Page 126 of Choosing You

“I don’t know if it was him. It could’ve been some kids playing a joke.”

“Let’s just stay here. I’ll go get my stuff.”

He’s gone before I can talk him out of it. I change into pajama pants and a t-shirt. He returns wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Seeing us in our sleep clothes, I realize that our relationship is rather odd. Most couples wouldn’t sleep next to each other like this without it leading somewhere. But then again, maybe itwilllead somewhere now that Garret and I are officially dating.

I climb into bed. Garret lies next to me. My blue ceiling lights are glowing above us.

“I’m not tired yet,” he says, turning toward me, his hand resting on my hip.

“I’m not either.” I smile as I flip on my side to face him.

He reaches around my head, burying his fingers in my hair and drawing me in for a slow, sexy kiss that sends a wave of fiery heat through my core. He lowers his hand to my back and pulls me closer. His kisses get faster and more intense and I start to think this is going to lead somewhere. Someplace we haven’t been before.

I feel a flash of nervousness thinking this could lead to sex. And although I want that with him, I’m not sure if I’m ready. At least not tonight. Plus, I don’t really know what I’m doing. The one and only time I had sex it lasted for about a minute. When it was over, I wasn’t even sure I’d had sex. Okay, obviously I knew I had sex but it was over so fast that I didn’t learn anything from it. And it definitely didn’t live up to the hype. I like to pretend it didn’t even happen.

Garret slips his hand under my shirt, a move he hasn’t even attempted before, despite the fact that I wanted him to. My breathing becomes fast and uneven as I feel him cup my breast and run his thumb along the tip.

I nudge his shirt up, urging him to take it off. He does and I run my hand along his bare chest. I sit up slightly encouraging him to take my shirt off as well, but he doesn’t.

“Go ahead,” I whisper.

“I don’t want to rush it,” he whispers back.

Rush it? Rush what? It’s just a shirt and his hand’s up there anyway so what’s the big deal? It’s not the time to argue about it, so I lie back down, just happy that he’s finally touching me this way.

I feel his heart beating fast under my hand which is still on his chest. He playfully licks my bottom lip, then kisses it. My pulse kicks up another notch as his hand trails down my stomach, just above the waistband of my pajama pants. I wait for him to go farther. When he doesn’t I work my hand down his rock hard abs and under his sweats, rubbing my palm along the front of his boxers.

“Jade,” he groans softly against my lips.

My hand runs up and down the length of him. I’ve never touched him this way. I’ve never even seen what he has going on down there. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but now that I know it’s totally turning me on. I should’ve known it’d be as perfect as the rest of him.

I’m dying for him to do more to me but his hand is still at my stomach. As if he can read my mind, he finally slides it under my pajama pants.

And then the phone rings.

The sound startles us both and we freeze for a second. It rings again but I’m not letting the phone interrupt this. “Just ignore it.”

Garret sits up. “It could be that guy calling.”

I lie on my back, annoyed. “Who cares? He can call back later.”

The phone keeps ringing. Garret gets up to answer it.

“Wait. Let me get it.” I bolt past him toward the phone. “He won’t say anything if you answer. And if it’s Frank or Ryan, I don’t want them knowing you’re in my room this late.”

I pick up the phone. “Hello?”

At first there’s silence, then I hear him talking. It’s the same deep voice. “You didn’t do as you were told, Jade. Get rid of the letter. This is your last warning.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

My face must bewhite because Garret grabs the phone from my hand and yells into it. “Who the fuck is this?” He listens. “Oh, now you can’t speak? You’re such a fucking coward that you can’t say who’s calling?” He listens again, but I can tell the guy’s not responding. “Leave her the fuck alone! Do you hear me, asshole? Stop calling here. Don’t you ever fucking call here again.” He slams the phone down.

“Jade, what did he say?” Garret has both hands on my shoulders, staring down at me to answer.

“He said I didn’t get rid of the letter.”

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