Taking It All (Surrender Trilogy #3)(19)

Jensen’s eyes flickered, his expression growing intently serious. “Us? Now this I want to hear.”

Kylie flushed but smiled at the gentle teasing in his tone. “It’s just that we’re all so … happy. And then there’s Chessy. It has to be so hard for her, seeing all of us, and being so unhappy herself.”

His gaze grew even more gentle. He tipped up her chin and brushed a kiss across her mouth and then followed it with his tongue, lapping gently at her lips. When he drew back, his gaze was hooded, eyes dark with desire that elicited a prickle of chill bumps over her skin.

“And are you happy with us?” he asked, his tone serious.

She melted at the slight insecurity she heard in his tone, which he tried to hide, but she knew every aspect of this man. Was still learning to a degree, their relationship still young and on the fringes of something new and exciting.

“I’m very happy,” she whispered. “I never thought I was unhappy before. Resigned, yes. But unhappy, no. I thought I’d accepted my place in life. Just a few best friends. My head in the sand, never moving forward, always stuck in the past. But you taught me to look ahead. To feel optimism for the future. I’ll always love you for that.”

Fierce satisfaction lit his features and he curled his hand behind her neck, pulling her down to him as their lips met in a heated rush. She went down on top of him, her hands splayed over his muscled chest, fingertips pressing deep into his flesh.

He kissed her hungrily, his mouth feeding ravenously from hers. His free hand slid up her side and around to cup her breast until her ni**les were taught and rigid, tingling, wanting his touch, his mouth.

“You have no idea what your happiness means to me,” he said as he pulled his mouth from hers. “That I make you happy … Kylie, you can’t possibly know how much that humbles me. That you trust me. After what I did …”

Pain and regret immediately swamped his features and Kylie fiercely put her fingers to his mouth.

“Jensen, no. That’s behind us. You’d never hurt me. I know that. You have to know it too. You have to believe it like I believe it. Trust yourself as much as I trust you. I love you,” she added softly. “No one believes in you more than I do. I just wish you’d have that same faith in yourself. I don’t want to tie you to the bed at night because you’re afraid you’ll have a nightmare and hurt me. Having to do that hurts me. Seeing the look on your face when I tie your hand to my headboard. It guts me. Because I know it’s unnecessary. But until you believe that, until you can have the same faith as I do, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you with me. In my bed, my life, my heart.”

Her impassioned words rendered him speechless, his lips parting, the unfurling of hope—real hope—in his eyes. Had she finally been able to reach him? To cut through his blinding fear of ever lashing out at her in an unguarded moment and causing her physical hurt?

“I’ll work on it,” he said hoarsely. “We have that appointment with the counselor. I know how hard that was for you. What a monumental step it was for you to be willing to bare your soul to someone other than me or your best friends. I can only be willing to do the same, Kylie. If you can do so much, if you can work up the courage to seek help, then I’m going to be right there beside you every step of the way. I swear it.”

She curled into his side and threw one arm over his body as he gathered her closely against him with his arm. She turned her lips into his chest and pressed a kiss right above his heart.

“I’m still worried about Chessy, but I’ll give it another day before I call her. If I know Joss, she’s every bit as worried about Chessy as I am, but maybe you’re right. Maybe they’re working it out and having a glorious anniversary weekend. I’ll get all the juicy details later,” she added with a smile.

Jensen groaned. “Just don’t venture into the TMI stage. There’s only so much I want to hear about another woman and her husband. I’d much rather focus on what I have in my arms.”

“Good,” Kylie said smugly, with confidence she’d never possessed until recently. Not until this man. “Because I’ll kick your ass if you ever start visualizing another woman.”

Laughter rumbled through his chest.

“You’re more than enough woman for me, baby. You keep me on my toes, and swear to God, you were made for me. There was never a more perfect match than us.”

Contentment spread through Kylie’s heart as she snuggled further into Jensen’s embrace. Yes, the future looked bright indeed, despite her concern for her best friend and her marriage.

But Jensen was probably right. Chessy and Tate were likely even now enjoying their weekend and reconnecting as Chessy had hoped they would.

JOSS Corbin dug her toes deeper into the bottom of the sheets and lay as still as possible so her already churning stomach would hopefully quiet.

She glanced at her phone, which was lying to the side of her just underneath the pillow, and frowned. It was late afternoon and she’d expected to hear from Chessy by now with a full report on her anniversary evening out with Dash.

She and Kylie had both exchanged a flurry of texts the evening before, worrying that Chessy’s night would not go as well as she planned. The silence was killing her. Silence could be good. Or it could be bad. And she hated to think of the worst-case scenario, which was Chessy at home, miserable, and unwilling to seek support from her two best friends because of embarrassment or shame.