Chapter Fifteen

Jacob found her curled around his pillow in the middle of their bed. He took that as a good sign. At least she didn’t have it in a stranglehold or, even worse, kicked to the floor. He liked to think it showed that a part of her still wanted to be near him, even in sleep. He flipped on the nearby lamp and took a seat beside her. Then he simply stared for a moment. His wife was truly a beautiful woman. He’d told her that before, but he didn’t think she believed it. She wasn’t a vain woman. She didn’t wake up and run directly to the bathroom to put on her makeup. Instead, she usually stumbled to the coffeepot with her hair sticking up adorably. She’d grunt at him in passing as he filled his own cup. Neither of them was that big on verbal communication before they’d had their caffeine fix. On the weekends, when they had more time, Jacob liked waking them both up in more pleasurable ways—no cup required.

Somehow, without his really being aware of it, she had woven herself into the very fabric of his life. It was only now as he stood there watching her sleep that he realized he wouldn’t ever want to wake up to a day that didn’t include her. And it was past time that he told her that.

When she stirred in her sleep, he took the opportunity to lay a hand on her arm. “Lydia—sweetheart, can you wake up for a minute?” He grimaced at his choice of words. He certainly hoped she wanted to stay up for more than sixty seconds after he professed his love for her. She mumbled something under her breath, but her eyes remained closed. Time to bring in the big guns. He toed off his soggy shoes and climbed up beside her. His body weight caused her to shift onto her back and he took advantage of the momentum to move her the rest of the way into his arms. Then he lowered his head and began feathering kisses on her face. One on her upturned nose, then each eyelid, the apples of her cheeks, before finally touching his lips to hers.

He was gratified to hear her moan, “Mmm, Jake,” as she sighed into his mouth. More than anything, he wanted to roll her warm and pliable body underneath his and lose himself in her. But with his parents coming back at some point, he didn’t really relish them walking in on him having sex with his wife. He figured they’d been traumatized enough for one evening. So he pushed the need for her aside as best he could and kept his kisses teasing and light. After a few more, her eyes begin to twitch, and then finally open. “Jake . . . what’s wrong?” she asked huskily as she struggled to get her bearings.

“Shhh, nothing, sweetheart,” he answered as he stroked her hair soothingly. “I just wanted to talk for a bit. I didn’t like how we left things in the kitchen.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

“Lydia,” he murmured, feeling like all kinds of a jerk. He’d hurt her badly enough for her to fly into a rage earlier, and now she was apologizing for doing something that she pretty much had every right to do. It was a bit harsh, yes, but again, that was on him. “Honey, I’ve been an insensitive pig, and I admire you for calling me on it. The only defense I have is that I’ve never been in love before, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. Hell, I’m not even sure I recognized it fully until last night. You came into my life so suddenly, and then, in a short amount of time, I couldn’t imagine it without you. I should have told you that every single day. You made this house into a home not only for me but for my daughter as well. Casey recognized your place in our lives from the very first day, and I’m ashamed to say that I was slower to catch on.”

“What are you saying?” she asked quietly once he paused for a moment.

Before he answered her question, he settled back against the headboard of the bed and picked her up again, shifting her until she was straddling his lap. He wanted them face-to-face so that she would have no reason to doubt his words. He needed her to see the sincerity and the love in his eyes. “I love you, Lydia Hay, so much that it scares the hell out of me. But at the same time, it makes me want to be the best man that I can be for you and for my daughter. I promise you that what happened yesterday at the hospital and today when I didn’t call you will never occur again.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he put his finger on it, wanting to get the rest of what he needed to say out. “It’s not that I didn’t want you there last night. I was so grateful when you walked in. Then in the next breath, I felt as if I was going to break down. So I panicked thinking that I was going to do something embarrassing like cry, instead of displaying the strength that both you and Chris needed. Which I realize now sounds insane,” he added ruefully.

“Oh, Jake.” She laughed softly against his chest. “Don’t you see that’s one of the best parts of having someone that you love? When you’re weak, I can hold you up and vice versa. We’re both going to have times when we stumble, but what matters at the end of the day is that we always have each other’s backs against the world.”

Unable to resist, he took her lips in a slow kiss that quickly threatened to get out of hand. Finally, he forced himself to pull back. Quirking a brow, he asked, “So . . . was there anything you wanted to tell me?”

She wrinkled her nose adorably before saying, “Um, I’m starving? When are your parents going to be back for dinner?”

Growling, he began tickling her body until she yelled, “Okay, okay, I love you, you big lug! Thank you for apologizing for not calling me today.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Wow, so romantic, sweetheart. Your words are better than the finest poetry.”

“Would you prefer whipper zipper?” She managed to keep a straight face then dissolved into a fit of laughter.

“You’re going to pay for that at some point, you little minx,” he threatened good-naturedly.

“Mmm, I’d like to make a deposit on that right now,” she purred as she began kissing and licking down the sensitive skin on his neck. When her hand dropped into his lap and cupped his semihard cock, he had her on her back within seconds. They completely lost track of time and where they were as she wrapped her legs around his hips and he ground against her softness.

Jacob had his hand up her shirt, cupping one creamy mound, when he heard, “Dinner’s ready, kids! Whatever you’re doing needs to wait until later.”

“Fuck,” he bit out as he reluctantly rolled off his wife. “I swear, they haven’t been here in months, and tonight, they just won’t go away. Wouldn’t you think any sane people would have gone to the store and never come back after what they’d just witnessed? But no, not them. They’re probably hoping we’ll break out in round two for their amusement,” he grumbled as he straightened his clothing before helping her off the bed.

