Married to the Tight End, page 10
She turned, and my arms immediately circled her waist. With my hands clasped just above the curve of her perfect behind, I stared down at her. “It’s yours now, Lex. Everything I have is yours.”
Alexa blinked, her chest rising and falling beneath her sweater. “Jackson…”
Her voice trailed off, but before she continued or said something about our eventual breakup, which I began to think was some sort of defense mechanism, I placed a finger over her lips. “Get settled, change, take a bath, shower, or just turn on the steam, and relax. Dinner will be ready when you are.”
Glee spread across her face. “Okay… if you insist.”
My chuckle echoed in the space. “I do. I’ll leave you to it.”
Stepping away, my movement halted by her dainty hand on my forearm. “Thank you, Jackson.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
Her hand dropped and I left, closing the bedroom’s door behind me. The soft click prompted the sound of shower heads coming on. For some reason, I stood in the hall practically eavesdropping. I had no idea why. Maybe I thought she’d need help with the remote or want me to wash her back, which she probably wouldn’t thanks to the many shower heads. Still, I’d be ready if she did.
Much to my delight, I heard music from the built-in speakers, then shortly afterward, Alexa’s voice. At that moment, I was glad that she enjoyed baking because singing… well, let’s just say it wasn’t as sweet as her cookies.
Despite that, I could stand outside the door and listen to her without hesitation. I realized more than ever that over the course of our friendship, and even more so since we returned from Vegas, I was falling for Alexa Barton. No, correction. Alexa Cartwright.
I was falling in love with my wife. Even thinking that sounded half-ass backward. Yet, it was true, nonetheless. All I needed was for her to feel the same.
Chapter 13
Alexa
Bliss. Pure and utter bliss. After standing in the shower playing with the remote and getting my T-Swift on with the music selection, I opted to lie in his tub and soak away my day. It hadn’t been a horrible one, but when I closed my eyes and thought about it, I could still feel Jackson’s hand on my breast. The only explanation for him not mentioning it had to be that he’d done it while asleep. That turned me on as much as the act had.
The semi-hot water caressed my body as I brought my hand to my chest to soothe the tender ache. Lying in this tub, his tub, for some reason sparked more of my libido. Glancing down, I noticed the wrinkles on my skin. No longer paying attention to the music, but using it as a timer, it was time for me to leave this paradise.
I pushed a button that opened the drain and stood up, but not before activating the above shower head to rinse off. How in the world had he had the wherewithal to create such a spa-like room? It made me wonder what else I still had to see.
Turning the water off, I stepped out of the tub onto the tile that felt warm to the soles of my feet and made my way to the towels in the waterproof linen closet tucked away in the corner. A gray, fluffy terrycloth robe caught my attention. I slid my arms in and inhaled. The scent of the bodywash I’d used earlier drifted around me. This was Jackson’s and for some reason it made me want to snuggle into it.
Thanks to piling my hair on top of my head, I didn’t need to worry about getting out a hair dryer, a good thing considering my stomach growled. “Oh no,” I said to no one. Dinner. Poor Jackson. Had he been waiting the entire time? Hurrying, I didn’t bother to get dressed. Instead, I hustled out of the bathroom, ignoring the cooler air of the bedroom and the rest of the house as I scurried toward the kitchen.
Making my way around the corner, my bare foot stepped on the bottom hem of the robe, catapulting me straight into Jackson’s arms. As though in slow motion, yet at a rate of speed I couldn’t prevent, the belt I hadn’t knotted slid open.
“Whoa. Are you okay?”
Fumbling, I was struck with laughter that either came out of embarrassment or sexual frustration. Jackson stared at me as though I’d grown an extra head while soaking in his tub. Either he was no longer attracted to me, or he hadn’t noticed my bare chest was plastered against his cotton-covered one, or he was being a gentleman. Whatever the case and for whatever reason, I didn’t want to move. Being against him in such a vulnerable way energized the thoughts I’d had all day. I wanted to know what his hands felt like on my body—while he was awake.
