Page 100 of Burn With Me

Shaking my head, I stare at the buttons on his tuxedo jacket. “No, we haven’t discussedthatyet.”

When he doesn’t respond, I look up at him through my lashes. “Are you mad?”

“No, I’m not mad, Ginny. I just don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

“I understand. That’s fair.”

Silence fills the space between us. I catch Jackson’s eye again as he watches us from where he’s moved to the edge of the dance floor, something warm and gentle in his gaze. “Haveyoutold him?”

I already know the answer to my question before Scott sighs and says, “No.”

I’m about to ask him not to tell Jackson I know anything, when I see Viktoriya approach my newly titled boyfriend. “Jesus Christ, does that woman ever give up?”

Scott turns his head to see what I’m looking at and grimaces. “She’s a gold-digger, that one. She was only after the money. She didn’t give a damn about Jackson.”

“Why did he date her for so long?”

“I honestly think he tried to see beyond her bullshit. But who knows? He can’t stand her–you have nothing to worry about. Come on, let’s go save him.” Scott ends our dance, placing his hand lightly on my back to guide me across the dance floor toward them.

Viktoriya’s icy blue eyes are glued to the side of Jackson’s face while she talks. But he only has eyes for me, and it fillsme with delight when he reaches out a hand to pull me into his side.

“I’m gonna call it a night. Jackson, I’ll see you in the office Monday. Ginny, thank you for the dance,” Scott says, completely ignoring Viktoriya.

“So, what do you do, Ginny?” she asks me as he walks away.

“I work at a women’s clinic. I’m a counselor,” I answer, looking around for one of the waitstaff walking around with trays of champagne.

“Oh, what a dreadful job. So heavy. I could never. I’d be miserable all the time!” she exclaims.

“Imagine what the women who need my services feel like,” I bite out.

Nasty bitch.

Jackson flags down a server and grabs a drink, passing it to me before kissing my temple. “Ginny’s amazing at her job. One day, she’ll own her own clinic.”

It’s an unspoken promise. A dream of mine that I told him during our pillow talk over the last week. A dream that he offered to fully fund if I wanted.

How do you say no to something like that?

Except, I don’t want Jackson’s money. And he needs to know that.

I just want him.

“Well, it sounds like you two just have your future all planned out, don’t you?” Viktoriya asks flatly.

“Ginny!” a thick mid-western accent calls out.

Turning, I see a spindly brunette woman who works with Chris coming toward us through the crowd, causing my blood to freeze in my veins. “Barbara, hi. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m old friends with Margo. Just popped in on my way to the airport. I’m heading out to join Christopher! I’ll have to tell him I saw you. How do you know theKennedys?” She looks between me, Jackson, and Viktoriya—who is watching our interaction—curiously.

Jackson holds his hand out for a handshake. “I’m Jackson Tailor, Ginny’s boyfriend. Tripp is an old friend of mine.”

Barbara looks confused as she slowly shakes his hand. “Boyfriend? I thought you and Chris…”

“NO!” I shout so loudly she jumps. People around us turn to look, and I can feel Jackson at my back as tears threaten to prick my eyes.

“Chris is myfoster brother,” I stress.

---