Jack’s lips split into a wide grin before he covered my mouth with another messy kiss.
“God, I fucking love you. Be right back.”
He stood and raced out of the room.
I fucking love you.
I wiped the sticky hairs from my forehead and shook it off. It was probably a heat of the moment admission—like an exaggerated thank you. The old Danielle’s voice still nagged in my ear, saying there was no way he could possibly mean that, but I blinked her away. She’d ruined enough for too long.
When my eyes opened, Jack was already naked and rolling on a condom.
“That was fast, Taylor.” I smiled to hide the sudden turmoil in my gut. “I’m impressed.”
He laughed before kissing me again, this time slow and sweet before filling me with one thrust. I let my head fall back when he was fully seated inside me, inching in and out at a slow pace that drove me out of my mind, again.
Our eyes locked, and I couldn’t look away. Jack’s face twisted with every thrust, now coming faster and harder and deeper. My eyes watered when he hit a spot deep inside that I didn’t know existed, causing me to pulse around him. My nails dug into his back, his name falling from my lips as if it was all I knew. And it was. He consumed me, even all those years ago. After everything I’d gone through and put myself through, he was my reward.
Jack’s arm snaked under my waist as his body went rigid. His head fell into the crook of my neck as he called out my name like a prayer. His body slumped against me, as sweaty and sated as mine was.
His thumb glided along my jaw as a beaming smile lit up his beautiful face.
“I do love you. Don’t think I didn’t catch the look of shock when I said it. Maybe it’s too soon, but I think we’re past the point of doing things like we’re supposed to, right?” He rested his forehead against mine. “Don’t worry about saying it back yet—”
“I love you, too.” I smiled and brought my hands to the back of his neck.
My heart squeezed at the wide grin splitting his mouth.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.” He kissed my cheek and darted into the bathroom.
My breaths were still slowing as I laid in Jack’s bed alone. Was this what it was like to feel worshipped? To be a priority and not a backup? To be loved,trulyloved by a wonderful man? I laughed as I covered my face. To think, I was almost stupid enough to let this all go—to letJackgo. The old Danielle in my head finally shut up for good.
Jack crawled back in and drew me into his side. “We still need a date. I have nothing but time for the next few months. How about tomorrow night? Tonight,” he whispered against my temple, threading his fingers through my tangled hair. “Tonight, I don’t want to move.”
“Agreed,” I said on a yawn. My hand drifted down Jack’s hip and down his thigh, tracing my finger along the raised skin on one of his incisions. “I promised you I wouldn’t make predictions, but I think you are going to get back on that truck.” I rested my chin against his chest and peered up at him.
A sad smile curved his lips. “We’ll see. I still want to, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t. I found something else to be passionate about. And you’ve seen me at my worst, and you still—”
“Love you even more for it? Yes.” I pressed a kiss to his chest and cuddled into his side “You’re my hero, Jack—regardless if you’re a firefighter again or not.”
He loved me at my lowest, too. When I wouldn’t let myself have a life besides work and what I could control. Maybe it would look rushed to some or even inappropriate and wrong for how it started.
Good thing it didn’t have to make sense to anyone but us.
41
Jack
Three months later
I groanedat the piercing blare of the alarm and burrowed my head into my pillow.
“How many alarms go off before you actually get up?” Danielle nudged my shoulder and rested her chin on my forearm. “Time to get back in the work force, Taylor.”
I chuckled at the sexy smirk tilting her mouth before flipping over and landing on top of her. Leaving my naked girlfriend was a hardship any morning, even when I hadn’t spent half the night tossing and turning.
“Maybe I won’t. You just got another promotion. I don’t mind being a kept man.” I kissed the tip of her nose and settled between her legs.
“Yes, you would.” She laughed against my lips. “You’d go insane staying home.” Her smile faded when she cupped my cheek. “There’s no reason for you not to be approved today, or to be up half the night, babe.”
