Chapter 13
Sloan
Jennifer’s message was a shot to my heart.
I hate being alone and even after spending every day and night with the guys, I loathe coming home to an empty house.
More than that though, I’m ready to wrap her in my arms. I have so much to tell her from this time out on the road and I won’t even see her until close to eight, when she’s exhausted.
As I was wallowing, an idea occurred to me and before I could overthink it, I sent Luke a message asking if he could bring the box from Hailey by tonight.
Some fucked up combination of relief and excitement filled me when he agreed.
It made coming in the front door half an hour ago somehow more bearable. I head to the fridge first and smile when I see Jen must’ve hit the store and has all my favorites stocked. Including her homemade lasagna that’s ready for me to heat up.
When I get upstairs, my smile widens. The scent of coconuts and vanilla tells me Jen got ready for work here this morning. Sure enough, my sheets smell like her too.
I’m overcome with a desire to show up at the hospital. Fuck those twerps for thinking she belongs to Luke. If I wasn’t positive my presence would cause an absolute riot, I’d surprise her and set the record straight.
As it is, Luke’s bringing the box by at six, after he gets off of work so I spend the day showering in my own shower, taking a nap in my own bed, and eating half the tray of homemade lasagna.
My doorbell rings at six sharp and I smile at Luke’s military-trained punctuality, however, seeing him on my doorstep again, at my own invitation, is a bit jarring. The last time we spoke, I didn’t immediately want to rip his head off so I’m not exactly sure how to start this encounter.
Thankfully, he does it for me.
“Welcome home, rockstar.”
“Thanks. It’s nice to be back.” I take a step away from the door, holding it open. “You want to come in?”
“Sure.”
He’s in scrubs again and the “V” of the top is a little distracting. Luke’s blond chest hair is just visible in the dip of the fabric.
“Where should I put this?” he asks, holding up a nondescript box.
“What’s in it?”
He clears his throat and his eyebrows pinch together for the briefest of seconds giving away his discomfort. “It’s uh, a photo album.”
“Have you seen it?”
“Yeah.”
I’m not ready to look yet. “Just put it on the coffee table for now.” As soon as he delivers it, we seem to realize at the same time that he’s done what he came here to do and it’s time for him to go. Both of us also seem to not want him to go.
“You, uh, want a drink? Might as well hang out for a few. Traffic’s going to be a bitch heading back into the city.”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Did you poison it?” It isn’t until he cracks a smile that I realize he’s kidding.
“If I wanted you dead, you’d be underground already.” The statement is mostly a joke but also a not-so-subtle nod toward my shooting ability.
In a move very uncharacteristic of Luke, he comes right out with what he wants to know. “Look, man, before I get my hopes up, is there any chance we can find solid ground again? I’m gonna be right down the road for the next three years and it seems like a slap to Fate’s face to not try.”
Before I can answer him, I hear the garage door open. Thirty seconds later, Jen comes in the kitchen from the garage, wearing scrubs of her own. Hers are black compared to Luke’s olive-green ones.
I’m not sure which set I like better.
“Sloan!” she yells energetically, as if she hasn’t been working her fingers to the bone.
“In here, Jen!”
She turns the corner and stops before she jumps into my arms. “Oh, hey, Luke. Sorry to interrupt, I’ll just—” She tries to skate past me, but I’ve been waiting four fucking weeks for this. I wrap my arms around her waist and haul her into me.
“Oh no you don’t. I want you clinging to me like Saran Wrap for at least the next five hours.” Finally, she melts against me and kisses me like she’s been holding her breath since I’ve been gone.
Her hands fist my hair and I smile at the familiar gesture.
“I really fucking missed you,” she says against my lips.
“Me too.” I inhale her neck just below her ear, making her giggle and pull back slightly.
“I’d be careful doing that until I shower. The stench of that hell I work in is strong.”
In front of us, Luke rubs the back of his neck, averting his gaze and throwing a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m, uh, gonna let myself out. You guys have a good night.”
“Hey, Luke.” I don’t know what’s come over me, but maybe I’m ready to be done with this bitterness I carry.
I’m sure having Jen in my arms, and finally as my girlfriend, has something to do with it though.
The peace she brings me really makes the rest of my internal turmoil over Luke and our past noticeable.
