Coming Home Page 4

  The next two are more difficult to look at. One is of Ben, Beth and I. Beth was so vibrant and alive in that photo. They had just gotten engaged and they were beaming. A few months later, she would be gone.

  I can feel my eyes water up. The tears are for her memory but they are also for my brother. Ben’s grief and guilt eat away at him and won’t go away. Tapping the glass frame, I say a silent prayer that I can help him move on with his life now that I’m home.

  My eyes drift over to the last picture. It’s of Sam and me on our hiking trip. I laugh to myself thinking of the fun we had. Besides Ben, she is the one other person I feel like I can count on. She’s my soul sister and we would do anything for each other. It’s been hard telling her about Jack. I wish I could say more, but it’s become an open wound again. The bleeding is happening all over again. I’m afraid if I say it out loud, the scab that tries to form will never cover it up.

  Looking at all my pictures closely, my eyes shift back and forth between Ben, Jack and Sam. They start to dart so much that my head begins to ache. But there is something about the pictures that has me thinking…well, more like wondering. At first I think it has to do with Jack, but the more I look it becomes clear I’m fixating on Ben and Sam.

  Hmmmmm…interesting.

  That could be a possibility.

  A project!

  My body hums with excitement at the prospect of bringing together the two people I cherish most in this world. Plus, it will be an excellent distraction from Jack. Ben and Sam would be fantastic together. Laughing out loud, my mind begins to devise a plan. It will all be set in motion the day Sam arrives. Feeling satisfied, I let my body lie down and close my eyes. Having something else to occupy my brain space is a good thing.

  I let my fingers touch my mouth while I inhale and exhale. I’m hoping not to be filled up with all things Jack and his perfect fucking lips. My anxiety is steadily building as my head imagines finishing our kisses. Mom said Jack would be here, and it will be the first time I’ve seen him since that all too brief connection.

  Slowly and deliberately, I outline the edges of my lips. It’s as if each small trace resurfaces the impression he’s left. My eyes shut tight and remember the jolts that burned my mouth. It’s a painful pleasure only he made me feel. As my fingers map the course again, my body responds with tingles that shoot straight down to my core. I wish I could make it stop, but with him they never do.

  My mind is telling me no but my body is screaming yes. As much as I don’t want to let Jack turn me on and get me off, it just happens. Always. All it takes is letting my guard down the slightest bit and I ache in response. My body floods with sensations and desire for him.

  Opening my eyes, I move swiftly to close and lock my door. My mind ponders for a moment, wondering if this is the best idea. He will be here, in the flesh, later today. I quickly shake those logical thoughts out of my head, convincing myself that if I just play for a little bit, I could work off my nerves and get a better handle on seeing him.

  Taking in a long deep breath, I allow my fingers to leave my lips and glide down to my neck. My other hand proceeds to my low cut neckline. My adept fingers move and tickle along my breast line. My breathing changes as each tickle sends sparks to my core. I carefully remove my shirt and shorts, only leaving my pink polka dot panties and matching bra.

  With both hands working together I run them across my breasts and stomach, making a slow rhythmic pattern as I visualize Jack in my mind. His full lips, strong jawline, blue eyes that sparkle when he smiles, his messy blond hair that I just want to grab while he goes down on me.

  Allowing the fantasy to take over, my fingers slip into my panties while my other hand slides inside my bra and finds my nipple. Taking it in my fingers, I gently twist and tug in a circular motion. My fingers make fast work over my clit as my hips begin to roll in unison with my hands.

  As I picture Jack slipping two fingers inside me, mine do the same. It carries me further toward my release. My silent moans increase to a louder cry that needs to be shouted. My hips thrust and I clench my legs together to clamp down on my clit. Just a few more thrusts and rubs and I will be over the edge. I visualize Jack urging me to come and that’s all I need. One…two…three, and then finally the vibrations that begin in my lower belly make their way to my core as my body convulses in sheer pleasure from my intense orgasm.

