My heart is shattered—for Susan and for you,” AJ lamented, his
voice muffled against Jake’s chest.
“It’s okay, man. You don’t have to say anything,” Jake replied.
“But I want to. I want to say and do all the right things because you’ve been my best fucking friend
since we were eleven years old.”
Tears flowed freely down my cheeks at the sight of all the love between the guys. I swept them
away with the back of my hands. Jake finally pulled away from AJ and gave a rueful smile. “Okay,
enough with the crying—we’re acting like a bunch of pussies. I don’t know who took our balls, but
enough with the bullshit emotions.”
At my sharp intake of breath and what I guess was my horrified expression, Jake started laughing.
It wasn’t long before all the guys joined in with him. Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed,
“Well, I’m so glad I could amuse you guys!”
AJ winked at me. “We needed that, Angel.”
“Whatever,” I replied.
“Okay, shows over. Go back to bed guys,” Brayden instructed.
Rhys yawned and bobbed his head. “Night, guys. Night, Abby,” he said before turning back to the
bedroom.
“Night,” I called after him.
Brayden and AJ made their goodnights and then went back to their bunks, leaving me and Jake
completely alone.
As I eyed the crumpled sheets of his roost, I asked, “So how do you want to do this?”
“Can I spoon you?”
My eyebrows shot up. “Can you what?”
The shadow of a smile fluttered on Jake’s lips. “You really don’t know what that is, do you?”
An embarrassed flush filled my cheeks as I ducked my head. “No,” I murmured.
Jake’s finger came under my chin and tipped my head up to look at him. “It’s okay. I’ll show you.”
On his knees, he edged across the bunk to where he was pressed up against the wall. Then he turned
on his side to where he was facing me. He then motioned me with his hand. I sighed. It was now or
never time. I eased down beside him.
“Now lie on your side,” he instructed.
I quickly flipped over to where I wasn’t facing him. My breath hitched when I felt him snuggle up
behind me. His arm snaked around my waist to drape across my hip. He then nestled his chin into my
neck. His breath was warm against my skin as he asked, “Is this okay?”
I tried to still my rapid breathing. The truth was it felt so good being this close to him. Although it
was just to comfort him, it felt dangerous and illicit sharing a bed with Jake.
“Abby, is this okay?”
Jake rarely used my real name, so I knew he was really worried. I reached down to grab his hand
in mine. I squeezed it tight before I glanced back at him over my shoulder. “It’s fine.”
The genuine smile he gave me caused my heart to flutter. “Thank you. I’ll never forget this.” In a
lower voice, he murmured, “I’ll never forget you.”
I closed my eyes and willed myself to go to sleep. With the heat of Jake’s body against mine and
the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest against my back, it wasn’t long before I was lulled into a deep,
contented sleep.
***
Delicious warmth wriggled against me and cut through the levels of my subconscious. I didn’t try
to fight waking up from this exquisite dream. After all, I’d gone to bed alone, hadn’t I? But when my
hips automatically bucked my morning wood into the curvy backside pressed up against me, it felt so
very real. Without opening my eyes, my hand slid up the dream girl’s ribcage to cup her breast. The
tiny whimper that escaped her might as well have been a bloodcurdling scream because that’s when I
realized the girl was so not part of my dream, but worst of all, I was molesting Abby.
I jerked my hand away like I had been scalded. Thankfully, she slept like the dead, and my horndog
assault hadn’t woken her up. Gently, I climbed over her body and escaped the roost. Glancing back, I
gazed down at her sleeping form. A tug pulled at my heart. I’d never
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