Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Liam
“Ready for your surprise?”
Jenna’s eyes brightened, and she nodded eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was fucking adorable, and I loved having her here in my house with me, so radiant. If she didn’t know it yet, she’d soon learn that I’d do anything to keep her this way.
Her happiness was a balm to my soul after the stress of the last few days.
I hated being at work when she needed me.
Luckily, she hadn’t put up too much resistance to Hayden joining her and the girls and then following her home after.
She’d just laughed at me the next day when Conor, a game warden who was a friend of mine, just happened to show up at the library near closing to pick out a book for his daughter.
I texted her before he arrived so she’d know he was there on my behalf, and she let him follow her home, too.
I was glad she hadn’t pushed back, but I was worried and furious too, because I knew the only reason she’d accept such protection was if she was nervous.
At least I’d been there today, and I’d loved seeing her at work.
I was no expert on children’s libraries, but hers was amazing.
Every detail was designed to engage the kids.
Even with the construction, she’d rearranged things to keep the kids well away from that area.
I’d barely seen or heard anything from the construction zone.
She was great with the children, and it was obvious how much they loved and respected her.
I would’ve been content to just watch her all day if she hadn’t kept sneaking little looks at me.
Looks that hinted at thoughts that were not work-appropriate.
Looks that made me eagerly count down the minutes until we could finally get back here to my house where, hopefully, I could keep her just as happy and carefree as she looked now.
“Yeah?” I teased, pulling myself back into the moment. “You sure you want to see it?”
“Yes!”
My fingers traced the soft skin of her beautiful face, and I tilted her head up to look into her eyes. “Will you close your eyes and let me take you into the backyard?”
“Yes,” she answered softly.
Damn, her trust in me was everything. I gave her a slow, sweet kiss, and led her into the backyard I’d created with her in mind. With dreams of quiet evenings, laughter-filled days, and Thor chasing after our future kids.
“Open your eyes.” My voice came out husky and rough.
Jenna’s jaw dropped as she took it all in.
I’d finished the redwood deck with a rich, natural stain and furnished it with a patio table and barbecue.
To the left, a path led to a fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs.
Next to that, I’d built a pergola with a porch swing and draped fairy lights around it.
To the right was a hot tub, glowing from the underwater light and the flameless candles I’d placed on the edge.
But even with all that, Jenna’s gaze stopped on the three-foot-tall Connect Four game on the deck.
“You got me Connect Four,” she breathed.
My heart swelled, warmth spreading through my chest, and a low chuckle rumbled out. “And a porch swing and a hot tub.”
Her beautiful blue eyes were wide and sparkling. “For me?”
“Well, I didn’t get them so I could snuggle with Ryan.”
She threw her arms around me. “Liam, this is beautiful. I love it.”
“And you’ll snuggle with me on the porch swing and in the hot tub?”
“Every day!” Jenna’s cheeks blushed a beautiful pink. “Uh, I mean, I’d love to.”
“Every day sounds perfect. I can’t get enough of you, Firefly.”
She looked at the hot tub, an adorable pout on her lips. “I wish I had a bathing suit. I’ll bring one tomorrow.”
I grinned, one step ahead of her. “Actually, I have one for you. Juliette helped me. She wanted me to take one from your bedroom when I was there, but I refused. That’s your space, and I’d never violate your privacy like that, so she ordered you a new one. I hope it fits.”
“Liam. That’s the sweetest, most thoughtful thing ever.”
I pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. “Anything for you. How about some Connect Four while I start the barbecue?”
After we’d eaten grilled steak and asparagus on the deck and Jenna had beaten me four to one in a competitive best-of-seven series, I asked her what she’d like to do next.
“Want to see if that bathing suit fits and we can go in the hot tub? Or we can make a fire and relax on the swing?” I kept my voice neutral, but I hoped she'd pick the hot tub. I’d been fantasizing about it all week.
“I’d love to go in the hot tub.”
Hell yeah! “There’s a bag in the kitchen, on the island. Juliette told me to tell you there’s a note in there that you should read first.”
I hurried inside to change and grab towels, then waited on the deck for her.
Jenna was gone for longer than I expected, but it was worth every second when she reappeared in the doorway looking like a fucking vision.
A pale pink bikini crisscrossed her chest, showing off her perfect tits and practically every inch of her soft skin, and damn, my hands itched to touch her.
My heart was ready to beat out of my chest, and my cock was trying his best to break free too. “Firefly, you’re gorgeous,” I murmured.
It took longer than it should have for some blood to flow back up to my brain before I realized she hadn’t moved yet—unless you counted her eyes getting impossibly bigger.
Shit. “If you aren’t comfortable in that, I’ll drive you back home to get your own bathing suit.
I’m sorry. I thought Juliette would get something more your style. ”
Jenna blinked, steadying herself. “It’s okay.
She did. There were two bathing suits. This and a one-piece.
Her note said to remember what I’d told her, and if I could, wear the bikini.
If I wasn’t ready, wear the one-piece and save the bikini for another day.
And then she said I’d look hot either way. ”
“She was right. You’re hot no matter what you wear. What did you tell her?”
“That I really like you, and I trust you, and I want more with you.”
I closed the distance between us and speared my hands into her hair, holding her in place a safe distance from me and my raging boner, and I poured every emotion into kissing her.
I pulled away just enough to nibble her bottom lip and whisper against her mouth, “I like you a whole lot too, Firefly.” I kissed her again.
“Your trust means everything to me.” Another kiss.
“And I’ll give you everything you want, but that starts with you being comfortable.
” I pulled back further so I could meet her eyes. “Are you comfortable in this?”
She nodded, and it wasn’t the most convincing, but part of reclaiming her bodily autonomy was making decisions without being questioned.
