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JACOB

We’ve been texting back and forth for the last three days while Skye’s been staying at her parents’ place.

My father instructed me to take some time off as I’ve been working so hard recently and haven’t had a holiday since the beginning of the year. Add that to the stress of Skye going missing and I’m exhausted. It’s as if the tension I was holding in was released when she was found and streams of stress hormones flowed into my body, making everything feel impossible. My dad noticed and demanded I step back and try to take some time for myself before I broke. He was right. My body was screaming out for me to rest and I’ve slept more over the last few days than I ever have before.

So, after spending a couple of hours on the phone with clients explaining their projects will be handed over to a new account manager, I completely wound down and have spent the past three days doing a combination of some lightweight workouts at the gym and sorting out my spare room that still has at least thirty boxes waiting to be unpacked.

Having been in the house a year already, I never bothered unpacking what I didn’t require.

Now I have a little time on my hands to read again, I thought I’d fill the bookshelves I bought months ago for the spare room and finally display my coveted books.

Almost nightfall, my takeaway pizza box lies on the navy carpeted floor of my guest bedroom.

To get my body in good shape, I’ve been watching everything I’ve eaten over the last year, but tonight I was done with being good. I needed comfort food and calories. Loads of calories, and a beer or two.

Surrounded by flattened boxes, boxes still to be unpacked, piles of books I am going to donate to the local library, and some of the wall-to-wall bookshelves finally filled, I neck the last of my beer from the bottle.

I texted Owen earlier to ask if he could meet me today, but he replied with:

Owen

I’m afraid not, amigo, my father has me stuck in meetings all day. Hope you’re feeling better now that you’ve been fed and watered. Tomorrow afternoon at mine?

Relieved I’m finally getting to speak to him, I sent a message back agreeing. Although I may not feel relieved when he hears what I have to say. I’m preparing myself for the worst. Although, part of me no longer cares what he thinks anymore. I love her and want to be with her.

Note to self: find my jock strap and protector cap I wear for soccer.

I’m reviewing the back of one of the books I’m considering re-reading when the doorbell chimes.

Checking my wristwatch, I realize it’s nine. Christ, I’ve been sorting through my books since midday, and I only texted Skye about four times today. This afternoon, the police were visiting her with an update on the case. I must see how that went.

My bare feet slap against the marbled flooring as I jog along the glass corridor to answer my front door.

It’s barely open an inch, and I almost fall over when Skye forces her way into my house and pushes me backward. With determination in her eyes, she flies through the door at breakneck speed, making the door bang off the wall behind it with such force, it bounces back again and slams shut, allowing me just a glimpse of her father’s car driving off before it closed.

“What the—” I don’t get the chance to finish my sentence when she pushes me against the entrance wall and crashes her lips to mine.

Not a soft kiss, like how I imagined our first kiss to be. This kiss is full of passionate force and want.

“I’m not waiting anymore,” she pants, as she pulls her jacket off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.

“Sk—” She pushes her tongue into my mouth, and I can’t stop my tongue twisting around hers.

Her soft lips force mine wide open as she continues to invade my mouth. “My tests came back.” Breathing hard, she gives me her news. “Negative. Everything was negative. He didn’t…” She trails off.

My legs almost go from under me, but she holds my head firmly in place as she devours me with her lips.

“I want you.” Her hand moves down my tee-shirt-covered chest.

I pop my eyes open and move my mouth to the side. “Wait, wait, wait.” I try to catch my breath. She kisses my jaw, then my neck.

Holy shit, this is all I’ve ever wanted and suddenly I’m stopping her.

Standing up on her tiptoes, she whispers in my ear. “You’re going to stop the doubt, Jay. Right here in this hall. Shred everything right now because you’re going to take me into that bedroom of yours and show me what it’s like to be loved by you. Just like you told me.”

I groan as my inner conscience messes with my primal instincts.

Fuck, I so want to do this, but… “I’m meeting Owen tomorrow.”

She licks, then bites the shell of my ear. “I don’t care. I need you now.”

“Skye.” I raise my voice to get her attention. She stops, allowing me to look at her. “Is this what you want? Are you sure?”

“I want it all with you, Jacob.” The spark that was missing from her three days ago in the hospital is back now, making her crystal blues sparkle. “The awful things that happened to me this week, if anything, they’ve shown me that life is too damn short. I don’t want to live with regrets, the ‘what ifs’, and ‘if I’d never’. We’ve wasted enough time.” She bites her bottom lip. “You saved me.”

“I can’t live without you.” My voice breaks with longing.

“Show me how true that is.” She fists my tee shirt and pulls me to her. Ghosting my lips, she says, “Now show me what I’ve been missing.”

Throwing caution to the wind, I can’t help but agree with her; life is too short to live with regrets. We need this.

I’m risking my friendship with Owen, which is already hanging in the balance, anyway. He should have realized how close Skye and I were working together every day. How much she means to me, even just as a friend. He only seems interested in himself and his life. I care for him, but he’s properly pissed me off of late.

There are no two ways about it. I need her.

I fucking want her.

And I won’t lose out on another moment with her. I could have lost her forever, but she’s here and she wants me too and I won’t say no to her. Not again.

With open mouths, our tongues curl around one another in desperate need to feel that connection that’s been smoldering between us for weeks. To taste, explore and finally find the true half of each other.

I slide my hands under her short skirt and grip her perfect bare ass as I lift her into the air. No instruction needed; she wraps her legs around my waist as I carry her to my bedroom.

As if in a dream, I don’t know who I am at this moment as I continue to tongue-fuck the love of my life… my fucking best friend’s ex.

I push Owen from my mind. God, I want her.

I have wanted her for so long.

“You’re gonna be trouble,” I mumble against her lips between our desperate kisses.

My cock now rock-hard, my heart racing, I can’t think straight or remember how we got here.

Soft hands rub the back of my head and beard as if she’s memorizing every inch of me, dousing me in her intoxicating scent.

Reaching the foot of my bed, knowing she’s probably still fragile from her ordeal, I lower her gently onto the mattress. She looks up at me with bright eyes. Confidence oozes out of her, eager to seal us together, forever, finally.

As she moves up the bed, she lifts her legs, then widens them for me in an invitation, treating me to a sliver of white lace between her legs.

I lift the hem of my light gray tee shirt, pulling it up and over my head, then move to the zipper on my black jeans to unzip and remove them too.

Watching every move I make, her eyes wander over my body.

I rub my cock through my boxers and groan. It’s aching.

Aching for her as precum leaks from my tip.

She giggles at my choice of underwear. “I like your Batman boxers.” She stares at the giant logo across my crotch.

“Your hero.” I wink.

“Your dick or you?”

“Both.”

She laughs again as she undresses, arching her back off the bed to allow her to pull her fitted white tee shirt up over her head, at the same time shucking her chunky shoes off, making them land on the floor with a thud . Unclipping her lace bra, she unthreads her arms from the straps and throws that away too.

She curls her finger, beckoning me; her bold eyes full of heat rake my body.

We’ve seen each naked before, but this, this is different.

Having her laid out on my bed, waiting for me, wanting me, it’s next level.

On my hands and knees, I crawl to her and wedge myself between her legs until we are face to face.

“Are we really doing this?” I ask.

“Yes, we are.”