“What’s that, Princess?”
“You,” she told him and watched his eyes flare, his body jerk up from his slouch against the door. “I love you, Jonas.”
“Jacey, you don’t have to,” he started to say but she stopped him by leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips.
“I know I don’t have to, Jonas,” she said. “I want to. I realized some stuff this morning when I went home.”
“Like what?” he asked, reaching down to pull his underwear and jeans back up and tug the zipper. He took her hand and led her over to sit on the side of his bed, facing one another.
“I realized how much you mean to me,” she said. “I count on you, to be there for me no matter what.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean you love me,” he told her. “I count on a lot of people who I don’t love.”
She laughed. “When something happens, good or bad, you’re the first person I think of sharing it with. Not Dee. Not Mischa. You. When I’m happy or sad or lonely, it’s you I think of. I didn’t pay attention to that before. Just didn’t realize until you told me to find someone else to talk to.”
“I’m sorry, Jacey,” he told her. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did,” she said. She cupped his face and kissed him softly again on the lips, trying to take the sting out of her confession. “I’m glad you did because it really opened my eyes.” She smiled at him. “You made me cry, Jonas.”
“Oh god,” he growled. “I’m so sorry.”
She just laughed. “No guy has ever made me cry before.”
“Not exactly making me feel good here.”
“Don’t you see? They couldn’t make me cry because they didn’t mean anything to me. But you made me cry. You made me cry because you mean everything to me. It broke my heart when you sent me away. And when I saw you walk in with that woman—”
“She was a mistake,” he vowed, interrupting her. “An incessantly chatty, couldn’t-wait-for-dinner-to-be-over mistake.”
“Good.” She grinned.
“You love me?” he asked softly.
“Yeah, I really do,” she said. “I—”
“Shhhh,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. He hugged her tight, rubbing his hands up and down her spine.
“So how badly do you want to go on that motorcycle ride today?” he asked.
She laughed. “I’ve really been looking forward to it since you mentioned it, Jonas.”
He sighed, releasing her and standing up. Her eyes immediately dropped to his crotch and the now-hidden cock that she’d just satisfied so well.
“No more of that,” he said, undoing the zipper just long enough to adjust himself before fastening his jeans closed. He walked over and scooped up his shirt from the floor and pulled it on. “We’re more than sex, Jacey.”
“Yeah.” She nodded and stood up, walked over to him. Sex was easy for her. They both knew that. After all she’d shared with him over the years he probably knew her better than she did. Every relationship she’d tried had been based on sex, and they’d all faded quickly. He wanted more than that from her and she wanted to give him more. She wanted to give him everything.
“So you want that motorcycle ride then?” she whispered.
“I think it’d be a good idea to get out for a bit. And I’d like to take you out.”
“Think you can handle me rubbing against your back while we ride?” she asked, kissing him on the jaw.
“Just keep your hands above the waist, Jacey,” he told her.
She stroked her hands up his sides, over his chest, across her shoulders and up his neck. “Promise,” she whispered.
“Fuck,” he moaned, making her laugh.
It didn’t matter where she touched him, she’d still turn him on. And they both knew it.
Chapter Nine
The cookout had been a last-minute idea but her friends had rallied and shown up. Jonas had asked if she wanted to pick up some steaks to grill and she’d said how much she loved summer grilling with friends. They’d just rolled with it and now their friends were here with more food and beer than they could possibly consume.
“Look at them,” Jacey said, shaking her head and Dee and Mischa glanced out the kitchen window that overlooked the backyard.
Jonas was at the grill with Jack while Clint sprawled at the picnic table. Jack and Jonas were arguing over something, that much was obvious. Clint was just laughing. But the three men were relaxed and got along so well. It made the women watching them happy.