More Than Physical (The Physical Series Book Book 2)

by Hill, Sierra

  His thoughts had meandered so far off into his reverie that he barely registered Sasha standing in the open doorway in front of him. His breath caught in his chest when she opened the door and promptly turned back around to busy herself with several bags sitting on the floor.

  Sasha always had the propensity to blow him away with her fashion ensembles. Formal wear, casual, date-night, and lingerie – every time he saw her, she was perfect. Tonight was no exception.

  She bent over, the skinny jeans she wore like a second skin, tightly configuring to her lusciously round ass. The cropped Patriot’s jersey, which appeared to have been purchased off the children’s rack, hitched up her back, exposing the creamy skin just above the waistband of her jeans. His fingers itched to run his hand up her spine, feeling the gentle slide of her silky skin. Maybe not right this minute, but sometime tonight, he would do just that.

  Her voice, smokey and sweet like brown sugar and molasses, jarred him back to the present.

  “Can you help me load these bags into your car? I need to run upstairs and grab my purse and the cake.” She glanced back over her shoulder at him, giving him an appraising glance as he just stood there gaping after her.

  Her brow scrunched in question. “What’s the matter with you? You’re looking at me funny.” Hands placed on her hips, head tipped to the side, Sasha looked both perplexed and curious, as if his behavior was irrational.

  And maybe it was. All thoughts in his brain ceased to exist in that moment, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Guthrie was right. He did love this woman. And he’d be a fool not to tell her – to let her go on one more minute without knowing how he felt about her.

  Fuck, this woman was it for him. All of her. All of her fiery personality, her smoking hot body, her independence and her sexy, dirty mind. She was everything he never knew he wanted.

  Stepping toward her as if in a dreamlike trance, he reached out to grab her wrists, pulling her in tight against his body. He cupped her cheeks, lifting her face so he could look into her eyes.

  Throat dry as the desert, he barely croaked out the words that were clawing out of his chest.

  “I’ve fallen in love with you, Sasha.”

  Jackson hadn’t practiced those words out loud or envisioned what a moment like this would look like when he said it the first time to a woman - but her stiffened body, tense with uncertainty, definitely wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for. It was all he could do not to retract his statement and undo the words that hung between them like a lead balloon.

  Several silent moments passed and nothing happened. Sasha blinked, her wide-brown eyes flashing an emotion he couldn’t name. He was just about to ask her forgiveness for his stupidity when she spoke, a smile quirking on her lips.

  “I know, Rowdy,” she said, reaching up to place a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I’m really not all that surprised. I figured you’d come to that conclusion soon enough.”

  Her flippant response shouldn’t have felt like an arrow piercing his heart, obliterating him to bits, but it did. It was worse than the Patriot’s deflate gate, the air popping right out of him, along with his pride. Had he not seen the truth in her eyes, his heart might have died a bloody death. But it was there – carefully hidden under Sasha’s playful cockiness.

  She tried pulling away from him, stepping back with a foot and pivoting to the side, but he caught her by the shoulders and pried her back into his arms.

  “I don’t expect you to say it back…but you don’t fool me. I know you’re in just as deep as me, Sasha. It’s there. I see it in your eyes when you look at me,” he said, tilting her chin up with his thumb so she’d look at him in the eyes. “I feel it with every tremor of your body when I’m deep inside you. I hear it in your voice when you speak to me in that special tone reserved just for me. I know it with every fiber of my being. You’re mine, Sasha, whether you want to admit it or not.”

  She pressed her hands to his chest and gave him a petulant shove. Jackson could have resisted, keeping her pinned to his chest, but he let her go, knowing it would only drive up her irritation.

  “You’re going all caveman on me there, Rowdy. And that’s a lot to drop on a girl when we have a big night ahead of us. So why don’t you put those strong arms to use and carry these things to the car so we can get this show on the road.”

  Patting his shoulder, Sasha turned and ran up the stairs, leaving him befuddled and confused, but not the least bit sorry for calling it like it was. He was in love with her and he’d sure as shit get her to admit the same thing sooner rather than later. Party or no party.

