by Jill Shalvis
against him until his ability to talk, much less think, became impaired.
She brushed her mouth to his ear. “Dell?”
He let out a shaky breath. “Yeah?”
“Ever had good-bye sex?”
He made the fatal mistake of meeting her gaze. Her eyes were soft, solemn, as she rose up on her knees and gently touched her lips to his. “Jade—” He gripped her hips as his entire body reacted to that slight, almost chaste kiss. “I—”
She outlined his lips with her tongue and he groaned, sucking it into his mouth. God, he loved the taste of her, the feel of her. He couldn’t seem to get enough. He was starting to wonder if he’d ever get enough when her hands slid under the hem of his shirt and over his abs.
“Mmm,” she said in response to the feel of him, like maybe she couldn’t get enough of him, either. “Off.” Then she shoved the shirt up. When he took over the task, pulling it off, she straddled him, a knee on either side of his hips. Bending low, she licked his nipple.
He sucked in a breath, which made him realize his mouth was open to speak, but whatever he’d been about to say was gone since all the blood had drained out of his now poor, dehydrated, useless brain.
“I want you,” she said against his lips, pinning him to the cabinet at his back. “God, I want you. Please, Dell.”
He made a noise deep in his throat and kissed her long and deep. Not enough, not nearly enough, he thought. He had to touch her. “Stand up.”
“What?”
He went for the belt of her robe. “What do you have on under here?”
“Um. Me.”
He groaned again and tugged it open. She was right, nothing but warm, damp, sexy, curvy woman. His hands looked so dark against her pale skin and turned him on even more than he already was. “Stand up,” he said again, then without waiting for her, lifted her by the hips so that she was standing, still straddling him.
Perfect.
Leaning in, he nuzzled at her belly button, then lower. Then lower still. Above him she made a low sound of hunger that went straight through him, then repeated it when he slid his hands up the backs of her legs and grabbed her ass, urging her a little closer so that she had no choice but to lean over him and slap her hands on the kitchen counter.
“I’ve been aching to do this,” he said, and gently ran his thumb over her glistening folds, opening her before leaning in to stroke her with his tongue, sampling different spots, loving her reaction to each. A murmur, a gasp. His name torn from her throat. She was quivering in minutes, her breath choppy, her hips rocking into him, and he couldn’t get enough. “You taste good, Jade.”
“Oh God. Oh God, there—”
If he hadn’t already known exactly her “oh God, there” spot, the way her fingers tightened in his hair would have been a big clue. Loving the sexy sounds being ripped from her throat, and the way she looked above him, damp and trembling and gorgeous, he gave her exactly what she wanted, building her orgasm until she shattered.
Her knees collapsed and she slumped against his chest. Stroking a hand down her back, he pulled her close and kissed her neck.
“Please tell me you have a condom,” she said.
In his wallet, which contrary to what she probably thought, he’d put in there with her in mind. “Jade—”
She clapped a hand on either side of his face. “Yes or no.”
“Yes, but—”
“Get it. For the love of God get it now.”
He reached into his back pocket for his wallet, not easy with her straddling his lap and very busy with her own agenda—unzipping his jeans. She freed him, then she tore the packet open with her teeth, laughing when she spit out the corner of the wrapper over her shoulder. “Always wanted to do that,” she murmured, and sheathed him, leaving him panting and sweating by the time she was done.
“Now,” she whispered, demanding, sure of herself, the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. She wrapped her hand around him, lifted herself up a little, and took him deep.
“Oh, fuck,” he managed.
“Yes, please.”
He choked out a laugh and closed his eyes, thunking his head back against the cabinet, hissing in a breath when she bent over him and nipped at his exposed throat. Banding his arms tight around her, he opened his eyes and met hers as they began to move in tandem. Faster. Harder. She was moaning and whimpering for more, and he gave it, feeling . . . so much, lost, found . . . completely undone.
When she sucked his earlobe into her mouth and flicked it with her tongue, he knew he was an inch from losing it. “Jesus,” he breathed, trying to slow her down. “Jesus, Jade. Wait—”
No good, she was too far gone, grinding on him, making those sweet noises that told him how good he was making her feel, that she was as gone as him, and he nearly went off on that knowledge alone.
