Searching for Winslet (Fallport Rescue Operations #5)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jett blinked open his eyes, stretched, and rolled to his side. He reached for Winslet.

But she wasn’t in bed.

He sat up, forcing his eyes to focus. The sound of the shower echoed in his ears. Reaching for his cell, he checked the time. Damn, he slept longer than he’d wanted to. He had less than an hour to get ready for work, especially if he planned on taking Winslet to the State lab.

But that was just enough time to join her in the shower.

He scowled.

Two missed calls and one text from Becky.

She would have to wait.

He had a girlfriend to satisfy.

The entire weekend had been filled with a lightness he hadn’t experienced in a long time. First, dinner with Chuck and Renee. That had been eye-opening. Then there was an afternoon with Tammy and her husband.

Interesting, to say the least.

And yesterday, a romantic mountaintop picnic. Deep down, he knew this was going way too fast. Every evening, he thought about suggesting that they not spend the night together, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The idea of sleeping alone no longer seemed like an option.

And it should be.

This thing between them was casual.

She was leaving.

She’d made that perfectly clear a few times.

His sister was right. Her sister was right. Renee was right. Winslet was going to break his fucking heart and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. He wasn’t even sure he could shrug his shoulders and be pragmatic anymore.

No thanks to Winslet.

When this was over, he was going to need a good grandma chat, because that was about the only way he’d be able to survive this one.

With his cell in his hand, he pulled back the covers and padded to the bathroom. As soon as he opened the door, he was assaulted with steam carrying the fresh scent of coconut. God, he loved that scent on a woman.

But not just any woman.

On Winslet.

He set the phone on the counter, pulled back the shower curtain, and stepped inside. “Good morning, beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around her naked body, kissing her shoulder. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did.” She leaned back, resting her head on his chest. “I was going to wake you as soon as I got out.”

“This is so much better.” He cupped her breast, fanning his thumb over her taut nipple. He couldn’t get enough of her if he tried.

Her body responded to him instantly, goosebumps rising over her skin and a soft sigh escaping her lips. He relished every reaction, each a testament to their undeniable chemistry. His hands traveled downward, stroking the curve of her hips and tracing the soft lines of her body. There was an intoxicating allure to their morning entanglements that left Jett craving more.

Winslet turned in his arms, eyes sparkling amid the falling water droplets. "I'm glad you're here," she said, gingerly tracing his jawline with her fingers. A smile crept up on her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer until their faces were mere inches apart.

He looked down at her, eyes filled with wonder and affection. This was dangerous territory he was treading but he found he couldn't tear his gaze away. He loved the way she looked at him—like he was the only thing in her world right now. And maybe he was. For this fleeting moment at least.

A husky laugh escaped his lips as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I wouldn't be anywhere else," he murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair off her face and tucking it behind her ear.

Somewhere in the distance, his phone buzzed again, but they both chose to ignore it. Right now, there were no distractions, no obligations or responsibilities—just him and Winslet together in their small pocket of time where reality seemed to hold its breath.

And even though Jett knew that when this chapter closed he would be left with a gaping hole in his life, for now he chose to forget about tomorrow and lose himself in Winslet. One day at a time.

He let his hands wander lower, appreciating every reaction she gave him. Winslet bit her lip, her eyes never leaving his as she shivered under his touch. He reveled in the sound of her breathing, shallow and quickening under the steam and heat. Their bodies moved together in rhythm with the falling water, a dance as old as time itself yet uniquely their own.

A heavy sense of yearning washed over Jett. With each passing second, he was falling harder for Winslet—an undeniable fact that he couldn't ignore any longer. Ripples of fear coursed through him.

But he pushed them away, forcing his focus back to the woman in front of him. Winslet brought her hands up to cup his face, her touch soft and tender as she pulled him down for a kiss. It was deep and passionate, filled with an intensity that had his heart pounding in his chest. This was what he wanted—every stolen moment, every stolen kiss, every stolen touch.

