Page 12 of Redemption

Nate chuckled, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Sloan, you’re a grown woman, and it’s Jackson.”

Exactly.

“He’s Greer’s brother. I thought you’d be happy about this.”

“Happy. Right,” I muttered.

Nate pressed on, undaunted. “Jackson has protected my family for the past year. I trust him with my life. With Em’s and Brooklyn’s lives.”

“Then shouldn’t you keep him with you?” I asked, grasping on to that excuse, feeble as it was, considering Nate had clearly agreed to send Jackson with me, if not in fact orchestrating it. “He knows your house, your life. I would never want to put you or your family at risk.”

He smiled softly, settling his hands on my shoulders. “Then you understand how I feel about you. And Jackson will certainly be missed—not just because he’s familiar with our lives. But you need him more.”

Did I?

Nate had always been very intuitive. He was affectionate, sure—knowing when to give me a hug or when to give me space. But his ability to read me made it difficult to hide anything from him.

I scrutinized Nate’s expression for clues. Did he know about Jackson and me? About what we’d once been to each other? Of all the history and the heartache between us?

I’d never told my family about Jackson, beyond the fact that he was Greer’s brother. Never told anyone. He was my best friend’s older brother, and our relationship—if you could even call it that—had only ever been a secret.

I’d loved Jackson. Given him everything. And he’d left, choosing his career over me.

I should’ve known. Hell, Greer had warned me.

I could remember the first time I’d met Jackson. I’d opened the door to our apartment, and before he could even introduce himself, Greer was there. Jumping into his arms as she squealed his name.

“Jackson.” I could hear the smile in her voice. Knew how much she’d been looking forward to seeing her brother.

I had to admit—I’d been curious about him. Greer and I had been friends for a year, and Jackson had been deployed for most of it. He was a Navy SEAL. While I’d seen pictures and said hi a few times while they were on Skype, I had not been prepared for his hotness.

Gorgeous blue eyes scanned me, making me squirm beneath his perusal. He smiled at me over her shoulder. She finally released him, returning to the floor before turning to me.

“Sloan. This is my brother, Jackson. Jackson, this is Sloan.”

He stepped over the threshold into our apartment, sucking all the oxygen out of the room. Out of the entire space. It was the size of a shoebox, but it was the nicest place we could afford.

My family had expected that I’d live at the Huxley Grand New York, but I’d wanted an authentic college experience. My grandparents were happy to pay for tuition, but if I wanted to live somewhere else, the cost was on me.

I appreciated their offer, and I knew they were trying to persuade me to live at the hotel. But I was sick of living in a fishbowl. I didn’t want to wonder if my family was using the staff to spy on me and report back. I wanted to feel free to do what I wanted.

Hell, New York was one of the most expensive places to live. But I didn’t care if I had to work two jobs while attending school to afford a place of my own. A place with Greer. It was worth it.

I’d spent my childhood in hotels around the world, and it was so nice to finally have an apartment that was mine. Where I could hang art on the walls. Decorate it however I wanted. Make the space my own. A home.

Jackson held out his hand. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Sloan.”

The way he rasped my name sent a quiver through me. He was handsome. He was trouble.

I hesitated a moment before placing my hand in his. “Same. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

When our hands touched and our eyes met, I felt this…I don’t know, spark of recognition. It sounded crazy, but I couldn’t deny there was something there. And it wasn’t just lust, though he was hot. It was… It was something deeper. A connection.

He shook his head, and I wondered if he’d felt it too. “Only good things, I’m sure.” He smirked.

“All right. That’s enough,” Greer said, severing our contact and giving Jackson a meaningful look.

Jackson shrugged, his expression one of innocence. “What?”

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