50. Jo
Chapter 50
Jo
T he words plow into my chest like I’m being buried alive by ten thousand pounds of concrete.
And he’s kissing me again. More fervently than before.
I must’ve hit my head. Maybe I’m dreaming.
It wouldn’t be the first time. I’ve dreamt about Isaac before.
Many times. So many times.
His arms are wrapped around me so tightly that it’s hard for me to take in a full, satiating breath. I can’t decide if I need him to stop, or if I want to stay here until the end of time. Isaac makes the decision for me when he steps back, unpinning me from the side of his car.
My feet hit the ground before my lips break free from his.
“Get in the car, Jocelyn.”
Yes, sir.
“Excuse me?” My words fly out in direct opposition to what I really want. I want to get in the car. I want him to take me wherever he wants to take me, and however he wants to take me. “You think after that shit you pulled that I’m getting in the car with you?”
“The shit I pulled?” His hands drop from my waist to his sides and he takes a step backward. “What about the shit you pulled?”
“Me?” I yell, both of my hands flying up to land on my chest. “You’re the one who just caveman-carried me out of a date in front of the whole restaurant!”
He huffs out a laugh, rolling his neck around in a circle. His eyes find mine once more. “And that phone call earlier?” He crosses his arms over his chest, matching my attitude. “You’re telling me that was innocent?”
Shit. He clocked me.
“I—”
“You didn’t want me to show up here?”
“Well—”
“You weren’t trying to push me over the edge?”
“You—”
He takes a step closer to me and leans his mouth toward my ear, sending a shiver straight down to my toes.
“Get in the car, Jocelyn.”
The heartbeat in my chest spreads south through my core and between my legs. What is wrong with me?
“Why?”
He’s too close. His breath is hot against the skin of my neck..
“Because—” He places one finger against my sternum and pushes me backwards against the car door once more. “We have unfinished business.”
He grabs the door handle and pulls it open, shifting me to the side to make room.
“ Now .” Grabbing my jacket and purse from the roof of the car, I claim my spot in the passenger seat, swinging my legs inside the car. He closes the door behind me, jogging around to the driver-side and keeping his eyes locked on mine through the windshield the entire way.
I’ve never seen his eyes this dark. There’s that flutter in my stomach again.
Please don’t be puke.
Isaac’s car roars to life, and I glance back to see Jake leaving the restaurant, a styrofoam to-go container in his hand, and a frown on his face. I’ll send him a nice fruit basket for his troubles.
My attention is pulled from the parking lot when Isaac’s palm grazes my thigh. His grasp is strong, but soft against my skin, and his eyes remain fixed on the road ahead of us.
“Where are we going?”
His thumb gently grazes back and forth against the skin of my thigh, and the pulse between my legs begins again. I shift uncomfortably in the leather seat, but he tightens his grip.
“Stay still.”
I swallow the lump that has lodged itself in my throat, and halt my movement. The skin under his palm burns in the most erotic way, even with his mostly-innocent grasp. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He glances over at me quickly, his eyes meeting mine briefly before dropping to watch the movement of his thumb. His gaze returns to the road as the car slowly approaches a stop sign. He shifts his body to face me once more.
His intense stare is crushing, but he challenges me with one scrape of his hand further up my thigh. The edge of my skirt buckles under the pressure, allowing him through with next to no hesitation. Apparently, it knows what’s best for me.
My vision blurs when the tips of his fingers meet the crease of my thigh and seam of my lace thong. An exact replica of the pair I wore to Kelsey and Kyle’s wedding all those years ago.
I look down, sucking in a shallow breath when I see the placement of his hand.
“Where are we going, Isaac?” Headlights appear in the rear-view mirrors, and Isaac turns back to the road, checking the intersection before stepping on the gas.
“Where do you want to go, Dr. Carello?”
The headlights behind us disappear, leaving the cabin of his car dark and quiet.
“This tells me what you want.” His fingertips graze the cotton of my thong, sending a searing bolt of lightning through my core. “But I need to hear you say it.” He squeezes my thigh. “Out loud.”
“Take me to bed, Dr. Britlyn.”
The lamp outside Isaac’s apartment provides enough ambient lighting to reveal a dusting of pink on the apples of his cheeks. It might be the brisk night air, but maybe it’s more?
A flicker of nervous energy passes between us as he pushes open the door to his home, stepping aside to guide me in with a hand on my low back.
“I’m scared,” I blurt, turning to face him as he follows me into the living space. Isaac closes the door, flipping the lock. “And sober.”
