Until Tomorrow Comes

by Mikayla Christy

“She’s a… friend that’s staying with me.” “Hmm, well she’s a cute thing.” She taps me on the shoulder, drawing my attention back to her. “Just a friend?” Clearing my throat, I nod once. Shifting on my feet at the answer to her question, I rub a hand along my jaw.

Mrs. Maria takes a slow sip of her drink, her stare burning into the side of my head. As the owner of the bakery right next door, Maria knows everything about anyone who steps foot in this town. She’s also been known to meddle in everyone else’s personal lives, even while her own love life fell apart. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing, cause it definitely appears that Cooper is ready to make his move.” My head snaps in Mrs. Maria’s direction, only she’s staring across the bar with a smirk. Following her gaze, my jaw clenches. I’d been so enthralled by watching Kat the entire night that, while I took note of the small growing crowd, I didn’t notice who else saw her the way I did.

“Thank you.” She whispers, making me wish that I could see her face. “For what?” Kat drops her head back to my shoulder, turning her face to look up at me. “For giving me a safe place.”

“We don’t have to talk about… him.” I remind her. For as much as I want to know everything about her, learning anything at the expense of her mental well-being is where I draw the line. “Don’t think that just because I asked that you have to answer me.” She draws in a ragged breath, shaking her head slowly while she closes her eyes and speaks. “You saw me, when I got here, you saw the damage he did.” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but being this close to her, I don’t need her to speak up. “That was the worst he had ever done.”

She shakes her head, a piece of hair falling free and hanging down the side of her face. “I spent the past year blaming the abuse, the shit he would say to fuck with my head, on everything and everyone else. But more importantly, I blamed myself.” Kat trails off and I shake my head, not sure what to say but needing her to hear that it’s not her fault. She peers up at me with watery eyes. “Being here, around you, Thea, and seeing Doc Davis… It’s helping show me that I’m going to get through this. For the first time in a while, I feel seen. Like I could sit here and spill all the shit that happened and you wouldn’t look at me any differently.” She says quietly, a tear slipping free and rolling down her cheek.

“Going through something like you did, doesn’t change who you are at your core. When you’re in the thick of a battle, it’s only natural to build walls or dig yourself into a hole for protection. Our bodies and brains react to help us survive. When the fight is over, it’s not always easy to get yourself out of the hole that kept you alive.” I whisper, emotion lacing my words. “Some people see others struggling to get themselves out and favor the ‘you got yourself into the mess, you can get yourself out’ approach because they don’t understand what it’s like to be at the bottom.”

“But some people know what it’s like to be at the bottom. Some might even throw a rope down and hold it steady while you climb yourself out, others will jump in and scale to the top by your side.”

“Then it’s a damn good thing you’re not in the city and are here with me,” I pull back and smile at her. “Cause I am an excellent climbing partner to have, Nala.” Her brows pull together as she stares at me in confusion. The moment it clicks, her face relaxes and she shakes her head. “Did you just… refer to me as one of the lions from Lion King?” I smile down at her and shrug. “It fits, she’s a fierce cat, and you’re a fierce… Kat.” With that, she giggles again, placing a hand on my chest and curling into me while her body shakes with laughter. That’s how we stay, with her in my lap while we crack jokes and laugh, all night long.

“Plus even when an egg breaks they can be made into a fucking delicious omelet.” Thea states with a shrug. I blink once in response before bursting out into laughter.

Hope was like the sun, and I was drowning in darkness. Being pulled deeper and deeper until I could barely see what was right in front of me.

“I think that you deserve to live a life where you’re not looking over your shoulder every day, waiting for him to come out of hiding. I think you deserve happiness wherever and with whoever, without being tied to him.” He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I think that if doing this gives you hope and strength to make your life yours…then I got your back.”

“And what else do you think is only in those books?” She rolls her eyes, shooting me a look that screams ‘isn’t it obvious?’ but I hold steady. Sighing, she shakes her head while answering. “Ya know, things like women getting off on their own hand or the woman orgasming multiple times in one scene.” She levels me with an adorable scowl. “Like come on, the dude kisses her, and she feels like she’s gonna come undone? I call bullshit.”

“You hold the power here. If the words, ‘no’ or ‘stop’ pass through your lips, everything gets put on pause.” I kiss the corner of her mouth. “But if you trust me, if you want to, I can show you just how wrong your theories are.” I kiss the other corner of her mouth before pulling back. She swallows thickly, her eyes darting between mine. “Show me,” she whispers.

