28. Chapter 28
Chapter 28
J esse didn’t think—he moved. The tea mug barely hit the nightstand before his mouth was on hers, swallowing her gasp with a kiss so deep it sent heat crashing through his veins. His body surged over hers, pressing her back into the pillows, one knee sliding between her thighs, his hand cradling her jaw.
“Jesus, Hayley…” he rasped, pulling back just far enough to look at her—flushed, lips parted, eyes dark. “You don’t know what you do to me.”
Her hands clawed at his shoulders, dragging him back down. “Show me.”
And he did.
He kissed her like it was survival, like her mouth was the only place he could breathe. Tongue stroking hers, slow and filthy. She moaned into him and that sound—fuck, that sound—made him lose control all over again. He shifted over her, rolling his hips into hers, the thin barrier of fabric nothing compared to the heat pooling between them.
Her legs parted, instinctive, inviting.
He groaned. “You want it that bad, baby?”
“Yes,” she gasped, arching into him. “Need you.”
Jesse’s hand slid up under her shirt—his shirt—palming her breast, fingers teasing her nipple until her back arched. His mouth followed, dragging heat down her throat, biting the curve of her shoulder before soothing it with his tongue.
“Mine,” he growled into her skin. “All fucking mine.”
She whimpered, tugging at the waistband of his sweats, her hands slipping under them to wrap around his cock—warm, thick, hard in her palm.
He hissed, his forehead dropping to her collarbone. “Shit, baby…”
She stroked him slow, deliberate, the pad of her thumb teasing over the tip. His whole body jerked.
“I want you inside me,” she whispered, biting his earlobe. “Right now.”
His hand dove between her legs, fingers sliding beneath her panties, finding her already wet for him. One stroke. Two. Her body arched. Her breath hitched.
“Goddamn,” he groaned. “You’re so fucking ready.”
“Jesse—”
He kissed her, silencing the plea, devouring it.
Then he stripped them both bare, tossing clothes aside like they were a problem to solve later. The second he pressed into her, her body opened for him, welcomed him like it never forgot the rhythm of them.
“Fuck, Hayley…” He buried his face in her neck, thrusting slow, deep, watching the way she fell apart for him.
Her nails bit into his back. “Harder.”
“You sure?”
Her teeth scraped his jaw. “Don’t hold back. I want you. All of you.”
Jesse let go.
He drove into her with long, punishing thrusts, his hands gripping her hips, holding her steady as the heat between them exploded. Every breath, every kiss, every filthy word he rasped in her ear only pulled them closer to that edge.
“You feel that?” he gritted, hips snapping. “How fucking tight you are around me?”
“Yes,” she gasped. “God—don’t stop—”
He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.
Because this wasn’t just sex. This was everything. This was love—twisted up with hunger and history and every desperate promise they hadn’t known how to say out loud.
His lips found hers, swallowing her moans, the pleasure building, pressure mounting, his name tumbling from her lips between ragged breaths.
“Jesse…”
He dragged his mouth down her throat, his hips grinding against hers, deeper, harder, pushing her to that perfect edge, needing to feel her break around him.
“I got you, baby,” he said, voice thick, rough with need. “I got you.”
She cried out, her body tensing beneath him, and Jesse followed right after, his forehead pressing against hers as pleasure shot through him, wrecking him completely.
He kissed her through it, slow and deep, breathing her in, tasting her. His hands tangled in her hair, holding her like she was something fragile, something precious, something he would never let slip through his fingers again.
I love you,” he whispered, voice raw against her lips.
She clutched him tighter, her body trembling, her breath catching.
Jesse was too far gone to care about the vibrating phone.
Or the ringing.
Or anything that wasn’t the woman beneath him, her body arching into his, her hands gripping his back, nails biting into his skin like she never wanted to let go.
And fuck, he never wanted her to.
Hayley’s eyes fluttered open, her breath still shaky, her fingers slipping into his hair.
He could drown in her, in this moment.
And then again—
Vibrating.
Buzzing.
The insistent, pulsing demand of his phone somewhere nearby.
Jesse groaned, dropping his head against her shoulder. “Fucking hell.”
Hayley sighed, her fingers brushing down his back, but then—her own phone lit up on the nightstand, ringing loudly in the quiet of the room.
Jesse pulled away reluctantly, reaching blindly for the phone near his jeans on the floor. His fingers curled around the device, but the second he flipped it over, his stomach turned to stone.
Not his personal phone.
His work phone.
Jesse sat up fast, running a hand through his hair, still catching his breath as he hit the call back button.
