She nodded. “You’re always working, always doing something. You stay busy.”
He didn’t think that needed an answer. “You didn’t drive over here, did you?”
“No. Clay dropped me off. He came to pick up Alice, who had too much to drink. We were celebrating. Did you know they got engaged?”
“I heard that today. Pretty great, huh?”
“Yes. It’s very exciting. Anyway, Clay offered to drive me home. I suggested here would be better since we need to talk.”
“Okay.” He put his plate on the island. “Would you like some . . . water?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’d rather have a margarita. I had a few of those at the restaurant.”
Clearly.
“I just want to make it clear, though, that I’m not drunk. I’m clearheaded enough to have a conversation. To make decisions. To know what I’m doing.”
“Okay. How about some water anyway?”
She shrugged, then kicked off her shoes. “Fine.”
While he fixed her glass, she made her way to the sofa and plopped down on it. He wondered if she’d still be awake when he got there. She was, sitting straight up, her legs crossed over each other. She was seemingly riveted to the baseball game.
So she did have her shit together. Fine.
He handed her the glass.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a few sips then setting it on the table. “About the other day, when I ran out on you. I saw the text from Owen and I reacted. I was mad. Not at you. I just needed to get out. I’m so sorry for the way I behaved, for not answering your calls and texts. Obviously, I’m still kind of a mess about him.”
Not exactly what he wanted to hear. But it made sense. They’d been about to get married. It wasn’t like her feelings for Owen were just going to disappear after a few weeks.
“It’s okay. But you know you don’t have to run whenever his name comes up. You can talk to me about how you feel.”
“I feel pissed off. I’m mad that he texted you and not me. Is that the first time?”
“The first time I’ve heard from him? Yeah.”
“Did you reply?”
“No. I don’t know what to say to him without telling him to go fuck himself. And if he wants to know how you’re doing, he should ask you.”
That made her smile. “Thank you.”
He picked up her hand. “Owen and I have been best friends since we were kids. You and I, we’ve been friends since we were kids, too. And now? We’re something else. So now I don’t know what the hell to do. But what he did to you was shitty, so I’m on your side, no matter what my relationship with Owen is. And that’s just the way it has to be right now.”
She let out a breath, feeling as uncomfortable as Jason likely felt. “I never meant to put you in the middle, to make you feel like you have to choose between your friendship with Owen and your friendship with me. And I didn’t set out to do that when I . . . when we . . .”
He rubbed her arm. “I know that. And it’s not your place to worry about it. Owen and me? We’ll work out our own shit. That has nothing to do with you. You and Owen? That’s between the two of you and none of my business.”
“There’s nothing between Owen and me. He lost the right to have any relationship with me when he walked out on me. It’s over, Jason. I need to make that clear to you.”
He wanted to believe that, but he didn’t. There were way too many unresolved issues between Erin and Owen. And until they truly ended things, Jason knew he couldn’t have a future with her. But the one thing he was afraid of was ruining the great friendship he had with Erin. The problem was, every step they took forward into having some kind of a relationship could potentially risk putting an end to their friendship.
Was he willing to risk that? Was he willing to have his heart broken?
He didn’t have an answer. All he knew was that she needed him right now. And he wouldn’t walk away from her.
He pulled her against him. “You don’t have to do anything about Owen right now. You know that, right?”
“I guess I didn’t. Until now. I just saw his name and thought . . . Oh, God. I have to talk to him now, don’t I?”
“No, you don’t. He doesn’t get to make that call. You don’t have to see him or talk to him until you decide the time is right.”
He felt her body relax against his. She turned and molded against him. “You know what I’d like to do right now?”
“What?”
“Watch a baseball game and be with you.”
He smiled and rubbed her back. “That sounds like a great plan.”
She was asleep before the end of the inning. He stayed with her—holding her in his arms—for two more innings, then he carried her into the bedroom and laid her on his bed. She helped him get her clothes off, then she rolled over on her side and went right back to sleep.
He texted Brenna to let her know where Erin was so no one at the Bellini house would worry, then he let Puddy outside to run around for a bit while he cleaned up the kitchen. He brought the dog in, turned off the lights and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He stripped and climbed into bed next to Erin, sliding his body alongside hers. She rubbed her butt against his crotch and snuggled in against him, making him instantly, painfully hard.
She might have passed out right away, but it was going to take him a long time to fall asleep tonight.
CHAPTER
nineteen
ERIN SLOWLY OPENED her eyes, trying to gather her bearings.
First, she wasn’t in her bed. Second, she had a slight headache. Third, she was wrapped up like a cocoon with a solid, warm body behind her.
Right. Jason. She’d demanded Clay drive her over to Jason’s house last night so she could apologize for running out on him. They’d talked. Then she’d fallen asleep while curled up in his arms on the sofa. And woken up the same way, apparently, except now she was naked, with a deliciously hot naked man behind her.
She scooted against him, and he made a muffled noise that sounded like a mixture of a groan and a moan. But his cock was hard, and his hand came up to cup her breast. And when his thumb brushed across her nipple, she drew in a sharp breath. She didn’t need words to express her pleasure at his movements, she just let her body do the talking by writhing against him.
His body knew exactly how to respond, hard and exciting and sliding between her thighs in a delicious tease of thrust and parry that left her damp and trembling.
He moved away, but she heard the tearing of a package, and then he was right back there, against her, his cock probing as he reached his hand around to find her clit and make her ready.
She was more than ready. So when he slid inside of her, she was the one making moaning sounds. And then it was all breaths and Jason kissing her neck, heavy breathing and moans and the two of them moving slowly against each other until she peaked with a gasp, and Jason shuddered right after.
Now that was the perfect way to begin the day.
They stayed like that for a few minutes and Erin enjoyed the feeling of being in Jason’s arms. Until Puddy’s face appeared at the side of the bed.
“Hi, Puds,” she said, reaching out to rub her hand over him.