Page 109 of Second Chance Saloon

The moment she took off the one-piece, he’d see. He’d see the one thing she’d been hiding from him for days and surprised herself with being able to. She didn’t love this swimsuit enough to wear it all the time, but it was a must to cover up.

Fingers shaking out of control, she took the straps down, rolling the figure-hugging black fabric over her breasts, down her abdomen, pausing at her hips. She didn’t want to look at Mitch but couldn’t help herself.

His eyes were glued to her body, but not her breasts; they burned lower. Upper right ribcage, underneath the base of her breast. He swallowed, opened his mouth and closed it. Tears sprang to his eyes, and his trembling hand reached to her skin, the tip of his forefinger tracing the contour of her tattoo.

“When did you get it?” His whisper was so broken, yet so full of love, that she wanted to rip her own heart from her chest and hand it to him.

She hoped that everything she didn’t know how to express in words was conveyed in the black ink. Bald eagles, doing a cartwheel display; the same one they’d once seen eleven years ago.

“After I saw you graduate and decided not to come to you.” She swallowed. “I hoped you’d be happy, but I knew then that I’d never love anyone the way I loved you. The eagles … I wanted to remember you. Us.”

His gaze slammed into hers, hundreds of lightning bolts striking at once, a tornado of heightened emotions engulfing them.

Neither of them said anything else, because what was there to say? Some gestures spoke louder than words, and Jackie knew this tattoo was … Well, to her, it was everything. It symbolized not only their young love, her naivety when she believed there was a happy ending in store for them, but also the fact he was the only one for her. There had never been anyone else she gave herself to as fully, and there never would be.

His soul filled his eyes, and she knew he didn’t just understand, but that he felt the same way.

Before she drew another breath, his body pressed against hers again, as he dropped the swimsuit on top of her dress.

“Tell me you want this,” Mitch rasped into her mouth. His eyes were open, his nose touching hers. “Tell me you want me.” He nudged her legs open, stepping inside. His cock brushed against her hip bone.

Her lips parted, a pant slipping out, as he found her clit. Burying her fingers in his hair, she gripped the strands hard and pulled, angling his mouth right on hers. “I want this. I want you. A hundred times over.”

A low noise rose deep from his throat and his lips were on hers again. It was a dance of tongues, lips, teeth, hands and uncoordinated legs moving in the vague direction of the bathroom.

When her back hit the door, he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her into the shower. With shuddering breaths, Jackie opened the tap, warm water cascading onto their heads. She untangled her legs, her bare feet slipping on the wet marble.

Mitch caught her elbow, steadying her. Hip to hip, chest to chest, hardened nipples pressed against hard muscles …

Panting, Jackie put her palm on his chest. “Wash my hair?”

His lips quirked in a grin as he bent down to reach for the shampoo bottle. “Turn around.”

She did, gasping as his cock stroked her ass. Dropping her head onto his chest, her fingernails dragged along his forearm securely embracing her middle. She couldn’t see what he was doing but heard the shampoo bottle opening, then the squeeze of its contents.

Seconds later, his fingers worked the gel into her wet hair, massaging her scalp.

She moaned, her eyes rolling back in her head.

He chuckled softly into her ear. “I forgot how much you liked this.” His movements grew more forceful; gentle massaging turned into scratching.

Jackie’s head lolled against him. “You do it so well. It’s better than going to a hair salon.”

“I hope you don’t go naked and wet to your hair appointments.”

She laughed, pulling his chin down, lips searching and finding his. “That was always a Mitch-only special.”

He slipped his fingers inside her and she sucked at the air. “Good girl.”

Drawing out whimpers and moans from her as he slipped his fingers in and out, he kept hold of her, which was lucky as her knees buckled underneath her. Water streamed down, dispersing the shampoo lathered up in her hair. Just as she was about to come, he pulled out, brushing her temple and dropping a kiss on the side of her eye.

“Mitch!” Her protest tangled with an exhale.

He brushed the rest of the lathered shampoo out of her hair, his hand moving down her strands. Forearm sliding away, he twisted her body around to face him. “I want to be inside you when you come.”

Her legs parted, making space for him to enter her. She crooked her finger at him. “Come on, then.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Hooking one hand under her knee, he lifted her leg, pulling her to him. His other hand bit between her shoulder blades.