She gave him a long conflicted look before reaching for a slice from the box.
“Fuck it,” she said with a shrug as she took a bite. She closed her eyes and moaned and Jackson nearly choked on his pizza.
“What is it about ham and pineapple that’s so good on pizza?” she asked before taking another bite.
“I don’t know. But anyone who says pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza is a liar,” Jackson said with a smile.
Janie laughed, covering her mouth to keep from spitting out her pizza. After a moment, she set her slice back in the box and went to the fridge, pulling out two beers. She tilted one in his direction and he took it with a nod.
They were both silent as they twisted off the caps and took a sip of the cold, crisp brew.
“Thanks.”
“No worries.” Janie shrugged. She hopped up on the counter, her legs swinging gently over the edge.
“So, how does it feel?” Jackson asked, shoving the last bite of crust in his mouth and chewing.
Janie’s hand stopped with the beer bottle perched at her lips.
“Excuse me?” she asked slowly.
“Having a roommate,” he clarified. “You okay with this or did Lex steam-roll you?”
“It’s cool.” Janie nodded. “And Alexandra doesn’t steam roll,” she added defensively.
“Not you, maybe,” Jackson chuckled. “But she’s certainly capable of it.”
“Lex can be… persuasive,” Janie agreed with a smile. “And persistent,” she added under her breath.
“That she can,” He laughed. “Who’d have thought such a pretty little thing could be such a force?”
“Figures,” Janie scoffed. “Why is it that men always judge women based on their size? Or the way they look? Some of the prettiest girls in the world are vicious little snakes. You have no clue what kind of person lurks behind a pair of tits and false eyelashes.”
“Whoa,” Jackson replied, holding his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just meant that she doesn’t broadcast that kind of vibe.”
“Why not?” Janie asked, head tilted, eyes narrowed. “Is it the breasts or the vagina that fail to project power?”
“I-”
“No, no,” Janie interrupted. “I mean, I’m just curious exactly what it is. For example, if she had boobs, but also had a penis, would that change things? What if she had a vagina but no breasts? I would just really like to know how each anatomical feature corresponds to personality traits.”
“Woman, you are pricklier than a cactus.” Jackson shook his head and set his beer down on the counter.
“Ah, yes. There’s the folksy charm,” Janie laughed. “I bet that gets you out of all sorts of uncomfortable situations, doesn’t it? Throw on a smile and butter up the feeble minded females and they’ll let you skate on by.”
“I don’t put on anything,” Jackson growled, genuinely frustrated. “Yes, I call women ‘honey’ or ‘sweetheart.’ Yes, I smile a lot. Yes, I say things like ‘pricklier than a cactus.’ This is just who I am. I’m from Texas, it’s how I was raised. I’m not trying to get away with anything and I’m certainly not out here charming women into submission with a few smiles and a southern accent. Case and point,” Jackson said, gesturing to Janie herself.
“You may not do it intentionally, but it still works out that way,” Janie retorted, crossing her arms.
“Well, how the hell am I supposed to control how other people react to me? I’m pretty sure if I walk around in a ski mask I’ll end up on the ten o’clock news as some kind of psycho.”
“I dunno,” Janie shouted. “Maybe just try not to be so damn attractive and nice all the time.”
“Let me get this straight,” Jackson said, massaging his temples. “You think I get away with too much because I’m attractive and nice, so you want me to be uglier and meaner so that I won’t have an unfair advantage? But, I also shouldn’t judge people based on how they look?”
“I… I mean…” Janie opened her mouth and then closed it again.
“Bit of a double standard don’t you think?” Jackson asked, placing a hand on either side of her hips and leaning forward until mere inches separated them.
“I... “
“Take your time,” Jackson said softly, taking in every detail of her face. Her green eyes were flecked with gold and rimmed with long sable lashes. She had a handful of freckles across the bridge of her nose that you wouldn’t notice unless you got up real close. Her lips were full and naturally pink against her pale skin.
Her breathing grew fast and shallow and her pupils dilated. She licked her lips nervously and that was the last straw. Before he could think, he was kissing her for all he was worth. He just wished he knew if what he was worth was enough.
CHAPTER SIX
Holy Fuck.
She lost all control of herself the minute his lips touched hers. Her eyes closed, her mouth opened and her hands went straight to his hips, pulling him in closer. His hands came up, bracketing her face and holding her in place as he tilted his head to find a better angle.
He molded his lips to her, nipping at her bottom lip, before slipping his tongue into her mouth. He groaned in pleasure and Janie shivered at the sound.
Her breasts felt heavy, her nipples already hard and begging for attention. Liquid pooled between her legs and she felt warm and tingly all over. Even though Jackson kept his hands on her face, her entire body was on fire. He shifted and the considerable bulge in his jeans brushed lightly against the seam of her leggings and she gasped.
More. She wanted more. Needed more.
As if reading her mind, Jackson's right hand slid slowly down to her shoulder, over her arm and finally came to rest on her thigh. He slid it up until his thumb brushed against her through the thin material of her pants. She moaned and scooted closer to the edge.
