Page 57 of It's You
She sat down, easing herself back against the tub, and sighed.
Jack didn’t move. His fingers still dangled in the water, and his head was bowed.
“Last night was the best night of my life, Darcy.”
Darcy closed her eyes, loving the feel of the cool water on her hot skin.
“Mine too.” She sighed, finding his fingers beside her and clasping them. Minutes ticked by in silence as the water turnedwarmer, heated by her hot skin, and still their hands stayed laced together.
“I can’t lose you now,” he finally whispered, and his voice was ragged with emotion, with desperation and despair. He let go of her hand.
Darcy opened her eyes to look at him, to reassure him of her feelings for him, her love for him, but he was gone.
She dressed carefullyin her jeans and T-shirt, skipping her bra and panties for fear that they would further irritate the rash. She could change into something light and breathable as soon as she got home. Maybe Willow could prescribe a strong antihistamine too. Sad though it made her feel, all signs pointed to her needing to head home.
She made her way downstairs and found Jack in the beautiful farm kitchen, watching the news in French.
“Wow,” she said. “Your French is that good?”
“It’s my first language,” he admitted, pouring her a cup of coffee. “I don’t know how you take it.”
“Light and sweet.”
“Just like you.” He grinned, kissing her gently as he handed her a coffee cup. He turned and opened the refrigerator, taking out a carton of milk, and found a sugar packet in an overhead cabinet. He set both on the counter in front of her.
She stared at his chest, at the well-defined pectoral and abdominal muscles, and the muscles on his lower trunk that started a perfect V on each side of his hips, the apex of which ended at his…
“Whew.” She sighed, looking up at his face.
He beamed at her, then chuckled lightly, biting his lower lip. His face turned serious as he stared at her. “I want you again, Darce.”
She looked down at her red arms and thought of the red, irritated skin of her chest and back. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I have to go.”
His face clouded over, and he shook his head. “No, I thought, I mean, I hoped that you’d stay.”
“Jack, I haven’t really been home since Friday afternoon. Willow will think you abducted me.”
He took his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to her. “So call her and let her know you’re fine. Then stay for the rest of today.”
She took a sip of her coffee, biting back a smile, and shook her head. “I have to go home.”
“Fine. I’m not going to beg you,” he muttered, shoving his phone back into his jeans. “I’ll get dressed and drive you home.”
He stalked out of the kitchen without a word, without looking at her, and she realized he was upset.
She was sorry for that. Honestly, she didn’t really want to leave him either, but felt like she should. She needed to shower and change, get control of this rash, and check her messages. Her book had been ignored for days, and who knows how many emails had piled up. If she was needed for teaching tomorrow or Tuesday, she’d need to get her notes in order. As much as she wanted to stay and pretend they were the only two people in the world, life intruded. She had to go.
She finished her coffee and headed to the front foyer to find her socks and shoes. She had finished pulling on her socks as Jack found her.
“Wow. All ready to go. That anxious to leave, huh?”
Darcy stood up slowly, recognizing the tone in his voice. Worry. He was worried. What was he worried about?I can’t lose you now.She’d never gotten the chance to reassure him.
She put her hands on his face and tilted it to the side, leaning forward to press her lips against his. His mouth was hot and soft, but he didn’t respond to her. He was pouting. He was telling her how much it bothered him that she wanted to go home. She laced her hands around his neck, pulling him down to her, rubbing her body against his, gently wiggling her tongue between his lips.
She heard his keys fall to the floor as his arms swooped around her, lifting her off the ground, into his arms, flush up against his body. He sighed into her mouth, his tongue stroking hers with the same rhythm he’d used to make love to her, and she felt her hunger for him pooling, throbbing, and insistent below her waist.
Sounds of passion escaped her throat as he grappled for the button of her jeans, urgently unzipped them, and then pushed them down. She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants as fast as she could, freeing his hard, ready sex. Without breaking contact with her lips, he put his hands under her arms and lifted her against the back of the front door, holding her hips with his hands and sinking without warning into her wet, waiting body, thrusting upward as she cried out his name.
