Page 110 of Burned & Bound

Someone in front of us shushed us, and I resisted the urge to flip them off. Jackson, however, mean mugged them into turning right back around.

“Damn, cowboy. You’re a tough one, ain’t you?” I whispered. “I think you scared a couple of high school girls.”

“I can’t fucking take you anywhere,” he said under his breath.

“You can take me anywhere.”Okay, almost everywhere.But the fucking sentiment was there.

Feeling compelled to do so, I reached over and slipped my hand in his. The way his fingers wove through mine was natural. It felt nice. Being with Jackson felt nice. And when my head wasn’t a fucked up mess, I liked how he made me feel.

I wanted more of that—even if it was just one more time.

“Hey, cowboy,” I began quietly. I gave his hand a small tug until he looked at me.Again with that sexy look on his face.“I want to go home.”

“The movie ain’t even that bad,” he scoffed. “You ain’t getting out of it.”

“If I do what I’m thinking about doing here… we’re both getting arrested,” I told him. His brows came together slightly as he searched my face for some kind of tell-all—something to make him doubt my words. OnlyI wasn’t doubtful. I knew what I wanted and was just hoping to hell the rest of me would keep up later on. “Let’s go home, cowboy.”

CHAPTER 77

west

The minute we walkedthrough the door, I curled a hand in his hair and dragged his mouth to mine. Jackson responded in kind—matching my burst of enthusiasm. An arm snaked around my waist and he pushed me back against the door. A flash of panic shot through me. I forced myself to breathe, inhaling the spice of his cologne and letting it fill me.

This was Jackson.

Jackson was good.

Jackson wouldn’t hurt me.

I was okay.

“You still with me, West?” Jackson whispered against my lips.Fuck, I didn’t realize I’d locked up.

I nodded and kissed him again, welcoming the taste of his tongue across mine. His hands wandered my body as we kissed against the door, practically burning a hole through my clothes. I was drowning in him.His taste, his scent, his touch.My head spun, and my heart hammered against myribcage.

Jackson’s teeth scraped along my jaw and his mouth drifted down my neck in soft kisses. My head tipped back against the wall.

“May I?” His fingers skated up the buttons of my shirt.

“Jackson,” I growled, “if you keep asking me shit like that, I’m going to lose my temper. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t fucking want to.”

Though I understood why he did too.Fuck, it was all a fucking mess.

“Okay.” He kissed me, harder and more demanding. I moaned at the way his hips rolled against mine—the sensation driving me insane. My cock ached behind the zipper of my jeans. And with every button on my shirt he undid, my frenzied need only grew.

When his fingers grazed over the scars on my side, the twinge of pain yanked me out of the moment. I grabbed his wrist to stop him. My mouth hovered over his as I tried to catch my breath—tried to ground myself.I was okay.

“Do they hurt?” Jackson asked softly.

“Sometimes,” I admitted, ashamed to even say it out loud. I hated them. Hated what they constantly reminded me of. “I don’t know if it’s real or not but yeah.”

“Okay. I won’t touch them.” He said the words so fucking simply that it did something to me. I damn near lurched forward to kiss him again, desperate to kiss him and silently tell him all the things I couldn’t get my brain to let me say. Wrapping an arm around his waist, I pulled his body flush to mine. His warmth and hard edges were welcome.

“Upstairs, cowboy,” I whispered breathlessly as I broke the kiss.

How the hell we managed to make our way up the stairs and to his room was beyond me. It was a stumbling dance of tearing off clothes, quiet swearing, and one broken lamp. With every kiss, every touch, Jackson grew more intense and confident. I let him take the lead—needing some kind of direction. The brief conversation about my scars had my brain retreating. I didn’t want to go where it was going and did my best to stay grounded.

When he turned away from me, I dragged his back to my chest. I kissed the line of his neck and nipped at his ear. His fingers curled in my hair while my hand skated down the strong lines of his abs. Wrapping my hand around his cock, I stroked him steadily to rile him up more.

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