Taking it as the encouragement it was, he applied more pressure and began making slow circles. Her underwear and leggings were soaked through after only a few strokes and, although she vaguely wondered if she should be embarrassed that she was so wet, she was too far gone to care.
She shivered and gasped against his mouth. He responded with a growl and kissed her harder, deeper. It was intense and overwhelming and she was so very close. Jackson’s left hand moved and he grabbed the knot of hair on the back of her head. He pulled with a steady pressure until her head tipped back, exposing her neck.
“Good girl,” he murmured as he kissed his way up her neck and flicked his tongue over the skin beneath her ear.
“Shit,” Janie swore, gripping his hips with white knuckles, urging him on. He took her ear between his teeth and bit down gently, circling his thumb harder and faster against her core.
In seconds she was climaxing hard, her head thrown back in ecstasy as she moaned his name. He slowed down, easing up on the pressure, but didn’t stop until the last wave of pleasure had ebbed.
“Holy fuck,” she panted. Jackson released her hair and kissed her gently, pulling his hand away and taking a step back.
He cleared his throat and stood up straight with difficulty.
“I better go,” he said, swallowing hard, his voice rough.
“Go?” Janie asked, still in a daze.
“Have dinner with me.” It wasn’t a question.
“Dinner?”
“Tomorrow,” Jackson replied. Before she could repeat his words a third time, he smiled and kissed her softly. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay,” she said.
What in the world was she agreeing to? But she forgot to worry about that a moment later when Jackson’s grin lit up the entire northern hemisphere.
“Okay,” he said. He gave her one more lingering kiss that had her clinging to him, hands fisted in his shirt, before breaking away with a low chuckle. He mumbled something about showing himself out and then he was gone.
✽✽✽
Jackson drove halfway across town with a hard-on before he could get himself under
control. He could still taste her, hear the noises she made when he’d made her cum. Hell, he could still smell her on his hand. He needed a cold shower if he was ever going to be able to sleep tonight.
It had been harder than hell to walk away from her after that, but he’d taken Alexandra’s advice to heart. If he wanted her to see him as anything other than a quick hook-up, he needed to hold off on sex until they were both on the same page.
Now that he had a foot in the door, he didn’t want to mess it up and find himself tossed out on his ear. He wanted her to let him in and keep him around for a while. He’d coaxed her into agreeing to dinner while she was still coming down. There was no guarantee he could do it again. He needed to make this chance count.
That only meant one thing: recon. He needed a battle plan, and he knew just where to start tomorrow morning. He’d just have to get through the night and then he could begin.
The apartment was empty when he got home. It was odd for Parker not to be home. He’d left for work early this morning. Panic stabbed him between the ribs and for a second he imagined any number of terrible things that could have happened to him just walking down the street in this city.
Parker was tough, and he knew how to hold his own, but there was only so much you can do when you’re looking down the barrel of a gun. Even less if you never saw it coming.
He took a few deep breaths and reminded himself that he was Parker’s emergency contact. If anything had happened, especially at work, he would’ve gotten a call. He checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t missed any messages. Nothing.
He checked Parker’s room and found nothing but an empty bed, perfectly made.
He heard the door handle rattle and tried not to dash out in relief. Parker was nonchalantly kicking off his dress shoes, a bag of what smelled like chinese takeout in one arm. His tie was hanging loose already and he looked tired and more than a little irritated.
“Hey, man,” Jackson greeted him.
“Hey,” Parker grunted in reply.
“Long day?”
“You could say that.”
“Want a beer?” Jackson asked.
“More than world peace,” Parker replied, setting down the bag and stripping out of his suit jacket.
Jackson retrieved two cold beers from the fridge and slid one across the island to Parker before twisting off the cap on his own. They drank in silence as Jackson retrieved plates and silverware and Parker unpacked enough food for four.
They piled food onto their plates and then carted them out to the living room and sat down in front of the TV.
“How’d the move go?” Parker finally asked, shoveling lo mein into his mouth.
“Better than expected.” Jackson grinned.
“Yeah?” Parker asked, quirking an eyebrow. “You finally ask her out?”
“Yup,” Jackson answered with a nod. “Dinner, tomorrow night.”
“Good for you,” Parker replied. He finished chewing and swallowed before continuing. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever have the stones.”
“Fuck you, too,” Jackson muttered, still smiling. Parker rolled his eyes and they finished eating in silence. Parker put his plate in the sink and hauled himself to his room, already working on the buttons of his shirt as he went.
Jackson decided the shower could wait. The momentary panic earlier had thoroughly cleared his head and he now found himself so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open. He stripped down, crawled into bed and tucking his hand under his head, drifted off, smiling.
The next morning, he woke up around six, showered and took a little extra time with his hair. He trimmed his facial hair, making sure it was short and even.
He put on his best work suit in charcoal gray and paired it with a crisp, white shirt. Black dress shoes finished the look and he was as ready as he’d ever be. He grabbed a cup of coffee and his keys and off he went.
As soon as his phone connected to the bluetooth in his car, he called Alexandra. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet so she wouldn’t be in the office, which was what he wanted. He hadn’t planned on Connor answering her phone, though.
