KYLIE Breckenridge stared at her cell phone, her brow creased with indecision as she fixated on Chessy’s contact number. She vacillated between calling Chessy directly or calling Joss to see if Chessy had been in touch. But she knew if Joss had heard anything at all, she would have called Kylie by now. And, well, Kylie didn’t want to risk interrupting Chessy if things had gone really, really well and the two were even now in anniversary bliss. Even though her gut told her that months of accumulated unhappiness wouldn’t be fixed in a single night’s time.
She sighed and resisted the urge to hit Send to call Chessy.
Warm hands slid over her shoulders and an instant shiver that never failed to comfort her skated over her skin. Heated lips followed the hands, sliding deliciously down her neck until she moaned softly, arching into Jensen’s mouth.
“What has you worried, baby?”
She turned her head to look back at Jensen as he sat up in bed next to her. She was angled toward her nightstand where the phone had rested until a few moments ago, one leg pulled up on the edge of the bed while the other dangled to the floor.
Biting her lip in consternation, she lowered her gaze back to the phone before allowing it to slide from her hands onto the mattress.
“I’m worried about Chessy,” she admitted. “She was so excited about her anniversary last night and I really expected to hear from her this morning but … nothing. Not a word. I thought about calling Joss, but surely if Joss had heard something she would have let me know. We’re both worried about her and not hearing from her … well, it concerns me.”
Jensen’s smile was sweet and full of understanding. He leaned in and rested his forehead to hers, the corners of his mouth tilted upward in amusement.
“If it were my anniversary, I’d still be in bed with my wife, either making love to her or just having finished. You worry too much, baby. If I had to guess, they’re making up for a lot of lost time and if Chessy laid out her concerns like you told me she planned to, I can’t imagine Tate not having a serious come-to-Jesus meeting with himself and reprioritizing his life to make Chessy front and center. You not hearing from her is a good thing. Think about it. If things had gone bad, you’d have heard from her by now. Her silence likely means that they’re focusing on each other as they should. As Tate should.”
Kylie sighed again but relaxed, some of her tension and worry easing under the matter-of-factness of Jensen’s reasoning.
“You’re right. I know you’re right. I just can’t help but worry. Chessy has been so miserable lately,” she said quietly. “And I hate that. Chessy just … shines. Except when she’s not happy. Joss and I have worried ourselves sick because we can see how unhappy she is. And it has to be hard for her. I mean look at Joss. So gloriously happy. Pregnant with her first child. The love of Dash’s life. And then there’s … us.”
Jensen’s eyes flickered, his expression growing intently serious. “Us? Now this I want to hear.”
Kylie flushed but smiled at the gentle teasing in his tone. “It’s just that we’re all so … happy. And then there’s Chessy. It has to be so hard for her, seeing all of us, and being so unhappy herself.”
His gaze grew even more gentle. He tipped up her chin and brushed a kiss across her mouth and then followed it with his tongue, lapping gently at her lips. When he drew back, his gaze was hooded, eyes dark with desire that elicited a prickle of chill bumps over her skin.
“And are you happy with us?” he asked, his tone serious.
She melted at the slight insecurity she heard in his tone, which he tried to hide, but she knew every aspect of this man. Was still learning to a degree, their relationship still young and on the fringes of something new and exciting.
“I’m very happy,” she whispered. “I never thought I was unhappy before. Resigned, yes. But unhappy, no. I thought I’d accepted my place in life. Just a few best friends. My head in the sand, never moving forward, always stuck in the past. But you taught me to look ahead. To feel optimism for the future. I’ll always love you for that.”
Fierce satisfaction lit his features and he curled his hand behind her neck, pulling her down to him as their lips met in a heated rush. She went down on top of him, her hands splayed over his muscled chest, fingertips pressing deep into his flesh.
He kissed her hungrily, his mouth feeding ravenously from hers. His free hand slid up her side and around to cup her breast until her nipples were taught and rigid, tingling, wanting his touch, his mouth.
“You have no idea what your happiness means to me,” he said as he pulled his mouth from hers. “That I make you happy … Kylie, you can’t possibly know how much that humbles me. That you trust me. After what I did …”
Pain and regret immediately swamped his features and Kylie fiercely put her fingers to his mouth.
“Jensen, no. That’s behind us. You’d never hurt me. I know that. You have to know it too. You have to believe it like I believe it. Trust yourself as much as I trust you. I love you,” she added softly. “No one believes in you more than I do. I just wish you’d have that same faith in yourself. I don’t want to tie you to the bed at night because you’re afraid you’ll have a nightmare and hurt me. Having to do that hurts me. Seeing the look on your face when I tie your hand to my headboard. It guts me. Because I know it’s unnecessary. But until you believe that, until you can have the same faith as I do, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you with me. In my bed, my life, my heart.”
Her impassioned words rendered him speechless, his lips parting, the unfurling of hope—real hope—in his eyes. Had she finally been able to reach him? To cut through his blinding fear of ever lashing out at her in an unguarded moment and causing her physical hurt?
“I’ll work on it,” he said hoarsely. “We have that appointment with the counselor. I know how hard that was for you. What a monumental step it was for you to be willing to bare your soul to someone other than me or your best friends. I can only be willing to do the same, Kylie. If you can do so much, if you can work up the courage to seek help, then I’m going to be right there beside you every step of the way. I swear it.”
She curled into his side and threw one arm over his body as he gathered her closely against him with his arm. She turned her lips into his chest and pressed a kiss right above his heart.
“I’m still worried about Chessy, but I’ll give it another day before I call her. If I know Joss, she’s every bit as worried about Chessy as I am, but maybe you’re right. Maybe they’re working it out and having a glorious anniversary weekend. I’ll get all the juicy details later,” she added with a smile.
