Ready or Not (Ready #4)(51)

Jesus Christ, I loved this woman.

It was so much different than the love I’d thought I had for Natalie where I felt the need to prove it to the world, to her, and even to myself. This love for Liv had crept up slowly, making itself known with a whisper rather than a roar. It didn’t need to be justified or backed up with a fancy job or any of the other ways in which I’d tried to prove myself to Natalie. It just was.

I loved Liv.

It was so easy, so simple.

The tricky part would be convincing Liv how much she already loved me.

~Liv~

Every inch of my body was on fire.

Any second, I was going to combust and burst into flames.

I’d had several lovers in my life, but Jackson had erased every memory of them the moment he walked into my bedroom. Even before he’d even touched me, I’d known I would never be the same again.

His eyes stared straight into my soul, like he was searching for the missing half of himself.

Had he found it?

I’d never believed I could have a perfect partner, that missing puzzle piece people always talked about, until I’d met Jackson—well, maybe a few weeks after I’d met Jackson. That first week, I had been sure he was sent by Satan himself to punish me for some unknown crime against humanity.

But now, I saw him for what he could be—in the life I thought had been so perfectly planned out.

It scared me.

It thrilled me.

It made me feel alive.

His fingers slid down my hip and anchored to the back of my knee, pulling my leg around his body. I felt him everywhere, as I pushed against his hard length.

“I want you inside me,” I begged.

“God, yes,” he answered before pausing. “I don’t have any condoms.”

“I’m on birth control, and I was tested after—” I didn’t bother finishing.

He nodded. “I’m clean, and it’s been—well, it’s been a really long time.”

Our eyes met as he slowly guided himself into my slick core. Every inch was like a shock wave to my system, stirring deep moans from my lungs.

“I love that sound,” he groaned.

Our hip bones met briefly before he pulled out slowly, letting our bodies grow accustomed to each other.

“Fuck,” he cursed. “You feel so good.”

In and out, he set a slow, sensual rhythm at first, rocking his hips so that his body would hit my clit at just the right angle. I cried out in pleasure, completely lost in my passion.

Hands gripped my hips, and I was pulled upward until my body was seated on his lap. With his legs folded underneath him, he moved me up and down on his throbbing cock.

The friction, the heat, the rawness was too much. My hands wrapped around him, and I dug my nails into his back, crying out as my body quaked with release. His movements sped up as I continued to orgasm, my body tightening around him like a vise.

“Shit!” he cried out as he slammed into me from below.

Harder, faster, deeper—it was all I felt, and it was divine. My head fell into the crook of his shoulder as I matched each power thrust with enthusiasm. Suddenly, he tensed as a low masculine moan escaped his lips. His arms encircled my waist, and he held me close as he came, long and hard. My fingers wove into his sandy colored hair, and I smiled as he rested his head on my chest.

“Still think cookies are better than orgasms?” he asked.

I felt his lips curl into a grin against my damp skin.

“Cookies suck,” I answered.

“Good answer.”

~Jackson~

I’d been awake for hours, watching the way her skin looked under the moonlight and the rising sun. I’d studied the curve of her hips and the tiny freckle on her right shoulder. My fingers ached to trace the delicate pattern of her tattoo as it disappeared down her back. I’d memorized the exact color of her hair and the way it looked while fanned across her naked chest.

When I’d realized my infatuation with Liv had more to do with attraction and less to do with wanting to duel with my annoying new neighbor, the thought had scared me. It’d shocked me actually.

Falling for a neighbor had many risks. What if it didn’t work? Would one of us have to move? Or would we have to build a giant fence or schedule outside time so that we didn’t have to see each other on a regular basis?

But falling for the neighbor when my child seemed to be doing the same was even riskier. I’d walked into this knowing that it wasn’t just me who could end up hurt and alone.

My son, the most important person in my life, was falling for Liv just as hard as I was. Having never had a mother, the role always fascinated him. He’d spend time at friends’ houses and come home to tell me stories, like how Brian’s mom had baked him a cake or built forts with them in the living room. He never made me feel like I wasn’t enough, but I knew there were certain things I’d never be able to replace.

A mom’s hug just felt different, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never duplicate that.

It was only natural that he’d be curious about the first woman I’d shown genuine interest in.

I’d allowed their relationship to blossom and develop naturally, without interference, hoping that ours would do the same.

As I’d walked into Liv’s bedroom last night, I’d found a woman who was ready to take the next step.