Colson answered on the first ring.
“Navarro, you need to get to base,” Colson said, his voice clipped, serious. “Something’s happened. We’re deploying.”
Jesse’s stomach dropped.
Jesse exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Goddamn it, I can’t win,” he muttered, voice hoarse.
Because this—her—was the only thing he’d ever wanted.
And he was leaving her again.
He glanced over at Hayley just as she sat up, her own phone in her hands, her brows furrowing as she scrolled through missed messages.
Something was wrong.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice still hoarse.
Before she could answer—
A sharp, firm knock at the apartment door.
Jesse’s body tensed.
Fuck.
He looked at Hayley, her wide eyes flashing to his.
Neither of them moved.
Another knock. Louder this time.
Jesse exhaled hard, jaw clenching, already reaching for his jeans.
Something wasn’t right.
And he was about to find out what.
Jesse sat on the edge of the bed, one foot braced against the floor, his muscles locked tight as the knocking came again—louder this time.
Hayley exhaled sharply, already tugging on the oversized band tee Jesse had stripped off her earlier. It hung off her frame, slipping down one shoulder as she ran a hand through her tangled auburn hair, barely bothering to fix it. She shot him a look, somewhere between frustration and nerves, then turned toward the door.
Jesse stayed where he was, quickly getting dressed, his whole body was on high alert. Something wasn’t right. And if whoever was at that door thought Hayley was alone and vulnerable, they were fucking wrong.
Hayley barely had the door open before a man’s voice shot through the apartment, sharp, urgent, cutting through the air like a blade.
“Are you okay? What’s going on? You look sick.”
Jesse clenched his jaw so tight it ached.
That fucking accent. That pitch. That asshole.
Caiden.
Hayley exhaled, already sounding exhausted. “I’m fine, Caiden—”
But he didn’t let her finish.
“Have you been crying? Why are your eyes red?”
“Please—”
“You didn’t answer anyone this morning,” Caiden snapped, stepping closer. “Pure Studio expected you at 7:30. You don’t remember our writing session with Coldtrain?”
Jesse’s hands curled into fists at his sides.
From his spot in the bedroom, he couldn’t see the guy, but he could hear everything. And it was taking everything in him not to charge out there and end this right now.
Hayley’s voice was sharp, defensive. “You didn’t need to show up. I’m fine. I just slept in. I’m not feeling well.”
“Are you serious?” Caiden’s voice was getting more agitated. “You disappear, miss a huge session, don’t answer your calls, your texts—what was I supposed to do? Sit around and wait for the cops to roll out your body bag?”
“Wow. Dramatic,” Hayley muttered, shifting her weight. “I needed rest.”
Caiden scoffed. “Rest? Jesus, Hayley, that’s what you’re calling it? This is not like you. I know you. You are never late.”
Then Jesse saw it.
His shoes.
Right there. By the front door.
Fucking rookie mistake.
Caiden’s voice dipped lower, but Jesse still caught every word.
“Are you wearing size 11 men’s shoes now?”
Silence.
Tension laced the air so thick it felt suffocating.
“Tell me you’re not back with him,” Caiden said, his voice cutting like glass. “Tell me something… anything.”
More silence.
Jesse was already moving.
“Unbelievable,” Caiden bit out. “You’re really doing this. You’re really fucking him again.” His voice sharpened, seething. “He’s a piece of shit addict. A diseased street rat. What has he got over you?”
Hayley’s voice was sharp, warning. “Caiden, stop.”
But he was already spiraling, words laced with poison.
“No, you stop,” Caiden snapped, voice rising. “You are making the biggest fucking mistake of your life, and you know it. You are throwing away your future for some junkie who would sell you out for a hit of heroin.”
Jesse had him against the wall in seconds.
A breath. A blink. And then Caiden’s back hit the wall, Jesse’s forearm pinning him hard, chest heaving, body vibrating with barely contained fury.
“Say that again.” Jesse’s voice was a low, lethal growl. “Fucking say it again.”
Caiden looked between them now, eyes darting.
Hayley, still in Jesse’s t-shirt, looking breathless and flushed. Jesse, shirtless, bruised, dangerous.
And Caiden made his call.
His voice was ice. Calculated.
“I see a woman, disheveled, who’s been crying.” His gaze flicked to Jesse. “I see a man, bruised, who’s clearly been in a fight. I see an addict holding onto his last thread of hope.” His eyes locked back onto Hayley. “I see a woman throwing away her entire fucking life because she is being abused, manipulated, and exploited by the monster she can’t stay away from.”
