Chapter Twenty-seven

Jett couldn’t believe she’d actually fallen asleep and slept without dreaming. Judging by the slant of sunlight coming through the windows on the opposite side of the room, it was late morning, close to noon. She never slept that many hours in a row.

And she never slept without part of her mind being aware of her surroundings. Tristan was still curled up beside her, her head on Jett’s shoulder. Jett stroked her hair.

“Hey,” Tristan murmured, rubbing Jett’s stomach with her hand underneath Jett’s T-shirt. “You don’t move when you sleep.”

Jett laughed. “Did you stay awake the whole time to check?”

“You don’t relax completely, either.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I feel pretty relaxed right now.”

Tristan cupped Jett lightly between the legs. “Oh yeah?”

Jett hissed. “Easy there. My trigger’s pretty tight where you’re concerned.”

“Yeah?” Tristan eased up on her elbow, slid two fingers into the opening of Jett’s boxers, and worked a finger around either side of Jett’s clitoris. “That’s nice.”

“That’s teasing.” Jett’s stomach pitched and rolled. She hadn’t come since last night and she needed to. Wanted to. Wanted Tristan in so many ways she was almost paralyzed.

“You look worried. Why?” Tristan kissed her and continued to slowly fondle her.

“I’m…not.” Jett couldn’t stop her legs from trembling and she realized her fingers must be digging into Tristan’s arm. She consciously loosened her grip.

“You don’t get it yet, do you?” Tristan flicked her tongue over Jett’s mouth, then down the center of her chin. She bit her neck, then licked all the way down to her collarbone. “I like the way you are. I like what you need. I want to give it to you.”

“Too much.” Jett shook her head, trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. “I might want too much.”

Tristan laughed and pushed up to her knees. She spread open Jett’s boxers, leaned down, and kissed the swell of her clitoris. “I wouldn’t worry about that.” She closed the material and patted Jett lightly between the legs. “I need a shower. Come with me.”

Jett narrowed her eyes. “What the hell? You do me like that and then walk away?”

“Got to keep you interested.” Tristan pushed off the couch and disappeared down the hall.

“God damn it.” Jett bolted up and almost fell over, her legs were so weak. She steadied herself on the sofa, then took off. By the time she reached the bathroom, the shower was running and Tristan was standing under the spray, her head tossed back and water cascading through her thick dark hair and over her muscled shoulders and back.

Jett stood completely still with the glass door open and drank her in.

She forgot about needing to come. She forgot about worrying that what she needed would drive Tristan away. She couldn’t think of anything except what a miracle it was to have Tristan here, and how much she loved her. She slid in behind her and kissed her neck.

“Took you long enough,” Tristan murmured. She turned, pressed Jett against the wall, and kissed her, slipping one wet thigh between Jett’s legs. “I love you. Have I told you that?”

“Yes,” Jett said. “A few hours ago.”

“That long? I’ll be sure to repeat myself more often.”

“You were also about to come, and when a woman is about to come, she’ll say anything,” Jett teased, sucking a drop of water from the end of Tristan’s chin.

“You’ll notice I’m not coming now,” Tristan said. “And I love you. Okay? I’m not in this just for the sex.” She grinned. “Although I won’t pretend I don’t think about it a lot. Like all the time.”

Jett smoothed her hands over Tristan’s shoulders, then gripped her firmly and held her at arm’s length. “About Darla.”

“Oh, Jesus.” Tristan took a deep breath. “I don’t even have an excuse, babe. I—”

“You don’t need an excuse—not for last night.” Jett continued her caresses over Tristan’s chest, around the sides of her breasts. “But I’m not going to be happy if it happens again.”

“It’s not going to happen again,” Tristan said quietly. “Not with anyone. I love you. I want you, so much I can hardly breathe. You’re it for me, babe.”

Jett leaned her head back against the wall, feeling completely centered for the first time in her life. “For me too.”

“That’s good.” Tristan knelt between Jett’s legs. “Because I don’t think I could stand it if anyone else touched you.”

Jett looked down and watched Tristan take her into her mouth. The slow pulse of her heart beating between Tristan’s lips was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. She could feel herself opening, pouring into Tristan’s mouth, her soul flowing to meet Tristan’s as surely as her body yielded to Tristan’s insistent demands. Jett pushed herself deeper and Tristan used her teeth, the tip of her tongue, her lips, biting and circling and sucking.

“I’m getting close to coming. Really close.” Jett steadied herself with her hands on Tristan’s shoulders. She would come, if Tristan wanted her to. She would wait, if that was what Tristan wanted. “Whatever you want, Tris,” she gasped. “Whatever you want. It’s yours.”

Tristan glanced up and took her mouth away for an instant. “You. That’s what I want. I want you.”

“I’m yours.”

