Page 99 of Tuned To Break
“I really am proud of you. Nicole would be too.”
This time, when he says it, the ache in my chest is softer. Mournful, not hollow.
Outside, the evening breeze brushes my skin. Jake pulls me close and kisses the top of my head.
“How are you feeling?”
“Exhausted. But lighter. Like I finally put something down I’ve been dragging for years.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“I had backup,” I whisper. “You made it easier to be brave.”
Jake squeezes my waist. “Always, darl. Whatever comes next, I’m right beside you.”
By the time we get home, the sun’s dipped behind the trees, streaking gold across the sky like someone took a paintbrush to the clouds.
Jake unlocks the door and steps aside so I can walk in first, his hand lingering at the small of my back, reminding me he’s still here. Still mine. He officially moved in last week. He spent so much time here it just made sense, and I’ve loved having his stuff entwined with mine—even if he doesn’t know how to put his socks in the laundry basket.
As soon as the door closes, I lean against it and exhale deeply. “Well. That was a lot.”
Jake turns, eyes scanning my face, reading every micro-expression like a mechanic diagnosing an engine by sound alone. “You okay?”
“I think so.” I manage a small smile. “It didn’t fix anything… but it didn’t break me either.”
He nods, stepping closer. “You were incredible in there. Strong. Calm. Brutally honest.”
“I felt like I was vibrating the whole time. Like my chest was full of bees.”
“Still are?”
“A few.” I exhale, tugging at my shirt hem. “But they’re quieter now.”
He brushes his lips along my jaw. “You want to talk more, or… want a distraction?”
I tilt my head, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes. “Is it wrong that I kind of want to be ruined right now?”
His growl is low and sinful. “Not wrong at all.”
My breath stutters as he steps into me, pinning me gently against the door with his body. One hand cups my cheek, his thumb sweeping under my eye.
“Tell me what you need, darl.”
“You. Just… you.”
He doesn’t hesitate. His mouth claims mine with a heat that starts in my spine and coils low in my belly. I gasp against his lips as his thigh presses between mine and my body goes frantic and hungry, like it’s been waiting all day for this.
Jake lifts me effortlessly, strong arms sliding under my thighs as my legs lock around his waist as he carries me down the hall, his mouth never leaving mine, tongue sweeping deep and possessive.
In the bedroom, he drops me onto the bed with a bounce and a wicked grin.
“Clothes off. Now.”
The command is low, rough, and it shoots straight through me. I move without thinking, fumbling out of my jeans and shirt while Jake peels off his tee and kicks his boots away. My chest heaves as I watch him shove his jeans down, the hard line of him straining against his underwear.
By the time he climbs onto the bed, I’m already trembling with anticipation. His palms are hot and sure as they drag up my sides, rough calluses skating across bare skin, and then his mouth finds my throat. Soft, open-mouthed kisses. A slow scrape of teeth.
His hand slides up my thigh, deliberate, unhurried, until his fingers slip between my legs. He hums against my neck, the sound vibrating into me. “Fuck, darl… you’re soaked.”
