Chapter 18 #2
Piper went up to the third floor to shower and change into pajamas.
She brushed her hair and teeth and stared at her reflection in the mirror as she picked through everything that’d happened since she stepped onto the ferry to return to Gansett.
After weeks of thinking about Jack and wondering if anything would come of their subtle flirtation, he’d come storming back into her life, providing information about himself that had sent her spinning into an online rabbit hole.
What she’d learned about his life had only made her interested in knowing more.
But it had also made her wary of wading into the emotional minefield of his tremendous loss.
Was she equipped to handle everything that came along with possibly dating a widower?
Her stomach fluttered with nerves that had nothing to do with the huge storm and everything to do with him.
She really liked him.
A lot.
Her phone chimed with a text from Jack. Are you coming back? I’m scared of the storm.
Smiling, she responded. Yep, coming down now.
Yay.
How did he do that with just a few short texts? How did he get her so flustered and excited to spend more time with him? She needed to go slowly with this guy, for his sake as well as her own, and as she went downstairs to spend the night with him, she wondered how that counted as going slowly.
“Special circumstances,” she muttered as she landed on the second floor, where the howl of the wind was even louder than it was upstairs. “This wouldn’t be happening without the storm.”
You just keep telling yourself that, girl.
She wanted her inner voice to shut up and leave her alone to enjoy whatever might happen with the hot guy who’d captured her attention months ago—and held her attention ever since, even when he was off-island for weeks at a time.
As she walked along the corridor toward his room, the door opened, and he stepped out, smiling when he saw her coming.
All thoughts of not being ready or worried about emotional baggage were blown to bits when she saw him standing, shirtless, in the doorway, smiling warmly at her, seeming glad that she’d come back. She’d never experienced the concept of “walking on air” until that very moment.
And then he held out a hand to her, and she was sunk.
Whatever this was with him, she wanted it. She wanted him. The things she’d learned about him earlier only made him more attractive to her, even as her heart ached for him and what he’d lost.
“You had me worried for a second there,” he said as he led her into the room, closing the door and locking it behind them.
“How come?”
“I thought you changed your mind about coming back.”
“I didn’t.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you had. This… Me… It’s a lot to take on.”
She tipped her head as she looked up at him, trying not to be overly dazzled by his gorgeous face. “Am I taking you on by coming back?”
“I don’t know.” He looked so cute and maybe a bit vulnerable as he pondered the question. “Are you?”
She’d been so caught up in the way he was looking at her that she hadn’t realized he was still holding her hand until he gave it a squeeze.
Piper swallowed, hoping to rid herself of the huge lump in her throat. “I think I’d like to.”
“But you’re not a hundred percent sure, right?”
“I’m about ninety-nine percent sure.”
“What’s holding back that last one percent?”
“You… You’ve been through a lot, and this would be…”
“The first time I’ve been taken on since then,” he said, in keeping with his earlier comment.
“Yes.”
“If you’re wondering if I’m ready, like really and truly ready, it’s hard to say that for certain. I think I am. I want to be. But the grief is always part of my picture now, and it complicates everything.”
“I understand that as much as I can without having experienced a loss like yours.”
“I don’t mean to make it part of everything, but it is whether I want it to be or not.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Jack.”
“But I do… You’re not only taking me on, but you’re taking on my late wife and my grief and my ongoing journey to figure out my life without her. It’s a lot to ask of anyone.”
“You’re not asking it of me. I’m giving it willingly.” As she said those words, she was aware that she’d crossed some sort of threshold, going from uncertain to committed in a matter of minutes.
He released her hand and placed both his hands on her hips, guiding her closer to him as he lowered his head until his lips were poised just above hers, so close, she could nearly taste him. “Tell me this is what you want.”
“It is. You are.”
His lips found hers in a kiss that went from slow to fire in a flash of heat that nearly knocked her off her feet. Holy shit, the man could kiss. Being on the receiving end of years of pent-up desire pouring forth into one all-consuming kiss for the ages was something she wouldn’t soon forget.
Piper had never been kissed so thoroughly, as if she was the only oxygen available in all the world, and he was desperate for what only she could give him. Kissing in the past had been pleasant and arousing. It had never been so intense.
The sound of something crashing outside had them pulling apart to stare at each other, him looking as stunned as she felt.
He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “We, uh… What was that noise outside?”
Piper forced her legs to move toward the window. She raised the blinds to look down at the street. “Something fell off one of the buildings and smashed in the street. I can’t tell what it is from up here.”
Jack came up behind her, put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck, making her legs and every other part of her tremble with a rush of desire that left her breathless.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hold you and kiss you and talk to you like we did today. Or I guess it was yesterday now.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun during a hurricane.”
“It certainly does.”
Piper nudged him back so she could turn to face him.
He drew her in close, nuzzling her nose before giving her a sweet, gentle kiss.
“Is this difficult for you?” she asked softly.
“Not as difficult as it would be if it wasn’t you here with me.”
As far as compliments went, that was a pretty good one.
“I’ve had some time these last few weeks,” he said, “to bring myself around to being ready for this, for you.”
“Is that what you were doing over there on the mainland?”
“When I wasn’t dealing with work, I was thinking of you and hoping you might be thinking of me.”
“I had myself convinced I wasn’t on your radar when I didn’t hear much from you while you were gone.”
“You were very much on my radar, but I wanted the chance to talk to you in person about the stuff I shared earlier. I wanted you to know…” He shrugged and then sighed. “I was so glad to see you on the ferry.”
“I was glad to see you, too.”
He kissed her again.
Piper curled her arms around his neck to keep him from getting away as he leaned into her, pressing his erection against her abdomen.
“When I invited you to stay with me,” he said, “I meant to keep you company during the storm. I don’t want you to think I’m expecting anything.”
She rubbed against him suggestively. “You’re not expecting anything?”
He gasped, his fingertips digging into her hips. “I, uh… It’s been a while for me, Piper. It might be over before it begins.”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard,” she whispered, “but it’s a regenerating organ.”
A choked laugh escaped his lips. “I actually knew that.”
“So then there’s nothing to worry about.”