“Do you have any idea how breathtaking you are?” I whisper in her ear and her fingers continue their descent. “Not touching you right now is hands down the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” “Then touch me.” Kat pants and stops moving her hand. I chuckle in her ear, nipping her lobe before answering her. “There will be time for that later.” I kiss her jaw once more before pushing myself up to look at her. “When I told you that I like watching women get themselves off, I wasn’t lying. But to be more specific, it was the thought of you touching yourself, all the while knowing my eyes are on you. Knowing that the sight of you alone has me harder than fucking granite. Just the thought of you, flushed, and on the edge of an orgasm, is enough to have me ready to explode in my pants like some teenage boy.”

A small voice tugs at the back of my mind, reminding me that giving into her now will only encourage her to steamroll me in the future. But the exhaustion and heartache that’s painted across her face, has me faltering. My divorce and issues with my brother have taken their toll on more than just me. For the past year, I have let the pain from them hold me hostage. I’ve secluded myself from my family and shut the door on living my life. Until now.

“I’m pretty sure my schedule is free if you want me to go with you.” She jokes, earning a small laugh from me. Sighing, I turn to fully face her. Resting my hip against the edge of the counter and reaching to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. My fingers trail along her jaw, relishing the feel of her smooth skin against my palm. A contented sigh leaves her lips as she leans into my touch. “I’m serious about what I said. I would never put the pressure on you to go to a wedding that I don’t even want to attend.” She smiles softly up at me, stepping forward, and placing a hand on my cheek. Every thought scatters and my heart skips a beat at the touch. I’m frozen in place, staring down at her beautiful face. “For starters, there’s no way in Hell I would let you go to that wedding alone.” A devilish smile spreads across her face. “Plus, from what you’ve told me about her, it would be kind of fun seeing her face when she realizes that you’re not hung up on her.” A blush spreads across her cheeks as she slowly pulls her hand from my face. Her eyes widen and she clears her throat before rambling on.

“You’re right though. On both those things.” “What?” She whispers, her tongue darts out as her gaze drops to my lips. “I didn’t realize it right away, it wasn’t until I told you about what happened that I even knew I had moved on.” With my hand that’s not around her, I reach up to trace my thumb along her cheek. “And I do like you.” I wait until her eyes meet mine, trying not to focus on the way her chest rises and falls heavily against mine. “I like you a whole hell of a lot more than I expected and in ways I never planned for.”

Orgasms aren’t meant to be traded or handed out with the expectation of getting something in return. To have that amount of trust placed during such a vulnerable experience, that is enough on its own. The fact that she allowed me to be a part of such an intimate moment for her meant so much more than one orgasm ever could.

This time when I break away for air, his lips don’t leave me. They trail along my jaw, before stopping briefly at the sensitive spot behind my ear. Disappointment fills me as he skips over my neck, but that is immediately replaced by heat as he places hot kisses on my shoulder where the collar of my shirt has slipped to the side. Jackson seems to notice everything, even when I think he’s not paying attention. So it didn’t surprise me last week when he noticed my silent discomfort at the idea of him touching my neck. The memory of Zack’s hands there had flashed through my mind so quickly, my body reacted on its own. Instead of stopping or calling me out, Jackson adjusted his path and didn’t push me on it. Now though, all I want is for him to touch and kiss me everywhere. To replace all thoughts and memories that Zack left behind. Only it’s more than that. I don’t want him to touch me just to erase those thoughts, I simply want more of him and the way he makes me feel.

A small smile forms on his full lips and his green eyes shine as he watches me. Unable to resist, I reach up to run my hand along his cheek. The perfectly trimmed, full beard on his face defines his jawline and there’s a couple freckles dotting his nose. He’s beautiful. However, before I get too distracted by his disarming good looks or think about kissing him again, he continues.

“What if…I don’t know what they are?” I clear my throat, forcing myself to not look away from him and attempt to explain myself. “You’re right, last week when you got close to my neck, I reacted on instinct to the last time I was touched there. But this time…” I trail off, dropping my gaze from his. My cheeks heat, but I continue on. “All I know is that when you touch me, and it doesn’t have to be like this,” I motion to him standing between my legs. “You could brush your arm against me and I come to life. When you kiss me, sometimes it feels like I’m burning up, yet I crave more.”

