CHAPTER 27 #2
Reese thought the long-distance, though short-lived, would have been harder than it actually was.
She’d worried about it for days after leaving New York.
After all, Reese had been in relationships where they lived together and still managed to feel miles apart.
But even though she and Jette hadn’t been in the same city in twenty-six days—trust her, she was counting them—she never really seemed to mind.
Obviously, she missed Jette like crazy. And the butterflies in her stomach still went wild every time Jette’s name popped up on her screen.
But this was entirely different. It was chemistry in its purest form.
Emotional and physical. And god, she was looking forward to the physical.
It had been a long month with limited privacy for both of them and Reese was undeniably touch-starved.
Jette sent a handful of pictures throughout the night.
Her eyeliner became more artfully smudged as the night went on and her hair hung around her face in loose curls.
Reese brought her hand to her mouth as if to hide the obvious smile blooming across her cheeks.
Her fingers trembled in response to the tipsy and flirtatious look in Jette’s eyes in every picture.
God, she was gorgeous. Reese tried to push the indecent thoughts from her mind as she moved around the house, turning out lights and locking up behind her before climbing the stairs to Jette’s bedroom.
Reese had shyly admitted to Jette that she actually slept on the couch the first time she stayed over at Jette’s empty apartment.
At the time, the bed had felt too forward, too presumptuous.
Which was ridiculous because it really was just a place to sleep.
Even more ridiculous once Reese considered that they’d done far more intimate things than sleep in the same bed.
And this time, Jette wasn’t even there with her.
She was still hundreds of miles away. Jette playfully teased her and insisted she sleep in the bed.
An offer that Reese was in no position to turn down because the sheets were unbelievably silky and comfortingly smelled like Jette’s detergent.
Reese brushed her teeth and padded down the hallway. From several feet away she could still hear the quiet buzz of her phone against the duvet. She hovered next to the bed as she read the text and typed out her own response.
JETTE
Walking back to the bus now…fair warning, I might be a little tipsy
REESE
Please be careful. I want you back in one piece, please
The tiny row of kissing emojis from Jette seemed like a direct result of the alcohol and Reese’s cheeks hurt from how hard it made her smile.
Jette was always so charming and effortlessly put together.
She projected this aura of dizzying cool confidence.
It was beyond endearing to watch that mask slip when it came to Reese.
REESE
god I miss you
JETTE
I miss you. One more night and then I get you all to myself
The butterflies in Reese’s stomach settled significantly lower at that. She glanced at the time in the corner of her screen. Only thirteen more hours to go.
JETTE
Back on the bus. In one piece
Reese’s thumbs hovered over the screen for a moment.
In a moment of impulse, she kicked off her sleep shorts and gingerly climbed on the bed.
Her heart thumped loudly in her own ears as she crossed one leg over the other and carefully tugged the hem of her oversized tee shirt just low enough.
Pulling her phone to her chest, Reese had a moment where she considered how ridiculous this was but she quickly pushed past it.
She angled the phone gently, smirking as she saw how perfectly the picture captured her body in a thin shirt that barely covered the apex between her thighs.
Studying the screen, Reese’s heart started to beat faster.
They’d exchanged flirty messages before, but this was the first time Reese could ever remember feeling desperate to send a photo of herself.
She knew Jette had been thinking of her, the dark look in her eyes only confirmed what Reese suspected.
She wanted Jette to know she’d spent the past month thinking of her almost nonstop.
Biting her lip, Reese realized how surprisingly powerful she felt.
She wanted Jette to see her. She wanted the breath to catch in Jette’s throat—a sound that she’d never get used to—and for Jette to feel a similar ache between her own thighs.
And more compellingly, she wanted to be the reason behind it.
She pressed send and turned off the screen to wait for a response but it didn’t take more than a few seconds for it to buzz in her hand again.
JETTE
God you’re gorgeous
Are you in my bed?
Reese texted back a simple yes before turning off the lights and wiggling under the sheets. Her cheeks burned as she imagined Jette’s face examining the picture.
JETTE
Fuck, you’re so stunning
I was not expecting that…I’m way too flustered to sleep now
REESE
Well now you know how I feel. I’ve been thinking about you all night
JETTE
Tell me
Also, are we really doing this??
Pleased by the eagerness in Jette’s messages, Reese stifled a smile and leaned back into the pillows under her head.
The faint throb between her legs pulsed more insistently, demanding her attention.
She couldn’t blame it on alcohol this time; it had been days since she’d even had a glass of wine.
This was the same unadulterated desire she’d always felt when it came to Jette.
In her quest to find a comfortable position, the tee shirt had slid up to her waist, leaving her thighs and hips exposed.
Reese let one hand drift under the blankets, her fingers gently skimming over the shirt covering her midriff.
Confidence radiated from her flushed skin as she typed out a response.
REESE
I have an idea. Can I call?
JETTE
Oh fuck, we’re actually doing this. Are you proposing what I think you are?
REESE
Is that ok? Are you alone?
JETTE
I’m alone in my bunk but I’m on the bus with everyone so I can’t really talk
That part was less than ideal. But Reese already knew that the entire band would be sleeping on the bus ride overnight.
Their privacy had been limited from the start.
She pictured Jette laying in her top row bunk with the heavy black canvas curtains; it was easy since Jette had sent her pictures of the cramped tour bus weeks ago.
Reese’s eyes drifted closed as she imagined Jette’s hair splayed across her pillow, her dark brown curls wild and messy.
It was late. She knew she had to be wearing her pajamas already.
The soft knit black button down pajama set with shorts that clung to her tattooed hips in the most tempting way.
Reese had seen enough pictures to imagine how they would feel under her hands; how the soft fabric would inch up Jette’s thighs as Reese slid her hands under the hem.
She was too far past the point of no return.
This almost painful heat in her core wasn’t going away without release.
She cleared her dry throat and decided that Jette had been in control enough times now.
It was her turn to be a little commanding.
REESE
Close your bunk curtains
JETTE
They’re closed. But baby, it’s not soundproof. Everyone can hear me
Reese shook her head slightly, a smirk settling on her lips in the dark.
She never really cared for pet names until the affection words came from Jette.
There was something intimate in knowing that there were names that only Jette could call her.
But it wasn’t just the casual use of the word baby that made Reese tense even more than before.
REESE
I know you can’t talk
I want you to listen.
She second-guessed herself the instant she pressed send. But before she could ask if that was okay, the phone in her hand began to ring almost immediately, making her heart jump into her throat. Jette wasn’t wasting any time. Reese’s cheeks had surpassed a gentle flush and were now firmly scarlet.
This didn’t feel like her. It felt like another version of herself entirely.
A more confident and sexy version that she didn’t think existed.
She’d never been the type of person to take control in a sexual setting.
Hell, she was usually perfectly happy to follow someone else’s lead in that regard.
But part of her wanted Jette to feel the way she did.
She wanted Jette to experience that same intoxicating feeling she felt when Jette took control.
Knowing that someone else was responsible for her body and how it reacted had been a surprisingly empowering feeling for Reese.
Her skin flamed hotter as she imagined being the one to give that to Jette.
Clearing her throat, Reese took a steadying breath and answered after the first ring.