Twenty-four
Jade opened her eyes some time later. Dell had moved them to her bed and they’d fallen asleep. He was warm and she snuggled closer, kissing his shoulder, wishing…
That this was real. That she could figure out a way to make it real that worked for everyone.
Dell’s breathing changed, and she knew he was awake. “Hey,” he murmured, voice low and sleep rough. “What’s wrong?” When she said nothing, he ran his fingers over her skin, and finally she sighed. “I had a dream. About my family.”
“About going back?”
He never said home. Sunshine was home. For him, Sunshine had been the first place to ever feel like home. So she nodded again.
Brushing his mouth over her temple, he skimmed his way to her jaw. “You’re conflicted.”
It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes.”
“You have choices, Jade. You always have choices.” His mouth moved along her throat, making her shiver.
“Like?” she asked, clutching at him.
“Like staying.”
Her heart took a hard, hopeful leap. “If I took you up on that, you’d regret it,” she said, a little breathless. She needed to drop this conversation now, while she still could.
“You don’t know what I want.”
A truer statement had never been uttered. “So tell me.”
His tongue teased her skin, and she began to lose grip of her thoughts. “You,” he said. “I want you.”
Want, not need. She arched up against him as his hands ran over her body. “You have me, Dell.” Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pulled him to her, locking eyes with him. “All of me.”
“For now,” he said.
Confused, she opened her mouth, but he used that to his advantage, kissing her hungrily, pushing closer, his body covering hers. The sheet tangled between them, not hiding a thing, not that he was big and hard.
Dell yanked the sheet away and then he was on her, warm skin in place of the cool cotton.
Her eyes slid shut as his lips moved over hers. She’d learned he loved to kiss, to explore, and she loved to let him. It made her feel… wanted. Cherished. Sexy. He’d seen it all before, of course, every inch of her, and yet each time he kissed the small scar on her knee from a long-ago childhood mishap, or ran his tongue over the curve of her breast or the length of her hip with such appreciation, it sent tingles through her. Like now. Her fingers tightened in his hair and brought his mouth back to hers. “Again?”
“Yes,” he breathed against her lips. “And then again. Because as it turns out, I don’t think I can get enough of you.”
“I have no self-discipline when it comes to you,” Jade said much later.
Dell didn’t open his eyes, but he did let out a low, rough sounding laugh.
“I’m not sure how that’s funny,” she said.
Dell lifted his head, his hair tousled from her fingers, his expression one hundred percent pure sated male. “You expect to be disciplined during sex?”
“I-”
He laughed again and she elbowed him.
Ignoring that, he reached for her, but she shoved him. “No. Oh no. We’ve had enough.”
He was still laughing when he easily pulled her in close and nuzzled his face in her hair. “Speak for yourself. I’m not sure I could ever get enough.”
Running her hand down his beautiful back, she closed her eyes and wished she were brave enough to believe it.
When she woke up, Dell was gone. She ignored the little ping of disappointment and glanced at Beans.
“Mew,” Beans said, a knowing look in her sharp eyes. “No, I am
“Mew.”
With a sigh, Jade showered, dressed and grabbed Beans and got to the office at the same time as usual, but unlike the usual, she wasn’t the first one in.
On her desk sat a hot coffee and a bag from the bakery. An egg and turkey bacon croissant, which she dove into as if she’d spent all night running a marathon.
Or being made love to for hours on end…
The croissant was so good she moaned as she ate it. Forget having sex all night long. She wanted to have this croissant all night long.
“Mmm,” came Dell’s low, sexy voice in her ear as his arms encircled her from behind. He nipped at the side of her throat. “That sound you make. It drives me crazy, especially when I’m buried in you and-”
Her cell phone rang.
Drawing a shaky breath, she pushed Dell away and grabbed it.
“The first is Monday,” Sam said. “You on track to be here?”
Jade’s gaze met Dell’s. She knew he could hear Sam. “Yes. I’m leaving in two days.”
Sam’s relieved expulsion of air sounded in her ear. “I’ll fly out and drive back with you.”
“No. No, I want to do it alone,” she said, still holding Dell’s unwavering stare. “I’ll be okay.”
She hung up and sighed. “Dell-”
“I know. You… promised.”
He understood promises, he understood loyalty, and he was very good at hiding his thoughts when he wanted to. For a long moment, he continued to look at her as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. He simply nodded. “Do you need any help?”
She felt her heart crack right up the center. No matter what she needed, he was there for her, sometimes even before she knew what that might be. Yes, he was obstinate, way too sure of himself, couldn’t put real words to an emotion to save his life, and yet… and yet he had her back in a way no one ever had before. “I really wanted to train someone for you.”
“I’m not replacing you, Jade. No one could.”
“Dell-”
“I’m going to be fine. Don’t worry about me.” And then he was gone, the door to his office shutting quietly.
Okay. Good. He was going to be fine. And if he wasn’t… well, no one would ever know because that’s how he operated.
That’s how they both operated.
On Jade’s last day, Belle Haven had a record number of patients. This was due more to people wanting to see Jade before she left than any of Dell’s skills, and he knew it.
But he couldn’t blame anyone. He felt the same. He wanted as many last looks at her as he could get.
They met at Crystal’s that night, he, Adam, Brady, Lilah.
And Jade.
They shared two pitchers of beer and stories. Lilah brought a cake. “Not homemade,” she said. “Because we all know I can’t cook worth shit.” She hugged Jade hard. “Dammit, I’m testing this waterproof mascara tonight.” She sniffed. “I’m really going to miss watching you keep Dell off balance.”