“It’s never felt like this with anyone. Everything that I’m feeling… I’ve only ever read about in books or watched on TV. I wasn’t lying last week when I told you that I was convinced some… things… were purely for dramatization to a story, to make the viewer feel things. But now that you proved those theories wrong, all I keep thinking about is what else I’m missing out on.” Closing my eyes, I drop my head forward against his chest, breathing his scent in and wondering if I killed the mood by saying too much. “No one has ever asked me what my boundaries are, so I wouldn’t even know what to tell you. Even what we did outside… that’s the most scandalous and intimate thing I have ever done. All I know is how my body is reacting to you. I’m not always good at speaking for myself, so I’m a bit nervous that I’ll say the wrong thing and you’ll stop.” I bite my bottom lip, refusing to look up at him and racking my brain for how else I should have answered to not completely ruin the mood.

feel the tear slip down my cheek before I can stop it. Jackson lets my chin go, moving to cup my face in his palm and wipe it away. “I will give you anything you ask for. If you allow me, I will worship every inch of your body.” He leans into me and places a quick kiss on my lips. “But I need to know you will tell me to stop if you change your mind at any point. And not just right here, right now. Any day, any time. You and your comfort are more important than anything and anyone.”

“You’ll tell me to stop, right?” He murmurs. I nod, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. “If you do something I don’t like, I will tell you.” I correct him with a kiss. “Don’t treat me like I’m fragile, I want this, Jackson. I want you.”

At the sight of Kat, naked and sprawled out on my bed beneath me, I clench my fist and force in a slow breath. I wasn’t joking when I told her that I had thought about bending her over the table. A huge part of me aches to fuck her with abandon, hard and fast. The way her sweet pussy gripped my fingers while she came almost had me doing just that. Even though I crave that, I also want nothing more than to take my time. To kiss and touch every inch of her while on a quest to find the spots that bring her the most pleasure. The sounds she makes are like music to my ears and I want to play them on repeat.

“I need to hear you say this is what you want. That you’re okay and have no doubts about us right now.” Kat is nodding her head before I even finish. “Kat, I need to hear you say it.” Her hands trail up my neck and she cups my cheeks between her hands, holding my stare as she answers. “I want this, Jackson. There is no hesitation, no doubt in my mind, that I want to have sex with you. I want you.” She pauses, pulling me down to her to kiss me. “I need you.”

“You’re like some sort of orgasm god or something.” I shake my head, laughing at her and watching as her eyes drop to my lips. After gently kissing her, I pull back and smile. “As much as I wish that were true, I don’t think I can accept that title.” She shakes her head. “Nope, you’re an orgasm god.” “Maybe I’m just a ‘Kat’s orgasm god.’” I relent back. She thinks it over for a moment before nodding once and turning forward. “I can definitely live with that.” I chuckle, kissing her cheek before reluctantly pulling away.

“Thank you, Jackson.” Kat’s voice is low and when I look up to her face, a lone tear has escaped and rolls down her cheek. Tossing the washcloth behind me, I stand from the bed and scoop her into my arms. Her arms wrap around my neck as I carry her bridal style to the bathroom. “You don’t have to thank me for having sex with you. If anything, I should be thanking you.” Kat shakes her head before resting it on my shoulder. “It’s more than that, and you know it. You make me feel… alive?” She sucks in a breath. “More than that, you make me feel safe and comfortable to be me, whoever that is.”

“When I said that I would give you whatever you asked for, that wasn’t just limited to making your body feel good. If you want snacks and snuggles, give me five minutes and I’ll be back with everything we would need for the rest of the day. If you want to be alone, I’ll give you space.” I lean forward, fighting back a smile when she doesn’t pull away. “I haven’t hidden the fact that I am madly attracted to you, and not just because you’re one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.” I brush her wet hair off her shoulder and bend down to press a gentle kiss in its place. Her head falls to the side, and her breath hitches. “With everything you and I have shared with each other, the only thing either of us could do wrong is not openly communicate what we want or need. Okay?” She nods her head and whispers softly, “Okay.”

