My mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”
“When you told me that Chris was back, I was crushed. I think I was falling in love with you. I still am falling in love with you. And I know this is all happening really fast, so I don’t want you to feel pressured into saying yes or no. I’ve spent the last month mulling everything over and I just really needed to get everything off my chest.”
Tears started to fall from my eyes, streaking down my warm cheeks. I wasn’t sad, though. These were tears of joy.
“I think I’m falling for you, too,” I whispered. “When Chris said he’d come back to me, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t see until it was too late that he didn’t have my best interests at heart. Not like you. I’m sorry I put you through that.”
“You never have to apologize to me, Terri.”
“Are you sure you want to be with me? Do you think we’re moving too quickly? I don’t want you to regret your decision later.”
Joe clasped my hands in his own and squeezed tight. “I don’t think I’ve been this sure in my entire life,” he said. “There’s something between us, Terri. And I know you feel it, too. I want nothing more than to see you and the baby happy and healthy. I mean, just think of it. The garage is doing great, which means I earn more than enough to take care of the three of us. And if that’s the case, maybe you can go back to school and finish your degree.”
“You’d really do that?” I half-laughed, half-cried.
He nodded, nothing but sincerity written all over his face. “Absolutely.”
“Okay,” I giggled, exhaling hard through the mouth.
Without saying another word, Joe leaned in all the way and pressed his lips to mine. He didn’t seem to care that I was a raging hot mess, sitting at an eleven out of ten on the emotional scale. Joe kissed me softly, tender and true. When we finally parted, we both laughed.
“It’s getting cold,” he said finally. “We should get you inside.”
I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. “Do you think everyone’s still at my place? I really don’t want to deal with them right now.”
The corner of Joe’s lip twisted up into a grin. “Maybe. But it’s a good thing you’re always welcome at mine. You can always head back when you’re ready.”
“Lead the way, then,” I managed.
13
Joe
We didn’t waste any time. We’d been apart far too long. Sure, it had only been a month since we were last together, but that month was one we were never getting back. The moment the door shut closed behind us, Terri circled her arms around my neck and kissed me hard. I easily lifted her up, carrying her toward my bedroom. I placed her down on the bed and slipped my hands beneath her shirt, pulling it off of her in a great hurry. In an adrenaline-induced haze, I hungrily kissed her exposed neck, sucked at the skin beneath her collarbone, and down her supple breasts as I unclasped her bra and threw the offending garment across the room. Terri made quick work of the front of her pants and slipped it off along with her bright pink underwear.
She lay before me on the mattress on full display, looking absolutely heavenly beneath the gentle glow of streetlights that flooded into the room through the crack in the curtain. I peppered kisses down her belly, stopping for a moment to admire the bump of her belly. I breathed in the scent of her skin, completely lost in the floral hints of her body wash and the subtly of the perfume she wore. I dragged my hands down her sides, gripping at her hips. She was unbelievably soft, skin like velvet or silk. I pulled her to the edge of the bed and got down on my knees, spreading her thighs so I could admire her wet pussy. Her lips were pink, clit swollen with arousal.
Very carefully, I circled the flat of my tongue over her, applying just enough pressure to have Terri shuddering beneath my touch within seconds. She whined and moaned as she writhed, throwing her head back and closing her eyes. Terri chanted my name, voice thin and sweet. I loved the way I could make her a bumbling mess with such little attention. I ignored the uncomfortable tightness in the front of my pants and instead grabbed Terri by the thighs, moving her in such a way that her legs hooked over my shoulders. I took my time teasing her, turned on by the sound of her desperate panting. She reached down and knitted her fingers in my hair, acting as a guide to show me what she wanted.
“Joe,” she whined, “please hurry. I just want you to fuck me.”