by C. C. Wood
And that was the moment I burst into tears.
"Oh, crap," J.J. said as I sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't cry."
Of course that only made me sob harder because I felt even worse.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," J.J. murmured, his mouth suddenly by my ear. Somehow he arranged us so that he was sitting in the chair and I was in his lap. He hugged me close, rocking me back and forth as he stroked my hair. "I didn't mean to upset you. Please don't cry."
I hiccupped a few times but I couldn't stop the tears long enough to tell him that it wasn't his fault for being right.
He stood up with me in his arms and carried me into my room. I tucked my face into his neck as the tears kept coming. J.J. sat on the edge of the bed and continued to hold me while I cried.
I wasn't sure how long I wept, but when the tears finally calmed, my eyes felt swollen and hot. My nose was stopped up and my throat ached.
I sniffled then laughed when a tissue appeared in front of my face, held between two of J.J.'s fingers.
"Thanks," I muttered.
I took the tissue and blew my nose. Another appeared in front of my face where it was tucked beneath J.J.'s chin and I laughed again. I took it and wiped my cheeks, eyes, and the tip of my nose. I crumpled them up and tossed them on my nightstand.
"At the risk of upsetting you again, can I ask what brought that on?" J.J. asked, his tone conversational.
I sighed. "It wasn't your fault," I answered. "It's part hormones and part sentiment. This was my grandmother's house. She left it to me when she died and I hate to leave it."
"Ah. I understand."
I huffed a little laugh. "I'm glad you do because I don't. Not completely anyway. I've never been much of a crier and now I'm tearing up at the drop of the hat."
"Well, you did say it was partly hormones," he said, making me laugh again.
"Yeah, they're a pain." I kept my head down and rested my cheek on his chest.
"Wanna lay down for a few minutes?" he asked.
I nodded.
He turned and I crawled off his lap onto the bed. When he started to get up, I reached out and took his hand.
"Will you stay with me for a few minutes?" I asked.
"Sure." J.J. stretched out on the bed next to me, his head resting on my pillow.
"I know you're right about the house," I said. "And I know we'll have to move somewhere bigger soon, but it just hit me sideways, you know? I wasn't even planning on dating anyone and here I am married, pregnant, and now I'm going to have to move out of my house. It's a lot." I stared at him. "I know it's a lot of change for you, too."
J.J. reached over and took my hand in his, our elbows bent so that our fingers rested on the mattress between us. "It is, but I'm not the one whose body is going through enormous physical changes or who's going to give birth. It's a huge stress on your mind and body and I only want to minimize it as much as possible for you, which is ridiculous because it's literally impossible."
I smiled at him. "That's actually pretty sweet. Does that mean you'd carry and birth the baby for me if you were able?"
"Um, let's not go too far," he answered. He smiled when I laughed. "I would if I could, though I'd probably be a huge wimp about it. I'd probably beg for drugs once the first contraction hit."
"I probably will, too," I answered.
"Then, I'll make sure you get them."
I squeezed his hand, still smiling. My firestorm of tears had worn me out and my eyelids were suddenly heavy.
"Will you lay here with me for a while?" I asked.
"I can do that."
"Good, 'cause I need you," I muttered.
"You have me."
"For now," I whispered already more than half asleep.
17
There was someone in my bed.
That was my first thought as I woke up.
My second thought was that I didn't mind in the least because it wasn't just anyone. It was J.J.
I knew because I slit my eyes open and I could see his chest and legs stretched out in front of me. My cheek rested on his chest and I had one leg thrown over his.
His body was warm and firm against mine and it reminded me of the night we'd spent together.
I shifted against him as heat bloomed in my belly and spread through my limbs. His arm pulled me closer to his body and he turned toward me. As his body shifted, my thigh ended up resting on his hips. One of his arms was beneath my body at waist level. The other wrapped around me from above and slid down to cup my butt, pulling my body completely against his.
I looked at him through the screen of my eyelashes and saw that his eyes were closed. He was still asleep.
His hand kneaded my butt and I arched into him. I couldn't help it. His touch set me on fire our first night together, but now that I was in love with him...it was so much more.
My fingers flexed, digging into the muscles of his shoulder. "Jay," I whispered.
His eyes opened at the sound of my voice. "Hey," he murmured, his voice rough with sleep.
The hand on my butt slid down to my thigh, lifting my leg higher against his hip. I could feel his erection pressing between my thighs, exactly where a low throb began to build.
"Jay." My hand moved from his shoulder to cup the back of his head. "Kiss me."
His lips touched mine—soft, gentle, yet earth-shattering.
When the kiss ended, I opened my eyes and found him watching me. "Lee—"
I kissed him again, harder and deeper this time. "I know what I'm doing," I said when I pulled back, panting. "And I want this. All I need to know is if you want it, too."
His answer was to kiss me again and roll over so that he hovered over me. I twined my legs around his hips and rocked against him.
My fingers slipped beneath the back of his t-shirt, running up the hot skin of his back.