  My breath evens out as my body slowly comes back down from its high. My euphoric state is overwhelmed with relaxation and calmness as I keep Jack’s mouth and face in my mind. I allow myself to close my eyes and imagine his hands and lips on my naked skin. This only turns me on more. I always want more. Fuck. That didn’t help at all. It just wound me up even tighter. I grab hold of my blanket and roll over frustrated. Sighing heavily, I attempt to shake his lingering tease and drift into the darkness of sleep, but I know he will be there. He always is.

  * * *

  A soft knock wakens me from my deep slumber. I roll around onto my backside trying to get my bearings. The knock occurs again only this time louder. Looking at my clock on the nightstand, I’m startled by how long I’ve slept for.

  “Jenny? Jenny…its mom. Are you all right?” Picking my body up off the bed, I reach for my shirt and pull it over my head while trying to answer her with my groggy voice. “Yep. Sorry, Mom. I guess I fell asleep. Just a second.” Reaching down for my shorts, I drag them up and over my ass. I’m in the process of snapping them when I open the door.

  “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

  “I was just a little worried about you. Everyone is downstairs and we’ve been waiting for you.” My eyes open wide in panic. “Oh don’t worry dear, take a moment and get yourself freshened up. It’s no problem. We will be out back.” She reaches out and places a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My head leans into the familiar comfort this act brings me.

  “Thanks, Mom. I will be down in a few.” Taking her hand away from my face, she turns and exits my room. Closing the door behind her, I lean my back into it and slide down to the floor. Resting my head on my knees I try to figure out what the hell I’m going to wear and, more importantly, what I’m going to say. I can’t remember a time when I haven’t argued with him. It’s like our thing. It can be a complete turn-on one minute and exhausting the next.

  I look over to my half unpacked suitcase, hopeful that an amazingly drop dead sexy outfit will appear. I really want Jack to see me differently. Not who I used to be but who I am now. I’m a grown up and attractive woman that deserves to be treated like a goddess and worshipped as a sexy temptress. “Jesus, Jenny. Get with the program. You sound like a female heroine out of one of your books.”

  Crawling on the floor to my suitcase, I begin to unload its contents all over the rug. Everything I touch looks like a wrinkled ball of crap. When I make it to the bottom, I finally see what I think will catch Jack’s attention. I can’t help the wry smile that forms across my face. “Oh yeah, Jenny, this is the one.”

  With renewed self-assurance, I grab my makeup bag and head into the bathroom. Just a few hours ago, I was moaning to the image of him and now he will be in front of me. My body will respond like it always does, but will my mouth shut the fuck up? More importantly, what will he have to say to me?

  We never discussed what happened the last time we saw each other. In fact, we haven’t talked about us at all. Blinking my eyes at my reflection, I ponder this truth.

  Shit.

  The reality is, this could be exceptionally good or extremely bad. Sadly, I suspect the latter.

  Chapter 8

  Jack

  Approaching the front porch, I’m greeted by Ben who’s carrying two beers in his hand. He certainly knows me well. “Hey man, thought you could use a cold one before my sister graces us with her presence and rips into you.” Our bottles clink together as we laugh about it. My shoulders shrug because I know he’s right.

  Kind words and Jenny don’t exactly go together when it comes to me. She’s been balls to the wall with me since she left here. The closest thing to normalcy was that almost kiss and even then she was pissed at me.

  Taking a long pull from the bottle, I chug half of it down. My strategy tonight is to get her to say “hi” with a smile. It sounds silly but it would be all I need. A smile that’s genuine, like she used to show me. The fake smiles I get lately are masked with a bite to it. Baby steps. Finishing my beer, I’m tempted to have another one but I need to focus. My agenda needs to stay on task.

  “So how was the ride up?” Ben’s voice brings me back to the present.

  “Oh, you know man, the same. I stopped by my old house for a few minutes. It looks like the new family living there is taking good care of it.” His face shows concern but I don’t give him a chance to speak. “Hey, man, it was fine. I’m ok. I only thought of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. It’s all good.” He gives me a cautious nod just as Gramps comes out the door.

