Page 26 of Pucking Never

My strokes become more frenzied, more focused. She yells out my name as her body quivers underneath me, a wave of ecstasy wracking through her small frame. Feeling her climax triggers my own release, the world blurring around me as pleasure consumes me completely.

I collapsing beside her, our bodies entwined, panting heavily. I can’t help but smile. The scent of our mixed sweat fills the air in the room, and my mind swirls in the joyous aftermath of our shared intimacy. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more. The fact that I just claimed her like I did only makes me want to fuck her until the sun comes up.

Pulling her closer to me, I hold her against my side as we come down from our high. My heart pounds in a satisfied rhythm against my chest as I pull the sheets over us, holding her tight. As sleep starts to claim me, I bury my nose into her hair and inhale deeply, bathing in the sweet smell of vanilla and sex that lingers in the air.

If this is what it’s like to have her once, I don’t ever want it to stop.

I don’t remember the last time I slept so soundly. As I slowly start to wake up, memories from the night before flood my mind and my lips curl into a smile as I reach my arm out, expecting to find a soft, warm female next to me. When I find nothing but a cold mattress and empty air, my eyes shoot open and I sit up, heart hammering in my chest.

Disappointment settles over me when I fully realize that Grace is gone. I’m instantly seized with panic and a sense of deja vu. Shit, not again! She can’t be doing this to me again.

It’s Miami all over again when she left on the last night of her trip with only a letter as a goodbye. I thought things would be different after last night. Was that naive of me? Maybe. When it comes to Grace, it seems I don’t know how to act normal. I’m usually so confident and cool with women, but with her, I feel like an inexperienced teenager again. I can’t seem to say the right thing or act the right way to make her want to stay with me.

My spiraling thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the buzzing of my phone. Could it be Grace? I quickly grab my phone off the nightstand. When I see that it’s not Grace, my heart sinks.

It’s my dad.

I open his text. Call Me.

Nothing else. No pleasantries. No checking in. Just a command, and one he expects me to obey without question.

Sighing, I throw the blankets off and climb out of bed. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, I make my way out to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee brewing. I’m going to need it dark and strong if I’m starting the day off with a conversation with my father.

Once I have a cup of coffee ready, I make my way into the living room and sit down in the middle of my couch. Taking a deep breath, I dial my dad’s number.

“Jensen,” he says in a cool voice. No greeting. Just an acknowledgment of my existence. “Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.”

“No problem,” I grumble. “What can I do for you, dad?”

“I’m going to be in Denver tomorrow for a business meeting,” he tells me. “I would like us to have dinner tomorrow night.”

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, my brain immediately racing to come up with an excuse not to go to dinner.

“I don’t think I’m free…”

“Jensen,” he says in a short tone that reminds me of when I was a teenager. “This is important and I insist that you meet with me. We have something we need to discuss.”

Most likely he wants to nag me about my career again. It’s always the same. It would be nice if he’d just pretend to be interested in my life and not push his own agenda for me every time we speak.

"Fine," I manage to rasp out. There's no use arguing with him when he's like this. "Where should I meet you?"

"At Enclave Steak House. Seven o'clock. Don't be late."

With that, he ends the call leaving me staring blankly at the phone screen. Enclave Steak House. Of course, it had to be there. It’s one of the poshest restaurants in Denver, where the city's elite go to see and be seen. A place full of suits, deals and politics; my dad's most loved environment.

I lean back into the couch and let out a long sigh. There is no escaping dinner now – not unless I want to face my father's wrath – but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Chapter Fourteen

GRACE

Lying in my bed, I stare up at the ceiling and try to sort through my feelings. I’m surprised by them, and a little confused, because I thought I’d be upset that I gave in to my desires and slept with Jensen.

But…I’m not.

I’m not upset at all. Yes, I left before he woke up, but that wasn’t because I was ashamed or regretted having sex with him. I just needed space to think, and I’d also been worried about running into Carson if I made my way back home in the morning. Returning to my apartment at about 4:00 AM, I’d crawled into my own bed, hoping to get a little more sleep, but I haven’t had much luck. I just can’t stop thinking about Jensen.

What exactly is it that I want from him? I honestly don’t know, but I’m not at all convinced that we would work in an actual, long-term relationship. No matter how much he insists that he fell for me and not just for Lynn, I can’t help but doubt the truth of that. I’m not the girl I was in Miami. Then, I was pretending. I was being Lynn.

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