  ****

  Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Okay, to put it mildly, she panicked. Or maybe more in the way of freaked-the-fuck out. So sue her. But come on! A guy can’t just throw those words out to an unsuspecting girl like that and expect her to know what to do. She had to run, lest she feel like she was the prey in an ambush by a jungle cat. And she could still feel the sting of the claw marks that flayed her heart wide open.

  The reaction she’d given Jax was definitely not one of her finest moments. Sasha knew she handled it poorly, kind of accidentally flipping her shit, and going just a teensy-weensy bit postal when Jackson dropped the “L” bomb just an hour before. But for the love of all that was holy – how did he expect her to react? By jumping up and down in glee, writing their initials in doodle hearts and naming their unborn children?

  The twenty-minute ride to the warehouse was insanely uncomfortable, the drops of sweat beading between her cleavage making her twitch with anxiety. How the hell was she supposed to get through this night now after that heavy admission from Jax?

  Every few minutes or so, Sasha would surreptitiously glance over in her peripheral vision to see how Jackson was doing. He seemed pretty damn calm for just telling her he loved her, the damn fool. And while she tried to act ever-so-coolly and unaffected by it all, her heart rate was beating faster than a race horse at the starting gates, nerves frazzled and composure ready to disintegrate.

  A part of her felt guilty for being such a fucktard by the way she handled his admission. It tore at her, making her ache for the pain she’d caused him, as she saw his handsome facial features torqued with anguish when she couldn’t respond in kind. Although he quickly tried to cover it up, she saw it as clear as day.

  And even though she was a chicken shit and couldn’t admit it, she felt the same way toward him. It was just the coward in her that prevented her from saying it back. Because the moment she let those words loose again, it would change everything.

  And things were too precarious at the moment. This was the closest she’d been to having an honest-to-god relationship in over ten years. So damn straight she was scared, because she knew that once she laid that out on the line, there was no going back. And that was a heavy, haunting burden to live with.

  If she and Jackson could just stay focused on making it through the evening, ensuring the party was a flying success, then they could revisit this whole “L” word exchange later. But right now, she had to get her game face on.

  Jackson parked the car in the lot of the warehouse and they went to work unloading the trunk of the boxes that held a bevy of party favors, signs, various caches of sex toys and football squishy balls.

  Jackson happened to eye the open box with the fuzzy pink hand-cuffs and dildo hats.

  He cocked his eyebrows in amusement.

  “Do I dare ask what these will be used for?”

  Her retort was licked-split.

  “If I have to tell you, then you probably don’t want to know.” She giggled and threw a football at Jackson’s head.

  Sasha had enjoyed herself the previous week when she’d done her party-favor shopping for the bachelorette and bachelor. What party would be complete without some trashy, kinky, sexy toys to entertain and embarrass? And she was damn-well going to make sure either Mitch or Rylie, or both, wear the dildo hat for photo ops at some point during the evening.

/>   “How come you’ve not asked me to use something like this on you, yet?” Jackson asked, coyly toying with the bright purple vibrator sitting on the side of the box. Sasha’s cheeks burned splotchy and hot. Not from embarrassment, but from picturing him using it on her while she was splayed out wide on his bed.

  She swallowed thickly.

  “I don’t know,” she considered, setting the box down on the long front table. “But I have plenty to choose from at home whenever you want.”

  One second he was behind her with a box in his hands and the next thing she knew, one of Jackson’s hands was at the back of her head, the other on her ass, his lips taking possession of hers in a wild, hot kiss.

  God, this man destroyed her with his kisses. Sometimes they were sweet and tender, like rose petals floating on placid water, and other times they were so hot and erotic, she felt the burn all the way down to her painted toes.

  He released her for a second, giving her time to breathe.

  “Do you think of me and what I do to you when you use your toys, Sash?” His voice was so low, so sensual, she felt the vibration in her own belly.

