It’s impossible to tell if Jill is horrified or just amused at the fact that my mind jumped directly from sex to holidays with my mother. I want to assure her I’m disturbed enough for the both of us, but she saves me.
“I’d love to meet your mom. She won’t think it’s weird if I come along, will she?”
I let out the breath I was holding and drop my hand to her bare knee. “Definitely not. She’s been on my case since I called for her chicken and dumplings recipe.” I can’t believe I’m still talking about this while I’m naked and Jill is only wearing a shirt, but what’s done is done.
She leans forward and kisses my chest, letting the neck of the shirt fall forward so I can see her tits underneath. My dick starts getting ideas again. “Oooh. You told your mom about me?” She’s laughing softly and it tickles.
“Well, not exactly. If I remember right, you pretty much despised me right about then.”
This makes her laugh some more, and she bites me. “Sounds legit.” She moves up and drops a quick kiss on my lips. “But I don’t despise you right now. In fact, I’m feeling all sorts of positive things about you.”
I can’t resist pulling her down for another kiss, this one longer. “I’m glad.”
She straightens again and peers down at me where I’m propped up on a pillow, not bothering to cover myself. It took a long time, but I haven’t been self-conscious of my scars in quite a few years. They are what they are, and besides the pain and trouble they cause, I don’t give them much thought anymore. Jill’s eyes run over my body, and I don’t miss the glint in them. If she’s even half as turned on by me as I am by her, then I figure I’m doing all right. She brings her eyes to mine again, and they go a little soft.
“Thanks for coming back for me today. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d stayed angry.”
I reach up and run a finger down her cheek. “I just had to blow off a little steam, but I knew before I left that I wasn’t going to let you get away.”
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, right. I forgot you were onto me the whole time. I should have known you wouldn’t buy the whole Lollipop thing.”
“Well, I can’t say I don’t wish you’d just talked to me, but that whole scene did clear some things up for me.”
I take her hand and pull her a little closer. She goes down on one elbow next to me, the shirt riding up and making it hard to concentrate.
“How’s that?” she asks.
“I guess I figured if you’d go to all the trouble of setting up such an elaborate revenge strategy, you must have been really angry.”
“I was. I was so mad at you. And myself, but mostly you.” Her finger jabs my chest while she tries not to smile.
“Which told me that when I pushed you away the other night over the whole wine and sex thing, you were genuinely hurt. It wasn’t just a flesh wound to your pride or some minor inconvenience to your raging libido.”
I’m quick enough to grab her this time when she goes to punch my arm, and I push her to her back, my hands holding hers above her head. “I’m being serious.” I smile at her. She just scowls up at me, which makes me smile even harder.
My head lowers and I plant one on her before letting her go and finishing what I was trying to say before she got all violent on me. “If it was ‘just sex’ to you, there wouldn’t have been much to get upset about, now would there?”
She loses the scowl and goes back up on her elbow, kissing the scar on my jaw—the one that’s still visible through my beard. “That’s because it’s not just sex. Not with you.”
“I know.” I touch her cheek again and can’t believe how lucky I am to be lying here in this bed with her. But I’m also realistic. “But there are still a lot of things that could screw everything up.” My head sinks back into my pillow again. “I’m a temperamental asshole.”
“So am I.” She grins.
“We fight all the time.”
Her head tilts to the side. “Duh. Because we’re good at it.” I know she’s trying to make me laugh.
“And you’re leaving.”
That one sits out there for a few seconds. She doesn’t have a quick answer for it like she did for the others. But it’s worth the wait when she finally speaks.
“I don’t have to.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
JILL
“I should have brought my Uncanny X-men #308.” Ted frowns at me, and I shift my eyes to Haley for an explanation. She looks pretty and festive in her fall colors and perfectly matching auburn hair swept into an updo.
“It’s probably best not to ask,” she tells me from the corner of her mouth, not even attempting to drop her voice at all.
“Hey. It’s a Thanksgiving classic. Where’s Felicity when I need her?” Ted mutters and then wanders off to the kitchen.
Haley grabs my arm and laughs. “Don’t worry. He’ll get over it. I’m apparently doing an awful job standing in for Felicity with all the comic book talk. I’ve been told nodding my head doesn’t count as being an active participant in a conversation.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I never understood the fascination.”
“That makes two of us. But, hey, when a man is good in bed, you make certain allowances.”
I almost choke on my wine, and Haley laughs. “Warn a girl, would ya? But, as your new friend, I’m happy to hear you’re being properly taken care of.” I pat her arm. Ted is definitely a little on the nerdy side, but damn if that smile and that ass don’t make a girl look twice.
The doorbell rings, and I see Rayna and Bran walk into the living room a few seconds later. We’re all at Milo’s mom’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s turning out to be fun. His mom, Delia, and his stepdad, Morris, are a super cute couple. Morris obviously dotes on her, and Delia strikes me as a free spirit. I’m thinking Milo got some of his independence from her.
She didn’t make any particular fuss over me when we were introduced, and I was happy about that. This thing between Milo and me may have been a long time coming, but it’s still new. The last thing I want is to draw all sorts of attention to our relationship and have people examining it through a microscope.
But it was really no use when it came to Rayna and Bran. They came over for drinks the other night, and it took Bran approximately two minutes before he pointed at both of us and announced, “You’re totally boning each other.” Rayna gasped and smacked him, I laughed into my hand, and Milo threw one of the brand-new throw pillows at him.
Otherwise, we’ve been keeping things pretty quiet. Which isn’t hard since we pretty much spend any time when we’re not working in bed. Or on the couch. Or in the bathroom. And then there was that one time on the deck. That was HOT. Neither Milo and I nor the neighbors will forget that one anytime soon.
Suffice it to say, things are going swimmingly. I even bit the bullet and called Jenna to tell her I wouldn’t be back for Thanksgiving. She was disappointed and a bit worried at first until I told her Milo and I had worked out our differences and I’d be spending the holiday sitting on his face. Well, I didn’t actually say that part, but I’m pretty sure I can make it happen by the time we go to sleep tonight.