Page 31

Ellie

The vibration of my phone startles me awake in the early morning hours. I look over to the nightstand to see my phone lit up. Pulling it over to my face, I blink—my eyes needing a few seconds to adjust to the light. When I can finally read, I see it’s a text from Haleigh.

Shit. My stomach drops.

It’s a bit too early for her to go into labor at this point. I click to open our text chat.

Hales : Hey, just letting you know we’re heading to the hospital for a check. I started with contractions early this morning, and the on-call doctor said to go to the ER. I will let you know once we hear something. Love you, bestie !

Oh, shit. Excitement rushes through my body, and I jump up out of bed, then take off running down the hall to Jaydon's bedroom. I don’t even knock, just barge in.

“Jaydon!” I whisper-shout, but surprisingly find him already on the phone. His room is pitch black, but I can see the light from the phone pressed to his ear.

When he speaks, I immediately know he's on the phone with Ryan. “Yeah, okay. Just let us know what's going on. Tell my sister I love her. Talk with you soon, later.”

The moment he pulls the phone away from his ear, I can't control myself. I'm so nervous and excited. She’s my best friend, but she feels more like a sister in every sense. She treats me better than my real sister.

I step right beside the bed where he's lying before realizing how close I am to him. He’s only inches away.

“So, what did he say? How's Haleigh? What's going on?” I have endless questions as I twist my hands like a giddy schoolgirl in my oversized sleep shirt, waiting for his answer.

After putting his phone back on the nightstand, he lies back on his pillow, putting his muscular arm behind his head. Taking his time, his eyes give my body a once-over before speaking.

“He said she's fine, the contractions aren’t that close yet, but since she is almost four weeks early, they wanted her to come in to check her out. The doctor didn’t seem concerned about it and told them she's far enough along that the baby would be fine if born now.”

That settles my nerves a bit. “Okay, well, that sounds reassuring… I was so nervous when her text woke me up. So, Ryan's gonna call us back with an update, right?”

He only nods.

The light filtering in from the hallway, which I turned on in my mad dash, is shining through his bedroom door, casting a glow over his body and revealing his bare chest in the process. Fuck. How did I not see this sooner?

My gaze continues to glide over his rippled body, and the covers are all the way down, bunched around his waist. I see the contour of his body highlighted like a V when my eyes reach his lower half, and my thighs clench on instinct.

My eyes snap back to his, waiting for an answer.

I can tell he's studying me with that unreadable expression he wears so well.

I stand there, barely breathing, my fingers nervously twisting the hem of my shirt.

His eyes glance down at my hands once more, lingering, and even with the low lighting, I can see a flash of something in his eyes.

Before I know what's happening, he reaches out, wrapping his arm around my waist, and I'm being picked up off the floor.

I yelp at the surprise, “Jaydon! What the hell are you doing? ”

He pulls me across his hard body, and I roll in beside him on the bed. Then he reaches down, pulling the covers up over both of us. A waft of his fresh scent hits my nose, pulling me in. The warmth from his body and strong arms wrapped around me soothe me in a way I didn’t know I needed.

My back presses into his chest, his nose brushing the shell of my ear as he pulls me tighter. “Peachy, don’t ever think you are going to come into my fucking bedroom and not end up in my fucking bed.”

I roll my eyes, even though I know he can't see my face. “Oh my god, you know that’s not why I came in here!”

“I don’t give a fuck why you came in here, Peachy… you were standing beside my goddamn bed in a fucking t-shirt— MY fucking t-shirt—that you stole from me, wearing nothing but your fucking skimpy-ass underwear underneath, and you think my dick’s not gonna get hard?”

Oh, shit . I totally forgot that I took off my shorts before getting into bed.

“Oh, fuck.” I release a breath as I say the words.

“Yeah, oh fuck is right… because now you’re stuck in here with me. Do you fucking know what happens to a man when they see you wearing their clothes?”

I hide my face in my hands because I really don’t know where to put them at this point. “No, I honestly don’t know because I'm not a man, Jay. ”

I can feel his body shake with silent laughter behind me, “Well, how about you turn around, and I will let you feel what it does to me…”

I groan inwardly.

I want so badly to turn around and let Jaydon have his way with me; I want to press my ass against his groin to see if he's telling the truth—which I'm sure he is—but I also know I can't. If I do that, then it's game over, written on the fucking walls that he will end up deep inside me, and I will be screaming into his pillows.

