16. Somewhat Aware

16

SOMEWHAT AWARE

T ime for the dreaded talk!

They'd been dating for almost a month and her body was telling her it was time to take the next step.

She'd figured out he was being a gentleman and letting her set the pace and make that move. She was going to do it.

She'd been throwing out hints about doing things with him in the future and she knew he was catching everything she said.

But he wasn't offering much more, putting her in the position to all but ask for the next step.

Andi didn't know if he was holding back because of her history or if there was more.

Maybe he wasn't one to let himself go because he worried he'd wake up one day and she'd be gone.

There wasn't much she could do about that right now. At least it was telling he wasn't the type of guy out for a fling. Not that she thought that.

She wasn't going to just disappear on him though, but she wasn't in a position to ease his mind much about it either.

After making the statement about trying out his tub, she turned and walked down his stairs and into the living room, sitting on the couch and patting the space next to her.

"Come sit by me."

"Why do I get the feeling that you are going to want to have a long talk?"

"Not long," she said. "Or it doesn't have to be. But I think we need to say a few things."

"Most likely," he said, sitting next to her. "You start."

"I know you're letting me set the pace."

"I am," he said.

"I appreciate it," she said. "Ireallydo. It's been a few years for me. Life has been crazy."

"I'm somewhat aware."

"I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere," she said. "I hope you don't think that."

"I'm not sure what to think. If that happens we'll deal with it."

There wasn't much more she could say to that but appreciated that he wasn't shying away from it.

Well, she could say a little. "Listen. Jack keeps talking about putting in for a transfer to Boston. He likes to be close by. He wouldn't do that if he thought I'd leave. It's not easy for him to keep transferring."

"That doesn't ease my mind that everything is fine with you if he wants to be close by."

She made a misstep there. "It is fine. You know I didn't have a lot of family."

"So he'd been doing it as your cousin?" he asked.

She didn't want to lie. She was positive Jarrett knew that Jack wasn't related to her. It was best to not answer a direct question to not be caught in a lie. She'd always played her cards that way.

"There are lots of reasons and none of themthat areany cause for concern. I mean that."

"Then I have to take your word for it," he said.

Andi reached her hand for his and threaded their fingers together. "I don't want to have tension or trust issues with us."

"I understand," he said. "I wish I didn't, but I do. More than most. I'm getting there."

"I really would come to you if I was concerned or in trouble. I promise you that. I know we've only known each other a few weeks, but there is something about you that just reminds me of my father."

"In a good and not creepy way I hope," he said. "I don't picture you the type that needs a father figure in your life."

"No," she said. "I'm not that way. I miss him. I miss how he was always worried and concerned. Sometimes it was annoying, but most times comforting."

"You miss that," he said. "The comfort you got?"

"Comfort. Familiarity. A sense of security. It's been a long time since I've felt that."

"Not even with Jack?" he asked.

"There are no romantic feelings with Jack." Shit, she blew it saying that. Why would she even bring up romance if Jack were her cousin? Then she reminded herself that Jarrett didn't believe she and Jack were related anyway. "We care about each other. I often think I'm an obligation and a guilt to him. I shouldn't have said that and I won't say much more. We share something that can't be taken away, but it's nothing more than that."

Jarrett nodded and didn't call her out on the relations and she was glad he didn't pressure her. "So that is all there is?" he asked.

"That is what you've got that reminds me of my father. You will put others before yourself. You drive by to check on me but don't want me to know. I'm not even bothered by it. Sometimes I wish you would come in more, but I think you are afraid you're putting pressure on me."

"I am," he said.

"There is this attraction I feel for you I've never felt as strongly before for another man. I want you to push me more and it's hard for me to say that. I worry that you won't believe or trust me. I worry that we are both so busy we won't see much of each other either."

"The time issues have come into my head a few times."

"I think we understand each other there. I'm not worried if you aren't. I think if we want to move forward with what we've got we can work at it easier if we are open about it."

"I agree," he said.