“What the fuck?” Connor growled.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Jackson crowed.
“Again: what... the actual.. fuck?” Connor asked, making sure to clearly enunciate in that way he had when he was really pissed.
“I need to talk to your blushing bride,” Jackson replied, making sure his voice was as neutral as possible.
“Why?” Connor grunted.
“Recon,” Jackson said simply. Smart man that he was, it only took Connor a moment to realize what Jackson was talking about. He snorted and called Alexandra to the phone. Jackson couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard Connor say something about “girl talk,” before his laughter receded into the background.
“Shut up,” Alexandra said into the phone.
“Good morning to you, too,” Jackson replied. “Did you both get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”
“No, no. I was talking to Connor,” Alexandra said. He could just picture her rolling her eyes with that half smirk that she always made when Connor did something to frustrate her. “So, what’s up?”
“First of all, this conversation never happened, got it?” Jackson warned.
“Ooh, covert ops. I love it!” she giggled.
“You promise?” Jackson pressed.
“I won’t let you down,” she said seriously, though he could still hear the smile in her voice.
“Good. Now, I am taking Janie to dinner tonight and-”
“Shut up!” Alexandra squealed. Jackson said nothing. “No, you this time! Shut. Up. Are you really?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jackson grinned to himself. “And that’s why I need your help. This might be my only shot. I need to make it count. I need to know everything you can tell me: Janie’s favorite foods, favorite flowers, hobbies, etc.”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Alexandra said. “Barbeque, but good barbeque. Apparently there’s a big difference. Insanely sweet iced tea, which is apparently not the same thing as sweetened iced tea. Her favorite flowers are gerber daisies… Do you want me to text you a list?”
“You are the absolute best,” Jackson replied.
“I know,” she sighed. “Good luck.”
Jackson hung up and turned on the radio. It was a sunny April day and he had a date with Janie tonight. Life was good.
✽✽✽
This was a bad day. A terrible, awful day. What in the world was she going to do? Why had she agreed to dinner? It must have been the orgasm. It had shut down her brain and she hadn’t been able to think her way out of it. This was why she tried to keep sex and thinking seperate.
“Morning,” Alexandra said with a smile as she walked up to Janie’s desk and retrieved the coffee she knew Janie would have waiting for her.
“Good morning,” Janie replied, eying her boss suspiciously. She was trying to assess how much damage control she’d need to do this morning. Breaking a date with Jackson would be one thing. A voicemail telling him something came up and they’d have to do it another time, yada, yada. Done. If Alexandra knew, that would be another problem altogether.
“How’s Angel settling in?” Alexandra asked as she thumbed through the small stack of messages waiting for her beside her coffee.
“Fine, I guess. She was still sleeping when I left this morning,” Janie answered with a shrug.
“Connor said she’s working nights this week, so I doubt you’ll see much of her for a while.”
Alexandra looked up and Janie waited for a knowing smile, a twinkle of the eye, anything to indicate that she was in on the secret. That she knew something about what had happened after she and Connor had left last night. But Alexandra’s face gave nothing away.
She gave her one more smile before taking her coffee and her messages and heading into her office. Not conclusive evidence, but a good indication that she was still in the dark. That was good. The less
complicated this got, the easier it would be to get out of.
She pulled out her cell phone and started putting together a text, wording it carefully so as not to offend him, but to also avoid any kind of confusion. She was about to hit send when her phone buzzed. It was Alexandra.
“Yes?” she answered.
“Don’t you dare send that,” Alexandra hissed. “My office. Now.”
Janie sighed, hung up the phone and walked into Alexandra’s office, closing the door behind her.
“So you do know,” Janie commented, slumping into the chair in front of Alexandra’s desk.
“Yup,” Alexandra replied, crossing her arms over her chest.
“When?” Janie asked, covering her face with her palm.
“He called me this morning.”
“And what did he tell you?”
“Just that you’d finally agreed to give him a shot,” Alexandra shrugged. “Why, is there more?”
“No,” Janie said quickly.
Too quickly. Damnit…
“Liar,” Alexandra gasped. “Did something happen?”
“No, nothing,” Janie said, trying to stay cool.
“Oh, my God,” Alexandra whispered. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”
“No! Jesus, Lex,” Janie groaned. “I did not have sex with him.”
“But something did happen,” Alexandra pressed.
“He kissed me,” Janie admitted.
“Kissed you how?” Alexandra asked.
“We made out, okay?” Janie said, burying her face in her hands. “And it was amazing. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Alexandra emitted an uncharacteristic squeal so high only dogs would’ve heard it.
“It was in the kitchen, wasn’t it?”
“How the hell- Does Connor have cameras in our house?” Janie shrieked.
“God, no,” Alexandra said, waving her hands frantically. “I mean, I don’t think so. It was just a guess. There seems to be something about that kitchen…” Alexandra trailed off, a dreamy expression coming over her face.
“Okay,” Janie said uncertainly. “The point is, he asked me out… after, and I was all disoriented and said yes without thinking. So, now that I’ve come to my senses, I need to cancel.”
Her Defender (MacLachlan Security Group Book 2) Page 6
