much I love you, and how much I missed you.”
Her heart sank deeper into her gut with each word that came through the phone. She held her chest with her hand and fell back into the chaise lounge. “Let’s stay on the phone until you walk through the front door.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Did you get your hair dyed yesterday?”
“Yeah.” She ran her hand over the crown of her head. “Why?”
“Because I love that deep shade of fuchsia. Are you wearing that little black dress to the graduation ceremony?”
She flipped her slippers off and folded her legs underneath her. “Which little black dress? I have two dozen.”
“You should pick up your slippers, hon. You know Angel always trips over them when you throw them around the room.”
“I’ll put them away before . . .” She jumped up and looked around. “How did you . . .? Are you . . .?”
Tommy’s boisterous laughter filled the room. It was the most beautiful sound she ever heard and it made her heart gallop. She spun around and froze as soon as she saw him standing in the doorway. Angel was leaning against the doorjamb just behind him.
Happy sobs choked her, then broke free mixed with laughter. “I can’t believe you’re here! I missed you both so much!”
A hint of razor stubble, the blue of his eyes and a smile that his face could hardly contain, was all Jessi saw before tears blurred her vision.
She forgot the strength that his arms possessed as he lifted her off the floor in a powerful hug. She felt his love infuse her body as he held her. She rested her hands on the mounds of his shoulders and got lost in his hair as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
Her legs wobbled underneath her and her arms shook around Tommy’s neck. Her body dissolved into his and a small whimper left her throat. All she could do was sigh his name.
Angel’s lips left their imprint against the back of her neck. She wanted to wrap her arms around him or at least turn to look into his dark eyes, with their thick feathery lashes, but she couldn’t let go of Tommy. She couldn’t even lift her head from his shoulder.
Angel circled his arms around her from behind and pressed his head against hers.
She found his hand and laced her trembling fingers through it. She relished the familiar embrace – the protective circle – of the confines of Angel’s reach. She loved them both so much. She didn’t know how she was able to get through being away from them for the last four weeks.
Tommy was the first to release his embrace. He looked up at her, and the flash of his blue eyes instantly reminded her of the first time she ever laid eyes on him, across a football field, when they were in collage.
He touched her cheeks softly as his fingertips got reacquainted with the features of her face. His crystal blue eyes were two pools of water as he smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss. His full mouth was soft and gentle. His kiss was electrified and every nerve ending in her body stood at attention.
Angel rubbed the back of her neck and kissed her shoulder. “I missed you, sweetheart.”
She looked into Angel’s eyes for the first time and it sent a fresh tremor through her body. Her hands still shook as she slid them around his waist and her lower lip quivered as she rested her head on his pronounced chest. He was thinner and she worried that he wasn’t taking care of himself. She clung to him. Another whimper escaped her as he tightened his arms around her. She melted at his touch and whispered, “Welcome home.”
Angel lifted her chin so he could look at her. His eyes were smoldering and intense as they smiled back at her. The air left her lungs in a small sigh as he leaned down for a kiss. His gentle lips settled on hers. It was unexpected. Angel’s kisses were impatient and filled with passion, not soft and slow.
He withdrew his lips and looked at her for a
Her heart sank deeper into her gut with each word that came through the phone. She held her chest with her hand and fell back into the chaise lounge. “Let’s stay on the phone until you walk through the front door.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Did you get your hair dyed yesterday?”
“Yeah.” She ran her hand over the crown of her head. “Why?”
“Because I love that deep shade of fuchsia. Are you wearing that little black dress to the graduation ceremony?”
She flipped her slippers off and folded her legs underneath her. “Which little black dress? I have two dozen.”
“You should pick up your slippers, hon. You know Angel always trips over them when you throw them around the room.”
“I’ll put them away before . . .” She jumped up and looked around. “How did you . . .? Are you . . .?”
Tommy’s boisterous laughter filled the room. It was the most beautiful sound she ever heard and it made her heart gallop. She spun around and froze as soon as she saw him standing in the doorway. Angel was leaning against the doorjamb just behind him.
Happy sobs choked her, then broke free mixed with laughter. “I can’t believe you’re here! I missed you both so much!”
A hint of razor stubble, the blue of his eyes and a smile that his face could hardly contain, was all Jessi saw before tears blurred her vision.
She forgot the strength that his arms possessed as he lifted her off the floor in a powerful hug. She felt his love infuse her body as he held her. She rested her hands on the mounds of his shoulders and got lost in his hair as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
Her legs wobbled underneath her and her arms shook around Tommy’s neck. Her body dissolved into his and a small whimper left her throat. All she could do was sigh his name.
Angel’s lips left their imprint against the back of her neck. She wanted to wrap her arms around him or at least turn to look into his dark eyes, with their thick feathery lashes, but she couldn’t let go of Tommy. She couldn’t even lift her head from his shoulder.
Angel circled his arms around her from behind and pressed his head against hers.
She found his hand and laced her trembling fingers through it. She relished the familiar embrace – the protective circle – of the confines of Angel’s reach. She loved them both so much. She didn’t know how she was able to get through being away from them for the last four weeks.
Tommy was the first to release his embrace. He looked up at her, and the flash of his blue eyes instantly reminded her of the first time she ever laid eyes on him, across a football field, when they were in collage.
He touched her cheeks softly as his fingertips got reacquainted with the features of her face. His crystal blue eyes were two pools of water as he smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss. His full mouth was soft and gentle. His kiss was electrified and every nerve ending in her body stood at attention.
Angel rubbed the back of her neck and kissed her shoulder. “I missed you, sweetheart.”
She looked into Angel’s eyes for the first time and it sent a fresh tremor through her body. Her hands still shook as she slid them around his waist and her lower lip quivered as she rested her head on his pronounced chest. He was thinner and she worried that he wasn’t taking care of himself. She clung to him. Another whimper escaped her as he tightened his arms around her. She melted at his touch and whispered, “Welcome home.”
Angel lifted her chin so he could look at her. His eyes were smoldering and intense as they smiled back at her. The air left her lungs in a small sigh as he leaned down for a kiss. His gentle lips settled on hers. It was unexpected. Angel’s kisses were impatient and filled with passion, not soft and slow.
He withdrew his lips and looked at her for a
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