He could feel the tension building between them, a tangible entity that refused to be ignored any longer. Winslet's fingers tangled in his wet hair as she pulled him closer still. In response, he pressed himself against her, their bodies molding together perfectly. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest—strong, steady, and in sync with his own.

They were so deeply lost in each other that they neither heard nor cared about the outside world—his buzzing phone included. The water became colder, but that didn't seem to matter either. The heat between them was more than enough to compensate for it.

They lingered there, their passion spiraling out of control until finally they surrendered to their needs. The bathroom echoed with their soft moans and whispered promises of never-ending affection as they moved together in passionate rhythm.

Jett knew that Winslet held power over him unlike anyone else ever did. And while he did fear the impending heartbreak he was setting himself up for when she eventually left, he would never regret a single moment.

Wrapped in each other’s arms, they spent a few more precious minutes under the lukewarm water before getting out of the shower. The tiny bathroom felt emptier without their shared warmth and laughter echoing around it.

Jett couldn’t help but trace his fingers along Winslet’s body one last time before bundling her into a fluffy towel. She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling with happiness and something that looked suspiciously like love.

But that couldn’t be. It might be what he wished for, but it wasn’t the truth.

“What is going on with your phone?” She turned, lifting the device off the counter. “Becky?” She glanced between his cell and him three times. “You haven’t called her back?”

“Nope.” He sighed.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious as to what she has to say?”

“I think you’re more interested than I am.” He batted Winslet’s nose. “And after speaking with my sister, we both know what she wants, and I can’t be the person to give it to her. I not only don’t feel that way for her anymore, but I also fear she needs the kind of help only a good therapist can give.” Jett was a firm believer in honesty.

Sometimes that was considered a good thing.

Other times, not so much.

Winslet was a constant surprise.

Not once did she seem upset or jealous that his ex-girlfriend was chomping at the bit to get ahold of him.

“It’s not that I feel the need to know why she’s calling my boyfriend, but you need to change the dynamic. Not just for her, but for you.”

He smiled. Wide. “Is that what I am?”

“Would you have preferred me call you my flavor of the month? Or the guy I’m screwing?”

“Absolutely not.” He scowled.

“Okay, then.” She waved his phone in front of his face, which inadvertently unlocked it. “Call her back. Now. And put it on speaker.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Do it. Or I will.” She palmed his cheek. “I’ll step out if you want me to, but I’d rather not.”

“My gosh. Is Winslet Payne jealous?”

“I’m getting there.” She lifted her finger. “And you do have a bleeding heart when it comes to a damsel in distress.”

He chuckled. “Fine.” He took his cell and pressed the return call button. It rang only once.

“Jett. Hi. I thought you’d never call me back,” Becky’s voice screeched across his ears like a singer out of tune.

It made him sad because at one time, he liked the sound of her voice. But it also told him he had let go of the past and moved on.

That was a good thing.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been busy,” he said. “Your message and texts said you needed to talk to me. About what?”

“Oh. Um. Well. I heard you moved. I was kind of surprised by that.”

He let out a long sigh. “I did.”

“Your sister didn’t tell me where.”

He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could hear the pain in Becky’s voice. He didn’t want to add to that. He didn’t want to hurt her, but she needed to move on. She needed to grieve her brother. And Jett couldn’t help her. “Virginia.”

“I’m sure your family misses you,” Becky said. “I miss you.”

Winslet folded her arms across her chest.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not what he needed. The only thing he wanted from Becky was an apology for the shitty things she’d said.

But he no longer cared about that.

However, he did care about her well-being.

“I’m sorry, Becky, but it’s a little too late for us to be having this conversation.”