My stomach drops a bit as I turn to look at her as a thought crosses my mind. “I’m so sorry, Kat.” Her brows furrow as she meets my gaze. “I got so caught up in this, in you, that I didn’t stop to think about if we were moving too fast.” “What?” She questions. “I should have had more control over my desire for you. I don’t ever want you to feel like you were forced into something or be the reason for any potential guilt. If I was a gentleman, I would have waited for your marriage to be—” Kat reaches out, cutting me off with a shake of her head while placing her hand on my arm. Her thumb rubs in soothing circles as she holds my stare. “You did not force me into anything. You checked in with me, multiple times, and gave me multiple chances to stop. Being with you was, is, just… natural. I don’t second guess myself or doubt what is happening.” She runs her hand down my arm and interlocks our fingers, staring at our hands as she continues. “As for any guilt when it comes to that sham of a marriage… We were done the moment I packed my bags to leave. If not then, we sure as Hell were over the moment that the restraining order was signed after he left me beaten half to death for Alan to find.”

“I don’t think we need to figure everything out right now. As long as we’re both okay with everything going on, I say we just get through these next few weeks and go from there. With the wedding and my soon-to-be ex-husband… I don’t want either of us to feel forced into anything.”

“This is your family, but more importantly, it’s your ex-wife. It’s up to you how we handle introductions this weekend. If you want me to put on all the charm and play into the role of your date, now that could be fun. If you want to say I’m a friend then that’s easy enough. Considering first and foremost, we are friends. I’m here for you this weekend because I care about you, and only you.”

“Think of them as my stress reliever. Anytime I get overwhelmed, angry, or whatever, I’ll just reach into my pocket. And the thought of you, bare beneath your dress while you stand next to me, is what will keep me sane.” He shrugs. “If nothing else, it will remind me of how you looked spread out on the table before me.” Crossing my arms, not missing the way his proud smile drops slightly as he glances at my exposed cleavage, I raise a brow at him. “And what if I just go put on different underwear?” This time, he steps closer to me and doesn’t stop until he’s back in front of me. “You won’t. Because the idea of your soaked panties in my pocket, while we’re surrounded by people you don’t know, excites you.” He runs his thumb along my bottom lips, staring at them while he continues on. “Because you know that while we’re gone, the addicting smell, taste and feel of you, will be on my mind the entire night. More than you already are.”

“Well, we have three options.” “And what are those? Cause I can’t even think of one.” “Option one, we go to the wedding and reception. Stay silent and stay long enough for your mom to thank you and dip out the moment she’s distracted again. Option two, we turn around and leave. Screw what your mom thinks or wants, tell her I couldn’t stand being here and let her hate me or whatever.” “What’s the third option?” I question, earning a smirk unlike any other I’ve seen from Kat. My heart skips a beat at the way her eyes dance with mischief. “Option three, we have some fun. Put on a smile and fake happiness for the couple, act like none of this,” she gestures with her hands toward the sign, “bothers you and that you’re glad they both found each other. Put on a show that you’re happy too and kill them with kindness.”

“One thing I’ve learned is that people like them thrive off of your response. They’re narcissists who will undoubtedly try to manipulate the narrative they have, in order to make themselves look better, and hide the fact that they are shitty humans.”

Unable to resist, and even though I know my mom is watching and waiting, I reach up to stroke my knuckle along Kat’s cheek. “I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you in my life, but fuck, Kat.” I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her into me. Her hands rest on the lapels of my jacket and she smiles softly up at me. “You came to a wedding that you wanted nothing to do with because you didn’t want your mom to be upset. Hell, you opened your house up to a complete stranger for the past seven months. As much as you try to hide it, Jackson, you’re kind of a good man.”

“You’re their mother, so it’s fair that you want them both to be happy and in turn that would make you happy. But you need to realize that one son’s happiness is a result of the other’s pain. You can do whatever possible to be happy right now, today, but you should also realize that not everything is about you.” Kat sucks in a deep breath, her eyes closing while she calms herself before continuing on. “Jack sacrifices so much for everyone else’s happiness, but who is looking out for his happiness?”

“Shit.” I sigh. Closing the small distance between us once more, I cup her cheek in my hand. “I don’t have a condom on me.” I’m about to suggest we just sneak up to our room, to say fuck it to every reason why I thought I had to be at this wedding when she answers. “We don’t need one…” She clears her throat, a blush staining her cheeks as she drops her gaze to my chest. “I’m on birth control. And I’m clean, I was tested for everything after…” Kat trails off. I blink at her, waiting for her to change her mind or tell me that I heard her wrong. When she doesn’t look at me or say anything after another moment, I gently tilt her head back and hold her stare. “Don’t get me wrong, just the thought of fucking you with nothing between us has me painfully hard.” I trace my thumb along her bottom lip. “And I’m clean as well, but I want to make sure that you are sure about this. We can just as easily leave and go to our room.” She’s shaking her head before I even finish talking and pulling me into her. I fall against her, one hand finding her hip while the other slips down to rest on the side of her neck. Kat reaches between us, gripping my hard pant covered cock in her hand.