"Good. I'm not someone that plans too much anymore. It feels like it never works out. But I would like to plan time with you. And if you get called away, you do. I know your job is important. I know you care. I'll still be here waiting when you get back."

"Thanks for that," he said. "Not many I've been with have felt that way."

"Know that I do. And that is all I wanted to talk to you about. That and maybe we could go back up to your bedroom again."

"We most certainly can do that if you're sure."

"Positive. More positive about this than anything else in my life in the past several years. Not just the past two but much longer."

"That is good enough for me," he said, standing up and holding his hand out for her.

She put her hand in his and he led her to his room.

He didn't shut the door, no reason to. But he pulled her into his arms and started to kiss her.

This time it was more primal. More frenzied than before.

There was an urgency to strip each other and hit the sheets faster than she'd done in her life.

She hoped he felt the same way.

And when his hands moved to her waist and lifted her shirt up and over her head, she knew she had her answer.

He was attacking the clasp on her bra and that was gone next.

"My turn," she said, pulling his shirt off of him. "Woozers. You've got some muscles on you."

"Not you," he said. "You're all woman."

His eyes were on her breasts. They weren't big by any means, but she didn't consider herselfflat chestedeither.

"Let me see if you're all man," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Not yet," he said, lifting her and putting her on his bed. Her back hit the mattress and the comforter was soft and warm on her skin.

His mouth, which was even hotter,landed on a nipple that was already puckered from the cooler air in the room.

He was lapping her up, pulling her in, and spinning her out of control...in a good way.

All he'd done was touch one nipple too.

That just told her there was so much more to go.

He didn't leave her waiting either when his mouth moved to the other one and did the same, his thumb and finger punching and plucking the one his mouth had just abandoned.

She was pressing her hips up into his and felt his erection against her stomach.

"I need something more," she said.

He didn't reply but moved down her waist, trailing his tongue while he did. Her eyes were on his dark head as he tortured her one sweet taste at a time.

His fingers began working at the button on her jeans and then pushing them down, Andi lifting her hips to help him.

Her underwear went down with it and they were both pulled off and tossed to the floor along with her socks.

She was naked on the bed and wondered how he'd managed that so fast.

There was no time to think of anything before she saw the top of his head between her legs and felt his lips applying pressure to the most sensitive skin on her body.

"Slow down," he said.

"I can't," she said, her hips lifting against him again. "Right there. Stay right there."

She put her hands on his head to ensure he listened. Before she could blink her eyes she was slammed with an orgasm hard enough to have her head bouncing off the mattress a few times. She kept looking up to make sure he didn't stop, but her abs were so tight with the pleasure she was trying to keep in.

He wasn't letting up even though her pulsing had subsided. She was going to ask what he was doing, but she had a feeling he was building her back up again.

It didn't take long. It shouldn't with as worked up as she'd been for weeks.

"Jarrett," she said. "You're torturing me."

"Good, then I'm not alone," he said. But he did stand up and undo his jeans and push everything off at once.

Her eyes went right to his cock standing thick, firmandproud. Ready to be introduced to her lady parts.

He moved to his dresser and opened a drawer, got a condom out, and covered himself. She was on the pill but wasn't going to volunteer that just yet.

Jarrett climbed back on the bed, gathered her in his arms, nudged his way in, and tried to sink in slowly.

She was having none of that and pushed up at the same time her hands went to his ass and slammed him deeper.

He let out a groan matched by hers.

It was tight and she didn't care. It felt too wonderful and she'd worry about any pain after.

He was trying to be gentlemanly and moving in and out tenderly, but she didn't want gentlemanly now. He'd worked her up way too much.

Her hips were lifting and falling and he joined in until his bed was moving some and she heard the faint sound of the headboard on the wall.

There were groans in the room and she couldn't honestly tell you if they were hers or his, but it didn't seem to matter when her eyes shut and she was rocketed with another orgasm.

Jarrett must have realized it because he was thrusting into her as if he was out of control with no brakes or steering.

She brought that out of him and was damn proud of it.