17. Lyric
LYRIC
“ H mm,” I murmur into Jagger’s neck. I’m not sure what time it is, and I’m not sure I care.
After yesterday and us spilling our guts to one another, this time him more than me, everything felt right, almost perfect.
I didn’t vocalize my realization, to worried I’d jinx our luck and things would fall to pieces.
“Morning, gorgeous,” Jagger says. His voice is raspy with the weight of sleep.
He presses a kiss to the top of my head, and I snuggle deeper into his body.
The slight tinge of pain between my legs causes me to stop rubbing my legs together.
I’m out of commission in the sex department.
Jagger’s length and width combined with my unused muscles being put to work the past two days means I’m tender.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” I ask, wondering if he’s going to roll out of bed with bruises from my incessant moving .
“Yeah, only woke up once.” Well, shit. Looks like I did, in fact, perform a circus act in my sleep.
“I’m sorry. I’ll go home at the end of the night, promise.” I lift my body away from his in order to prop myself up on an elbow, and I’m about to slide the covers off Jagger’s body to survey how badly I’ve beaten him up.
“Lili, you didn’t move, and when you did, it’s because we resituated with how I wanted to hold you.” I raise the sheet and comforter, looking down the length of his naked body, unbelieving what I’m hearing.
“Are you sure?” I ask, peeking beneath but not seeing any red marks or black and blue bruises. The only thing that’s holding my attention is his thick, firm body. Even in a relaxed state, Jagger’s muscles are stacked. There’s also his cock, lying against his abdomen, hard and more than ready.
“Positive, gorgeous. The only thing that hurts on me right now is my cock.” My hand drifts below the sheets, tracing each line in his abdomen, every dip and crevice of his abs.
I can hear the deep inhale of his breath and see how it moves his body with my eyes.
“Lyric.” His grunt hits me between my legs as I slip lower down his abdomen.
The light patch of hair meets the tips of my fingers, and I creep further, wrapping my hand around his dick.
A hiss of breath leaves Jagger’s lips, and just as I’m about to get on my knees and slither down to take the head of his cock in my mouth, his phone interrupts us.
“You should get that,” I say after it keeps ringing.
“Fuck. I’ll be silencing the damn thing from now on.” My hand slides lower, meeting the root of his shaft, and while I want to keep this up, the moment Jagger answers the phone, I start to pull back.
“This better be fucking good, Trent.” I smirk.
Jagger places his hand on top of mine, holding me there.
A soft meow captures my attention. I look from the man whose attention is on the phone call to the side of Jagger’s bed.
This time when I abandon his length, he allows it.
Last night, I mentioned wanting Shadow to sleep with us.
Jagger shook his head, as if he was going to tell me no.
Which he did, by the way, but only because his bed is sky high and I have to use my knee or have a running start to get in it myself.
He didn’t want Shadow to jump down and hurt herself or for her to try and jump and end up doing similar.
She’s yet to make it on the couch, though she’s been trying, and while Jagger was right, I didn’t like it.
“Yeah, give me a minute. I’ve got to get my laptop to see what’s going on schedule wise.
” Jagger lifts up, and I grab the sheets to cover myself from the cold air.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t deter him in the least. I watch as he bends down, scooping up Shadow in one hand and bringing her to his chest. She rubs her nose against his skin.
The girl knows what she’s doing. He holds her there for a minute while listening to Trent on the other end of the line, making noises in agreement or disagreement; I’m not really sure, and I don’t really care.
I’m too busy watching the man I love be affectionate with a cat he rescued.
“You good, Lyric?” I’m asked, breaking my gaze from where Shadow is snuggled into his chest and move to Jagger’s face.
“Never better. Give me the kitten and go do your thing.” I hold my hands out for Shadow.
I’m greeted with a smirk and my request is answered without hesitation.
Shadow purrs, nuzzling into the shirt I’m wearing.
The sheet fell from my hands when I accepted her, and she takes comfort in securing a place on me.
I settle back into the pillows, propping them so I can sit up and realizing I should have asked Jagger for a toy for her to play with.
“Be right back,” he tosses over his shoulder, then walks down the hall naked like the day he was born.
I trace my finger along her snout, and she moves her head into it, silently asking for more.
Shadow and I hang out for a while. She bats at my hair with her paw, and I move it off my neck, fixing the collar of my shirt and my necklace when Jagger walks back in.
“When did you put that on?” He nods at the chain around my neck.
He’d given me the necklace when we were teenagers.
I wore it since the day he gave it to me on our last Christmas we spent together.
I didn’t take it off until six months after he went silent, or what I thought was him going quiet.
I never got rid of it. Instead, I put it in my jewelry box and kept it in there until yesterday, when I transferred it into my purse.
