“Say what?” she mumbled sleepily. “What is it you want from me now? Didn’t I already meet all your demands?” Her hand crept down to my bare ass andsqueezed.
“I want you,” I said, kissing my way up her throat as I maneuvered between her thighs. “Tostay.Here.”
“Right here?” she asked, wigglingbeneathme.
“Here,” I said, thrusting slowly inside her. “In my home… in my bed… where youbelong.”
“Sounds very… caveman,” she said as she took me, her breaths slowing,deepening.
I did my best cavemen grunt as I moved, sliding out, then in again. “Give me… more…pussy.”
Jessa laughed and slapped my ass. “Stopit!”
“Mmm.” I ground into her and her laughter melted away, replaced with agroan.
“Brody…”
“I’m serious.” I slowed my thrusts and pressed my forehead to hers. “I don’t go on the road much anymore, and when I do, you can come with me. Or you can stay right here, in my bed, waitingforme.”
“Soundsfun.”
“You can write, and you can still model, if you decide you want to…” I almost lost my train of thought as she moved her hips against me, urging me on. “You can do… whatever youwannado.”
“Well, thank you for yourpermission.”
“You don’t need my permission. And don’t be a smart-ass.” I kissed her, whispering, “I’m not telling you to change your life for me, Jessa. I’m asking you to finally share itwithme.”
ChapterThirty-One
Jessa
“You’re out of bourbon!”I called up the stairs. “That shit will not fly with my brother,youknow!”
“On it!” Brody called back to me from thekitchen.
I grinned to myself as he no doubt texted Maggie to pick some up; she was out getting booze and extra food for theparty.
I turned to take a good look around Brody’s party room, like I had so many times in my life. Nothing had really changed. The same couches, the same ottomans and cushions on the floor. Maybe some updated equipment—the small amps against the wall, the guitars on stands and strewn on the couches. The vintage arcades lining the far wall—the Ms. Pac-Man was definitely new. But the pool table and the big, mounted posters on the walls—Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors—were all the same. The wall of glass doors that opened right onto the backyard. Beyond, the killer view of Vancouver spread out below, sparkling in the dark, and the deeper dark of the water thatsurroundedit.
Ilovedthisplace.
Brody’d said he wanted this to be my safe place… and it totally was. It alwayshadbeen.
I picked up the big bouquet of flowers he’d bought me while we walked around Granville Island Market this afternoon; we could have a rock ’n’ roll party with beautiful flowers, right? We were grown-ups. And if Zane somehow destroyed them—a definite possibility—he’d just have to buy menewones.
As I was arranging the lilies into a vase, Elle showed up. She scanned me, head-to-toe, with a slight grin. “Niceshirt.”
“Thanks.” I beamed at her. “You might say I’m a fan.” It was a Dirty T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. It had a picture of the band on it, and though it was from only five years ago, they looked so much younger; the guys all with longer hair, and Elle with hersweetface.
“You look… happy,” she said, cocking her head as sheexaminedme.
“Yeah.” I was trying not to smile so much, but I couldn’t seem to come down off this high I was on. Me and Brody. Everything out in the open… and me andBrody.
Together.
Then I noticed shedidn’tlook happy. “Listen… I wanted to talk to you,Jessa.”
This sounded serious, so I left the flowers and gave her my full attention, letting her draw me over to acouch.