Glancing up and trying my best not to seem overeager, I forced a giggle. “Yes. Sorry, I tripped.” Doing a maneuver that looked to be out of a ballroom dance, I bent at my waist, scooched backward out of his looped arms, and pivoted to close my robe.
He chuckled. “Let’s get some food in you. Come on, I’ll plate it for us.”
“I’m going to throw on something more… practical. Go ahead, and I’ll be right back.” He nodded, and I gripped the terrycloth above my knees like a gown, hiking it up so the hem rose above my ankles.
Scurrying to his room, I shut the door, shucked off the robe, and grabbed my leggings, a tank top, and my favorite soft hoodie. Feeling a bit more like myself, I hung the robe in his closet, and let out a sigh as I caught my reflection in the mirror. “Relax Alexa,” I said to my flushed face.
Ready to join him once more, a small cramp stopped me in my tracks. “Great.” Turning around, I grabbed a box of tampons out of my duffle bag, went back into the bathroom, opened the pink box, and did what I needed to do. For some reason in my frenzied state, rather than put the box away, I left it on his vanity. After all, I shouldn’t be the only one feeling uncomfortable. And we were married. One day he may need to go to the store for me. I laughed to myself.
“Lex?” A knock on the door sounded before he appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, sorry.” I picked up the pink box and shook it in the air. “Had to take care of business.”
He nodded, completely unfazed. “Okay. Do you need anything else?”
My brows furrowed. “Like?”
Jackson shrugged before laughing. “Not sure. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
He turned to leave and rather than stand in the bathroom another second, I followed him out. Looking at the table, I couldn’t help the rumble that once again came from my midsection. “This looks amazing.” Two plates, each with a square of lasagna, salad, and a piece of garlic bread were waiting for us.
“Wine?” Jackson asked, holding a bottle of red in his hand.
“Yes, thank you.” He poured us each a glass before we sat down. “This looks so good.”
“I’m glad. Now, let’s eat.”
I stifled a small laugh. Poor man had to be starving and the way he dug into his meal proved as much because, before I had even finished half of my portion, he was on his second. I kept forgetting he was an athlete who probably ate more in a week than I did in a month.
“Did you enjoy your bath?” he asked after ten minutes of silence.
“Yes, it was incredible.”
“Well, I’m glad since it’s half yours.” My head shook back and forth on its own accord. “Lex, you’re my wife.” He must have noticed my body stiffen because he added, “Just ask Elvis, he’ll tell you.”
Maybe he did know me better than I thought because that made me smile and relax. “Thank you, but you need to know I’m not going to want anything… monetary or material. It’s not important to me.”
“When we finish dinner, I have something to show you. You just might want to hold off on making any declarations yet. Plus, who knows? You might want to stay married to me. I am a great catch after all.”
“Yes, you’re a wonderful catch.” I suddenly remembered how his hands felt on me this morning. And even through the thick terrycloth fabric of his robe, when his arms went around me, an odd sensation of security enveloped me. Wait. Did he say he had something to show me? Because I felt as though I’d seen all of him. Not that I’d be opposed, but that couldn’t be what he meant. “What do you want to show me?” Like a weirdo, my gaze dipped to where his body met the table.
An all-knowing smirk grew across his handsome face. “When you’re done eating.”
I speared a lettuce leaf, shoved it into my mouth, and wiped my lips with my napkin. “Okay, I’m done.”
Nodding, he chuckled. “Grab your wine and follow me.”
Giddy, I did as he asked, admiring his backside in his jeans. What the heck was wrong with me? Had to be my hormones. Maybe it was a good thing I started my period, or depending on what he was about to show me this night might have gotten out of hand.
“Have a seat,” he said, pointing to the couch as he strolled to the far wall from where I sat. Remaining silent, I anxiously waited. When he turned to face me, he had a stack of my favorite games in his hands.
