Chapter Sixteen
When Sawyer opened her eyes, it took her a moment to remember where she was. She was on her side, and the sage green of the wall she faced was unfamiliar, as was the soft duvet covering her nakedness, as was the warm body wrapped around her from behind like a vine of ivy.
That’s when she remembered.
Jenna.
They were spooning, and even though Jenna was the smaller of the two of them, she was playing big spoon, her entire front pressed to Sawyer’s back.
Sawyer could feel every inch of her—Jenna’s breasts against her shoulder blades, Jenna’s knees tucked up under hers, Jenna’s warm center pressed to her ass.
Jenna was breathing softly and evenly, her nose near Sawyer’s shoulder, and her arm was wrapped around Sawyer’s torso, her hand loose and relaxed even as it skimmed Sawyer’s breast.
Sawyer never wanted to move again. Ever. She could just stay here, right? Just like this? For always? Was that asking too much?
Behind her, Jenna stirred, did that big intake of breath a person does when they’re just waking up, and Sawyer could feel her muscles tense as she tightened and released them, a subtle stretch. Sawyer grasped the hand near her breast and gave it a squeeze, then pressed it to her lips.
“Morning,” Jenna said quietly near her ear. “You’re still here.”
“I am.”
“No sticky note.” She could feel Jenna grin against her hair.
“No sticky note.”
Jenna took in a deep, full breath, then let it out slowly and pulled herself up against Sawyer more tightly. “Can we just stay like this all day?”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“It’s my day off,” Jenna said. “But I know you have to work.”
And in that moment, Sawyer decided she wasn’t going anywhere. Their phones sat side by side on the nightstand, and she reached out to grab hers. It took her less than two minutes to send a text to her boss. She set the phone back down and turned around so she could see Jenna’s sleepy gaze.
“There. Now it’s my day off, too.” The way Jenna’s face lit up, like the proverbial child on Christmas morning, did things to Sawyer’s heart. Warm, happy things. She arched an eyebrow as she asked, “What should we do now?”
Jenna’s smile was mischievous and sexy. “Oh, I have a few ideas…”
The next time Sawyer opened her eyes, she was alone in the bed.
Jenna’s bed. The sun was just coming up, a sliver of it sneaking in past the blinds.
She was warm and sated, and when she stretched, there was a pleasant soreness along her inner thighs.
Her brain tossed her a memory of Jenna holding her legs apart so she could taste every bit of her center, so she had full access and could slide her fingers in and out, keeping Sawyer at her mercy, and Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Sawyer’d had an orgasm that had rocked her fucking world.
She lay there, grinning like a fool with her arm thrown over her eyes, and let herself remember.
After a few moments—and when the delicious scent of coffee wafted up from the first floor—she decided she didn’t want to lie there alone any longer.
Searching through random piles of clothing on the floor, she found her joggers from last night.
She stepped into her pants and looked all over but couldn’t find her sweatshirt.
She saw Jenna’s lying there, and with a grin, she picked it up.
It still smelled like her, and Sawyer took a big breath while it was over her head, taking in that intoxicating scent of night jasmine and Jenna.
A quick stop in the bathroom later, she headed downstairs.
In the doorway of the kitchen, she stopped, leaned against the doorjamb, and just watched, her heart filling with something she wasn’t quite ready to deal with.
Jenna—wearing Sawyer’s sweatshirt—was cooking, humming quietly as she did.
Bacon sizzled in a frying pan, and she reached for the toaster to push the lever down.
She glanced at the back door where Arnold could be seen wandering the yard, and Sawyer watched as she picked up a mug and sipped, a tender smile on her face.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Sawyer said quietly, not wanting to startle her but not wanting to be away from her for one more second.
“Trust me, they’re worth way more than that.” Jenna’s smile was radiant and she sipped. “You look great in my shirt.”
“I was gonna say the same thing.” She couldn’t wait any more, couldn’t stand there not touching Jenna. She crossed the few steps into the kitchen and kissed her softly on the mouth. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you,” Jenna said, then indicated the counter with a tip of her head. “Coffee?”
“I got it.” Jenna flipped the bacon while Sawyer poured herself a cup of coffee. She added sugar and cream, took a sip, and hummed her approval. Meeting Jenna’s gaze, she said, “We have the day off together.”
“Yes, we do.”
“I wonder how we should spend it.” She sipped again, watching Jenna over the rim.
“Once again, I have some ideas.” Jenna sipped her own coffee, also watching over the rim, and their gazes held for a delicious moment.
