by Aimee McNeil
He grabbed her shirt and stood up. Holding it up, he closed his eyes, waiting for her to take it from his hand. Instead of taking her shirt, she ran her hand over his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut as his breathing became more pronounced.
“Can I touch you?” Lexie whispered as she leaned in closer. He nodded slightly, keeping his eyes closed. He remained perfectly still.
Lexie stood up on her toes and ran her fingers over his neck, watching goosebumps flash across his skin with the contact. She twisted her fingers up into his thick hair as she leaned in and skimmed her lips along his jaw. His rough skin tickled her tender skin. He held his breath as Lexie neared his lips. She gently touched hers to his, waiting for him to respond, pulling his bottom lip into her mouth.
“You should go,” Jackson whispered.
Lexie pulled back; his eyes were still closed tightly as if in pain. “Oh…I’m sorry. I thought with what you said earlier…I thought you wanted this…” The word was almost a sob with his rejection. Her embarrassment burned through her lust. Lexie grabbed for the shirt he still held out for her. Holding it to her chest, she ran as fast as she could. As soon as she closed the door to her cottage, she released her breath. She climbed the stairs and threw herself on the bed and buried her head under her pillow. She never wanted to face Jackson again.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lexie opened her eyes and looked up at the pine ceiling. The details of the night before came crashing down. She raked her hands down over her face and whimpered in disbelief. She was not ready to face the day that awaited her. “You are such an idiot,” Lexie scolded herself.
Dragging herself from bed, she climbed in the shower and let the hot water burn away the throbbing pain in her head. Normally she loved the smell of the coconut shampoo, but it smelled too potent, causing her stomach to churn. She tried to convince herself the memories from last night were merely a dream. How the hell did she ever think that was a good idea? First she was going to call Stephanie and yell at her.
After dressing, Lexie went to grab her phone only to discover she didn’t have it. Realization hit her like a brick wall. She’d left her phone at Jackson’s place. Lexie tried to convince herself for a moment that she didn’t need her phone, but she knew that was ridiculous. She had to hang her head in shame and drag herself next door.
Lexie felt sick to her stomach as she knocked on his door. It swung open before she could prepare herself—there he was. He was quite possibly a contender for the eighth wonder of the world. He was only wearing a pair of pants, riding low on his hips. Lexie tried not to notice all the delectable dips and lines of muscle that were staring back at her, and those eyes could arguably see into people’s souls.
“Now you knock?” An amused expression graced his features.
Lexie snapped her eyes closed and held out her hand. “May I please have my phone back?”
“Why are you closing your eyes?”
“You closed your eyes last night when I didn’t have a shirt on. I’m just returning the favor. Can I have my phone?” Lexie gave her hand an impatient shake. The truth of the matter was staring at all his perfection made her legs shake and her embarrassment fire hot.
Lexie heard Jackson chuckle as she nervously shuffled her feet. She could feel him lean in closer. He placed something in her hand as he whispered in her ear. “I peeked.”
“What?” Lexie snapped her eyes open. Lexie looked down to see her bra hanging from her hand. Her face exploded with heat.
“I’m only human.” Jackson pushed off the door frame and walked toward his kitchen.
“Well…I still need my phone,” Lexie demanded, following him inside.
“Your friend Stephanie seems nice.”
Lexie wasn’t expecting his comment. “How do you know about Steph?”
“She called your phone after you left. We had quite the conversation about you.” Jackson sat down on his sofa, stretching out his long legs in front of him.
“Oh yeah, well, I’m going to have words with Stephanie later. Can I have my phone now?” Lexie stood at the entrance of the kitchen, refusing to come in any further.
“Why the big rush?” he asked, throwing his arm on the back of the sofa, his devious eyes watching her. Lexie noticed his phone sitting on the table. She grabbed for it.
“I’ll give yours back when you give me mine.” The screen lit up when she picked it up. It was the picture she had sent him—as his lock screen. Lexie gasped when she saw it. She wasn’t even smart enough to leave her face out of the picture when she took it. There she was almost completely naked, sprawled out on his bed. “Holy hell! Take this off,” Lexie panicked.
“Why? You sent it to me.” Jackson was trying to keep a straight face, but she could tell he was holding back his laughter.
“This isn’t funny. You need to erase this picture. I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“I know. That’s why I couldn’t kiss you back,” Jackson confessed. His playful tone faded away.
“What?” Lexie was surprised by his confession.
He stood up and walked into his bedroom to return a few minutes later with her phone in hand. “Here.”
Lexie took the phone from his hand. “You wanted to kiss me back?”
“Yes.”
“I wanted you to,” Lexie whispered.
“What about now, Lexie?” His gaze was so intense she had a hard time not melting under the heat. “Do you want me to kiss you now?”
Lexie drew in a shaky breath. “No…yes.”
“You should have said no.” Jackson grazed his fingers along her cheek.
“Why?”
“Because now that you’ve told me yes, I won’t be able to stop myself.” Jackson grabbed hold of Lexie’s waist and lifted her onto the counter. She gasped in surprise, grabbing hold of his arms for support. The feel of his hard, unyielding flesh under her fingers was exhilarating.