Confusion washes over his face. “Are those two things related?”
I nod silently.
“Talk to me,” he responds. He takes a step towards me, but I take a step back, maintaining the distance between us. “I know you don’t like me to know what’s going on inside your brain, but please tell me.”
He takes a step towards me again, running his thumb over my exposed collarbone.
“Please, Jocelyn. Let me in your head.”
My forehead falls forward, connecting with his chest on a sigh. He runs his hands up and down my arms, grounding me to the moment. He’s here with me.
“I’ve just imagined this moment so many times,” I pause, giving him a moment to speak, but he doesn’t. “And like, what if I ruin it?”
Isaac grasps my shoulders with both of his hands, pushing my forehead away from his chest. He takes a moment to examine my face, landing finally on my eyes.
“Ruin it?” He guides me to the couch, pulling me down next to him onto the cushion. “What do you mean, Jo?”
I kick my heels off next to the coffee table in front of us, tucking my feet up underneath me. Isaac leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, keeping his gaze locked on me. Before I can bring myself to continue, a buzzing infiltrates the living space, and Isaac reaches into his pocket, silencing the noise.
“It’s okay, you can get that. I’m just being fucking annoying.” I lift my eyes to his. “What if it’s your dad?”
He shakes his head. “It’s not. It’s Liam.” He pushes a strand of hair behind my back. “He’s probably calling to see if I fucked up.”
A laugh springs out of me before I can corral it. “What are you fucking up now?” My giggles fade into silence while he contemplates his answer. A line forms between his brows, and he meets my gaze once more.
“Finally getting my girl.”
“Oh,” I say, the air in the room suddenly thicker than before. Why did he bring me here if he’s got a girl? I kick my legs out from under me and push myself to standing. “I think Carmen is in town this weekend. I’ll have her come get me.” He grabs my wrist before I can stand to my full height, tugging me towards him.
“You. I’m talking about you .” My cheeks flame white hot embers as he yanks me down onto his lap. “And you are not going anywhere.” The words echo in my consciousness. The exact same words from the wedding night.
You’re not going anywhere.
Isaac lifts me gently, guiding my legs on either side of his. I don’t get the memo that I’m supposed to sit until he wraps both of his hands around my waist and forces me down onto his lap.
“Oh.”
“I’m going to kiss you again. Is that okay?” Isaac asks quietly, his hands firmly grasping my hips and holding me in place like I’m a flight risk.
Maybe I am.
“I think,” I start, letting the full weight of my body melt into him, “yes. I think yes.” His lips graze the skin on my chest and he lets out a low hum.
“I want—” He kisses the base of my neck and runs his hands up underneath the back of my shirt. “To do—” Peppering kisses along my jawline, he unclasps my bra, dragging his fingertips along the skin on my back. “A lot more—” He kisses the edges of my mouth, and my eyes flutter closed instinctively. “Than kiss you, Jocelyn.”
Our mouths crash together in a fury of ten years of pent up desire and need. I let him part my lips with his tongue, exploring parts of him that I’ve only imagined. We’ve kissed before, but not like this.
The ache between my legs gets stronger, met with a growing firmness beneath me that sends a rush of heat down my spine. I grab the top button of Isaac’s dress shirt, pulling until it releases itself from the grasp of the fabric that surrounds it. Repeating the process takes too long, but I do it anyway, working each button free. He’s watching me so intently. A silent gaze that, yesterday, would’ve made me crumple into a pile of skin and bones.
Now, it fuels me.
My hands smooth against the skin of his chest, pushing the fabric of his shirt off his shoulders. I return the barrage of kisses, starting on his sternum and working my way up his neck. Isaac shivers when I plant a kiss directly behind his ear.
“The power I hold right now is indescribable.” I smirk, pulling back to search his eyes for instructions. “But I’m not sure what to do with it.” He smiles, wrapping a hand behind my neck and pulling my lips to his once more.
“Lift your arms.” He pulls my shirt up over my head and tosses it to the side. My unclasped bra falls off my chest, exposing my breasts to him for the first time. Capturing a bit of confidence in the way he looks at me, I press myself down onto his fully-formed erection. He groans, letting his head fall back onto the couch cushion.
“He likes that,” I whisper, repeating my motion with a little more assurance.
“God dammit, Jocelyn. I need you right now.” He scoots us forward on the couch, wrapping one strong arm around my waist and using one to push us up to standing. I wrap my arms and legs around him as he walks us down the dark hall and through his open bedroom door.