Page 41 of Winning Her

All she did was say my name, but it was enough to get me to stop, just short of blurting out that apology. I sucked in a sharp breath, surprised that I hadn't been taking breaths in between all that talking. The expression on Jessi’s face had changed, though I couldn’t understand what she was thinking.

Then, Jessi took a step closer to me. And then another, followed by another, closing the space between us. I watched her, suddenly fascinated with what she planned on doing.

When she stopped right in front of me and rose up on her tiptoe, it was like instinct for me to duck my head lower, so she could press her lips to mine. The kiss started out soft, chaste, just a press of lips. It was reminiscent of our first kiss from back in our teen years.

I let out a low groan, my arms slipping around her waist to hold her body to mine. I nipped, then licked her lips until she parted them for me, and I deepened the kiss. She gave a breathy moan that had shivers running up and down my spine, and my cock growing hard in my slacks.

“Jessi,” I gasped her name when I pulled back after a minute.

She was looking up at me; eyes still closed, lips flushed a dark pink from the kiss, a light blush on her cheeks. She opened her eyes slowly to meet mine, and the heat in them made my body light up.

Fuck.

I realized, belatedly, that we were still in the hallway. I didn’t care if someone saw us kiss, but I wouldn’t let them see more. I walked Jessi backward into her apartment, and she went with it, her arms sliding up over my arms, my shoulders, then circling my neck as she clung to me. Once inside, I closed the door behind us, turned us around, and pushed her against the door.

“I want you, Jessi,” I admitted, my voice coming out low and husky. She should know just how badly I wanted her, so much more than I’d ever wanted anyone. I found I had a problem then, I couldn’t find the words to explain it.

“I want you, too, Trent,” Jessi said in a whisper.

The admission was enough to get me to forget everything else. I ducked my head down to ravage her mouth in a kiss, reaching for her clothes to pull them off.

Right then, I wanted her in bed, under me, and I wanted it as fast as possible. Jessi didn’t seem to mind, moaning into the kiss as her own hands pushed my coat off my shoulders, then fumbled for the buttons of my shirt.

I chuckled into the kiss, keeping one arm tight around her waist as I kissed her hard.

You’re mine, Jessi. For tonight, and hopefully, for many more nights to come.

16

Jessi

Why is this happening again?

The thought entered my mind, and just as quickly was swept away with more kisses as Trent held me tightly as if he would never let me go. I knew better than to read too much into the gesture. We were both getting caught up in the moment again. I knew once it was gone I would regret it.

But how could I not jump him again after he said all that!

To say it was a surprise would be a major understatement. The man who could never seem to run out of ways to insult me and belittle me was suddenly speaking up in my favor. It made no sense, and I didn’t know his motivation, but I couldn’t deny that I was moved. And then it hit me again.

I was moving. Moving somewhere not too far, but far enough that I wouldn’t be able to run into anyone I knew by coincidence. There would be no seeing my friends and family every day. There would be no seeing Trent.

And yet, he’d shown up in front of me. This was my one last chance with him, after this, we’d never get to see each other again. When I thought that, I couldn’t help but want one last go-round with the love of my life before I threw all of that behind me.

In spite of his asking me to stay… my plan was to leave, and nothing would change that.

“Let’s go to the bedroom,” I said in between kisses, starting to feel the urgency. Not just my impending departure; I remembered the last time we did this and how good it felt. I was in a hurry to have that feeling back.

After one last hard kiss, Trent pulled back to grin down at me.

“Lead the way,” he said, releasing all of me but my hand.

I bit my lip and stared at his face, trying to memorize it. There hadn't been time for me to see it properly before, and the alcohol hadn't helped. But now I could see it, Trent looking at me like he was happy to look at me for once, not like I was something scraped out from the tread of his expensive designer shoes.

It was a lovely sight.

“Is something wrong, Jessi?” he asked, his voice gentle. He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

My breath blew out of me in a heavy gust, and I did my best not to show too much surprise. What would I do, if he realized what he was doing and decided it was a mistake? If he suddenly did a one-eighty on me and became the asshole from before?