I ran my hands down to his shoulders and glided them over his biceps, tracing my fingers over the Celtic knots of the tattoo on his right arm. "Unbelievable shoulders and arms." I leaned down and ran my tongue over one side of his chest. I felt his breath stutter. "Perfect pecs." I looked up as he smirked at my words. I ran my fingers lightly over his rock-hard abs. "Fucktastic abs, like I said." I stopped at his waistband, and he growled low in his throat. I moved my hands around to his back and down over the fabric of his pants to grab his ass.
"The most amazing ass I have ever seen," I whispered in his ear. His hips thrust toward me as he groaned with need. I pulled my hands away from his ass and ran my fingers just under the waistband at the front of his pants. He let out a deep breath and started kissing my neck greedily.
Suddenly, I pushed my hand into his pants and wrapped my fingers around his erect shaft, enjoying his gasp of surprise. I pumped once over the hot soft skin of his cock. "Don't even get me started about this," I said, my voice lowering seductively.
"It's getting late," he whispered into my neck. "We should really go to bed."
I nodded in agreement and kissed him again, my hand pumping him once more. He grabbed the remote off the couch next to him and turned off the TV. Then he gathered me into his arms and stood, kissing me the whole while as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I snuggled into him as he released my lips from his and carried me across the room and up the stairs to his bed.
He laid me down gently and lifted his shirt off of me, then peeled my panties off. I watched with rapt attention as he lowered his pants and stepped out of them. He crawled slowly across the bed and lowered himself on top of me, his erection pressing against my thigh. He kissed me, his hands gliding into my hair, his lips slow and deliberate as he fed on mine.
He parted my legs with his and pushed himself into me slowly, the feel of his cock filling me up making me gasp into his mouth. I grabbed his ass in my hands and squeezed it firmly. He groaned and began moving in and out of me slowly, moving his lips down to my neck and biting me with just enough pressure to make me gasp again at the delightful pain.
"Oh, Sydney, it feels so good inside you," he mumbled against the skin of my neck. "I could stay here forever."
His hips kept the slow pace, the head of his cock rubbing in just the right place inside me. The momentum of my climax built steadily, closer and closer to breaking free. I felt like I was floating up and up above my body, and with a sudden cry from my lips, I soared into the sky. White-hot light flashed behind my eyes, my back arching up as I keened and thrashed from the pure pleasure of it. My God, I didn't know a slow and gently fucking could do this to me.
"Oh, yes, Jensen!" I wailed helplessly. "Oh, yes!"
I dug my fingers into his back, heedless of the damage I might do to him. He groaned low in his chest and his breath stuttered as his own orgasm began, his body shuddering violently above me. He began chanting my name like it was the only thing tethering him to reality. I felt a euphoric flush of pure bliss flow out from my core, and into my limbs. Holy shit, it was amazing.
"Oh, Sydney," he whispered breathlessly when it was over. "Oh, baby."
He began covering my face with soft kisses, with a reverent care that awed me. I giggled as his scruff tickled my face. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and pulled him closer, pressing his cock as deep as it could go until it wasn't hard anymore. Then Jensen rolled onto his back, pulling me with him until I was draped limply across his chest, boneless and spent.
"Go to sleep, baby," he said softly. "My beautiful, gorgeous, Sydney."
"Okay," I mumbled drunkenly. I felt his lips touch the top of my head.
"I think I'm falling for you, falling so fucking hard," he whispered, his voice harsh with emotion, but I fell fast asleep before I could even process what he was saying to me.
I was in the same position when I woke as when I fell asleep, laying across Jensen's chest, my head resting on his shoulder. His heart was beating a slow steady rhythm beneath my ear, his warm body chasing away the chill in the room. I sighed in contentment and raised my head to look at him. I still couldn't get over how gorgeous he was, and that I was here, that he wanted me, and the ugly parts of my past didn't matter to him.