Kat’s shining, the faint flush still lingering and her eyes dancing with clear bliss. “I’ve never been attracted to someone the way that I am to you. It’s never felt like this before, like I’m desperate for you,” she sucks in a deep breath, not once removing her gaze from mine. “Everything about you, and everything I do with you, makes me feel… new. Like I can spread my wings and finally bask in the sun after a rough storm.”

My heart pounds heavily in my chest, recognizing the feelings coursing through my body, but taken aback by the intensity of them. Kat’s right, it’s never felt like this before. I love her.

I keep the thought to myself, pulling her to me and kissing her deeply. Expressing everything I know she’s not ready to ...

“Beautiful ceremony, congratulations.” The sound of her voice seems to finally snap Molly out of her daze. She glances at the open closet door behind us, raising a brow. Her lip lifts in a sneer and I can see the moment she decides to call us out. “Right, this is my girlfriend, Kat. Kat, this is my brother, their daughter and his new wife,” I say before Molly gets a chance to run her mouth. It might be petty, not saying their names, especially when the adorable toddler has done nothing wrong. Seeing Molly and Todd together sucks, but it doesn’t hurt like I had anticipated. However, the pain from finding out that the baby wasn’t mine lingers close under the surface.

But there’s no denying that my heart skipped a beat at the sound of Kat calling me Babe. “Sometimes it’s about who says the endearment, not the actual pet name itself.” Kat retorts, trailing her fingers down my chest while glancing sideways at Molly with a smirk. “As for the sweets… he’s not the one who will be swallowing…” Kat pauses for a second. “The whipped cream, that is.”

Being wrapped in Jackson’s comforting embrace is becoming my favorite place to be. Cuddling isn’t something I’ve ever spent a lot of time thinking about. If you asked me a year ago if I was a cuddler, I would have answered no. Without hesitation. But now, since Jackson, my answer is different. I would be his little spoon any night without question. Slowly, so as not to wake him up, I roll in place onto my stomach. His arm slips off my waist, hand settling on my lower back as I readjust. Once settled, I turn my head to look at him. Jackson is a beautiful man.

Desire courses through me at the thought of how that facial hair feels between my thighs. At the same time though, the delicious soreness that lingers reminds me that waking him up for sex might be a bad idea.

“I can feel you staring at me.” Jackson mumbles. I smile in response, pulling a hand up and tracing along his smooth cheekbone. “I’m simply admiring the view.” He cracks an eye open, a lazy smile spreading across his face. “I’d argue I’m the one with the better view.”

collar bone and relaxing into him. “Woman, what kind of spell have you put on my body? I’m too old to be thinking about going again, yet here we are.” I giggle against his skin, shaking my head before rolling away from him. He tries to pull me back, but I avoid his hands, earning an adorable scowl in response. “No, if you stick your freaking jumbo cock in me again, you’ll have to drag me out of here.” “I wouldn’t drag you.” He sits up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, and flashes me a wicked smile over his shoulder. “I’d carry you over my shoulder proudly.”

Cause lets be real… Jackson turns me on faster than a light switch. He chuckles, standing and prowling toward me. I step back, retreating to the bathroom while he advances like a lion hunting its prey. Fuck, his cat puns are rubbing off on me.

He lights up pieces of me that I thought were long since smothered out. He’s like the beacon at the top of a lighthouse, shining brightly at the darkest moments and guiding me toward safety.

Jackson puts the truck in park, just as I’m about to reach for the handle on my door he grabs my hand. I turn to face him but before I can speak, he’s kissing me. It’s slow and sweet, reminding me that we are in no rush at all and I lean into the kiss. When we break apart, I meet his lazy grin with one of my own. “I don’t know about you, but a nice long bath and a glass of wine are calling my name.” It’s literally been on my mind since we got out of the shower back at the hotel. Considering the amount of times we had sex this past weekend, I need a good forty minute soak.