Burned

by Gabrielle Gibson

  And not once since that night in Vegas had he been able to pull away from any of them afterward without thinking about Jessie.

  Remembering that night… her sweetness, the innocent way she had touched him, the feel and taste of her skin, the way she had shuddered and whispered his name in that shaky voice as he touched his tongue to her sweet little pussy, tasting her honey.

  What the fuck was wrong with him? He had never spent so much time reliving a night with any other woman. And he had fucked some seriously hot pieces of ass… the kind of women wet dreams are made of.

  Jessie was more than just hot. She was… beautiful. Sweet. Fun. Caring. Affectionate.

  At least, she had been affectionate until he’d turned her world upside down. Now she wouldn’t come near him. She snuggled with Kennedy still, of course. But the hugs, the massages, the hand clasping that he had initially found so irritating but eventually started to look forward to? Those were all a thing of the past.

  He couldn’t blame her. He had fucked her over hard. He had told her to trust him. And she had. She had trusted him with her heart, and her body, and he had punished her for it by ripping her to pieces.

  Maybe he had made a mistake. Maybe he could do this.

  It must mean something that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He could at least try, right? What did he need other women for if he could have Jessie? She was the perfect girl. It might not be easy. He might have to work hard to resist fooling around. But he could do it for Jessie, couldn’t he? Sarah had said it was a choice. He could choose to be with only Jessie. No other girl had ever made him so crazy… or so happy.

  He showered quickly, got dressed and jumped in his Jeep. He had to do this now. Before he lost his nerve. Or talked himself out of it.

  He missed her. He wanted to make a go of it with her. He just hoped she would be willing to give him another chance.

  JACK PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, behind Jessie’s Lexus.

  He walked to the front door and knocked. He could hear music coming faintly from somewhere in the house.

  No answer. He knocked again, harder this time. He waited. Still no answer.

  He heard a laugh coming from the back yard.

  Well, that explained it. She must be out back. Her backyard looked out over the water and she often spent time out there.

  Jack followed the flag stone walkway around the house. When he saw Jessie, he stopped in his tracks.

  She wasn’t alone. Scott was with her.

  They were having a picnic. Sitting on a blanket that was spread out over the grass, Jessie was leaned back lazily against him, her face turned to look up at him as she fed him some kind of finger food. A picnic basket was nearby, a bottle of wine propped against it.

  He was too far away to hear what they were saying to each other, but they were smiling and Jessie’s pretty laugh reached his ears.

  He felt his heart sink. He was too late. He had missed his window.

  He turned and walked back to his Jeep, his heart thumping in his chest.

  Fuck.

  There was no way he would ruin that moment for her. She looked so happy. Sounded so happy. He would be the selfish prick he had been in Vegas if he spoke up now and ruined that happiness for her.

  He was disappointed, but as he drove home he realized that he had been right to trust his initial instincts.

  A fucking picnic. He would never have thought of something like that. He wasn’t cut out to make a girl like that happy. Scott obviously was.

  He was thinking clearly again. What in the hell had gotten into him? It was a good reality check. A reminder that he wasn’t the right guy for Jessie. Picnics and wine and flowers and bullshit. What the fuck had he been thinking?

  He breathed a sigh of relief as if he’d just dodged a deadly bullet. He might never forget their night together, but it was a one-time thing. It was just going to take more time than he had expected for those memories of that night to fade.

  But they would fade eventually. Someday they would barely remember that they had ever slept together. It would truly be as if it had never happened. Just like she wanted.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “THANKS FOR DINNER, SCOTT.” JESSIE smiled sweetly. “I had a really nice time tonight.”

  They had gone out to a restaurant for dinner and then returned to Scott’s house to watch a movie, curled up on the big couch in his enormous living room.

  Scott returned her smile. He kissed her softly on the cheek.

  “I had a nice time, too.”

  “Do you want dessert?” Jessie glanced down shyly. “I made you a cherry pie this morning. I brought it with me. Maybe you’d like some?”

