When I Need You (Need You #4)

“I miss you.” He closed his eyes. “That sounds stupid because I see you every day. But it’s been hit-and-miss the past few days—”

“And you really want to hit this”—I thrust my pelvis into his—“doncha, big guy?”

“Am I that transparent?” He laughed softly. “But yeah. I want to lose myself in you for a little while, Ro.” He rested his forehead to mine. “Can you play hooky for a couple of hours?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at practice?”

“I’m playing hooky too.”

If Jensen had blown off practice to spend time with me, then there was more going on than him missing me. Calder wouldn’t be done with camp for three hours, so we could have uninterrupted time alone. “Your place or mine?”

“Mine.”

“I’ll meet you there in fifteen.”

After another toe-curling kiss, Jensen picked up his hat and took off.

Technically I could come and go as I pleased, especially this time of year when there were minimal students in the training center. So I changed the hands on the clock on my door, indicating I’d be back after three.

? ? ?


We didn’t make it into his bedroom for the first round.

I suspected Jensen had been pacing in his apartment while he waited for me. The instant I opened the door, he was on me. Kissing me as he stripped me. Impatiently tearing off his clothes when he’d gotten me naked. Dropping to his knees and using his mouth and his hands to send me soaring. Then bending me over the back of his couch and giving in to his need to take me hard and fast with a passion that rocked me to the core.

And after he’d found his release, he carried me into his bedroom, where he started all over again.

The room stayed dark, only a slight glow from the hallway through the crack in the door.

As much as I loved Jensen the impatient, intense lover, this tender, thorough side of him loving on me did me in. His hands gentled as they caressed every inch of my skin. His kisses were soft and sweet as he teased the hot spots that drove me crazy like the small of my back and the crease of my knee. His reverence with every sweeping caress . . . I didn’t deserve it even when I was thrilled to have it.

His stunning masculine form deserved its own worship. So I mapped the dips and valleys of his musculature, but I also paid particular attention to gently stroking my fingertips across the wide expanse of his shoulders, down the middle of his back and lower to his firm ass. After the brutal training and physical impact he inflicted on his body every day, he deserved a soft touch from someone who understood that tactile pleasures of the flesh were just as important as that hard-driving rise to release.

We lost ourselves in the cocoon of darkness. Reveling in the luxury of indulging in this ultimate intimacy without the urgency. There wasn’t a choreographed need to take turns tasting, touching, teasing. We wound each other up and then let go.

Afterward, Jensen kept me wrapped in his embrace, my back to his chest, our legs tangled, our bodies at rest, even when I knew his mind was back to racing a million miles an hour.

“Jens?”

“Yeah, baby?”

The only time he called me baby was when we were alone like this. “You owe me—”

“Hey, you wanted to blow me, sweetheart, I would’ve been fine—”

“Not that, dumbass. You ripped my yoga pants in the living room. Dude, that’s the second pair in two weeks.”

“Oh. Well, sorry, not sorry.”

I elbowed him.

He laughed. “I’ll buy you four new pairs. Two to replace the ones I ruined and two pairs that I can ruin at will, okay?”

“Okay.”

“It’s pretty obvious how much I missed you if I’m ripping your clothes off.”

“Or you don’t know your own strength.”

“Or you’re my weakness, baby.”

I melted.

He nuzzled the back of my head. “I’ve never had this. I know you haven’t either. That’s why I love that it’s this way between us.”

“Were you worried it wouldn’t be?”

He hesitated and I felt my stomach tighten. “I didn’t know it could be like this, so my worries were more along the lines of . . . would this be a priority?”

For you went unsaid. Don’t take offense. He’s being open and honest and that’s what you asked of him.

Jensen turned me to face him. “That’s why I came to you today. I’ve not made you—or this—a priority the past week. I’m sorry.”

“Four orgasms is a hell of an apology, Lund.”

“I love you, Ro. I don’t want to screw this up. I’m looking forward to training camp, but I don’t want to be away from you and Calder.”

I looped my arms around his neck. “I know. I love you too. I’ll miss sneaking away for sexy times in the middle of the afternoon. It feels so naughty.”

He grinned. “This is the best afternoon workout I’ve had all week.”

“As much as I’d love to see if you can’t get the day’s orgasm tally into double digits for me, I do have to go back to work.”

“I don’t. I told Coach I was sick.” He fake-coughed twice. “Want me to call in for you? Tell them that it’s highly contagious and you need to be in bed the rest of the day.”

“It’s already going to be on the news that The Rocket missed afternoon practice due to illness. You don’t need speculation that you were playing hooky for some nookie on top of that.”

“True.” He rolled to his back with me plastered to his front. “Next go? You can be on top and do all of the work.”

“Deal.” I smooched his mouth. “Now I have to grab a pair of pants that aren’t ripped before I head back to work.”

Jensen followed me into the living room. He didn’t bother putting his shirt back on, just his athletic shorts. I wasn’t surprised when he followed me into my apartment too.

After changing my ripped yoga pants for a pair of khaki capris, I ducked into the bathroom to tame my sexed-up hair and check for love bites. My man loved seeing his marks on my skin. I checked. Dammit. I’d have to change my shirt too.

“What are your plans for the afternoon?” I asked Jens after I returned to the living room.

“I’ve gotta study plays, but I might do that by the pool.” He snorted. “But that’s guaranteed to bring Bob out.”

It seemed every time we were out in the complex, Bob needed to talk to Jensen about something. I couldn’t imagine what they’d have in common. “Has he said anything about why there are three empty units on the first floor?” It occurred to me that could be my housing solution. I could see if Bob would rent one of the units to me. That way I’d have my own space, close to Jensen and Martin, but not dependent on either of them, and Bob wouldn’t have to comb through the waiting list for new, reliable renters. Would I have to argue my position that cheerleading was a sport, and therefore I qualified as an athlete?

Jensen’s eyes narrowed on me. “Did you put on a different shirt?”

“Yes. I needed something to cover up the hickey.”

“I didn’t give you a hickey.”

“Uh, yeah you did. Two of them.”

“Let me see.”

“No, I have to go.”

“Let. Me. See.” Then he grabbed me by the hips and lifted me over the back of the couch.

“Jensen!”