“Or,”shesaidquietly,throattight.Helovedher.That simple.Thisiswhatshegotfromhim.Totalsupport.Total acceptanceandunderstanding.
Shehadn’tdoneaverygoodjobofreturningthefavor,but sheintendedtochangethat.Withoutaword,shehandedhim thefudge.Heopenedthebagandhislipsquirked.
God,she’dmissedhissmile.“It’ssogoodtoseeyou,”she saidsoftly.Anunderstatement,ofcourse.Hewasgorgeousand sexy,andjustlookingathimtuggedatherpoor,beleaguered heart.“Youlook…”Perfect.Shesmiled.“Heart-stopping.”
Heraisedhisheadtolookatherandlaughed,thesound asalwayscausingasmiletocurvehermouth.“I’mcoveredin sawdust,”hesaidandmethergaze.“Imissedyou,Julia.”
Hiswordsdancedintheairaroundthem,brushingher skin,fillingherheart.“Imissedyoutoo,”shesaid.“Somuch.”
“Thenwhydidyouwaitsolongtogetaholdofme?”
Shetookthefudgefromhishandsandsetitasidebefore
leaningintohim,touchinghisjaw.Meetingherhalfway,his fingerssankintoherhairashepulledherevencloser,andthen ontohislap.“BecauseI’malittleslowatthis,”sheadmitted.
“ButIthinkI’mgettingahandleonit.Iwaswondering…are youdonefortheday?DidyouhaveChristmasEveplans?”
‘You’remyChristmasEveplans.”
Whenshesmiled,hestoodandreachedforherhand.They walkedtothestreet.“Doyouwantmetofollowyouhome?”he asked.
Shemethisgazeandbitherlowerlip.“ItookanUber here.”
Themeaningofthat,beingthatshe’dcomepurposefully forhim,litinhiseyes.Withoutanotherword,hedrovethemto hisplace.Inside,helockedupbehindthemandturnedtoher withaslow,naughtsmilethatmadeherheartskipabeat.
Shesmiledandthrewherarmsaroundhisneckasa weightseemedtoliftoffherchest.
“Youtakemybreathawaywhenyoulookatmelikethat,”
hesaid,hisvoiceasexyrumble.“IreallyhopeI’mreadingyou right,orit’sabouttogetawkward.”
“Whatis?”
“This.”Usingthefisthehadinherhair,hegentlytugged herfacetohis.Hestartedwithalight,questioningkiss,butit wasn’tenoughforherandshetouchedhertonguetohis, lettingherselffallintothesensationsofhistaste,hisscent,and theheatradiatingoffhisbody.She’dalwayslovedthewayhe heldher,likeshewastheverybestthingthathadever happenedtohim.
Hewascertainlytheverybestthingthathadever happenedtoher.
Raisinghishead,helookedrightintohereyes.“Iloveyou, Julia.Iwon’teverhurtyou.Pleasetellmeyouknowthat.”
Shenodded,andhekissedheragain,thekindofkissthat leadtolong,sensual,eroticnights.Whenshenexttookstock, theywereonhisbed,allovereachother.She’dgottenhisshirt offandhadonehandinhispantsandtheothertangledinhis hair.Shehadoneshoeoff,hershirthangingfromonearm,her
brasomehowaroundherwaist,andherpantsdanglingoffone foot.
Hewasnobetter.Hisjeanswereopenedandshovedlow onhiships,hishairwildfromherfingers,andhehadhishands fistedinherhair,hiseyesdilatedblack,and,shewaspleased tonote,hisbreathingwasjustaslaboredashers.
Theireyesmetandshestartedlaughing.
“You’dlaughatamaninmycondition?”heasked.
Hiseyessoftened.Nothingelse,justhiseyes.Andjustfor her.“Iloveyou,”hewhispered,palmingthebackofherhead tokissheragain,andallheramusementvanishedasshesank intoit,intohim,puttingallherneedandwantshe’dcagedup intoit.Itmusthaveworkedbecausehisarmscrushedherto him.
Theykissed,longandslow,fastandintense.Theirclothes hadmeltedaway.Shehadherfingersonhisface,scratching themgentlydownhisjaw,feelingtheshadowofhisunshaven skin.Hesuckedonherlowerlip,gentlybituntilshecurledher fingersaroundhisearsandappliedpressure,becauseas deliciousashiskissesonherlipswere,shewantedthatmouth ofhiselsewhere.Shefelthimsmileasheobligedandmovedto nipalongherjawandthendownherthroat.Shesqueezedher thighsagainsthissidesasheheadedsouth,andbythetimehe finallyfoundthespotthatmadehertoescurlandsuckedhard, shewastwistingupagainsthim.Herewardedherlowmoanby startingtorockthatamazingbodyagainsthers.Afterthat,it tookhimalmostnotimeatalltosendherflyingofftheedge.
