Page 65

Willow

My orgasm faded, and I felt Jack’s groans vibrate against my shoulder, craving his scrumptious warmth a little longer.

His stomach heaved against mine. Assuming he was out of breath, I caressed a hand down his back to soothe him until I realised the space between my neck and shoulder was damp.

I tried to shift beneath see his face, but he pressed his weight further.

I stroked his hair with one hand, and the back of his neck with the other.

“Lamb?” I whispered into his shoulder. His sobs became louder, as my shoulder became damper. “Jack?" I asked, panic rising. "Communicate with me, Jack. That’s what we do, right?” I repeated his words from the night our romantic relationship started.

That resonated with him as his beautiful pinked, drenched face lifted from my shoulder. He quickly shifted to wipe his face.

“What’s wrong, lamb? Has something happened?”

His palms cradled my face, and he kissed my forehead.

“Everything and nothing.”

I frowned, my eyes darting between his. I tilted our bodies until he pulled out, his body softly bouncing on the bed beside me. I stood, grabbing his T-shirt and my underwear from the floor, covering my body up. I crossed my arms, now feeling uncomfortable.

“You’re scaring me, Jack.”

“I’m sorry baby, I don’t mean to.” He pushed his fingers into his eyes.

“What was that? A last fuck before you end this?”

He sat up, holding his arms to me. I stood my ground with a frown.

“Fuck. No. I just — I needed you. I had a need to show you how much I love you. Words didn’t feel enough. They never do.”

Confused, my frown crumpled.

“But what are the tears for? Are you unhappy? I need some help here.”

“Come here?” He reached his arms out further. “Please, sweetheart? We need to talk. ”

“You think?” I muttered sarcastically, taking his hand and joining him on the bed, kneeling between his bent legs. His hands lay on my waist.

“I-I don’t want you to think I’m weak—” I shook my head with a frown to argue when he pushed a finger to my lips.

“I’m terrified of losing you. It’s keeping me up at night.

” I had no idea he was this affected, and my heart sank.

“I-I don’t know how to keep us safe. I’m such a shitty excuse for a man in admitting that. ” His face dropped. He looked bereft.

“You’re more of a man for admitting it.” I brushed his cheek with my thumb. “I don’t know… maybe… I shouldn’t stay here?” The idea saddened me as much as it horrified him.

“Absolutely not. I’ve never been so happy. Which is frustrating. The need and fear for you are both so equally overwhelming that I don’t know what to do.”

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do.

Clearly the police aren’t going to take us seriously unless there’s hard evidence, but we can’t put our lives on hold.

You’ve got a business to run, I have things I want to do, and we both have people we want to spend time with.

We’ve spent so long apart, don’t we deserve to live unapologetically with each other? ”

Lying against the pillows, he pulled me down with him. I curled into his side, looking up at his perfect face as he looked to the ceiling.

“I know you’re right, I just have a need to protect you and can’t guarantee it.”

“Lamb, I don’t want protection. I just want you.” He looked down at me, caressing my face with so much love and care in his eyes. “Let’s just take care of each other together. But maybe talking is better than sad sex? Just a thought.”

A soft laugh escaped him. He kissed to my forehead, and I knew my lamb was back.

“Deal, sweetheart.” Our bodies tangled together, an attempt to be as close as physically possible.

After a long silence, I spoke.

“I feel so guilty, Jack,” I mumbled into his chest.

“What for, baby?”

It was his turn to soothe me. He pulled the scrunchie from my head and rubbed his fingers through my scalp, sending goosebumps down my spine and my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

“If you hadn’t brought me here, you wouldn’t be at risk either.”

“If I hadn’t brought you here, you’d still be there and who knows what would’ve happened.

You wouldn’t have found Mack and self-defence classes.

We wouldn’t be together. It’s not your fault he’s following you, but don’t think if we lived our time again, I’d do anything differently, other than intervene sooner.

I’m madly in love with you, Willow Thornton, and I never want it to end. ”

Tears pooled in my eyes as I listened to him, his face genuine .

“So, I guess we just communicate and look after each other?” I asked.

He nodded. “I promise.” I kissed his bare chest, thankful. “I have two bones to pick with you,” he muttered into my hair.

“I think one of your bones just picked me already, lamb. Can we wait a while?”

He barked a laugh and rolled me until his body covered mine.

“You’re something else.” He nuzzled my neck. “Outside, you said ‘Willow Lambert sounds better.’” He faked a female voice. “Is that something you’d want?”

I blushed, hiding my face in his shoulder.

“Firstly, I do not sound like that. Secondly,” I blushed, “yes. If you do?” His mouth tugged into a grin. “We haven’t exactly talked about futures, but I think it would be nice one day. I don’t think I’d like to be surprised. Surprise proposals haven’t exactly aged well for me.” I winced.

“Good to know, sweetheart. It would be an honour to make you a Lambert. Or a Lambert-Thornton. Whatever you want.” He kissed me softly.

“What’s the second bone?” I reached my hand between his legs and gently stroked his semi-hard dick. He groaned before grabbing my hand, kissing the inside of the wrist.

“You said there’s things you want to do. Tell me your dreams, baby. I want to hear them all, join in, and watch you make them come true.”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing, just silly stuff.”

Jack frowned. “Tell me. Please?”

For a brief moment I thought about shunning it again, but I got lost in his hazel eyes and I knew this man would never mock my hopes and dreams. I tapped his bum until he shifted onto his side.

Hopping off the bed, I grabbed my laptop and returned to find Jack in his underwear and watching me fondly.

“Don’t laugh, okay? It’s nothing major and I haven’t even made inquiries. I was just dreami—”

“ Show me .”

I returned to the bed, next to him. His arm slipped around my back and shuffled me into his warmth as the laptop loaded. I opened the online university page, picking the course I’d found a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been wondering for a while what I did to deserve Cain’s treatment.

And I know before you say it, there’s nothing I did and it’s all him, but I want to understand the psychology behind abuse.

Not so much on the perpetrator’s side, though that helps, but for the victim.

This course addresses the gaps in front-line support and societal needs to ensure a sustainable support sector for victims of domestic abuse.

I’m well aware I’ve only had a small lived-experience of an abusive relationship, but I feel like…

like I could be useful.” I caught my breath and in that second, shyness overtook. “Somehow. Ma ybe.”

Jack’s fingers replaced mine on the trackpad, scrolling through the course description, breakdown of modules but never once focused on the funding costs. Nevertheless, I made sure to cover it.

“I’ll be able to get a government grant to cover the course, or I have some money tucked away from my mum’s will—”

Suddenly, Jack’s big hand was plastered against my mouth.

“Will you be quiet? I’m trying to read about my girlfriend’s dreams.”