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10
Doe
Sunday started much like Saturday had, with me waiting on Jenner on the front steps with a bottle of water. I got a kiss, and he promised to pick me up later that afternoon so we could spend the rest of the day together.
We stayed at his place, cooking dinner together and then watching a few movies. It probably sounded boring to some people, but I loved every minute of our time alone together. Jenner’s hands were on me constantly. Brushing my hair back from my face, rubbing circles on the back of my hand, or tracing down my arms. If we were sitting on the couch, he would automatically pull my legs into his lap and tuck his hand between my knees. It was an innocent enough thing, something I’d seen so many couples do. His fingers never strayed past midthigh, but the act was so intimate to me that it never failed to make me squirm until he pressed his lips to my ear and begged me to be still.
The tenting of his pants told me what kind of effect I was having on him, and it gave me a sense of power. He was trying to be good, take it slow because he was convinced that we shouldn’t take things further until I was absolutely sure of my feelings. Jenner had strong willpower, but when he got the strangled plea in his voice, I knew he was close to breaking.
He drove me home at ten that night because he said he had a busy morning the next day. I had a lot going on as well, something I debated telling him about as he walked me up onto the front porch. Nothing I was doing was dangerous, but I wondered if maybe I should confide in him and why I was doing it.
But then I remembered how my brothers had tried to talk me out of it, and I wasn’t sure I could handle it if Jenner attempted to do the same. This wasn’t something that had flashed through my mind and I’d said “Why not?” I’d been considering it for years, had done my research, and I was determined to see it through.
He waited until I was on the top step before grasping my hips and turning me to face him. The way his fingers clenched and kneaded me through my jeans, I knew he was fighting with himself. I wanted him to toss me over his shoulder and take me home with him, maybe lock us in his apartment for a few days.
“See you in the morning?”
“If I’m ever not out here waiting for you, then you should worry. I’ve probably fallen down a well or something. Send a search party.” He grinned, and I leaned in, lightly brushing my lips over his.
“Dinner tomorrow night?” he murmured when he lifted his head.
“I can’t tomorrow,” I told him, remembering my call with Aspen the evening before and the plans we’d made. “I have plans with a friend.”
Disappointment filled his eyes, but he nodded. “Okay, I will try my best to be without you for one evening. But if I go into withdrawal, we know who to blame.” I couldn’t help grinning at him, and he touched his lips to my neck. I fisted my fingers in his shirt, wanting to claw my way into his body. “Tuesday?”
“Only if you let me make you dinner,” I bargained. He’d told me his favorite meal earlier, but when he’d said he hadn’t had it in over a year, something in his eyes had pulled at my heartstrings.
“Food cooked by the hands of my favorite person?” He sank his teeth into my neck, making me have to fight back a whimper. “You’re going to spoil me, little lamb.”
Unexpectedly, tears stung my eyes. “You consider that me spoiling you?” I whispered so he didn’t hear the emotion in my voice. Burying my face in his chest, I held on to him tighter. He hadn’t gone into detail about his past, but from the little he had told me—getting pulled into the foster system, his half siblings not turning out to be the family he’d hoped to have—I could put together that his childhood had been vastly different from my own.
Without the love and support of my family at home, I might not have survived the bullying at school. But Jenner hadn’t had the loving, nurturing parents and siblings I was blessed with. Had there ever been anyone to love him like he deserved?
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stroked my fingers up his arms and into his hair, knowing how much he liked it when I used my nails on the back of his neck and scalp. Lifting my head, I met his gaze. “Jenner—”
The sound of someone coughing inside cut me off. Grimacing, I shot a glare over my shoulder at the closed front door, knowing my dad was close by and no doubt able to hear everything we said.
With a short laugh, Jenner pulled me in for one more kiss. “Good night, baby.”
“Good night,” I murmured, equal parts angry and mortified. But mostly, I was just sad that our time was over for the night.
Once he was in his car, I opened the door and stomped inside. Seeing Dad trying to sneak back into the living room while attempting to look inconspicuous, I stopped and glared at him. “What was that?”
“What?” he asked innocently as he turned to face me in the living room doorway.
“Mom!” I shouted, and I was rewarded when I saw a flash of panic in his eyes. A moment later, I heard her feet as she hurried from the back of the house.
“Doe? What on earth is the matter?” She wiped her hands on a dish towel, her brows pulled together in concern.
I pointed at the huge man standing there looking sheepish. “Jenner and I were on the porch talking, and he was listening in.”
“Wroth,” she scolded in her gentle voice. “We talked about this. You said you were okay with Doe dating the boy.”
“I am okay with it. But I can’t trust him fully yet. I was just making sure our little girl was okay, Mari,” he tried to excuse.
Rolling my eyes, I started up the stairs. “You need to learn boundaries, Dad. I don’t remember you doing crap like this to any of the boys.”
“None of the boys were ever serious about someone like you are with Jenner,” he called after me, causing me to pause halfway up the stairs to turn and look down at him.
Putting my hands on my hips, I just stood there, giving him the stink eye.
With a muttered curse, he lifted his hands in surrender. “All right, fine. I’m sorry. Don’t be mad, princess.”
My stance didn’t change. He thought he could just give me those dark-brown puppy-dog eyes and all would be forgiven, but I knew him too well. The ploys he used to melt Mom’s heart didn’t work nearly as effectively on me. “Promise it won’t happen again.”
“Yes, Wroth. Promise,” Mom commanded, crossing her arms over her chest, that unhappy look that rarely touched her face making an appearance. For once, she wasn’t succumbing to him so easily, and I was thankful she had my back.
“I promise.” He gave in, and Mom’s face cleared. He released a pent-up breath when he saw her sunny smile once again. “And to say I’m sorry, you should bring the boy over sometime this week for dinner.”
I considered it for a moment before shrugging. “I’ll think about it. But I swear, Dad, you better be good from here on out. If you can’t respect my privacy, I’ll move out.”
His jaw turned to stone. “Now, Doe, don’t go threatening me like that.”
“Don’t give me a reason to!” I shouted.
“I said I’m sorry, didn’t I?” he grumbled.
“All right, you two.” Mom stepped in, always the referee. But it was usually her between Dad and one or all three of my brothers. I couldn’t remember a time she’d ever had to moderate between Dad and me. “Doe, your dad apologized and promised it won’t happen again. But if it does, I’ll help you find a place myself.”
Dad’s mouth fell open, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Marissa—”
“No,” she snapped. “This is over. I’m not going to spend the rest of my night arguing with either one of you. That’s how it’s going to be. You respect her privacy and you don’t cross any more lines when it comes to her relationship with Jenner, or I will be shopping with our daughter for an apartment or house of her own.”