"Are you staring at me again?" he mumbled; his eyes closed as if he were still asleep.
"Maybe," I answered unapologetically. How did he do that? His eyes weren't even open.
"Go back to sleep," he said, his eyes still not opening. The alarm on his phone went off. He growled and cursed under his breath as he turned it off, then he cracked his eyes open and wrapped his arms around me with a sleepy smile.
"Well, what's the verdict?" I asked him.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
"Did I shake you all night long?"
"I'm not sure," he said with a slow grin. "I slept through most of it."
"Hey!" I said in irritation and glared at him. He laughed softly at me.
"Yes, baby," he said in a deep gravelly voice. "You did. It was fucktastic."
"I knew that word would catch on," I said with a nod.
He snorted and sat up, taking me with him. He gathered me into his arms, threw his legs off the side of the bed, and stood. He started carrying me across the room.
"Where are we going?" I asked, snuggling against him.
"The shower."
"Good answer," I said with a sigh.
We spent the next half hour doing very little showering and a whole lot of other things. When we finally got out, I was clean, completely satisfied, and in desperate need of some ibuprofen. I was drying my hair with a towel in front of the bathroom mirror when Jensen brought my bag in for me and walked out to get dressed. I opened it, pulled my phone out, and turned it on. I put my work uniform on, and just as I zipped up my pants an incoming text message beeped. It was from my sister.
Can we do lunch today? I need to talk to you.
I sighed. I hated it when we weren't getting along, but this conversation could go very wrong. Meet me at work around noon? I waited for her reply.
Okay. Love you, Syd.
You, too.
I put my phone down, grabbed my hairdryer, and started drying my hair. I really needed to apologize to her, but she owed me one as well. I hoped today's conversation went better than yesterday. I was still thinking about family and apologies when Jensen walked in to brush his teeth in the twin sink next to the one I was using. I turned off the dryer and turned to him. He looked good today, wearing a red T-shirt under his gray Hayes Construction button up. As always, his ass looked amazing in his jeans.
"Have you talked to Annie?" I asked him. He shook his head as he brushed his teeth, and he seemed uncomfortable as he looked back at me. Shit, that was not my intention. "I'm having lunch with Lauren today, and I owe her an apology. It made me think of you and your sister-in-law." He let out a huge sigh and spit the toothpaste in his mouth into the sink.
"I need to," he finally said. "I just...I don't know what to say. I was a real dick to her."
"I was a complete bitch to Lauren, and I don't know what to say to her either."
"I'm choosing avoidance," he added. "But I'm a coward, so don't listen to my advice."
"It's a good strategy, but I live with her, so avoidance isn't an option."
"We could always run away," he suggested as he stepped close to me and pulled me into an embrace. "Just take off in the Camaro and never look back."
"You're avoidance strategy sounds fabulous," I said with another sigh as I hugged him back. He let go of me, and I turned to the mirror to pull my hair into a low ponytail. He ran his fingers down my ponytail, and it gave me the shivers. I saw the intense heat in his eyes as he met mine through the mirror. He wrapped the hair around his fist, pulled my head back, and kissed me roughly with a low growl.
"Are you sure you don't want to run away with me?" he said after pulling his lips away from mine.
"Don't tempt me," I said, shivering from the firm hold h
e still had on my ponytail. He kissed me again and then casually walked out of the room, leaving me breathless. I looked back in the mirror to smooth down any stray hairs as I got my libido under control. That man was so damn hot it was killing me. I headed downstairs, wishing we could just stay naked in bed all day.
We were in the truck and headed off to work in short order, and Jensen got me to work with five minutes to spare. He gave me a long lingering kiss before I climbed out of the truck and promised to pick me up at five. I hated to see him driving away. Something had changed in our relationship after last night. There was a closeness between us that hadn't been there before. The intimacy was comforting, and I was starting to truly feel like I was his, and he was mine.
