SEVEN
KYLIE Breckenridge stared at her cell phone, her brow creased with indecision as she fixated on Chessy’s contact number. She vacillated between calling Chessy directly or calling Joss to see if Chessy had been in touch. But she knew if Joss had heard anything at all, she would have called Kylie by now. And, well, Kylie didn’t want to risk interrupting Chessy if things had gone really, really well and the two were even now in anniversary bliss. Even though her gut told her that months of accumulated unhappiness wouldn’t be fixed in a single night’s time.
She sighed and resisted the urge to hit Send to call Chessy.
Warm hands slid over her shoulders and an instant shiver that never failed to comfort her skated over her skin. Heated lips followed the hands, sliding deliciously down her neck until she moaned softly, arching into Jensen’s mouth.
“What has you worried, baby?”
She turned her head to look back at Jensen as he sat up in bed next to her. She was angled toward her nightstand where the phone had rested until a few moments ago, one leg pulled up on the edge of the bed while the other dangled to the floor.
Biting her lip in consternation, she lowered her gaze back to the phone before allowing it to slide from her hands onto the mattress.
“I’m worried about Chessy,” she admitted. “She was so excited about her anniversary last night and I really expected to hear from her this morning but … nothing. Not a word. I thought about calling Joss, but surely if Joss had heard something she would have let me know. We’re both worried about her and not hearing from her … well, it concerns me.”
Jensen’s smile was sweet and full of understanding. He leaned in and rested his forehead to hers, the corners of his mouth tilted upward in amusement.
“If it were my anniversary, I’d still be in bed with my wife, either making love to her or just having finished. You worry too much, baby. If I had to guess, they’re making up for a lot of lost time and if Chessy laid out her concerns like you told me she planned to, I can’t imagine Tate not having a serious come-to-Jesus meeting with himself and reprioritizing his life to make Chessy front and center. You not hearing from her is a good thing. Think about it. If things had gone bad, you’d have heard from her by now. Her silence likely means that they’re focusing on each other as they should. As Tate should.”
Kylie sighed again but relaxed, some of her tension and worry easing under the matter-of-factness of Jensen’s reasoning.
“You’re right. I know you’re right. I just can’t help but worry. Chessy has been so miserable lately,” she said quietly. “And I hate that. Chessy just … shines. Except when she’s not happy. Joss and I have worried ourselves sick because we can see how unhappy she is. And it has to be hard for her. I mean look at Joss. So gloriously happy. Pregnant with her first child. The love of Dash’s life. And then there’s … us.”
Jensen’s eyes flickered, his expression growing intently serious. “Us? Now this I want to hear.”
Kylie flushed but smiled at the gentle teasing in his tone. “It’s just that we’re all so … happy. And then there’s Chessy. It has to be so hard for her, seeing all of us, and being so unhappy herself.”
His gaze grew even more gentle. He tipped up her chin and brushed a kiss across her mouth and then followed it with his tongue, lapping gently at her lips. When he drew back, his gaze was hooded, eyes dark with desire that elicited a prickle of chill bumps over her skin.
“And are you happy with us?” he asked, his tone serious.
She melted at the slight insecurity she heard in his tone, which he tried to hide, but she knew every aspect of this man. Was still learning to a degree, their relationship still young and on the fringes of something new and exciting.
“I’m very happy,” she whispered. “I never thought I was unhappy before. Resigned, yes. But unhappy, no. I thought I’d accepted my place in life. Just a few best friends. My head in the sand, never moving forward, always stuck in the past. But you taught me to look ahead. To feel optimism for the future. I’ll always love you for that.”
Fierce satisfaction lit his features and he curled his hand behind her neck, pulling her down to him as their lips met in a heated rush. She went down on top of him, her hands splayed over his muscled chest, fingertips pressing deep into his flesh.
He kissed her hungrily, his mouth feeding ravenously from hers. His free hand slid up her side and around to cup her breast until her ni**les were taught and rigid, tingling, wanting his touch, his mouth.
“You have no idea what your happiness means to me,” he said as he pulled his mouth from hers. “That I make you happy … Kylie, you can’t possibly know how much that humbles me. That you trust me. After what I did …”
Pain and regret immediately swamped his features and Kylie fiercely put her fingers to his mouth.
“Jensen, no. That’s behind us. You’d never hurt me. I know that. You have to know it too. You have to believe it like I believe it. Trust yourself as much as I trust you. I love you,” she added softly. “No one believes in you more than I do. I just wish you’d have that same faith in yourself. I don’t want to tie you to the bed at night because you’re afraid you’ll have a nightmare and hurt me. Having to do that hurts me. Seeing the look on your face when I tie your hand to my headboard. It guts me. Because I know it’s unnecessary. But until you believe that, until you can have the same faith as I do, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you with me. In my bed, my life, my heart.”
Her impassioned words rendered him speechless, his lips parting, the unfurling of hope—real hope—in his eyes. Had she finally been able to reach him? To cut through his blinding fear of ever lashing out at her in an unguarded moment and causing her physical hurt?
“I’ll work on it,” he said hoarsely. “We have that appointment with the counselor. I know how hard that was for you. What a monumental step it was for you to be willing to bare your soul to someone other than me or your best friends. I can only be willing to do the same, Kylie. If you can do so much, if you can work up the courage to seek help, then I’m going to be right there beside you every step of the way. I swear it.”
She curled into his side and threw one arm over his body as he gathered her closely against him with his arm. She turned her lips into his chest and pressed a kiss right above his heart.