In My Bed

by Jennifer LaCross

  His face softens and I can see the truth in his eyes as they penetrate mine. “That’s all of it.”

  “Then this is me trusting you. If something happens again, we’re open with each other. I’ll give you your minute to process and I won’t push, but then I have to trust that after you have your minute, you’ll give me your forever.”

  “You are my forever, Jenna.”

  “God, we’re cheesy,” I say, wrinkling my nose through a smile.

  “We absolutely are.” He chuckles as he lets his fingers slide up my back and into my hair.

  “I love you,” I whisper before I lean in and kiss him. His fingers press into my scalp as we kiss softly, our tongues touching in an unhurried dance. This kiss is so many things.

  It’s the ending to our argument.

  It’s the apology for all of our missteps.

  It’s the promise to try harder.

  It’s the beginning of our forever.

  Keep talking, stupid heart.

  Epilogue

  Two Months Later

  Nate

  Apartment hunting can be tedious, but Jenna has her sights set on this building. It’s close to her campus and work—right across the street, in fact. She’s lucky so many students move back home for the summer. Otherwise, there’d be no empty apartments.

  The apartment manager is standing in the living room and looking at her phone while she lets us look around the empty two bedroom space. It’s nice, in a good area, and reasonably priced.

  “I really love this place, Nate. It’s really close to my work and school, and it’s closer to yours so the drive in the morning would be shorter.” Jenna places a hand on my chest and gives me a smile that makes me instantly hard. She has a smile that can ruin a man and she’s definitely ruined me—in a good way. “It’s even closer to the hospital where you’ll be when you start school in the fall.”

  I put a hand on her lower back and press her closer so she can feel the evidence of what she’s doing to me. Her eyelids get heavy and that smile gets even bigger.

  “Shorter drives in the morning mean the possibility of later nights.”

  I move my head down so our mouths are just a breath away and I let my hand on her back wander lower so it’s cupping her ass. “I like the way you think.”

  She moves a fraction of an inch, closing the distance between our lips and pressing her open mouth to mine. Her tongue sweeps into my mouth and I can feel her moan softly against me, even if I can barely hear it. The way we move our mouths together is slow and unhurried.

  When the kiss ends, I smack her ass softly and she laughs. “What do you think? Do you like it?” she asks.

  I smile. “I think it’s a great place. It’s a good size and an updated kitchen with two bathrooms. It’s way better than where I’m living now.”

  I hold her for a minute more and try to calm myself down a little bit. I won’t be entirely settled until I get inside of her, but I can’t very well go waltzing into the living room with an obvious bulge behind my zipper. When I’ve calmed myself enough, we back into the living room and Bridgette looks up from her phone, tucking it in her bag and smiling over at us.

  “Thanks for showing us the place,” I say.

  She nods. “The two bedroom will be nice. You can use the extra room as an office, but if you want I can show you the one bedroom as well.”

  Jenna smiles and shakes her head as she gestures a hand between the two of us. “Oh no, this place isn’t for us. I’m moving in with a friend of mine, but she couldn’t make it today.”

  “Oh,” Bridgette says, her voice coming out very high. “I’m sorry, I just assumed you guys were moving in here together.”

  I give her a charming smile and shrug. “She wouldn’t have me,” I pout.

  “Shut up.” Jenna laughs and looks over at me. When I look into her eyes, I can see how much she loves me. She knows whether she likes it or not, she’ll always have me—but I’m so glad she likes it.

  Jenna makes plans with Bridgette to bring Rachel by next week. They only have a few weeks until their dorm closes for the summer so they really have to get a move on.

  We walk out of the apartment and cross the street, holding hands and enjoying the warm June weather. She squeezes my hand and I look over at her to she that’s she’s looking up at me with a content smile on her face.

  “I love you,” she says.

  “I love you, too.” Leaning down, I kiss her lightly as we continue our short walk back to her dorm. “You nervous about your show tonight?”

  She shakes her head and laughs softly. “Not really, but Ben is. He’ll be fine once we get on stage, it’s just the anticipation.”

  Tonight is the end of the year showcase for the dance department and Jenna is performing. She’s been rehearsing almost every day for the last month, and I swear she can do the dance in her sleep. Sometimes I even see her doing bits and pieces of it around my apartment.

  As much as I’m appreciating the simplicity of just holding her hand as we walk together, my ever present erection reminds me of how much I love being inside of her. And the closer we get to her room, the more and more it keeps reminding me. I can tell she’s anticipating our alone time as well because when we get to the stairwell of her dorm, she takes each step quickly, almost dragging me behind her.

  One of the things I love about Jenna is her love of sex. She’s not timid or concerned if she’s doing it right. She has confidence and she’s always willing to try something new. But she’s like that in her life too—and I think I love those traits in life more than I love them in bed. She’ll try new foods, go new places. When she walks into a room, it’s hard not to notice her. She’s kind and loving and compassionate.

  And I can’t imagine my life without her.

  When we get to her room, she swings the door open and pulls me inside. I shut the door, flick the lock, and when I turn around she’s already in her underwear.

  “You’re quick.” I chuckle.

