CHAPTER 18
The morning light was a dim glow behind the window blinds as Will groaned and pulled Jessa closer.
“Good morning.” His voice was husky and sexy as hell, and memories of hearing it in her ear as he’d loved her for hours the night before flooded her mind even as desire flooded her body.
She felt the hard length pressed between their naked bodies and smiled. “Mmm. Good morning.”
Being with Will might be the stupidest thing she’d ever done, but that hadn’t stopped her last night and it wasn’t going to stop her this morning.
Apparently, he was up for it. She definitely was to. She wanted him. For once, she was going to let herself have exactly what she wanted.
She might live to regret it, but for now, she was going to enjoy every inch of Will Weber. Every touch. Every sound. For every second she was fortunate enough to have him.
“So we didn’t exactly do much talking last night,” Will began.
Jessa laughed at that understatement and the fact that he wanted to talk now, when there was something far better they could be doing.
“Are you complaining about that?” she asked.
“No.” He laughed. “But I wanted to make sure you’re doing okay after last night.”
“Mmm, hmm. I’m very okay.” With Will, naked and snuggled up against her, how could she be anything but okay?
He let out a chuckle as he tightened his hold on her. “Good to hear, but I meant how are you feeling after last night’s robbery?”
“I’m okay.”
“For real?”
“Yes, for real.” She turned within his embrace to face him.
Will rolled from his side onto his back. His hands blazed a hot path against the bare skin of her waist as he moved them down to the flare of her hips.
He glanced at the clock as he reached for the bedside table drawer and her aging stash of protection. He covered himself and then lifted her up, pulling her hips forward until she was angled over his morning hard-on.
“Do we have time for this?” she asked, noticing he’d checked the time.
“Oh, yeah. For this, I’ll make time.” His eyes closed and his mouth opened as he slid her down over him.
At the incredible sensation of Will filling her, she had to agree. This was a hell of a good way to start the day. They should make a habit of it. She’d go to work every morning with a smile if the did, even if it made her late.
Will loved her and her body tightened and gripped his in response.
Jessa suspected she could do this with him for the rest of her life and it still might not be long enough. When they both shuddered to completion within seconds of one another, she knew it. A lifetime loving Will would be too short.
Gasping, Jessa collapsed over him, still tingling all over. Still trying to regain control of her breathing.
When she could talk, she lifted her head. “Coffee?”
“Hell, yes.” He laughed, jostling her where she lay on top of him. Smiling, he said, “You know me so well.”
She was starting to, but she wanted to know so much more. And was his smile extra charming post orgasm?
That was a theory worth exploring.
“Can I jump in your shower quick?” he asked.
She rolled reluctantly off him and onto her own side of the bed. Playtime was over. Time to start the day.
“Of course. Go ahead. Towels are inside the closet. Coffee will be ready by the time you get out.”
“Perfect.”
Yeah, he was. The whole morning and last night had been pretty close to perfect.
He dropped a quick kiss on her and climbed out of bed.
The perfection lasted through two mugs of coffee. And through some slightly awkward morning-after-the-first-time-having-sex small talk.
Jessa feared she might have actually blushed when Will caught her staring at him as she marveled at the fact he was really there with her. If he noticed he didn’t comment.
Their little bubble of happiness had to come to an end eventually. That happened when Will stood.
He carried his mug to the sink and said, “I gotta get to the base.”
“Okay. I should get ready for work too.” Jessa nodded, wishing it was a Saturday.
Or a Sunday. Or Veterans Day. Or any day they could both not have to go anywhere and stay right there together. Although Will’s schedule could be pretty up in the air and sometimes he was literally up in the air flying off somewhere to save the world.
Sara used to complain a lot when he was away. Jessa had a feeling she’d appreciate him even more after he’d been gone.
After just two times with him, she could only imagine that homecoming sex with Will would be pretty incredible.
“I’m going to call Jon today and pin him down about his schedule. I want to know what date he thinks he can get here.”
“All right.” Jessa nodded, still riding a post sex, coffee fueled high.
She stood and carried her own mug to the sink, setting it down next to Will’s. The sight of their two mugs next to each other got her feeling all mushy inside.
Damn, she had it bad for this guy.
Turning back to face him, she tried to ignore the feelings growing inside her.
“And until he can get here himself or get someone else as experienced as he is to come instead, I don’t think you should be alone in the apartment at night.” He raised one brow. “Any argument?”
“No.” She shook her head.
If he meant he’d be sleeping over again so she wouldn’t have to be alone, she was perfectly fine with it. Only an insane woman would say no to that.
“All right. Good.” He nodded and pivoted toward the door, but then spun back.
He reeled her in with one arm, dipped his head and kissed her hard and fast until she was breathless. It was a kiss as good as any sappy movie she’d seen on television but this was real. It was her reality with Will and it was amazing.
Releasing her just as suddenly as he’d grabbed her, he smiled and reached for the doorknob. “See you later.”
She liked the sound of that. “Later.”
Before he pulled the door closed, he peeked back inside and said, “Lock both locks behind me.”
“I will.”
“Okay. Bye.” After another smile he was gone, but how he made her feel remained—warm and protected and happy.
Oh so happy.
Jessa could love this man. Hell, she already did love him.
She was in such a good mood, she found herself whistling as she washed the coffee mugs. Actual honest to goodness whistling . . . until a call vibrated her phone on the counter.