I threw myself into work to distract myself from worrying about what I was going to say to Lauren. The morning flew by and before I knew it, Lauren was walking in with an unsure smile on her face. I guess I wasn't the only one worrying about our lunch today. I went to the back, retrieved my purse, and met Lauren by the front door. She hugged me and genuinely looked happy to see me. That had to be a good sign.
"Where do you want to eat?" she asked as we walked out the door together. "My treat."
"How about Italian?" I suggested, thinking that going to the same restaurant where Jensen and I had our first dinner together would give me courage. "There's a new place nearby that's wonderful."
"Sounds great," she said with a nod.
We walked along in silence, neither of us willing to start any serious discussion yet. She looked beautiful with her long blond hair in a high ponytail, wearing a khaki linen suit with an orange shell underneath, and a pair of nude heels. Sometimes I was jealous of Lauren since she was a social worker, and she got to dress up for work. I'd be spending my career in scrubs, but at least I would get to wear comfortable shoes.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were seated almost immediately. We ended up with the same middle-aged blond waitress from my dinner with Jensen on Sunday. She smiled at me with recognition in her eyes, and I nodded in acknowledgment. She took our drink orders and left us to look over the menus. I was trying to decide what I wanted when I felt the weight of Lauren's eyes on me. I lowered the menu to find her staring at me with a pained expression on her face.
"I owe you an apology, Sydney," she said, her eyes brimming with emotion. "I jumped to conclusions without listening to you at all. I'm so sorry. I know you're not that person anymore, and I know you're not a teenager anymore. I worry about you so much sometimes, and I get carried away."
"Oh, Lauren," I replied gratefully. "I know. The things I said to you were horrible. I was just lashing out, and I'm so sorry too. You've been a mother to me in so many ways, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." My voice cracked with emotion, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I reached across the table, and Lauren put her hand in mine for a moment. We shared a moment eye to eye, an understanding that didn't need any more words passing between us. I was so grateful she was in my life.
Just then the waitress returned with our waters and asked if we were ready to order. We both ordered a chicken Caesar salad. The waitress looked at me expectantly.
"Where's that handsome young man you were with the other day?" she asked with a big smile. "He was so sweet to you. He acted like you were the only other person in the room."
"He's at work today," I said feeling disconcerted as a blush began creeping across my cheeks. Lauren looked taken aback by my reaction.
"You better hold on to that one," the waitress continued. "He's gorgeous and sweet. You don't see that very often." She winked and walked away to put our orders in.
"I'm assuming she's talking about Jensen?" Lauren asked as she smiled at my obvious discomfort.
"Yeah." I nodded as I looked down, wishing I could climb under the table as my face continued to burn.
"You really like this guy, don't you?" Lauren said, her voice becoming serious. I looked up and met her eyes.
"I do, Lauren. I really do."
"Then I promise to give him a chance," she said sincerely. "But if he hurts you, there'll be hell to pay." Her eyes glittered with her threat.
"Okay, Momma Bear," I said with a smirk, using the nickname I called her when I was a teenager.
That's right," she added with a predatory smile. "Don't fuck with Momma Bear." I laughed at her, knowing she really would protect me with her last breath and feeling thankful that someone had my back.
I spent the rest of our lunch telling her about the last few days with Jensen, leaving out the sexual parts that were just between Jensen and me. She listened, and I was relieved that she wasn't giving me a hard time about it anymore. When I finished telling her about last night, she had a knowing look in her eyes.
"I hate to admit it, but you've got it bad for this guy, Syd" she told me. "It sounds like he feels the same about you, and I don't want you to get your heart broken since things are moving so fast."
"I know," I agreed. "It almost feels like we've been together a lot longer than three days. I feel so safe and cared for when I'm with him. I've never felt this way before, about anybody."