Just as I was getting ready to yank it over his head, I heard the Klaxon on my phone blowing up in the kitchen.
"Oh, no!" I gasped. "That's my alarm."
J.J. lifted his head and stared down at me. "Alarm for what?"
"It's my fifteen-minute warning before I have to leave for work."
He dropped his forehead on the pillow next to my head. After a moment, he lifted it again. "I could do a passable job in fifteen minutes."
I seriously considered it until he laughed down at me.
"I'm kidding, Lee." He kissed me soundly. "Although it makes me happy that you'd be satisfied with a passable job."
"It wouldn't take much," I muttered.
"Do not say things like that when you have to get up and get ready for work," he demanded.
It was my turn to laugh.
He stared down at me, brushing a hank of hair away from my cheek. "Can we pick this up when you get home?" he asked.
"Definitely," I answered.
"Are you taking your dinner tonight?" he asked.
I huffed and shook my head. "No, your sister is ordering pizza. She said that I deserve a treat for putting up with you for nearly a month."
"Ouch, that hurts," he joked, smiling back at me.
"I'm only working a five-hour shift tonight," I said. "So I'm not technically required a dinner break. According to the law."
"Maybe not, but Cam is too excited about her niece or nephew to let you skip a meal."
"Probably because you called her and told her I was skipping meals," I grumbled.
J.J. laughed, kissed the tip of my nose, and rolled off me. "You were."
"Only because your child was making me sick," I argued.
He'd just gotten to his feet next to the bed when I said it, but he stopped and stared down at me.
"What?" I asked, pushing myself up on my elbows. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good," he answered. "Get up and get ready for work. I'll get you a drink for the road."
I sat up the rest of the way on the bed and watched him leave the room. I bit back a smile when he stopped just in the doorway to reach down and adjust hims
elf.
When he was gone, I got off the bed and hurried into the bathroom to get ready. I needed to leave in ten minutes or I'd be late.
Five minutes later, I walked into the kitchen to find J.J. leaning over the sink, his hands resting on the edge. His eyes were focused on the backyard through the window over the sink.
He turned toward me when he heard my footsteps on the floor. I hesitated at the look on his face but he lifted a hand and said, "Come here."
I came closer until he took my hand and tugged me into him so my body rested against his.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
He shook his head, looking down at me, his expression more serious than I'd ever seen it before. "Nothing's wrong. I just want you to know that, tonight, if you decide you don't want to finish what we started, I'm okay with it."
I studied his face. "Are you giving me a way out or giving yourself one?" I asked.
He sighed. "I don't need a way out, but I don't want you to feel pressured."
"I don't," I said.
"I just want you to be sure. I don't know if I can go back if we go down this road."
I rose up on my toes and kissed him. "I don't think I can either. Not now."
When I dropped back down on my heels, his eyes were warmer. "I'm still not going to hold you to it if you have a moment of sanity while you're at work tonight."
"I'm not going to change my mind," I stated. He wasn't the only one who could be stubborn.
"It's still okay if you do."
I sighed. "You are so stubborn."
"I've heard that a few times in my life," he teased.
"Well, you'll probably hear it a few more."
He laughed and released me. "You're going to be late for work."
I went over to the kitchen table and grabbed my phone and the lidded cup next to it. "Thanks for the drink," I said to him with a wink.
"You're welcome."
I grabbed my purse and keys from the hook by the door. "I'll see you later."
I pulled into the parking area behind Crave with four minutes to spare, so I took thirty seconds to send him a text.
Still haven't changed my mind.
I was inside and clocking in when his reply came through.
Tell me that after work.
I laughed to myself.
I decided then and there that I would send him the same text several times tonight before I got home.
As it would turn out, I would have ample opportunity. It seemed that my husband had called his sister and let her know that I needed to spend more time with my feet up and that it was doctor's orders.
That meant that every ninety minutes, Cam made me take a ten to fifteen-minute break. I had to go sit down in her office and put my feet up on the small coffee table in front of her couch or even lie down.
She'd tried to tell me I had to take these breaks every sixty minutes. When I said no, she said every seventy. I told her every two hours. After some haggling, we settled for every ninety minutes.
During my first forced break, I settled on her office sofa with my cell phone. While I was annoyed that he'd gone behind my back, I could admit that I needed the break. I had less nausea and more energy now that I was in my second trimester, but spending hours on my feet every day made my hips and lower back hurt more than usual.
As I sat down with a bottle of water, I texted J.J. again.
I'm annoyed with you.
His reply was nearly immediate. What did I do now?
I chuckled to myself and drank more water before I answered.
Your sister has decided I have to take a ten-minute break every ninety minutes. She tried for an hour first but I told her no, so we compromised.
I watched the three dots dancing beneath my message as he wrote back. They disappeared then came back.
Sorry not sorry.
I laughed and shook my head. "Just remember this," I muttered to myself. "Because I will get you back."
Ask my brothers about my payback.
This time there was no hesitation in his reply. I've already heard a lot about it.
Then don't be surprised when you get yours.
I could almost see him smiling to himself.