“I know you probably have yours, but when I was at the electronics store today, I happened to see them, and decided to buy them for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes, why do you sound so surprised?”
Not giving it a second thought, I sprung up from the sofa and straight into his arms. “Thank you, this is incredible.”
He chuckled against my hair. “You’re welcome. So, care to amend your previous statement?”
“Fine, but I’m only taking these.”
Jackson laughed once more, kissed me on the top of my head, and tossed an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him as though I were one of his buddies. And while that should have made me feel better about our situation, it didn’t.
Sitting down on the couch, I noticed the new pillows and a picture of Reese and me outside my bakery when it just opened. We had our arms around each other and the smile on both our faces made one instantly spread across mine. Even the frame was perfect. It dawned on me how much thought Jackson put into my move to make me more comfortable.
There weren’t many pictures in the room. Maybe he wasn’t that sentimental, but there was one of me and my best friend, and that meant more than anything he could have given me.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, that was a great day. It was the day we opened the bakery. I miss working with her. We had so much fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love working with my mom and Missy, but it’s not like being with your best friend. Now, she’s engaged and working for the Thunder.” My gaze met Jackson’s who frowned. “I’m happy for her. I’m just sad for me.”
He handed me a controller, tossed one of the new pillows he bought onto the floor, and plopped down next to me. “I’m not Reese by any form of the imagination, but if you ever need a friend, I hope you know I’m here for you. Believe it or not, despite having fifty other guys in the locker room last season, I hated that Trent wasn’t there. So, I get it. But just because he isn’t with me every day, doesn’t mean we still aren’t best friends. Things are just different.”
“Different,” I whispered, getting into my own head.
Pointing to the television, he pressed a button and the theme song to my favorite game blared through the speakers.
“Are you ready?” he challenged.
I replied in typical fashion. “Bring it on.”
***
Between the soak, my heavy dinner, and over an hour of beating Jackson at video games, I was exhausted. Jackson looked tired too, probably because he ran around all day making his house feel more like a home… and he did that all for me.
He locked the front door and turned off the lights, allowing the one in the hall to guide us to our rooms. Stopping in front of his bedroom door, he pointed inside. “I need to grab a few things. Like I said earlier, I wasn’t thinking and never moved my stuff.”
Guilt hit me in my sternum. My eyes flicked to his large bed, and I suddenly heard myself saying, “You don’t need to go to another room. Really, we’re both adults, married adults no less.” Plus, I’d just gotten my period, so I had that to reinforce my willpower.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t mind my alarm going off super early.” Then it hit me that it would be going off even earlier since I now had a commute. Thanks to the early hour there wouldn’t be traffic, but I still needed to drive. I couldn’t remember the last time I even put a coat on to go to work.
“I need to go to the gym, so that works for me. Actually, I can drive you in.”
“You’re going to the gym before five a.m.?” I asked, not hiding the skepticism in my tone.
He nodded. “Yes, that’s the best time to go.”
Furrowing my brows, I studied him. I remembered him telling me he worked out at seven, but I didn’t bother to argue. I was always doing that and needed to make a change. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
“Yes, I’m positive.”
“Then we should get to bed.”
“You can take the bathroom first.”
Doing what he said, I grabbed my pajamas, toothbrush, facewash, toothpaste, and headed to what quickly became my favorite room in the house. Once my nightly routine was complete, I changed my clothes and opened the door, not thinking he would be on the other side, changing into whatever he wore to bed.
His perfectly formed backside ensconced in black cotton greeted me. My boobs perked up as did my heart rate. He wasn’t lying when he said he was a great catch. Kind, sweet, and hotter than a ball of fire. The man was everything I’d ever want and was all mine. Granted, it was by technicality, but mine nonetheless. How awful would it be to have fun with him? Well, not tonight, of course, thanks to Aunt Flo coming to visit. For now, I’d have the memory of his hand on my boob.