  Gramps is a hot shit. He tells it like it is. He never lets me get away with anything and neither does the rest of the Foster clan. It’s nice to be treated as part of the family. Besides my sister, they are all that I have. In fact, they were my family for most of my childhood, especially when I couldn’t be with mine.

  Gramps takes one look at me and doesn’t waste any time. “Well, look who showed up. What the heck are you wearing and what in God’s name did you do to your hair?”

  Holding back a laugh I greet him with a firm handshake. He may be old but he has a lot of fight in him. “It’s nice to see you too Gramps.” Pointing at my clothes, I decide to egg him on a bit. “It’s called jeans and a t-shirt. I will have you know, it took a few extra minutes to style my hair just right.” Touching my full head of hair I continue, “But you wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.
”

  He looks at me smugly while his cane finds my leg. “Oh, you think that’s funny? Just wait a few years and we shall see who's laughing.” My hand rubs the sting that he got me with. “So how the heck have you been? Still breaking hearts or have you finally found a girl that can put up with your bullshit?” I don’t respond right away. He asks me the same question every time I come to visit. I have no idea why, but I guess it’s his way of taking care of me.

  “Oh, you know me. I like to break a lot of hearts. It makes life interesting.” His face loses the light amused look and I sense I need to say something else pretty fast. “But, if you must know, I’ve been taking a break from the dating thing. I got in a little over my head for awhile.” This seems to appease him for the moment but then he throws it right back at me.

  “Over your head? Try drowning, young man!” He pulls me over to the bench to sit down and I know I’m in for one of his lectures. “Jack my boy, listen to me. I get the whole have a good time thing. But you don’t know what that means until you find the right girl to have it with.”

  He looks over to Ben before continuing. “Now Ben had it before and I trust he will have it again.” He leans in closer to me, his voice barely above a whisper. “You see, with the right girl the good never stops. Even when times are bad. Because when you find her, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are, the good will be there. It’s a constant. Trust me when I say you will want more every damn time.”

  Gramps pushes on his cane to get back up. He takes a moment to steady himself before moving. “The two of you will find the right ones, I’m sure of it. You may find them even sooner than you think.” Giving me a nudge and a wink, he smiles like he knows something that I don’t. And he probably does.

  * * *

  Two beers later and I’m more relaxed. I look around at everyone laughing and it brings me peace. With my home life I didn’t experience it much so I try to embrace it. The smiles and conversations are flowing and I can’t help but wonder where the hell Jenny is.

  I’m definitely growing impatient waiting for her arrival. She’s been making an appearance in my dreams since her last visit. So right now, all I can think about is making those dreams a reality. I want her face, with her bright blue eyes and pink pale lips, to appear in the flesh. But most of all, I just want to be around her.

  Mrs. Foster excuses herself to see what’s keeping Jenny. I decide to use this moment to hit the bathroom and splash some water on my face. My nagging thoughts are making me feel like a total chick. I’m not the kind of guy who thinks too intensely. I’ve always been led by my dick, but now I feel like I’m turning into a giant pussy.

  As I make my way down the hall, I hear her faint voice coming out of the bathroom. Hearing her voice sends my body on high alert. My ear strains to hear what she’s saying, so I purposely slow down my steps. Pausing at the slightly ajar door, I wait and listen to her. She’s talking to herself and I absolutely love it. I’m smiling like a complete tool.

  “Ok Jenny girl, you got this. You go and show him your goods. Your girly parts are looking mighty fine in this shirt.”

  I’m working hard to control the laughter that’s threatening to explode out of my mouth. I turn my body slightly toward the opening, catching her in the mirror. Angling my head just right, I’m not disappointed with what I see. Jenny has her body leaning forward while her two hands adjust her perfect tits into her bra. Plumping them up to give them that extra bit of cleavage. It’s by far one of the hottest things I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot. But something about the way Jenny’s touching them puts my cock on notice.