  Voices and noise coming from the front of the building had her eyes scanning the area. She’d forgotten that the catering company was coming early to set up. Otherwise, she would have unbuckled his jeans and dropped to her knees to show him exactly what she thought about when she got herself off.

  Instead, she purred out a quiet “yes” and stepped back, placing her hand over his chest and pushing him back to allow her some much needed space to think.

  “I told Rylie about us,” Sasha cautiously stated. If she and Jackson were together at this party all night, there was a likely chance one of them would end up slipping with PDA eventually, their hands having minds of their own, especially with the free-flowing booze. “Does Mitch know?”

  Jackson’s trademark smile appeared on his lips, all sexy-as-sin and edible.

  “Yeah, he does. I was caught in a lie after our night at the hotel, so I had to come clean with Mitch. So how do you want to play this tonight? Are we together?”

  Sasha began to organize the gift bags on the table, conferring with the names on her list, but stopping to consider his question. Time to finally admit to herself that she and Jax were more than a hook-up at this point.

  “Well, seeing as you did drive me here tonight…and the likelihood of me sleeping at your house is pretty good….I guess I’d say we’re dating.”

  A yelp jolted from her chest when he grabbed her ass with a growl. Then he leaned in over her shoulder, his lips touching the sensitive skin of her ear.

  “That’s right, baby. You’re all mine. And I’m going to make good on that promise to use that magic purple wand on you later. Now get to work, Ms. Party Planner. I’m gonna go grab a beer.”

  Jackson swatted her ass as he walked off toward the bar. She snorted, watching him walk in the opposite direction. His hot promise to get her off later, along with the exquisite perfection of his ass, had her already wet and ready for everything the night had in store for her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Did he really bring twins as his dates tonight?”

  Jackson shook his head in bewilderment as he took a sip of his beer, watching Dylan Hemmons bump and grind with the two silicone Barbie Doll sisters out on the dance floor. Mitch stood next to him watching the same thing, the look in his eyes clearly amusement. Although both men had had their heyday in the past, it was hard not to be a tad bit jealous of the younger man out on the dance floor, looking like he was enjoying himself immensely with his two women.

  Rumor had it that Dylan, Rylie’s older brother, was quite the man-whore, never with a woman more than once or twice before moving on to the next. It wasn’t all that long ago Jackson seemed to be in a similar circumstance, perhaps not quite as prolific as Dylan, but if someone had described Jackson after he and Abigail split up, they would have said “that man’s sowing his wild oats.”

  Now the thought of being with anyone else besides Sasha made him break out in hives and his stomach turn. While Sasha hadn’t copped to feeling the same way about him as he did her, he knew it…he could feel it in the way she looked at him. And not just during sex. He’d catch her smiling at him with this look that blatantly screamed “content”. And he loved the way it made him feel. Like Leo in Titanic. The King of the World.

  “Yeah, the stud definitely has his hands full tonight,” Mitch chuckled, giving a chin nod of acknowledgement to someone as they passed by, offering Mitch a congratulatory pat on the back. “But that’s Dylan for you. Rylie said she’s glad none of her friends ever wanted to date her brother, otherwise she would have had to kick his ass for breaking their hearts.”

  Jackson nearly choked on his beer in relief, but couldn’t help the question that blurted from his mouth.

  “Do you think he and Sasha ever hooked up?”

  Mitch turned his head slowly, giving him the WTF death-glare. Or maybe it was the “you’re acting like you have a vagina right now, dude.”

  “Don’t go there, bro. Jealousy is not a look you wear well.”

  Shit, he was right. It was none of Jackson’s business what happened in the past in Sasha’s love life. What mattered now was that she wanted to be with him. Or at least he thought she did.

  Just as that thought entered his head, a flash of dark curls appeared out in the center of the floor, joining the threesome already in progress. Sasha’s petite body mashed together in perfect rhythm with the other bodies, as she moved in sync, fluidly gyrating her limbs, her hips, her ass to the beat of the music.