  Scott nodded. “Sure, that sounds good.”

  Jessie went into Scott’s kitchen and cut them each a slice of the pie. She brought the plates into the living room and set them on the coffee table.

  Scott picked up the plate and took a bite of the pie. “Wow, Jessie, this is good. I’ve definitely missed your cooking.”

  Jessie laughed. “I’m glad you like it.”

  He looked at her, smiling, and she leaned over and pressed her lips to his.

  “Mmmm, it does taste good,” Jessie whispered, detecting the faint taste of cherry lingering on Scott’s lips.

  Scott laughed uncomfortably, but kissed her back. Soon she was lying against him as they kissed softly and gently.

  Jessie shifted her body and slid onto Scott’s lap, straddling him as they kissed.

  “Whoa, Jessie, what are you doing?” Scott asked, looking surprised.

  “Just trying to get a little closer. Is that okay?” Jessie asked, whispering in his ear.

  “I guess so, sure,” Scott responded hesitantly.

  They kept kissing as Jessie smoothed her hands across his chest, and began softly rocking her hips. She reached for his hands and placed them behind her, against her ass.

  “Scott, I want you to touch me,” she whispered.

  “Okay, wow, what the hell, Jessie?” Scott sounded shocked.

  She froze. “What’s wrong, Scott?”

  “You tell me. You’re not acting like yourself, Jessie. This isn’t you.” He pushed her off his lap.

  “What do you mean?” Jessie sat next to him on her couch, looking hurt and confused.

  “Never seen you so aggressive before. Acting like a little tramp.” Scott stood up.

  “What the hell did you just say to me?” Jessie stood as well, anger burning through her.

  “Sorry, but the girl I used to know didn’t climb all over a guy acting like a horny slut. Don’t know what’s happened to you, Jessie, but I don’t like it. You’ve changed, and not for the better.”

  Jessie felt tears sting her eyes. “Welcome to the twenty-first century, Scott. Women are allowed to enjoy sex. Haven’t you heard? It doesn’t make them sluts. I think I better go now.”

  “Yeah, I think that would be best. Goodnight, Jessie,” Scott said tightly.

  Jessie grabbed her purse and car keys and stalked out of Scott’s house, angry tears streaking down her cheeks.

  In her car she took several deep breaths and tried to calm down before pulling out of Scott’s driveway.

  Was it crazy to miss Jack right now? Of course it was. It was absolute insanity.

  But she did miss him. He was all she could think about. Suddenly she wanted to see him more than anything else in the world.

  She passed the turn that would have taken her home and kept going, as if her car was on auto-pilot.

  She didn’t care that it made no sense. Things had been so awkward between them lately, but right now she just needed her best friend back.

  “DAMMIT!” JACK SWORE AT THE television.

  He was watching the Braves get their asses kicked. A knock at the door drew his attention from the game.

  He left the game room and walked through the house to open the front door, surprised to see Jessie standing there.

  He’d been drinking slowly but steadily most
of the day. He wasn’t a hundred percent sober, and Jessie showing up at his door looking like a girl-next-door fuck fantasy was probably dangerous.

  “Hey,” he said, his eyes sweeping over her wavy blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes, short pink dress and pretty legs ending in blinged out sandals. She looked amazing as usual, although her eyes looked like she had been crying. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks and she shook her head.

  He reached for her, pulling her in for a hug and into the house.

  “Hey, what’s going on? What happened?” He closed the front door behind them.

  “I’m sorry, Zoey’s out of town and I didn’t know where else to…” She looked around the house. “Is this a bad time? Are you… alone?”

  “It’s fine, Jessie. Kennedy’s with Sarah tonight. Come in here and tell me what’s wrong. Why the fuck are you crying?”

  Seeing those tears sliding down her pretty face just about slayed him. He couldn’t stand to see her cry. He’d do just about anything to make it stop.

