I know I’m supposed to blow out candles to make a birthday wish, but I close my eyes and make one, anyway. And I wish that in a year, when it’s mine and Victoria’s day again, he’ll still be right there with me, sharing a bed and holding me like all the space we have is a twin bed instead of a king size.
While he enfolds me in his warmth, I bask in the knowledge that we both accepted this relationship is more than what we bargained for, and we’re okay with that. In the back of my mind, I’m aware of how phenomenally lucky I got, because this man… This man is everything a woman should ever want.
And I’m the only woman he wants.
What are the odds of that?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jake
Even though it broke my heartto see Gen in such a state of utter despair, I feel gratified that she came to me. The fact that she felt safe enough to seek me in her moment of vulnerability fills me with pride. We haven’t known each other for long, but clearly long enough for her to see me as a reliable bloke who’ll welcome her with open arms when she needs it the most, and that has to be one of my greatest accomplishments.
She wasn’t joking when she said she was exhausted. It’s almost one in the afternoon and she’s still out. On my side, I walked Mulli, exercised, showered, watered the plants, and lunch slowly simmers on the stove. I’m now in the armchair by the bed, trying once again to catch her likeness on my tablet. I’m getting better at it, and the attempts honor her beauty more than when I first tried. This time, as soon as I notice the early signs of her sleep coming to an end, I drop everything. I tug down my sweatpants, slip off my T-shirt, and very carefully return under the covers.
Even though she’s still asleep, she naturally comes to settle in my arms when I gently pull her in, her back plastered on my front. It takes another few minutes for her to fully emerge, and when she does, I’m hard as a rock between us. This isn’t exactly the mood I planned on for this moment, but my body can’t help itself around her. It seems she doesn’t really mind though, because before she even opens her eyes, her perfect bum inches back, pressing itself harder onto my cock.
“Hmm,” she mumbles. “Did you take a gun to bed, or are you happy to see me?”
“I’m not Americanized enough to have a gun in bed, red. And I’malwayshappy to see you.”
Her lazy smile fills me with contentment, and she tugs on my arm to tighten our embrace, her eyes still closed. “Something smells divine,” she notes.
I dip my nose in the curve of her throat, inhaling her cherry scent. “I think it’s you.”
She giggles, arching against me as she stretches her sleepy limbs. “Did you cook?”
“I prepared lunch, yes. Thought you might wake up hungry.”
Her eyes whip open, her auburn eyebrows frowning. “Lunch? What time is it?”
“Around one in the afternoon.”
“Oh no, shoot.”
“What?”
“I was looking forward to morning sex.”
It’s my turn to laugh, which comes in the way of the small kisses I’m laying on her shoulder. “Might mid-day sex be a good enough alternative?”
Her hand takes hold of mine just under her chest, and she slowly brings it between her legs. “I’m sure we can make it work if we try really hard.”
My fingers trace a tentative path over the lace of her underwear as she parts her knees to grant me access. I thrust against her arse, letting her feel all of me. “Is that hard enough for you, red?”
“Yes,” she breathes out.
I tease her over the garment for a moment and find her clit to give it a few firmer rolls. When she begins to undulate against me, I slip my hand under the lace and resume, grazing her folds with deft fingertips, entering her only to retreat, and playing with the small nub.
I wake her body slowly, tenderly, like we have all the time in the world. Because we do now, don’t we? It’s not just about getting through her list and moving on. It’s about exploring this thing between us, this connection, the chemistry… and seeing just how far it’ll take us. I’ve never been an optimistic guy, but I’ll venture this could go pretty fucking far.
“Gen?” I murmur in her ear.
“Yes?”
“Yesterday we talked about this, about us. But you were in a difficult place emotionally, so I want to make sure.” I dip two thick fingers inside her, pressing on her clit with the pad at the base of my thumb. She moans again, and I resume my question. “Do you still want to do this? To take this to the next stage?”
The nod she gives me lifts a weight that I didn’t know was on my heart. “Yes, I do.” Her hand presses mine harder, her hips writhing to get more.
