Jenson knew he’d hurt her feelings by turning her down, especially after what he’d said in the bar, but he had to maintain his integrity. He also needed to know if what she’d said to him was true when she was sober. He knew from experience how much alcohol loosened the tongue. On more than one occasion, Jenson had told someone something he would never have dreamed of saying to their face unless he’d had a few drinks.
Lucy had had more than a few from the way he’d had to support her on the walk back to their room. At first, he’d resisted making contact, but there was no way he was going to let her fall over, so he’d taken hold of her hand. The connection had been overwhelming, and it had taken all of his strength and willpower to maintain it.
He could hear Lucy tossing and turning in bed, and it wasn’t helping his… pants situation. Every time she moved against the sheet, all he could imagine was what she would feel like underneath him. Eventually, it became too much, and he had to leave the room. Being as quiet as he could, he sat up, shoved his boots back on, and grabbed his jacket.
As he stood up, he glanced over to the bed to see Lucy had fallen asleep. She didn’t look at peace at all; she looked as if she were in pain. Her face was tight, and her eyes were scrunched up like she was trying not to cry. Guilt ate away at him as he walked to the door and left the room.
Silence surrounded him as he walked through the halls and outside to the courtyard with the pool. Sitting in one of the empty chairs, Jenson was finally able to breathe. He knew Lucy was going to be pissed at him, but he was almost positive she would understand why he did what she did, even if her pride was hurt.
Almost positive…
Sleep didn’t come easy for Lucy. She tossed and turned all night, hyper aware of how empty the bed was, and of the man lying on the chair in the corner of the room with just a pillow. She must have dozed off at some point though, as she was startled awake by the sound of the door being opened then closed. Obviously, Jenson couldn’t sleep either. Not giving it another thought, Lucy drifted off again.
Jenson’s phone buzzed early in the morning with a message from Harry the mechanic, letting them know the car was ready for them, waking them both up. Lucy wanted to ask when he came back to the room but couldn’t bring herself to speak to him. Instead, she grabbed her backpack and headed outside while Jenson was still in the shower. The two of them hadn’t spoken since the previous evening, and Lucy planned to keep it that way. She’d opened up to him, told him her deepest fears about her art. He’d acted as if she was special, as if he cared about her. She’d told him she wanted him; she had wanted him so much, and he’d tossed her to one side. She felt like an idiot. All she wanted to do was to forget about it all. She wasn’t going to let him back in.
They were a day’s drive from Boston; she didn’t need to speak to him during the rest of the journey. Her audiobook would entertain her enough to distract her from Jenson Phillips.
He emerged from the lobby, his own backpack slung over his shoulders.
“There you are. Ready to go?” he asked.
Lucy didn’t respond, she just turned away to walk along the driveway. The sound of crunching gravel behind her let her know Jenson was following her.
* * *
Back on the road, Lucy could tell Jenson was bothered by her silence, even if he didn’t mention it. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and as much as she didn’t want to care, she did. She cared that he didn’t look well. Just as she could feel herself warming to him, she reminded herself he heartlessly rejected her. Deep down, she knew she was being petty by giving him the cold shoulder, but she couldn’t help how she felt.
To try and distract herself from thinking about Jenson, Lucy adjusted herself in her seat so the sun wasn’t blazing directly into her face through the windshield. Eventually, she closed her eyes, and it wasn’t long before she fell asleep.
Some time later, half awake, she felt the car slow as Jenson stopped for gas. As he hooked the nozzle into the gas tank, he called out to her through the open window.
“There’s a café across the road. It looks pretty good if you’re hungry.” Lucy shifted around in her seat but didn’t respond. “Lucy? Are you hungry?”
Acting like a child, she kept her eyes closed, pretending she was still asleep, but they soon snapped open when she felt a hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her awake.
“Are you hungry, Lucy?” His voice was soft, but Lucy couldn’t think about it.
“No.” She knew her own voice sounded like a belligerent child, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
Jenson’s hand was still on her shoulder. She pushed it off, turned her head away, and stared out of the window. She had no appetite. If he wanted to, he could go across the street by himself. Lucy just wanted to get to Boston as fast as possible so she wouldn’t be trapped in a car with him anymore. Instead of going to get food, Jenson climbed back into the car and they were soon back on the road.
The hours crept past slowly, even more so than any other time on the trip. The sun was low in the sky when Jenson pulled onto the shoulder of the highway and put the car into park. His arms were tense as he held onto the wheel and stared straight ahead.
“Is this how it’s going to be for the rest of the trip?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Like what?”
“You not talking to me? Not looking at me?” Releasing the wheel, he turned to face her. Lucy was surprised to see he looked a mess. “Is this because of last night?”
Really? He wants to talk about it now? Lucy didn’t want to, but she knew he wouldn’t let it drop and they would be sat in the car, not moving, until she answered him. As anger rushed through her, she also turned in her seat to face him.
“Yes. This is exactly how it’s going to be.”
“Why?”
“If you don’t want me, just tell me. Say it with actual words. Those, I can handle. Why did you let me embarrass myself like that last night? Why did you let me feel like an idiot about you, again?”
