Jett

 

I don’t realize how much I miss Keanna until she’s right here with me, her breath hitching against my ear, my hands holding her and caressing all the places that make her squirm. I only think I miss her when I’m lying in some hotel bed far away. The nights seem long and cold and desolate. The stress of the next morning’s race weighs heavy on me and I miss her so bad it hurts.

But none of that compares to the feeling I get when I’m right here with her, knowing I’ll be leaving tomorrow. It’s almost too much to handle.

She wraps the absurdly pink towel around her as she steps out of the shower. I grab my own towel and step into my room before I dry off. I need the blast of cold air to pull me from my Keanna-induced lovesickness. And damn does it work. I start shivering from the chill of my bedroom, which is always cold since I like it that way.

I rush to towel off and then grab some boxers from my dresser because that’s all I prefer to sleep in, and after the hour of riding my bike hard and fast and then my love session with Keanna in the shower just now, I could use the rest.

“Aww, you’re covered in goosebumps,” Keanna says, running her hand across my bare back as she walks past me.

“It’s freezing in here,” I say as I tug on my boxers.

She laughs. “Um, yeah. That’s why I dried off inside the bathroom. Like a normal person.”

She sticks her tongue out at me and all I can do is just roll my eyes while I watch her mosey across my room wearing nothing but a towel. She opens my closet door and slips inside, flipping through my shirts until she finds one she likes.

It warms me inside to see her make herself at home in my room, with my stuff. When we first started dating she was so insecure about everything. She made herself small and unassuming. It’s taken me over a year to break her out of her shell.

I like this new Keanna. Beautiful, confident, and unflinchingly mine.

She takes a gray shirt from my closet and then steals a pair of my boxers. I don’t know why, but they look sexy as hell on her. She rolls up the waistband a few times to make them short and then she crawls into bed with me.

I slip under the covers and move over until I’m lying on her pillow. “You’re the hottest woman alive,” I say, cupping her cheek in my hand.

“I should go home.” She bites nervously on her bottom lip, then looks over my shoulder to check the time on my nightstand. “It’s late and—”

“Stay,” I say, sliding over until we’re both on her side of the bed. I grab her butt and tug her closer to me. “I don’t want you to go.”

Even as I say the words, I feel guilty. I shouldn’t talk her into staying when she wants to go. It just makes me physically sick to think about leaving her. I don’t want to sleep here tonight knowing she’s just a few minutes away, sleeping in her own bed next door. Tomorrow I’ll be in Washington, a couple thousand miles away. There’s no walking outside and going to her house when I’m in Washington.

“I’ll stay for a little bit,” she says, scooting over and cuddling up to me. I kiss her forehead and run my fingers through her hair because I know she loves that. “I’m sorry, babe. I know you need to go home, I just don’t want you to leave.”

She sighs. “I don’t want to leave either. I wish you weren’t racing this summer.” She stiffens. “I mean—not like that. I’m so happy for you and I’m proud that you’re on a professional team now. I just miss you.”

I chuckle. “Babe, I’ll quit it all in a heartbeat. Just say the word.”

She pulls away and leans up on her elbow, looking me in the eyes. “Absolutely not. Racing is your life. You have to keep doing it.”

I shrug. “It doesn’t have to be my life.”

She glares at me. “I won’t be the girl responsible for doing that to you. It’s just a few weekends. We’ll be fine.” Then she shoves me in the chest, all while giving me that serious look of hers. “Don’t even joke about quitting!”

I take her hand off my chest and bring it up to my lips, kissing her palm. “I need you to know you’re the most important thing in the world to me, Keanna. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

“It’ll make me happy if you keep following your dreams,” she says, laying back down on my shoulder, her eyes facing the ceiling.

“Then I’ll keep doing that.” I kiss the top of her head. I could really go for another round of love making…get all hot and sweaty underneath my sheets…

But I hold back and try to be a gentleman. This is a sweet moment with my girl, and I don’t want her thinking I’m just some pathetic horndog every time I see her.

“My mom was talking about you earlier today,” I say, changing the subject to get my mind off sex.

“Oh yeah? What about?”

“She was on the phone with some friend, I’m not sure who it was, but she was all bragging about you getting straight A’s in college.”

“Aww,” Keanna says. She traces the outline of my abs with her finger. “Your mom is the best.”

“She’s alright,” I say sarcastically, which earns me a slap from my girlfriend.

“Your mom is awesome and you know it,” she says.

“Yeah, yeah.” I’m already regretting changing the subject. “She loves you.”

“And I love her,” she says. Her breath is warm on my chest as she cuddles closer to me. I wrap my arm around her back and slide my fingers up and down her side, just enjoying the moment before time will surely slip in and take me away from her for another weekend.

My eyes start to flutter closed as my breathing slows and our combined warmth makes me sleepy. Keanna’s breath slows too, and she’s cuddled so close to me I don’t ever want to let her go. I struggle to stay awake because I know she needs to go back home so she’ll wake up early for her family. But it’s hard. I just want her to stay.

“Jett?” she says, her voice soft. I don’t know how much time has passed or if I accidently fell asleep.

“Hmm?” I manage to say.

She snakes her arm around my stomach and cuddles tighter. “I love you.”

I chuckle. “I love you, baby girl.”