Nothing Feels Better (Better Love 3)

I wakeup sandwiched between Jude and June. Jude’s foot is dangerously close to my face, and June’s breathing is still deep and even. I cleaned myself up and crept back into the kids’ bedroom sometime before dawn, and they haven’t stirred. Not once.

I wriggle myself out of the tangle of limbs and check the time on my phone. It’s still early, but it’s later than either of these kids usually sleep. The lake really kicked their butts yesterday. I glance at their sleeping faces and smile.

When I stand from the bed, my thighs ache in protest, reminding me of the work they did last night, and I smile for an entirely different reason. Jesse. I tiptoe to the door and slip into the hallway. I glance toward Jesse’s open door, but the room is empty, so I make my way quietly down the stairs.

The smell of coffee wafts over to me as soon as my feet hit the landing, and the sounds of soft music and easy movement come from the kitchen. I head that direction, noticing Ivy and Kelley standing together on the deck outside. She’s holding a mug and he’s holding her. Riggs and Bailey must still be sleeping, because when I step into the kitchen, Jesse is alone and singing softly to himself as he pours pancake batter into a pan.

He glances at me from his place in front of the stove and a smile takes over his entire face. He looks behind me quickly, then places the spatula he was holding on the counter and pounces on me.

“They still sleepin?” he asks between kisses, and I nod a yes. “Fuck, it took everything in me not to drag you back into my room last night.” He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly against his body. “If I don’t have you again soon, I will die.”

I snort a laugh and press another kiss to his lips. “You won’t die.”

“I will. I will die,” he jokes.

“Well, we might all die if you burn the house down,” I say, and gesture to the stove where the pan has started smoking.

“Shit.” He darts back to the stove and flips the pancake onto the counter, then flashes me a sheepish grin. “First pancakes are supposed to be terrible anyway.”

I shake my head to tease him, but his eyes widen with mischief. He reaches toward a Bluetooth speaker on the counter and turns the volume up. I recognize the song from the playlist he made for me. “Magic in the Hamptons” by Social House.

As the music plays, he starts to sing along, slowly dancing his way toward me.

“You look so classic,” he sings, intentionally changing the lyrics, “come through with that magic.” I can’t take my eyes off him. His deep voice and the playful way he moves have me both turned on and amused. When he’s in front of me, he grabs my waist, coaxing me to sway with him, and sings into the crook of my neck. “And know that I’m ‘bout to smash it, it’s true.”

I laugh out loud, and he turns us in a circle, singing every word. He takes my hand, spinning me out, and I’m mid-twirl when Jude bounces into the kitchen with June trailing behind him. Jesse doesn’t miss a beat. He scoops Jude into his arms, grabs June by the hand, and shuffles back toward me, so we’re all dancing in a circle in the kitchen.

Jesse makes a show of singing and swinging his hips with Jude in his arms, and June’s laughter brings tears of happiness to my eyes. When the song ends, Jesse already has another cued.

“This one is for you, Juniper Mae.” He waggles his brows at June just as “Butter” by BTS comes on, and she squeals with excitement. Our dance party grows when Ivy and Bailey join in, and Jesse hands Jude off to Kelley, so he can finish making the pancakes.

By the time breakfast is ready, my cheeks hurt from smiling so big. Add that to the ache in my lower body, and this has been one of the best weekends of my life.

I choose to ignore the fluttering in my chest.

It’slate afternoon when we get back to the townhouse. Jesse takes Jude’s car seat from his Kia and hooks it back into my Camry as I bring the kids’ bags into the house. June and Jude head upstairs to their rooms, and I sneak back into the garage, just as Jesse is shutting my car door.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and kiss him. It starts light, but deepens quickly, until I have to physically drag myself away from him. I shake my head slowly.

“We can’t do that here,” I say, and he shrugs.

“Can’t blame me for trying.” He steps forward and kisses me again. “When can I see you?”

“I work all week and have to prep for my final exams,” I tell him honestly. “You graduate next week, right?”

“Getting that degree,” he says with a grin.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I say, giving his chest a shove. “Go back and enjoy the lake with your friends.”

“Wait. Gimme that book back.” His smirk is suggestive and heats my blood. “I need to do some studying of my own.”

I don’t say anything. I just turn and hustle into the house. I grab the book from my bedroom, then bring it back to Jesse in the garage. I hand it to him, he thumbs through it briefly, then winks. He takes a few steps toward the open garage door.

“You’re my hardest goodbye, Classic,” he says dramatically, and I roll my eyes.

“Go.” I shoo him with my hands, but when he’s almost to his car, I call out to him. “Jesse.” He stops in his tracks and turns to face me. “Why ‘classic’?”

Even from the distance, I can see his smirk. When I asked this question last time, all he said was it fits. I hold my breath, half expecting the same answer. He leans back on his car. Cool and confident. Unbothered.

“Classic,” he says clearly. “Noun. A work of enduring excellence. A perfect example.”

My smile stretches slowly as he continues, and I feel my face flush.

“Adjective. Serving as a standard of recognized value. Exemplary. Timeless.” He runs his hand through his curls, his eyes never leaving mine. “It was your looks, first. Your body. Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor. You’re an Old Hollywood, classic beauty, Joss. And so fucking sexy.”

He pauses, and I watch him bite his lower lip. It’s too dark to tell for sure, but I swear I can feel his eyes on me, dragging from my face to my toes and back. When he speaks again, his voice is deep and raspy.

“After I got to know you...now...” My heart races faster in the quiet, wanting more yet dreading it. Needing it. Needing him. “Now, Classic, everything about you. It just fits.”

I’m speechless for a moment. No one has ever seen me before, let alone seen me like that. Like the way he sees me. My eyes sting and I fist my hands to calm the tremble.

“Thank you,” I push out, unable to hide the cracks in my voice.

He nods, then blows me a kiss. “We’ll do this again soon,” he says, then climbs in his car and drives away.

I close the garage door and head back into the house, taking a moment to catch my breath and clear my head. The way Jesse makes me sway on my feet, the way he makes my heart pound and my breaths quicken. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.