40
Jay
Reese’s kiss is as intoxicating as ever.
It’s the sort of kiss that dissolves all the confusion fromyesterday.
He wants me. He cares about me.
I came here thinking I could be wrong. An idiot who desperatelywanted to believe in something that was never there to begin with. I’m sofucking glad Reese showed me how right I was.
He starts to break our kiss, but I slide my hand around his headand pull him back.
“I don’t…want…to stop,” I say between kisses. “Idon’t…want…it…to end.”
We enjoy the moment. Embrace it. And I feel all the tension inhim relax with the tension I’ve carried around since our fight last night.
When we finally catch our breath, Reese whispers, “I love you somuch, Jay.” He leans back. “I’m sorry for what I said. I really just wanted todo what was best for you. I don’t want to make you unhappy. I look at you, sofilled with life and energy, and I’m just horrified that I’m going to break youwith everything that’s broken me.”
“Don’t be arrogant assuming you’re the only one who’s broken,” Isay with a smirk.
He cracks a smile.
I see, finally, hope in his expression. Hope we might actuallybe able to make this work.
“I just haven’t cared about anyone like this in so long, andthat scares the fuck out of me.”
“I love you, too, but if you ever pull any of that fucking shitlike last night, you’re gonna lose another appendage.”
He laughs out loud, momentarily breaking the spell that he’sbeen under.
I know it’s not that easy for him, but it’s nice to think that,even for a moment, he’s able to shake off some of the burden he’s been carryingaround.
“I’m so fucking sorry.”
As soon as he kisses me again, that’s all the apology I need.His body against mine. His love. His affection.
I understand where he was coming from, especially now that Iknow what really happened with his ex-wife. Now that I know he pushed her awaybecause he cared about her, and now that I know he was trying to protect me.
I feel a warm tear on my cheek as we kiss. I can’t tell if it’shis or mine because I’ve felt a few as we’ve shared this moment.
When we pull away from our kiss again, he looks into my eyes,and I see that his concern has returned. “I don’t need you to be here for me,Jay,” he says.
“I’m not here for you,” I say. “I’m here for me. Because I wantto be with you. Because I would rather be with you than anywhere else in theworld. Because even the shittiest of moments with you is better than the bestmoment by myself…or with any of the guys I’ve ever been with.”
We embrace again, kissing away all the worry and stress of thenight without each other—the night where we both thought we might never seeeach other again.
I would have missed feeling his face against mine so much.
I would have missed feeling his breath against me. Feeling himinside me.
When we settle, we pull apart and just breathe together, holdingeach other. Not letting up our grips.
I gaze into those familiar blue eyes. Eyes that make me feel sospecial and important like that night we held each other, when he seemed tohave the word “love” on his mind just as I did.
“I guess we have to get to work today,” I say, knowing that I’mkilling the moment, but also knowing that we need a little break after theemotional rollercoaster we’ve been on for the past twelve hours.
He smiles. “That sounds like a good idea. No more slacking offin the office like this.”