The cool counter was a stark contrast to the heat of her skin. Her skirt rode dangerously high on her thighs as his eyes greedily drank her in. He nudged her knees apart, moving his body between, placing his hands on either side of her face.
“Don’t stop,” Lexie whispered. Her gaze was on his lips as he moved closer. She was desperate to taste him, to feel him against her. She was high on whatever drug his presence pumped into her blood. She felt like she was in a dream.
His lips were soft and tentative at first, the hunger growing until they both unleashed their desire. He devoured her lips like she was the sweetest of desserts, and her head swam with lust. Lexie’s body demanded more as she pressed herself against him. She moved her hips, rubbing her desire against his. The friction caused an intense pleasure to build. Her body was already primed from being in his presence. His hands grazed her legs until his touch found her center. He stroked her with the pad of his thumb, and the heat he stirred sent her reeling.
Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him closer; the thin barrier of her underwear did nothing to lesson her pleasure as she became a victim to her desires. Lexie pulled at his flesh hard enough to leave marks upon his skin. Running her fingers through his hair, she deepened their kiss until she gasped against his mouth when she came undone. Pleasure exploded through her so intense she lost touch with reality and melted.
Small rays of clarity began to dissipate the fog of her mind, and she realized that she just had the most intense orgasm of her entire life and she was still clothed. Jackson leaned against the counter with his head down. She would have given anything to know what he was thinking. Embarrassment and lust seemed to be the most prevalent emotions she was plagued with where Jackson was concerned. His muscles were coiled so tight she thought he might snap.
Lexie concentrated on regulating her breathing as she watched him silently. “Holy shit, Lexie.” Pushing off the counter, he raked his hands down his face and walked out of the kitchen. Lexie heard the bathroom door shut and the shower turn on seconds later. Lexie took a deep shaky breath. She sl
id off the counter and righted her clothes. Grabbing her phone, she walked quietly past the bathroom door and slipped out the front door.
***
“Lexie, I was wondering when I’d hear from you.” Stephanie’s voice caused emotion to stir in her stomach. “Lex? What’s wrong?”
Lexie released a long, slow breath. “When I kissed Jackson, I didn’t even think about Alex. It was like he didn’t even exist for that moment in time. I forgot…I forgot to miss him.” Hot tears started to fall. Lexie couldn’t hold onto them.
“Okay, just hold on a second. You kissed Jackson?” Stephanie asked in disbelief.
“Yes.”
“How did it happen?”
“Jackson said he was talking to you, so I guess you already know he caught me last night.”
“He wasn’t mad at all. He actually seemed very comfortable with the idea of you checking him out. What happened, anyway?”
“It was a disaster, and I planned never to see him again, but when I woke up this morning and realized I forgot my phone, I went back…I tried to make a stand but I can’t stop wanting him. It’s like I’m a whole new person with him. I don’t recognize myself. I didn’t want it to stop.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not when it was happening—but after. I feel like I let Alex down. I shouldn’t have these feelings. Not to mention the timing actually couldn’t be any worse.” Lexie rubbed her temple. She could feel a headache coming on from all the emotional stress. “I feel like there’s a war going on inside of me, and I have no idea what side I’m on.”
“I know you don’t want to forget him, Lex. I know it terrifies you to move on, but you need this. Alex would want you to enjoy your life. You can’t spend your whole life stuck because you’re afraid that someone else will claim a piece of your heart that you’re keeping for Alex. You have a big heart. There’s room to let someone else in,” Stephanie said. “I wish you weren’t so far away.”
“I want to come home,” Lexie sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Oh I just remembered…I ran into Marley from your building. She said there was a strange guy hanging around your apartment. She said he looked a little scary. Do you think it’s one of the guys that followed you from the diner?”
“I don’t know…you didn’t tell anyone where I was, did you?”
“No, of course not. Not even Evan, who is constantly harassing me.”
“Thanks. I need to lie low until I get some answers from Mom. Don’t go near my apartment just in case.”
“It sounds like you’re out of breath. Where are you?”
“I’m heading to the store. They had a label for the nail polish, but it was sold out. It was the closest I’ve ever come to finding it. I’m going to check and see if they got any in.” Lexie picked up her pace.
She could hear Stephanie sigh on the other end of the line. “Okay, but can you promise me something?”
“What?”
“If they don’t have it, can you buy a different color? Just whatever grabs your attention and paint your nails. I promise that you’ll find out that you’ll still remember everything about him.”
“I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
The trees fell away, and the parking lot was sitting in front of her. Lexie didn’t even attempt to smile at the greeter when she walked into the store. She headed straight for the aisle that displayed rows and rows of polish with the hope that they restocked the shelves. The empty hole on the shelf made her stomach drop.
“Excuse me?” Lexie called to a young girl with short cropped hair and artsy glasses, straightening the next shelf. “Do you know if you will get any more of this color?” Lexie pointed to the empty spot in the rainbow of nail polish.
She pushed her glasses up her nose before frowning. “We haven’t had the color in about a year. I think they discontinued it.”