I always find myself in this situation with him. However, it usually involves alcohol beforehand. I’ve always wanted this man, but that was before he fucked around with my sister.

I push up on my forearm, needing to get out of here, “I think I'm just going to go. We can't do this. I'm going back to my room. I shouldn’t have even come in here.” I try to crawl back over him the same way he pulled me in.

Big fucking mistake.

Because he locks his arms around me and drags me on top of him—right against his rock-hard chest.

“Like fucking hell, you are.” He grits out, and I freeze on top of him.

“You aren’t going anywhere, not when I can feel this smooth body next to mine, not when I already have you in my bed.

” He wraps his hand behind my neck, pulling my lips so close to his.

“I bet your sweet little pussy wants to be fucked right now,” My mouth parts on a moan.

Oh, god. Knowing he affects me, he chuckles and pulls my bottom lip between his teeth.

“I bet if I were to reach between your thighs, I would feel you dripping for me… are you dripping for me, Peachy?”

I moan against his lips, “Jay…” I’m at war with myself, and I try to lift my head to escape his spell. But who the fuck am I kidding, the pull is too much. I already know I’m going to crumble under his touch.

“Peachy—” our lips finally crash, he takes his time to caress every inch of them, nipping and sucking before pushing his tongue past my swollen lips, and I slowly begin to melt into him.

He lifts his hips, pushing himself up into me, and I can feel just how hard he is for me.

Why the hell did I even come in here?

The thought briefly crosses my mind, but then his hand slides down my back and lands on my ass, his hand burning into me when he presses me further into him.

I whimper and find myself slowly grinding on top of him.

His strong arms lift me and put me into the perfect position to grind on his hardened length.

And now I know there will be no stopping this.

His loud moan confirms my thoughts, and his upward thrusts start matching my rhythm.

Dry humping .

But are we really crossing the line if we have clothes on? At least it seems better in my fucked-up head .

This man has turned me into a complete fool time and time again. My body is a whore for him and his touch; I can admit that. Any reasoning in my head is turned off whenever we're close. I’m consumed with need, and it’s a need that only he can satisfy.

He tugs my bottom lip with his teeth. I’m about to lose all control.

His deep voice is strangled as he speaks, “Damn, Peachy, it’s never felt like this, this good before.”

I pull back, unsure of his meaning, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Are you fucking comparing me to other women you’ve been with?”

My sister's face flashes through my head. I can’t. I push back from his chest, sitting up to get off him, and slide to the floor. He grabs for my waist and misses, grabbing my wrist instead.

“Shit, that’s not what I fucking mean. Stop.”

I jerk away from his grasp and take off to my bedroom. And he's hot on my trail.

Jaydon

Motherfucker, I’ve screwed up. Big time. That didn’t come out right.

“Goddammit, Peachy, come back. That’s not what I fucking meant. ”

“Jaydon, just get the hell away from me!” She yells, slamming the door in my face.

I raise my hand, banging on it. “Let me in so I can explain.” I blow a hard breath from my lips.

How the hell did I fuck this up so badly? I need her to let me in so we can talk.

“Good night, Jaydon!” She yells, annoyed, from the other side of the door.

I pound the door with the palm of my hand. “Please, Fuck… open the damn door, Ellie!”

“Go away! Go call whoever the hell else you fuck.”

“I don’t want to call anyone else, Ellie. Please, I need to come in.”

“You're not coming anywhere tonight, Jaydon, unless it's in your hand!”

I bite my lip, pinching the bridge of my nose, and laugh. I can't fucking believe this. My Peachy is feisty, that’s for sure. Her smart-ass mouth is exactly why I’m falling for her.

I knock again, calmer this time. “Ellie...”

“Jaydon, I’m going to sleep. Go away.” Then, her tone changes to something sweeter. “But wake me up if you hear from Haleigh.”

Dammit, she’s not gonna give in. I hang my head in defeat with my arm braced against her bedroom door frame, as the weight of everything that just happened settles over me.

I don’t know how to do this shit. I’ve never had feelings like this for any other woman.

I’m not good at this—at all—telling a woman how I truly feel.

I tried, and now she hates me again.

What the fuck?

I spin back towards my bedroom, grabbing both sides of my head. If my hair were long, I would have pulled it out by now. The frustration of fucking this all up is gnawing away at my insides.

I have no idea how I’m going to get through to her, but I’m damn sure gonna try—no matter how much I have to grovel.