Page 90 of Hot for the Jerk

I met him with a tired look.“Humor me, please?I just want to know you’re at the school until we can confirm Soloman is off the island.It will make me feel better.Plus, she’s going there anyway.She has a meeting with Laurel’s teacher right before the bell.So she’s driving your cousins too.”

My son sighed, but nodded.“I guess that’s fine.Can I take the bus home though?”

“Probably.If you don’t see me when the bell rings, then yes.But if I’m there, that means Soloman still hasn’t left the island and I want to take you home myself.Deal?”

Marco nodded some more, then shoveled the Rice Krispies into his mouth.“Jagger still sleeping?”

“He must be,” I said, glancing at the closed door to the guest room.I vaguely remember being carried and tucked into my own bed last night, and couldn’t ignore the disappointment that gripped my chest when I woke up alone.It was for the best though.We would have so much explaining to do if Marco found Jagger in my bed, or me in Jagger’s bed.And while my son knew Jagger and I were interested in dating, we were a ways off explaining to him why we shared a bed.

Hell, I didn’t even know what we were.Were we dating?We hadn’t even been on a date yet, but he ate me out twice.We had sex once, and all I wanted to do was climb the man like a tree and demand an encore until my legs were jelly.

I brought my yogurt and granola over to the table, along with my coffee, and sat across from Marco.As I took my seat, a subtle ache between my legs sent a rush of unbelievable memories spinning through my mind like a movie reel.How did a man of that size have such mobile, flexible hips?The way he rocked them against me, swirled them, drove into me with so much power …

My cheeks grew warm, and I discreetly pressed my finger to wrist.My pulse raced.

Marco finished his breakfast, put his dishes in the dishwasher, then went to his room to grab his backpack.

“Don’t forget to wash your face, brush your teeth, and comb your hair,” I called after him, sipping my coffee and deliberately shifting a little on my seat to experience that slight ache between my legs again.

“I know,” he called back, just a tendril of annoyance in his tone, like how dare I remind him of such mundane, routine tasks.Deep down, I knew he appreciated the reminder though.He was a good kid, but at nine years old, basic hygiene wasn’t among his top priorities.Even when I went and bought him a Pokémon electric toothbrush and toothpaste.

A cursory knock at the door that connected upstairs to the suite was all I got before Gabrielle came around the corner, looking as posh and put-together as always.Even in a ball gown, I’d feel frumpy next to my cousin in her charcoal pantsuit with the crisp sky-blue dress shirt and perfectly curled hair.“What’s the gossip?”I asked her, sipping my coffee.

Her head cocked to the side, and she narrowed her amber gaze, highlighting the plum and subtle-pink shades of her eye shadow.“You look different.”

Marco dashed across the hall from his bedroom to the bathroom and shut the bathroom door.

“Why do you look diff—” She gasped.“You had sex.”Thank god that second sentence was whisper-yelled.She glanced at the bathroom door, then at the closed guest room door.“Did you and Jagger?Where is he?”

“Still sleeping, I assume?I haven’t seen him this morning.”My cheeks were on fire, but it was impossible not to grin like a well-fucked woman still riding the waves of her late-night dopamine high.

My cousin slid onto the chair beside me, studying me like some bug under a microscope.“You okay?”

“Yeah …”

She reached for my hand.“Seriously?You’re okay?”

I tugged my hand away from her and rolled my eyes.“I’m fine,Mom.”Her huff of impatience, and maybe even hurt, was a sign I needed to be nicer.I faced her.“I’m okay, Gabs.Seriously.It was …” My eyes drifted to the guest bedroom door.“It was amazing.He’s … he’s really good at it.”

She snorted.“Of course he is.”

“It was like he exorcised the last bits of Josiah’s hold on me.Thatwas what my first time was supposed to be like.Not … not how it was on my wedding night to a man I didn’t love, let alone like.”

Gabrielle nodded and reached for my hand, her eyes twinkling.“I’m really happy for you.That is exactly how you’re supposed to feel after your first time.No regrets.Just … happy.”

“Am I supposed to want to do it again and again and again?Am I turning into a sex addict?”

She snorted just as the bathroom door opened.Marco smiled at his aunt.“One sec.”

“No rush,” Gabrielle said, turning back to me.“You’re not a sex addict,” she said, bringing her voice down.“It’s totally normal to want to do it again—especially if it was good.You’re just basically trying to make up for lost time.Masturbation is great, but there’s really no substitute for a tongue, or the weight of a man on—ready to go?”she asked, sitting up straighter and changing the subject as Marco joined us in the kitchen.He retrieved his lunch kit from the fridge and stashed it in his backpack.

“Yep,” he said.“Just need to get my coat and boots.”

“I think they’re still hanging up over the woodstove,” Gabrielle said, rising from her seat, but not before giving me a cheeky look.“I’m sure the bearded snack of a bear in the other room would love nothing more than a sexy wake up.”She waggled her eyebrows, then turned to go collect my son.

I followed them out to the carport, where Damon and Laurel were already climbing into Gabrielle’s SUV.Marco joined them with his coat, boots, and backpack.

Gabrielle said something to him, so he stashed all his stuff in the backseat with Laurel, then came up to me.His hug caught me off guard.“Bye, Mom.I love you.”

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