AlwaysYou (6 page)

“Well, there’s more to a relationship than sex.”

Shari’s heart pounded unevenly.
“Like what?” She held her
breath waiting to see what he’d say.

Jon took a deep breath, his hand tracing up and down Shari’s
back.
“Well, there’s taste in movies.”

She rolled her eyes.
“Okay, what else?”

“Vegans.
I just don’t understand them.
Can’t date them.”

She giggled.
“Anything else?”

Jon moved his hand to her neck, massaging the base of her
skull.
“The bottom line is I just wasn’t in love with any of those women.”

“None of them?”

She felt him shake his head.
“Not one.” His fingers rubbed
against her cheek, so gentle and warm.

She lifted her head and gazed at him.
He looked unbearably
sexy, his cheekbones shadowed by the dim light of the room, his hair nearly
covering his eyes.
He cupped her face, drawing her toward him and he kissed
her, long and slow, his tongue stirring feelings deep within her.

Shari shifted, swinging her leg over him to straddle him as
they continued to kiss.
He grew hard beneath her, his cock rubbing back and
forth against her stomach.
Her hand reached over to the nightstand in search of
the final condom.
She sat up, kneeling above him, his towering erection tall
and proud right in front of her.
So warm.
So smooth.
Her fingers stroked
until he moaned, then she slipped the condom over him.

As she shifted into position above him, he stopped her,
hands resting on her hips.
“I thought you hated being on top.” His brow was
furrowed, his eyes questioning.

“When did I say that?”

“Every time you had sex with Danny Pfeffer.”

Shari’s mouth dropped open.
“I can’t believe you remember
that.
That was seven years ago.”

Jon shrugged.
“I remember everything.”

“Well, let’s just say I’ve decided to reconsider.” She
rubbed him against her opening, eliciting another moan.

“What was it you didn’t used to like?” His voice was
gravelly, breathless, as he strained to be let in.

She felt suddenly foolish.
“I don’t know.
I guess I always felt
like I was doing all the work.
Like maybe he didn’t even want to be there.”

“That’s not possible.” Jon’s voice was barely a whisper as
he twitched against her.
“And you are certainly not going to have to do all the
work.” He raised his hips, taking both of them up off the bed as he plunged
into her.

She sank down onto him, awed again by the sensation of him
filling her.
He rocked beneath her, sending shivers of pleasure through her.
He
closed his hands around her hips as he scooted them both toward the head of the
bed.
Her head tipped back and he kissed the base of her throat.
Her nipples
rasped against his chest, tingling with each pass.
He sucked one into his mouth
and she felt the shimmering flames shoot straight between her legs.

His strong arms held her, keeping her steady as she raised
and lowered herself, her insides fluttering against his hardness.
He licked his
way back up to her mouth, his tongue spiraling with hers as the tension built
again.
He slipped his hand between them, thrumming his thumb against her clit
with each beat of their movement.

His breath was so hot against her skin she felt as though
she were on fire.
There was no oxygen left in her lungs, only heat.
A
high-pitched moan escaped her lips as the shivering passion overtook her.
He
held her tight, thrusting upward until she stopped shaking.

She gazed down at Jon, marveling at the things he was making
her feel.
He rocked his hips, continuing the gentle rhythm, clearly not about
to give in to any imminent release.
She traced her fingertips through the
silken trail of hair that ran from his belly to his chest.
His firm abs rippled
beneath her touch.
She reached back with her other hand, lightly stroking his
balls.
His skin puckered in response and a low groan escaped him.
Her stomach fluttered
with pride at the reaction she was generating.

Shari dipped her head to his chest, flicking her tongue over
each of his nipples.
Jon arched his neck and she licked her way up its length
before settling in to work on his tempting mouth.
Her hair cascaded down around
him and he brushed it over her shoulder, teasing his fingers along the
sensitive skin of her throat.
She nipped at his lower lip, grinding harder
against his pelvic bone as she felt the tension building once again.

Jon pumped more forcefully, gripping her hips with renewed
fervor.
She could feel him swell inside her, becoming impossibly thick.
The
friction between them was too much to bear and her clit began to pulsate,
sending bursts of heat throughout her.
She bucked against him as the orgasm
tore through her, then kissed him with increased intensity, drawing his tongue
into her mouth and sucking hard.
He tensed, his fingers clutching her ass,
crushing her down against him as he throbbed his release inside her.

“I’ve reconsidered.” She ran her face along his sandpapery
cheek, kissing his ear.
“I like it on top, with you.”

Chapter Five

Jon couldn’t remember ever having slept so soundly.
He awoke
with Shari curled beside him.
He blinked trying to see the clock then nudged
her awake with his nose.
“If we can make ourselves presentable in the next ten
minutes we can still catch breakfast.”

