Jenna pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “I’m not mad.”
He believed her, and somehow, that made it worse. “Iam,” he said roughly. “If I’d done things the way I should have, if I hadn’t been so fucking scared of the ‘what ifs’, you’d have my name. My ring. A house full of kids and dogs and whatever the hell else, instead of a trauma you never deserved.”
Saying it out loud, it struck him like a blow to the chest just how much he’d turned his back on. He’d put all of his energy into one dream and never let himself consider any other. But he wanted that. Specifically that.
“That’s … a lot, Jon,” Jenna said. “And kind of—”
Jon sat up abruptly, keeping his hold on her to make sure she didn’t topple off his lap. “It is a lot,” he agreed as Jenna hurried to curl her arms around his neck. He eased his grip of her hair and lowered that hand to her nape. “But you know me, Jen, I don’t dream small. And there’s still time.”
“Time?”
Jon tugged her closer and brushed his lips over hers. “Start thinking about what kind of dog you want, baby.” He watched her eyes widen. “I’ll buy you one after our honeymoon.”
Her mouth dropped open. “After our—? Honeymoons typically come after weddings, which happen afterproposals, of which this is most certainly not.”
Jon grinned. “No, it is not, you’re right. But you’ll get one.” Misty Glades didn’t have a proper jewelry store, so he’d have to go into one of the larger cities to find something she deserved. That was fine. He still had plenty of other reasons to be running around, too.
Jenna rolled both her lips between her teeth and her eyes watered. She started shaking her head. “Y-you don’t have to do that,” she said, like she thought he was making a sacrifice.
Jon angled up and pressed a soft kiss to each of her eyes before he murmured, “It’s not a ‘have to’, baby.” He made sure she was watching him, even if she hadn’t fully accepted what he was saying yet. “I messed up when we were kids and let you go. That’s not happening again. I love you, Jenna. That means Iwantto.”
She sucked in a breath and then her lips were smiling against his.
Jon groaned and dropped his hands to her ass, squeezing as he positioned her over his dick. He had plenty more in him and they weren’t in a rush, so he had every intention of seeing just how many orgasms he could wring out of his future wife.
Jenna woke well after the sunrise to the smell of coffee permeating the air. She blinked her heavy, crusty eyes open androlled onto her back, into a full-bodied stretch. It was only when she realized how unusually sore she was, and where, that she also realized she was alone in bed. Which probably explained the coffee aroma.
Heat rushed over her as the events of the previous night replayed in her mind.
She’d never had sex like that. So completely uninhibited. So indulgent.
So unprotected.
She bit back a groan and swung herself upright. They’d been careful in the past, and her bastard ex had loathed the idea of kids so she’d always been on birth control. But she hadn’t had any reason to be since coming back to Misty Glades, and she’d let it lapse.
Her mind wandered like a runaway train as she went through an abbreviated version of her morning routine. It had only been one night, but Jon had come inside her several times. If she was honest with herself, even recognizing the potential consequences, she didn’t care. Plus, she was over thirty. They were both over thirty. It would be crazy if one night was all it took for her to get pregnant.
Jenna stared back at herself in the vanity mirror.It wasn’t one night. It was the first night.They’d crossed too many boundaries, exposed too many emotions, for last night to be the only time he held her. And he’d been very clear about the future he saw for them.
Marriage. Kids. Pets. A home of their own.
It was so damn domestic it made her heart ache.
She wanted all of it. Maybe more than she wanted anything else. So, she hurried from the bathroom and finally made her way down the hall, following her nose and some internal beacon that she hoped was leading her to Jon.
“Appreciate that, man,” Jon was saying when she stepped into the sitting room, his voice a low rumble. “I’ve got a few buddies flying out this way today to lend a hand, but we’ll need everyone we can get.” Jon lifted his gaze to hers and a warm smile raised his lips that didn’t feel like it had anything to do with whatever was being said on the phone.
Jenna quietly pointed toward the kitchen—and the coffee—and he dipped his chin.
“Yeah, will do,” Jon said into the phone.
Jenna made it up to the peninsula before Jon caught her, spinning her around and pinning her against the countertop. She let out a squeal as her hands landed on his chest.
Jon leaned in and ghosted his lips over hers. “Good morning,” he murmured.
Her heart melted and she stretched her arms around his torso, her fingers curling into the fabric of his T-shirt. “Good morning.”
He closed the kiss with a press of his lips, settled a hand at the small of her back, and licked his way into her mouth at a leisurely pace. Everything about the moment was warming and somehow reassuring, and despite the tenderness between her legs, Jenna arched into him as the kiss deepened.