“Honey, it’s fine.” She laughed. “I’d actually like a chance to show them that I’m not the crazy woman they met earlier.” Jacob froze, riveted by how amazing it felt to hear an endearment fall so naturally from her lips. “What?” she asked as he continued to stare at her like a sap. Damn, was this love thing tricky. It was as if the moment he acknowledged his feelings, he had finally allowed himself free rein to bask in all things Lydia. She could probably fart like a pack mule and he’d still be enchanted. Okay, that might be pushing it a bit.

He pulled her into the circle of his arms and dropped a kiss on her forehead, then another on the corner of her mouth. “Nothing, baby, just thinking about how good this feels—you and me here together with nothing between us. Well, other than these damn clothes and my parents,” he grumbled.

Then a knock sounded on the door and they both jumped. “Son, did you hear your mother? She won’t let me eat without you, so come on out and face the music,” his dad yelled through the door. Well, hell.

Exasperated, he took Lydia’s hand and opened the door to find his father standing there smirking. “Guess what, Dad,” he called over his shoulder as he and Lydia walked ahead toward the kitchen. “Lydia and I are going to be coming to visit you guys a lot more in the future. And we don’t plan to stay in a hotel. No, we want to continue this family bonding, so we’ll use my old room, which is right across the hallway from your room. Just one big happy family now.” Lydia chuckled at his side while his father mumbled things under his breath that Jacob hoped his wife couldn’t decipher.

Amazingly enough, though, even with all of the interruptions, he wouldn’t change a thing about this moment. He’d never seen this in his future when he looked ahead. An incredible woman by his side, surrounded by his family. As surreal as it was, it also felt so incredibly right. And in the back of his mind, he could almost see the caption, Whipper zipper finds a mate.

*   *   *

Ada was buzzing around the kitchen when they walked in. The other woman paused to take in the way that her son was clasping his wife’s hand firmly within his own before giving a nod of satisfaction. “Glad to see you two used your time wisely.” Glancing up at her son, she added, “I assume you groveled sufficiently and promised never to be such an ass again.”

As a burst of surprised laughter flew from Lydia, Joe slapped Jacob on the back. “You’ll learn, son. The secret to a happy life is always saying you’re sorry even if you have no idea what you’ve done. She’s always right and you’re wrong. Bring flowers home in the evening just because you might have hurt her feelings in some way that you don’t realize and never get too old to call her honey, baby, or sweetheart. You’re already parents, and someday, you’ll add more to the mix. It’s important that you remember who you are as a couple along with being someone’s mother and father. The moment you lose sight of that is the moment you’ve lost your way.”

Complete and utter silence filled the room as everyone seemed moved by Joe’s insight. Ada walked right up to him and laid a kiss on her husband’s lips that had both Lydia and Jake averting their eyes. After that, both of Jake’s parents hugged Lydia and officially welcomed her to the family. Ada had fixed pork chops, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans for dinner so instead of using the bar as they normally did for their meals, Ada insisted they have dinner in the dining room.

Lydia was surprised at how comfortable she was with Ada and Joe and how much their acceptance meant to her. Considering she didn’t have a close relationship with her own parents, it was wonderful to already feel like a member of the Hay family in more than name only. With a pang, she realized that she still hadn’t told Brett’s parents that she’d gotten married. She felt horrible that she’d waited this long. She would go see them over the weekend and pray that they understood. They’d always been so good to her, and to lose them would be like losing that last piece of Brett. She’d e-mailed Connie to apologize for rushing off when she’d seen her at the office, making up some excuse about a missed appointment. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to admit that she’d forgotten Brett’s birthday.

“You all right, sweetheart?” Jake asked, apparently having picked up on her emotional upheaval.

She put a hand under the table and lightly squeezed his leg in reassurance. “I’m fine, honey. Just thinking of a few things I need to take care of.” When he gave her a smile filled with love, she knew that no matter what happened with the Morgans, she’d be okay because Jake would be here to offer comfort and support should she need it. She had a husband who loved her—and she had to think that Brett was happy for her.

*   *   *

His parents had taken pity on them and left shortly after dinner. They’d already reserved a hotel room and planned to stay in town overnight so they could see Casey tomorrow before they went home. Lydia had scolded him after they left because he’d damn near pushed them out the door. The look on their faces had said that they knew damn well why he wanted them gone. He loved them, but damn, cock-block much.

“God, baby, you feel so good!” Jacob groaned as Lydia moved under him.

“Mmm, Jake, you’re driving me crazy,” she moaned in response as she tried to get him to speed up. Even though it was taking everything he had to go slow, he planned to see it through. His body completely covered hers except for her legs, which were wrapped around his hips. His thrusts were shallow as he ground against her wet heat. He tangled his tongue with hers again and again as sweat began to run down his body.

Whether she knew it or not, emotions had always been involved when they’d been together intimately in the past. No matter how he’d try to pretend that it was just sex, it was more. He’d been making love to her from the very first time—but tonight was different. He’d never discussed feelings during the act, and it was unexpectedly heady and exciting. Moving his lips to the skin below her ear, he whispered, “Love you so much, baby.”

Her body shuddered in response as her legs tightened around him, pushing him deeper. “Love you too, Jake,” she cried out. Those words from her had him dangerously close to blowing his load before she found her release. He tried his best to disconnect the feelings in the big head from the little one while he thrust inside his wife, taking them both higher until he felt her clenching and releasing around him. “Yes, oh yes!” she moaned as she climaxed around his hard length.

A moment later, he reached his own peak as waves of bliss washed over him. After what was very likely the best sexual experience of his life, Jacob figured some men would curse themselves for missing out for this long by playing the field. But as he pulled Lydia’s sated body closer, he knew that he’d been waiting for her all this time, even if he hadn’t realized it back then.