Acceptable risk. I'll take my punishment like a man. I want you to stay healthy.
Darn. I wanted to stay irritated with him but I couldn't. Not when he said something sweet.
I thought about what I wanted to say for a moment then grinned to myself.
Still haven't changed my mind.
I ignored my phone after that and got back to work, so I didn't see his reply until an hour and a half later on my next break, which was also my dinner break. Cam had pizza delivered via her husband, Brody. They were eating together in the kitchen and I brought my food back into her office. Partly to give them some private time, since I knew they didn't get a lot of it with Brody's daughter, Jacks, living with them full-time, and partly so I could text Cam's brother without feeling weird about it.
I laughed when I opened my messages and saw J.J.'s reply to my earlier text.
Is this part of my punishment? Because you're hurting me right now.
Still giggling to myself, I typed my reply. No, I need time to plan your punishment so it'll happen just when you least expect it.
He must have been waiting for my message because his response was immediate.
Are you eating?
I took my first bite of pizza and took a selfie with it.
His reply was a thumbs up.
I rolled my eyes. What are you doing?
He sent me a picture of his laptop set up on the kitchen table with files next to it.
I'm working too.
I couldn't resist being sassy so I sent a reply. Did you put your feet up?
Smart ass.
I laughed out loud. LANGUAGE!
Sorry not sorry. Finish your dinner and you can read me the riot act when you get home.
I sighed and took another bite of pizza. He was right. I needed to eat. I had a feeling I'd need my energy later. Which was why I couldn't resist one more message.
Still haven't changed my mind.
His reply made me laugh again. Tell me that when you get home and I'll believe it.
I will.
I put my phone down, finished my slice of pizza, drank my water, and got up to wash my hands. The store was closing in an hour and a half and I wanted to get out of here early for a change.
I had plans for tonight.
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, I walked through the kitchen door into my house. I could hear the low murmur of the TV in the living room but all the lights were out.
I tried to move silently through the kitchen but my house was old and the floors creaked.
Still, J.J. didn't appear.
I stopped in the living room doorway and saw him sprawled along the length of the couch, asleep.
While part of me was disappointed, it was also sweet to have a chance to watch him without being caught.
The air in the house was chilly due to the blasting air conditioner, so I crept back into my room and grabbed a throw from the reading chair I'd placed in one corner. J.J. was still sleeping, one hand thrown over his head and the other resting on his chest.
As gently as possible, I draped the throw over him and picked up the remote from the floor where it had fallen. I turned off the TV and the lamp on the side table next to him. Another small lamp burned on the table at the other end of the couch, but I left it on. It would keep him from tripping and falling if he woke up disoriented.
I wanted to brush his hair back from his face but I didn't want to rouse him.
I settled for a whispered, "Good night, Jay."
"Good night," he murmured back. Then, he shifted and his eyes opened. "Hey." He reached out and bracketed my wrist with his fingers, tugging me toward him. "C'mere."
He was half asleep so I wedged my hip against his on the sofa. He kept pulling at my wrist, trying to get me to lie down.
&
nbsp; "I don't think this couch will hold us both," I argued.
"It will if you lay on top of me," he retorted, his voice still sleepy.
I settled for running my fingers through the hair that fell on his forehead. "I think a bed is a better idea."
His thumb brushed the inside of my wrist in lazy circles. "Mine or yours?" he asked.
I touched his cheek, enjoying the slight roughness of his stubble against my fingertips. "You're tired. You should probably go to yours."
The movement of his thumb arrested. "Is that what you want?" Bright hazel eyes no longer looked sleepy. They were alert and focused on me.
"I haven't changed my mind," I said. "But you're exhausted. You need to rest."
"I just had a nap. I'm okay," he stated.
"Jay—"
He used his grasp on my wrist to pull me closer, his other hand coming up to cup the back of my neck. I didn't resist because I didn't want to. Not really.
The kiss wasn't gentle or light. It was hungry, as if he'd been starving for me since I left earlier this afternoon.
I was breathless when I pulled away and looked down at him. "My bed, I think."
His grin was a quick flash and suddenly we were both standing and he was pulling me toward the door. J.J.'s steps were quick and determined as he walked down the hall toward my room.
I had to smile at his impatience. It was an echo of the same restless urgency I'd been feeling all night.
As soon as we entered my room, I stripped my shirt over my head and tossed it toward my hamper. J.J. laughed and did the same.
"It seems we're on the same page," he said.
"Less talking and less clothes."
"Yes, ma'am."
My fingers hesitated on the waistband of my pants. I wasn't really showing yet. It was more of an extra roundness to my belly, but I felt a little self-conscious.
At least until J.J.'s hands slid around my waist right before he kissed me. He was naked except for a pair of boxer briefs. Very brief boxer briefs.
As he kissed me, I shoved the elastic waist of my pants down my thighs until I could kick them the rest of the way off.
Though we were both now in our underwear and he was kissing me as though he couldn't stop, J.J. didn't make any moves to remove the rest of my clothes. He just kept kissing me as if we had all night.