36. Jake
Thirty-Six
Jake
I’m stunned into silence, unsure what to say as I stand here, staring at Taylor who is smiling up at me, her hand resting on my chest.
“I…I’m…fuck, what are you…are you?”
Taylor laughs, stepping closer as she slips her arms around my waist, pulling me closer to her. “Oh my god, Jake Campbell, are you actually lost for words?”
I kind of am, but that doesn’t stop me from finally realizing exactly what’s going on right now. Exactly what she’s giving me.
“Maybe,” I say, chuckling a little. “But fuck words,” I add as I back her up against the front door and kiss her hard.
I feel her arms tighten around me, her fingers digging into my back, she lets out a soft moan, her lips parting and allowing my tongue to slip into her mouth. I move closer, so my whole body is pressed against hers, my hands cupping her face and tilting it up to give me better access.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers against my mouth, her words barely audible.
“Shhh, later,” I murmur, deepening the kiss.
She smiles, her hands sliding down my back and around to my chest, where she gently eases me back.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my breathing already ragged, my heart pounding in my chest.
Taylor smiles. “I need to say something.”
“Okay, what?” I ask, a little impatiently.
She laughs, pushing me backward again as she says, “Can we sit down?”
I nod, still a little confused, as I take her hand in mine and lead her into the living room. We both sit on the couch as she turns toward me, takes my hand in hers and rests it in her lap.
“Thank you,” she immediately says, her eyes meeting mine.
I stare back at her, unsure as to what she’s thanking me for given I’m the one who fucked up in all of this. “For…?”
“For what you did at work,” she says.
The penny drops and I immediately relax, my hand squeezing hers. “So, does this mean they’re listening to you? That you’re getting the raise?”
Taylor shakes her head, still smiling as she says, “Not just listening, they’re actually doing something, so yeah, I think I am.”
“Seriously?” I ask, shocked that it’s all happening this quickly. I only went to HR yesterday. How the hell is it happening so quickly?
She nods. “Yeah, I mean it’s still early days, but I just got off the phone with the VP of Crescent,” she says, her eyes wide because obviously, it’s a big deal that it’s already gone this far up the food chain. “He recognizes there’s a problem, which is good, but he’s also prepared to do something about it,” she continues. “Which is even better.”
“Fuck,” I murmur, almost to myself, as I shift on the couch, moving a little closer to her. As much as I wanted this to happen, I still wasn’t sure it would, especially this quickly.
“I couldn’t have done this without you, Jake,” she adds.
“What do you mean? I didn’t do anything.”
She laughs, shifting so she’s sitting even closer, letting go of my hand as she slides hers onto my thigh. My body hums at her touch, electricity shooting up my spine as every nerve reacts.
“Yeah, you did,” she says, her voice low. “I know about the support you gave me, the way you got everyone together and writing letters and emails. I… I couldn’t have done this without that, Jake. Without you .”
She drops her head a little, her eyes falling to her hand, which still rests on my thigh. I know she means what she’s said to me, but I also know how hard it is for her to say these words too. That she’s not someone who’s used to accepting help from others, let alone ever expecting it.
“Taylor,” I whisper, slipping my fingers under her chin and tilting her head to mine. I smile when my eyes meet hers. “You don’t have to thank me,” I say. “You deserve this, and I’m just glad I was able to help in some small way.”
She stares up at me, her eyes searching my face, but not because she doesn’t believe what I’m telling her, more because I think she’s surprised that anyone would even think about helping her at all.
“I know you…” I start, but she cuts me off, practically launching herself into my arms as she presses her mouth against mine in a hard kiss.
We fall back onto the couch, her body covering mine as she continues to kiss me. I feel her hands slip under my T-shirt, her fingers brushing against my bare skin as she slides them up my body, and every single nerve starts firing again.
I want to keep talking to her, tell her that I get it and I know, and that I’m sorry for everything that’s happened between us, but right now, right in this moment, I honestly can’t form a single fucking word. It just feels too damn good to have her in my arms again. To feel her hands against my skin and her mouth against mine.
“Jake,” she whispers.
I open my eyes, find hers already open and watching me. She smiles, pulling back a little. “Hey,” I whisper, brushing her hair back, tucking strands behind her ear.
“Hi.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I add. “Sorry for everything with Maggie and for not telling you and all the shit at work and…”
“Jake,” she says again, pressing two fingers against my mouth and silencing me. She smiles. “I get why things happened,” she whispers. “I wish you’d told me, told me about everything, but I know…I know it was a different situation. I know you didn’t deliberately mean to hurt me,” she adds, even as I’m shaking my head. Her smile widens a little. “Just promise me you’ll never not tell me anything again,” she says.
“I promise,” I say, kissing the tips of her fingers as she slides them off my lips. “I never meant to hurt you, Taylor. It’s something I never, ever want to do.” She nods at me, even as I continue. “I will always be honest with you, baby. You will always, always come first to me.”
“I know,” she whispers, leaning down to kiss me again. “Can we stop talking now?”
I chuckle, my lips brushing against hers in a soft kiss. “Did you have something else in mind?”
