26. Melissa
26
MELISSA
“ M mm— Jase ,” I moaned as he kissed up my ankles and shins. His wide hands worked the aches out of my muscles with a firm yet soothing touch.
I laid on my back, staring up into the dark room, still reeling from the day.
It had been one of those days where I thought back to the morning and couldn’t believe that we were still in the same twenty-four hour window.
It felt like it had been a century since Jase woke me up at the crack of evil to drive into Cherry Point.
I hadn’t even begun to grapple with the concept of us . The fact that we were an us was a mind-fuck.
Jase had stolen my heart with the most over the top, out of this world date, and then rocked my body and blown my mind with what we had just done in bed.
He kissed up the side of my inner thigh. My breath caught in my throat when I felt his tongue swipe through my still-throbbing pussy .
My skin was buzzing with the aftershocks of the best orgasm of my life. I’d be feeling the ache between my legs for days.
Groaning in delight as he sucked and flicked my clit with his tongue, I reached down and ran my fingers through his honey-colored hair.
It was longer now. He hadn’t been keeping up with the Navy standards for grooming since coming back, and I loved it. Jason looked more like the boy next door that I remembered. The floppy surfer hair suited him.
His tongue dipped into my pussy as he lapped shallow strokes inside me. I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding his head against the apex of my thighs.
“That feels so good,” I whimpered as I felt the butterfly tremors deep inside.
He hummed against my skin, sending vibrations skittering through my wetness.
Reluctantly, I let go of his hair. He probably needed to come up for air. If I didn’t want to have to do CPR on the guy who just fucked me into oblivion, I probably shouldn’t smother him with my thighs.
With slow hands, he worked his way up to my lips—touching, teasing, tasting everything my body had to offer.
We were sticky with sweat. The sheets needed to be changed, but Jase didn’t seem bothered.
He scooped me up, cradling me in his arms as he settled against my mountain of pillows. He cupped my jaw and stroked my cheek like I was the most precious thing in the world.
The tenderness of the moment made tears prick at my eyes.
Melissa Renee Jacobsen, you will not be the girl that cries after sex. Dammit. Pull your shit together.
Jason lowered his lips to mine, barely grazing them as he smiled. “You did so good, baby.” He peppered my skin with kisses. First the corner of my eye, then my temple, and my forehead. “I knew you’d be perfect.”
“Jase—” I curled into him as a tear slid out of the corner of my eye. I lifted my hand to deal with it, but he beat me to it, kissing it away.
He pulled me closer, shifting so my cheek pressed against his heart. He brushed my hair out of my face before hooking a finger under my chin and forcing me to look up at him. “Are you okay?”
I closed my eyes and simply soaked in the moment. The warmth of his arms around me. The steady beat of his heart. The gentle press of his lips against the top of my head. The way his fingers stroked my skin like he wasn’t satisfied with being still—he had to explore all of me.
He kissed my forehead but didn’t pull away. Instead, he spoke against my skin. “Baby, I need you to tell me if I hurt you.” He punctuated it with another soft kiss.
I shook my head. “No—no, not at all. I’m just… That felt so good.”
Jase slid his hand behind my knee and hitched my leg up, so my thigh was across his waist. Back and forth, he stroked my skin. Caressing, skimming, massaging.
The ceiling fan made goosebumps crop up on my skin. Before I could say a thing, Jase was pulling the blankets over us, making sure I was tucked in, warm and safe.
“This feels so good,” I said, snuggling into his side. I was hours overdue for a shower. Walking around outside at the air show in the blistering summer heat made me sweat in places I didn’t even know was possible. But there was no way in hell I was peeling myself off Jase until I absolutely had to.
“I’m sleeping in here tonight,” he stated, leaving absolutely no room for an argument. Not that I was going to argue about that.
It had been a long time since I’d slept with someone after sex. Hell, I couldn’t actually remember when the last time had been. I didn’t bring dates back to my place, and I wasn’t a stay-the-night kind of girl.
“I sleep like a starfish,” I warned. “I sleep in the middle of the bed, I hog blankets, and I move all over the place throughout the night. I can’t be held liable if I kick you or something.”
He craned down and kissed me, slipping his tongue into my mouth without a moment of hesitation.
I could still taste myself on his lips. If I was being honest, it was fucking hot. Sampling the flavor of my arousal on his lips sent a zing of pleasure straight between my legs.
His palm covered one ass cheek, and he squeezed. “I’ll take my chances. Besides, you won’t be able to thrash around if I’m holding you.” Nibbling my lower lip, he added, “I don’t plan on letting you go.”
We laid together for what felt like forever. I didn’t know if it was midnight or nearing morning. I had one more day off before a four-day stretch of twelve-hour shifts. The responsible part of my brain told me I needed to get some sleep. The horny part of my brain was filibustering to try and eke another orgasm out of the night.
My eyes were heavy, lids half-mast. I was in that glorious twilight-zone delirium that washes over right before my body succumbed to the need to sleep.
The bed shifted, and I hummed in confusion. “What?”
