Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

December 25, 7:11 pm

NESSA

N ever did I ever imagine this: Jack, nearly naked in my bedroom, kissing me like I’m just what he asked Santa for. And I got my holiday wish, too—what he said earlier about wanting this to be more than just one night. It feels like a miracle.

So does the way he’s kissing me, soft and tender at first, growing more urgent and desperate. My hands slide down his back, feeling the muscles flexing under my palms, wanting to feel all of him.

Jack breaks the kiss, leaving me breathless and wanting more, but then he’s kissing my neck, my collarbone, then between my breasts as I arch my back to try and give him the message that I’m ready for my bra to come off. Instead, he continues down, kissing my stomach, my hipbone, until he’s between my legs, a finger hooked in the waistband of my panties.

Jack glances up at me, and I nod, silently giving permission. He gives me a wicked grin before tugging down my underwear and tossing them somewhere behind him. Then he nudges my legs apart and his mouth is on me, hot and slick and perfect, making me gasp.

He hesitates for one second, and I bring my hands to his hair, holding it tight. “Don’t stop.”

“Not planning to,” he murmurs.

I hiss out a slow breath as he dips one finger inside me, still exploring me with his mouth. When he adds a second finger, I let out a deep, guttural moan. Every nerve ending in my body is lit, like I’m a candle on the biggest menorah ever made, glowing brighter and brighter as his hands grip my hips and goosebumps travel up my legs until I come hard and fast, riding a wave of pleasure as it pulls me down and lifts me up, washing me in a warm glow.

“That was incredible,” I manage to say.

Jack crawls back over me, looking more than a little smug. “You’re incredible,” he says, though I’m not the one responsible for the way I’m feeling right now.

“Do you have a condom?” I raise my eyebrows.

Jack pauses, scrunching up his forehead. “Here? Now?” He glances down at himself. “Somehow tucked into my underwear that you didn’t notice when you had your hand and mouth on me a few minutes ago?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “My roommate has some,” I say, and climb off the bed, still a little lightheaded.

I hesitate at the door, turning to see Jack on his back in my bed, his hair a wild mess, wearing nothing but those reindeer boxer briefs I am desperate to get off him as soon as possible. I point at him, grinning. “Don’t move.”

I duck into Julie’s room and open her dresser drawer. I start to tear off one foil package but opt to grab the whole strip—just in case.

When I return, Jack is just where I left him, and a grin lights up his face when I hold up the entire strip of condoms.

“It’s a Hannukah miracle,” he says.

I launch myself onto the bed next to him, laughing when he grabs me around the waist and pulls me on top of him so I’m straddling him.

He reaches for the clasp of my bra, that mischievous gleam in his eyes again. “You look absolutely stunning in this, but it needs to come off.”

I agree completely, and together, we yank off my bra, tossing it on the floor. Immediately, his hands are on my breasts and he’s groaning as his eyes flutter shut. “I was right,” he says in a strained voice. “This is even better.”

I lean down as he lifts his head, taking my nipple in his mouth, giving it a soft bite before switching to the other side, making me gasp.

“What about these,” I say, scooching down and tugging at his boxer briefs. “Super cute, but…”

“Take ‘em off.”

I slide off the bed as he lifts his hips, helping me strip off the boxers and throw them aside. Then he shifts so he’s sitting on the edge of the bed and I’m facing him, both of us completely bare. And it hits me all over again: damn, is he gorgeous. Best of all, he’s staring at me like he’s ready to devour me again.

The streetlamps outside my window are the only source of light, giving my room an almost ethereal glow. I shiver, thinking about the magic and the miracle of this season, and how everything that went wrong—my roommates leaving me alone, the storm, Jack missing his flight, the power going out—led to this beautiful moment.

There will be enough. Enough light and enough love. And enough time. Even though Jack is leaving tomorrow morning, he’s coming back. And he doesn’t want this to be a one-time thing, either.

Then I rip open a foil package and roll the condom down his length, making him sigh with pleasure. I slide onto his lap and reach down, positioning him where I need him to be. Slowly, I sink down as he stretches and fills me.

“Perfect,” he groans, pressing his forehead against mine, his muscles tensing as he holds me in place. “Nessa, you’re perfect. Exactly what I want.”

And I believe him—that for the first time in so long, I feel like I’m someone’s first choice. Like I’m not too much. I’m just exactly enough.

Then he captures my mouth in a deep, searching kiss. My body hums with pleasure, and I shift my hips in circles, feeling the friction as we continue to kiss. Jack slides his hand down to cup my ass, lifting me up, then pressing into me as deep as he can go. I meet him, thrust for thrust, my back arching and my mind going hazy until?—

Suddenly, he’s standing with me in his arms, turning us around and setting me down again on my back, flat on the mattress, looking up at him. Jack’s bracing himself above me, a naughty smile on his face.

“How are we doing?” he asks, parting my legs and sliding into me again.

I let out a quiet moan, my hands gripping the sheets. “So—so nice,” I manage.

“Well, we can do better than nice. ” He bends my knee up against him before thrusting into me again, harder.

This time, I moan out loud, and he gives a grunt of satisfaction. I’m mesmerized by the sight of him, watching the muscles in his chest and shoulders tense, his brow furrow in concentration, like he’s trying to hold himself back, to make sure I come first—again. And it’s that knowledge, combined with the way he’s hitting just the right spot, that brings me to the edge for the second time tonight.

He leans down to kiss me, and my body clenches tight around him, urging him deeper, harder, faster. I feel him start to shudder. He’s there. I’m there. The two of us, tumbling together off a cliff into a freefall that is terrifying and exciting all at once. Because somehow, deep down, I know this isn’t just a passing moment. It feels real. Lasting. Like we’ve started something that will stay with us both, long after tonight.