Chapter Nineteen
As soon as Jenson and I step out of the truck and hand the keys to the hotel bellhop, I drop my purse. It flies open and the condoms I brought sail out. But they don’t just drop out of my purse—no, they literally fly out and disappear down the gutter, which happens to be right next to my feet.
“Oh. No.” I kneel down and desperately look down into the gutter, even sticking my fingers into the spaces. Maybe I can still reach them; after all, it isn’t every day I get to have sex with the love of my life as often as I want to.
Jenson touches my arm. “Just let them go, Olive. It’ll be all right.”
I know he has no condoms with him because I showed him the box of specialty ones on my dresser and told him I’d pack plenty for our trip.
I stand up reluctantly and take his hand as we walk into the hotel lobby, which looks all gold and glittery and pretty.
“We’ll buy some later. There are drugstores in the city. I know yours were special,” he adds at the look on my face. “But we got to use those last night, right? I guess we’re due for some good old-fashioned rubbers.”
I hit his arm as he laughs. “I hate that word. It’s so unromantic.”
“Because condom sounds so sexy?” Jenson says as we enter the elevator. The couple already inside the car stares at us, and Jenson grins at them until they turn away.
When we get to our floor, Jenson leads me to the left and down the hall before stopping outside our room. I kiss his neck as he puts the keycard in the lock, and as soon as we step inside the door and close it behind us, he backs me up against the wall.
“I love your work clothes,” Jenson whispers to me as he takes off my jacket. “But I love taking them off you more.”
He shifts me toward the bed, unbuttoning my blouse at the same time. I fall back onto the mattress, and Jenson joins me. He stretches out onto his back and lifts me on top of him.
“I missed you the whole meeting,” I say to him as I pull off his shirt. I start kissing his chest and then move my lips down to his stomach. “I’m glad you came with me.”
“Honey, I don’t want to be anywhere else.” Jenson fumbles with the zipper on my skirt and then slips his hands up the insides of my thighs.
I let out a moan and reach for the belt on his jeans. “I want you so much, J.”
His hands are all over me, dragging my skirt down my legs. But then he freezes.
“We don’t have a condom, Olive.”
Every part of my body and heart is screaming:That’s fine!I always knew that if I were ever going to have kids, they would have to be Jenson’s. My brain warns me to be careful.
But I’ve been holding back with Jenson for years. I’m sick and tired of listening to the jury panel in my head as they sit back and deliver their verdicts over and over again.
I grab at his boxers. “That’s okay.” I flip onto my back and pull him on top of me. “I don’t think I’m ovulating. We’ll be okay.”
“All we need is us.” He nibbles my neck. “Love is all that matters. And I’m okay with whatever happens as long as I’m with you, Olive. I want everything with you.”
After that speech, he rolls off of me and starts putting on his pants.
“What the hell are you doing?” I prop myself up on my elbows and watch him get dressed. “I just worked to get you out of those clothes.”
He chuckles. “And I look forward to you doing that again in a few minutes. I’m just going to go grab us some protection.”
“You’re leaving? To get condoms? I thought you just said love is all that matters and you want everything with me.”
He bends down to kiss me gently on the lips. “I do want that. And I really am excited to have a baby with you as soon as possible. But I don’t want it to happen by default. We waited too long to do everything right, so why would we get careless now?”
Good point.“I’m not sure…”
Another tender kiss. “Olive. You deserve to have a baby on your own terms, when you’re ready. And I’ll be right by your side. Okay? I’ll be back. Keep the bed warm for me.”
* * *
Later that evening, I’m lying across Jenson’s chest, enjoying that the only sounds I can hear are his heartbeat and his breathing and, of course, the constant background buzz of city traffic down below.