Rather than answer, he lifted his hands from the wheel, turned to face her, and cupped her face. Using his thumbs, he brushed away the tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed.
“You think I don’t want you? You think that last night it didn’t almost kill me to push you away? I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. I’ve never felt as out of control as I did last night. I may not be perfect, but there was no way in hell that I was going to sleep with you while you were drunk.”
“I wasn’t drunk.”
Jenson took hold of Lucy’s hand, pressing the palm to his face. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Yes, you were. The entire walk back to the room, you were stumbling over pebbles and thin air.”
“You’re wrong.” He wasn’t. He stared at her, silently. “Okay, there may have been a few rocks and pebbles causing me problems, but it was dark.”
“Lucy, the path was mostly clear.”
They both fell silent again as Lucy retreated into her own mind. Was the entire evening a misunderstanding? She thought he was being a complete jerk, when really, he was trying to keep her safe. Again.
Jenson disrupted her thoughts as he took hold of her waist, coaxing her across the center console until she was sitting in his lap, facing him, with her legs straddling his hips.
“Lucy, I want you. I’m sure you can feel just how much.”
The hard length of him pressed insistently against her.
“I can…” She was breathless, her senses on overload as his hands held her steady, not allowing her to move.
“What is it about you that I can’t get enough of? Why do I have dreams about you when I haven’t seen you in six years?”
Lucy shook her head, her throat tightening as she realized that this moment was beyond anything her imagination could have invented. She could say the exact same things back to him.
“Do you want me, Lucy?” His lips grazed her throat, kisses peppering her neck in a li
ne across her skin.
“Yes, I want you.” Before she’d finished saying the words, Jenson’s lips crashed against hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Lucy felt like she was finally surrendering a lifetime of fighting. It was like she was floating, and the feeling was addictive. Whatever was happening she couldn’t stop, even if she wanted to. The attraction between them was magnetic, pulling them together, and it only got stronger with time. She couldn’t help but grind down onto his hard arousal, and Jenson groaned encouragement into her mouth as their tongues danced together.
“Yes, yes. Don’t ever stop doing that…” Jenson moved down to kiss her throat and collarbone. His hands moved from Lucy’s waist, lifting her shirt over her head. “Gorgeous.”
He cupped her bared breasts, leaning down to worship each one with his tongue and teeth. Lucy’s hands tugged at his shirt; the need to feel his skin against hers was the only thing on her mind. She didn’t even care that they were in his car on the side of the highway.
Jenson pushed her back into her seat, climbing over the center console to hover above her. He pulled his shirt over his head, his golden tanned skin catching the light from the late afternoon sun as his lips returned to Lucy’s throat, nibbling at a pulse point.
“I’ve wanted you for forever.” He spoke against her skin. Their remaining clothes came off, flung into the back seat. The guttural noise he made when Lucy finally wrapped her hand around his full, thick length enthralled her. She couldn’t help but pump her hand, just so she could hear it again. “Lucy-”
Jenson’s eyes, darkened with pure lust, stared into hers and he dipped his hand between her thighs. His breath escaped him in a deep moan when he discovered how ready she was for him. His fingers dipped in; first one, then two, curling into her. Lucy’s nerves were on fire, and faster than she’d ever experienced, she was hurtling toward the edge.
Not without him, she thought as she reached out and stilled his hand, firmly pushing it away from her. Clumsily, in the tight space, she hooked one leg around the back of his, pulling him towards her. He resisted, shaking his head.
“I don’t have any protection, and I won’t be able to stop – not with you.”
Lucy groaned in frustration. She wasn’t on the pill as it didn’t agree with her. Her body sagged against the seat in disappointment, but she jumped when she felt his fingers trailing back up her thigh.
“But, let me take care of you, make you feel good.” His fingers curled back into her, thumb perfectly cradling and rubbing at her clit. Bending his head down, Jenson took her nipple into his mouth, tongue swirling around a hardened peak.
Lucy’s senses buckled under the onslaught; her thighs clamped around his hand as she dug her fingers into his hard shoulder, tense from holding his weight above her.
“You are so fucking beautiful when you come.” His mouth descended on hers, swallowing her desperate cries, his hips grinding hard against her. As she tipped over the edge, her body arched into his then sagged against the seat, her heart hammering. Finally, she found the energy to speak.
“But what about you?”
Jenson kissed her softly. “I can wait for later, after we stop at a store.”
“But-”
Cutting her off, he moved his lips to the corner of her mouth. “Don’t worry. It was worth it for me.” Feeling emotional, Lucy wrapped her arms around him, relishing in the feel of his body against hers. He cupped her face, gazing into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m perfect.”
Nothing is going to ruin this moment.
In the silence, her stomach growled loudly.
“Maybe not perfect, I’m obviously hungry.” Laughing, she looked up at him. “Well, we did miss lunch.” His gaze turned to a frown. “What?”
“I thought I satisfied you enough.”
“Oh, please.” Lucy slapped his bare arm, resulting in a satisfying smack as he laughed. “I guess the moment’s over. It’s time to find me some food.”
