Though the last few weeks had been confusing for me as far as finding my footing in my personal life, I realized the reason for that uncertainty.
I’d just woken up.
After assisting on another successful surgery, I pulled up to the center around eleven thirty and grinned at the sight of Jack’s bike. I parked next to it and grabbed the bottle of Maker’s Mark Jules had surprised me with on my last birthday and the bag of goodies I’d gotten from the store. I’d never really had a reason to open the bottle until today, but I was in the mood to celebrate. And though my feet were aching and I was sure I needed a thorough shower, I looked at the center with fresh eyes.
Excitement coursed through me as I entered the double doors and shouted out to Jack.
“In here,” he called out. I saw the light on in my unfinished office, walked in, and nearly dropped what was in my arms.
“Oh, Jack!” I said, taking it all in.
I saw his pride-filled smile as he bent over a saw table with a measuring tape. He let it retract back into its case and gave my reaction his full attention. “You like it?”
I stood there in disbelief for a solid minute as I took in my office. Only it wasn’t the simple room I’d originally designed with my father at my insistence. It was far more beautiful. This one was filled wall to wall with custom-made shelving derived from a beautiful dark oak. If I’d had the time to dream it up, it would be exactly what I would have chosen. The desk looked to be newly finished and polished, and I had to do all I could to keep from tearing up.
“You did all of this today?”
“I’m good, but I’m not that good. I’ve been working on it for a few days now.”
“I had no idea,” I said, setting down my bags and walking toward the desk, rubbing my hands along the dark wood. It was flawless.
“You weren’t supposed to,” he murmured as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I reveled in the feel of them. It was such an intimate gesture since we’d only shared our first kiss the previous night, but I welcomed it.
“I’m glad you like it. The shelving is permanent. We’d have to rip the room apart to get it out. This could have really backfired.”
His breath on my skin had my eyes closing briefly before I turned in his arms and kissed him soundly on the mouth. “It’s absolutely beautiful. But I thought, with our budget stretched so thin… this is too much.”
“This is on me.”
“I can’t ask that of you,” I scorned.
“You didn’t, but no good deed goes unpunished. Your sister had a damned fit when she saw this so I’ve been commissioned to do the same for her.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing I would have felt the same jealousy had Dallas’s office been done this way.
“It’s so beautiful,” I whispered as we wrapped up a little tighter in our embrace. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he whispered back. He was covered in sawdust, and I could feel the dampness of his shirt.
“You’re filthy,” I said, taking in his scent mixed with dry sweat and loving the feel of his hard body against mine.
“You have no idea,” he said as he fisted a handful of my hair and licked my bottom lip smoothly.
“No, Jack, I mean you are dirty,” I said, running my short nails over his t-shirt clad back, urging him on.
“I’m not arguing,” he teased just before his lips brushed mine. I pulled him in closer and our mouths collided in a hungry kiss. His tongue moved with mine, and I sank into him. Minutes later, we pulled apart, foreheads touching as we shared a breath of recovery.
“Jack…” I said as I pulled him tighter to me, resolute to keep him there as long as he would let me.
“Feels so good,” he murmured as he trailed soft kisses along my jaw. I tilted my head back as his lips traced the skin of my neck and collarbone. On fire, I gripped him tight, wanting him closer. He lifted me off my feet, wrapping my legs around his waist, then sat on my new desk with me latched to him, his hands cupping my ass as he pulled me closer, his lips moving all over as he licked and sucked. It was better than I imagined it would be and without thinking, I began to grind against him, wet and ready.
“Fuck,” Jack cursed as he gripped my hips, stilled them, and brought his mouth back to mine. I was as good as gone as I began to ride the hard bul
ge in his pants. My center ached, pulsed, and begged for relief.
“I need you to stop that,” Jack said as I clung to him for dear life, hunger out of control as need drove me to the brink.
Jack was everything I’d been missing: temptation, lust, hunger, and comfort all wrapped up in the perfect package. I felt strangely safe with him.