“Come on then, let's get into the hot tub.” I had a mission for the night. Make her feel so good, so comfortable, so sexy, that she truly would feel good in that bikini. I took her hand and led her to the hot tub.
She moaned as she stepped into the hot water, and I didn’t think it was possible for my cock to get any harder, but lo and behold, it did.
I quickly stepped in behind her, hiding my erection beneath the bubbles before she sat and came eye to eye with it.
I sat next to her, keeping my gaze firmly on her beautiful face and not on the water lapping at her tits.
She clearly did not have the same compunction.
Her ocean blue eyes turned dark and stormy as they roamed my chest and tattoos.
I counted the stars in the sky, trying to calm myself.
To let her look her fill and get comfortable with me.
To think of any reasonable topic of conversation other than how sexy she was.
Jenna laughed nervously. “I didn’t wear this so you wouldn’t look at me.”
I trailed my fingers down her arm, watching goosebumps pop up, even in the hot water. “No pressure, Firefly. Ever. Not even when you’re wearing a sexy-as-fuck bikini in what’s arguably one of the most romantic settings there is. I’m thrilled just to be here with you.”
“Your…uh…your penis did look pretty thrilled about it.”
My penis was not at all thrilled with that. Penis was a word a young girl would use, one who was thinking about penises long before she should have.
“Don’t call it a penis,” I growled. “I’m guessing that’s how you thought of his, right?
” I didn’t give her a chance to answer. I didn’t want her to think of his fucking penis any more than she already was.
“Mine is nothing like his. You can call it a cock or dick, or freaking call it my rod or member or manhood, anything other than the same as his.”
She giggled. “I’m not calling it some cheesy name from a bad romance novel. What do you call it?”
“Cock.”
“Cock.” She tried out the word. “Your cock looks pretty excited about this.”
Fuck, she looked sexy saying cock, and mine was damn excited. “It is. But there’s still no pressure.”
“What if I feel pressure?”
Guilt pierced through me. “You do? No, Firefly, I’m so sorry!”
“Not from you.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “From me. My body. I keep thinking about you and feeling things. Things I’ve never felt before.”
I was an idiot. I was taking my time, and she was left waiting and wanting on her own.
She’d said similar things before, but not like this.
I held her face, and she met my gaze, her eyes calm and confident.
Needy. Ready. Blood surged through my veins.
“Yeah, Firefly? You want to try some things tonight? You want me to make you feel good?”
She nodded and smiled, but then she looked into the water in the direction of my cock. Bubbles covered the surface, so I knew she couldn’t see anything, which was probably good, the way my cock was straining toward her, harder than it had ever been, but still, doubt crept into her expression.
“Nope, this has nothing to do with him tonight. It’s all about you.”
Her eyes jumped to mine, panic flaring. “I, uh…I thought we’d have sex.”
That was a hard no. Not when she was still so nervous. “I have an idea for something to try that doesn’t involve touching you with my hands or my cock.”
She tilted her head, her expression not quite panicked, but not exactly eager either. “I’m listening?”
If I fucked this up, I could ruin her trust in me, in us.
Or even worse, in herself. Praying I was making the right choice, I threaded my fingers through her hair and kissed her, slow and sweet.
When I felt her relax, I deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth until her sweet, desperate little mewls told me she was ready.
“The hot tub jets feel good on your back, yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I nipped her lip. “How do you think they’ll feel on your pussy?”
I pulled back just enough to see her eyes widen. Darken. Her mouth agape.
“You want to try that, Firefly?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
I held my hands out, and when she put her hands in mine, I pulled her to stand and turned her around. She immediately stiffened. Fuck. “I’m not going to touch you, and my cock is nowhere near you. I’m not going to let it touch you, I promise.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” I said calmly, but my heart was jackhammering in my chest. Please don’t let me fuck this up.
I sank lower into the water, squatting to move my hard-as-steel cock away from her, and kissed the back of her neck, my hands caressing her arms until I felt her relax again. “Lean back, rest your head on me.”
Jenna’s head fell back against my left shoulder, and my right arm crossed over her body, my forearm grazing her barely covered tits. She arched, pressing her chest into my arm, and I smoothed her hair back, my arm sliding over her peaked nipples. “Feet up, Firefly. Put them on the wall.”
I slid my other hand under Jenna’s back and lifted her, bringing her just close enough for her feet to touch the edge directly in front of a jet.
“Oh!” she gasped, her wide eyes locking onto mine.
God, she was gorgeous like this. My lips crashed desperately onto hers.
“Liam!”
“You feel that?”
She nodded fervently.
I traced her flushed face, letting my forearm tease over her chest. “Want to get closer?”
“Yes!”
I stepped closer to the edge, and she spread her legs and bent her knees, dropping them to the sides, opening herself up to the bubbles rolling against her pussy. She let out a garbled cry.
I kissed her, swallowing her sounds of pleasure. “That feel good, Firefly?”
“Yes!” she panted. “Liam, it’s so good!”
Her hands came up and grabbed my arm. Her stomach muscles clenched. I imagined her pussy clenching, too, how it would strangle my cock. “Jenna, you’re beautiful.”
“Touch me.”
“Where?”
She moved my hand over her breast.
I traced the curves spilling over top of her bikini. “You want me to touch your tits?”
“Yes,” she moaned.
I closed my hand over one, gently kneading it before moving to the other.
“Liam!” She dug her nails into my forearm and every muscle in her body tensed. Her eyes latched onto mine, wide open, filled with desperate need and…confusion. Fear, even.
“I’ve got you, Firefly. Let go.” I kissed and caressed her. “Let yourself feel good.”
She cried out my name again, holding tight to me.
“I’ve got you, Firefly. You’re safe.”
And then she let go and came apart in my arms and it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever had the honor of witnessing.