Jenson kissed her forehead before untangling his limbs from hers. “Anything for you, Lucy Duncan.”
The next gas station wasn’t far from where they stopped on the side of the highway. Lucy took advantage of the restroom to clean herself up before browsing the shelves in the small store. As she moved through the aisles, she wondered how Megan would react to her and Jenson being… together. A thing. She hoped that it wouldn’t affect their friendship.
Trying to stop herself worrying about Megan’s reaction was hard, even though she didn’t even know what was going to happen between her and Jenson, if they even had a future. Would it be a real relationship, with dates, or was it just going to be sex? A short fling? They weren’t things she was thinking about when she had allowed herself to be dragged into his lap and practically rode him like a championship racehorse.
Looking around the brightly lit store, she spotted the refrigerators along the back wall and walked over. As she moved, she wondered if she even wanted a relationship with Jenson. Newly single for the first time in six years, and the first thing she did was run off with another guy, letting him give her an amazing orgasm the day after she broke up with Matthew. While the timing could have been better, Megan was right about Matthew. He had always put his own needs and wants before her, or them as a couple.
It would seem fast to outsiders, but when she was honest with herself — which wasn’t very often because she was scared of admitting her faults — she’d never been truly satisfied in her relationship with Matthew. The break up was a long time coming. In fact, she’d always known they should never have been a couple in the first place.
Her stomach growled loudly, pulling her out of her thoughts and reminding her she was starving. After missing both breakfast and lunch, she wasn’t surprised she was hungry after experiencing what was, undoubtedly, the best orgasm of her life. She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and walked over to the snack aisle.
Potato chips sounded like heaven to her at that precise moment. As she was trying to decide which ones to choose, strong arms wrapped around her waist, and a strong, hard masculine body pressed against her back.
“What are you doing?” Jenson spoke softly into her ear, making her shiver.
“Currently, I’m trying to decide between salt and vinegar or barbecue.”
“Tough choice. I don’t envy you.”
“It is. I like the way the vinegar feels against my tongue, but barbecue is sweet and smoky.”
Jenson groaned into her ear, hugging her tightly to him. “Are you doing that on purpose?” he asked, his voice husky and breathy.
“What?”
“Making your food sound erotic.”
Lucy nibbled at her bottom lip, unwilling to admit she hadn’t done it on purpose. She could have played along, but before she got a chance to tease him, he pushed away from her and went to get himself a drink.
“Get them both,” he called out to her.
“Both?”
“Yes, because from the way you were describing them, we’re going to need both packets.”
“We?”
“Yes, we.” He winked at her before he disappeared around the corner.
It was dark by the time they returned to the car. Lucy got in, throwing her purchases onto the back seat, just as Jenson’s phone rang. Frowning, he looked at the screen. He glanced over at Lucy and held up a finger to indicate he needed a minute.
“Hello?”
Lucy could hear a woman’s voice on the other end of the line, but as Jenson slowly walked away, the conversation moved out of her earshot. Naturally, her brain went into overdrive wondering who it could be. A friend? Business associate? Family member? It could be anyone. A lead-like lump seemed to grow in her chest. After all, he was fit, tall, one of the hottest guys she’d ever met, and he was kind and caring. Anyone would be interested in him, whereas Lucy was just… well, Lucy.
Feeling as if she was back in high school, her confidence took a beating as she wonde
red who could be calling Jenson. She felt nauseous; she realized suddenly she wanted more than a fling with Jenson. Not only did he think about her needs and feelings, he said she made him happy. Amazing sex was merely the icing on the top of the cake. Maybe she shouldn’t get too ahead of herself. She still didn’t know what he wanted, or if there was someone else in his life.
Moments later, Jenson returned to the car, his phone out of sight, and slid into the driver’s seat with an easy smile on his face.
“What should we open first?” he asked. “Salt and vinegar, or barbecue?”
“Let’s go for salt and vinegar.”
“Good choice.” Taking the bag off the back seat, he looked at Lucy with a wicked grin on his face. Placing the bag between his teeth, he slowly tore it open. A few chips fell out and tumbled down his chest, into his lap. Leaning over, Lucy plucked a chip off his lap and popped it into her mouth.
“Mmm, that’s good.”
“Lucy, you keep making noises like that, we’re never going to make it to my sister’s wedding.”
Licking her lips, Lucy smiled over at him, unable to stop the happiness that was blooming in her chest.
* * *
The hours slipped by as Lucy snacked on the chips and other treats whilst she sat in the passenger seat, reading. As she began to feel uncomfortable, Jenson pulled off the highway, just outside of Pennsylvania. Lucy was confused. There were less than two-hundred miles of their journey left, so why was Jenson stopping now?
“Do we need gas again?” she asked.
“Nah, I thought we’d stop for the night.” His voice dropped in tone as he turned to look at her. “I’m getting a little tired.” Having spent so much time alone with him during the trip, Lucy knew when he was tired and when he wasn’t, and she was fairly sure he wasn’t at that moment, despite how he looked earlier. She considered encouraging him to keep driving, but she had a feeling she knew what he was really saying.
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