you.”
“How could you possibly know that?” he replies, jaw pulsing.
“Please,” I smile softly, “I’ve known the two of you my
whole life. I could see how much you loved each other, even if you couldn’t
find enough common ground to show it much.”
“You were always better at finding that with each of us,”
Jay observes, glancing down at my hand on his arm, “Common ground, I mean.”
“Maybe so,” I allow, edging closer to Jamison.
His presence is as intoxicating as the drink in my hand.
This is the closest we’ve been since the night of our high school graduation.
For a minute, I forget why I even sought him out in the first place. That is,
until my purse swings heavily against my hip.
“Oh,” I murmur, getting a hold of myself, “I wanted to give
you something.”
“That so?” Jay smiles, turning to face me head on. I can
feel his eyes trailing down my body as I reach into my purse. But his arrogant,
joking expression falls away as I lift the book out of my bag.
“Remember this?” I ask him softly, holding out the worn old
copy of The Hobbit for him to see.
“I…” he mutters, taking this book in his hands, “Yeah. Of
course I do.”
“I don’t think I ever said thank you,” I go on, touched by
the reverent way he holds the volume, “I must have read it half a dozen times
the year after my mom died. It brought me a lot of comfort. Maybe it’ll bring
you some comfort, too.”
Jamison lifts his eyes from the novel, bringing his gaze to
mine. My words fall away as I stand there, spellbound. In this one shared look,
I feel a dozen years melt away. Of course, our love of faraway stories and
heroic adventures is what always brought us together. Why should it be any
different now, just because we’re grown up?
“Leah,” Jay says, his low voice and rich as he gently sets
the book down on his father’s desk. I can feel a hot blush rising in my face as
he takes a step forward, holding his hands out to me. “Come here.”
Scarcely knowing whether I’m awake or dreaming, I place my
hands in his. My inhibitions are miles away as he draws me to him, wrapping me
up in his powerful arms. I give in to his embrace, resting my cheek on his
broad shoulder. My body lights up like a flare at his touch, glowing where his
form touches mine. His hands rest at the small of my back, lingering just above
the firm swell of my ass.
“I’m here for you, you know…” I whisper, daring to press my
lips lightly to his cheek.
“I know,” he murmurs, turning his face to mine, “But maybe
this time I won’t let you go so easily…”
I feel my face tilt up to his as he holds me flush against
his body. My stomach flips excitedly as brings his mouth toward mine. This is
not what I expected when I set off to find him just now… but I’d be lying if I
said I was sorry it was happening. My breath catches in my throat as our lips
meet—softly and simply at first, but certainly not for long. The taste of him
goes straight to my head, and I let my mouth fall open to his as he kisses me
hard and deep. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, his lips catching mine over and
over again.
I bring my trembling hands to his face, as he grabs hold of
my hips. All at once, he’s spinning my body around, backing me up against the
stately desk behind us. Jay brings his lips to the smooth skin of my neck,
kissing every inch of me he can reach. I gasp as his tongue flicks against my
collarbone, run my fingers through his sandy hair as he brings his hands to my
thighs. Our eyes meet in the soft light of the study, our locked gaze brimming
with electric want. Shit—if I thought we had chemistry when we were teenagers,
I don’t even have a word for what crackles between us now. It’s something far
more intense, and mature, and—I have to say—fucking sexy. For a second, it
seems impossible that we’ll be able to leave this room until we’ve had each
other.
That is, until we hear the click of high heels
“How could you possibly know that?” he replies, jaw pulsing.
“Please,” I smile softly, “I’ve known the two of you my
whole life. I could see how much you loved each other, even if you couldn’t
find enough common ground to show it much.”
“You were always better at finding that with each of us,”
Jay observes, glancing down at my hand on his arm, “Common ground, I mean.”
“Maybe so,” I allow, edging closer to Jamison.
His presence is as intoxicating as the drink in my hand.
This is the closest we’ve been since the night of our high school graduation.
For a minute, I forget why I even sought him out in the first place. That is,
until my purse swings heavily against my hip.
“Oh,” I murmur, getting a hold of myself, “I wanted to give
you something.”
“That so?” Jay smiles, turning to face me head on. I can
feel his eyes trailing down my body as I reach into my purse. But his arrogant,
joking expression falls away as I lift the book out of my bag.
“Remember this?” I ask him softly, holding out the worn old
copy of The Hobbit for him to see.
“I…” he mutters, taking this book in his hands, “Yeah. Of
course I do.”
“I don’t think I ever said thank you,” I go on, touched by
the reverent way he holds the volume, “I must have read it half a dozen times
the year after my mom died. It brought me a lot of comfort. Maybe it’ll bring
you some comfort, too.”
Jamison lifts his eyes from the novel, bringing his gaze to
mine. My words fall away as I stand there, spellbound. In this one shared look,
I feel a dozen years melt away. Of course, our love of faraway stories and
heroic adventures is what always brought us together. Why should it be any
different now, just because we’re grown up?
“Leah,” Jay says, his low voice and rich as he gently sets
the book down on his father’s desk. I can feel a hot blush rising in my face as
he takes a step forward, holding his hands out to me. “Come here.”
Scarcely knowing whether I’m awake or dreaming, I place my
hands in his. My inhibitions are miles away as he draws me to him, wrapping me
up in his powerful arms. I give in to his embrace, resting my cheek on his
broad shoulder. My body lights up like a flare at his touch, glowing where his
form touches mine. His hands rest at the small of my back, lingering just above
the firm swell of my ass.
“I’m here for you, you know…” I whisper, daring to press my
lips lightly to his cheek.
“I know,” he murmurs, turning his face to mine, “But maybe
this time I won’t let you go so easily…”
I feel my face tilt up to his as he holds me flush against
his body. My stomach flips excitedly as brings his mouth toward mine. This is
not what I expected when I set off to find him just now… but I’d be lying if I
said I was sorry it was happening. My breath catches in my throat as our lips
meet—softly and simply at first, but certainly not for long. The taste of him
goes straight to my head, and I let my mouth fall open to his as he kisses me
hard and deep. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, his lips catching mine over and
over again.
I bring my trembling hands to his face, as he grabs hold of
my hips. All at once, he’s spinning my body around, backing me up against the
stately desk behind us. Jay brings his lips to the smooth skin of my neck,
kissing every inch of me he can reach. I gasp as his tongue flicks against my
collarbone, run my fingers through his sandy hair as he brings his hands to my
thighs. Our eyes meet in the soft light of the study, our locked gaze brimming
with electric want. Shit—if I thought we had chemistry when we were teenagers,
I don’t even have a word for what crackles between us now. It’s something far
more intense, and mature, and—I have to say—fucking sexy. For a second, it
seems impossible that we’ll be able to leave this room until we’ve had each
other.
That is, until we hear the click of high heels
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