She nearly groaned out loud. Just her luck, cock-blocked by a leprechaun.
Jackson moved closer and lowered his head, his mouth a whisper from her ear. When he spoke, the warmth of his breath skated over her skin. “I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever to get you back in my bed. When I finally get you there, I want nail-scratching, headboard-slamming, screaming-my-name, sore-the-next-morning kind of sex. You know that ain’t gonna happen with Pinto and Hatch in the next room.” He pulled back far enough for her to see his face, and the promise burning in his eyes nearly did her in. “Trust me, gorgeous; it’ll be worth the wait.”
Chapter 17
Pale light peeked throughthe blinds as Essie tumbled out of bed and tugged on shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top. Movie night had been more fun than she’d imagined, though she only made it through twoLeprechaunmovies before turning in for the evening. Not that she’d gotten much sleep. She’d spent a fair amount of time tossing and turning, wishing that she and Jackson had finished what they’d started in his truck.
Outside her room, she tiptoed past Pinto and Hatch—one was asleep on the living room couch, the other on the recliner—and slipped out the front door. This was her favorite time for a run, not out of any love for exercise, and no, she wasn’t a morning person, but because she preferred to get it over with before the Florida heat went from sticky to downright oppressive.
After a few minutes of warm-up stretches, Essie put on her sunglasses and started out on the quiet country road. The rural scenery provided a pleasant change of pace from her usual urban route, though the lack of sidewalks presented a challenge, especially when big rigs sped past and the backdraft nearly blew her into the ditch. It wasn’t long before her breathing evened and her mind began to wander.
She refused to second-guess her decision to resume her relationship with Jackson. What was happening between them didn’t feel rushed or reckless. They’d taken the time to get to know each other outside the bedroom, and she felt as though she knew him better now than she did when they were married. In spite of her fears, she’d shared her true self with him, and he hadn’t run screaming for the door. To the contrary, he’d welcomed the real her with open arms and zero judgment, and it melted away the last of her reservations.
Hatch’s Jeep was gone from the driveway when she returned an hour later. After spending half the night watching crappy movies and drinking beer, she’d expected the guys to be zonked out until noon at the very earliest. Using the key Jackson gave her, Essie went inside and found the house as quiet as a tomb. Jackson’s door was closed, as was Navarre’s. A twinge of paranoia skittered down her spine, but considering nothing seemed out of order, and she hadn’t received any alerts on her phone about a breach in the house’s security, she forced herself to relax.
Sweaty from the run, she grabbed a shower, dressed, and padded barefoot to the kitchen for some much-needed fuel.
Most mornings, Jackson made breakfast. He was one of those folks who actually enjoyed cooking, and everything he made was delicious. He especially liked cooking for her, and it made her feel special when he did it. But the long run had her running on fumes, so she grabbed the last slice of cold pizza and a bottle of water from the fridge. Not the most nutritious breakfast in the world, but the guys had devoured almost everything in the fridge, so she’d have to make do with what was left.
Halfway through her meal, she heard a door open, and moments later Jackson strolled into the kitchen, looking sexy as sin in low-hanging sweatpants and a tight-fitting tee that accentuated the deep V of his torso. A light layer of scruff shadowed his jaw, and she remembered—in vivid detail—just how good it used to feel against particular parts of her body.
At the sight of her, he smiled, and it warmed her from the inside out. “I didn’t think you’d be up this early,” he said in a sleep-roughened voice.
“I needed to burn off the junk food I ate last night before it migrated to my ass.”
He stared at her as though she’d spoken a foreign language. “You barely ate anything.”
“If you honestly think that, you weren’t paying attention. I had chips, and pizza, and some of those little chocolate things that Pinto made. And I’m sure those pineapple coconut martinis weren’t exactly calorie-free.”
He shrugged. “Everyone deserves to splurge now and then. You’re way too hard on yourself.”
“Somebody’s got to do it.” Truth was, she hadn’t splurged like that in a long time. She allowed herself the occasional indulgence, usually to celebrate an accomplishment or salve the sting of disappointment. Last night had been a bit of both. Good food, good company, movies so bad you had to laugh, and her first full weekend off in ages. For the most part, Navarre spent the evening ignoring her, an improvement from his typical open hostility, and she took that as a win.
Shaking his head, Jackson opened the pantry and took out one of those protein bars he liked so much but she thought tasted like cardboard. He filled a glass with the last of the pineapple juice and sat beside her, and the comforting familiarity of such a simple act momentarily knocked her off-balance. She could get used to this, if she let herself. She wasn’t sure she was ready, but she wanted to try.
Essie ate the last bite of her pizza and washed it down with a mouthful of water. “How late did you guys stay up?”
“I went to bed afterLeprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood. I think the guys watched one more movie after that.”
Doing the math in her head, she figured the guys hadn’t called it a night until sometime after three. “After such a late evening, I hadn’t expected them to leave so early.”
“They went hunting; it’s turkey season.” After swallowing a bite of his bar, he added, “Navarre went with them.”
Essie’s pulse jumped at the news they finally had the house to themselves. She tried her best to act cool about it as she washed her plate and set it in the strainer to dry.
“How long will they be gone?” she asked.
“They’re hunting today, staying the night at a cabin they rented, and coming back sometime tomorrow.”
It was all she could do not to break into a happy dance. “I’m surprised you didn’t tag along.”
Finished with the bar, he downed the last of his juice. “Sweating my butt off in the woods while getting eaten alive by mosquitos isn’t my idea of a good time.”
She arched one eyebrow, fighting a smile, because she knew exactly where this was heading and couldn’t wait to get started. “And what is?”
The wooden chair legs scraped against the tile floor as Jackson stood. He took the water bottle from her hand, set it on the counter, backed her up against the fridge, and gave her a kiss that scorched every last nerve ending in her body.
About damn time, she thought, and then she didn’t think at all.
