Plain Jayne (39 page)

“Jayne?” He breathed a kiss against her earlobe, grinning when she shivered in his arms. “I have to tell you something, but I don’t want you to freak out.”

He’d barely got the words out and her whole body tensed. She pulled back, released her hold on him, and gripped the counter on either side until her knuckles whitened. Head down, eyes closed, she heaved a great sigh as if bracing herself for bad news.

With his finger crooked, he lifted her chin up, but still she didn’t open her eyes.

“Look at me, Jayne.”

“No. Just say it.” She didn’t even give him a chance to respond. “Is it me? Is it you? Did your mother disown you?”

He didn’t answer, just cupped her beautiful face between his hands and waited until she opened her eyes. Not surprisingly, it took her a while, but the second she did, he smiled down at her.

“I love you.”

“Nick—”

“No, it’s more than that. I’m stupid-ass-can’t-see-straight-in-love with you, and I’m sorry I didn’t figure it out sooner.”

Bit by bit, her mouth curled into one of her smirks. “Yeah, well, you always were a little slow.”

“True.” He kissed her again, taking his time along the edge of her smirk. “But if I’d known this is what it would be like …”

Her fingers twisted the hem of her T-shirt up into a tight wad as she chewed the side of her lips. “You don’t think this is a little weird?”

“No. I think everything up till now has been weird. But this … wait.” He frowned down at her. “Do you think it’s weird?”

“A little.” She winced. “Sorry, but come on, Nick, all these years we’ve just been friends, and now—”

“Now it’s this.”

“Yeah. Now it’s this.”

He tucked her hair back behind her ear and sighed quietly over a grin. “This is better.”

Her lips trembled up into one of those weird Jayne smiles that started out as a slow quiver and wobbled until she managed to get hold of it. It seemed to take an awfully long time before she finally sniffed quietly and nodded. “Yeah.”

“The only thing that’d make it better,” he said, grinning hopefully. “Is if you told me how
much you loved me, too.”

A sparkle started deep in her blue eyes, her smile steadied, and she raised her left brow in a cheeky arch.

“I waited twelve years for you to say it to me, Nick. I think you can wait another minute or two.”

“But … you didn’t … oh crap.” He set his hands on her hips, then inched them under her shirt until he finally reached skin. Hot skin. Pulse pounding through every pore. “I hate waiting.”

He kissed her once, twice, slowly, determined to wait her out. Third time lucky, even if she did huff out an impatient sigh first.

“Fine. I love you. Are you happy now? I’m stupid-ass-can’t-see-straight-in-love with you, too.” Her gorgeous blue eyes, sparkling against the tears she tried to blink away, stared straight back at him. “God knows I tried not to be, but—”

Nick’s mouth froze a breath away from hers. “You tried not to be?”

“Of course!” The edge of her mouth tipped up ever so slightly before she leaned into him and kissed his chin. “You’re bossy.”

“Yeah, I am.” He tried to catch her mouth with his, but she moved away.

“You think you’re funny.”

“No, you think I’m funny.” When she dodged his mouth for the second time, Nick changed tactics. He moved his hands up her ribs, slowly, until there—that was the little hitch in her throat he was waiting for. Maybe now she’d kiss him again.

“A-and you walk around your house half-naked all the time,” she breathed. “Drives me crazy.”

“That’s an easy fix,” he grinned. “From now on, all naked all the time.” This time she met his mouth full on, pulling him in closer, working every kiss into two or three. “Anything else?”

Her skin flamed as he slid his fingers slowly higher, higher until they touched silk. Who knew his simple little Jayne wore lacy things under her clothes?

“You’re always touching me,” she whispered. “I hate that.”

Nick let his last kiss linger on her lips until she opened her heavy eyes and looked at him. Only then did he murmur against her mouth. “Liar.”

A sigh, a blush. “Yeah.”

“If you thought I touched you a lot before”—he rubbed the side of his nose against hers and nibbled her bottom lip as he spoke—“you might want to brace yourself.”

She slid her fingers down his chest, breathing out a soft whimpering sound when she finally got them under his shirt and splayed across his belly. Nick’s muscles flinched beneath her touch, his every nerve on alert. This was Jayne, his Jayne, who’d always made everything make sense, who’d always tried to avoid his touch, and who was now driving him crazy with wanting her.

