by Croix, J. H.
Jared was flabbergasted and more than a little embarrassed. Matthew finally lost interest in the view and turned away from the window. He chuckled and took a swallow of his beer when he saw the look on Jared’s face. “You just made your mom’s day, and I’m damn happy for you too.”
“Thanks Dad.”
Iris came and sat beside him on the couch, hugging him to her side.
Jared cleared his throat again. “So Mom, I need a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Well, I need help getting a ring for Susie. I don’t want to waste anymore time, so I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind heading up to Anchorage with me before you leave to help me pick one out.”
Iris squealed again, hugging Jared hard enough that he lost his breath.
“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited. Let’s go the day after tomorrow. Your dad can drive,” Iris replied, looking expectantly at Matthew who grinned and nodded.
Iris stood and nodded firmly before twirling around and walking briskly back to the kitchen.
Jared couldn’t help but laugh and marvel at his mother. Though she could annoy the hell out of him with her interference, he knew he was lucky to have a mother who cared as much as she did.
Chapter 23
Susie walked into Jared’s place to find him seated on the couch staring out the window. She followed his gaze. Two ravens were flying in twirling circles outside the windows against the backdrop of the bright blue sky. Sun glinted off the waves and boats dotted the bay. Glancing back at him, she saw his eyes were wistful.
“How’s it going?”
He glanced up, his green eyes sparking when he saw her. “Better now you’re here.” He moved to get up, and she gestured for him to stay put as she put several bags of groceries on the counter.
He stood anyway and walked over to her, brushing her curls back and dropping a kiss on her cheek. She flushed instantly, warmth unfurling inside.
“I was going to come over there, you didn’t need to get up,” she said, turning toward him.
“How about we agree you’ll stop treating me like glass?” Jared said with a grin. “I’m fine. Look, my cast came off this afternoon.” He pointed to his ankle. “My back is all healed up. I’m good to go. My doctor says I need to wait another few weeks before I can start running again. I definitely don’t need to sit in one place all day.”
She clapped her hands. “Yippee! I know you were hoping she’d take the cast off today.” She tugged him close for a kiss, which went from playful to burning hot in seconds.
She pulled back for a breath. “How about you let me finish putting the groceries away?”
Jared’s dimple winked at her with his grin. “Okay. How about we grab a pizza and you let me drive?”
His hands caressed her bottom as they slid away. A shiver raced through her. She forced herself to take a step back and quickly put the groceries away. “Pizza sounds perfect. You sure you don’t want me to drive?”
He sighed. “I’m bored out of my mind since my mom managed to persuade Luke and Nathan not to let me ignore doctor’s orders and go fishing. Driving seems pretty exciting about now.”
Susie tilted her head. “Poor you. Of course, you can drive.”
A short drive later, and they sat in a booth in Glacier Pizza, which was bustling. Summer was winding down, but tourists would be out in force until well into early fall. Susie lifted a piece of pizza to her mouth when Darren approached. He and Jared caught up briefly. As Darren turned to leave, he asked, “You ever find out any more about that thing?”
His question was about as vague as it could get, but Susie’s ears perked up. Jared shook his head quickly, a little too quickly. Darren walked off, and she tried to read Jared’s expression, which was carefully bland.
“What’s he talking about?”
Jared shrugged. “Just something I asked him about.”
She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew Jared had asked him about her situation. “You didn’t tell him it was me, did you?”
Jared’s eyes flew to hers. “No! I told you I wanted to ask around about it, but I promised I wouldn’t mention your name and I didn’t.” His eyes darkened and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I had to ask and see if there was anything I could do.”
Her face was hot and her throat tight. She nodded slowly. “Okay. What did Darren say?”
Funny thing was, ever since she’d taken the leap and let herself feel what she felt for Jared, the ugly memories that had swirled around her heart had faded. What happened was what it was. She’d almost been raped and had gotten lucky enough to stop it. The power the incident held over her had dwindled once she stopped letting it hold her back. Though she wouldn’t have chosen for Jared to ask anyone about it, she appreciated why he did.
Jared’s mouth twisted and he laughed bitterly. “Pretty much what you said. What happened to you is way too damn common, and the options for legal recourse are limited. And that’s when they have actual hard details.” He paused and took a sip of water. “It pisses me off, but I thought about it a lot. Even if we knew the guy’s last name, it would be your word against his years after the fact. If you wanted to go for it, I’d support you every step of the way. But I can see how hellish it would be. And after what Darren said... I’ll never be okay with it, but I can leave it alone if that’s what you want.”
Her eyes were hot were tears. He reached a hand over, his thumb brushing one off her cheek. He held her gaze, his green eyes a haven.
“I won’t say it didn’t affect me because…you know, the virginity thing…” she paused. She couldn’t half-believe she could joke about how long her virginity trailed around behind her.
Jared’s smiled softly, his hand coming to rest on the table. “Ahh, right, the virginity thing. Well, we took care of that.”