"I'm really happy for you. You know that, right?" Lauren reached across the table to take my hand. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I will, Lauren," I assured her, but in my heart, I already knew it was too late. I was pretty sure I was falling in love with Jensen Hayes and if things went south, I was going to be devastated. I just hoped I was strong enough to deal with it if he broke my heart.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jensen
"You're in a really good mood today," Uncle Mathias said from across the small table we were sitting at. We were eating lunch together in the on-site office break room while going over our plans for the next phase of our current project. I must have been grinning like an idiot all morning because everyone had kept looking at me strangely. Probably because they had forgotten I was capable of smiling at all.
"I guess so," I said evasively with a shrug, not really wanting to share Sydney with anyone in my family just yet. Hell, if I hadn't had to, Andy still wouldn't know anything about her. I felt like keeping her separate from the rest of my life, especially the bad parts, would somehow insulate the two of us from it. Keeping it that way seemed to be helping me stay sane and in control. I didn't have a nightmare at all last night with Sydney in my arms, and I had truly slept for the first time I could remember in two months. Plus, I needed her desperately and didn't want her to know how fucked-up I was. Being around my family tended to set off my insanity, and I didn't want to scare her off.
"Does it have anything to do with a girl?" Mathias asked me with a knowing smile. Shit, was it that obvious? I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. His eyes glittered with amusement at my discomfort. "Relax, Jensen. I'm not going to pry for any details. I'm just happy to see you smiling for a change."
"I was starting to think I had forgotten how," I said with a small smile. He nodded and continued our conversation about work. Uncle Mathias seemed to get me better than the rest of my family. He never pried into things I'd rather not talk about or pushed me to share when I didn't want to. In many ways, we were a lot alike. He liked to keep his feelings to himself like I did. It was probably why we worked so well together.
After lunch, I headed back out to get to work. We had a lot to get done, so staying focused was imperative, but I kept struggling to keep thoughts of Sydney out of my damn head. It was a lost cause. I kept thinking about those words I had sung to her, telling her I was madly in love with her. I didn't realize what I had done until the song ended, and I kissed her. I was falling madly in love with her, but the startled look on her face last night had sent me into a panic. I acted like nothing had happened afterward. The guilt of manipulating her like that still stung, but I couldn't risk it, not if telling her how I was feeling chased her away.
How was this even possible, for me to feel this way about someone after only a few days anyway? I didn't know how it had happened, but I wa
s going to hold on to this as hard as I could and be grateful for it. My very sanity depended upon it. Last night, I had done the only thing I could think of to make up for not telling her the truth. I showed her with my body what I was feeling, hoping she would understand what I was trying to tell her without words. Thankfully, when my emotions had gotten the better of me, and I blurted out that I was falling for her, she had already gone to asleep.
When four o'clock came, I had enough of trying to concentrate on work. I let my uncle know I was leaving and headed out to my truck, feeling relieved to be getting out of there. As I walked, I enjoyed the warm sunshine on my face as a slight breeze sifted through my hair. It was a perfect spring day. I decided to go home to get the Camaro, since it was beautiful outside, and I knew Sydney would love to go for a ride.
I made it to the coffee shop about fifteen minutes before five, hoping maybe she could leave work early, too. I parked the Camaro, stepped out of the car, and surveyed the parking lot, looking for a familiar white Jeep. That asshole wasn't going to touch Sydney again if I could help it. I didn't see any Jeeps at all and let out a sigh of relief as I started walking toward the shop entrance.
I walked through the front door, scanned the room, and found Sydney with her back to me as she was cleaning one of the tables with a rag. Her ass looked amazing as she leaned forward to reach the far side of the table top. I smiled as I thought about fucking her on her kitchen table the other day. I was distracted from my filthy thoughts by someone crossing into my line of vision. A tall, strikingly beautiful woman with the most flawless mocha skin I ever saw, stood in front of me. Her hair was braided into innumerable tiny little braids, and pulled up into a pile on the top of her head. She was wearing black pants and a red polo shirt, a uniform identical to Sydney's.
Let Me Love You: Beautifully Broken Book 1 Page 16