Page 20 of Alluring

"Mom held on for six years. We acquired a lot of doctor and hospital bills in that time. I'm paying those off, putting my baby sister through college and supporting myself by working two jobs, again not leaving me a lot of time for social functions or men."

Alexis started whispering and Jack leaned his head down to catch her words. "I didn't want to simply give it away to a one-night stand, and I know this might sound silly, but I want it to be special, and I want the person I give it to, to be special to me, too."

Jack reached up and caressed her cheek. He stared at her mouth deep in thought. A full minute passed before he spoke. "Let's get you to bed. I'm sure you're tired."

Not exactly the words she expected to hear after laying out her life story. Did he even listen to what she said?

Jack took her by the hand and started toward the stairs. She gave the hand holding hers a tug. "I can't stay here. You need to take me home."

He stopped, turned, and pulled at her hand, bringing her body flush with his. He looked down at her and spoke with so much emotion, there was no denying he meant every word. "If I had the power to go back and change your life, make it better, I would. But I can't, I don't have that ability. But, I do have the power to change your future. Make it so you don't have to work two jobs to pay off bills and send your sister to college. Make it so you have time to be social and have fun. Make it so when you fall asleep at night, you can rest peaceful, knowing when you wake up in the morning, all is right in your world."

Alexis stood stunned, moved deeply, by his profound words (guess he did hear everything she said). But, as beautiful as that life sounded, she couldn't take that from him. "I don't need you to take care of me, Jack. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it a long time."

"I know you can take care of yourself. Hell, your strength is one of the things I admire most about you. And, I know you don't need me, but I dowantyou to need me. I want you to need my strength. I want you to come to me when you have a problem, knowing I'll help you solve it any way I can. I want you to share with me your hopes and your fears. I want you to depend on me, rely on me, knowing I'll take care of you. Do you understand why Iwantall these things?"

Alexis could only manage to shake her head.

Jack leaned in close, captured her face with his hands and rested his forehead against hers. "I want all that, so I can be thatsomeone, you think is special."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Needless to say, after that speech, Alexis ended up in Jack's bed that night. After he dried her tears, he walked her upstairs to his bedroom. He grabbed one of his T-shirts from a dresser drawer, handed it to her and told her, her toothbrush was still in the bathroom.

As Alexis exited the bathroom, after washing her face, brushing her teeth, and putting on his T-shirt, Jack brushed a kiss across her forehead as he passed her, to enter.

She went to the dresser and set her folded clothes atop it before getting in bed. Jack had turned the covers down, and the sheets were chilly, but soft, as she crawled between them. She watched, as Jack exited the bathroom, in only a pair of black boxer briefs. She had never seen him bare chested before, and her mind did not do his muscles justice. He flicked a switch on the wall, turning off the lights, leaving the room aglow with moonlight.

He walked to the bed and climbed in. Alexis was sitting cross legged under the covers. "I didn't know what side of the bed you sleep on."

"It doesn't matter. Lay down sweetheart, you need sleep."

Alexis lay down on her side her back facing Jack. He scooted her close to his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist, and his head resting on her pillow, above her head. She'd never slept with anyone before, and she found, she liked the feel of Jack surrounding her.

She drifted off feeling the heat of his body, and his soft breaths hitting the top of her head. But, just before she fell into a deep sleep, she thought she heard him whisper, "I can't believe you've never been touched. You truly are, all mine."

When Alexis came awake the next morning, the first thing she noticed was the warm, hard body she was draped across. At some point during the night, they must have changed positions. Jack was on his back and her head was resting on his chest. Her arm was draped over his abs, and one of her legs was hiked up across his hips.

The second thing she noticed was that Jack wasn't asleep. She knew this, by the light trail of his fingertips running up and down her back, and the growing hardness developing under her thigh.

And, the last thing she noticed before she slowly opened her eyes, was feeling peaceful and content.

Alexis lifted her head. Jack's head and shoulders were raised slightly on a stack of pillows. His free arm was up, his hand tucked under his head. His eyes were half-mast and drowsy as he looked at her. Jack in bed, in the morning, was a sexy sight to see.

A grin slowly curved his lips. "Good morning, beautiful."

His hand moved from her back and settled at her nape, his fingers tangling in her hair. He lifted his upper body slightly, doing a mini ab curl. His muscles under her hand tightened as he put pressure on the back of her head, bringing their faces closer. His lips closed over hers, forcing them apart as his tongue invaded her mouth. She had a moment of panic when she thought about, not having brushed her teeth yet, but it diminished quickly as his kiss forced all thoughts from her head but the feelings it was invoking. Her toes curled, wetness formed between her thighs, tingles raced along her skin, and a fluttering erupted in her stomach.

He slowly pulled away and whispered in voice still gravelly with sleep, "I want to wake up to your beauty every morning."

As she lay there, looking into his eyes, she wondered if he were feeding her a line. Who goes from philandering playboy to devoted suitor so quickly? And what about all the other things he's said to her. Wanting to keep her and being someone special to her. Were those just lines too? All of this, Jack, dating, sex was so new to her. She didn't want to be one ofthose girlswho fell for a smooth talker and ended up with their heart broken.

"Tell me what's going on in that mysterious brain of yours." He brushed a curl away from her eye and tucked it behind her ear.

She decided to be honest. "I don't trust you."

She watched his nostrils flare and his jaw harden before he visibly relaxed. "Well, I'll have to work on that, won't I."

Alexis sighed, "I don't know, Jack. I just don't understand any of this. How can you go from having a different woman every night, to wanting only one, and thatonebeing me? Do you see how unbelievable all that is for me?"

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