Page 28 of The Last Love Story (Baker Girls #3)
I want it to be real.
The signs say yes, but what if I’m misreading them?
I’ve written a lot of romance, but my real-life experience is limited. Mostly because I was looking for that book boyfriend guy. And after a few months when none of my actual boyfriends came close to that, I dumped them.
I started to wonder if maybe the book boyfriend I was looking for was truly a work of fiction. But Justin is a living, breathing embodiment of one.
The question is… is he mine?
“Are you okay?” Justin asks once we’ve made it through the door of the apartment.
I spin to look at him, shaking with nervous energy and anticipation.
“Um, yes…”
“That sounded more like a question. What’s going on?”
My eyes dart around. I don’t want to have this conversation in the entryway.
I gesture toward the hallway.
“Come with me.”
We end up standing just inside my bedroom, staring at each other.
“Darlin’, what’s wrong?”
My eyes slip closed, emotion rustling through me. “It kills me when you call me that.”
His hand skims my cheek and my eyes flash open.
“Why?”
“Because I never want you to call anyone but me that ever again.”
He bites his lip, then smiles. “Want me to put it in the contract?”
“Fuck the contract.”
His brows shoot up. “What?”
“That was for a fake marriage, but now… maybe the marriage part is only legal, but there’s something real between us. Right?” My cheeks heat, but I don’t break our gaze.
A smile of pure happiness grows on his face as joy shimmers in his eyes.
“Darlin’, why do you sound like you’re questioning that? This thing between us has never been fake. There’s nothing more real than my feelings for you.”
I inhale sharply at that. Those words are more than I hoped for.
“You’ve been mine since the night we met, and you’ve been burrowing into my heart since we first started talking. We’re writing our love story, and it’s the last one you’re going to have, so stop worrying and start enjoying it.”
I throw my arms around him and lean into him, slanting my mouth over his.
A low groan sounds in his throat as he wraps his arms around me and deepens our kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth.
He walks me backward to the edge of the bed, then lifts his lips from mine, breathing heavily.
“I need you to know something,” I whisper. “Every night I asked you to sleep in my bed, it wasn’t for any of the reasons I said. It was because I wanted to fall asleep next to you and wake up in your arms.”
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, he smiles. “I had a feeling, and after your surgery, I knew for sure.”
“How?”
“That night, you asked me to sleep on the couch—right next to you. You said that’s where you wanted me to stay. Every time you’ve asked me to sleep in your room, you had that same look in your eyes. The desperate need for me to stay.”
My voice shakes. “Sometimes I don’t understand this. How did it happen so fast? It scares me because what if we’re doing everything backward?”
“Then we’re doing it backward. But the way I see it, talking before we met was dating.
Us spending every night cooking and watching our favorite shows together is building on that.
Letting each other see our vulnerable sides is deepening our connection.
We’ve moved fast, but other than restaurant date nights, I don’t think we’ve skipped much.
If you want some of those, though, I’m happy to plan them.
In case you haven’t figured it out, I’d do just about anything for you. ”
I laugh a little. “I figured that out when you asked me to marry you the day after we met in person.” I run my hands underneath his shirt, reveling in the feeling of his skin against mine. “And I don’t need fancy date nights. I just need you. Us.” My breath shudders. “This.”
He leans in and presses his lips to my neck. “And what does my wife need?”
“To feel you buried inside me.”
“Jade,” he groans.
“What? I’m getting better at using my words.”
“If you talk as dirty to me as your characters do in your books, I’ll come without you touching me.”
Leaning up, I nip his ear. “Something to try in the future. But for tonight, I need you. I need the physical and emotional all wrapped up together.”
His lips land on mine again, and my body goes all tingly and my legs feel like jelly.
Slowly, he breaks our kiss and pulls my shirt over my head before unclasping my bra.
Then he runs his finger down my right arm. “We need to keep this safe.” An easy grin appears, and he steps around me. “Finish getting naked while I get the bed ready for you.”
