The Temporary Wife - By Jeannie Moon Page 0,75

missed her at all when he’d gone away to school. She’d always thought he hadn’t cared, but the way he talked about it now made her wonder what was true. His jaw was set and his eyes downcast. “I used to think about you all the time. But I don’t think we would have stayed together. We weren’t ready,” she said.

He kissed her forehead, swung his long legs to the side, and sat up. “I thought about you a lot, too. But you’re probably right.”

Crawling into his lap, Meg rested her head on Jason’s shoulder. She wanted him to understand what she was feeling, because everything had changed between them. This life they’d started to build was fragile, and if they were going to have a future, the past had to be buried. But at the same time, he needed to understand who she’d become. “I was miserable after you left and I hated you, but I had to learn to live without you, Jason. You’d been part of my life since I was eight years old and, yes, the way we ended things was hard, but we couldn’t have stayed together.”

“I didn’t know how much you mattered to me until I lost you. Maybe that’s what I needed.”

“Maybe you did.”

“I never knew what you saw in me, anyway. I was a complete geek.”

“You weren’t a geek.” Meg looked back and grinned at him. “Okay, maybe you were a little bit of a geek, but I always loved that big brain of yours.” She was happy to get all this out in the open, but sad for what they’d put each other through. “We both made a lot of mistakes. I expected too much.”

Jason’s arms squeezed her tighter. “Don’t. All you ever gave me was love. Don’t blame yourself because I didn’t know how to return it.”

“But—”

He cut her off. “No. I should have treated you better. You deserved that.”

Jason took the ice cream, which was starting to melt, from her and put both their dishes on the night table. The ache in his chest was more palpable now, more like guilt, and it wasn’t because they’d had a hellish breakup, but because he had made her feel like she wasn’t good enough for him. He didn’t know how she’d ever forgive him for that, but it appeared she had. Which made Jason the luckiest bastard on the planet.

“This thing between us is starting to feel real.” Meg’s head dropped back against his shoulder.

“I know,” he said.

***

Meg turned in Jason’s arms, thinking about his words, and allowing what he’d said to sink in and heal the old wounds. Her lips touched his collarbone, and she tasted the sweat from earlier. Immediately, all she could think about was being close to him again. Loving him. Meg knelt and straddled his lap, kissing him slowly, deeply, and without any break. She felt him harden immediately, and a smile forced itself across her lips.

“You don’t play fair,” he grumbled.

“Do you want me to stop?” Her tongue was leaving a wet path on his chest. Meg was planning on moving down his body until she felt Jason’s hands on each side of her hips. He picked her up slightly and lowered her onto his erection, filling her so completely, Meg thought she would orgasm immediately. But she moved, set the pace, and the pleasure was all over his face, so Meg held on, keeping her arms around him, enjoying the waves that were rising and falling in both of them.

Now he was moving, too, matching her, capturing her mouth with his and bringing new intensity to their lovemaking.

The look in his eyes was half-crazed and he didn’t hold anything back, moving and holding her so close, she could feel his heartbeat, feel his breathing.

Everything.

Meg felt everything as he shattered her again.

Chapter 18

Harper raced into the kitchen at seven o’clock in the morning looking like a friggin’ supermodel. Crap. She should have looked like a disaster, but she didn’t. Even in jeans and a T-shirt and minus her makeup, Harper looked amazing. If Meg hadn’t disliked her so much already, this morning would have put her over the edge.

“Where’s Jay?” Harper asked, frantic.

“He’s still asleep. Why?” Meg knew he was asleep because that’s how she’d left him thirty minutes ago.

When they’d gotten back from the city, Jason had walked into Meg’s room and started moving all her things into his room. Closets were rearranged, bathrooms, everything. They hated sleeping without each other, and Jason was