Then Tristan put her mouth back and Jett came.

“Feeling better?” Honor asked as Quinn came into the bedroom, toweling her hair after her shower.

“Couldn’t be better.” Quinn grinned, leaned over to kiss her, then smoothed a hand over Jack’s head. “Thanks.”

Honor laughed. “Believe me, it was entirely my pleasure.”

Quinn pulled shorts from the top drawer of the dresser. “How about you? You were on your feet a long time. Is your incision bothering you?”

“I’m a little achy, but nothing serious.” Honor sat up on the side of the bed and put Jack back in his bassinet. “It’s almost time for me to go back to work anyhow.”

“Take the last week you’ve still got coming to you.” Quinn slipped into her T-shirt, then sat down in the big overstuffed chair to put on her sneakers and socks. “You don’t want to go back to work on Labor Day weekend. It’s always crazy.”

Honor padded across the room and sat on Quinn’s lap. “You just want to keep me at home, barefoot and pregnant.”

“I do think you’re really sexy when you’re pregnant.” Quinn leaned back and pulled Honor against her chest. She kissed her and lightly cupped her breast. “Very sexy now too.”

“I’m not getting any younger,” Honor whispered.

“That’s okay, baby.” Quinn kissed her forehead, then her mouth again. “I’m happy just exactly the way things are.”

“But I think I could do another one in a year or so.”

Quinn searched Honor’s eyes. “You’re sure?”

“Uh-huh.”

Quinn grinned. “I’d like tha—”

The door burst open and Arly raced in. “Hey, Quinn! We’re going to be late.”

Honor shifted on Quinn’s lap and fixed Arly with a stare. “The door? What are the rules?”

“Oh.” Arly threw a beseeching look in Quinn’s direction, then ran out, slammed the door, and knocked.

Honor gave Quinn a long look. “Are you positive you want more of that for another couple of decades?”

“Never more certain.” Quinn kissed Honor quickly one more time, then called, “Come on in, Arly. We’re all yours.”

“Hi, Tris.” Linda, curled up in the corner of the couch with a cup of coffee and a novel, greeted Tristan with a smile when she walked into the flight lounge. “Are you on call again?”

“Nope. Just visiting.”

Linda raised her eyebrows and gave Tristan the once-over.

“Looking for Jett?”

Tristan grinned. “How did you guess?”

Linda tapped the side of her neck with two fingers.

“Huh?” Then Tristan rubbed her neck in the same spot and felt a twinge of pain. She laughed. “Oh. What did she do, leave her initials?”

“I saw you two leave last night,” Linda admitted. “You’re good, but how many women could you have in one night?” She held up her hand quickly. “Don’t answer that question.”

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t about to,” Tristan teased back.

Linda stared at the coffee cup she was holding for a few seconds, then back at Tristan. “She’s a real sweetheart, you know.”

“Believe me, I know that.” Tristan leaned a hip on the arm of the couch. “I guess you saw Darla too, huh?”

“Ah, well…”

“I’m not going to hurt Jett.”

Linda blushed. “I’m being nosy. Jett’s an adult. I’m sure she—”

“I’m totally crazy about her,” Tristan said softly.

“Oh!” Linda’s face lit up. “Well, in that case. Does she know?”

“I think so. But just to be sure,” Tristan stood, “I’m here to tell her again.”

Jett initialed the last box on her preflight checklist and stowed the clipboard next to her seat in the cockpit. She sensed someone behind her and turned. Tristan stood a few feet away, her hands on her hips, watching her. She wore jeans and a pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her expression was part appraisal, part ownership. Jett’s heart speeded up. “Hi. I thought you were off tonight.”

“I missed you.”

“I’ve only been gone an hour.” Jett leaned back against the aircraft because seeing Tristan look at her that way pretty much knocked her out.

“Is that all? Seems like a lot longer,” Tristan murmured, moving closer. She unzipped Jett’s flight suit, opening it from neck to crotch, and slid her hands inside. She kissed Jett’s neck. “You’ll be careful tonight, won’t you?”

“I’ll be careful every night.” Jett gripped Tristan’s wrists and drew her hands away from her body. Then she zipped up. “I’m officially working now. Sex is against regulations.”

Tristan dropped her forehead to Jett’s shoulder and groaned. “I think I’m going to hate night call.”

“Just think of it this way,” Jett whispered, rubbing the back of Tristan’s neck. “You get to have all the morning sex you can handle.”

Tristan clasped Jett’s hand and leaned back beside her, their shoulders touching. “Does that mean you’re going to come home to me every morning?”

“Are you asking me to?”

“Yes.”

Jett cradled Tristan’s hand in both of hers and kissed her knuckles.

“Then that’s affirmative.”

Tristan rested her head against Jett’s shoulder. “I’m pretty sure I could learn to love night call.”