She stretched alongside him, hooking her leg over his hip.
Breakfast no longer seemed like a priority as he swelled against her thigh.
She
kissed his chest.
“Hmmm, food or sex.
Tough call.”

“Actually, we’re out of condoms.”

“Good point.” She rubbed against him.
“Food and condoms
first, then maybe sex later.”

“Maybe?” Jon pulled her close and tickled her.

“Okay, definitely.”

“That’s better.” He kissed her, losing his resolve to get
breakfast with each passing second.

Jon pulled on a t-shirt and shorts and waited for Shari.
She
emerged from the bathroom in a blue sundress, her hair pulled into a ponytail,
looking impossibly fresh and beautiful.

“Ready?” she asked, grabbing her purse.

He shifted, trying to find a comfortable way to walk.
“Yeah,
lead the way.”

Jon didn’t realize how hungry he was until he took his first
bite of food, then he was ravenous.
He not only polished off his omelet, he
finished the second half of Shari’s along with a huge plate of home fries and
at least three muffins.

He left a tip on the table and slipped his arm around
Shari’s waist as they made their way toward the elevator.
He nuzzled her neck,
inhaling her sweet scent.

“Don’t forget we need to make a purchase at the shop,” she
said, smiling.

“I haven’t forgotten.” He kissed the side of her head.
“I’ll
do that now.”

“I’m going to head up and take a quick shower.”

The thought of her in the shower rushed through him in a
single pulse of heat.
“I’ll be right up.
As soon as I buy out the store.”

He opened the hotel room door, purchase in hand, and was
disappointed to find the bathroom door closed.
He’d hoped to get into the
shower with her.
Maybe she needs some time to herself.

He stowed the box of condoms on the bedside table then
grabbed his laptop and headed onto the deck.
It had been three days since he’d
checked his email and he needed to see what he was missing at work.

Shari wandered out onto the deck just as he finished sending
off his last reply.
She was wearing a deep purple tank top and a pair of fitted
black shorts, her damp hair loose around her shoulders.
He could have stared at
her all afternoon.

She took a seat on the chair next to his.
“You working?”

“Not really.
Just checking in with Derek to make sure
everything’s running smoothly.
It’s all good.”

“He must think you’re crazy, running off with me at a
moment’s notice like this.”

“Not really.
He knows I’m in love with you.” Jon felt as if
the breath had been knocked from his body as he realized what he’d just said.
He heard Shari inhale and looked up to find her staring at him, her eyes round.

“What?”

Jon’s heart pounded irregularly, his stomach falling as if
he’d just stepped into an elevator shaft.
You’ve already said it, say it
again.
“I’m in love with you.”

Shari’s mouth hung open.
Jon’s eyes flitted back and forth
between her gaze andthe ground.
He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly,
then looked up at her again.

She still couldn’t speak.
You’re in love with me?
The
words wouldn’t come out.

Jon rubbed his forehead then scratched the back of his neck.
“I can’t believe I said that out loud.” The color returned to his face in the
form of a red flush that crept from his cheeks down his neck.
He looked
irresistibly cute.

You’re in love with me?
“I….” Her breath rushed out
but nothing else.

“Don’t feel like you have to say anything.
I didn’t mean to
put you on the spot.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“How come you never said
anything before?”

He shrugged, his hair swinging low over his eyes.
He looked
vulnerable and more adorable than she’d ever seen him.
“I thought about it,
lots of times.
Every time you broke up with someone.
But you never stayed
single for very long.
I never wanted to be that guy.”

“What guy?”

“The rebound guy.
Or the jerk who swoops in while the
woman’s still confused from the last guy.” His eyes met hers.
“Look, this
doesn’t change anything.
You’re going through a lot right now and the last
thing you need is to feel pressured.”

Shari shifted from her lounge chair onto his and silenced
him with a kiss.
He seemed startled but quickly recovered, digging his fingers
into her hair.
She tried to tell him with her lips what she hadn’t been able to
say with her voice.
She rested her hand on his chest and felt his heart
pounding.
I think he really means it.
Her mind was swimming.
The
dizzying effect of his tongue wasn’t helping her to think any more clearly.
When her phone vibrated in her pocket she nearly fell off the chair.

She broke away and fumbled to open it.
“Hello?’ She felt as
though she might pass out.

It was Hank Reynolds, her lawyer.
She and Jon had known him
since college.
“I’m glad you picked up.
Where are you?”

“I’m in Aruba.
What’s going on?”

“I got an urgent message from Phil’s lawyer this morning.
He’s canceled the lease on the place you were due to move into and he’s trying
to have you held accountable for the fees for backing out on short notice.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, deep shit.
The leasing company ran your credit report
and you don’t earn enough to qualify for the lease by yourself.
You either pay
them $5k to settle or it goes to court.
Can you swing that?”

