Page 51 of Falling For Alaska

“I—I—I mean it. If…if you want me to…stay.” I take a deep breath, her nape right beneath my lips. “J-just say the word, Alaska...and I’ll stay.” A second stretches. My chest tightens, threatening to combust if she pushes me away. What’s a promotion worth when she’s at stake? Nothing. It isn’t worth a damn thing. She turns in my arms, fidgeting until she’s fully facing me on her side, our bodies so close and yet desperately too far. Her blue pools lock with mine and she murmurs, “Stay.” The dim orange light falls on her skin like a morning glow. “Please, Jack…stay,” she repeats, and all I can do is nod as I register her words. There’s so much I still don’t know, and I have no idea how I’m going to pull this off with my Captain, but nothing can take me away from her. Not when she’s asking, no, begging me to stay in Lakeside.

“Then I’ll…” I pause. “I’ll stay,” I promise her, even without knowing the intricacies of it all. Her body relaxes against mine as I fall onto my back and she nestles into my side, my arm above her.

“Can you sleep here tonight?” her little voice asks, and even though I wasn’t sure about it, or about taking a new step in our relationship, there’s no place I’d rather be than with my girl, in her home, keeping her safe from her nightmares.

“Yeah,” I murmur. “What time d-do you have to b-be up?”

“Eight. You?”

“Seven.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. There’s no place I’d rather be.” Losing an hour of sleep to be here with her doesn’t matter. I’d do it a thousand times over if I had to. She snuggles next to me, pulling the covers up, and we stay like this all night, close enough that I can count her breaths. Without thinking about the future, or anything that could ever come between us. All I want is for her to know that I’m here. That I’ve got her.

“Goodnight,” I whisper, leaving a light kiss on her throat as she drifts into sleep.

Reality can wait for tomorrow.

Chapter Eighteen

JACK

“Hey,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to Alaska’s forehead. She shifts against me, her breath a whisper against my chest. She’s been curled into me all night, her small fingers clutching my sweater like I might disappear if she lets go. I spent the last thirty minutes watching her, memorizing the delicate way her eyelashes flutter when she dreams, the way the first light of dawn paints her skin in honeyed gold. I should leave soon and be at the station in thirty minutes. But damn, she’s too beautiful like this. Smelling like fresh pastries and something distinctly her. She stirs, a small moan leaving her lips as she buries her face deeper into chest.

“Jack,” she mutters, voice thick with sleep. “What time is it?” She lifts a hand to shield her eyes from the morning light. I catch her wrist, pressing a slow kiss to each of her knuckles.

“Six-thirty,” I murmur. “I have to g-go.” I graze my lips over her palm, watching the way her pupils dilate at the touch. “But I don’t want to,” I admit. She bites her bottom lip, hesitant, and the motion sends a slow burn rolling through my ribcage. “I v-v-very much want to, um, k-kiss you right now.” My voice is hoarse and heavy. Her fingers skim my jaw, sending a jolt of electricity through every inch of me.

“Then kiss me.”

I don’t wait for another confirmation. In one motion, I pull her close to me and crush my lips on hers, this time in a much more hurried way. I devour her, taking my sweet time, discovering every single part of her mouth that hasn’t been claimed by me yet. Eyes shut, my other hand runs through her silky hair, grabbing a fistful of those wild brown locks that keep me borderline insane each time I see her. She’s taken aback at first, but in a matter of seconds, she’s giving back just as good. She gasps into my mouth, fingers twisting into my hair, lets out a whimper, and the last thread of my control snaps. My hands roam, mapping the curve of her waist, the dip of her spine. She melts against me, like snow on a sunny day.

The shrill ring of my phone drags me back to reality. I groan against her pillow-soft lips, my forehead resting on hers as I reach blindly for it on the nightstand. Alaska breathes heavily, her fingers still tangled in my hair.

I glance at the screen and accept the call.

“Jared,” I rasp.

"Where the hell are you? Captain’s already in, and he wants us to go through the new witness tapes." Damn it, I forgot about that. I run a hand on my nape, exhaling sharply.

"I'm-I’m on my way." I end the call. Alaska watches me, her expression soft with a veil of worry passing by her long lashes. I cup her cheek, tracing my thumb over her lips. “I have to go.” Her fingers linger on my chest, hesitant.

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

She bites her lip, then shakes her head.

“Nothing.”

It’s not nothing.

But my phone buzzes again, and I know I don’t have time to push. I really have to go. I press one last kiss to her plush lips before forcing myself up. It takes everything in me to leave her. Circling the bed, I gather my things and angle myself to caress her hair. Still tangled in the sheets, she’s the spitting image of temptation.

“You’ll tell me next time,” I vow, wishing I could stay with her. “When c-c-can I see you a-again?” I ask, stroking her jaw with my thumb.

“The sooner the better,” she murmurs, looking down, and I take her chin between my fingers, connecting our gazes. A second stretches and I sigh, flexing my hand.