“I need you, Dell,” she murmured softly, her hands in his hair, her eyes on his. “Need me back.”
“I do.”
“No. No, I mean—”
He stroked a hand up her thigh, rasping his thumb over ground zero, and she sobbed out his name and arched into him. “Come,” he urged her, wanting to watch her fly before he did. “Come for me, Jade.”
And with a soft cry, she did.
He joined her, a kaleidoscope of colors bursting behind his eyes. For a moment he actually thought he was having a stroke, but it couldn’t possibly feel this good to stroke out.
From the dim recesses of his mind he realized that there was an odd ache in his chest that both hurt and felt right at the same time. He knew the reason, but it could wait until she was gone. Until he was alone again. Alone, which had always worked out so well for him.
Too bad he suddenly—or maybe not so suddenly at all—no longer really believed that.
Twenty-four
Jade opened her eyes some time later. Dell had moved them to her bed and they’d fallen asleep. He was warm and she snuggled closer, kissing his shoulder, wishing . . .
That this was real. That she could figure out a way to make it real that worked for everyone.
Dell’s breathing changed, and she knew he was awake. “Hey,” he murmured, voice low and sleep rough. “What’s wrong?” When she said nothing, he ran his fingers over her skin, and finally she sighed. “I had a dream. About my family.”
“About going back?”
He never said home. Sunshine was home. For him, Sunshine had been the first place to ever feel like home. So she nodded again.
Brushing his mouth over her temple, he skimmed his way to her jaw. “You’re conflicted.”
It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes.”
“You have choices, Jade. You always have choices.” His mouth moved along her throat, making her shiver.
“Like?” she asked, clutching at him.
“Like staying.”
Her heart took a hard, hopeful leap. “If I took you up on that, you’d regret it,” she said, a little breathless. She needed to drop this conversation now, while she still could.
“You don’t know what I want.”
A truer statement had never been uttered. “So tell me.”
His tongue teased her skin, and she began to lose grip of her thoughts. “You,” he said. “I want you.”
Want, not need. She arched up against him as his hands ran over her body. “You have me, Dell.” Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pulled him to her, locking eyes with him. “All of me.”
“For now,” he said.
Confused, she opened her mouth, but he used that to his advantage, kissing her hungrily, pushing closer, his body covering hers. The sheet tangled between them, not hiding a thing, not that he was big and hard. Very hard.
Dell yanked the sheet away and then he was on her, warm skin in place of the cool cotton.
Her eyes slid shut as his lips moved over hers. She’d learned he loved to kiss, to explore, and she loved to let him. It made her feel . . . wanted. Cherished. Sexy. He’d seen it all before, o
f course, every inch of her, and yet each time he kissed the small scar on her knee from a long-ago childhood mishap, or ran his tongue over the curve of her breast or the length of her hip with such appreciation, it sent tingles through her. Like now. Her fingers tightened in his hair and brought his mouth back to hers. “Again?”
“Yes,” he breathed against her lips. “And then again. Because as it turns out, I don’t think I can get enough of you.”
“I have no self-discipline when it comes to you,” Jade said much later.
Dell didn’t open his eyes, but he did let out a low, rough sounding laugh.
“I’m not sure how that’s funny,” she said.
Dell lifted his head, his hair tousled from her fingers, his expression one hundred percent pure sated male. “You expect to be disciplined during sex?”
“I—”
He laughed again and she elbowed him.
Ignoring that, he reached for her, but she shoved him. “No. Oh no. We’ve had enough.”
He was still laughing when he easily pulled her in close and nuzzled his face in her hair. “Speak for yourself. I’m not sure I could ever get enough.”
Running her hand down his beautiful back, she closed her eyes and wished she were brave enough to believe it.
When she woke up, Dell was gone. She ignored the little ping of disappointment and glanced at Beans.
“Mew,” Beans said, a knowing look in her sharp eyes. “No, I am not wishing he was still here. Sheesh, what do you take me for, a sex addict?”
“Mew.”