  Carefully and quietly, I stand here and continue my perverted fascination. I’m mesmerized with how she pulls the black lace shirt over her head. My hand involuntarily grabs my increasing hardness. It wants more and quite frankly, it’s been awhile. Continuing my voyeurism, I watch her brush her hair with long even strokes.

  Fuck. Now I’m thinking of stroking.

  She takes out her lip gloss and I’m done. Watching her slowly rub it on puts me over the edge. She applies it all around her open lips then puckers them. That’s all it takes. I can’t stand it anymore. I want those lips on mine. My hands push the door open all the way. No gentle knock. My need is far too great.

  We will have time to talk later. It’s time for some action. We are finishing our kiss.

  Standing in the entryway I study her face. She’s clearly surprised by my invasion. I’m sure I’m giving her a cocky grin, but I really don’t give a fuck. I watch and wait. There are no words. I observe her face change from shock, to shyness, and then to downright pissiness. She knows I was staring and I couldn’t give a fuck less.

  She begins to open her mouth but I swiftly place my hand over it. Her eyes are flaming with anger. She will not get the first word in. “Do you have any idea what you are doing to me right now? Fuck, Jenny. I couldn’t stop myself from staring.” I keep my eyes steady on hers. “The way you touched your tits was so fucking sexy and don’t even get me started on that mouth. Damn. I’ve been imagining that mouth of yours on mine for way too long.”

  I keep my hand secure for I don’t dare move it. Her eyes soften the tiniest bit. “All I want right now is to take my hand off of your mouth. Then kiss you long and hard. But I’m thinking tender is the way to go with you first. Tell me Jenny, I need to fucking know.” I remove my hand as her eyes glaze to a look I’m very familiar with: lust.

  Neither of us says anything. We just continue to look intently at each other. Normally silence irritates me and I’m always trying to fill it, but with Jenny I don’t mind. I actually welcome it.

  I watch her take a deep breath as she breaks the gaze first. Licking her lips, she smiles coyly while dropping her head slightly. Her body closes the gap while her head lifts her mouth up to my ear. I feel her tongue touch my lobe while her teeth take a nibble. Feeling and hearing her breath drives me insane.

  “Jack…mmm…Jack. I do like it tender but I also like it hard and deep. But you know what I want?” I really can’t think at the moment. My brain finally wakes up and sends a message to my mouth. “What babe?”

  Her tongue peeks out again and tenderly assaults my lobe. Her voice whispers into my ear. “Do you like this Jack? Does it feel good?” My head nods with way too much enthusiasm as I feel her soft chuckles. “I’m glad you like it, but you will never know what kind of kiss I want because…” Another lick. “…you should never…” Another nibble. “…ever…spy on people.”

  With that, she shoves me out of the way knocking me into the hallway. “You might want to take a moment before heading downstairs.” I follow her gaze down my pants to the enormous bulge that’s trying to stay contained. The sweetest most evil laugh escapes her lips and I can’t help but smile. She chastely plants a kiss on my cheek and walks down the hall.

  I lean against the wall trying to cool down from our heated exchange. She completely threw me for a loop and no woman has ever done that. I’m always the one in control but she just reversed the table on me, big time. Throwing my head back I laugh in my defeat. She has gotten to me and there’s no way in hell I’m going to back down again.

  Walking into the bathroom, I take a look in the mirror. Just then I remember what Gramps said earlier and it hits me. The old man was right. Jenny is the good that I want. She’s the one that I need to have more with, over and over again. Never slowing down or stopping. Always.

  Chapter 9

  Jenny

  My heart and breath are erratic as I walk away from him. I can’t believe it. I mean holy shit. I stood toe-to-toe with Jack Ryan and I didn’t back down; didn’t lose my cool – hell, I even won for once. I took hold of the situation and threw him for a loop.

  As much as my body responded to his sexy glare, there was no way in hell I could let him know. I needed to set the boundaries. I’m the one in control. Not him, not ever. Jack has been playing games for too long and now it’s game over.