I press a finger to his lips to silence the apology I know he’s about to give me again. “No, I’m not looking for any more apologies, Jack. You don’t need to keep doing that. I just wanted to share how I was feeling, that’s all. I’m sad, but I’m also happy that we’ve found our way back.”
“I am too. And I’m doing every-fucking-thing to never relapse, Jessica. I need you to know that.”
“I’m not scared of you relapsing,” I say softly, giving him my biggest truth. “I’m scared of you quitting on yourself.”
He doesn’t respond to that straight away; he just watches me quietly for a long moment. Then, he nods and says, “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t scared of that too.”
God, I love this man’s ability to be honest about his shit. He does struggle with it, that’s been made clear, but I don’t know many men who so willingly admit to their fears and their flaws.
“Promise me you’ll keep talking with me about this,” I say.
“I will.” He reaches for my hand. “Tell me something else I don’t know about you.”
I shift and bring one of my legs to rest over his. “I took up a hobby to distract me from you.”
“It must be a pretty consuming hobby to get that job done.”
I shake my head at his cockiness. “Does that cockiness ever not work for you?”
His sexy grin settles in place. “Only with you. It’s one of my favourite things about you.”
“What, you like having to work harder to get what you want?”
He leans in close, his lips brushing my ear as he says, “I like the foreplay.” He glides his hand up my leg, curving it over my ass. “Don’t ever fucking stop it.”
My hands slip under his shirt to the abs I’ve claimed as mine, and my mouth finds his. I’ll never get enough of Jack’s mouth.
“Fuck, sweetheart,” he rasps as I move to straddle him. “I’m trying not to do this.”
“Why not?” I ask in between kisses. “Also, put your hands back on my ass.”
I feel his smile as he kisses me back. “You need to rest. Fucking me won’t be restful.”
I pull my lips from his and put my hands to his chest. “You ran your hand up my leg. You went in for the ass grab. You whispered dirty stuff in my ear. If this is you trying not to fuck me, we need to work on your skills.”
“That wasn’t dirty stuff I whispered in your ear.”
“It was to me. Honestly, Jack, you have no idea. You’re the kind of guy who could whisper something as basic as ‘I’m going to watch TV’ in a girl’s ear and it would be dirty.”
He chuckles. “I’ll keep that in mind for when none of my other moves are working on you.”
“If none of your other moves are working, you’ve got bigger problems than not getting laid, let me tell you.” I wiggle on his lap to get his full attention where I want it. “Now, can we get back to what you started?”
“Fuck.” He gives me a pained look and I know I’m not getting what I want. “No.” He takes hold of my waist and lifts me off him, placing me back on the couch.
I shoot him a fake dirty glare. I both love and do not love him right now. “You should ready yourself for grumpy Jessica.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve lived with grumpy Jessica for two weeks now. I’m ready. Besides, I thought your vagina needed a rest.”
“She did, but then you went and got her all excited.”
He rests his arm out along the back of the couch behind me. “Tell me about this hobby that fails to take your mind off me.”
I roll my eyes, but goddamn I love this with him. “I flip houses.”
“That’s why you have so many great ideas about bathrooms.”
I nod. “Yeah, I get to run wild with my love of researching stuff.”
“Do you do the heavy lifting too?”
“Jesus, Jack, do you know nothing about me? I don’t ever get these hands dirty.”
He chuckles and smooths his hand over my hair. Jack is the most affectionate person I’ve ever been with, and I vow never to take it for granted again. I’ve never enjoyed it with anyone but him. Maybe I’ll tell him that one day, but for now, he doesn’t need any encouragement to increase that cockiness of his. “Good call to keep those hands free of hard work. We need to keep them safe and ready at all times for more important work.”
“Let me guess, this more important work you speak of involves your dick.”
“This is why I’m with you. You’re the smartest woman I know.”
“Right.” I push him away so I can stand. “You’re getting a little sappy again. I’m going in search of something I can cook for dinner while you put your non-sappy pants back on.”
He practically jumps up off the couch. “No, you’re not cooking tonight.”
I throw him a bored look. “What, because I need to rest?”
“See, smartest woman I know.” When I continue giving him my bored look, he puts his bossy pants on and almost growls, “Sit your ass down and stop arguing with me, woman. You’re resting. I’m cooking. End of story.”
I sit down.
I let him take charge.
I grumble my way through all of it, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t like it when he wears those bossy pants.
28
Jack
“I’m going to haunt you in your next life,” Jessica says grumpily early Sunday morning when I refuse to allow her to go running. She put up a good fight, but so did I. This isn’t something I’m willing to not step in and take charge of.
“How?” I ask as I move behind her at the vanity in my bathroom. She’s finally stopped insisting on using the outside bathroom, making me a happy fucker. I love having her in my space.
She slaps my hands away when I put them around her waist. “I take it back. I’m going to taunt you in this life.”
“What, by not letting me touch you?”
She pulls her camisole off. “Yes.”
“Sweetheart,” I settle in for the show she’s giving me. “I’ve told you how fucking much I love your foreplay. You’re going to have to figure out a different way to taunt me.”
She slips her pyjama shorts off and then her panties. “Trust me, I’ve got ideas.”
With that, she brushes past me, making damn sure her bare skin touches me, and steps into the shower.
Keeping my eyes on her ass, I strip and follow her in as she flicks the water on.
“Honestly, Jack,” she says when I cage her against the tiles, “if I can fuck you, I can run.”
I bend my face so I can kiss her neck. “It’s not safe outside for you. And if need be, I can do all the work here.”
“I’ve been running here with no problems for two weeks. If I use my inhaler before I go, I’m fine.” She’s grumbling in the way I live for, but she’s got her hands on my body.
I take hold of her leg and lift it so I can wrap it around me. I then reach for her ass, tilting her and grinding my dick against her. “How much longer are you intending on arguing with me?”