Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Arizona
M y eyes rebelled against the sunlight seeping through a small gap in the blackout curtains, casting a harsh light across the room. As I changed my position, muscles I never realized I had ached while a whirlwind of emotions surged inside me. The overwhelming bliss that had washed over me was recognized by every aspect of my being, knowing that it wasn’t solely the result of the abundance of pleasure Jameson had bestowed upon my body until the early morning hours. Instead, the realization that I had found a rare, once-in-a-lifetime connection intensified the feeling—a bond most people long for, yet few ever truly encounter.
Mindful not to disturb him, I turned and observed his peaceful slumber. The man before me was undeniably attractive and genuinely one of a kind. He had a remarkable ability to dominate any room he walked into, and to be honest, it had always driven me somewhat crazy. His confidence and assertiveness shined like a beacon whenever he took the lead at work. Saving lives was in his DNA, and he made no apologies for it.
He took a similar stance regarding his intentions toward me. He had been clear and direct; he wanted me and committed himself to that belief despite years of my indifference. Had anyone ever suggested that Jameson was my future, I would have thought they were certifiably insane. Yet, there I was, in his home, lying in his bed, and nothing had ever felt more right.
I had spent so much time pushing him away that now all I wanted was to discover the man who had burrowed so deep in my heart, leaving an indelible mark I knew would last forever. Last night had been a first as I stood before him with my heart open, vulnerable and exposed, yet trusting and safe under his touch. The way his eyes held mine captive, with all his focus on me, was empowering. Just the memory of the way my body responded to his had me pressing my thighs together.
“This is how I want to wake up every day.” He groaned as he stretched his arms up above his head.
“And here I was, busy plotting my escape,” I joked, watching the cords of muscle in his arms flex.
Jameson whipped the bedsheet off us, pulled me astride him, spanked my ass, all in the blink of an eye, and ate up my yelp of surprise. “There’s no escaping the end game, babe.”
“Oh, yeah?” I swiveled my hips.
“Fuck, I was wrong. This right here is how I want to wake up.”
“Exactly like this?” My body buzzed with need.
His fingers splayed over my thighs. “Okay, okay, it’s one of my top ten for suresies.”
“Top ten?” I squeaked in disbelief.
“What can I say,” he tilted his head, “you’ve been the star of my fantasies for a long time.”
“Hmm.” I appreciated his candid admission, delivered with complete honesty and no shame. “What’s your number one?” I rocked up the length of his hardening erection, welcoming the feel of each titanium barbell against my sensitive core.
“Ah . . . Don’t make me choose; I-I can’t think,” he stammered. “They’re all equally spectacular in their own way.”
“If you could check one off your list.” I scored my nails along his firm abs. “Right here.” I leaned in to kiss his chest. “Right now.” I flipped my hair back over my shoulder and sat up. “What would you choose?”
His pupils widened with an unmistakable desire while a wicked smirk danced at the edges of his lips that would have rendered my panties nonexistent had I been wearing any.
“I’d say get your delectable ass up here and sit on my face, babe.”
“What—”
He shifted my weight forward by the hips. “Grab the headboard.”
“Jameson.” I gasped as his hands clamped down over my thighs. “You can’t—” But the instant his tongue made contact with my piercing, my thoughts scrambled. “Oh God, I?—”
“Don’t fight it.”
“I can’t . . . you need?—”
“You won’t suffocate me; trust me, I’ve got you.”
His tongue started with languid strokes, savoring each swipe, slowly teasing me higher and higher till my hips took on their own momentum. Chasing the exquisite sensations as he added more pressure, testing my limits. Jameson worked me to the precipice with the punishing intensity of a man starved for my pleasure, lighting my body up like a Christmas tree.
My head tilted back, resting on my shoulders as the pressure intensified and tingling sensations coursed through my body. The roughness of his morning stubble only heightened the experience, creating waves of pleasure that crafted the perfect storm, propelling me right over the edge as I cried out and fell backward on the bed.
Jameson pounced, bathing me in his warmth as he nuzzled his face in my neck. “You’re so fucking perfect.”
“No—” He was the perfect one.
He swallowed my retort with his sinful mouth, unashamed that my release was coating his lips. “You were made for me.” He punctured his declaration with a brusque kiss before he climbed over me and off the bed, only to throw my body over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.
“How long have you wanted me in this position?”
“Fucking forever, babe.” He slapped my ass with added emphasis.
“Jameson,” I yelped. “Put me down.”
“Sorry, no can do, not till I’ve checked off at least three more positions from my list of fantasies in the shower.”
“Only three?” I playfully joked.
But, as I quickly learned, Jameson was a generous lover, and he took delivering a copious number of orgasms very seriously.
With the windows of my Jeep rolled down, my hair danced chaotically in the breeze as the music blasted from the speakers, and I sang along to the radio, terribly off-key, of course. It had been a long time since I’d felt so carefree.
However, my cheerful mood quickly turned somber when I turned my vehicle onto the road leading to my childhood home, and the sight of a dumpster bin in front of my mom’s fire-damaged greenhouse came into view. Heartbreak gnawed at my soul, leaving me choked with emotion as gravel crunched beneath the tires.
Since the fire, I had steered clear of the greenhouse during my visits with my dad. Yet, today, my feet instinctively guided me toward it without a second thought. The bravery that fueled my steps quickly transformed into a feeling of numbness as I crouched beneath the caution tape for a closer look inside. It was a miracle that any part of the structure remained intact, considering the materials used in its construction.
While my dad and I had yet to speak of that night, from just looking at the scene, I knew the fire originated in the back corner where the flowers were planted. Aside from the soot and shattered glass from the ceiling above, which covered the lettuce, kale, carrots, and broccoli, the vegetable section was relatively unscathed, minus the fact they were no longer safe for consumption at the local farmers market.
“Arizona, you shouldn’t be in there; it’s unsafe.”
My dad stood outside on the grass with his cane, his new sidekick, until he felt steadier on his feet.
“I know, I just couldn’t help it.” I walked gingerly over the glass underfoot to his side, where he tucked me under his arm.
“Everything will be okay, I promise, I’ll rebuild and?—”
“Can we just not, right now, Dad?”
“Arizona—”
“My logical side recognizes that it’s just a structure and that I need some time to process and accept the situation because while it makes me sad, I’m also incredibly grateful that you’re safe and that no one else was hurt.” I tightened my arms around his waist.
“Me too, sweetheart, me too.”
“What even happened that night? Do you remember anything, or did you see anything strange?”
“I’d just gone to bed when I heard a loud crashing sound. I looked outside and didn’t see anything unusual until I went to use the washroom and saw a glow of orange light out in the greenhouse from the window. I ran outside and grabbed the garden hose; after that, I needed the gaps filled in.”
“Thank goodness the fire station is nearby. I know I don’t have to tell you how incredibly lucky you are that smoke inhalation was only the worst of it.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Who pulled you out?” I asked, suddenly realizing it had completely slipped my mind to ask earlier.
The way his eyes widened for a flash before his brows knitted together as if to question how I didn’t already know silently revealed the answer to me. Thick, unspoken words hung in the air, peeling back another layer as the weight of my awareness brought me to my knees.