someone in a really long time, so yes, sue me for wanting to introduce the two most important women in my life to each other.
And I hoped that if they met and liked each other, it would help Audrey see that we could work as something more.
Two birds, one stone.
Or possibly, a complete and utter disaster.
“Fine. How about next weekend? Our usual Sunday brunch at my place.”
“Wow, really? You barely even put up a fight there. She really has got you wrapped around her finger.”
“Oh, look, our food’s here, eat up.”
“Subtle, Jace.” she chuckled. “Now, I really can’t wait to meet her.”
20
Jackson
The light that crept into the room between half-drawn shades woke me. I wondered for a dazed moment why I’d never had this issue before, then realized it was because I’d rolled away from my usual spot on the bed, the reason for which was curled up next to me.
I’d had Audrey in my bed many times now but never like this.
Any nights we’d spent together had ended long before morning, one of us heading home to sleep in our own bed, something I’d be grateful for when we first met. I rarely let anyone stay at my place in the past.
But with Audrey, I found it hard not to want more of her. More of her time, more of her body, more of her mind.
And ever since that night where we’d done nothing more than talk in a bath full of bubbles, I’d wanted to wake up next to her.
Last night had given me hope that she wanted the same thing since all it had taken was a gentle kiss and a quiet “stay with me” to convince her.
I propped myself on one elbow to get a better look at her just because I could.
She faced me, curled on her side, still asleep, burrowed under the covers. It was adorable.
She was even more beautiful like this, if that was possible. Her hair was in disarray against the pillow, and my fingers ached to run through it, to sort out the tangles and smooth it down, but it would likely wake her, so I settled with gently moving a wayward strand away from her face. There was a small wrinkle embossed across her cheek where the pillowcase had marked her during the night.
I couldn’t hold myself back. The soft expression of her face and that damn little crease called out to me, and I leaned down to kiss it.
Her smile formed beneath my lips when I moved to capture them with my own.
“Mmm, morning,” she said between lazy kisses.
But I wasn’t interested in talking.
We moved slowly, more instinct than action, skin on skin and warmth and closeness, intimate in a way I couldn’t quite name. Our kisses were messy, just languid slides of lips against lips, cheeks, skin.
Audrey shifted onto her stomach, reaching and pulling until I was blanketed over her, arching and rolling her ass against my dick, the only part of me more awake than the rest.
It was a slow slide between her thighs, and when she hitched her hips just right, I was fucking the hot, wet warmth of her, and fuck, it was incredible. We were touching, everywhere we could, head to toe, in and out and around each other. My entire existence was focused on her.
