Page 101 of The Originals

She threw her head back and laughed. So carefree. Reminiscent of the girl who’d walked into the clubhouse years ago.

“You know what I mean. Why, Jack?”

He stared back at her, unwilling to give the full honest answer. It would reveal too much.

“Helped you ’cause you needed it.”

Her smile faltered, and she nodded, averting her gaze.

“And,” he said, and she slowly peeked through the shield of her hair. “You’re a good girl. Woman. Deserve better than the shit you take.”

“What do I deserve?” she whispered.

He shouldn’t have answered. It gave too much away. But with her staring back at him, Jack couldn’t help himself.

“A man who’s gonna take care of you. Treat you right. Love on you.”

Her gaze softened, and she stepped in front of him, inching closer. Jack spread his legs apart, and she took the invitation, grasping hold of his waist. She was dangerously close.

“Is that what you think I deserve?”

“Yeah.”

Her lips curled in a small smile. “You’re a good man, Jack Reilly.”

Jack scoffed, turning his head and taking a long inhale from his cigarette. Jack was a lot of things, but not many would call him good. He was too wild, had too many outlaw ways. Raising hell and living life on his terms didn’t make for a good man.

“You are, Jack.” Her voice was so sincere and tender. He glanced down with her only inches away. “You lead the club witheveryone’s best interests in mind. No one has more dedication or love for the club than you do. You protect the brothers, their old ladies, the town, and even us girls. That’s a lot of responsibility for one person, but you handle it and keep us all safe.” She lowered her voice. “I feel safe with you, Jack.”

“Making me sound like a saint.”

“To a lot of us, you kind of are.”

Jack never took well to compliments, especially coming from a sweet and meaningful woman. It was too deep, too much to take in. And too much to resist.

Jack slid his hand over her arm, wrapping it around her neck. He stared back at her, knowing if he took this to the next level, it would change things. Keeping Colleen at a distance only worked because he didn’t know what he was missing. But if he gave in to temptation, she’d be something he’d have to part with or give up. There was too much at stake.

“Jack,” she whispered.

Fuck it!He gripped her neck and tugged her toward him. The second his lips touched hers, it was like a switch had been turned on. He’d waited too long for this, and she was living up to every expectation. His lips moved over hers, and he hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Her tongue dipped between his lips with a small moan rumbling in her chest. Her hands spread over his biceps, tightening her grip and pressing her body against Jack’s.

Colleen shifted her hips, rubbing against the outline of his cock in his jeans. Jack dug his fingers into her waist, but instead of pulling her away, he pushed her closer, sliding his hand down to her ass. He deepened the kiss, tasted every inch of her mouth without any thought of stopping.

“Wait for me!”

Jack stilled, hearing the female voice in the distance.

“I don’t want you by the water without me or your father.”

Jack ended the kiss, pulling away slightly. Colleen flickered open her eyes, looking a bit dazed and still lost in the moment. He wasn’t even sure if she’d heard anyone coming.

“Looks like we got company.”

Colleen angled her head, and when he heard the rustling of leaves and patter of feet, she jerked her head to the clearing.

Three small boys raced toward the water but abruptly stopped when their mother shouted. “Stop.”

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. It brought back memories with his own boys. He straightened and rested his hand on Colleen’s back.

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