Page 110 of Hot for the Jerk

Kissing his chest, I sighed again.

“Hey, can I ask you something?It’s not a big deal, but I’m more curious than anything.”

I opened my eyes and met his gaze, waiting.

“If you hadn’t had sex with anyone since Josiah before me, why’d you have condoms?Wishful thinking for us?”

A small, maybe slightly embarrassed, smile touched my mouth.“Kind of.Gabrielle went and bought a box when Damon turned fourteen.She read a bunch of articles about how teenagers were starting to have sex earlier and earlier, and while she certainly doesn’twanther son having sex that young—and Damon claims that he’s not—she realizes it’s a possibility.So she had the talk with him, put the condoms in their bathroom, and told all of us that if we needed some, to just grab what we needed.I may have gone and grabbed a few before I came to your room that night.”

I had to swat his chest after he gave me a smug smile.“May have?”

“Okay, I did.Are you happy?”

“Incredibly.”

Rolling my eyes was all he got.“Okay, my turn to ask a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Back on Wayman Island, when I mentioned your mom and that she must not have raised you very well, you got really defensive.”His body stiffened just slightly under my hand and cheek.“Firstly, I want to apologize for saying that, because your mother raised you right.So very right.But … can I askwhyyou got so defensive?”

Understanding filled his eyes, and he relaxed again, enough that he tucked one arm behind his head.Fuck me, why did I even find his armpit hair sexy?

“My mom was the salt of the earth.The kindest, most patient, compassionate woman you would ever meet in your life.My father worshipped her, and rightly so.But I saw the fear in her eyes every time one of my brothers enlisted in the marines.And when they went overseas.I was the baby, and still at home while they were all gone, risking their lives.I’m proud of my brothers, and grateful for their service, but I couldn’t do that to my mom.I could not bear the thought of putting any more strain on her beautiful, fragile heart.As badly as I wanted to follow my big brothers, I just couldn’t.”His dark-blue eyes turned a little glassy and his Adam’s apple bobbed hard on a swallow.

“She died just after my brothers all lost their wives.She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and with that came dementia.It progressed so fast, none of us really had time to process it.My father is in an assisted living facility on the mainland because he has very progressive Alzheimer’s.Clint and I saw him when we were there before Christmas.He doesn’t know who we are.Often mistakes us for one of his brothers.”

“I’m so sorry.”I kissed his chest again.

“Nobody else knows this, so don’t go telling Jolene Dandy or anything, but I’m actually six months into getting my master’s degree.My mom was so interested in psychology, birth order, human behavior patterns and all that kind of stuff.She wished she had gone to college to become a therapist.So she used to buy all the same textbooks as me and follow along with the reading assignments.Then we’d discuss things.She even went so far as to do some of my assignments—just for fun.Just to feel closer to me and have something only for us.”

My eyes went wide.“Wow.”

“I got my bachelor’s in psychology after I couldn’t play football in college anymore because of my torn ACL, and I wanted to go back and get my graduate’s degree for ages.But with the business, my sisters-in-law passing away, I just haven’t had the time.Now that the kids are older though, and my brothers have more support in their lives, I’ve decided to do it.It helps me feel closer to my mom.”

I shoved down my insecurities that I only had a high school diploma, and that I had to fight my dad and brother to let me get that.I would have loved to go to college and get a degree, make something of myself.

“That’s amazing,” I said, doing my best to make my smile as genuine as possible and not let him see my envy.“What do you want to do with it?”

He shrugged.“Not sure yet.We don’t have any counselors or therapists on the island.So maybe that?It’d be a lot of practicum work on the mainland, and I’m looking at at least two years to graduate.It’s all online.”

“I think you’d make a terrific counselor.”

His smile was bigger this time.“Thanks.”

“I’m sorry again for what I said about your mom.I didn’t know, and I was very wrong.”

Inhaling deep enough, his chest lifted my cheek, he ran his hand over my back and butt.“It’s all good.We should get some sleep though.”

I pouted again.“Do I have to go to my own room?”

“Up to you.He’s your kid.I’m just following your lead.”

My pout got even deeper as I swung my legs over the side of the bed.“Fine.You’re right.”

His deep, gritty chuckle only stirred fresh embers of arousal in my belly, heating it up again and making me want to climb on him and ride him like a wild mustang.“See you in the morning.Sleep tight.”

I glared at him as I trudged to the door.“It feels like you’re gloating.”

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