After we showered last night, Jagger washing me and me returning the favor, I pilfered his shirt.
Then moved through the house and into the foyer, where I hung my bag earlier in the day to find what I was looking for.
A minute or so later, it was back where it belonged.
Around my neck. Either Jagger didn’t notice it last night, or it ended up tucked beneath the fabric.
“Last night,” I reply .
“I like my present from years ago wrapped around you.” He gets lost in thought. I continue playing with Shadow, allowing him to have a moment to himself. It’s not until he climbs in beside me, wrapping his arm behind my back, and pulling me into the comfort of his body, that I reply.
“I like it, too. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Briar has a dance recital this week. We’re invited.
Trent wanted to make sure I didn’t have anything going on since they always start at five o’clock.
I told him we’d be there. Afterwards, they’re having dinner at their place.
Our group has gotten too big to even think about having a dinner out unless we reserve a room, and doing it this way, the kids can play until they fall asleep, and the adults can talk.
” Jagger’s finger drags along my neck where the chain sits.
“Okay, is there anything we can bring?” I ask, unsure how we’ll be able to keep it cold or hot while we’re watching Briar’s performance.
I’d have much rather reacquainted myself with the guys and formally met everyone before attending a function where others will be around, but there’s no way I’ll tell Jagger no.
Especially when he already told Trent I’d be there.
“Nah, they’re catering everything. Usually, we’d all pitch in, but with this happening in the middle of the week, it’s easier to order from Briar’s favorite place.
I hope you like pasta, breadsticks, and salad.
And I’m sure there will be sweets. Briar has a sweet tooth that can’t be denied.
Cake, ice cream, candy, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s full of sugar.
” I make a mental note to pick something up along those lines for after her dance.
I’m certain an almost eight-year-old might like flowers, but if she has a sweet tooth, she’ll appreciate that more.
“I think I can hold my own with that type of food. I’m not a picky eater, Jagger.
” We ate pizza in bed the night before and breakfast yesterday.
Both of us skipped lunch since we gorged on our food earlier, and last night, Jagger cooked for me yet again.
This time, he fired up the grill before he made us drinks, him a bottle of beer and me having the same.
I’d have preferred a crisp white wine, but it’s not like he would have known that or been prepared.
While he took care of the meat and veggies, zucchini and squash, I went through his pantry and found the last of our meal: rice.
A quick and easy side which made it nice I didn’t have to spend all my time inside and could instead enjoy the back patio.
Jagger’s pool and deck are massive, and the stone from the front facade is carried throughout.
I made a mental note to bring my bathing suit the next time I came over in order to enjoy the water. Although I’m more than sure Jagger would be alright if I stripped out of my clothes and dove in naked, and he would more than likely join me.
“I’m only warning you because the place she loves is hit or miss. Hopefully, it’s decent. I’ve got one more bit of news I’d like to hit you with.” I arch my neck to look up at him.
“Alright, give it to me.” Shadow moves from my chest to Jagger’s, curling up on him, doing that cute thing with her paws where she stretches them in and out before settling into him.
“You’re not going to like this, especially after you just got everything set up.
So, here goes. I think you should stay here with me until the rest of the house is finished.
” I wrinkle my nose. Jagger chuckles; he already knows I’m going to give him a run for his money.
“Yes, I’m asking because I selfishly want you here, and while I’d love nothing else than to stay with you at your place, I’ve got Shadow, and you have to admit, you slept last night. ”
Why does he have to make perfectly good sense?
Plus, I had to hit the laundromat before I moved into my bedroom, and while I’m not above it, it’s a pain in the ass.
There’s also no kitchen, which means eating out or pre-packaged food at the very least, a very unappealing thought.
Eleanor and Troy would probably help me out, but I don’t want to be a burden to them, either.
“I can’t believe I’m giving in this easily.
You promise once the house is finished, we can go back and forth?
” I’ll never get rid of my house, and while the thought of not living inside the walls of my own home sucks, living without Jagger will suck worse.
In a different world, we’d have children, maybe hand it down to them one day, except I told Jagger I didn’t want them.
A decision I’ve found myself waffling on in the last twenty-four hours and can only assume will get worse when I see him around Briar and Sebastian this week.
“I promise.” He sticks his pinky finger out, I place mine alongside his, Jagger wraps it up entirely, and then holds mine with it.
“I love you, Jagger.”
“I love you, too, Lyric. Now, what do you say we make some breakfast, then head to your place, grab some clothes, and come back here?” I don’t respond.
Instead, I tilt my head up, and he meets me more than halfway, sealing our plans with a kiss.
One that’s deep, tongues sweeping against each other, eyes closing, and him growling into my mouth as he cups the back of my head.