Chapter 24
Skylar indulged in a hot bath, luxuriating in the warm water and the bath oil provided by the women. She stood to wash her hair in the shower before leaving the warm haven. The new panties and pajamas were a perfect fit, but she shivered with a chill when stepping into the hall. Wondering if Jeb had a robe she could borrow, she tiptoed into his bedroom while he was taking a shower.
There was no robe to be found, but she discovered one of his sweatshirts in the closet. Hoping he wouldn’t mind her borrowing it, she pulled it over her head, grinning to see that it hung down her thighs.
She turned to leave his room when her gaze was drawn to the view from the deck. As though her feet were on their own mission, she walked to the sliding glass door and snatched a blanket lying on the end of his bed. Pulling the door open, she slipped outside. The cool night air brushed her cheeks as she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.
She contemplated sitting on the deck floor but opted for one of the thick, cushioned chairs. Drawing up her legs, she wrapped her arms around her shins and rested her chin on her knees. She sucked in a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air as she gazed over the trees. In the distance was another neighborhood, and she could see a few houses. In the background were the mountains.
A breeze sent a chill through her, and she pulled up the hoodie of the sweatshirt, not wanting to retreat indoors too soon. She wanted to savor the newfound freedom, letting it permeate every cell of her body.
Her mind drifted back to her first daring climb out of the attic window at the Bakers’ house. Back then, the wide ledge offered a fearless perch for a young girl desperate for liberation. Now, as an adult, it seemed foolish and risky. Back then, it gave her a sanctuary to be alone with her thoughts. And now, as an adult who’d just come out of another situation where her choices had been taken away, she finally felt a sense of freedom once again.
She sensed Jeb’s presence before she heard the soft whoosh of the sliding glass open and she smiled. Enthralled with the view, she remained steadfast, her gaze facing forward.
He settled into the chair beside her, and they sat without speaking for several minutes. She didn’t attempt to guess his thoughts. She believed in the sanctity of private thoughts, understanding that not every silence needed to be filled with conversation.
Finally, he asked, “Are you warm enough?“
She twisted her head to see him staring at her and smiled. “I have your sweatshirt and blanket. I’m in good shape, but I should be asking you that question. Do you want to share my blanket?”
Neither spoke for a moment, and she felt sure he remembered when she offered to share a blanket when they sat on the window ledge.
He grinned and nodded. Standing, he stepped to her chair, and she allowed him to pull her to a stand. He sat down, then gently tugged on her hand to guide her to sit in his lap. She ensured the blanket was now wrapped around both of them.
It was a position of comfort. But the fact that her core was pressed against his crotch also made it a position of intimacy. They sat in silence for a few minutes before she said, “I can see why this was the reason you bought the house. It’s a lovely home on its own, but this view is so perfect for letting your mind wander.”
“I’ve sat out here so often, letting my mind do just that. Sometimes I think of work. Sometimes the past. Sometimes my parents. Sometimes I wonder about the future.“
“That’s why we were such good friends, Jeb. Even when I was younger, I could just sit and think. I wouldn’t have to try to solve all my problems, but I allowed myself the opportunity just to let thoughts drift through my mind.”
The sun had finally set, leaving darkness and the stars to share their view. An unbidden yawn slipped out, one she couldn’t have held in if she tried. His arms tightened around her, and she tucked her head against his shoulder, her forehead pressed just under his chin. She was relaxed, and the idea of falling asleep in his arms called to her. Uncertain whether she would spend the night in his bed or the guest room, she decided to let it be his call. After another wide yawn from her, he chuckled, and she felt the rumble of his chest against her shoulder.
“I think it’s bedtime, Skylar.”
She wanted to sit longer on the deck but knew he was right. She nodded, the top of her head moving underneath his chin. “I can barely hold my eyes open,” she confessed.
Without speaking again, he stood, and she expected her feet to land on the deck floor. Instead, he lifted her easily in his arms and managed to open the door, barely jiggling her. Once the door was closed behind them, he walked to his king-size bed and set her on the side.
Kneeling in front of her, with his palms on her thighs, he said, “You are more than welcome to sleep across the hall in the guest room if that’s what you prefer. I want you to be comfortable, but I’d love for you to sleep here with me. We’re both exhausted, but I think I’d sleep better if I knew you were safe.”
Her lips curved, and she nodded. “I’d like that too.”
“Good.” He pulled the blanket from around her and spread it over the foot of the bed. She pulled off his sweatshirt, and he draped it on the chair next to the bed. Instead of walking down to the other side, he crawled over her and settled in at her back, tucking her in tight.
She twisted her head and, seeing his face so close, couldn’t resist a light kiss. “Good night,” she whispered against his lips.
“Good night, Skylar. Catch you on the other side.”
With those words resounding in her ears, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
Swimming from the depths of a deep, restful sleep, Skylar luxuriated in the warm cocoon enveloping her. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings, she first noticed the early sunlight flooding through the sliding glass doors where the curtains had not been closed. She then realized the heaviness she felt was an arm securely wrapped around her middle and a thick thigh pressed between hers.
And if she wasn’t mistaken, Jeb’s erection was snuggled against her ass. She immediately wanted to press her legs together as she felt the flood of need fill her core. But considering his leg was between hers, she used what was available and rubbed herself on his thigh.
“Christ, woman. Did you wake up and start dry-humping me?”
