Second Chance Romance (Southern Nights) Completed

Chapter 24

“Second Chance Romance”

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Chapter 24

Austin squinted his eyes against the early morning rays of dawn as they beamed brightly through the curtains. He could have sworn that he had closed those curtains a long time ago. Angling his head away from the light, he rubbed at his tired eyes and it took him a minute to acclimate himself before he realized that the reason the curtain wasn’t closed was because he wasn’t in his room nor was he even in his own bed.

At the same time, he felt a small movement against his chest and glanced down to see Jade’s head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. Her small hand was splayed out on his chest and that slightest movement reminded him of all the deliciously intimate things they had done the night before. Things that he wanted to do again and again and again until neither of them had the energy or the strength to move.

God, he loved this woman! Years and distance hadn’t changed that fact. If anything, it made his love for her grow stronger. The day that she walked out of his life he knew that she was taking a part of him with her. He didn't fight her though.  He was well aware of how badly he messed up and let her go.  He never expected to have the opportunity to get his missing piece back.

But she did come back. She came back and not only brought herself, but a beautiful little girl too. It was more than he had ever expected and even now, lying in the bed with her in his arms he was scared half to death that he was going to somehow mess it all up again.

“You’re staring at me.” Her sleepy voice mumbled warmly against his skin. “It’s kind of creeping me out.”

Austin chuckled and touched her cheek just because he couldn’t not touch her. “I like staring at you,” he told her. “You’re a very beautiful woman.”

“Ugh," she groaned.  "Let’s not go there.” Jade opened her eyes and moved to a sitting position. Austin noticed the way that she clutched the sheet tightly to her chest. Ignoring him completely, she glanced around the room and frowned. “What time is it anyways?”

“It’s early. If I had to take a guess I would say a little after six.”

She pursed her lips in thought.  “Kids get up early, right?”

“Some. Over the last week I've noticed that Libby typically gets up around seven or so. She’s pretty easy going when she gets up, very opinionated in what she wants to wear. You’ve raised her to be very independent which is a good thing. Why all the questions so suddenly?”

Jade refused to look at him. She didn't know what to say to him because she was too busy trying make sense out of the riotous emotions roiling inside of her.

Last night had been so… so perfect that she couldn’t even begin to come up with the words to describe the experience. Being with Austin just seemed and felt right. Every touch, every kiss made her feel so alive and after the last week of struggling to figure out who she was, that was huge. It meant more to her than she could ever tell him with words.

But now, in the light of the day she was back to being the same woman once more; a woman with a name, a face and a past that she couldn’t recall. All she had were the few memories that Austin shared with her last night and the new memories that she had created with Austin and Libby over the last week.

She felt that same familiar wave of frustration flood her. Not knowing what to say, Jade found herself staring at the closed door and sighed. “I guess I should probably get up and fix breakfast or something. She will probably be hungry when she wakes up.”