“Oh…thanks,” Lexie said despondently.
“Can I help you find another color? We just got in this really pretty pink with sparkles,” she said excitedly, picking up a polish that was sitting in its own display.
“Thanks. It’s very nice.” Lexie took the bottle.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” she said politely before she went back to fixing the shelf.
Lexie stared down at the bottle of polish in her hand before squeezing tight and walking toward the cash register. She was going to take Stephanie’s advice and buy the polish. Her heart raced with fear; she was terrified of buying it. On a logical level, she knew it was just polish, but her emotions were irrational and right now they had a tight hold on her physically.
She walked up to the same cashier she had been to the day before. This time she made the effort to force a smile on her face, despite her inner turmoil.
When the front doors opened, Lexie instinctively turned to see who entered. A man walked in with a black shirt and dark jeans. His arms were covered in sleeves of tattoos and firm set to his jaw. He was followed by another man that was similarly dressed. They looked out of place and immediately reminded her of the men that followed her to her mother’s house. Lexie turned her back to them, ducking behind a rack of chips displayed next to the register. She didn’t want to take any chances. She was listening to her instincts. “See the men that just walked in?”
“Yes,” the cashier said slowly; her eyebrows rose in question.
“Can you tell me when they’re not looking this way? We had an awkward run in earlier, and I would really like to avoid them,” Lexie lied, hoping the cashier would be sympathetic.
“Oh.” Her eyes immediately sought out the men in question. “One is heading down the aisle and the other…you should be good if you head out…now.”
“Thank you so much.” Lexie smiled before quickly heading toward the entrance, making sure not to look back. She scanned the parking lot to make sure nothing was amiss as she walked away from the building. Once she was at the mouth of the path, she took off as fast as she could.
Adrenaline pumped through her body as she ran with the occasional glance behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She pushed until her legs began to feel numb and the cottage came into view. She ran into the backyard and collapsed in the wooden chair, drawing air desperately into her lungs as she tried to calm her racing heart.
Lexie closed her eyes and took deep satisfying breaths. Her mind started to settle from the panic, and she realized she was being ridiculous. She was scared of everything because she didn’t know what the danger was. Lexie opened her hand and looked at the bottle of polish that she had gripped so tightly it left an imprint on her palm.
She wasn’t sure how long she was staring at it, but when a pair of well-worn leather shoes stepped into view, she looked up to see Jackson staring down at her hand.
“Painting your nails?” he asked with a raised brow.
“I couldn’t find the right color. It’s discontinued,” Lexie said sadly, looking down at what now remained of the blue color. She looked up and found him looking at her toes.
“The pink suits you more,” he stated with a thoughtful frown.
“You think so?” Lexie tilted her head and sighed. “I have always hated nail polish.”
Jackson took the bottle from her hand, looked at it for a moment. “Flirt? What a stupid name.” He threw the bottle as hard as he could out over the water, and they both watched the splash as it broke through the surface. “Problem solved.”
“Hey! Why the hell did you just do that?” Lexie scowled at him.
“You said you didn’t like nail polish. You have been staring at it like you were waiting for it to grow wings and fly away. It made sense to eliminate the problem.”
“You are such a guy.” Lexie shook her head. She didn’t really care that her new bottle of polish was now at the bottom of the lake. She only watched as the ripples dissipated to the original calm of the surface. “What am I going to do now? The color is almost gone on my toes.”
“I like y
our toes better naked,” Jackson said as he sat down on the chair beside hers, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
“How old are you, Jackson?” Lexie looked at his dark, seductive eyes that spoke of pleasure and danger. His body was primed and always ready for action. He never seemed to relax or let a smile easily grace his lips. She wondered if she looked hard enough if she could find the answers in his enchanting eyes.
“Older than you.”
“Will you at least tell me if you like to swim?” Lexie stood up and pulled her shirt off.
She watched him watching her, his eyes drinking in her flesh as she stood before him in her bra. She slid her shorts down her legs slowly, watching his reaction. Tossing her shorts on her chair, she walked to the edge of the water. Dipping her toes in, the water only had a slight chill against her warmed skin. She walked in until the water reached her thigh. She glanced back at Jackson, who was holding his phone up taking a picture. She laughed before diving into the water. The cool enveloped her, and she found it refreshing and soothing to release herself to the weightlessness of the water.
When Lexie broke the surface, she turned around to see Jackson pulling off his clothes. He dove in, and the water instantly felt warmer. She couldn’t see him as he remained immersed. It made her nervous.
Lexie felt a gentle brush against her back. She spun around and saw him behind her. He was so quiet she didn’t hear him surface. She had so many questions but no desire to ask any of them. She would let him keep his secrets. She just wanted to exist here and now with him. She lay back in the water, floating as she looked up at the pale blue sky surrounding the bright hot sun. It was peaceful, and she wanted to freeze the moment to keep forever.
When her fingers grazed his, she grabbed hold of him, taking his hand in hers. She felt him squeeze her hand in return as they floated side by side. Time escaped them as they remained in blissful silence. She didn’t understand how she could find comfort with a man she barely knew, but she wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as she could.
