me?”
He took off his pants and got in. The water level rose to the tub’s rim, then sloshed over. Josie rolled her eyes.
“You’ll clean that up, I presume?”
“Your wish is my command.” Jack slid down along the tub’s opposite side, his long legs sticking up. “Come here.”
She turned to float toward him. More water splashed out. He gathered her against his chest, tucking her head against his shoulder. It wasn’t comfortable, really, but worth the cramped knees to be so close to him.
His hands smoothed over her oil-slick skin. The double-thump of his heartbeat pulsed under her palm, and in seconds, it seemed as though her own pulse timed itself to his. Breath in, breath out. Thump-thump. Like clockwork dancers, always moving in time.
“You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”
A flippant reply rose to her lips, but stilled when she heard the real concern in his voice. “Of course not. Why would I do that?”
His broad shoulders shrugged, moving her with them. Water splashed. “Sometimes I worry you’re going to leave me, that’s all.”
That made her sit up so fast she slid. “Why, Jack?”
His dark eyes looked guarded. When had she ever looked into them and not been able to know his thoughts? But now she couldn’t glimpse them, and it scared her.
“I’ve known you since we were kids,” she said. “There isn’t anything about you that I don’t already know. I’ve seen you at your worst and your best, Jack. I love you. What on earth could possibly change that now?”
He closed his eyes, leaning back against the tub’s rim. “You never know when things could change. I could do something awful. You could find someone else.”
The water had cooled, but that wasn’t why Josie’s skin went cold. “Are you planning on doing something awful? Do you think I’m looking for someone else?”
“No!” His eyes flew open, and he gripped her tightly. “No, Josie.”
“Then why say it?” Tears thickened her voice. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“No.” He shook his head slowly, then grimaced. “Of course not.”
She put her hand to his cheek. “I love you, Jacob David Gold. I’ve loved you since we were eight and you dared me to eat a worm.”
That made him smile. “You ate it.”
“And you puked, watching.” Josie slid closer, moving onto his lap to straddle him, knees pressed against the tub’s hard porcelain sides. “And when we were ten and you fell out of the tree in Mrs. Dunwoody’s yard, who ran for help?”
“You.”
“And when we were thirteen, who beat up Sheldon Spankowicz for snapping my bra straps and calling me Plumpy?”
“Me.”
“Jack, we’ve been there for each other forever. What makes you think any of that could change?”
He sighed, his eyes shuttering against her again. “I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.”
His grin was at half-wattage, and while it was a smile that could still make ladies swoon, it didn’t fool her. She kissed him, teasing his full lips open with nibbles and the tip of her tongue.
“I have not suffered eight months of wedding planning hell for anything to go wrong now.”
He opened his mouth under hers, his tongue dipping between her lips to stroke hers. “Ah. Right.”
He hardened against her, and she rubbed herself along his cock. “You’re stuck with me, Jack. Like apples and honey, like chicken and soup, like bagels and lox.”
“Like matzo and balls?”
She wrinkled her nose, but kissed him again anyway. “Like that, yeah.”
His arms came around her. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Forehead to forehead, they stared at each other for a long moment. He brushed her lips gently with his. His fingertips traced light circles on her skin, making her nipples perk.
“Josie?” he murmured.
“Mmmhmm?”
“My balls are shriveling in this freezing water. Let’s get out.”
She laughed. “Heavens, we don’t want your balls to shrivel. You might need them.”
“Yeah?” He nipped her chin before kissing her lips again.
“Oh, yes. For the sex.”
“Yeah? The sex?”
“The multiple orgasm part especially.”
“You’re going to give me multiple orgasms?”
She nodded, putting on a serious face. “I was thinking of myself, but sure.”
“Selfish minx.”
“Not selfish. Just…expectant.”
Josie got out of the tub and handed him a towel. Watching him get out of the water, she couldn’t help the thrill seeing his naked body always gave her. Jack was perfect in every line. Broad shoulders, muscled arms and chest, tight eight-pack abs. An ass just made for grabbing, strong thighs, long legs. Nice toes. He grinned and slid his tongue along his lips in the gesture that never failed to make liquid heat puddle