Chompin' at the Bit (Horse Play #2) (14 page)

“Right,” Lilah continued. “But why didn’t you tell us? We’re your family, Jensen. God! I had her in my wedding party. She’s in my pho—” A look of revelation flashed in Lilah’s eyes as she turned to find me smiling both apologetically and sheepishly. “This is why you suggested the change in some of the pictures.”

I shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure it was still a day you could look back on fondly. I didn’t want to interfere. Really.”

“No.
Thank
you.” Lilah’s eyes flashed back to Jensen. “Back to you.”

Nodding, Jensen continued. “After Robert …” Lilah’s eyes widened with what looked like paranoia as she looked between Jensen and me. “Well, you only really hung out with Kaylie. The two of you had gotten so close. I guess I just didn’t want to add any more stress to your life.”

“Okay,” Lilah replied slowly.

“I understand why you felt you had to keep it to yourself, darling,” Janet interjected. “But, you shouldn’t have had to bear that burden alone. We would have found a way to deal with everything.”

“I know. I
know
. I’m sorry. I really thought it was better this way,” he agreed in frustration, fisting his hair in his hands. For the first time since the incident, I found myself comforting Jensen in his time of need by running my hand up and down his back.

“Look,” Henry said, speaking up for the first time. “We’re not angry—” Lilah snorted her disagreement. “Lilah …” he warned.

She rolled her eyes before letting her hands fall to her lap. “Fine. I’m not
mad
. Just hurt that you felt you had to keep this from me. I never would have helped her through the breakup—especially knowing she likely didn’t care for you if she was capable of doing something so abhorrent.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Lilah.” He raised his eyes to her and smiled. “I promise I’ll never keep anything like that from you again.”

Even though I knew his comment wasn’t about me, there was a part of me that wanted to smack him and feel offended that he’d even think there was a possibility of something similar happening again.

Realizing the same thing, Jensen turned to me with an apologetic look in his eyes. “Shit. I didn’t mean to imply—”

I cut him off. “It’s fine,” I assured him weakly.

We sat there for a few more minutes while Lilah asked a few more questions which Jensen answered willingly. It wasn’t any easier to hear the second time around. I hated to see him so hurt over what Kaylie had done to him, and I vowed in that moment to never cause him the kind of pain that she had.

Eventually, Lilah and Jensen found their way back to a good place. It still upset her that he kept something so huge to himself, but she understood. We’d been sitting there for an extra two hours, and it wasn’t until Henry alerted us of the time that we decided we should grab our luggage.

Once back inside our room, I did one more quick check of the washroom for anything we may have forgotten in the shower before returning to the bedroom. Jensen was seated on the end of the bed with his head in his hands.

“Hey,” I said softly, stopping in front of him as he sulked. “You okay?”

Raising his head and moving his hands to encircle my waist, he looked up at me. “I think so. It’s just been an …
intense
morning.”

Still remorseful because I couldn’t apologize enough for today, I ran my fingers through his hair. His head rolled back, eyes closing as I used varying pressure on his scalp to try and soothe him. “Are you still up to going to Willow and Brandon’s for dinner? We don’t
have
to.” I wanted to go—more than words could express, but if Jensen wasn’t feeling up to it after this afternoon, I wasn’t going to push it.

When his eyes met mine, I knew his answer. “Would you be upset? I’m just … drained.” His fingers tightened on my hips.

I forced a smile. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t mildly disappointed, but I understood. “It’s fine. Willow will understand. We’ll plan for another time.”

“I’m sorry, love.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s fine.”
I moved to turn around so I could finish checking the room for our belongings when Jensen pulled me back until I fell into his lap.

“Hey. You forgot something.” With a smirk, he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me softly. I was hesitant at first, considering everything that had happened, but just like every other time we were in close proximity, I was quickly dazzled. Putting everything I had into the kiss, I placed my right hand on his neck as our mouths slowly moved together, and I sighed into his slightly open mouth.

Jensen fell back onto the bed, taking me with him, before I propped myself up and broke the kiss. It wasn’t often I stopped things from progressing—okay, so it was
never
me who stopped things from progressing—but I knew one of us had to. “Um, I think your dad would prefer to not be charged for another night. We should pack up and get going.”

“Are you turning me down?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

I kissed him chastely on the lips and giggled. “I guess I am. But only because I’m trying to save your dad another four-hundred dollars here.”

Jensen and I wandered through the room, checking and double-checking that we got all of our belongings before he took our bags and led the way to the elevator.

Chapter 12. Home, Sweet … Intercepted

“
I
t’s good to be home,” I announced, pushing the door open and walking through.
The drive back from Memphis was better than I thought it would be; it was almost as though the events of that morning had never happened.

Willow was a little disappointed that we couldn’t go for dinner, but after I explained everything, she understood, and we made plans to get together another time. Jensen couldn’t apologize enough.

I heard our bags drop to the floor behind me before strong arms encircled my waist and soft lips were on my neck. “Mmm hmm,” Jensen hummed, the sound vibrating against my skin.

My entire body tingled with every pass his lips made over my neck. When his fingers snuck beneath the hem of my shirt and started trailing along my stomach, I shivered and turned quickly to plant my lips on his. The way his hands moved up my body, occasionally curling his fingers into my skin, had me sighing. My entire body was set aflame as his hands continued upward, stopping only once he found my breasts. I was starting to think he was obsessed with them. Unable to take it anymore, I quickly reached for the bottom of his shirt and started to tug it off of him.