Whenshemanagedtoopenhereyesagain,hewas watchingher.“Showoff,”shemanagedandfelthislipscurlinto asmileagainsther.
“I’vegotplansforyoutonight”hesaidonaroughgrowl.
“Thatshouldprobablyterrifyyou.”
“Itdoesn’t.Itmakesmeimpatient.Moreaction,lesstalk, James.”
Withasoftlaugh,hekissedherhungrily,thenpulledback
tostareatherlikehecouldn’tgetenough.Likemaybehe couldn’tevergetenough.Hewassobeautiful.Thewayhis mindworked,thedetailsofhisfacewhenhesmiledather,the wayhemoved…
They’dbeenthisfarbefore.They’dbeenfurthertoo,much further.Butthistime,hefeltdifferenttoher.Inthepast,he’d stillhadasenseofcontrol.Nowitfeltlike,forthefirsttime,he waslettinggoofsomething.Whisperinghisname,shepulled himdowncloser.Hegroanedandslidhishandstoherass, holdingherstillashecontinuedtoteaseher.
Shesaidhisnameagain,moreinsistently,definitelymore desperately.Movingahand,heentangleditinherhair,resting hisforeheadagainsthers.Shewasn’tsurewhathewaslooking for,butheseemedtofinditinhergazeasshemovedback againsthim.Lettingoutapleasedrumble,hiseyesheldhers, hisscorchingasheenteredher.Shewasalreadyhalfgone again,herbodytighteningunderhishandsashemoved.She watchedhisfacechange,sawwhenthehungerovertookhim, whenheleteverythinggoandsurrendered,whichturnedher oneverybitasmuchasthephysicalact.Itsentherflying,and shetookhimalongwithher.
After,longafter,whenshecouldbreatheagain,sheslid herhandfromthenapeofhisnecktohischest,whereshe couldfeelhisheartpoundingbeneathherhand.Itwasn’tthe firsttimeshe’drealizedjusthowimportantshewastohim,but itwasthefirsttimeitreallysankin.
Deep.
“Ihopeyoumeantwhatyousaidbefore,”hemurmured.
“Becauseyou’reitforme,andIdon’twanttoletyougo.ButI can’thalfassthis,Julia,notevenforyou.”
Sheletoutashudderybreath.“Iknow.”
“And…?”
Shedrewadeepbreath,knowingshehadtofindtheright wordsorlosehimforever.
Hestilled,andwhileshewasstilltryingtoformulatewhat shewantedtosay,hegentlysetherasideandstood.Towalk away,sherealized.“James,wait.”
Heturnedtoher,eyesdarkandintenseandmorethana littlewary.
Shegrabbedhishand.“Ihadsomethinkingtodo.And somegrowinguptodo,too.”Shesqueezedhisfingers.“I realizedsomethings,likethefactthatI’veneverlovedanyone asmuchasIloveyou…”Shetriedtosmile,butfeltthestingof tears.
Hestoodthere,watchful,waiting,sayingnothing--oneof thethingsshelovedabouthim.Healwayslethercometoher owndecisionsinherownway,inherowntime.
“Iletitmesswithme,”shesaid.“Love’sneverworkedout formebefore.”
Withalow,verymalesoundfromdeepinhisthroat,he crouchedinfrontofher,hisweightbalancedontheballsofhis feet.“Itonlytakesonepersontogetitright,”hesaid.
Trusthimtonarrowitdowntoone,easysentence.
Catchingherwithnoeffortatall,heheldhertight,his voicelow,husky.Warm.“Julia,”hebreathed
againstherjaw.
“Staywithme,Iwantyouto.”
“Fortonight?”sheasked,tracinghislips,thelineofhis jaw.
Heleaneddowntokissher,hishandstrokingherhairfrom herface,smoothingdowntheroughcurls.“Tonight.Tomorrow.
Thenextnight.Just…staywithme.Forever.”
“Forever,”shevowedandknewhe’dgivehertheverybest forevershecouldhaveeverdreamedof.
THEEND.
AboutJillShalvis
NewYorkTimesBestsellingAuthorJillShalvislivesina smalltownintheSierrasfullofquirkycharacters.Any resemblancetothequirkycharactersinherbooksis,um, mostlycoincidental.LookforJill’sbestselling,award-winningbookswhereverromancesaresold,andvisither website, ww.jillshalvis.com, foracompletebooklistand dailyblogdetailinghercity-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
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