She grinned at his sleep-rough voice. “Did you wake up and press your hard-on against my ass?” she quipped in return.
He chuckled and pulled her tighter against him, his erection proving her point. His hand slipped up to cup her breast, his fingers rolling her nipple. The chuckle died in his throat as he groaned, “You feel so good. You are the best way to wake up.”
She increased her movements on his thigh, but that only served to increase the need for more friction. Not willing to wait, she shoved her thumbs into the waistband of her pajama bottoms and slid them down, barely managing to untangle her legs, the sheets, and the pajamas. Finally kicking them off, she grabbed the bottom of her top.
His hands left her breasts as he took over, and she shifted as he wriggled her shirt off. She started to roll toward him, but his hands on her waist stopped her movements. “I want to keep going where we left off,” he mumbled, his teeth lightly nibbling on her earlobe. With his hands encircling her and her back to his chest, he cupped both breasts, gently rolling and tugging on her nipples. Vibrating need moved through her body, and she could have easily traced the path of nerves between her breast and core.
His leg was no longer between hers, so dry humping his thigh wasn’t a possibility. Desperate, she slid her hand over her mound, fingering the bundle of nerves that created a mind-numbing need that overtook all other thoughts. Sliding her finger through her slick folds, she was barely aware of his grunt in her ear as one of his hands continued to tease a breast while the other hand slid down her tummy, nudging her hand out of the way.
“I have you, Skylar,” he murmured.
His words were growled from deep inside his chest, and they reverberated throughout her body before settling in her mind. I’ve got you. Before any other cognizant thought hit her, he slid one finger inside her channel and crooked it in just the right way and just the right angle to cause a full-body shiver. Since her hand was no longer occupied with herself, she reached back to force her hand between their bodies, wrapping her fingers around his cock.
The nibbles on her earlobe turned to small bites as he worked his way from her ear to her shoulder, trailing biting kisses all along her neck. Between his mouth, his fingers tugging her nipple, and now his thumb pressed against the nerves as his fingers delved inside her sex, the coil that had tightened inside suddenly sprung loose.
If she thought she had full-body shivers earlier, it was nothing to what she felt now. It was as though her body had exploded from the inside, shattering into a million pieces before being quickly put back together again. If she’d looked in the mirror, she wouldn’t have observed the same Skylar she had always seen. This new composition created an image of herself that she’d never known. She easily acknowledged her intelligence and what she considered to be a passable appearance. But now, lying boneless in his arms, she felt desired and cared for.
She wanted to roll over and face him, but her body was like liquid. All she managed was to twist her head around to kiss him somewhat awkwardly. He didn’t seem to mind as he swept his tongue inside her willing mouth.
As his hand slid from her sex, he lifted her leg and placed the engorged head of his cock at her entrance from behind. Instinctively, she arched her back, shifting her hips toward him. He took advantage of the change of angle and thrust his cock fully into her sex.
She thought she’d lie in pleasant relaxation as he found his own release, but the change in position created such a new feeling that her body immediately electrified again. His cock thrust deep inside from behind as his hands moved between her breasts and still circled the bundle of nerves. His mouth nipped where her neck met her shoulder, and she was overwhelmed with sensations.
All her cares fell away. Everything that had pressed on her for months, even years disappeared from her mind.
“Are you close, sweet girl?”
The vibrations of his words were felt against her back as they left his lungs. The whisper of breath was felt along her shoulder. Unable to speak, she nodded.
He shifted his hands, changing the angle once more, and his thrust felt deeper, reaching a part of her she never knew existed. She broke again, the millions of pieces flying everywhere. But this time, his entire body tightened behind her, his muscles tensed, and he roared a primal sound as he fell apart with her.
His grip on her slowly eased as her shivers slowed, but his warmth remained. As his cock slid from her body, she took the opportunity to shift around to face him fully. His dark brown eyes held her captive. She remembered thinking he was so cute when she first saw him at the Bakers’ house. And as he became a teenager, she appreciated the tanned skin, dark hair, and stubble along his jaw.
But now, as an adult, she couldn’t believe this gorgeous man lay next to her. Smooth skin over defined muscles. Luscious lips that made her want to trace them with her finger and taste him with her tongue. The stubble was now a trimmed beard, and the dark hair was shorn close to his head. His body was a work of art, but she knew a sculptor could never capture the dark-eyed gaze she felt to her very marrow.
“If you keep staring at me like that, round two may come quicker than you think.”
She smiled, choking back a giggle. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, Jeb. I can’t help but stare at you.”
“I’m beautiful? Sweetheart, nothing is as breathtaking as you. From the first moment you opened the door when you were ten years old, I was captured by your eyes. So pale and so intense. And now, as a woman, no one holds a candle to you. You are all I can imagine ever wanting or having.”
“Wow,” she whispered, giving in to the urge to trace his lips with her forefinger. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll be ready for round two.”
His sensuous lips curved into a slow grin, and he took her mouth in a deep kiss. Their bodies were now pressed tightly together, her breasts against his chest, and their legs tangled. Their hands explored slowly, but their lips remained sealed together.
It was a while before they made their way downstairs for breakfast. But for her, it had been the greatest way to wake up. Glancing over her shoulder as he walked into the kitchen behind her, she took one look at his face, and it let her know that he also enjoyed their wake-up sex.
She knew they were living in a bubble but was determined to enjoy it before shit hit the fan.