“Give me a second,” he murmured, and she giggled. Such a sweet sound. Not one he’d gotten used to hearing while she’d stayed with him. Maybe the Starla he thought he knew was nothing like the one he held right now. That was okay; he’d get to know her all over again.
“We have all night,” she whispered. Her lips traced a damp little path around his pec. Jared pressed his nose into her hair, inhaling until his lungs were full of her. “I intend to make full use of it.”
And they did. He nestled between her thighs and licked her until she cried out that she couldn’t take any more, then he licked her a while longer. Once she was shuddering and limp from so many orgasms, and he was so hard again from watching her that he hurt, he pulled her close and slid deep inside. Slow but inexorable, demanding, feeling her body quake and pulse around him as she took him. Wrapped up in her this way, the tremors in all her limbs were a delicious reflection of her tremors within, and he couldn’t get enough. No empty air existed between their damp bodies, and he wanted it that way. When he began to thrust, though, she came alive, her hands sliding over his arms and shoulders and into his hair.
“Oh, you fucking sexy man,” she growled, and he had to laugh. “I missed you so much.”
“Couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t eat. Could barely work,” he whispered back, drowning in her body, trying to show her with every move how true his words were.
“It’s okay now.” She kissed him, moving in perfect, sultry rhythm with his body, so in tune. “I’m here. God, Jared.”
“We’ll make this work. Never doubt it.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise.”
“I promise!” Her voice was becoming more strained, urgent. Her body went still, allowing him to work her sweet spots exclusively, her arms tightening around him, her fingernails biting his flesh. Her body clenched, squeezing the life from him. “Fuck, don’t stop, don’t stop.”
“Never.” He dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her through her climax, tasting her cries and grinding deep to give her everything she needed. And then, as she settled beneath him, three little words fell from her sweet lips, and in them the world ended and began again.
“I love you.”
“I love you.” The response left him in a shaky rush. He’d said the words before to other women. But he didn’t think they’d ever rattled his heart like they did right then. He knew he’d never, not once, no matter who he was talking to, meant them so much.
Starla’s drowsy smile was a blessing to behold. “I’m ready to let you.”
Epilogue
Five months later
“You really didn’t have to come to this.”
“I know.”
“Seriously. No matter what you say, this is asking a lot.”
“Do you not want me here?”
“I want you everywhere. All the time.”
“Then, baby, it’s okay.”
Besides, she looked so damn beautiful. She couldn’t get all dressed up like this and then expect him to sit at home where he couldn’t stare senselessly at her for the next however-many hours this affair would turn out to be. In fact, he’d nearly run off the road twice on the drive over just from looking at her.
It was early October, and the weather couldn’t be more perfect for this. It had been stubbornly hot for weeks, but a recent cold front had brought some relief at last. Golden late-afternoon sunlight slanted through the trees lining Macy’s parents’ driveway. Each one of those trees had been tied with festive dark purple and bronze ribbons, matching the invitation that had arrived at Jared’s house a month ago addressed to him and Starla. He’d been a little surprised to get one, truth be told, but if he had to guess, he figured Macy’s parents had insisted. His own parents would be here, for sure.
Starla was wearing a very dark pink dress—magenta, she’d called it, but hell, it was all pink to him—and she’d piled her hair softly at her nape and somehow woven same-color ribbon throughout. She was a true artist with everything she touched. Ashley and Mia were in the backseat chatting excitedly with each other; they wore similar hairstyles to Starla’s and matching purple dresses. Eggplant, Starla had insisted. While Macy’s color appeared to be plum.
It was enough to short out the brain. Jared wore black jeans and a navy shirt—yeah, navy he could handle.
“Wow,” Starla said as the Rodgers’ house came into view around the final curve in the driveway. It was a sprawling ranch-style, impressive even for him and he’d been here a thousand times. The wedding was to be held in the backyard, an intimate ceremony for only the closest friends and family of the bride and groom.
Macy had always said she would want it that way, he remembered. Ghost had probably been glad to hear it. Somehow, Jared couldn’t imagine him doing the big church thing.