Saltwater Kisses (The Kisses 1)

Hey,

Your boss is curious if you are ever coming back to work. They miss you. Dr. Georges says you’re his favorite vet tech. His practice has been going through the roof with all your stardom. By the way, there are at least four reporters parked outside your apartment building right now. Mrs. Jenkins calls the cops on them at least twice a day, but they keep coming back. I think she might actually get tired of calling the cops... nah, not her. They actually had to up security at my hospital because photographers kept trying to sneak in and take pictures of me. My boss was pissed.

Mom and Dad are thrilled hat you are seeing someone. They were kind of worried for a while there that they were never going to get any grand kids out of either of us. What is going to happen next? Are you ever going to come home?

-Kaylee

I stared at the screen asking myself the same question. Was I going to go home? Right now I was in limbo, not really belonging in Iowa or New York. I couldn’t go back to Iowa with paparazzi staking out my home; though the idea of Mrs. Jenkins calling the cops on them made me smile. At least someone was having a good time because of photographers. I didn’t belong here in New York though either. There was nothing for me to do here, nothing productive at least. Rachel made sure I had a daily allowance and access to the company car, but there was no way I was driving in New York City and it didn’t feel right taking the money. I hadn’t earned it, and I had no real right to any of it.

I hit reply.

Hey yourself,

I’m not sure when I’ll be coming back. If there are reporters staking out my house, there is no way I can go home for a while. You know how I forget to close the drapes. That does not need to be on a magazine. I actually have a decision to make soon though.

I got accepted to vet school. My top choice and everything, but going would mean leaving Jack. His parents made it pretty clear that I can’t be a vet and stay with him. (Yeah, met his parents. Imagine rich people. That's them to the letter.) I want to stay, but at the same time, this isn’t my world. I feel so out of place here. You know me—I’d be happy up to my elbows in a cow and the only thing here is pampered froufrou dogs.

I really have feelings for Jack though. He makes everything better. I am falling for him hard and it feels so good. I think I was waiting to fall in love until I met him.

I have no idea what to do. If you have any ideas, I am all ears, but for right now I am going with the flow. I don’t know what is going to happen next, but I’ll let you know.

-Emma

I hit Send and switched to another page. A recipe on double double chocolate fudge brownies. I would have to ask Rachel to take me to the grocery store later. Maybe I could even find the makings of a dinner and treat Jack to a homemade Iowa dinner.

My inbox beeped and I flipped back. Kaylee had written me back almost immediately.

Heya,

Congrats on the vet school! I know that you have always wanted that.

I don’t know what to tell you about the other stuff. I’ll write down some ideas and mail them to you in the morning. It’s a sticky situation for sure.

Remember your trophy wife ambitions? Who could have seen that coming? Congratulations on following all of your childhood dreams!

-K

I snorted and giggled as I read her message. When I was five I told my dad I wanted to be a trophy wife when I grew up. I thought it meant someone who the trophies were modeled after. I wanted to be the figure kicking the soccer ball on all the soccer trophies. I thought that would be the coolest job ever. My dad laughed so hard he was in tears, but I didn’t care. I wanted to be a trophy, and I wanted to be married someday, so that would make me a trophy wife.

I flipped back to my brownie screen. I wondered if Jack liked brownies, and I resisted the urge to look it up. Just because it was probably on a fan site somewhere didn’t mean that I couldn’t ask him myself.

A soft knock on the door drew my attention. “It’s open,” I called out. I felt my heart speed up. Security wouldn’t let anyone but Jack in here, and the thought of him always made my pulse race.

Jack’s sandy head peeked in the door. “I saw the light under the door. Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I have nothing I have to do tomorrow. Why aren’t you sleeping?” I grinned at him.

“I came here to watch you sleep. You look so peaceful when you sleep—calm and sure in your world.” He closed the door softly behind him as if we would wake the invisible people in the house.

“You watch me sleep? I’m not sure if I should be flattered or creeped-out.”

“I prefer flattered,” he said softly as he came around to the desk chair. He sat down behind me and put his big hands on my shoulders. The heat in his hands melted away tension I didn’t even know was there as he began massaging gently. I closed my laptop and leaned back into him, closing my eyes and losing myself to his touch.

I could practically hear the ocean again. Jack had an amazing ability to be able to find every tense or sore spot on my body and make it melt away. I remembered when we had spent a wonderful afternoon on the beach, his hands finding every ache, and then making new ones. His touch ignited a fire, a heat starting to grow between my legs. I had missed him in more ways than one.

Jack leaned forward and kissed my hair. I could hear him breathe in the smell of my hair. A tingle ran through my body, a shiver that wasn’t from the cold. I wanted him... badly.

I turned and leaned up to kiss him. It was as if we were instantly transported back in time, back to our little house on the beach. Our time apart melted away as though it had never been. His hands went to the sides of my face, embracing me as he kissed me. It was the tender kiss of two people in love. Soon, however, the kiss turned from tender to passionate, as our tongues began to move against each other. I stood and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, and his hands went to my sides.