  Hot lust bulleted through him, followed by a flash of rage when he witnessed Dylan’s hands grabbing her tight ass and yanking her up against his body. Jackson’s feet were poised to begin his route across the room, his fists ready to intervene and break-up the little party, when Sasha jerked from Dylan’s grasp, her arms shoving him away at his chest and her finger wagging at him playfully.

  That’s his girl.

  Sasha’s eyes darted Jackson’s way, a look of curiosity and a tinge of guilt, which quickly turned to something darker. Sexier. She stepped back from the ménage and beckoned him with a crooked finger. There was no hesitation as he gave his nearly empty beer bottle to Mitch, who gave Jackson a snort and shook his head. Jackson walked with surety and purpose toward the beautiful woman under the sparkling lights of the dance floor.

  Bodies crowded the small square-shaped floor, the music pumping through the speakers at the front of the stage and through the room – the band now well into their first set. Strategically placed spotlights scattered splashes of light across the many faces, people moving to the beat of the loud, toe-tapping music.

  Wrapping his arms around her small waist, Jackson pulled her to him tight as her head lifted to stare into his eyes. Although she was wearing four-inch heels, she was still a tiny thing, barely coming up to his chin. He liked the about her. Compact and small, but a fiery personality that could win a competition against the spiciest Tijuana salsa.

  The band’s song was a slow ballad that had everyone swaying to the music. Sasha clasped her hands behind Jackson’s neck, pressing her ear to his chest, his chin resting against the top of her head. He couldn’t hear it, but he felt her sigh, her sexy body relaxing noticeably in his arms.

  “What was that sigh for?” he prodded, one hand moving south to the small of her back. His fingers inched under the hem of the jersey, seeking the supple skin of her back. Jackson toyed with the waistband of her jeans, his dick perking up at the exquisite feel of her heated flesh and the intoxicating scent of her hair. Now he wanted to sigh with contentment. She felt so good in his arms. He never wanted to let her go.

  “I don’t know. A lot of things, I guess. I kind of wish we weren’t the ones hosting this shindig so we could get out of here. Being around you all night has made me very horny.”

  The wicked smile that etched across her face had him wondering how the hell he could get her out of
the crowded party, finding somewhere private where he could get inside her. Fuck, what she did to him.

  Jackson glanced around the decorated warehouse looking for a dark corner or small recess where he could have his naughty way with her. Because the way she was looking at him, and the movement of her body against his straining cock, made the need for her very imperative. Even if he could just take the edge off until they could be alone, together all night, naked in his bedroom.

  Eying a short corridor in the far corner of the building, which was blocked off by a wall of empty liquor boxes brought in for the festivities, he found their love nest. Perfect. No one would be back there right now.

  Grabbing Sasha’s wrist, Jackson yanked her off the dance floor, a little grunt of surprise escaping her throat as she trailed after him. His stride was fast, but controlled, as Sasha worked to keep up with him.

  “Where the hell are we going, Rowdy?”

  “Shh. No questions. No talking. Just follow me.”

  Jackson wasn’t surprised when she gave him a haughty grumble, mumbling something that sounded a lot like “Neanderthal.” She wouldn’t be Sasha if she didn’t put up a fuss to his requests and demands. Even if it did lead to dirty deeds. Her sassy mouth only turned him on even more because he knew it was just a smokescreen. She loved it when he took charge like this. And it only increased the fire’s intensity between them.

  Reaching the edge of the hallway, they had to sidestep numerous couples and circles of party-goers. The music was loud and ruckus, the vibe perfect for the celebratory atmosphere. And it was also loud enough, and dark enough, to do exactly what he hoped to do with her.

  Maneuvering his body so that Sasha was ahead of him, he gave her a slight nudge to keep her moving down to the end of the hallway. As they neared the exit, he halted her progress, turning her back to pin her against the cement wall. She let out a short cry before his hips thrust to meet hers, capturing her wet lips with a hungry kiss.

  The long, lusty groan she let out made him so crazy with desire he was ready to whip it out and go at it right then and there – consequences be damned. Thankfully his teenage boy, lack-of-boner-control days, were long gone and he was able to keep his shit together. At least for the moment.