“I think you’ve had enough of that,” I whispered against her lips.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have enough of that.” She let me breathe in and out in silence for a moment as I caught my breath. “I’m going to count the days till you can take me, Jack.”
My countdown had already started.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rose
It had been two months and twenty-five days since my surgery, and it was a Friday.
So, we had finally reached the end of three months. Some days I’d thought we’d never get to see the day, and I’d told Jack exactly that. I’d never in my life told another guy I wanted to have sex with them as much as I’d told Jack. In the beginning, I had thought my constant pressure was affecting him and he’d soon fold, but nope. Jack was nothing if not in control of his emotions.
He had slept right next to me every night without me having to ask for it again. If I went to bed earlier than him, he always found his way into my bed, but he hadn’t touched me the way I was dying for him to touch me again. He said no and nothing else.
I came back down to earth when Sally snapped her fingers in front of my face.
“Are you here?”
“Yes. Yes, sorry. I just got distracted. What were you saying about Owen again?”
Owen was currently in the kitchen so there was no way for him to hear us, but Sally still leaned in closer. “I think he likes me.”
“I thought he wasn’t talking to you.”
“Technically he isn’t.”
I laughed. “Your logic scares me sometimes.”
A couple walked in hand in hand so we had to break up our little gossip bubble. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure if it had been a good idea to give the go-ahead to Sally about Owen. I kinda felt sorry for him.
As I got the orders of the newcomers and cut two pieces of apple pie for them, Sally prepared one cappuccino and one macchiato. They picked up their orders and sat down at the last table available in the left part of the coffee shop.
“I’m thinking of getting two or three more tables. Most days we barely have any space left, and I think we can easily squeeze in three more—one more on this side, maybe even two, and another two on the other side.”
Sally leaned her elbows on the counter, humming. “I think you’re right. Ever since that blogger posted about us on Instagram, we’ve started getting even more customers, and even if they don’t come in, they keep taking photos outside the front door.”
Right then the bell chimed and our heads turned that way.
“Jack!” I called out, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, and he paused in the doorway. Half of the customers who didn’t have their earbuds in turned to look at me.
Ignoring Sally’s snort and chuckle, I gave the customers an apologetic smile and rushed to Jack’s side as he closed the door and met me halfway. I was half running, half trying to appear like I wasn’t running at all, and he was just walking, in no hurry.
“What’s going on?” he asked with an arched eyebrow and a suspicious look around the coffee shop. Even that look and that lifted brow turned me on. To be honest, lately, everything Jack did turned me on. He’d give me a look, a strong look that said he didn’t find me amusing at all, and I’d become a puddle on the ground. It was becoming a thing for me.
“Come, come.” I reached for his hand and when he linked our fingers together, my smile turned up a notch, making me look like an idiot. I didn’t mind it at all.
“Hello, Sally,” Jack said as I took him behind the counter.
Still with that knowing grin on her face, Sally waved at him. She thought I’d scored with Jack. I thought so too.
“He’s going to steal me for a few minutes,” I told Sally then pulled him to the back.
“Who said I wanted to steal you?” Jack murmured into my ear, amused. I barely managed to stop a shiver.
“I’m saying it because you should want to steal me—all the time, regularly. Just a friendly reminder from a wife to a husband.”
Owen looked up from the paper he was scribbling on and straightened up. “Hey, man.”
Jack nodded and they formally shook hands. For some reason, he hadn’t warmed up to Owen yet.
I leaned against Jack’s arm, our hands still tightly clasped. “Can he have a minute alone with me, Owen? I told him a million times that it’s not appropriate in the coffee shop, but he just looks at me…” I peered up at Jack and looked at his frowny face with a happy heart. “Just like that. You see that frown? So yeah, I can’t resist him when he is glowering at me. Plus, Sally might need help if someone comes in.”
Owen didn’t even blink at my statement. “Yeah, sure.” He picked up the paper he was working on—another list.
“Why don’t you like Owen?” I asked once he was out of earshot.
“Who said I didn’t like him?”
“I do. You barely say a word to him.”
“He gets to spend entire days with you in here.”
“So?”
“I don’t,” he grumbled, leaning down, his mouth entirely too close to mine.
“Jack?” I whispered, my nose bumping his.
“Hmm.”
“That might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me. Let’s go crazy in the back—we have to after that comment.”
He straightened up, taking that beautiful mouth away and giving me a blank look. “No.”
I pulled Jack forward and stopped with my back against the island.
“At least give me a lift up, or is that too much touching for you?”
His lips twitching, he shook his head. “Always ordering me around,” he murmured as he put his hands around my waist. I had instant goose bumps when he lifted me up on the island, and I pulled him between my legs.
My hands grabbing the lapels of his jacket, I pulled him closer and pressed my forehead against his. “Hi. How are you? I missed you.”
His hands squeezed my waist once, moving down to my hips, sliding me an inch or two forward. “You saw me a few hours ago when I dropped you off this morning.”
“I know. It’s been ages.” He gave me that precious smile I couldn’t get enough of and my own lips mirrored his. “And you’re supposed to say you missed me too. That’s what husbands say.”
He hummed, and the warm sound traveled all over my body. “Is that what I’m supposed to say?” His hand made its way down my thigh and he unwrapped my leg from his waist, which I hadn’t even realized I had placed there…kind of. His face softened and he cupped my cheek. “You look a little tired.”
I scooted forward a bit to make up for the unwrapping. I wanted to be as close as possible. “You know how much I love it when you compliment me on how good I look. Tell me more.”
He pulled back and gave me a pointed look that pretty much said he wasn’t having it.
I hauled him back. “I’m fine. I promise I sit down before I get dizzy, and I’m sitting right now too. I haven’t baked a thing either. Would you like to know what else good husbands do?”
“Good husbands,” he mumbled, his hands moving up and down on my back. I did my best not to squirm.