Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
JETT
My wife’s name was wrenched from my lungs as I watched her disappear, the sounds of her screams piercing deep into my soul.
“Patience!”
I bolted upright, drenched in a cold sweat, my heart hammering as I frantically tried to suck in air.
“I’m right here.”
The whispered words and soft touch on my arm did little to calm the blind terror still racing through my body after the nightmare I’d just experienced. My head snapped toward the voice, and I saw her.
Even though the room was still dark, the moonlight cast a glow on Patience’s angelic face, and it was what I needed to help calm the raging storm of fear that had been brewing inside me as my nightmare morphed into something even more horrific than usual.
“It’s not real.” I reached out and ran my palm across her smooth cheek, letting it rest there just to feel her with me. “You’re okay.”
Verbalizing it out loud made it feel more true.
She reached up and covered my hand with her small palm. “Yes, I’m okay.”
The silvery light from the moon illuminated her eyes as they searched mine. “It was just a bad dream. Do you want to talk about it?”
Images flashed in my mind, a cruel mix of the reality of the events that stole my friends from me and the woman I loved being pulled away, which haunted me even more. I watched her being dragged off with my buddies and heard her cries as she was tortured, just as they had been.
I didn’t know if Patience’s assault had triggered new night terrors even more devastating, but I hated that they had returned after being kept at bay since sleeping in her bed over the last week.
Shaking my head, I dropped my hand, hers falling alongside mine to the bed. “I can’t,” I told her, my voice strangled as panic started kicking in.
What if I had hurt her?
I needed to move, to find a way to erase the evil I’d just seen while asleep and to ensure my shit didn’t affect the beautiful woman sitting next to me, her face etched with worry. I couldn’t be her burden; she didn’t deserve that.
As I moved to get out of bed, without a word, the scent of daisies and our lovemaking swirled around me.
It was a powerful reminder of the woman I loved and our first time together.
I desperately tried to cling to that smell, along with the image of Patience’s stunningly pretty face; they had the ability to right the wrongs I’d dreamed of.
Padding into the bathroom, guilt plagued me with every step for walking away from my wife. This was not how we were supposed to wake up after making love. I just couldn’t find a way to express myself after the nightmare or tell her that she was in it.
I flipped on the shower and then paused. Did I really want to wash away the smell of her? Would it be so wrong to let her scent linger on my skin, the reminder of her, soothing me like a balm to my tormented heart and soul?
Rubbing my hands over my face, I thought to myself that I might truly be losing my mind. I walked the rest of the way to the toilet and relieved myself before turning to get into the shower.
There she was—gloriously naked as the day she was born, more beautiful than ever and walking straight toward me. When she reached me, she wrapped her arms around my middle and rested her head on my chest.
Just the feel of her against me had me settling. It wasn’t sexual; it was about nurturing and the power of healing—something only she could do for me.
“You don’t have to tell me things if you don’t want to or can’t,” she mumbled against my chest, her warm breath ghosting across my skin. “But please don’t shut me out completely again. I can’t lose you.”
Hot moisture struck my chest, and I realized she was crying.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I’d hurt her, worried her, and messed up again. That felt worse than the damn horrendous dream.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” I kissed the top of her head. “I wasn’t leaving you; I just needed a moment to pull myself together. I don’t want my ugly shit to bleed into your life.”
She pulled her head back, dropping her arms, and looked up at me, a few tears still shimmering in her eyes. “So if I were struggling with the assault or what is happening with Chaz, I shouldn’t lean on you or expect you to be there for me?”
I opened my mouth to say something, but she stopped me cold.
“No.” Shaking her head, she placed her finger over my lips.
“You don’t get to say it’s different. We have always been there for one another, and we’re not stopping now—no matter what the hell it is.
” She moved her finger to my chest and gave it a quick poke.
“I don’t give a shit what it is, you hear me? ”
God, she was radiant, especially when she had a bone to pick with me. I couldn’t contain the smirk at her tongue-lashing, especially with the cuss words since she rarely used them because of Griffin. My wife could be a bit innocent most of the time—with her girl-next-door vibe.
Although maybe not so innocent in bed.
Now, new images emerged in my head, and I couldn’t help the other reaction happening with my body. Patience looked down, then back up at me with wide eyes.
“Really?”
I shrugged. “What can I say? You’re sexy as hell, babe. Especially when you lay into me.”
She huffed and stomped her foot, pointing at me. “This doesn’t mean you forget what I just said. We’re a team. But…”
I raised my brow as she bit her lip and paused, staring at me.
“Let’s shower, and we can have another first,” she told me as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hot spray. “I heard shower sex can be fun, among other things.”
“Other things?” I questioned.
My wife didn’t answer, but when she dropped to her knees in front of me and wrapped her hand around my erection, I was already liking those other things—immensely. Both my hands went to her head, and I threaded my fingers in her hair, softly gripping it.
“Baby, I need to tell you—”
Her tongue darted out and circled the tip of my cock before her full lips wrapped around it, sucking me into her hot mouth. I lost the ability to form words, let alone think. My head fell back, my eyes closed, and a deep groan rumbled from the depths of my chest.
We’d have to circle back to the conversation we were having since it was obviously not going to happen right then, when I was two seconds from coming as she worked me over with a talent I didn’t know she possessed.
As much as I would love to let go, I found myself wanting to be inside her again—the other we’d save for another time. I pulled back on her head slightly, and she popped off me.
“What are you doing?”