A drawer in the dresser he faced closed and his back flexed as he bent slightly at the waist, putting his left foot into his pajama pants, and then his right. He stood, turned, and caught me staring.
“This is all yours, baby,” he smirked, throwing his hands out to the side.
Jackson might have been half-kidding when he said it, but my legs took a few strides forward before stopping in front of him. Raising my hands, I placed them on his almost square pecs. When I did, the tiny goosebumps that formed on his skin acted as an enabler to my movements. Slowly, I lowered my inquisitive hands down his torso allowing my fingers to trace every dip, curve, and delectable muscle.
His chest began to rise and fall with deeper breaths. Excitement pooled in my belly, but knowing we couldn’t go any further, I stopped. Jackson exhaled when I stepped back.
“Sorry. I don’t know what got into me. You are a perfect specimen of a man, you do know that, right?”
“I’m not sure I’d say perfect, but thank you for saying it. We should get to bed.”
Nodding, I looked at the large tempting mattress. “Which side is yours?”
“The left.”
Still staring at the slate blue comforter, I asked, “Left when you’re in the bed or facing the bed.”
“Facing the bed.”
“Okay, I’ll take the right.”
He nodded, and went into the bathroom, while I grabbed my phone to put it on the nightstand. Deciding to get the bed ready for both of us, I removed the sham covered pillow on my side, before reaching over and grabbing his. That was when I noticed a picture of us on his small side dresser. Setting the pillows on the bench at the foot of the bed, I slowly walked around and picked up the frame.
We were both laughing, having fun, and if I weren’t the woman in the shot, I’d think this couple was happily married.
“Hey, do you like it?”
Startled, thanks to not hearing the bathroom door, I set the frame down. “Yes, I do. It’s just weird. I know that’s me in the picture, and I’m not sure if I remember taking it or if the picture just sparks a memory. Do you know what I mean?” Not giving him time to answer, I continued. “It’s like pictures that I have from when I was a toddler. For example, no way do I remember my third birthday, yet when I see the pictures of the doll my parents bought me, a part of me thinks I did remember. I don’t know, I’m tired.”
“I do know what you mean. When I got that picture, I stared at it too. You have no idea how I wished I did recall everything from that night.”
“Do you recall this morning?” I blurted right before clasping my hand over my mouth.
“This morning? When this morning?”
“Never mind. Pretend I didn’t mention it.” I reached my hands toward the ceiling, and my attempt at a yawn sounded more like a cat’s tail getting stepped on.
“Lex, tell me. What happened this morning?”
“Nothing, I just had a weird dream. We need to be up sooner than later.”
Rushing around, I climbed into bed, rolled onto my left side, and stared at his dresser. The bed shifted, and Jackson’s hand landed on my hip, rolling me toward him until we were face-to-face.
“I never want you to feel as though you can’t talk to me. If something’s bothering you, I want to know.”
“Nothing’s bothering me.” I just want you to touch me again.
“Okay. Just know you can talk to me.”
“Thanks, Jackson.”
“Good night, Lex.” His hand dropped, I rolled back over to my comfy side and closed my eyes, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 14
Jackson
It had been two weeks since Alexa moved in. Fourteen days of torture. Not because she lived with me, that was the easy part. Sleeping with her and not touching her was the issue. Every so often, in the middle of the night, I’d feel her drift toward me. One morning, I woke up and her head was on half of my pillow. Of course, it didn’t bother me, nor would I mention it. When I told her half of mine was hers, I meant it.
The commute to her bakery hadn’t been too bad for her. For the first few days, I drove her, using the gym as an excuse. But when I had to stop at said gym on our way home from the bakery, she found out that I had been going out of my way to drive her. From that day forward, Alexa being Alexa insisted on driving herself.
Everything else in our lives seemed to move along famously—thank goodness. My favorite Garth song came on the radio. It had great lyrics and soon became the theme song for our team. I went to turn it up when my phone’s ringtone blasted through the speakers instead. Seeing Alexa’s name brought an instant smile to my face.