  “I’m eager,” she says, licking her lips and looking down at my cock. “I’ve got one hour until I have to be at the auditorium. Let’s make the most of it.”

  “What? You don’t just want to talk and cuddle?” I ask as she walks forward and puts her palm flat on my chest.

  She shakes her head, a sexy smile growing on her face as she applies pressure to my chest, urging to me to step back. I take two steps and my back is against the door. “That kiss in my new apartment made me want a little more than a cuddly conversation.”

  He fingers graze down and over my stomach until they reach the button on my jeans. Her other hand comes up to help release the button, and when it pops open, she doesn’t waste any time sliding down the zipper. She flicks her gaze back up to mine. Yeah, I went commando—she loves that. Her smile grows and she drops to her knees in front me. I let my hands move into her hair, holding it back from her face so I can see her look up at me as she takes me in her mouth.

  The moment her lips wrap around my cock, I groan. Her mouth is hot and wet and beyond amazing. I want to press further, and she’ll let me do it, but by the look on her face I can tell that she wants the control today. I’m more than willing to sit back and enjoy the ride.

  So to speak.

  She sucks me deeper, her tongue pressing against the underside of my dick as the tip hits the back of her throat. Her eyes stay on mine, and when she moans, I know it’s not for show. She’s into this as much as I am. She moves back, letting me pop from her mouth as her hand comes up and starts to jack me off. Her mouth slides back over the head and she sucks as her mouth moves in tandem with her hand. My hips start making small thrusts, even though I’m trying to hold back. I grip the roots of her hair trying to hold on.

  “I want to come inside you.”

  She pulls back and smiles. “This is inside me.”

  I chuckle and shake my head, causing her to raise a brow in feigned confusion. “Let me be more explicit. I don’t want to come in your mouth, I want to co
me in your pussy.”

  “Well, when you put it that way, it’s hard to resist,” she says as she stands up. She grabs the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head as I kick off my shoes and step out of my jeans. My hands go to her hips and I kneel down as I pull her panties off. When I stand up, I’m surprised to see that she’s already taken off her bra, her perfect tits bare as they beg to be touched.

  I reach down and grab her thighs, picking her up and setting her on top of me as I sit on the edge of her bed. I lie back and reach to open her nightstand drawer, pulling out a condom and tossing it on the bed next to me. Reaching down to put my hands on her hips, my fingers grip her as I lift her, setting her over my mouth. She straddles my face and I lick straight up her center, her taste exploding on my tongue as I moan against her.

  Her legs shake as I suck her clit into my mouth, my tongue swirling around it to elicit a long moan from her. I let my hand come up, two fingers teasing her entrance, but it doesn’t last long because she doesn’t wait for me. Instead, she sinks down and rides them and my face until I make her come.

  When she stops clenching around my fingers, she reaches next to me and turns around, sitting on my chest as she faces my lap. She slides the condom on and mounts me reverse cowgirl. Damn, I love this position. I sit up and let my feet push on the floor so I can press up into her as she slides down on me. She leans forward and puts her hands on my knees to steady herself as she rises and falls. The angle is incredible and I can feel every inch of her tighten around me as she squeezes her inner muscles.

  My hands slide around her, one moving down her stomach while the other moves up to cup one of her tits. One thumb rubs over her tight nipple while the other finds her clit and circles it. The tightening of her pussy around my cock becomes stronger and I know she’s close to coming again. My hand leaves her chest and I let it come back to rest on the bed. I use it as leverage, pushing it against the bed as I press up and into her. The change in angle is causing her to pant in pleasure. I grit my teeth as I feel my orgasm sneaking up on me. She’s so close and I want to come with her.

  My thumb presses harder against her clit and I hear her breath catch right before she moans loudly, her pussy squeezing my cock in an agonizing rhythm. My hands fly to her hips and I still her as pleasure shoots through me and I come, groaning as my body shakes with release.

  We work on catching our breath and I lean forward to kiss her neck. She turns back to look at me, a smile on her face, looking more than sexually sated.

  She looks happy.

  And I feel that happiness squeeze my heart.

  ***

  The auditorium is silent as Ben walks away from Jenna leaving her devastated and crumpling to the floor. Everyone can see the destruction Ben caused just by walking away—and then the music starts.

  An acoustic version of A Thousand Years pumps through the auditorium, two guitars replacing the piano in the original version. Jenna lifts herself slowly from the floor as she looks off stage in the direction of where Ben just walked off and broke her heart. When she starts to dance, each turn, each movement, is powerful. She’s trying to be strong, but there is a sadness there. Her posture is weak and I can see how defeated she feels.

  It’s incredible that she can express all of this in just the movements of her body and the look on her face. She’s talented—beyond amazing—and I’m so glad she decided to start performing in front of an audience again.

  When Ben walks in from the opposite side of the stage, he’s changed his shirt from black to white so that we know he’s supposed to be someone else. They see each other, eyes locking, and they both pause. But a moment later, when the song urges, they unfreeze and take one step closer. They dance around each other but don’t touch. Jenna is unsure and hesitant, but he’s strong and sure, his confidence making her sway toward him.