Placing my hands under her arms, I dragged her up my body and moved my palms to her ass, hoisting her in the air. She caught on quickly, locked her legs around my waist, and I pressed her against the shower wall.
“Need to be inside you,” I panted, still charged up from her sweet mouth.
Her pretty lips formed an O as I grabbed my dick, lined myself up to her entrance, and was just about to press inside when my oh-shit meter went off.
“No condom,” I told her, dropping her feet back down to the floor. “Be right back.”
Not giving a damn if I got anything wet, I raced out to the nightstand and found what I desperately needed. Running back into the bathroom, I slid across the tile floor, my arms out almost like I was surfing, working to balance myself.
With the curtain still pulled back, Patience took in the scene and laughed her ass off at me just as I managed to come to a stop without killing myself.
“Think that’s funny, huh?” I asked.
Her head nodded while her eyes stayed glued to my hands in motion as I tore open the package and rolled the condom on.
“Get in here,” she demanded.
“Bossy. It’s hot,” I told her as I jumped back in the shower.
Wasting no time, I had her legs wrapped around me once again and pressed her up against the shower wall a second time. I slowly shoved inside her channel, both of us moaning in unison.
“Damn, you feel like home wrapped around me like this.”
I wasn’t expecting her to giggle, but that’s exactly what she did. “What’s so funny?” I asked, giving her butt a playful squeeze.
Patience moaned in pleasure before saying, “Mi casa es su casa.”
My brows knitted together as I thought about that for a second, earning me another giggle. Then it clicked. “Did you just say, ‘my house is your house’ in Spanish?
She gave me the most adorable, sheepish grin and nodded.
“So to sum this up, you’re saying that since being inside you feels like home, your body is my body?”
When she snorted, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. There I was with the most caring, beautiful, funny, and sexiest woman on the planet. I was buried deep inside her, and we were making jokes. Despite having hurt her feelings, she still took me into her heart and body without pause.
“Yup, now move,” she said, swiveling her hips and pulling a groan from me.
Fuck if she wasn’t the perfect woman for me in every way.
“Anything for you, sweetheart.”
And boy did I move until we fell over the edge.
I watched as the ladies hugged.
It was truly awesome that they bonded in such a short time—they’d become fast friends. Patience was my world, and Dusty would somehow always be part of my life.
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” my wife told Dusty.
Griffin yanked on my hand, and I looked down. “Why does she have to leave?”
He looked as sad as his mother.
“Because she doesn’t live here, Champ.” Letting go of his hand, I rested mine on top of his head and ruffled his hair. “She’ll come back to visit, or maybe we can go see her.”
With that, he ran toward the ladies who were a foot in front of us. “Auntie Dusty, Daddy said you can come back, or we can come see you!” His voice echoed through the airport as he shouted with excitement.
Dusty looked at Griffin with a huge smile. “Of course I’ll be back, and you are always welcome to come visit me.” She squeezed him against her side with her free hand, her cane in the other.
Staring at the wooden stick she still had to use brought on some remorse, but she’d kill me if she knew, so I masked my thoughts as quickly as I could. I did, however, pick up on the change in her facial expression before she could do the same.
Sadness flashed in her eyes, along with longing.
Dusty liked that he called her Auntie and the new friends she had made.
She wanted more than what she had back home—and she was made for more—but I listened when she said she couldn’t leave her parents right now.
I just hoped she found her way again even if she couldn’t have the path she had originally chosen for herself.
It may have taken her a second too long to cover up her feelings, but she eventually did and began teasing Griffin. They said their goodbyes, Patience hugged her again, thanking her for the hundredth time for saving her, and then they stepped back so I could take my turn.
We stared at each other for a beat before she punched me in the arm, but then I dragged her into a quick hug.
“Take care of yourself and stay in touch,” I told her.
“Will do,” she replied. Then she hesitated before saying, “I’m sorry I didn’t keep hold of that fucker.”
I didn’t have to ask whom she meant. Dusty had been kicking herself for not taking down Patience’s attacker, so we had some idea of who he was and what exactly he wanted.
There were no leads, and while it looked like it was some random attempt to hurt a woman or maybe he’d planned on stealing from her—thanks to Dusty he hadn’t gotten the chance—it was still hard not knowing for sure.
Yet, that wasn’t my friend's fault—at all.
“You saved her.” I held up my hand to ward off her protests. “My wife’s okay because of you, period.”
She nodded in acceptance.
“She’s too good for your sorry ass,” she said, a smirk on her face. “Don’t fuck it up.”
What a statement when I’d royally fucked up earlier in the day.
A pang hit my chest as I thought about how I’d hurt Patience.
But I was going to do my best to not do that shit again.
I never meant to nor would I intentionally, I just was still trying to process the past and wasn’t always at my best.
“You two are perfect for each other. You're without a doubt meant to be together.”
Dusty’s comment was spot on but so unlike her that I couldn’t help but tease. “What have you done with my friend? When did you get all sappy?”
She punched me in the arm again, laughing. “Romance books, buddy. You should try one sometime.”
Before I could respond, they were calling her flight to board.
“Gotta go,” she said.
I saw the look in her eyes; she was struggling, but my friend was tough and didn’t want to lose it.
Waving at everyone, she turned and quickly walked away. She glanced back once and then disappeared.
Patience and Griffin walked over to me, each clasping one of my hands. “How about we go to brunch?”
“Whoo-hoo!” Griffin cheered as Patience leaned in and said, “Sounds perfect.”
They were perfect. My family.
As we walked out of the airport, I just prayed that nothing would ever take them away from me.