“Catherine,” I breathed. Ronnie looked between both of us, frowning, and I knew she hadn’t quite made the connection.
“I called Carrie to see if they could squeeze someone else into the cabin,” Gretchen said, smiling. “She’s coming with us.”
Oh my god. I couldn’t breathe. What now? I’d already invited Josh.
“Oh, hey, I may be out of your hair soon, too.” Gretchen grinned. “She told me I could stay with her until I find a place.”
“Isn’t this kind of fast?” Ronnie looked at me and I shrugged.
“Well, we had a thing, back in California…” Gretchen said. “She spent a few weeks out there.”
I wondered if Gretchen knew that Catherine was still married-to the man I happened to be dating. And had already invited to come with us. There was only one way to find out. I had to take the plunge some time, right?
“I invited Josh.” I blurted it out and waited for a response.
“Yeah, I know,” Gretchen replied, crunching carrots. “Cat said he called her, something about chartering a plane?”
I gaped at her. So that was his big idea!
Ronnie smiled at me. “Looks like we’ll be one big happy family,” she said, and I think she really believed it.
“Janie.” TJ whispered my name in the dark. My bedroom door snicked shut quietly and I rolled over, barely awake, to see the shadow of him standing over my bed.
“What?” I whispered, sitting up. “Is Ronnie okay?”
“Shhhh.” He climbed into bed beside me wearing just his boxers. “She’s fine. I just… I couldn’t sleep.”
“Oh.” I sighed. “So she doesn’t know you’re here.”
His hand slid across my bare belly-I had taken to sleeping nude lately, what with all the late night phone calls with Josh. I glanced over at the clock—it was four in the morning. I’d just hung up the phone with him an hour ago.
“Let’s make it our little secret.” His hand moved to cup my breast.
I remembered what Ronnie had said—at least he has you. But I didn’t want this, not like this.
“No, TJ,” I whispered, moving his hand away. “You should go back to bed.”
“I want you so much, Janie.” He leaned in to capture my nipple, his aim incredibly accurate. I gasped as he began to suck and lick it. “I can’t stop thinking about you.” I felt my body giving in when his hand moved down under the covers, caressing my mound, rocking there.
Still, I tried. “We have to get up early.”
“Let’s make it quick then.” He kissed me, his tongue playing with mine. “I just need you tonight. Please.” His breath was warm against my face, his fingers sliding into me, his palm working against my clit. “Let me.” His mouth trailed down my neck, making me squirm. “Let me have you.”
I moaned softly when he guided my hand between his legs, finding him hard and beyond ready. He made a little noise in his throat when I petted him through his boxers, feeling his heated length. When I slid my hand inside, gripping him, he moaned, his fingers making wet, squishy sounds as he fingered me under the covers.
“Oh Janie.” He thrust against the tug of my hand. “That’s so good.” He pulled his fingers out of my pussy and I whimpered, but he smeared that wetness over my nipple, making it harden, and then licked it off. I wanted him now and he knew it. I couldn’t help myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t think of Josh-I did. But my body betrayed me, arching under TJ as he climbed on top of me, and I even helped him pull off his boxers and gripped his ass as he traced his cock up and down my slit.
“I have to fuck you.” He was rocking, already thrusting, though he wasn’t even in me yet. The head of his cock tickled deliciously against my clit. “Please, baby. Put it in.”
“TJ,” I murmured, but there was no going back now. I couldn’t refuse him.
Instead, I reached down to find him, aim him, guide him. He gave a low moan and shuddered when I shifted, telling him with my hips that I was ready. His cock slid into me easily, sending a sweet wave of pleasure through me. I clung to him.
“Oh baby, you feel so good,” he whispered against my mouth, kissing me, licking and nibbling at my lips. “Oh god, your sweet little cunt!”
“You’re so hard,” I cried as he thrust, deep and long at first, matching his breath, and then shallow and fast, making me bite my lip and wrap myself around him, arms and legs both.
“Come for me, Janie,” he begged, his full weight on me now, his hips grinding.
“Oh god, I can’t wait. Your pussy is so fucking hot!”
“It’s okay.” I squeezed him with the muscles of my cunt, making him groan and buck. He buried his face in my hair, his breath hot, panting in my ear, his cock driving me into the bed.
“Arrrrggggh!” He gave a strangled cry, trying to stay quiet, as he shuddered against me, his fingers digging into my shoulders. He came inside me, I felt it, his cock pulsing. Then his thrusts began to slow as he kissed my neck and the tops of my breasts while I cradled his head against my chest.
“You didn’t come,” he murmured.
I shrugged, “Don’t worry about it.”
Some crazy part of me was justifying this because I hadn’t-as if that made it somehow okay or better.
“Oh Janie,” he whispered, rubbing his cheek over the soft swell of my cleavage.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” He sounded sad and I stroked his hair, short, baby fine and soft at the nape of his neck, so different from Josh’s curls. “You’re so obviously in love with him.”
“I can’t help it.” I told him the same thing I’d told Catherine.
“I know.” He sighed. “He’s a good guy.”
“He is,” I agreed, kissing the top of his head. “And so are you.”
“Are you going to tell him?” TJ asked. “Or are you just going to end things with us?”
I startled, blinking up at the ceiling. “I… don’t know.”
“He may understand.” TJ was beside me now, tracing circles around my navel.
“But he’s going to want you to himself. After Catherine, I don’t blame him.” I felt tears prick my eyes. “I don’t either.”
“We’ve been so lucky to have you.” He kissed my belly now, his breath warm.
“To love you. So very lucky.”
“I’m lucky, too.”
His cheek rested against my tummy, his hand moving, soft and easy, just stroking my skin lightly, over my thighs.
“You know, when we started this thing, I thought it would be great, something to add to our sex life-I knew Ronnie liked being with women and missed it. But then you came along, and just… you stole my heart, Janie.”
His words made me want to cry and I fought my tears, swallowing hard. “How can you give your heart to more than one person?”
He hugged my hips. “You can love a million people at once. I love Ronnie, but I love you, too. Just like I love Beth, and I’ll love this little baby that’s on the way just as much.”
“So I can love you and Josh, too?” I whispered, feeling tears slip, hot and wet, down my temples, falling onto my pillow.
“Of course you can.”
“Because I do,” I admitted, closing my eyes against it even as I said the words. “I love you, TJ.”
His lips were soft on my belly, a tender acknowledging kiss. “I know.”
“But…” I struggled with this next bit as tears slipped past my temples in rivers now. “But I don’t know if I can have you both…even if I love you both.” He squeezed me, hard. “I know.”
CHAPTER TEN
I crept back to bed barefoot from the bathroom, avoiding the loose boards—after four days in the cabin, I knew where they were now. My mother wasn’t kidding when she said they had plenty of room! There were four bedrooms downstairs and five upstairs. TJ and I had an upstairs corner one and the view from the window was incredible.