“Fuck.” She stood and walked to the edge of the balcony,
briefly considering jumping.
“No.
I don’t think so.
I won’t even get half that
when I get my security deposit back.” Her voice trailed off as it hit her.
Without the new place she had nowhere to stay.
The lease on her apartment was
up in two days.

“That’s the other thing.” Hank’s voice sounded serious.

“Phil moved his stuff out of your old place, but he told
them not to touch your stuff.
I checked with your landlord, the place is
already rented, so you still need to get out.”

Shari sank onto the end of the lounge chair, her head
anchored in her hand.
“Okay, I’ll figure something out.
I’ll call you later.”

She hung up and looked at Jon.
His eyes were crystal clear
and filled with concern.
“What’s going on?”

“I have to go home.”

* * * * *

Jon strode through the airport alongside Shari trying to
figure out how everything had managed to turn so upside down.
This morning he’d
woken up happier than he’d ever been in his life, with the woman of his dreams
curled beside him, warm from sleep and sex.
Now he was rushing to an airport
gate, five days ahead of schedule, so she could get home to pack up her
belongings and move.
But where?

Shari had assumed that Phil would have moved into the studio
he owned in the city and let her move into their new place at least
temporarily.
They’d already paid the first month’s rent.
Instead he’d pulled
out of the contract and told the movers not to touch her things in their
apartment.
Typical power play from the asshole.

Jon helped her stow her bag in the overhead compartment and
took his seat next to her.
She looked completely frazzled, her brow furrowed,
her eyes dark with anger and worry.

He picked up her hand, glad that she didn’t pull away.
“I’ll
help you pack.”

She nodded.
He wasn’t even sure she was listening.

“You can move in with me.” Jon’s stomach knotted while he
waited for her response.

“I can’t do that to you.
You’ve already done so much to help
me.”

He turned her face toward him.
“I don’t think you understand
what I’m saying.
I know it didn’t come out like I planned, but I meant what I
said at the hotel.
I love you.
I have for a really long time.
I want to be with
you.
Move in with me.”

It killed him to see how frightened and uncertain she
looked.
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.
I need time to think.
Everything’s
happening so fast.
I didn’t think this through.”

Tears started to roll down her cheeks and he swiped them
away with his thumbs.
He kissed her forehead, keeping his lips pressed against
her as he inhaled the scent of her hair.
“We’ll work it out.
It’s all going to
be fine.”

She squeezed his hand and rested her head against his
shoulder.
He wished he could believe his own words of reassurance.

Shari was unusually quiet for the entire flight, her silence
making Jon more nervous by the minute.
Is she thinking about Phil?
About
packing her shit?
Does she think this whole thing between us was a mistake?
Why
the fuck did I have to go and tell her I love her?
I wait all these years to
avoid being the rebound guy and then I do this?
Fucking idiot.
It’s too soon.

He fidgeted in his seat as he she stared out the window.
The
flight landed early and there was no wait at baggage claim.
He helped the cab
driver load their bags into the trunk.

“Can you make two stops?” she asked the driver.

Jon’s heart sank even further.
“Let me help you pack.”

Shari’s eyes met his.
“I have to go to Hank’s office and
sign papers.
I have a million phone calls to make.
And I know you have a ton of
stuff to do.
I did whisk you out of the country on a moment’s notice.
I’ll be
fine.”

“I know you’ll be fine.
I just want to help you.”

He could see her struggling in her mind.
He knew exactly
what she was doing.
Whenever she ran into any kind of problem she withdrew into
herself, insisting on taking care of everything on her own.
She’d been like
that since they’d first met.

Even when her mother had died she’d tried to manage all the
arrangements with no help from anyone.
He’d had to literally force his way into
the house and insist she let him help clean up and box her mother’s belongings.
Later she’d told him that she was glad he had.
That she’d been about to lose
it.

She was slipping into the same mode again.
Autopilot.
Stubborn.
Closed off.
Only this time he’d added the complication of his
feelings.
He was no longer “just Jon” her trusty friend, now he was the guy who
loved her.
An additional wrinkle to her already complex situation.
Fuck.

* * * * *

The cab pulled up in front of Shari’s apartment and she got
out, fumbling in her purse for her keys while the driver got her bag.
Jon got
out with her.
She could see the worried look on his face and she felt terrible
for putting it there, but she couldn’t say anything that would make it go away.

“How about if I swing by tonight with a pizza and some
boxes?” He rested his hand on her hip.

She was tempted to fling her arms around him and beg him not
to leave her side, but she couldn’t let herself do it.
“No, I’ll grab boxes on
the way back from Hank’s.
Don’t worry.
I’ll be fine.
I’ll call you.”

His gaze searched hers.
“Okay.”

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss then turned and
headed into the building.
She knew if she glanced back she’d drop her bags and
run into his arms so she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other
and keep moving forward.