  He led her into the game room, his arm still around her, his hand resting on her lower back.

  “Want a drink?” He hugged her again, pulling her against his chest and kissing the top of her head.

  She wasn’t sure what she was even doing there. It was crazy. She had no business showing up at Jack’s house unannounced like this. She just needed to see him.

  She was glad that she and Jack were friends again. There was a time she hadn’t been sure that would ever be possible. Although the closeness they had once shared had never really returned, she was still so glad they had been able to at least move past that night in Vegas that had changed everything.

  She swallowed nervously and pulled away from him. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  She wandered over to the poker table and ran her hand over the blue felt top. The words tumbled from her without any thought.

  “We had a fight. Scott said some things. Some really nasty things.” Her voice broke and she looked away.

  Jack looked at her sharply. “What did he say?”

  “He… he said that I’ve changed. That he doesn’t like the way I am now, that I act like…” Jessie’s voice broke on a sob.

  A dull ache started pounding in his head, as his blood raced quickly through his body, a charge of anger making him catch his breath.

  He walked slowly toward her and stood in front of her as she pressed herself into the side of the poker table. He pulled her into his arms again.

  “Shhh… it’s okay. Tell me. Tell me what he fucking said.”

  The anger was rolling off of him in waves now. Jessie was the sweetest girl he’d ever known. He couldn’t imagine anyone having any reason to get pissed off at her enough to say something to make her cry this way.

  “He said I was… acting like a tramp, like a slut.” Jessie admitted, pressing her face into Jack’s chest. “I was just kissing him, I asked him to touch me, that’s all… was that so wrong?”

  “What the fuck? I will end that mother fucker.” He stared into those blue eyes that had fucked up his head like nothing else ever had. Blue eyes that were filled with tears, so hurt and confused.

  “No, Jack, please, just stay here with me.”

  He was close to her, so close she could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent from his clothes and the alcohol on his breath.

  “Jessie, I don’t know why he would say those things to you, but you know none of that is true. He’s a piece of shit for talking to you that way.”

  He held her close, his hand stroking her back, his lips pressing small kisses against her hair, her cheeks.

  “Don’t cry, sweet girl. Nothing he says matters. You’re perfect. So fucking perfect. He doesn’t know you anymore, he doesn’t know anything about you.”

  His lips pressed briefly against hers, just a small kiss that was meant to comfort, not start a fire.

  She took a deep breath and felt her heart start pounding faster.

  Why did he still make her feel this way? It was crazy. He had hurt her worse than anyone ever had and yet she still wanted him. She wanted to feel his hands on her again, his mouth.

  God, that mouth.

  “You know me, though, Jack. No one knows me better than you do,” Jessie whispered.

  “I want to fuck him up for making you cry. Can’t stand to see you so upset. It kills me, princess. Never want to see you hurt. Want you to be happy.”

  “I miss you, Jack. I miss you so much. You made me happy, Jack. Before everything went so wrong, you made me happy. Being with you, and Kennedy, I loved my life when we spent every day together.”

  “Jessie, fuck… I miss you, too. I think about you all the fucking time. Can’t seem to stop, no matter how hard I try. But it won’t work, Jessie. It can’t.”

  He couldn’t help remembering how her body had felt when he’d fucked her, the way she whispered his name and the sounds she made when she had come for him. Her skin had been so soft. Her tight, wet, pussy wrapped around his cock, kissing those sweet lips…

  “I think about you, too… that night in Vegas. The way you made me feel. The way you touched me,” Jessie whispered, placing a hand on his arm and running her fingers lightly down his bicep.

  He visibly flinched when her fingers touched him. She felt his hand rest lightly on the top of her thigh for a second before he quickly snatched it away and closed it into a tight fist as he tried to exercise restraint.

  Jessie’s heart raced and her stomach flipped.

  Had they made a mistake in walking away from each other? Did he want his best friend back as badly as she did?

