Jersey Six - Jewel E Ann Page 0,110

as hot tears escaped her burning eyes. “When we kiss … that’s love. I didn’t let that other man kiss me.” She shook her head as her lips trembled. “Why … why wouldn’t you kiss me? L-love me? Why wouldn’t you just love me?” A sob ripped past her throat.

Ian stepped closer, his hand inching toward her face. When his thumb brushed along her tear-stained cheek, she leaned into his touch. He took another step until there were no more steps to take. “I should have told you. I’m sorry.”

Her body shook as she tried to swallow back the flood of pain.

“I shouldn’t have left that night. I’m sorry.”

She forced her gaze up to his, blinking out more tears. His thumb brushed down her cheek and traced her trembling lips.

He blinked, eyes wet with emotion. “I should have kissed you. I’m sorry,” he whispered each word as if something in his chest tried to suffocate them.

They were raw, real, and painful to hear.

“I looked for you. Shane looked for you.”

She nodded slowly.

“Ian Cooper would come for you … He’d give you the kidney.”

“A part of me has been searching for you for sixteen years.”

“Coop …” Jersey rested her hand over his hand cupping her face. She guided his fingers over her lips, closing her eyes. Her heart beat so fast; she felt certain it took flight. And that fluttering feeling in her tummy returned, so much stronger than before. Every cell of her body felt alive.

In the next breath, his fingers disappeared, and his mouth took their place. It sent a warm rush of emotion through her body, making right of so many wrongs. For the first time in twenty-four years, Jersey let herself fall—completely fall in love with the first person who ever showed her love. For her, love was no longer an action, an emotion, or a promise. Love was a person.

Ian was love.

He kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her neck. “Feel that, Jersey? Do you feel my love?”

“Yes …” She curled her fingers into his shirt, holding him close.

“Let’s go,” he whispered over her ear before taking her hand and pulling her toward the car.

He kept ahold of her hand as they backed out onto the main road again. A few miles down the road, Ian turned into a secluded drive nestled into the woods.

“Where are we?”

“My temporary house.” He pulled the car into the single garage stall and closed the door behind them. “The realtor is a friend. They’re having trouble moving it. The price is too high. So I’m renting it until either it sells or my house is finished. My recording studio is just a mile from here, so the location is good.”

Jersey climbed out and the light went out. “What happened?” She shut the door and stood still in the pitch-black, windowless garage.

“Light burned out. It was flickering earlier.”

“I’ll use my phone—”

Ian startled her, running his fingers down her bare arms, eliciting goose bumps. She couldn’t see anything, but she felt everything.

“Missing you has been a most excruciatingly painful full-time job,” Ian whispered, dragging his lips along her cheek.

“I missed you too … but don’t tell anyone.”

His lips turned into a smile against her mouth. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Coop …”

“Yes?” His hands guided her shirt up her torso.

She lifted her arms as he pulled it over her head. Her hands searched for his stubbly face, cupping it as she lifted onto her toes to put her lips a breath away from his. She shivered when his fingertips feathered down her neck to her bare back. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting to love you.”

He paused for a few seconds.

Time stood still.

Darkness became their new light.

He kissed her—he loved her. His hands removed her bra. Hers pushed his shirt over his head.

Ian held her to him, his chest warm against her breasts. He kissed down her body, slowly peeling off her shorts and panties, his lips following the path of his hands.

So long ago, he touched every inch of her without ever laying a hand on her. Because Ian was love before Jersey knew what it meant to be loved.

She rested her hands on his shoulders to steady herself in the dark as he took his time exploring the curves of her body. When their mouths fused again, she unfastened his shorts. He slid them over his narrow hips along with his briefs, his lips never leaving hers.

He palmed the back of her thighs and lifted her up.

“Coop …” she breathed his