Page 40 of Unexpectedly Falling
I have the strangest urge to comfort him.
To be the one who eases the load he’s carrying.
My teeth worry my bottom lip, a startled gasp escaping as he finally steps out of his truck. Moving farther into the shadows, I make my way to the kitchen and pull a glass from the cabinet, turning on the faucet just before the door opens.
“You’re up late.” His voice is full of gravel and sends a shiver racing down my spine as I turn to face him.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Remi go down all right?” he asks and my heart melts a little in my chest at the way his face softens at the mention of his daughter.
“Yeah, she had a great night.” He nods, not meeting my gaze. “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”
Dropping onto the stool at the island, he braces his elbows on the counter and rests his head in his hands. The silence is deafening, and I’m once again caught between wanting to help and wanting to give him privacy to work through whatever’s going on.
Landing somewhere in the middle, I grab two glasses from the cabinet, filling one with water and the other with two fingers of the whiskey he keeps in the cabinet above the stove. Moving slowly, I round the counter until I’m next to him before setting the glasses down with a soft thud. Lingering only a minute, I touch his shoulder and then turn to leave when the deep timbre of his voice stops me.
“I knew things would be different.” Sitting back, he picks up the glass of water and downs the whole thing in three gulps, his Adam’s apple mesmerizing as he swallows. “A little girl was surrendered to the fire department tonight.”
I hold back the gasp that wants to escape, instead exhaling slowly. “I didn’t know that actually happened.”
“It’s a way for the mother to give up their child without fear of legal ramifications. The baby is safe and the mother is able to walk away with the hope that their child will have a better life than they can provide.”
I grip the edge of the granite as I try to slow my breathing and wrap my head around it. Jensen throws back the whiskey and stands, not even acknowledging the burn of the liquor.
“Has it happened before? For you, I mean…” I manage as he rakes his hand through his hair and looks at me.
“A couple of times. With the college in town, it happens more often than other places, but it’s still not that common.”
“Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she was placed with a foster family, and they’re good people, but”—dragging his palms down his face, he exhales wearily before meeting my gaze—“I kept looking at her and seeing Remi and thinking what would have happened if the hospital hadn’t contacted you. She would have grown up away from here, and if I was lucky maybe she would have entered one of those DNA databases as an adult and found me.”
“Jensen—”
“I wouldn’t have known, Nessa. There’s no way I would have known. I would have carried on with my fuckinglifelike my own flesh and blood wasn’t out there bein’ raised by someone else. I’m angry and I want to break shit with my bare hands and I’m so god damn gutted it hurts to breathe.”
“She’s here, Jensen. She’s here. With you. She has me and you and your family and friends and we love her.” I pause as I take a step toward him, my chest heaving like his as if I’m living this pain with him all over again. I’d given voice to this scenario when I’d first gotten the call—I’ve had time to process, but Jensen is still battling thewhat-ifsand there’s nothing I can do to make it better.He needs time.“We love her so much.”
Pressing my palm over his heart, I wait as blood pounds in my ears, my words echoing in the silence around us.
But he just stares at me, his fists clenched and his blue eyes wild as they bore into mine.
And then it happens.
I don’t know who moves first, but before I can blink, Jensen’s hand is fisted in my hair, the other gripping my hip as his mouth crashes over mine. My nails dig into his shoulders as I try to get closer.
It’s frenzied and desperate and I can’t help myself when I pull him back toward the island. Strong hands grip my ass as he sets me on the cold hard surface before stepping between my legs and plundering my mouth again.
His roughened palm slips under the hem of my shirt and presses against my belly, his fingers creeping up to the elastic of my sports bra as my body comes alive. I want to lick and nip and kiss my way down to the glorious cock that’s currently grinding against my core. I want him completely out of his mind for me—ravaging my body the way he’s ravaging my mouth.
The air is cool against my back as he pulls the fabric up. He’s unhurried but still so confident in his ministrations. I’m impressed.
Eager.
And dying to have him inside me.
But then he freezes and I hear it.
