Getting To Know You
Chapter 12
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: After Jed and Abbey finally said the "L" word, their intimate encounter was interrupted by Millie
Summary: Jed and Abbey grow closer as they begin to explore a different aspect of their relationship
Plans were cancelled for their final day on the island thanks to a thunderstorm that had blown onshore. Instead, the three couples spent the hours inside the hotel playing board games. The night before, Jed had fallen asleep by the time Abbey returned. He felt her give him a light kiss on the cheek before slipping into bed, but they were both too tired to continue what they had started.
Tonight was going to be different. Now that he was properly armed with protection, Jed couldn't wait to get Abbey back to their room.
She wasn't the only one feeling nervous. Anxiety was coursing through his body as he fought against the insecurities that threaten to convince him he wouldn't be any good. Like all young men, his teenage years were grounded in the occasional lascivious fantasy, but his were tempered by the misguided belief that any woman who dared to share his bed would probably abandon him in the morning.
With those thoughts running rampant through his head, it was easier to resist the temptation and keep his eyes focused on the path towards the priesthood. But now, all that had changed. He felt comfortable with Abbey, at peace with their relationship. He didn't believe she would ever hurt him, physically or emotionally. So he was prepared to open his heart - and his body - to the risk he couldn't even contemplate with anyone else.
When they returned to their own room, Jed didn't waste any time. He grabbed her at the waist and hugged her tight, planting delicate kisses all over her face.
"Jed, what are you doing?" Abbey expected him to be amorous, but his impulsive energy caught her off-guard.
His hands rubbed up and down her back as he continued to kiss her. "What does it look like?"
She pulled away slightly, positioning her hand on his chest as a buffer. "Just wait here. I'll be right back."
Jed prepared the condoms as Abbey sauntered into the bathroom. His jaw practically fell to the floor when she emerged, framed in the doorway, dressed in a white sheer mesh chemise with strappy cut-outs in the back and lace trim across every hem.
"Abbey..."
She wiggled as she walked over to him, seductively cupping his face in her palms. "Yes?"
Jed was speechless. She began to rub her body against his, grinding her belly into his nether regions, leaving him absolutely breathless and forcing her to take the lead. She pushed him onto the bed and crawled on top of him, her fingers gripping the buttons on his shirt to open each one with timed resistance, bringing him to the brink of losing control as her nails lightly tickled his chest.
His body trembled. He had dreamt of this moment for weeks, but now that it was happening, he was scared. Pure fear invaded his thought, mingling with his desire to render him positively helpless.
"WAIT!" he shouted when he found his voice.
Startled, Abbey immediately rolled off him. "Are you okay"
"Yeah. I just..." He took her back in his arms and laid her down on the bed underneath him. If he was the one on top, dictating his movements, then at least he'd have some control over his body. "I think this is better."
Abbey laid back, trying to relax, but found it to be nearly impossible. Jed slowly snuck his hands under her back to untie the straps of her lingerie, pulling the chemise down towards her white, satiny underwear. He slipped his finger under the side straps and eased them off her hips for his first unadulterated view of every curve of her naked body.
"You are absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous, Abbey."
He pressed his mouth to her breasts, gently kissing them as she ran her hands over his chest. His hands continued an uninhibited exploration down her belly, barely tweaking the area between her thighs when she jumped.
"Oh God."
"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed by her sudden movement.
"Nothing." The earlier sparkled that shined in her emerald eyes had faded. Now, they held a fair amount of apprehension.
Jed noticed the difference instantly. He stopped what he was doing and moved her side, pulling her close into his arms so she was nestled in a comforting embrace. "You know, I'm nervous too."
"Really?" She didn't expect him to hear those words. She had never been with a man who admitted he was scared of intimacy. In fact, the topic of sex created nothing but turmoil in her relationship with Ron.
"Abbey, look at me." He waited for their eyes to meet. "We don't have to do this tonight."
"But I want to. We both want to. Why is it so difficult?"
"Because we both grew up thinking sex before marriage was a bad thing and because of that, we both saved ourselves and now, it's our first time. It's normal to feel nervous."
"Do you believe it is a bad thing? Sex before marriage?"
"I used to."
"And now?"
Jed adamantly shook his head. "No one can tell me that feeling this way is a sin. I feel connected to you like I never have with anyone else."
"Me too. God, Jed, me too. But right now..."
He shushed her with a finger to her lips. "If it doesn't feel right tonight, then we can wait."
The night before, it did feel right, but not now. On this night, there was no passion igniting the desire. It simply felt forced.
"Wait until when?"
"Until you're ready. Until we're both ready. I don't want to push you into this. We're not saying we'll never do it, Abbey. Like you said, we both want this."
Abbey nodded with an appreciative sigh. "We'll just have to wait for the right time."
"We'll have lots of other nights," Jed added.
The sweet and loving way he assured her was something that Abbey would never forget. Nestled in the cocoon of his strong arms, her heart swelled for him that night. She stroked his hands with hers, lacing their fingers as she felt a warm, wet drop against her leg. "Jed?"
"Oh my God." Jed couldn't move. Paralyzed by shame, he sat there, realizing he hadn't properly cooled off from their make-out session and remembering he hadn't yet put on the condom.
Momentarily, Abbey panicked, but she quickly reigned herself in to put his mind at ease. "It's okay. Really."
"No, it's not. Abbey, I'm so sorry."
Abbey sat up beside him, grabbing his frantic shoulders to force him to stay still. "Jed, stop! It's okay. I'm thrilled that I have that affect on you. It does more for my ego than you'll ever know."
She leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips as she ran her hand through his hair, following it down his back to comfort his shaky frame.
"I love you," he whispered into her ear.
TBC