Chapter 20 Mile Twenty
MILE TWENTY
MY SISTER AND YOU?
Garrett Marlowe is snuggling me. He’s a snuggler. The rightness enveloping me at waking up in his arms makes each morning not snuggled up against him wrong.
“Good morning,” he says, his sleep-drunk voice husky and low.
“Morning.” I sigh, contentment dripping through me. “I like that you’re a snuggler.”
“It helps that you’re snuggly.” He kisses the top of my head.
“Do I have more nights of you cuddling me in our future?” I dance my fingertips over his chest.
“Yes.” He grips my bare ass. “Especially when you wear this.”
“I’m naked.”
“Exactly.” He presses tickling kisses against my neck, causing me to wiggle with giggles.
“Stop being cute.”
“Ditto.” He combs his fingers into my messy tendrils. “What are your plans for today?”
“It’s Sunday, so a lazy morning before I have to meet my grumpy running partner for our afternoon training session.”
“I take it last night means you’re not done with him?” His mouth quirks.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be done with him.”
“Good… Pretty sure the feeling is mutual.” He nuzzles my nose with his.
“Hope you don’t get too jealous of him.” I bat my lashes. “He’s rather sexy.”
He pushes me onto my back, holding his muscular body over mine. “Interesting because I have a mouthy running partner, who’s sinfully sexy. Hopefully, you don’t get jealous of her.”
“Mouthy?” I hum. “You didn’t complain about my mouth last night.” I wrap my legs around his waist, letting out a hissed breath as his hard cock brushes my center.
“I have a newfound appreciation for your mouth.” He moves against me, cranking the switch on and lighting me up with desire.
“Garrett.” I move against him, seeking more.
“Not yet.” He takes my mouth in a hard kiss. “But I will take care of you.”
Flipping onto his back, he hurls me on top of him. Hands tight on my waist, he drags me up his body.
“Garrett…” My breath catches as he deposits me above his face, my knees bookending his head. “Oh…I’ve never…Are you sure?”
It’s not like he didn’t feast on me last night, but sitting on his face seems more intimate than him just going down on me. Chase went down on me a few times, but that was about getting me ready for him. With Garrett, his every action is about my pleasure.
“Grab the headboard, Jensen.” His low growl sends heat zinging through me.
“Sooo bossy.” Giggling, I comply.
Hands curled around the smooth wood, my head falls back with his first teasing lick. The heat pooling low in my belly simmers to a boil. Each lick savors me like a tasty treat, drinking up my pleasure with his own.
With a throaty growl, he tugs me down fully on top of his face.
His playful flicks morph into hard, languid sucks of my clit.
It’s primal and unbridled the way I writhe against him and how he gulps me up.
He consumes me as if I’m the air he breathes.
Delicious pressure spools tighter, causing my body to tremble for release.
“Fuck!” I shudder.
Legs like jelly, I lean against the headboard, trying to hold myself up. I don’t last long before he scoops me into his arms. Chest heaving, I snuggle against him, trying to catch my breath as I circle back to reality.
“That…escalated…quickly.” Panting, I press my sated smile to his.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to do that.”
“What other things have you been waiting to do?” I nibble on my lower lip, my brain spinning with the many, many things I want to do with this man. Some likely illegal in several states.
He traces my smile. “I’d like to take you out on a date.”
A date? I turn into a gooey mess at that. He could say anything, and I’d agree. But a date? After everything that’s transpired since last night, you’d think I know this. Somehow, the idea of him taking me out didn’t register until now.
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”
“Yes.” He brushes his thumb over my lips. “I am sorry my actions cause you to doubt this.”
Sitting up, I heave a breath. “I don’t doubt this. I don’t doubt you.” I motion at him. “I’m not used to this. To the man I care for not just wanting me, but caring about me.”
It so cliché and a little sad, but it’s my truth.
The combination of hurt from past relationships—both romantic and platonic—has left me just as guarded as Garrett.
He pushes people away, while I reach for those who reinforce the idea that I’m not wanted.
That I’m not loveable. But I am loveable…
and wanted. At least, I’m starting to believe that, and not just because of this man, but the last few months of therapy combined with marathon training is strangely helping me heal.
“Like I said last night, I have issues. I’m working on them with Dr. Nor, and I may question things or need some reassurance from time to time as I’m getting stronger, but know that I don’t doubt you or us. The way I feel this morning tells me that.” I cradle his cheek.
“And how’s that?” he murmurs.