Jase carried me—naked—into the bathroom and sat me down on the lip of the vanity. I waited, my legs dangling in the air, while he ran a bath and filled the tub with bubbles. Without a word, he scooped me up and lowered me into the tub.
I groaned as I soaked in the warm water. “God, that feels good.”
“You’ll be sore tomorrow,” he said, kneeling outside the tub, dipping his hand in the water, and stroking my knee. Jase’s green eyes searched me for any sign of discomfort. It was gentle and completely disarming.
I cracked a smile, dripping bubbles over his arm as I reached out and wrapped my hand around his. “Is this where I’m supposed to fawn over the size of your dick?”
Jase chuckled. “No, smart-ass. I was talking about your ride-along with Bugs. You’ll hurt tomorrow. Flying at those speeds, pulling Gs—it’s hard on your body even if you’re in great shape.” He paused, dipping his hand beneath the surface to tease my pussy with his finger. “But you’ll probably be a little sore here, too.”
I giggled and splashed him. “Get out of here, McGrath.”
He laughed as he leaned over the edge of the tub and kissed me. “Don’t test me, Goose. I’ve got things to do, but I’ll hop in that bathtub with you. It’ll be hella awkward, too. We’ll have to sit criss-cross applesauce, facing each other, but I’ll do it.”
“Now, who’s the smart-ass?” I ragged as he slipped out of the bathroom.
Apparently, what Jason felt he had to do was change the bedding and make me a snack.
I padded into the bedroom, wrapped in a towel, and was greeted with a freshly made bed. The corners were so crisply tucked that Kristin would weep with joy. A plate of sliced apples, grapes, mixed nuts, and cheeses sat on top of the comforter. Jase had made me a mini charcuterie board to snack on before we went to bed.
“Okay, seriously,” I said as I popped a cube of cheddar in my mouth and chased it with a bite from an apple slice. “Be real with me. How the hell has some woman not locked you down yet?”
He grabbed a green grape, chewing slowly before answering. “A lot of things,” he began. “I got serious in relationships a few times, but there was always something that got in the way. Another deployment. New orders. Her realizing that when we said, ‘I do,’ I wasn’t going to resign my commission.”
I hummed something noncommittal.
“What about you?” he asked. “Ever come close to wedding bells?”
“Not as close as Bridget is cutting it,” I mumbled.
Jase’s hackles were already raised. “Has she said anything to you about it? Her getting married?” The worry was etched into deep lines around his eyes and brow. He poked around at some cashews but never ate one. “I just… Fucking can’t believe she didn’t tell me she was engaged,” he croaked out, half frustrated and half devastated.
Before I could respond, he shrugged it off with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to ruin the moment.” He squeezed my calf as he sat up and arranged my legs so that my feet were in his lap. As he began working his knuckles into my arches, he said, “You ever get close to getting married?”
I shook my head, forcing the lump in my throat to go away. “No. Never. My prospects rarely make it past the vetting process, much less the first date.”
The sound of his low laugh made me melt like a damn popsicle. “And here I am, threatening you with white dresses and diaper changing.” He licked his lips as he stared at me with an intensity that, from anyone else, would make me defensive.
But not Jase.
Under his gaze, I preened.
“I’m sorry if this is moving too fast for you.” He wasn’t actually apologetic, and I didn’t mind. He was merely acknowledging that this thing between us felt slightly insane, but also very right.
I looked down, turning the pecan pinched between my fingers. “How did you know? ”
“Know what, baby?” he asked, grabbing a cheese cube.
I stared at the ridges on the pecan. It was such an awkward thing to bring up. It made me feel self-absorbed—like I just had to know his every waking thought about me from twenty years ago. But I really had to know this.
“How did you know you wanted me?” I said quietly. “We were just kids back then. And it’s been a long time. Things change. People change.”
If I thought I was going to shake Jason with the question, I was wrong. He calmly picked up the plate and set it on the nightstand beside the glass of water he had carried in for me.
“Come here.”
I moved without question, sliding into his waiting arms. He cocooned me in his embrace, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the crook of my neck.
“You’re an incredible woman, Melissa.”
Hearing him use my full name sent shivers down my spine.
People rarely called me Melissa. It was always Mel. Just Mel. One of the guys. The girl next door. The nurse who was into CrossFit, paddleboarding, and rock climbing. The girl who couldn’t cook to save her life and could only successfully make one measly casserole without burning the place down or giving everyone food poisoning.
But to Jason, I was Melissa.
“You’re gorgeous. You’re strong as hell. That alone is a goddamn aphrodisiac. You’re smart, driven, and you care for others more than anyone I’ve ever met. I don’t know if I believe in love at first sight, but what I do know is that people can fall in love at any age. Kids aren’t blinded by careers or finances. Their judgment isn’t clouded by adult stress. They just see their person and know deep inside that they’re meant to be together.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of my shoulder. “I felt that every time I was near you.”
“Then why did you leave?” I asked quietly. “And why did it take you twenty years to come back to me?”
His sigh was barely audible, but I felt the weight of it. Regret. “I had to.”