Page 14 of Before I Deserved You
“Out with the Jacksons. I don’t expect them home for a couple of hours yet.” Satisfied with her answer, I drop the condom on the pillow beside her head and inhale deeply. Then I dip my head, stop second-guessing myself, and go on to savor the single most beautiful night of my life.
Ten
Tessa
“Teresa, baby. Time to get up,” my mother’s shrill voice comes from the other side of my bedroom door. I give a sound of displeasure, draw the comforter up and over my head, and nestle closer to the warm body in front of me. Breathing in the familiar scent, I can’t stop the slow smile from taking over my face as I remember last night’s events. The way Jake touched me with such reverence, I felt like I was the most precious thing in the world. The way his hands trembled ever so slightly as he ran them over my skin. The utter adoration in his eyes the moment our bodies and souls connected. It was everything I ever dreamed of and more.
I give a sleepy chuckle when I recall a particular conversation while we basked in the aftermath.
“Are you okay?” Jake runs the tips of his fingers over my back as I rest my cheek on his smooth chest and listen to his galloping heart.
“Never better. The girls told me their first time was horribly painful, and I won’t lie, I was kind of dreading it. It did hurt a bit at first, but then,” I trail off, remembering the delicious way the discomfort had given way to pleasure. “It was amazing, Jake. You were amazing.”
“Did you come?” Heraises a questioning eyebrow as he glances down at me.
“I’m not sure,” I admit. I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I refuse to cheapen the moment with lies. “It felt funny for a bit. Kind of a warm and tingly sensation. But I’m not sure if it was the real deal.”
“Probably not,” Jake says with a jaw-cracking yawn. Poor baby. He most likely hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in days. “Carter says some women don’t orgasm until they’re well into their thirties.”
“And how would he know that?” I ask curiously while my fingertips run lazy circles over his chest. Jake shrugs, his eyes growing heavy before they flutter shut.
“You know Carter,” he mumbles in a sleep-heavy voice. “He reads a lot of shit.”
A loud knock snaps me out of my memory and back into the here and now. “Teresa, this is your last warning. Get out of bed and come get some breakfast, or else you’ll start the day hungry.”
I listen to the retreating footsteps and bolt upright with a screech that jerks Jake out of his slumber. His eyes pop wide, and he sits up so fast that he almost goes over the side of the bed.
“What the fuck, Tessa?” he mutters in a gravelly voice, rubbing his palms over his face. He looks utterly adorable with his wild hair and crease marks covering his left cheek. I could spend an eternity staring at him if my heart wasn’t currently stuck in my throat. “We fell asleep,” I whisper yell, clutching the bed sheet to my chest in the now sunlit room.
“What time is it?”
“It’s after seven in the morning, Jake. How am I going to explain you walking out of my room?”
Jake’s face takes on a panicked expression as realization strikes. He jumps out of bed like his ass is on fire, spinning in a wide circle while his frantic gaze scans the room. When he spots the pile of discarded clothing on the floor, he scoops up his boxer briefs and hastily begins dressinghimself.
“Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck,” he chants, hopping on one leg as he pulls on his jeans. “My dad’s going to kill me. I’m not even kidding. I’m a dead man walking. Should I jump out the window?”
I try not to get myself tangled in the bedding as I awkwardly fasten my bra without dropping the sheet and think of a way to get us out of this mess. If my dad finds out Jake stayed the night, he’ll have a conniption. I’m his little girl, and I don’t think he’s ready to find out that his sweet, innocent princess isn’t so innocent anymore. I, Teresa Davidson, a virgin no more. My cheeks flush at the realization.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll break your neck. Just let me think for a second.” I take a calming breath and rack my brain for a solution that will save us from being grounded for the rest of our lives while Jake just stands there wearing an expectant expression and looking so damn gorgeous my brain refuses to cooperate.
“Here’s the deal,” I say once I manage to get my raging hormones under control. “My dad doesn’t get up until eight, so we should be safe there. Mom’s in the kitchen preparing breakfast, so if I go down first and distract her, you should be able to slip out unnoticed. No sweat,” I finish, flashing him a confident smile that doesn’t match the anxious feeling in my chest. Jake seems to think my plan is solid, for he visibly calms and falls back onto the bed to tie his shoes.
“Let’s get this show on the road then. If I’m lucky, my dad was too far gone to notice me not coming home on a weeknight. Even though it really shouldn’t matter. I wasn’t planning to go to school, anyway.”
“When are you thinking about coming back?” I ask out of curiosity as I slip into a pair of wedge sandals and finger-comb the tangled mess on my head.
“Probably Monday. I’m not looking forward to people staring at me with pity in their eyes, but I can’t hide forever. And it’s not like being home is enjoyable, so it might be good for Anna and Jude to get out of that house and back to a routine.”
I give him a sympathetic smile before I crack the door open just wide enough to check the hallway. When everything seems clear, I motion Jake forward with a wave. Just as I’m about to squeeze through the opening, he pulls me back and presses me against the wall.
“Before I leave, I just want to make sure you’re doing okay. You know, just in case you’re having second thoughts about last night.”
“Do you?” I ask and hope to God he doesn’t regret what is most definitely going down as the most amazing encounter of my life. That would put a damper on things, wouldn’t it?
Jake looks at me so intently that I feel my cheeks heat. When he gives me his answer, he does so with a seriousness I’m not used to seeing from him.
“How could I ever regret you giving me something so special? No matter what happens down the road, I know I’ll treasure the memory of last night for the rest of my life.”