None too delicately, he curved his hands around her backside and carried her over to the couch, pressing her tight against him as they moved. He was hard, he was getting harder, and he didn’t care if she knew.

“Oh.” Her single syllable, nothing more than a breath, almost did him in. Then she laughed. “Well that sure takes this friendship to a whole new level, doesn’t it?”

“I hope so.” He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth; that sexy, smirking, gorgeous mouth. “We’ve been friends long enough.”

With her sitting facing him on his lap, he slid his pinkie finger under the collar of her shirt, and pulled up the silver chain with the key dangling from it.

“Come home, Jayne. We miss you.”

“Is that right?” She tugged the key out of his hand and tucked it back inside her shirt. “And you won’t mind having me there all the time?”

“Worked out pretty well the first time,” he shrugged, then grinned. “But we’ll have to do something about the sleeping arrangements.”

“Yeah.” The color in her cheeks deepened. “But what would I do with this place? We just got it fixed up.”

“Let Maya have it.” He slid his hands around her waist and held her tight against him. “And let me have you.”

Jayne sucked in a small breath, cupped his face in her hands, and leaned in to kiss him, long and slow.

“You’ve always had me,” she murmured. “I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Jayne?”

“Hmm?”

He swallowed hard, tipped her face up to his. “Can we go home now?”

“I can’t leave—today’s my big grand opening, remember?”

The puckered brow, the slight frown … she almost had him until her eyes started to crinkle up around the edges. She pressed a barely there kiss against his Adam’s apple and let her tongue dance across his throat and up the side of his neck until her lips hovered next to his earlobe.

“When we get home,” she whispered, “will you show me how this all-naked-all-the-time thing works?”

Nick almost knocked them both down the stairs in his rush to get her out to his truck. She tried to pull free long enough to lock the back door, but Nick wasn’t about to let her go. Not now, not ever.

Nick stood next to the Justice of the Peace, looking out at the scattering of people in his yard. Katie thought they should’ve planned a big afternoon wedding, but there wasn’t a hope in hell Nick was going to wait a minute more than he had to, and Jayne agreed, so by ten o’clock the next Saturday, they were all assembled, waiting for Jayne.

He knew she wouldn’t be late. And she wasn’t.

Walking toward him on Pop’s arm, she’d never been more beautiful. Her dress was a simple cream-colored number Ellie gave her; it fit perfectly, hugging her curves and making Nick wish the ceremony was already over, and the only jewelry she wore was a fresh dandelion chain around her neck, hiding the key she’d refused to take off.

They were still arguing over a ring. She didn’t think one was necessary and he insisted it was. He didn’t want any more Troys or Bretts horning up on
his
Jayne and a nice big fat diamond would help prevent that.

Jayne set her eyes on Nick and never looked away. He’d bought new black dress pants for the occasion, but at Jayne’s request—and much to his mother’s disgust—he’d forgone a new shirt and instead wore his old blue twill one. He’d even ironed it.

The Justice made short work of things, then paused, looked around at the small crowd. “If anyone here has just cause why they should not be joined in marriage, may he speak now or forever hold his peace.”

As though one body, Jayne, Maya, and Regan all turned glaring eyes on Ellie.

“What?” Ellie cried. “I didn’t say a word. If she wants to marry the big dumb ass, that’s her choice.”

The JP grinned. “For as much as Jayne and Nicholas have exchanged their vows in the presence of these witnesses, even without any rings which Nick assures me are coming”—he
shot Nick a pointed look—“by the power vested in me, I declare you to be husband and wife.”

He paused, grinned again, and held both hands up.

“You may kiss your bride.”

And Nick did. Then he kissed her again just for good measure.

For such a small group gathered there in the yard, they sure made a hell of a lot of noise. Jayne squirmed against him, laughing against his mouth, but Nick took his sweet time, and even after the kiss ended, he never let her go.

He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her in for a kiss every time he felt the urge, which was pretty often. Seemed he couldn’t do it enough now, even though each kiss made her look like she was going to cry again.

