Page 24 of Trip

12

JJ

She must’ve dozed off because when she woke, it was dark outside, and Trip wasn’t in bed.

After a quick trip to the bathroom and a change, she went in search of her man. At least as long as she could hold him, she was going to make those moments last a lifetime, no matter how fleeting they may be.

Yes, she would go back to Vegas with him and see how long she could live with the secrets of the past. Sure, she could just tell him and get it over with, but again, she didn’t want him in jail. Also, she didn’t want to see that pain in his eyes. Ten years’ worth of guilt would destroy him. Neither the Cris he was, nor the Trip he became, would handle that well.

She didn’t want to live a life with a man who could never feel like he apologized enough. Nope, not going to do it. So, JJ did what she always did, buried that shit deep and put on a smile.

She could smell the most wonderful of scents wafting down the hall and followed her nose like a cartoon being beckoned by a visible smell.

Trip was shirtless, wearing his cut, jeans, and boots, with his back to her, cooking something and there were peanut butter cookies cooling. That’s what was creating the cloud of smell, motioning her forward.

She only took a moment to study him from behind. His flared lats were incredible. Her gaze drifted down to his black-denim-encased firm ass and thighs.

The man was put together very fucking nicely.

Something about a man with those muscle wings and a tight ass just did it for her.

“Are you going to stand there all night ogling my body or are you going to get over here, wrap your arms around me, and tell me merry Christmas Eve? Hint, there isn’t really a choice.”

This was said without him turning around. JJ wrapped her arms around him from behind. After kissing his shoulder blades and peeking around, she asks, “Whatcha cooking?”

Trip took the strips and broke them into pieces, sinking them into the still soft cookies.

“Bacon peanut butter cookies. I hope they’re still your favorite.”

“They are. But I don’t know how to break it to you, that’s not bacon.”

His laughter had her clenching her thighs together. “Yeah, sweetheart. It is, just no—”

“Stop right there, don’t you dare say cuddly cute face or I’ll punch you in yours.”

“I was going to say… animal.” He grabbed a cookie and pinched off a gooey bite with facon on it. “Here, try it.”

He placed it on her tongue when she opened her mouth. Trip kissed her nose and popped the rest of the cookie into his own mouth.

The flavors of peanut butter and not-quite bacon exploding on her tongue pulled a moan of pleasure from her throat.

“Oh my God, that’s incredible. I could never give up real bacon for good, but I would fight a coked-up crackhead for one of these cookies.”

Trip choked a little as he laughed. It was light and easy, familiar.

He dragged her close by her hips. “If you moan like that, I’ll make you cookies every single day and I promise no drug-addicted combat involved.” Trip kissed her, quick and intense. He tasted like peanut butter and weed.

“Shit, did you spike these?”

“No. I don’t have the right stuff, beautiful. But if you want to smoke, I can make it happen.”

“No thanks.” She sauntered over to the refrigerator and grabbed them both bottles of water. “Do you smoke this much all the time?”

Not that she was one to judge, but it seemed out of character, at least what she thought she knew about him. Not to mention she thought Granite ran a pretty tight ship, and a stoned secretary didn’t exactly fit that visual she had.

“Not even close but everyone thought I might need it for the holidays, and well, they weren’t wrong.” He grabbed her again for a kiss, then led them to the couch. “I’m done for now. I want to enjoy every minute of Christmas for the first time in a long time.”

A slight twinge of guilt clamped down on her heart. That is my fault. No, not my fault. JJ spent too many years feeling responsible for everything that happened. Sure, she didn’t help matters by not speaking up, but it is not her fault she was raped. That was something she had to constantly remind herself of. Her therapist said if a daily reminder was needed, then so be it. Don’t let that guilt slip back in. So that’s exactly what she did.

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