Page 86 of Redeeming Melodies

Like home.

"Jake?" His voice went quiet against my neck. "Think Tommy will be okay with this? With us?"

The question hit deep, but the answer came easy. "Kid practically engineered this whole thing. Pretty sure he had us figured out before we did."

His laugh vibrated against my chest. "Smart kid."

"Gets that from his dad."

"Smooth talker." But his smile lit up his whole face. "Speaking of Tommy, got another FaceTime scheduled this afternoon. Want to stick around? He'd love to see you."

My heart did that thing again - that skip-flutter that happened whenever they included me in their family moments. "Yeah? Won't Vanessa have something to say about that?"

"Fuck Vanessa." His voice held steel. "You're part of this now. Part of us. Time she learned to deal with it."

Couldn't help kissing him then, breakfast going cold and neither of us caring. Because this man - this incredible, brave man - was choosing me. Choosing us. Making space in his family for a small-town sheriff with too much baggage and not enough words to express what that meant.

“Want to shower together?” Jake asked.

“Thought you’d never ask.”

My body hummedwith anticipation as we made our way upstairs. Whatever this thing between Elliot and me was, it was out of my control now. Our hands and mouths kept finding each other, small kisses turning into something more urgent, more raw. My mind was a blur of want and need, of something deeper I couldn’t quite name, and I knew—god, I knew—this wasn’t just some one-off, some fling that’d burn out come morning.

I dragged him into the bathroom, barely getting the water started before his mouth was on mine again, tasting like coffee and promises. I wanted to savor this, to take my time, but every kiss pulled me in deeper, each touch dragging up feelings I’d buried for too long. My hands shook as I slipped off his shirt, fingers trailing down his chest, learning him by heart. Each scar, each line, felt like a roadmap to someone I could stay with.

The steam thickened in the small bathroom, wrapping us in heat. I pulled him closer, pressing him against the cold tile as our bodies connected, skin to skin, nothing between us. His cock was hot against my thigh, and I could feel my own response, pressing, aching for something that was about more than just physical relief. It was grounding, tethering me to the here and now, like everything I’d been searching for had somehow wound up in this very room.

I pressed my mouth to his neck, tasting salt and skin, feeling his hands grip my shoulders like he was telling me, Don’t you dare stop. I could feel his breath against my own neck, warm and shaky, and god if that didn’t undo me right there. Our bodies moved together, slow and intense, breaths mingling, heartbeat crashing in my ears. We fit together like this was meant to happen, like maybe I was meant to find this, after all the shit I’d gone through, after everything I’d tried to fix and failed.

“Jake,” he murmured, voice catching as his hands ran down my back, fingers digging into the tense muscles like he was grounding himself, too.

I grunted a response, too far gone to say much, my mind spinning as our hips pressed together, hard and aching. I wanted this forever, wanted him wrapped around me, soft and steady, even when things got messy, even when I couldn’t keep my own shit straight. For once, I wanted to be the man who showed up, who held on, who didn’t let everything slip through his fingers.

He gasped as my hand found his cock, stroking slowly, deliberately, feeling each inch of him. I wanted to hear him come undone, wanted to hear that unguarded sound slip past his lips. And god, the way he moved, the way he trusted me to take him apart—it made my chest ache, like he was giving me something precious, fragile, and dangerous.

“Fuck, Jake,” he whispered, voice rough as his own hand moved lower, finding my hole, pressing fingers in gently,teasing. My breath hitched as the pressure built, the anticipation growing, every nerve sparking like I was close to something real. I let out a low growl as his fingers moved deeper, hitting that spot that made everything blur, and I couldn’t hold back, couldn’t stop myself from pushing back, from letting him in completely.

The rest was a haze of heat, of him filling me, of the feeling of skin against skin, raw and unguarded. Our bodies moved together, slow and intense, breaths ragged, and I felt like I was finally letting go of all the guilt and anger, the weight I’d carried for too damn long. In this moment, with him, I could be exactly who I was—flaws and all.

We finished together, a tangle of limbs and sweat and release, and when we finally pulled apart, breathing heavy, I knew this was what I’d been missing. This was what I wanted—a place, a person, a damn reason to stay.

Pine Grovealways smelled the same - antiseptic trying to cover up endings. Elliot's hand found mine in the parking lot, steady and warm while my heart tried to punch through my ribs.

"We don't have to do this today." His voice came soft, giving me an out I didn't want to take.

"Yeah, we do." Squeezed his fingers, anchoring myself. "Want her to meet you. While she still can."

Nancy was at her usual post when we walked in, her smile warming when she saw us. "Jake, honey. And who's this handsome fellow?"

"This is Elliot." The words came easier than expected. "My boyfriend."

Boyfriend. First time I'd said it out loud. Felt right though, especially when Elliot's ears went pink.

"Welcome to the family, dear." Nancy's eyes held knowing warmth. "She's having one of her days, Jake. Been asking for your father since breakfast."

The familiar ache hit hard. Dad had been gone fifteen years, but in Mom's mind, he was just at work, due home any minute.

"Thanks for the heads up." My voice came out rougher than intended.

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