Hayley let out a sharp breath. “Caiden, I am asking you as a friend—”
But Jesse had already snapped.
With one sharp shove, he threw Caiden back, releasing him, chest still rising and falling with rage.
“Get the fuck out.” Jesse’s voice was dark. Deadly. Final.
Caiden looked between them one last time. His face twisted with anger. With something like betrayal. “I’ll never work with you again, Hayley. Never. You are a childish, selfish mess of a person.”
Then—he turned.
And walked out.
The door slammed behind him.
Silence fell like a hammer.
Jesse was still breathing hard, his hands clenched at his sides.
And then—
Hayley exhaled, rubbing her hands over her face, voice soft, breaking. “What the fuck just happened?”
Jesse’s phone buzzed again. A sharp, insistent vibration in his pocket.
Colson.
Fucking hell.
He swiped it open, bringing it to his ear, his voice tight. “Yeah.”
“Navarro, change of plans.” Colson’s voice was clipped, all business. “Need you geared up and on base now. Deployment’s been moved up. Emergency op. You’re out within hours.”
Jesse exhaled through his nose, his jaw locking. “Understood.”
The line went dead.
Shit.
His mind was already shifting, dialing into mission mode, mapping the steps—gear up, brief, loadout, go. No hesitation. No fear. No second thoughts.
Except—
Hayley.
He turned, and she was right there, still standing in the middle of the room, the remnants of Caiden’s bullshit still hanging in the air around her.
She looked at him, eyes wide, searching, knowing.
“What is it?”
Jesse swallowed hard, stepping into her space, pulling her close, his hands on her arms, firm, steady. Like an anchor.
“I have to go,” he said, voice low, urgent. “Emergency deployment. I just got ordered immediately to base.”
“They can do that?”
“It’s what they pay me for. I just—”
She inhaled sharply, already shaking her head. “Jesse—”
“No.” He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “Hayley, I need you to listen to me right now. No arguments. Just do what I say.”
Her lips parted, hesitation flickering across her expression, but she didn’t fight him. Not yet.
“Pack a bag,” he continued. “Go to my place. Stay there. Don’t talk to anyone. Tell your band and manager you need a break. Put everything on hold.” His hands tightened slightly. “We will sort this out when I get back.”
Her brows furrowed, her hands gripping the front of his shirt. “Jesse, what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t have time,” he bit out, his pulse pounding, urgency spiking in his blood. “Just trust me. Please. I’m asking you—again—to wait for me.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her fingers tightening in his shirt. “Jesse…”
His heart clenched.
“I promise you, Hayley, if it’s the last thing I do, I will come back to you. I will protect you. If there was any way out of this deployment, I would take it.” His voice was sharp, hoarse, pleading, his forehead pressing to hers. “But I can’t. I’ll be court-martialed if I’m not on base in less than an hour.”
“They wouldn’t do that.” Her breath shuddered against his.
“I wouldn’t put it past Colson,” Jesse said. “He’s looking for a reason to finish me.”
“Please,” she said. “There must be another way.”
“I wish, Hayley.” He held her tighter. “Just do this for me. Just be safe.”
Her hands came up, warm and soft against his face, her thumbs brushing over the bruises he hadn’t even realized still ached until she touched them. Her fingers trembled.
“I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered.
And fuck—it shattered something in him.
Because neither did he.
But he was leaving. Again. Asking her to wait. Again. Asking her to believe in him when he knew damn well how many times he’d given her reasons not to.
His jaw clenched. His throat burned. He didn’t have time to say all the things he needed to say. No time to explain how much it fucking killed him to walk away from her. From this.
So he did the only thing he could.
He grabbed her—one hand in her hair, the other around her waist—and kissed her like it was the last goddamn breath in his body.
It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t sweet.
It was raw.
Hard.
Desperate.
His mouth crushed hers, his teeth scraping, his tongue sliding deep like he could memorize her from the inside out. Like he could take part of her with him and leave part of himself behind.
She gasped against him, fingers clutching his shoulders, her body pressed so tight to his he could feel her heartbeat hammering in rhythm with his.
“I love you,” he rasped, forehead pressed to hers, breath shaking. “Too fucking much.”
“I love you, Jesse,” she breathed, her voice breaking. “With everything I have.”
He kissed her again—fast, fierce, one more time before he lost his nerve.
Then—he pulled back.
Let go.
And turned.
Walked out the door with the taste of her still on his lips and the echo of her love in his chest.