Oh my goodness.
“Umm.” I start to back up, and he turns to face me, his eyes scanning mine.
“We’re just showering, so get that freaked-out look off your face, Penny,” he whispers, taking the stuff out of my hands and tossing it to the counter.
“Together?” It’s such a stupid question, but still, I feel like I need verification.
“Grandma is right there. If we do anything more, she’s gonna wake up and come pounding on the door.” He drags my sweater down my shoulders, and I let it fall to the floor. “It’s just a shower.” His hands move to the bottom edge of my tank top, and he waits, putting the ball in my court. Biting my lip, I nod, and then the backs of his fingers skim up my stomach as he lifts it over my head. My nipples that are already hard tighten painfully under the cool air and his gaze, and even knowing I shouldn’t be doing this, I slip off my shorts.
I step into the shower before him, and the hot water is almost painful against my sensitive skin, but I’m thankful for the distraction as he encloses us in the small space. Closing my eyes, I let the water run over me, then blink my eyes open when I feel his front press to mine, his hands in my hair, and I smell the scent of my shampoo.
We’re both silent as he washes my hair for me and conditions it, and neither of us say a word as his soapy hands roam over my body, and mine return the favor.
I know were standing at the edge of a line neither of us should cross, but I get so lost in the lust that has been wrapped around me for days that it’s difficult to remember why we shouldn’t step over it. I don’t know who kisses who first, but our mouths find each other, and his heavy weight presses me against the shower wall. Like earlier, I relish in the feel of his body against mine, and when he grabs my breast, a whimper of need slides up the back of my throat and down his. Then his large palm moves between us, and my hips jerk as he uses two fingers to spread me open.
“Oh fuck,” he groans quietly, dropping his forehead to my shoulder when he finds me wet.
Aching and on edge, I press down on his hand, and he plays with my clit with such precision I know if he wasn’t holding me up, I’d be on the floor of the shower. When two thick fingers slide inside me, his mouth covers mine once again, consuming my moan, and my insides tighten.
Losing it, I wrap my hand around his thick length and squeeze as I pull upward, then slide back down. With his breath mingled with mine, the two of us work each other over like we’re in a race to see who can get the other one to orgasm first.
My scalp starts to tingle, and my breathing stops when his thumb circles my clit, and just like that, I’m done for. With my core pulsing around his fingers, I feel his hips jerk against mine and warmth splash against my belly.
Out of it and now thoroughly exhausted, I can’t even help him clean us up, and I’m totally useless when we get out of the shower. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to mind helping me dry off and get into my pajamas.
As he’s putting on a pair of boxers, I fall onto the bed and pull the covers up over my shoulder, swearing I hear him laugh. Through my closed lids, I see the light go out, and a moment later, I feel the bed move as he gets under the covers with me.
“Come here,” he whispers, pulling me against his chest, and I curl into him like a sleepy kitten. “You seem okay.” He slides his hand up the back of my top.
“I’m sure I’ll stress myself out about what happened tomorrow, but I’m too tired to do that right now.”
“I have a proposition for you.” His hand slips down the back of my pants, and he palms my ass.
“If you offer me money to sleep with you, Jace, I swear your mom will never find your body,” I say tiredly, and he laughs.
“You and I both know I don’t need to pay you to sleep with me, Penny.” His fingers dig into my skin. “You want to sleep with me, and I want to fuck you, which is why I suggest we let the cards fall where they may.”
Burrowing my face in his ribcage, I think about what he’s suggesting. Like everything else I’ve done this week, it would probably be stupid to agree to go along with him. Then again, what’s the point of fighting it when any defense I’ve built up has been blown to smithereens without him even trying?
And that’s my last thought before I fall asleep without responding.
Chapter 21
Karma
“Can someone explain to me why all the women are currently sitting down by the lake, covered in mud?” Daniel asks, stepping into the kitchen through the sliding glass door, and I look at Janelle when she laughs.
“My cousin Meredith swears that yesterday after she got some mud on her face, her skin was smoother than it’s been in years. She told everyone about it this morning, and now they are all trying it out.”
“You women are fucking nuts,” he mutters, shaking his head.
“Women are fucking nuts!” Dash shouts his agreement from the table, and I giggle at the oh-shit expression on Haylee’s face.
“Sorry,” Daniel says to Haylee, then he looks at Dash. “We don’t say that, bud.”
“Okay.” Dash sighs like he’s put out.
“How’s the chili coming?” he asks, walking to the stove where Janelle is standing.
“I think we got a real shot at winning this year.” She smiles at him over her shoulder, and he kisses the side of her head. “I just need to add in the jalapeños once Penny is done cutting them up, and then we’ll let it all simmer until it’s time to eat.”
“It smells delicious,” he tells her, then he looks between Haylee and me. “Where are those sons of mine?”
“Brice went on a hike with Harper,” Haylee answers without even looking at him, and his gaze comes to me.
“Jace is still working.” I shrug, assuming that’s the truth. This morning when I woke up, he was not in bed with me, and when I went to the kitchen, he wasn’t there either. Eventually, I asked Janelle if she knew where he was, and she told me that he was in her library upstairs. Curious—first, because I had no idea she had a library, and also just needing to see him for myself—I made him a cup of coffee and found him exactly where she said he would be.
But since he was standing at the window on the phone with his back to me, I didn’t bother him. I placed the coffee on a table and left before he even knew I was there. Or maybe the truth is I left before he could dismiss me like I’m not important. Because I already feel like I’m not, especially after what happened last night and him not even sticking around for coffee this morning.
I just keep reminding myself that just because he gave me an orgasm and told me that he wants to sleep with me, it doesn’t mean things are different. This isn’t some kind of fairy tale or one of the books my mom became so fond of while going through her treatments.
Whatever. I’m not going to overthink it. I’ve kept myself busy all day by helping Janelle get ready for one of today’s competitions, which is a chili cook-off, and tonight there will be a game of trivia that I’m looking forward to joining in on.
“All done.” I pass Janelle the cutting board, then go to the sink to wash my hands. When my fingers start to burn under the warm water, I turn up the cold and kind of start to panic, because the burning doesn’t get any better. It actually gets worse.