Page 38 of Pucking Never

I collapse against him, exhausted, our breaths mingling together as we fight to regain our bearings. Finally, he rolls us over, carefully, so that we’re side-by-side.

“That was—” I gasp only for him to press his finger against my lips stopping me in my tracks.

"You're incredible.”

Even though we're both spent and thoroughly sated, Jensen's soft whispers fill my ears with promises of what's to come when we wake up and start all over again. I know that we've only scratched the surface of our passion, but it leaves me eager for more.

Chapter Nineteen

JENSEN

Morning comes too soon. I fight my body’s insistence that I wake up for several moments, but I quickly give up, realizing it’s no use trying to go back to sleep.. When I open my eyes, I find Grace is asleep in my arms, her head resting on my chest. I feel an immediate sense of relief.

She didn’t slip away again. She didn’t run.

I lay there, gently playing with her hair, feeling more content than I ever have before. This is just so… right. I can’t believe how lucky I am, and as I watch Grace sleeping so peacefully in my arms, I know I’ll do anything I have to in order to keep her. My mind wanders briefly to my dad and his attempt to put Camille in my path. As hopeful as I am that he’d come around to Grace, I know without a doubt that I’d give up everything — my trust, inheritance, whatever he wants to try and hold over me — in order to be with this woman.

She and I are the same. We refuse to live in others’ shadows. She wants to carve her own path and be known as more than Carson’s sister, and I want to break away from my father’s expectations and live the life I want. Together, supporting each other, I don’t think there’s anything the two of us can’t do.

As I’m watching her, she begins to stir. Slowly, she turns her face up to me as she blinks open her eyes and gives me a sleepy smile. Her blue gaze seems to sparkle, even with the lingering sleepiness and slight puffiness. Her cheeks are pink and her lips look plump. I run my thumb along the bottom one.

“Good morning,” she murmurs.

“Good morning,” I reply with a grin. “You’re still here.”

She chuckles softly. “Yeah, I am.”

“So I didn’t dream any of it? You’re really going to give us a chance? Even in the face of the cold light of day?”

She bites her bottom lip and drops her gaze, but then she slowly nods.

“Yeah…but we still need to keep it a secret for the time being. I don’t want Carson to find out. Not yet, anyway.”

“Okay,” I assure her. “That’s fine. I don’t want to hide you, or us, but we’ll take this at your pace. When you do decide it’s time to tell Carson, I’ll do it, or I’ll be there with you when you do.”

"Thank you, Jensen," she whispers, tracing a finger over my chest. "That means a lot."

We lay there for a few more minutes, ensconced in the warm afterglow of our night together. When I glance at the clock on the bedside table, I groan. “The bus is going to be here to pick us up in a couple of hours,” I say. “We should get up.”

She sighs. “Yeah, I should get back to my room before anyone else is up. I don’t want to run into anyone in the hallway.”

Anyone meaning Carson, or somebody who might tell him. Reluctantly, I release her from my arms and we rise from the bed.

"We can't act any different around Carson," she says, looking at me as she gathers her clothes.

"I know," I nod in understanding. "It'll be like nothing has changed."

"But everything has changed," she whispers so softly that I almost don't catch it. It's true; everything has indeed changed, more than either of us probably realize yet.

I move toward her and wrap my arms around her, pulling her in for a soft and slow kiss. When I pull back, she smiles at me.

“I should go,” she murmurs, though I can tell she’s reluctant to leave, which makes my heart hammer.

“All right,” I nod. “I’ll see you when we get back to Denver.”

She gives me one last kiss before slipping out of my arms and out of my hotel door. Once she’s gone, I let out a laugh and shake my head. I’ve finally made progress with her, and it feels goddamn incredible. I think back to when I first met her in Miami. She was so beautiful and had impressed me with her boldness when she’d walked up to me and introduced herself. No other woman since has made me feel the way she does. I actually want to build a future with her and be a better man so that I can truly deserve her.

The fact that I’ve found her again, that I’ve been able to hold and touch her again … has been incredible. I’m not going to let this feeling escape me. I’m not going to give her up. However long she needs to figure things out with Carson, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to be right there waiting for her when it’s all said and done. There are no obstacles that will get between me and the life I want with Grace.

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