Just as Jensen released my chest so I could pull his shirt off and have my way with him, there was a knock at the door. There had to be some kind of law that stated we were to be interrupted every single time we rounded second base in this house. And, if there was, I wanted it overturned. Stat.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who it was without opening the door. My father always had impeccable timing.

“Welcome home,” I groaned quietly, effectively ending our kiss. “Would you mind taking the bags to our rooms? I’ll see what my father wants.”

“Sure.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine and along my jaw, the scruff on his face scratching my cheek until he stopped at my ear and whispered, “Don’t take too long.”

My entire body quivered as he moved around me with our bags. It may have taken me a minute to come to my senses as the heat from his smoldering eyes lingered, rendering me frozen. Another knock snapped me out of my trance, and I stepped forward to open the door.

“Hey, kiddo,” Dad greeted with a big grin. “I saw you guys pull up, and I just wanted to see how your weekend was.”

I narrowed my eyes playfully. “Dad, did you miss me?” I teased.

With a laugh, he shrugged. “I guess you could put it that way.” He cleared his throat nervously. “I also just wanted to let you know that you should feel free to sleep in a bit. We can handle the barn tomorrow morning.”

“You sure? We don’t mind—”

Before I could finish, Dad interrupted. “Yeah. It’s fine. Take a couple extra hours. We’ll manage.”

“All right. Thanks.” I wrapped my arms around my dad’s neck and hugged him. “I missed you, too, old man.”

Dad chuckled, hugging me back. “Okay, smart aleck. You get to bed. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

“‘Night, Daddy,” I said sweetly, kissing his cheek.

After saying goodnight, I closed and locked the door before turning off the lights on the way to my room to change into something a little more comfortable. My suitcase was on my bed when I arrived, and I smiled, knowing that Jensen was likely waiting for me in his room. I suddenly found myself debating my wardrobe choices for the night before realizing that there was really only one option.

I approached my dresser and opened my underwear drawer, moving everything around until I found … nothing. I opened several drawers before moving over to my suitcase and opening it to see if maybe I absent-mindedly packed it on Friday.
Nope. Nadda.

“Madison?” Jensen called from across the hall.

I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to think back to where I could have put it; I was
sure
I put it in its usual hiding spot in my underwear drawer. “Yeah?”

Deciding to wait until morning to continue my search in favor of being in Jensen’s arms, I grudgingly pulled on a tank top and a pair of shorts before rushing across the hall. With wide eyes I stopped in his doorway, instantly recognizing the light blue shirt he wore. He sat on top of his duvet with his back against the headboard and his hands behind his head. My eyes moved up to his face—only to find him grinning cockily.

“That’s mine,” I growled, stalking toward him with narrowing eyes. If I was being completely honest, it looked good on him; the fabric wasn’t too tight, but I could still clearly see his muscular upper body beneath it. I liked seeing him in it—but I still couldn’t believe he’d snuck into my underwear drawer and took it back!

I crawled up onto the bed, moving slowly to straddle his thighs as he continued to smirk and eye me smugly. “You want it?” he asked, moving his hands from behind his head to the tops of my bare thighs. I nodded sharply, and Jensen’s fingers squeezed delightfully before he forced himself upright.

Our faces were inches apart and my breathing increased as I yearned for his kiss … his touch … My breasts brushed his chest with every breath I took, and I found myself aching for him in every way. “Then take it,” he demanded before crushing his lips to mine.

I wasted no time in ridding him of
my
shirt before fisting his hair in my hands and kissing him again. Hard. My hips moved against him, feeling every solid inch of him between my legs through the thin fabric of our pajama bottoms. A familiar warmth expanded in me, stretching outward as his hands moved over my hips and slipped into the back of my shorts to grip my ass firmly, and I rocked against him eagerly.

Needing to take a breath, I pulled my lips from his, smiling and meeting his burning stare. I reached for the hem of my tank top and lifted it over my head. It confused me when I lowered my face back to his and he pulled back slightly.

“What are you—?”

His head shifted to the right slightly, and he smirked. “Just making sure there’s no knocking at the door … no phones ringing. It seems we’re prone to being interrupted,” he joked.

Shifting my hips softly, his eyes fluttered, and his fingers dug into the flesh of my backside. I laughed, leaning forward and pulling his earlobe between my teeth before whispering, “I assure you there will be no further interruptions. Make love to me, Jensen. In our bed.”

Jensen sat up slowly while simultaneously pulling my hips forward. When my mouth opened in a breathless moan he kissed me, his tongue sweeping over mine in a way that left my body quivering. As we kissed, Jensen was working really hard to shove my shorts down over my ass, trying to get me naked. His attempts were futile given our current position. In an effort to keep our bodies close while getting into a position that we could work with, I wrapped my arms around his neck and shifted to the right. He followed, removing his hands from my shorts and pressing himself between my legs.

My head touched the cool pillows behind me, and I moved my hands down his body until I reached the waist of his pants and slipped them in the sides. I was able to force them down a couple inches, and from there, I hooked my feet in and pushed them the rest of the way. Never breaking away from my lips, Jensen kicked his pants off frantically, and I slipped my hand between us until it was wrapped tightly around his solid length.

He hissed a sharp breath between his teeth as I began to move my hand up and down his shaft, varying the pressure I used on each pass and running my palm over the head. In a flash, Jensen sat up and started tugging my shorts down until the position of my spread legs wouldn’t allow for any more.

Smiling slyly, I lifted my legs straight into the air between us. The way his eyes traveled down my lean legs before him, settling on my ass—which was completely exposed to him—made my breath shudder every time I inhaled.