Chapter 21 #2
She dropped her gaze to her hands, then her eyes widened. She waved her hands at JJ. “I think it’s time we got out.” Any longer in the water and they’d be shrivelled enough to pass for old grapes in the vineyard.
JJ chuckled as she inspected her own hands. “You’re not wrong.” She climbed out of the tub and turned, holding out a hand for Brooke.
So thoughtful.
JJ’s teeth chattered, hairs standing on end as her outreached hand shook. “Bloody hell it’s cold,” she said as Brooke took her hand and stepped out.
Brooke padded quickly over to the deck chairs, picking up their towels and throwing one at JJ, who wrapped herself in it within seconds.
The night hadn’t gone as anticipated. Ever since their talk that morning, Brooke had been picturing her straddling JJ in the hot tub, hands running through JJ’s wet hair and losing herself in JJ’s touch.
Her usual. That’s how things went. Her body knew what it wanted, and she went after it.
Especially after the rules they’d established, that’s what she’d expected to happen.
Not an hour session talking about feelings and childhood trauma.
Not Brooke giving JJ a single, soft kiss in gratitude for said conversation.
Would she get another tonight? Her eyes slid to JJ towelling herself off.
Slow wasn’t Brooke’s forte, and with the boundaries JJ had set, she wanted to leave the progression in JJ’s court. Even if it felt like her hands were tied behind her back.
Fifteen minutes later, Brooke came out of the bathroom, ready to say good night. JJ stood checking her phone. Her PJs were a cute mismatched set of striped shorts and an oversized T-shirt with Punky Brewster written on the front.
Brooke leaned on the wall. “Okay, I have to ask—what’s a Punky Brewster?”
JJ’s eyes widened. “Um, only one of my favourite shows from the eighties. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen it?”
And that’s how Brooke ended up shoulder-to-shoulder in JJ’s bed, a phone between them, watching the retro show for three hours straight.
“Okay, I’ll admit, that was great. Brandon is so cute,” Brooke said through a yawn, arms stretching above her head. “Now, we better get to bed. Time to hit the road in the morning!”
“More novelty time!” JJ replied, placing her phone on the bedside table. “You're welcome to crash here, if you want.”
Brooke bit her lip. She should really stay in her own bed tonight…
Yet, her body betrayed her, legs slipping under the covers.
“Sure.”
JJ switched off the light, bathing the room in darkness.
A faint glow emanated from the microwave in their kitchenette.
Though they’d spent numerous nights sleeping next to each other on this trip, this was the first time since they’d kissed.
Twice. While the second kiss was quite chaste, lying here thinking about said kisses had everything but chaste thoughts running through her mind.
Brooke lay on her back overthinking every movement, every rustle of the quilt.
They'd agreed on more touching and more kissing, but there’d been basically nothing. The deep conversation in the hot tub had put a pause on that, but they’d just spent three hours on the bed together and JJ hadn’t made a move.
Should Brooke just instigate it? Was that too forward for JJ?
Brooke had been the one to kiss her in the hot tub, and JJ hadn't seemed to mind then.
Her fingers twitched, confused about which orders to take.
Her breaths seemed too loud to her ears—even her blinking was at an audible level.
The fridge clicked over, humming away. JJ swallowed next to her.
Oh, fuck it.
She rolled over and—ow!
JJ had rolled over at the same time and headbutted her chin.
“Shit, sorry!” JJ placed a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “You all right?”
“Fine, you?” Brooke whispered, the heat of JJ’s hand spreading through her.
“Yeah,” JJ whispered back.
Why were they whispering?
Now propped up on their elbows, they faced each other in the dark.
Slow breath in. Slow breath out.
Oof.
Brooke’s back hit the mattress. JJ leaned over, pressing their lips together, her hand squeezing Brooke’s shoulder as she deepened the kiss. Oh. Oh wow.
JJ had it in her after all.
Brooke’s hands played catch up. Reaching around, her nails scraped at the nape of JJ’s neck—making her groan into Brooke’s mouth.
Need centred low in her gut, chest flushing at the sound.
JJ licked Brooke’s lip, sucking it in with a gentle bite, causing heat to ripple through her entire body. Her hips lifted instinctually.
Get a grip!
She needed to slow this down before she lost control. It was too good, too quick. She allowed the kiss to continue a few more moments, a slave to JJ’s mouth, then she broke away, sliding to the far edge of the bed.
“Sorry, that was—great.” She tried to get a breath in. “But I need to—I think I should stay in my own bed.”
“Hey, wait.” JJ sat up, eyes wide and arms dangling limp at her sides.
“Sorry,” Brooke mumbled again, climbing out of the bed.
Brooke didn’t want to be the reason why JJ broke her boundaries, then later regretted it. No, sharing a bed was a bad idea.
She scrambled down the hall and up to her own loft bed, crawling under the covers only to sit straight back up.
Tomorrow they’d be sharing a tent again.
Juuust great.