She nodded and took a breath. “But like I told you, I did talk to the police about it later on. It didn’t seem worth it. I don’t think it’s right that it happens so often and it’s so hard for women to do anything about it. But it is what it is. I’m okay. I really am. I don’t want to drag it up now. Maybe if this were way closer to when it happened, I’d feel differently. But now…I’m okay. I’d like to leave it alone,” she said firmly. She felt more clarity about it than she ever had. For so long, she’d felt ashamed of what happened and ashamed she hadn’t found a way to do something. But she had to deal with the hand she’d been dealt. In this case, it was a hand without much other than her own choice after the fact. So she took charge of what she could. Emotionally, she was more than fine.
She held Jared’s gaze and smiled. “To moving on,” she said, lifting her glass of wine.
***
The following evening, Jared pulled up at Susie’s office after returning from Anchorage with his parents. He’d tried to come by earlier, but every time he drove by, there were cars there. He’d finally resorted to asking Hannah to call Susie and invite her for dinner after work, so she’d plan to finish up early. Hannah had a good laugh at his expense, but she’d happily obliged him, even calling to update him what time she’d asked Susie to meet her for their faux dinner date.
He strode into Susie’s office to find her bending over to reach into a file drawer. She wore one of those short twirly skirts she favored, bright red today, topped with a white blouse that barely buttoned across her breasts with a lacy silvery camisole underneath. She stood abruptly when he closed the door.
“Oh! I thought you were having dinner with your parents tonight.” Her curls were bundled into a messy knot held in place with a pen. Loose curls hung around her cheeks. She glanced at the clock. “I told Hannah I’d meet her for dinner at Sally’s in a few.”
Jared nodded as he slowly walked toward her. He had some kind of plan, but it dissolved into the pulse of lust pounding through him. Damn if he couldn’t get enough of her. He kept walking past her desk, straight for her. She backed up until her back hit the wall behind her.
He reached her and lifted a
hand to brush a loose curl out of her eyes, trailing his hand down her cheek. Her breath hitched, and she bit her lip. He placed his other hand on the wall behind her. With no further preamble, he crushed his lips to hers.
***
Jared walked toward her, his green eyes trained on her. With his black curls and sun-burnished skin, his eyes stood out. His faded blue t-shirt stretched across his muscled chest and shoulders. He’d lost the last of his limp and strode toward her in that loose stride of his. Susie’s pulse leapt and her breath became shallow. Work kept her busy, but he danced in the edges of her mind whenever she had a spare moment. He’d unexpectedly shown up, and she was practically salivating at the mere sight of him.
Lust streaked through her, suffusing her with heat. His presence was so intent she backed up as he approached, bumping against the wall. He didn’t pause and came right against her, stepping into the cradle of her hips. His brushed a curl out of her face. She closed her eyes as his fingertips caressed her cheek. His lips came against hers fiercely when he rested a palm against the wall behind her. Thought fled her mind and she dove into the passion coursing between them.
His kiss set her aflame, he stroked deeply into her mouth. He roughly tugged at her skirt, shoving it up and settling against her. She gasped at the feel of his cock, hot and hard through the rough denim abrading the thin cotton of her panties. He tore his lips away, burning a path of heated kisses down her neck to trace the line of her collarbone. He paused for a moment, pulling back to look at her. She could barely breathe at the sheer want in his eyes.
“Just a sec,” he whispered before stepping back and striding swiftly to the door.
She felt bereft the moment his heated body left hers. He flicked the sign in the window to closed and locked the door before turning back. Every step of the way, her eyes stayed locked onto his, electricity arcing along the path between them. This time, he came against her slowly, slipping a hand under her knee and lifting it, opening her up. His other hand cupped her cheek as he brought his lips slowly to hers. The kiss started gentle, but she couldn’t stand it and stroked a hand into his hair, tugging him close.
Several breath-stealing moments later, he dragged his mouth in a path down her neck, tearing at her blouse as he did. He swore when the buttons didn’t give easily and yanked at the fabric, buttons pinging against the floor. He shoved her camisole down. With a quick flick, her bra came undone, and her breasts—heavy and aching for his touch—spilled out. He sighed against her skin before his lips closed over a nipple. She moaned and shifted restlessly against him. She tore at his jeans, desperate to feel him closer to her. His cock sprang free after she fumbled his boxers out of the way. She lost focus when he sucked and nipped at one breast, his fingers tracing lazy circles in the moisture on her other nipple. He took advantage of her distraction to press his cock against her moist heat, rubbing across the nub of her desire. She began to arch into him when he pulled back, easing the pressure.
“Jared…”
“Mmm…”
“I need you…now…”
He chuckled, the soft laugh against her skin causing a shiver to race through her. Her skin was flushed with desire, hypersensitive to the barest touch.
He pulled back, his eyes meeting hers, dark with desire. “I’d like to make you wait, but…”
His voice broke when she grabbed his hips and arched into him, riding against his hardness.
He took a shuddering breath. “Don’t know if I can…”
His hand was curled around one of her breasts, he softly pinched the nipple before dragging it down and slipping it under the edge of her panties, pushing them out of the way. He stroked lightly across her drenched folds before dipping a finger into her channel, his thumb rolling back and forth across her clit. She moaned and pressed against his hand, desperately seeking release.