Her sister’s name on the cell’s display barely an hour after Will had slid naked out of her bed had Jessa breathing too fast and shallow and feeling as if she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs.
The one thing that could ruin this perfect morning, this wonderful mood, was a reminder that Will had been Sara’s boyfriend. That he had loved Sara. That he’d made love to Sara countless times over their four years together.
She considered not answering, but that would only put off the inevitable.
Shaking, Jessa picked up the cell. “Hello.”
“Hey. You took so long to answer I about gave up.”
Less than two months back in Alabama and Sara was sounding like a native southerner, even though they’d both been born and raised in Pennsylvania.
“Sorry. I, uh, wasn’t near the phone.” Jessa wasn’t usually a liar. At least she hadn’t been until this situation with Sara and Will. It seemed a lot of things had changed since.
“Did you find my jacket?” Sara asked.
“Yeah.” It had been in the bag of things Will had dropped off, just as Jessa had suspected it might be.
“Have you mailed it to me yet?” Sara asked.
Jessa frowned. “No. I haven’t had a chance. Things have been a little crazy around here.”
“Crazy how? You always complain your job is so boring.”
“I have more of a life than just my job, Sara.” Jessa couldn’t even begin to fully wrap her head around all that had hit her in the past twelve hours. Burglars. Cops. Will.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Sara’s voice cracked on the last word.
“What’s wrong?” Jessa might have gotten a bit short with Sara, jumping on her a little too harshly with that last comment, but she hadn’t been that hard on her sister. Not enough to make her cry.
“I think I made a mistake,” Sara whispered.
Jessa’s stomach dropped as she feared she knew the answer before she asked, “What are you talking about?”
Sara’s voice was low and weak as she said, “Leaving Will. Going back to Jerry. I think it was a mistake.”
Her heart was pounding so hard Jessa was shaking. With the bile backing up into her throat, she surprised herself when she managed to ask, “Why do you say that?”
“I thought things would be different with Jerry this time. He said he’d changed. I believed him.”
“But?” Jessa prompted, already knowing what her sister would say. Already knowing how this would all turn out.
“He didn’t change. Not at all. Things were okay for a little while, but now he’s back to being the same controlling asshole. In fact, I think he’s worse than before.”
What could Jessa say to that? She knew Jerry hadn’t changed. How Sara could be naïve enough to have believed he had, that he was even capable of it, was baffling.
It seemed the only thing that had changed in Alabama was her fickle sister’s mind, once again. Things weren’t working out with Jerry so now Sara wanted Will back.
This was typical Sara behavior. She always wanted what she didn’t have, and then didn’t appreciate what she did have.
And after over four years of shared history together and yes, as hard as it was to admit, love too, Will would take Sara back. Jessa had no doubt. There was no way he would choose her and their one-night stand over his relationship with Sara.
“What do you think?” Sara asked.
Jessa, resigned to what was happening around her and that she was helpless to stop it, dragged her focus back to the conversation. “About what?”
“About what I just said.”
Opting for yet another lie, Jessa said, “Um, sorry. The cell signal was breaking up. What did you say?”
“I asked you what you thought about me and Will.”
Swallowing hard, Jessa opted for the absolute truth. “I think you were crazy to ever leave a man like Will in the first place.”
Jessa certainly never would have. Unfortunately, she’d never have the opportunity to prove it.
He was lost before she ever really had him.
The thought brought tears to Jessa’s eyes, which Sara would no doubt hear in her voice if she didn’t get off the phone. “I gotta go. I’ll get to the post office today to mail you your jacket.”
“Actually, Jess, hold off on that.”
“Oh? Okay.” Trembling, Jessa didn’t ask why. She knew why. Sara was coming back, which meant she and Will were over.
“I can stay with you if I do come back. Right?” Sara asked.
Jessa swallowed hard. She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t watch Sara and Will together. Not after being with him. “Actually. That’s not gonna work.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m moving.”
After spotting the guy hanging around the parking lot, Jessa had begun to search the apartment listings in earnest.
There was one that was perfect. Affordable. Quiet neighborhood. And most importantly, a one-room studio. As of yesterday when she checked, it had still been available.
“You’re moving? Why?”
Besides the fact she didn’t need to be paying rent for a two bedroom after Sara had left her high and dry? Jessa shook her head. Her sister could be so self-centered.
“There’s been two break-ins in this complex since you left. I don’t feel safe here anymore.”
“Oh, wow. That’s crazy. I didn’t know.”
She didn’t know because Sara never called unless she needed something. Jessa stifled that comment and said, “Yup. It’s crazy all right and scary. But the new place isn’t big enough for two people. You’ll have to find your own apartment if you do come back.”
Sara sighed. “Ugh. I guess.”
Jessa’s hopes revived. Maybe, if it were too difficult and expensive to move back to Virginia, Sara wouldn’t do it.
“Or,” Sara continued. “I can see if I can stay with Will.”
That one sentence knocked the air right out of Jessa’s lungs as all hope fled.
She was trying to remember how to breathe when the call waiting alert sounded in her ear. She pulled the phone away and through the tears saw Will’s name on the display.
Using the call as an excuse to end this painful conversation, she said, “Sara. I’m getting another call. I gotta go.”
“Oh, sure. I’ll call you later.”
“Sure.” With a finger that trembled so much she could barely accomplish it, Jessa punched at the icons on the screen.
She disconnected Sara’s call and sent Will’s directly to voice mail before she tossed the cell to the counter and broke down completely.