“I know I said some things, but you have to understand. I’d just lost my brother. I was grappling with grief and with so few answers. You couldn’t even give me that and you knew all along he’d been killed before… before…”

“Everything about my mission was classified. Most of it still is. I know that’s always been really hard for you.” He ran his hand across the scar on his chest, feeling his heart pump blood through his veins. “I miss Justin too. He was a good man. But Becky, you need to talk to someone. Someone who isn’t me. A professional. I know the information the government gave you was difficult to digest, but I can’t be the person you lean on.”

Winslet pushed his hand aside and pressed her lips against the center of his chest. She wrapped her loving arms around his body.

God, she felt so good. So warm. It was as if she understood the torment that ripped through his soul.

He didn’t want to hurt Becky. He could forgive her for everything she said. For walking out on him. That was easy. But he couldn’t even entertain being her friend. Not now. Probably never.

“Why did they wait so long to release that? To tell the families?”

“Look, Becky. I spent most of my life in the military and I don’t even have an answer for that. But like I said, I can’t be the person you turn to. I do understand you’re hurting. I get that. I wish you nothing but happiness and I would be grateful if you could find that. I really would. But I’ve moved on. It took a long time for me to get there. However, I’m finally living my life again.”

“What does that mean?” she asked with an indignant tone. The same one she always used when she got pissed off about something. Or when a conversation switched from her to someone else. Or when she wasn’t getting what she thought she needed. It’s what made their relationship difficult and why it had been so easy for him to let her walk out that door.

“It just means I moved past survival mode. I’ve got a job and I’m happy,” he said. “Find a good therapist. You can work through this.”

“It’s hard sometimes, you know?”

“I do,” he said. “But you’re strong. You’ll get through it, and you know your brother would want you to be happy. He wouldn’t want you to be holding on to all this anger and pain over him. He died doing what he loved.”

“I was happy with you.” She sniffled.

Jett let out a long breath. “Becky, we can’t do this. I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

“I could come to Virginia. We could have dinner or something,” Becky said softly. “It’s just… just… I don’t know. I feel like we never really had closure.”

“No. We’re past that.” He rested his chin on top of Winslet’s head. “This might sound harsh, and maybe it is. But I found closure. It took time, but you made it quite clear when you walked out of my hospital room. I accept that. I need you to do the same now.”

“I just thought maybe we could talk. Get to know each other again.”

“I can’t. I’m seeing someone. Someone I care about very much.”

Winslet tilted her head and arched a brow.

“Oh. I see,” Becky said. “Your sister didn’t tell me that.”

“Take care of yourself, Becky.”

“I hope she’s not a Kiki. Don’t call me if she breaks your heart.” The line went dead.

“I’m sorry. While she sounds really sad and I feel bad for her, what she said at the end wasn’t fair. Not to mention she’s only appealing to your strong sense of honor, duty, and your own emotions over what happened.”

“I’m well aware.” He struggled with his desire to leave the past where it belonged and wanting to help Becky move forward in her life. But he knew he’d never be the one who could do that. She hadn’t loved him. Not really. Even if he had left the military, they had other issues in their relationship, a fact he had to face. “What you didn’t see on my phone was a text I got from my sister late last night. She warned me that Becky wasn’t doing well at all. That she’s still struggling with her brother’s death and in a constant state of depression. I’m not the only man from her past she’s reached out to.” He pulled Winslet close. “I don’t know what I would do if something ever happened to Evelynn. She’s a total pain in the ass sometimes, but she’s also my best friend.”

“I know you still care about Becky,” Winslet whispered. “I don’t fault you for that. But you can’t be responsible for her.”

“I loved her once,” he admitted. “I really do hope she finds the help she needs.” He cupped Winslet’s chin. “I’m glad I got to talk to her, but I do worry I might have done more damage than good.”

“I doubt that. You were honest and kind. The rest is up to her.” Winslet smiled. “You’re a good man.” She kissed him on the cheek before stepping out of the bathroom. Jett watched her leave, his heart filled with a bittersweet ache.

He knew he was in deep. There was no denying it anymore.

She was going to break his heart.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.