A chill rolls through me at his words, but I follow his instructions, dropping my shorts and underwear to the floor.
Carefully, I climb onto the bed, desire pooling inside me. I was thinking his caretaking might ebb now that I’m healing more, but I think it’s a part of him. No matter what, he’ll take care of me.
My heart beats harder at that.
He’s my person.
I’m not sure when it happened, but he became the one I rely on now. More than friendships. More than my dad. More than myself .
I lie down in the center of the bed, and he carefully props my arm up on some pillows, then stands up and strips down.
“I guess this means no rough sex for a bit.” He gives me a roguish smile.
“Mm, don’t tease me with what I can’t have.”
He climbs onto the bed with me. “Don’t worry, I promise you’ll enjoy every second of this.”
His thumb rolls over my clit as he pushes two fingers inside me.
“Yes. Justin. Please.”
He leans over me, moving his fingers slowly as he kisses my neck.
“Protection.”
“I have an IUD. And everything else is good.”
“Same. Not the IUD part.” We both laugh. He lifts his head, looking into my eyes. “Can I take you bare?”
I bite my lip at the thought. I can’t remember the last time I went bare with someone. Maybe my high school boyfriend after I got on birth control.
“God, yes.”
He pulls his hand away, and I groan at the lack of contact.
His hot gaze sweeps over me, a troublesome smirk on his lips. “Tell me what you like. What you need.”
I nod toward the bedside table. “My clit needs a lot of love. Grab one of my vibrators.”
He arches a brow. “ One of?”
The girlish giggle I let out makes his gaze harden with intensity.
“Open the drawer.”
Eyes on me, he pulls it open, and I watch his face as he looks inside.
“Damn, baby. This is quite a collection.” He pulls out the biggest one. It’s long and slightly cone-shaped with ripples. It’s a mix of purple and brown. “What is this? ”
I lock eyes with him, completely unashamed. “It’s meant to represent the Beast.”
He blinks a couple of times. “As in Beauty and the Beast ?”
“Yep.”
“Fuck,” he groans. “I can’t wait to use this on you.
But not tonight.” He puts it back and pulls out another.
“This one looks like even more fun.” He holds up the one that looks sort of like a teardrop and comes to a fine, malleable point that perfectly directs the vibrations.
It’s one of my favorites and not too bulky for use during sex or with another toy.
He turns it on the lowest setting and gently presses it to my clit.
“Can you get off just like this? Nothing else but these soft vibrations.”
“It depends how much you want to tease me. You might need to turn the vibrations up a little.”
“Not yet.”
He lies down next to me and sucks one of my nipples into his mouth.
The gasp I let out and the way I arch into him makes a rumble of a laugh slip from him.
My nipples are very sensitive and on occasion I’ve been able to get off on nipple stimulation alone. It’s not quite the same level of orgasm, but it still feels incredible. So combining nipple play with the vibrator on my clit…
Moaning, I reach up and tweak the nipple not in his mouth as the vibrator hits the right spot again and again, until?—
“Oh,” I cry as my orgasm washes over me.
Slowly, Justin pulls the vibrator away and lifts his mouth off me, his face morphing into smug satisfaction.
“Look at how easily you come for me.”
He sucks on my neck, then slowly kisses down my chest as my body thrums with desire.
Swirling his tongue along the edge of my belly button, he moves lower, kissing across my hips and down to my pelvis.
Then he grabs my thighs and lifts them up, sweeping his tongue between my legs and feasting on me.
“Justin…”
“You taste so damn good. I couldn’t resist a little snack.”
He sucks on my clit one last time, then sits back, roughly fingering me as he strokes his thick cock.
“Please,” I whimper.
“Please what, darlin’?”
“I need you inside me before I come again.”
He lets out a shuddery breath, then grabs my thighs again. “As you wish, wifey.”