He just wanted to get her alone, was that asking too much? Didn’t these people have other things to do in the middle of the day? It took more effort than he thought he could muster, but he managed to hold off until everyone had the chance to eat and drink.

“Okay, people,” he announced, raising his glass. “Thank you all for coming, thank you all for … well, everything, and now, if you wouldn’t mind … get out.”

“Nick!” Jayne choked on her drink. “You can’t do that.”

“Of course I can.” He turned to Ellie. “My house, my wife, I can do what I want, right?”

“Damn straight,” she snorted. “I can’t believe you let us stay this long.”

“See?”

Jayne’s expression didn’t fool him. Sure, she was embarrassed that he’d kicked everyone out, but that little glint in her eye gave away the real truth. She was glad they were leaving.

With the door locked behind his mother the straggler, Nick took Jayne by the hand and tugged her into the kitchen. He set her laptop on the table, opened her iTunes folder, and clicked the play button.

“What are you—?”

I’m shameless when it comes to loving you, I’ll do anything you want me to …

“I owed you a song.” Nick pulled her into his arms and out into the open floor space around the table. “So what do you think?”

“I think it’s not every day I’d pick a country song over Elton John, but this time …” Jayne curled into his arms and sighed happily against his neck. “Excellent choice.”

“Glad you like it,” he said, breathing a slow kiss against her cheek. “Because it was a
toss-up between this and Rick Astley.”

Jayne tipped her face up to his, her brow arched skeptically. “Seriously?”

“Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down …”
Nick laughed. “It’s classic eighties, but I couldn’t find it in your music library.”

“And you never will.”

“Why not? It’s a good song.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned. “Of all the music released in the eighties, that’s what you consider good? Is it too late to change my mind about this whole marriage thing?”

“Yup.” Nicked pulled her in closer, kissed her a little longer. “About twenty-five years too late.”

“Hmmm.” A smile teased the corners of her mouth as she fingered the buttons of his shirt. It took her a few seconds, but she finally looked up at him, her eyes so blue, so warm. “If you kiss me like that again, I might be persuaded to stay with you a little longer.”

“Oh, I’m all about persuading, sweetheart.” He wrapped both arms around her, lifted until her toes dangled over his, then walked her straight back to the bedroom where he persuaded her to stay a lot longer.

Much thanks goes to my agent, Holly Root, for finding Jayne a home, and to my editor, Junessa Viloria, for making that home such a welcoming place to be. Thanks to John and Terry Acorn, Sean Kelly, Wendy and Rande Evans, and Colin McCarthy, who answered all my questions about construction, inspections, and bylaws. Any mistakes made or poetic license taken in these areas are mine and mine alone. Thanks also to Bryan Couture, Kathy Branco, Brian Drewry, and Nicole Smith for answering what might have seemed like odd questions, to Sue, who always tells me the truth (good or bad) about everything I give her to read, to Rosella for always playing along when I quote
The Godfather
, and oodles of thanks to my go-to girls, Ann Christopher, Kristi Cook, Lori Devoti, Caroline Linden, Sally MacKenzie, and Eve Silver—you ladies rock! And Ron … after all this time, thank you for still making me laugh every day.

Laura Drewry
had been scribbling things for years before she decided to seriously sit down and write. After spending eight years in the Canadian north, Laura now lives back home in southwestern British Columbia with her husband, three sons, a turtle named Sheldon, and an extremely energetic German shepherd. She loves old tattered books, good movies, country music, and the New York Yankees. Visit her online at
www.lauradrewry.com
.

Welcome to Loveswept!

April might bring showers, but over at Loveswept, we’re more than happy to fill your days with sunshine and romance with this month’s irresistible original stories.

If you’re looking for a new small-town contemporary romance, look no further than Laura Drewry’s
Plain Jayne
, a funny, heartfelt story about best friends who reunite—only to realize that being “just friends” isn’t good enough anymore. Juliet Rosetti keeps readers swooning—and laughing—with Mazie Maguire and her hot boy toy, Ben Labeck, in the delightful
Tangled Thing Called Love
. And Bronwen Evans delivers another scorcher in
A Promise of More
, the second Disgraced Lords book where a marriage of convenience and revenge turns into something so much more.