as strong as mine, and it wouldn’t matter so much. In the meantime, I didn’t want to mess up our friendship before we had a real chance to be something more.”
“Well, it sounds like you had me all figured out and look how great that worked out. Do you really expect me to believe this was all part of your master plan?”
He smiled down at me, sadly. “No, of course not. I had hoped to wait and slowly show you how I feel. I had planned every single step, but I completely blew that to hell because I can’t keep my hands off you. Then, after Alice’s accident—well, you know what happened.”
“Okay, so, before Alice’s accident, you just expected me to wait around for something I had no idea was ever going to happen?”
“Believe me, I know how crazy that sounds. What can I say? I was a stupid eighteen year old.” His laugh dispelled some of the tension between us. “But I’ve learned from my mistakes. I want to be crystal clear with you now. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you, Claire.”
I shifted, sliding deeper into the heat of his eyes. Those beautiful eyes branded me to my seat, melting away any lingering desire to escape. Suddenly, all laughter, all air seemed to disappear from the stairwell. Our faces were so close. He was still doing magical things to the hand he held, and his other hand once again reached for my face.
“Why didn’t you ever come home?”
Jackson released a heavy sigh. “I never intended to leave and not come back. I thought Alice would recover—a week or two tops. But, months kept passing by with no change and I- I just couldn’t.”
“Please tell me why, Jack.”
“After everything that happened, I knew you’d never be with me as long as she wasn’t with us. I couldn’t face how badly I’d fucked things up. I couldn’t come back and live the life I had planned to share with you.”
“Damn it, why did you have to say all of this to me now. You don’t know . . . if you did, you’d hate me.”
The walls were closing in and it was getting harder to breathe. I had to tell him the truth, right now, but how could I do that? All I could think about was escaping this nightmare. I looked around frantically searching for a way out.
“Hey, Claire, look at me,” Jackson demanded. “I could never hate you. This is all my fault and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby. I would give anything to take it back—not going after Alice like you wanted—leaving you. I’ve suffered every day missing you, wanting you, Claire.”
He pulled me into the circle of his arms and I couldn’t control the shivers his closeness created. His lips brushed mine in a soft caress; once, twice, and I was completely lost in sensation. It was as if his touch broke the dam I had painstakingly erected to contain my desperation for him. The sweet and gentle slide of his tongue against mine became the reason for my next breath. My fingers dove into his hair, pulling him closer. To get a better angle, I straddled his thighs, but the stairs were a barrier between us.
Closer.
“I know, baby.”
I jerked in his arms, realizing I’d said it out loud, but I was too far gone to stop. Without breaking the kiss, Jackson cradled my ass in his hands and stood up. I tightened my legs around his waist. He walked up two steps to the landing and pressed me firmly against the wall.
Still not close enough.
Jackson began to slowly rock into me. We groaned in unison.
“Jackson, I’m going to explode,” I confessed against his lips.
He trailed moist kisses down my neck before gently grazing my earlobe with his teeth. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, baby,” he whispered.
Jackson’s hand moved down my body to the waistband of my scrubs. He quickly moved past the lace edge of my panties until his fingers fluttered across my clit to stroke inside me.
“Fuck, Claire. You’re so wet. Do you know how much I want to take you right here in this stairwell?”
“No, Jack, we can’t,”
“Well, it sounds like you had me all figured out and look how great that worked out. Do you really expect me to believe this was all part of your master plan?”
He smiled down at me, sadly. “No, of course not. I had hoped to wait and slowly show you how I feel. I had planned every single step, but I completely blew that to hell because I can’t keep my hands off you. Then, after Alice’s accident—well, you know what happened.”
“Okay, so, before Alice’s accident, you just expected me to wait around for something I had no idea was ever going to happen?”
“Believe me, I know how crazy that sounds. What can I say? I was a stupid eighteen year old.” His laugh dispelled some of the tension between us. “But I’ve learned from my mistakes. I want to be crystal clear with you now. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone more than I want you, Claire.”
I shifted, sliding deeper into the heat of his eyes. Those beautiful eyes branded me to my seat, melting away any lingering desire to escape. Suddenly, all laughter, all air seemed to disappear from the stairwell. Our faces were so close. He was still doing magical things to the hand he held, and his other hand once again reached for my face.
“Why didn’t you ever come home?”
Jackson released a heavy sigh. “I never intended to leave and not come back. I thought Alice would recover—a week or two tops. But, months kept passing by with no change and I- I just couldn’t.”
“Please tell me why, Jack.”
“After everything that happened, I knew you’d never be with me as long as she wasn’t with us. I couldn’t face how badly I’d fucked things up. I couldn’t come back and live the life I had planned to share with you.”
“Damn it, why did you have to say all of this to me now. You don’t know . . . if you did, you’d hate me.”
The walls were closing in and it was getting harder to breathe. I had to tell him the truth, right now, but how could I do that? All I could think about was escaping this nightmare. I looked around frantically searching for a way out.
“Hey, Claire, look at me,” Jackson demanded. “I could never hate you. This is all my fault and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby. I would give anything to take it back—not going after Alice like you wanted—leaving you. I’ve suffered every day missing you, wanting you, Claire.”
He pulled me into the circle of his arms and I couldn’t control the shivers his closeness created. His lips brushed mine in a soft caress; once, twice, and I was completely lost in sensation. It was as if his touch broke the dam I had painstakingly erected to contain my desperation for him. The sweet and gentle slide of his tongue against mine became the reason for my next breath. My fingers dove into his hair, pulling him closer. To get a better angle, I straddled his thighs, but the stairs were a barrier between us.
Closer.
“I know, baby.”
I jerked in his arms, realizing I’d said it out loud, but I was too far gone to stop. Without breaking the kiss, Jackson cradled my ass in his hands and stood up. I tightened my legs around his waist. He walked up two steps to the landing and pressed me firmly against the wall.
Still not close enough.
Jackson began to slowly rock into me. We groaned in unison.
“Jackson, I’m going to explode,” I confessed against his lips.
He trailed moist kisses down my neck before gently grazing my earlobe with his teeth. “It’s okay. I’ve got you, baby,” he whispered.
Jackson’s hand moved down my body to the waistband of my scrubs. He quickly moved past the lace edge of my panties until his fingers fluttered across my clit to stroke inside me.
“Fuck, Claire. You’re so wet. Do you know how much I want to take you right here in this stairwell?”
“No, Jack, we can’t,”
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