Page 36 of A Second Chance

“Yes,” she managed. And she’d seen no one work a button and zipper so fast. In a blink, she was naked. “I showed you mine, now—” But his lips on her belly button stole away the words, making their way down to her most sensitive area. And when his tongue got involved, her mind ceased working.

Why again did she think a man moratorium was ever a smart idea?Because he wasn’t here, a little voice responded. All thoughts fled from her consciousness at the tide of pleasure rising through her body until the sweet release sent her spiraling. She came to, gripping his hair to the point that she might make him bald. When Jason crawled up her body, she let go.

He moved from the bed and she lifted her head to follow his naked form across her bedroom. Retrieving his pants from the floor and crammed a hand in one pocket, and then another, before coming out with something she didn’t see. Until he stood next to the bed and started fumbling to tear open a condom wrapper. Unable to tell if he was nervous or too darn amped up because he was about to get laid, Gwen moved to the edge and helped herself by planting a kiss low on his abdomen. He growled a masculine sound that reverberated through her. So she teased by kissing him again a little lower and lower until he groaned. “Oh my god.”

And when she done with her tortuous teasing, Gwen smiled at him and, reaching up, she retrieved the wrapped item from his grasp and opened it. Together they rolled it on him and in a fraction of a second he grasped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the mattress. She fell back laughing until he made himself at home with one swift motion and they both gasped.

Gwen lay curled against him, her energy drained, body sated. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how stressed she’d been. But the world and all of her responsibilities had fallen away and there was nothing in the moment, but this,him. With her head on his chest, she’d felt his heart beat and breathing slow. Jason’s arm wrapped around her; he may have fallen asleep. Worried she’d come across as clingy, she shifted; his arm tightened around her. “Don’t go,” he whispered, sounding half asleep.

“I’m just turning over,” she said. His arm lifted in response. Gwen rolled away and curled on her pillow, and to her surprise, Jason followed. He snuggled around her, his arm reclaiming its spot, the weight pressing down and pulling her into him. Not giving much thought in the relief that he wasn’t running out the minute they finished with sex, she drifted off.

Thirteen

The buzzing of his phone roused him, and Jason dressed quietly in the darkness of Gwen’s bedroom. The Ellis Diner was having problems with their electricity on one wall in the kitchen. It was Sunday morning, and they needed to open for brunch. When did Ellis start brunch? He was closer to the restaurant on the square here, but didn’t have his all his tools – which meant going back to Ben and Brandon’s to get changed. And somehow, he didn’t think he’d get through it all without Autumn noticing he’d been out all night. It was likely that Brandon had already ratted him out. He made a mental note to go apartment hunting after the job.

He closed the bedroom door and turned to find Nick exiting Avery’s room. Jason sighed and steeled himself in case the detective had any more questions.

“Morning,” Nick said, and started down the steps whistling. Jason followed, and at the bottom of the stairs Nick turned to ask, “Coffee?”

“I should get going,” Jason said.

“Humor me,” Nick replied.

Jason shrugged and followed. Nick moved through the kitchen with a familiarity of someone who’d been there many times. He filled the coffee pot with water and poured it into the machine then prepared the coffee grounds and flipped the switch. “Look,” he began, “sorry about last night.”

Jason shrugged. “You gotta do what Avery wants, right?”

“Yeah, that…and you’re kind of infamous around town.”

He groaned and his stomach twisted.

“I’m sure most of it is bullshit, but there is a kernel of truth in it somewhere. You weren’t arrested, so Anderson didn’t make a report and wouldn’t talk about whatever happened.”

Jason nodded, not knowing what to say.

“Does Gwen know?”

“Yeah, somewhat.” But nothing about that day or what he did.

“You need to be honest with her,” Nick said, pulling a to-go cup and lid out of the dishwasher.

“I am.” There were things about the trauma of war that civilians couldn’t understand. The incident with Autumn might be a different story, however, he’d been through therapy. Something like that wouldn’t happen again, would it?

Nick studied him – he didn’t buy it.

“Morning, Nick,” a voice said coming from behind them. An older woman with silver hair and wearing a bright yellow bathrobe covered with large flowers drawn in swirls. She stopped at the sight of him. “You, I don’t know.” She didn’t appear to have any concern at the sight of a strange man in her kitchen because a gun-toting, police detective was also there. He introduced himself.

“He’s a friend of Gwen’s,” Nick added.

The woman’s eye’s brightened and beamed. “I’m Natalie,” she said. “Did Nick offer you coffee?”

“Yes, ma’am. But I need to get going. I have a job this morning.”

“What kind of work do you do?” Natalie asked.

“Electrician, an independent contractor right now.”

She smiled and nodded, pleased with the answer. “Well, we have plenty of to-go cups. Just bring it back later,” she said opening the refrigerator.

---