Page 53 of Home Town

He was home now to recuperate, but he was still in the Navy. When he healed, and God willing he would, he’d be stationed on a base far away, when he wasn’t deployed to some foreign land.

She had a life and a family and a career of her own. Both in New York and in California.

He’d said he hadn’t wanted to do long distance back then and gave no indication he wanted that now. He hadn’t said he was ready for any kind of a relationship at all.

So nothing had changed from ten years ago when he’d been home on leave… except… Maybe she was old and wise enough now to be okay with that.

Just having fun, he’d said.

She could do fun.

As Corey started to back her up toward the hallway that led to her bedroom, his hands roaming lower to cup her ass and haul her closer against the hard length that proved he wanted her too, Josie started to think this, taking whatever pleasure they could grab for now, was good enough.

So she’d let him love her now, physically, knowing that was all he could give. Accepting that. And then she’d let him go.

Amazingly, as he kissed her on the way to the only destination this could end up—her bed—she was okay with that plan.

Chapter Twenty-Three

There was nothing wrong with his memory now. Not as he shoved the bottom of Josie’s T-shirt up and his hands connected with her warm smooth skin.

He remembered everything from that summer in vivid living color. Their first kiss. The first time he’d made her come—first with his hand, then again with his mouth—and how she’d looked at him with eyes wide with amazement and unfocused from pleasure.

Then the first time he’d slid inside her. So tight. So wet. Even through the condom he’d felt her heat.

Her sigh against his ear as he was finally fully seated inside her had almost been his undoing. He’d nearly come right then. Only sheer force of will—and some mental exercises to distract himself—had kept him from ending that first time all too soon.

And here she was again now, just like back then. Staring at him with that look of desire in her eyes. A look that said she’d give him anything he was willing to take from her.

No wonder he’d hurt her back then. She’d given all and he’d taken it…and then left. Without even a goodbye. Or a text message.

His only excuse was he’d been a messed-up kid, scared shitless. He was pretty messed up now too… and scared. His brain injury. The future of his career. It all weighed on him.

Really, what had changed since then?

One thing. He knew now how Josie had felt about him then. And how he’d hurt her because of it. He wasn’t going to do that again. Wasn’t going to ruin a good friendship with Josie like he’d done last time.

“We good?” he asked, a bit breathlessly as they reached her bedroom.

“Yeah. Good,” she breathed while pawing at his shirt, trying to get it out from where he’d tucked it into his jeans.

“You sure?” What was he doing? He wanted her—more than anything. She wanted him. Why was he making trouble with this conversation?

Because he was a mature man now who cared about her feelings. This was a good thing—even if it did screw things up and he went home unsatisfied because of it. God he hoped that didn’t happen.

Doing the mature thing sucked.

“Shut up and take these damn jeans off,” she said while wrestling with his belt.

Torn between a laugh at her determination and his groan of pure desire, Corey decided the conversation portion of the evening was complete.

He released the buckle on his belt and dropped his jeans. Stepping out of them and toward her, he moved them toward the bed. The twin-sized childhood bed with the ruffled bedding in the purple room that still had programs from the plays from their high school days pinned to a cork board.

It was surreal, this stepping back in time. But at the same time amazing. He could forget his injury. Forget all the worries that came with adulthood.

A summer breeze blew through the screen in the open window, cooler now that it was full dark. The feel of that night air completed his journey backward to that summer a decade ago when nighttime meant he and Josie could sneak off and be together.

He’d crawled through that window late one night after her parents had gone to sleep and Quinn was out with his football buddies. As the bed creaked beneath their mutual weight, he was transported to that time again. So much so his arms shook as he anticipated the feel of Josie beneath him, surrounding him.

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