“I’ll give you a call tomorrow and maybe we can grab a beer or something. ”
The way his face brightens with hope is almost enough to make me reach for him the way we used to pull each other in for a hug after being on separate patrols, just thankful each other made it back alive. Instead, I tighten my grip on Jen.
He nods, says goodnight to Jennifer, and walks out my front door.
Riding the high from being home, having Jen pressed against me, and possibly having Luke back in my life, I waste no time sabotaging myself when I blurt, “Will you move in with me?” I see her eyes widen and feel her body stiffen, causing me to laugh.
“Just hear me out, woman! Jesus, you’re like a paranoid cat that I just turned the hose on.
You can have your own room. Hell, you can have two of them if you want.
You’re closer to the hospital here, you can save money faster, and you can park your car in the garage,” I tell her, trying to sell her on the idea.
She runs her hands across my shoulders, not meeting my eyes. “Is this because of Luke?”
“This is because I miss you when I’m gone and I want to be around you when I’m home.
Admittedly, you make me want to let the past go and Luke makes me want to focus on the future.
” Feeling her retreating, I add a little levity while still telling the truth.
“It’s because you’re here more than your apartment anyway and because you make the best fucking pasta.
I would put a ring on it right now just to put your lasagna on lock down. ”
Finally, she throws her head back and laughs. “The lasagna’s really that good, huh?”
I lick her skin and hum my agreement.
“I need a little time to think about it but I’m starting to realize I don’t want to be anywhere except where you are anyway.”
“Jennifer Hayes, you drive me mad, woman.”
Laughing and shaking her head, she starts pressing herself against me and fuuuck have I missed the way her body molds to mine. She starts whimpering as I push my thigh in between her legs so she can get the friction she’s seeking.
“Sloan.” The way she whines my name almost makes me come in my pants.
“Can we fuck now?” she asks, pushing me onto the couch, climbing in my lap, and straddling my thighs.
She’s impossible to ignore as she begins moving her hips back and forth, up and down.
Her small, but perfect tits filling my hands through her bra and scrub top as she takes her pleasure from me.
I inhale her skin and feel my shoulders relax at the familiarity.
“I missed you a lot,” she admits for the second time on a whisper. The words come out slower like now that the frenzied kiss is over, she wants to repeat everything at a pace she can savor.
“Missed me so much you had to have dinner with my past?” I tease gently. I’m not really upset about her having dinner with Luke at this point, so I don’t know why I say it. I’m still trying to figure shit out where he’s concerned.
She pulls back to look at me, her serious expression deflating my dick. “What did he do to you, Sloan? I can’t tell if you love him, hate him, want to fuck him, or want to watch him drown.”
Me either, Jen.
I give her a tight smile and slide her off my lap so I can stand and take her upstairs.
“I appreciate you taking a chance on us and your willingness to consider moving in. In return, I’ll share our story with you, but please don’t make me do it tonight.
Let’s go up to bed. I want to fuck you and then fall asleep inside you. ”
“You say all the right things,” she giggles, following me up the stairs and into the shower. Although I already had one, I know it’s where she heads after a shift and I don’t want to be apart from her.
Once inside the steaming shower, Jen reaches for the soap as I squirt her body wash in my palm. She massages the suds into my skin, kneading my tired muscles as she goes and I follow suit on her body.
“I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this while you were gone, but if the whole guitar thing doesn’t work out, you could always be an underwear model,” she says, running her sudsy hands over my abs.
I smile, my head dropping back against the cheap fiberglass wall of the shower as she moves lower.
“Nope, no one mentioned my looks at all.” And then I remember.
“Oh wait, there was that one chick who brought a test tube and five thousand dollars with her to the meet and greet. I believe her exact words were, I want my son to look exactly like you.”
“Ohmygod, you aren’t serious?” Jen cackles at that one.
“Sadly, I am. Thankfully, Tim ushered her out before she could get her hands on me. I think she might’ve tried to get my skin cells under her nails and used it for a clone.”
People do weird shit.
Jen works my balls over with the bubbles before dropping to her knees. She pulls me under the spray to ensure she doesn’t get a mouthful of soap and I rinse my hands above her, knowing they’re likely to end up in her hair.
“Hmm,” she hums, pumping my dick slowly with her hand. “She might’ve been on to something about a clone though.”