  She wasn’t quite ready to let go. She missed him. More than she ever wanted to admit. Even though he had hurt her so badly. He wasn’t perfect, not even close, but she loved him anyway. Maybe they could get past it. Maybe they could make it work.

  Even if he didn’t want to try, she wanted to feel again the way he had made her feel that night in Vegas. At least, the way he had made her feel before he had broken her heart and left her raw and aching.

  “You need to forget me, Jessie. Forget about that night in Vegas and move on with someone who can give you what you need.” Jack cupped the side of her face with his hand and ran his thumb gently across her cheek. He leaned close to her, his lips inches from hers. “Maybe Scott’s not that guy. But he’s out there. I promise he is. Whoever gets you is the luckiest mother fucker in the world. I mean that. You’re incredible. So fucking sweet, and pretty, and smart and funny. And this body, Jessie? Fuck… just thinking about you gets me bone hard.”

  She hesitated and then took a deep breath.

  “No one’s ever made me feel the way that you do, Jack. Never touched me the way that you touched me, never made love to me the way that you did,” Jessie confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Jack couldn’t stand to think of Scott touching her. Couldn’t stand to think of anyone else touching her, actually. The thought of her sleeping with him sent an uncomfortable and unfamiliar jolt of jealousy over him.

  “Christ, Jessie! I don’t want to think about you fucking someone else!” Jack hissed, turning away and stalking over to the bar to pour a shot of whiskey. He took a long, soothing sip, appreciating the burn as he pushed thoughts of Jessie naked with someone else out of his head.

  He hated feeling like this. He hated that he cared so fucking much.

  “You haven’t been celibate since Vegas, Jack. Your sex life isn’t exactly a secret. You’ve never cared how it makes me feel to hear about it,” Jessie shot back.

  She hadn’t slept with Scott again yet, but she wasn’t going to tell Jack that. Let him think she was sleeping with someone else. Served him right if it bothered him, after all of the other girls he’d paraded in front of her.

  It was true that he’d been keeping busy with the hottest girls he could find, trying like hell to get the images of Jessie out of his head. It hadn’t worked of course. He could still
remember every perfect inch of her skin, every touch, every kiss, every thrust into her body.

  “Of course I care, Jessie. I just can’t…”

  He slammed down the glass in his hand and then walked back to where she still stood, leaning against the poker table. He held on to the edges, one hand on each side of her, boxing her in.

  Jessie slid her hands across his chest and then left them there.

  “Why are you touching me?” Jack asked, taking in a sharp breath.

  “Do you want me to stop?” Jessie looked into his blue eyes.

  He was usually so in control, so self-assured and so damn hard to read. Right now he looked uncertain and confused.

  “Yes,” he said hoarsely, as he slid his hands behind her dress and under her ass, lifting her slightly so he could pick her up and set her down on the table.

  He stood against the edge of the table, forcing her legs apart with his thigh and pressing himself in between them.

  She could feel his erection through his jeans, pressing hard against her panties. She felt heat flood between her legs and she was getting wetter by the second.

  Jessie put her hands around his neck and pulled him closer while she leaned up and pressed her lips against his. She boldly slipped her tongue lightly into his mouth.

  Jack returned her kiss hungrily, his tongue melting with hers, one hand resting on her waist and the other reaching behind her to tangle into her silky blonde hair.

  He groaned and pulled away, pressing his face into her neck. “Jessie, stop. This is crazy. We shouldn’t be doing this. We just got back to being good friends. I don’t want to fuck that up.”

  As desperately as he wanted to rip her clothes off and bury himself deep inside of her, he wanted to keep her as his friend more.

  “This one’s on me,” Jessie whispered, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him closer to her. She wanted this. She wanted Jack. On her terms this time. “Please, Jack, I want you. I don’t want to talk or think about anything. I just want you to touch me.”

  “Fuck, Jessie, don’t,” Jack groaned. “I won’t be able to stop.”