Page 58 of Burn With Me

That part of me wins out as I turn us and head back out to the living room, helping him to sit before moving to the kitchen to try and find things to make coffee. The sun is setting, casting a tangerine glow over the room. It’s kind of magical, and I make a mental note to enjoy it with him another time.

After the coffee starts, I locate a medicine cabinet—luckily in the kitchen—and bring him a large glass of water and some ibuprofen. “Here. Take these and try to drink this whole glass, okay?”

Jackson does as he’s told before his head lolls back against the cushion. “I’m tired.”

“I’ll bet you are. As soon as we get some coffee in you, you can go back to sleep.” Who knows how long he’s been drinking. I almost think to call Scott and ask if he was with Jackson at all today, but just like Jackson lost a father, Scott lost a brother. So, instead, I decide I’ll message him later to ask how he’s holding up.

“If you put coffee in me, does that mean I get to put me in you?” He smiles lazily at the ceiling, chuckling as I let out a very unladylike snort.

Once the coffee is brewed, and he’s forced down a strong plain cup—fun fact: Jackson takes his coffee so sweet it might as well be liquid sugar—we end up back in the game room. He climbs back to the spot I found him in, patting the space in front of him and grinning up at me like he’s on Cloud Nine.

“Watch a movie with me, dream minx.”

No part of me wants to leave. And it takes no furtherconvincing for me to unwind my scarf and toss it on a random cushion as I climb on and settle back into his chest. The movie playing earlier is still on, with the beautiful Priyanka Chopra taking up the screen.

Jackson wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me back into him further so our bodies are flush. With as much as he obviously drank, I’m surprised to feel his erection pressing against my butt. Instinct makes me wanna push back against him, like I did with my stranger at the club. But again, he’s drunk, so it’s not appropriate.

Besides, his breathing evens out within a few minutes, the soft puffs of his breath against my hair lulling me to sleep as well.

When I wake, it’s to Jackson’s palm, warm against my skin, as his fingers draw lazy patterns against my bare thigh. Sometime during our nap, I must have rotated around. My arms are now wrapped around his waist, and our legs are entangled while I use his arm as a pillow.

“Hi there, Red.” His voice is even. Sober.

Letting out a soft hum, I start to move away, but his hand grips my leg tighter. My hands find his chiseled chest as I lean back and look up at him. How he removed his shirt without waking me, I don’t know.

“What time is it?” I ask.

Something vibrates, and my eyes stray to his phone on the back of the couch as he answers me. “Almost nine.”

“Shit, we slept for three hours? Well,you, I understand. How are you feeling?” I slide a hand up to stroke his cheek but almost pull away as he chuckles.

“I’m fine. Woke up twenty minutes ago. Checked my phone while you were still sleeping.Someonewent a bitoverboard with the texts.” He raises an eyebrow as a smirk pulls at his lips.

Hitting his chest playfully, I’m not even embarrassed anymore as amusement drips from his gaze. “You ignored me fordays. What did you expect?”

“You left me on the floor after coming on my tongue,” he says huskily, his voice still laced with sleep.

NowI’m embarrassed. However, I also feel emboldened.

My teeth find my lower lip as I trail a finger down his stomach before I say, “Do you wanna have your turn now?”

He snatches my hand up so quickly it startles me. “Not tonight. Tonight, I just want to lie here with you, if that’s okay.”

Jackson’s expression is serious. There’s a heat between us, but instead of smoldering, it’s tempered. Controlled.

Comfortable.

It’s surprising. Almost unbelievable that he’s turning down a blow job. Though, I can’t help but feel a little relieved because I’ve never had a cock in my mouth and wouldn’t know the first thing to do with it.

Adding that to my mental list of things to ask my stranger for, I wind my arms around his neck and pull myself up his body to lay a gentle kiss against his coffee-flavored lips. “Of course, that’s okay. Whatever you need, Jackson. I’m here.”

“Are you hungry? We could order takeout?” He shifts to get up, pulling me with him off the couch.

“Sure, that sounds great.” Clearly, he isn’t ready to talk about his father, and I don’t want to push him.

“Menus are in the drawer next to the fridge if you want to find a place. I’ll run upstairs and grab you some clothes that are more comfortable.”

Laughing, I follow him out of the room and toward the kitchen. “Dear god, please don’t run anywhere. I’m not equipped to lift you if you fall.”

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