L

When I saw her in the Mexican restaurant, I felt certain that I was dead and she was a dream. I was good with that. If she came to me only in dreams, then I never wanted to wake up.

Still, I had nothing to offer her, but that didn't take away from how badly I wanted her. Life without Jennie is nothing short of my heart trying to beat against a wall of broken glass. Slowly bleeding out.

"Everyplace was simply a place without you."

Since the day I fell down the stairs, breaking my father's back, I've felt pretty damn unworthy. Until Jennie.

"They're cold." She walks her naked body over to the desk and grabs the fries. "I say we eat them anyway."

"I like how you think."

Jennie pops one into her mouth and struts her sexy self back to the bed, completely comfortable in her own skin. Straddling my midsection, she dips two fries in ketchup and feeds them to me. Then she kisses me. "I missed you."

I think she's said it at least a dozen times, but I don't complain. It's pretty fucking spectacular to be missed. But the way she says it makes me think that she's saying it more for herself than for me, like she needs to keep reassuring herself that I'm here and she no longer needs to miss me.

Kissing the tip of her nose, I grin. "I missed you too. Is your dad going home Monday?"

She nods, eating another french fry.

"Are you going home?"

Licking her fingers and giving me a hard-on, she nods again.

"How would you feel about riding home with me and Alice?"

She tosses me the biggest grin. It hits me smack in the middle of my chest. "Do you make the fifteen-hour drive straight through or would we stop to have sex in the back of Alice?"

I love her. So much …

"I have to be home by Wednesday." My lips twist, hiding my ridiculous smile. "But I think we might be able to stop once or twice … or a hundred times."

As much as I can't help but be deliriously drunk on Jennie's insatiable desire to have sex, in the pit of my stomach, I know her newfound enjoyment is the result of other men breaking her in, and it kills me. I just can't let it kill us.

My abs tighten as Jennie nibbles on a fry and traces the letters of her name with the pad of her finger. I curl her hair behind her ear, just watching her and the way that beautiful freckled face comes to life seeing her name tattooed on me.

"When?" Blue eyes find mine.

"I got it the day you left."

She nods, her brow furrowing. "Did you regret it after you dumped me?"

Coughing a laugh, I pinch her sides, making her jump. "I didn't dump you. And I have not regretted marking myself with Jennie for a single second."

Leaning in again, she sucks in my bottom lip, and her nipples graze my chest. Little Miss Seductive Nudist is literally seconds from getting thoroughly fucked again.

"Your name has been all over my body. The summer after we met, I painted you everywhere. I may have been a little obsessed. And I've sketched you." She teases her fingers down my abs, biting her lip. "And painted you … and fingered myself thinking of you."

Aaannnd … french fry time is over. I snatch the plate from her and slide it onto the nightstand.

"I wasn't done."

I grab her face, bringing it a breath from mine. "You are now."

J

"It's midnight." Dad flips off the TV, pinning me with an expectant look from the bed.

So much for sneaking in. "It is." My nose wrinkles. I feel incredibly guilty for spending the day in bed with Lisa. Okay not incredibly guilty, but moderately guilty and thoroughly satisfied. "I'm sorry."

"Do I want to know where you were all day?"

"I messaged you."

"I'm not saying you didn't. But you never said what you were doing. Do I want to know?"

I set my bag on the desk and plop down on the bed. I'm twenty-one. He shouldn't be able to make me feel like a child, but he does.

"Lisa got an injury. She needed stitches."

Dad squints. "Ms. Manoban?"

I roll my eyes. "Duh."

"So you spent the day doing what? Licking her wounds?"

No, her body. Giving extra attention to her cock.

"We talked. I haven't seen her in over two years. There was a lot to be said." And done. We had a lot to do, and we did it very, very well, in my honest opinion.

"Why is your hair wet?"

Because about thirty minutes ago I was having shower sex with Lisa in her hotel room while she wore a shower cap to protect her stitches—which I must say, she still looked like sex on legs even in a shower cap.

"I went swimming."

"Where's your suit?"

"I went skinny dipping." I toss him a toothy grin.

"Jennie Kim …"

"Here's the thing, Daddy Dearest, you're in denial that I'm all grown up. And you're asking questions that you probably don't want the answers to. So … would you really like me to elaborate on my day, or do you want to hear about my trip around the world since you fell asleep last night and we didn't get to talk?"

He rubs the back of his neck, grimacing. "You're going to be the death of me. And I'm still planning on killing that guidance counselor."

"I love her."

The grimace on his face intensifies. "Jennie …"

"I do. So you'd better make nice with her because she's going to be in my life for a very long time."

Forever, just like the tattoo of my name.

He deflates. I move from my bed to his, nestling under his arm.

"Love, huh?" He kisses my head.

"Yes. The kind that makes the hair on my arms prickle when she's near. The kind that flutters in my chest when she looks at me. The kind that brings me to tears when I go years without seeing her. You know how you used to hate the way Mom and Zach would buy me stuff on a whim? You thought I needed to want it for at least thirty days because young minds are fickle and they jump from one want to the next. Well …" I glance up at him. "I've wanted Lisa since the day we met three years ago."

"Jennie …" His lips form a sad smile.

"Don't." I press two fingers to his mouth. "Shush. I don't need the 'she's going to break your heart' speech. She could easily break it."

She already did.

"But she's worth the risk. I'd rather have my heart broken than never risk giving it to someone. She's the ultimate high. And …" I smirk. "I'm a bit of an expert on a good high."

Dad rolls his eyes. "You're going to be the death of me."

Sliding my hands around his midsection, I hug him tightly.

"Let's hear it. I want all the details of your trip."

I grin and dive into the memories of the previous two years. After hours, I glance up, my voice a little hoarse, and he's asleep.

"Night, Dad." I lean over and flip off the light.