Two hours later, they were naked and breathless on the couch, Sawyer on her back, Jenna draped over her body like a blanket. “Jesus Christ, woman,” Sawyer said as she tried to catch her breath. “Are you trying to kill me?”
Jenna laughed and Sawyer could feel the vibration through her own bones. “Nope, just testing your stamina.”
“Yeah? How’d I do?”
“Not bad, but I think you could do better…” And then she slid back down Sawyer’s body, her head between Sawyer’s legs, and all coherent thought flew out the window. Again.
Sawyer had been in a relationship where she couldn’t keep her hands off the other woman, but she’d honestly never been in one where that went both ways.
She and Jenna spent that entire Monday switching back and forth between who was in control and who wasn’t, who was on top and who was on the bottom, and it was utter bliss.
Besides that, it was fun. That was new, too.
Back in the living room later, this time on the rug in front of the fireplace, they lay cuddled up with each other in the quiet, breathing evening out. Sawyer pressed a kiss to Jenna’s forehead and whispered, “It’s never been like this for me.”
Jenna lifted her head and shifted so she was propped on Sawyer’s chest, looking down at her. “Like what?”
“Like this. Fun. Playful. No pressure.”
Jenna tipped her head. “Sex is pressure to you?”
Sawyer sighed. “I mean, it has been in the past.”
“With Amanda?”
A grimace parked itself on Sawyer’s face. “Yeah, I don’t want to talk about my ex when I’m here with you. I just wanted to tell you how amazing it is to be with you like this.”
Jenna kept her eyes locked on Sawyer’s for what felt like a long time before she said softly, “I feel the same way.” She leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.
Later still, they were cuddled on the couch, watching a movie, but also drifting a bit.
The coffee table held a half-eaten bowl of popcorn and empty glasses that had held sparkling water.
Jenna leaned back against Sawyer’s front, but every few minutes, her body gave a quick jerk as she dozed.
Sawyer held her tightly and turned to gaze out the window.
Snow was falling slowly, had been for the last hour. Dusk was fast approaching, and the street outside was quiet, with only an occasional passing vehicle. It was like they were in their own little bubble, her and Jenna, snuggled up in their own private little snow globe.
She pressed a kiss to Jenna’s head before she spoke. “I hate the idea of getting up and going to work tomorrow.”
“You could call in sick again,” Jenna said, her voice teasing. “I have tomorrow off, too.”
“Listen, don’t tempt me,” Sawyer said, giving her a squeeze. “I have a big project due next week or I’d actually consider it.”
“Can you at least stay here again tonight?” Jenna shifted so she could turn her head enough to see Sawyer’s face. “Please?”
Sawyer took in the soft brown eyes, the rosy cheeks, the slightly pouting lips, and only one question rolled through her mind.
How am I ever going to say no to that face?
The snow had eased up by Thursday, which Jenna had been thankful for as she drove to her parents’ house for Thanksgiving, rolls in tow.
Now, as she sat at the table and listened to her brother Jacob talking about his job in Human Resources, she couldn’t keep her mind from drifting to all things Sawyer Hall—all the time she’d spent at Jenna’s this week, how Jenna was headed to Sawyer’s parents’ house after this, how excited she was about it.
Then, inevitably, her brain decided to toss her some X-rated memories as she sat next to her mother. Memories of Sawyer’s naked body beneath her, Sawyer’s naked body above her, Sawyer’s head between her legs, Sawyer doing indescribably erotic things with her tongue…
“Right, Jen?”
Jenna blinked rapidly, her attention yanked back to the present by Jacob. “Sorry. What?”
“I said having to hire and fire sucks.”
She nodded, forcing herself back to the current conversation. “Hundred percent. That’s why I’m always telling Shane and Delia they can never leave me. I can’t handle the stress of interviewing potential new employees.”
“The worst,” Jacob said, then shoved a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.
“How’s business?” Nathan asked, and she wanted to hug her brothers for making sure she was part of the conversation.
“This is my busy time of year,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face and confidence into her voice. “Lotta people buy books for Christmas gifts.”
Her mother nodded but said nothing.
Her father asked Nathan how his truck was running.
Jenna checked her watch.
“You’ve checked that four times in the past half hour,” her mother said, calling her out. “Do you have someplace to be?” Suddenly, everybody at the table was watching her. At least Nathan had a look of sympathy on his face, and that was the nudge she needed.