With a sigh, Jade showered, dressed and grabbed Beans and got to the office at the same time as usual, but unlike the usual, she wasn’t the first one in.
On her desk sat a hot coffee and a bag from the bakery. An egg and turkey bacon croissant, which she dove into as if she’d spent all night running a marathon.
Or being made love to for hours on end . . .
The croissant was so good she moaned as she ate it. Forget having sex all night long. She wanted to have this croissant all night long.
“Mmm,” came Dell’s low, sexy voice in her ear as his arms encircled her from behind. He nipped at the side of her throat. “That sound you make. It drives me crazy, especially when I’m buried in you and—”
Her cell phone rang.
Drawing a shaky breath, she pushed Dell away and grabbed it.
“The first is Monday,” Sam said. “You on track to be here?”
Jade’s gaze met Dell’s. She knew he could hear Sam. “Yes. I’m leaving in two days.”
Sam’s relieved expulsion of air sounded in her ear. “I’ll fly out and drive back with you.”
“No. No, I want to do it alone,” she said, still holding Dell’s unwavering stare. “I’ll be okay.”
She hung up and sighed. “Dell—”
“I know. You . . . promised.”
He understood promises, he understood loyalty, and he was very good at hiding his thoughts when he wanted to. For a long moment, he continued to look at her as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. He simply nodded. “Do you need any help?”
She felt her heart crack right up the center. No matter what she needed, he was there for her, sometimes even before she knew what that might be. Yes, he was obstinate, way too sure of himself, couldn’t put real words to an emotion to save his life, and yet . . . and yet he had her back in a way no one ever had before. “I really wanted to train someone for you.”
“I’m not replacing you, Jade. No one could.”
“Dell—”
“I’m going to be fine. Don’t worry about me.” And then he was gone, the door to his office shutting quietly.
Okay. Good. He was going to be fine. And if he wasn’t . . . well, no one would ever know because that’s how he operated.
That’s how they both operated.
On Jade’s last day, Belle Haven had a record number of patients. This was due more to people wanting to see Jade before she left than any of Dell’s skills, and he knew it.
But he couldn’t blame anyone. He felt the same. He wanted as many last looks at her as he could get.
They met at Crystal’s that night, he, Adam, Brady, Lilah.
And Jade.
They shared two pitchers of beer and stories. Lilah brought a cake. “Not homemade,” she said. “Because we all know I can’t cook worth shit.” She hugged Jade hard. “Dammit, I’m testing this waterproof mascara tonight.” She sniffed. “I’m really going to miss watching you keep Dell off balance.”
Dell would have argued, but it was hard to argue the truth. Jade had been keeping him on his toes since the day she’d walked into his life.
They all walked out to the parking lot together and Lilah hugged her again. And then again, until Brady pried her loose. “She’s coming back to visit,” he assured Lilah, and looked at Jade. “Right?”
Jade, eyes shimmering brilliantly with unshed tears, nodded. Brady pulled her in close, whispered something Dell couldn’t catch, and when he pulled back, Adam moved in. He didn’t speak, just hugged her, then tugged lightly on her hair, his eyes solemn but affectionate.
Dell waited until everyone pulled out and it was just him and Jade in the parking lot.
“It’s late,” she said, voice thick. “And I want to leave before dawn.”
He nodded. She didn’t want him to follow her home. Message received. “Jade—”
“I don’t know how to do this,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to say good-bye to you.”
“So don’t.”
“Dell—”
He put a finger to her lips. “I just mean that I’ll come see you.”
She closed her eyes, then nodded. Then she stepped into him and hugged him hard, eyes fierce. “Make sure that you do.”
He stood in the lot and watched her drive away. He got into his truck and turned toward home.
Except he went right instead of left, and let his heart steer him to where it thought home was.
Jade’s.
She opened the door, eyes and nose red. “This is a bad idea,” she said shakily.
“Spectacularly,” he agreed, and shut the door behind him. Then he found himself pushed up against it and she kissed him, all hot, confusing desperation, which unleashed his own.
“We shouldn’t do this,” she said against his mouth when they came up for air.