“That I am exactly where I’m supposed to be,” I say, meeting his stare.
The confession is brazen. I’m laying my truths in front of him.
In the past, I wouldn’t have said anything.
For the entirety of my situationships with Chase and Miles, I never confessed my feelings—not until it was too late.
For the first time in my life, bravery courses within me to do things.
I’m pushing past the boundaries that I’ve kept in place for so long.
“Me too, pretty girl.” He leans over, pressing a gentle kiss.
“So, when do you want to take me on this date?” My grin is large. “Also, what will we be doing because I need to plan my outfit. I have these red heels I haven’t had a chance to wear yet.”
“I do like the idea of you in red heels.” He settles me back against him, folding me tight within his warm embrace.
“I thought you didn’t like my heels,” I tease.
“I worry about you spraining an ankle in some of them, but I do like the idea of you wearing them during certain activities.”
“Why Dr. Marlowe, do you want to fuck me in my new red heels?” I mock-gasp.
“Pretty girl, I want to fuck you in just about anything.” He kisses my cheek. “But first, I need to take you out on an actual date.”
“Once you ask me out properly, we can plan this special date and then commence with the fucking.” I tap my chin thoughtfully. “How’s noon today work for you?”
Laughter vibrates in his chest. “We have our training session. But how about Friday? Since Saturday is our off day, it will let us have a later night together.”
“Excellent.” I frown just a bit. “Wait… That means we’ll miss happy hour. Are we telling our friends, and my brother, why we’re missing it?”
“I’m sure Kayla and Catherine already know about us, or at least the dancing around each other we’ve been doing.” An arched brow is audible in his tone.
“Well, duh.” I smirk. “They’re almost up-to-date, minus the little bit about me sitting on your face—”
He rumbles with laughter, making my grin pop with smug satisfaction.
“I’ll probably tell them during our daily latte run tomorrow. Unless…”
“No. I have no problem telling our friends and your brother. Though I’m sure he’ll have something to say about this.”
This will be the first actual relationship of mine that Anker knows about.
He’d caught me with Everett, but that wasn’t a relationship, and he only knew pieces.
I never told him about Chase, outside of that I was seeing someone and then I wasn’t, because he would have hunted him down and gone scorched earth.
My brother is chill, unless it comes to the people he loves being hurt in any real way.
“I guess that’s another thing we’ll handle together,” He squeezes me. “When you told me about Chase, you mentioned Anker not knowing about him. Did he know about any of the other men you’ve dated?”
“Ah…” I swallow thickly. “Define dating.”
He tilts his head. “Boyfriends. Casual things. Sexual partners.”
“Chase is the only man I’ve ever been with sexually.
Other than you.” I motion to him. “I’ve never had a boyfriend.
” Mortification blazes up my neck. “Oh god, this is so embarrassing. I’m twenty-nine and the longest relationship I’ve had is with my vibrator.
” Cringing, I cover my face with my hands.
“Hey…” He pulls my hands down. “Can I tell you something?”
Frowning, I point at him. “If it’s that you’re taking back the date invite because you realize I have no experience in this and will be bad at it, I’m calling no backsies.”
“As much as I want to punch every man who’s ever hurt, ignored, or overlooked you, I’m glad they’re idiots because I get to be with you.
I don’t care about what experiences you’ve had before me, all I care about is making sure that, whatever happens from here on out, you’re happy, cherished, and safe with me. Emphasis on the ‘with me’ part.”
And just like that, I fall a little more for Garrett Marlowe. My entire body melts for this man.
I take his lips in a slow, appreciative kiss. “And I want to do the same. To try to keep your big heart safe. To ensure that frown of yours is always turned upside down—even if it’s involuntarily.” I lift my fingers to his mouth and trace its upward curve.
“My silly girl.” He sighs, contentment radiating from him.
“The keyword in that sentence is try,” I say, resting my palm over his heart, the steady thump, thump vibrating beneath my touch.
Safe or safety always seems to slip from Garrett’s lips. I know it’s always at the forefront of his thoughts. The worry that nips at him that he can’t always keep the people he cares about from meeting harm, emotional or otherwise.
“I know,” he says, his throat bobbing.
“Do you?” My words are slow and deliberate as if approaching a sleeping animal. “You panicked last night because you couldn’t get a hold of me, and as much as I like that you worry about me, I don’t like the idea of you in distress—”
“Perhaps answer your phone.” His grumble is lighthearted. “And don’t turn it off in a power outage.”