Taylor lifts a brow, her hand sliding back down to the bottom of my T-shirt again, before sliding it up and over my head. “Maybe,” she whispers, a cheeky grin on her face.
“Maybe,” I repeat, laughing a little as Taylor sits up, straddling my hips now as she starts to undo my jeans.
Her fingers make quick work of the button and zipper, shoving them down my hips. I sit up too, slipping my hands beneath her shirt, taking it with me as I slide my hands up her back, before throwing it across the room. I make quick work of her bra, pulling her close as I lower my mouth to her breast, kissing and sucking her skin.
“Jake,” she whispers, husky and low.
“Yeah?” I ask, lifting my head.
She stares at me, an intensity in her eyes that I’ve never seen before. I watch as she lifts her hand, her fingers brushing my cheek as I lean into her touch. “I need you,” she whispers, her words laced with truth, but with fear and vulnerability too.
I smile, leaning in and brushing my lips against hers. “I need you, Taylor,” I whisper back. “So fucking much.”
“Yeah?”
I laugh, flipping her quickly so she lies beneath me. “Yes!” I shout, my hands moving to the button of her jeans now.
Taylor laughs as we rip the rest of our clothes off so we’re both naked and lying skin-to-skin, my body covering hers.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I whisper, my mouth against hers.
“I’ve missed you,” she murmurs, her back arching, her legs widening in invitation.
I fall between them, sliding inside her as we both let out a low groan. My mouth finds hers again as my hips start to move, our bodies falling into a perfect rhythm, as though we’ve never been apart, as though we were always meant to be together like this.
“Jake,” she murmurs, her legs wrapping around my waist, her nails digging into my back.
I don’t need any more encouragement, though, kissing a path down her neck as I move against her, with her, our bodies grinding together as my hand slips between us, to where we’re joined.
“Oh god,” she moans as soon as I start to touch her. “Oh god, yes.”
I smile against her skin, sucking and licking her neck as I continue to move, pushing us both closer and closer to the edge until she’s begging me for more, her nails digging into my skin and marking me as she calls out my name, arching beneath me and finally finding her release.
It’s enough to push me over the edge too, as I thrust against her, pushing in deep as I let go and come hard, collapsing against her in total and utter bliss.
When we both eventually come down from the high, I lift my head, cupping her face in one hand. “Does this mean we are officially back together again?” I ask, giving her a cheeky smile.
Taylor laughs, smacking me on the arse. “Well…” she says, teasingly. I pinch her side, laughing as she squirms beneath me. “Yes, yes, okay, it means we’re back together!”
“Good,” I say, giving her a hard kiss. “And just so you know,” I add, kissing her again. “I’m never letting you go.”
“No?” she asks.
“No,” I whisper, kissing the end of her nose. “I love you, Taylor,” I add, watching as her eyes widen in shock. “So fucking much.”
“Jake,” she whimpers, her nails digging into my back again.
I smile, brushing my fingers against her cheek. “I know that scares you,” I say. “I know letting someone in, giving them your heart and trusting them to take care of it, take care of you, scares the hell out of you, but please believe me, Taylor, when I say I won’t ever hurt you.”
“Jake, I…”
“I mean it,” I add, cutting her off. “I love you so fucking much and I…”
“Jake,” she says, forcefully now.
“What?” I ask, pulling back a little.
Taylor smiles, her eyes filled with happiness as she looks up at me and says, “I love you too, dumbass.”
Now it’s me smiling back at her. “Well, it’s about damn time,” I say before lowering my mouth to hers again.
“What are we going to do about work?” she asks, her words lost in our kisses.
“What about work?” I ask, sucking on her bottom lip.
Taylor slips a hand between us, flattening her palm on my chest as she gently eases me back a little. “About flying and trying to find a way to be together when we’re both working such crazy routes all the time.”
I shrug. “Let’s talk to scheduling about it,” I say, leaning down to suck on her neck. “Explain to them what’s going on and ask if they can get us flying together.”
Taylor groans as I nibble and suck on her skin, her body pushing into mine as she arches beneath me. “You know it won’t always work out,” she moans, breathless. “Sometimes we’ll be apart and…”
I lick a path up to her jaw, kissing my way across to her mouth. “Baby,” I murmur, brushing my lips against hers. “We’ll find a way to make this work, I promise.”
“Yeah?”
I pull back a little. “Yes,” I say, kissing her lips as I brush my fingers against her cheek. “I want to be with you, Taylor, always. We’ll find a way to fly together as much as possible, but even when we can’t,” I add, sliding my fingers down her neck and between her breasts to her heart, flattening my palm against her skin. “I’ll always be with you, wherever I am. I’m yours, Taylor, you own me.”
She stares up at me, her eyes shining as they search my face, her hand cupping my jaw. “How the hell did I get so lucky with you?” she whispers.
I grin, leaning down to kiss her as I murmur, “Well, you’re sexy as hell and I’ve always loved a woman in uniform.”
“You cheeky shit,” she says, laughing as she pinches my side.
“Whatever,” I say, sliding a hand down her leg to her knee and hitching it around my hips. “You love me though.”
“God, I do,” she moans as I sink into her again, and then neither of us has anything more to say.