“Locke, oh my gosh. Get back in bed!” I successfully redirected her energy, even though it’s putting myself in a position I’d rather not be in.
“I’m not getting up. Fuck,” I groan. When she starts shooing me with her hands, I lift my leg, and her soft hands are right there to help me. My cock perks up at the same time we both hear it.
The small community hospital of Whispering Oaks means just about every room has a view, some of the swamp with a walking trail where gators will lazily sun on the grass, others where I’m at today with a view of the parking lot, which means the revving of Jace’s engine roaring to life meets our ears. Jade rushes to the window, opening the blinds so fast she nearly breaks them.
The squealing of tires comes next. She stands there, breathless, watching until the taillights disappears, the weight of what just went down sitting heavily on her shoulders. Godfucking damn it, I’d kick his ass if I could. Since I can’t, I choose the next best option.
“Jade, sugar. Come ‘ere.” I’m greeted with her beauty. Even being upset, she still knocks the wind out of my fucking sails.
“Oh, Locke.” I hold my good arm open, needing her in the comfort of my body.
“Love you, Jade. We’ll get through this. Give him time. It’s a lot for a man like him, and I’m not taking dick to heart. Pisses me off he spoke to you like that, but he’ll see we’re the real deal before too long, yeah?”
“I love you, Locke.” There’s no denying the sadness in her voice or the way she stays quiet about leaving Jace be. She’ll be hounding him soon enough, a lot like he hounds her when there’s discontentment between them. My eyes get heavy, her breathing evens out, and I allow myself to rest with the woman I love in my arms.
16
Jade
“Get over here, sugar. Need your lips,” Locke demands gently once I’m back. I went back to his place, begrudgingly, after everything went down. I needed a shower, real food, and a nap. The last two didn’t happen. His dad dropped me off, and my mom picked me up.
She looked at me and the small bag I packed, laughed, and asked if I was staying. I didn’t even get the words out before she said, “Yeah, you’re staying. Let’s grab some real food. The hospital stuff is atrocious this late in the day.”
A quick stop for subs, chips, cookies, and soda later, she dropped me off at the hospital entrance, where I ran into Shae and Luke. He was coming off shift, and she met him to go out to dinner. I gave them a quick run-down, and then I had an oh-fuck moment.
I didn’t go find Jace while I was gone. I probably should have. The guilt about not talking to him sooner still weighs heavily on my shoulders, and I know by the soft expression on Locke’s face that he can tell. I sit down on the bed next to him and brush my lips along his, then pull back and sigh. “He still hasn’t reached out to me.”
“Give him time. He’ll come around. Can’t imagine what it’d be like to be in his shoes. You gotta remember, there were years he saw everything I did, and a lot of it I wouldn’t wantmy baby sister around.” I scrunch up my nose and blow out an exasperated breath.
“I don’t want to talk about that time in your life. Ignorance is bliss.”
“Not gonna hear me complain. Don’t want to know fuck all about who or what you did before me. All that matters is that I’m your last. And, sugar, I got no doubt that you’re it for me. I’m gone for you. Love you too damn much to let you go.” His hand tangles in the long strands of my hair, pulling me closer, and his mouth collides with mine. He swipes his tongue against the seam of my lips, his teeth nip at the sensitive flesh, and then I’m moaning into his mouth. The world melts away, as does the stress from yesterday that blended into today.
“Want to hear you say it again, Jade. Need to hear the words.” His voice is a toss-up between a groan and a demand. It’s deep, raspy, and sets my soul on fire.
“I love you, Locke. Love you so much I don’t know how I ever lived without you,” I murmur into the quiet room. He’s not hooked up to any ports anymore today because he’s taking all of his medicine in pill form. He also had physical therapy, and if everything goes well today, he’ll likely be released tomorrow. Which means I’ll need to figure out a ride back to his place, change the sheets, and make sure the living room and bedroom are ready for him in the form of pillows. Then I’ll need to get his medications filled. The antibiotics are a definite; the pain pills, we’ll no doubt argue about.
I also found the note on the kitchen counter when I went to his place. It broke me. I cried, no, I wailed right there, dropping to my ass and letting the tears take control. What seemed like hours later, I got my act together, took the quickest and hottest shower of my life, and collapsed in bed with my phone clutched in my hand. You know, just in case.
“I love you, too. I heard you say it when I woke up after surgery, but the meds hit me pretty hard, so I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming it or not. Then you laid it all out for Jace, and fuck yeah, I knew.” I pull back and see his nostrils flare, cheeks turning a shade darker, and his gray eyes turn dark and stormy.
“You didn’t have to say a word to me, either. I knew you loved me. It’s in everything you do for me—cooking me dinner, listening to me rant, and the way you say my name.” I don’t bring up the fact that it’s also in the way he takes care of me sexually.
“Fuckin’ pisses me off to no end that we’re sharing these words in a hospital. I’d much rather this happened in a place where I can take this further. Fuck, thinkin’ if we do much more, I’ll have some explainin’ to do when a nurse pops in.” I look from his eyes to his lap. He ditched the hospital gown while I was gone.
“We’ll be home soon. I’m pretty sure the doctor isn’t going to clear you for any strenuous activity for the time being.” Locke grunts at my response.
“You riding me, me eating you, and you sucking my cock don’t take much work, sugar.” There’s a devilish gleam in his eyes, and I know no matter what the doctor says, holding him back is going to be impossible.
“Locke,” I all but moan while imagining doing all the things he mentioned.
“Fuck, my woman likes that. She likes that a lot.” His hand cups my breast, thumb rasping over my pebbled nipple. The lace bra and cotton shirt do nothing to deter the sensations he’s creating. His mouth goes back to mine when he pinches the tip. I close my legs, trying to create enough friction to get myself off.
“Kinda glad my phone is lost in the pile of shit.”
“I don’t want this to end, but I’m waiting on a call from Ronnie.” His forehead meets mine, his lids are heavy, and his mouth is tempting me to ignore the ringing.
“Take care of what you need to. Probably gonna close my eyes for a few minutes anyway.” He’s recovering better and faster than any other person I know, even with the bruising and scabbing along part of his leg and thigh. Then there are his shoulder and elbow. How he’s not sleeping twenty hours a day is beyond me.