He muttered an imprecation before he moved swiftly, lifting her against the wall. Her legs fell open. She was held between the wall and his hard body. His hand left her and then she felt the head of his cock sliding back and forth between her folds. If it weren’t for the wall, she’d have collapsed. Desire ricocheted through her as she trembled against him. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand it anymore, he surged into her, filling her completely in one deep thrust. He cupped her bottom in his hands and settled against her for a long moment.
Jared breathed her name against her lips. Her eyes opened to meet his, and she couldn’t look away. His forehead fell against hers. Intense pleasure coursed through her as he began to stroke into her—long, deep, thrusts that brought her closer and closer to the brink. Lost in the blur of his green gaze, her slick channel throbbed around him. She careened into sensation as her climax began. He shuddered and pulsed into her, his eyes closing and his head dropping to her shoulder.
She rested against him, her body trembling in the aftermath. He lifted his head, his lips curved softly. He shifted her weight and turned them, bringing his back to the wall. He slid slowly to the floor, keeping her close in his arms. His knees came up behind her, her knees landing on either side of hips as she rested in the cradle of his lap. His hand coasted up and down her back in slow strokes.
When her breath finally slowed, she lifted her head to see his rested against the wall, his eyes closed. He immediately opened his eyes and grinned. “Nice to see you.”
She giggled. “Ditto. What happened to dinner with your parents?”
He shrugged. “I had something to take care of.”
She suddenly realized she was well on her way to being late to meet Hannah. “Oh! I’m supposed to meet Hannah at Sally’s. Probably…” she looked over her shoulder at the clock “…about now.” She didn’t want to get up. She wanted to simply stay here in his warm embrace. “What did you have to take care of?”
Jared shifted his weight, slipping his hand into the pocket of his jeans, which were shoved down around his hips. He fumbled a moment before tugging something out of his pocket. When he looked up, his eyes held a trace of vulnerability. He cleared his throat.
“I had this idea I was going to wait for the perfect moment, but it has to be now.”
He held her eyes for a long moment, the depth of emotion present there bringing tears to her eyes. His hand was curled tight. He uncurled it between them. A beautiful ring sat in his palm, an amethyst stone set in a platinum setting and band. Her tears spilled over.
“Oh Jared!” Though they were only inches apart, she plastered herself closer, mashing his hand in between them, and feathered his face with kisses. “You were planning this and you didn’t say anything?
Jared chuckled. “Only since the day I got out of the hospital, but I needed a chance to get up to Anchorage. That’s where I was today. Mom went up with me to help me pick out your ring. I remembered how impatient you got with, well everyone, when they didn’t take the big step fast enough. So if it wasn’t obvious,” he paused to clear his throat. “I love you and can’t imagine a day without you. So please tell me you’ll marry me because you are the only woman for me.”
She knuckled her tears away. “Yes, yes, yes!” she said, dusting more kisses on his face. He actually blushed, which made her giggle again.
A while later, when they were standing and had reassembled their clothing, Susie remembered her dinner with Hannah. She grabbed her phone.
Jared stilled her hand with a grin. “You’re not having dinner with Hannah.”
“I’m not?”
He shook his head. “I asked her to ask you, so I’d be guaranteed you’d be at the office when I came by.” He shrugged. “I had to make sure another day didn’t go by without making it absolutely clear how much you mean to me.”
***
Jared awoke to the sun slanting through Susie’s bedroom window and warming the bed. He curled over, expecting her warm body to be beside his. When it wasn’t, his sleepy haze cleared, and he opened his eyes. He smelled coffee and bacon. He flung the sheets back and stretched once he was standing. A
quick run through the shower, and he went downstairs.
Susie stood by the kitchen counter, transferring bacon from a pan onto plates. She wore a blue silk robe, loosely tied, exposing the generous curves of her breasts. He walked over and dropped a kiss on the soft skin between her breasts. Lifting his eyes, he met her smile and warm brown eyes.
“Good morning. I was trying to serve you breakfast in bed, but I should have known you wouldn’t sleep much longer,” she said with a grin. She set the spatula down on the counter and tugged him close. He gave her a proper kiss—one that sent his pulse skyrocketing and ended with his hands tangled in her hair and gasping for air.
“Good morning,” he finally replied. He stepped away and leaned against the counter, snatching a piece of bacon to nibble on.
“Have I mentioned you’re a good cook?”
Her curls swung as she shook her head and giggled. She nudged him out of the way with her hip and carried two plates to the small round kitchen table.
“Sit,” she ordered.
He happily complied and left not much later with a full stomach. He swung by his house to change. Stepping inside, his eyes traveled around. One of Susie’s scarves hung on the stair railing, a few throw pillows were on the floor, and another random sock was by the couch. It occurred to him that a few months back, he’d never have considered leaving his house like that. Yesterday, all he’d bothered with were the dishes. He started laughing so hard, he had to sit on the bottom stair.
Nathan walked in to find him like that a moment later. Nathan’s eyes swept the room, landing back on Jared.
“What’s so funny?” Nathan asked with a puzzled smile.
Jared shook his head and gestured around the room. “Just Susie.”
Another glance around from Nathan before his puzzled smile faded. “It’s like you’re living with me again!”