Jensen groaned. “Just don’t venture into the TMI stage. There’s only so much I want to hear about another woman and her husband. I’d much rather focus on what I have in my arms.”
“Good,” Kylie said smugly, with confidence she’d never possessed until recently. Not until this man. “Because I’ll kick your ass if you ever start visualizing another woman.”
Laughter rumbled through his chest.
“You’re more than enough woman for me, baby. You keep me on my toes, and swear to God, you were made for me. There was never a more perfect match than us.”
Contentment spread through Kylie’s heart as she snuggled further into Jensen’s embrace. Yes, the future looked bright indeed, despite her concern for her best friend and her marriage.
But Jensen was probably right. Chessy and Tate were likely even now enjoying their weekend and reconnecting as Chessy had hoped they would.
JOSS Corbin dug her toes deeper into the bottom of the sheets and lay as still as possible so her already churning stomach would hopefully quiet.
She glanced at her phone, which was lying to the side of her just underneath the pillow, and frowned. It was late afternoon and she’d expected to hear from Chessy by now with a full report on her anniversary evening out with Dash.
She and Kylie had both exchanged a flurry of texts the evening before, worrying that Chessy’s night would not go as well as she planned. The silence was killing her. Silence could be good. Or it could be bad. And she hated to think of the worst-case scenario, which was Chessy at home, miserable, and unwilling to seek support from her two best friends because of embarrassment or shame.
God only knew Chessy had suffered enough of both lately.
Dash entered the bedroom carrying a tray of dry toast and a glass of apple juice, though the thought of the sweet juice turned her stomach even more. Even now, watching as he closed the distance between the doorway and the bed, her stomach twisted into knots and she had to breathe through her nose to stifle the urge to make a run for the toilet.
Dash sat down on the edge of the bed and positioned the tray over her lap as she scooted up on the fluffy pillows arranged against the headboard. His eyes were shadowed with worry and concern as he took one of her hands and pressed a kiss to her open palm.
“Are you feeling any better yet, honey? Has your stomach settled at all?”
Even as he spoke, he slid his free hand underneath the tray and rested his palm over her still-flat abdomen. Warmth from his touch seeped into her skin, doing wonders for the turmoil caused by morning sickness—an ailment she hadn’t suffered until her pregnancy had been confirmed.
After a call to one of the nurses at her obstetrician’s office, the nurse had laughingly told her that it wasn’t uncommon not to suffer the symptoms of pregnancy until the pregnancy was confirmed. Apparently it was 95 percent psychological in Joss’s case. Or perhaps it had just been too early in her pregnancy for morning sickness to rear its ugly head.
Other symptoms had presented themselves from the very start. Fatigue, and her breasts were so tender that at times it was unbearable to touch them. Something Dash had been extremely careful about when they made love.
She gave him the warmest smile possible, considering how sick she felt, and cupped his jaw after he’d kissed her palm.
“I’m feeling better,” she said truthfully. “Usually within an hour of me waking up the nausea mostly goes away and I’m fine the rest of the day. You taking such good care of me and ensuring I eat has gone a long way in helping me cope with this.”
“You never have to worry that I’m not going to be here every step of the way or that I won’t give you my utmost care,” he said in a low growl.
Her smile broadened. “I love you. And I’m so excited, Dash. You can’t imagine how happy I am about our baby. It’s such a dream come true. You. Us. Our son or daughter. I never imagined being so happy again and you’ve given me so much.”
His eyes glowed with warmth—and love—as he stared tenderly back at her. “I’m so happy that I have to stop and remind myself to be grateful for the precious gift of you and our child,” he said gruffly. “I love you too, Joss. Always have, always will. As much as I want our baby to be born and as much as I can’t wait to grow our family and watch as our children grow up in front of our eyes, I plan to savor every moment of your pregnancy. Watch you swell with our baby. I’ll never forget these moments. Other than the day you told me you loved me, the day our child is born will be the most precious moment of my life. I hope you never doubt that.”
“Never,” she said with fervor. “I’ll never forget, Dash. Just as I hope you’ll never forget how much I love you.”
He stroked her cheek and then motioned toward her phone.
“No word from Chessy yet? I know how worried you and Kylie were. And well, I admit to having some major concerns myself. I have no idea what the hell is going on with Tate but I hope he pulls his head out of his ass soon.”
Joss grimaced as she glanced toward her phone as well. “Not a word. Which could be good or bad. I’m hoping for good. I’m hoping they were able to work everything out and that Chessy finally confronted him with her unhappiness. I want so much for her, Dash. I know how hard it was for her when I told her I was pregnant. I almost didn’t tell her, but it would have only hurt her more and made her feel that much more conspicuous about her troubles with Tate.”
He rubbed his hand from her belly down the inside of one thigh before stopping to squeeze her knee.
“You did the right thing, Joss. Chessy would never want you to withhold such wonderful news out of worry over her. And you have the right to be happy. She’d never begrudge you that.”
“I know,” Joss said quietly. “I just love her and want so badly for her and Tate to resolve the issues in her marriage so she can be happy again. Just like Kylie and me.”
Dash smiled. “She will be. Just like her best friends. Now try to eat some toast, baby. You need something in your stomach before you get up and move around. I figured we’d take it easy today. Enjoy the weekend together. Maybe sit on the couch, you in my arms, and watch some movies. I’ll cook dinner for us tonight if you’re up to eating something more substantial by then.”
She sighed blissfully. “You take such good care of me, darling. I love you for that.”
He leaned in and kissed her on the nose and then patted the top of her thigh. “Eat up. I don’t want to leave you to take my shower until I know for certain you’re going to be able to keep down your toast.”