  I get chills because it’s almost like our relationship is being played out on stage. Her uncertainty and doubts are so familiar to me. They were such an obstacle for us to overcome. My eyes burn with memories and my heart swells with love for the woman dancing on stage.

  Their fingertips brush and I can see the shock ricochet through their bodies and they freeze. But when the music urges them again, they take one step closer. They continue to dance around each other, but they touch each other now. Her hand grazes his back, his fingers glide down her arm. With every spin and leap, her courage grows and she opens up more, her movements lighter. When their hands touch palm to palm, they freeze again.

  One step closer. One step closer.

  Those two steps bring them together, their bodies aligning, palms pressed together as they raise their arms above their heads. When his hands slide down her arms and to her hips, he lifts her and they finally dance together.

  They’ve fallen in love.

  I can remember that feeling of finally having her and giving her all of me. My heart swells even more as I think about how far we’ve come since the moment we met at The Grove. She described her dance to me as I watched some of the video they’d taken, but seeing it in person is far more powerful.

  “See, here?” She points at the screen of her laptop. “This is the part where I give in. My heart wants to love again, and I let it. I guess I want people to see that strength doesn’t come from giving up and refusing to love, strength comes from trying again.”

  She succeeds.

  When the music ends, she keeps her eyes on Ben for a moment, but then she looks out in the audience and our eyes lock. I’m sitting right where I told her I’d be—front row, center seat, surrounded by her friends and family. Her parents came down to watch her perform for the first time in years and I could hear her mom sniffling the entire time. I even saw Hank wipe a tear from his eye. But as much as I know she appreciates everyone that came out to see her, I know the only person she sees right now is me. And I know this because all I can see right now is her strength and her courage, her vulnerability and trust, and the overwhelming love in her eyes. I see all the things she’s overcome, and the things we’ve overcome together.

  I see her.

  Next up for the boys in Second Story, read Toby and Alex' story, With This Life.

  Coming 2015

  My Writing Playlist

  Love Somebody by Maroon 5

  The Wire by Haim

  Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding

  Show Me (feat. Chris Brown) by Kid Ink

  The Man by Aloe Blacc

  Na Na by Trey Songz

  The Other Side by Jason Derulo

  Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams) by Zedd

  Girls Chase Boys Ingrid Michaelson

  Stir It Up by Bob Marley & The Wailers

  Stay With Me by Sam Smith

  Take Me Home (fea. Bebe Rexha) by Cash Cash

  I Got Mine by The Black Keys

  Blurry by Puddle of Mud

  Latch (feat. Sam Smith) by Disclosure

  Let Go by Frou Frou

  This Woman’s Work by Maxwell

  Untitled (How Does It Feel) by D’Angelo

  Fool of Me by Meshell Ndegeocello

  To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra

  Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

  Love You ‘Till the End by The Progues

  Here Comes a Regular by The Replacements

  One Minute More by Capital Cities

  Body Language (feat. Usher) By Kid Ink

  Acknowledgements

  When I started writing On The Floor, I hadn’t planned for Jenna and Nate to get together. She was actually supposed to be with Toby. But as I was writing, something felt off. Toby and Jenna just didn’t click… but then there was Nate. It feels strange to be thanking a fictional character, but thank you, Jenna, for showing me who really had the capacity to win your heart.

  Now onto the real people…

  A big enormous thank you to my husband who will most likely never read this book. You may not be a direct contributor, but you have supported me in more ways tha
n you know. You encouraged me to keep going when I just wanted to quit because Jenna and Nate were frustrating me. You let me stay at the computer for those extra fifteen minutes to finish a scene. And then you didn’t get too mad at me when fifteen minutes turned into forty-five. I love you so so so so so much boyface. Thank you.

  Thank you to my little ones who keep me smiling. I love you little goobies.

  Thank you to my mom—one of my biggest supporters. “When is the second book coming out?” Your constant question pushed me to keep writing.

  Thank you to my editor, Jennifer Roberts-Hall. “I love what we did with Jenna and Nate’s story!!!” she says with a smile, nodding her head, and laughing. And smiling. And nodding. Lol. You’ve encouraged me to trust my gut and you took what was a jumbled mess of grammar errors and nods and smiles, and helped me turn it into this. You even pulled in a favor when we weren’t sure if I was using the right term. (Special shout out to Tavin Gamache for helping us clarify that it was fouettés en tournant.) I love our chats both book and not-so-book related. You are an amazing person and I am so glad to be able to call you a friend. I would be boning without you.

  Ugh. Face palm.

  And if you don’t remember that epic auto-correct fail, I’m doing a double face palm.

  Thank you to G.K Moore my wonderful beta reader and amazing friend. There are no words to express how grateful I am for all the help you gave me. You were honest and kind and you pushed me be a better writer and deliver a better story. Every time I got a response from you, I had to take a breath before opening because I knew that if something wasn’t right you would tell me. Jenna and Nate’s story wouldn’t be what it is without you. Thank you!

  Thank you to all the rest of my betas for your help with In My Bed—Katy, Maggie, Sam, Cassie, Julie. You helped keep me focused and in line with the story I wanted to tell.