Page 26 of Power Forward

All I know is tonight, I might be making the biggest mistake, but I can’t bring myself to care.

So, I throw caution to the wind and worry about the consequences later and slam my lips against his.

Chapter Ten

Hayden

I must have imagined what this moment would be like more than a thousand times over the years. What it would be like to kiss Jackson again. I’d often think about the softness of his lips, his low, breathy moans, and the addictive taste of him as my tongue dove into his warm mouth. I’ve thought about it in so many ways, but none of them were like this.

The possessive way he grips my head in both hands, fingers burying into my hair, holding on to me like he’s afraid I’m going to disappear. His greedy pulls on my tongue and the low growl from deep in his chest make my toes curl.

I cautiously place my hands on his hips. With the desperation that’s thrumming through my veins, I don’t want to be overzealous by grabbing him and hauling him closer like I want to do, but I need to touch him in some way.

I need to know that this is real and not some figment of my imagination.

He responds by pressing a thick, muscular thigh between mine. He rolls his hips, and I gasp into his mouth when his hard length rubs against the underside of my dick.

Fuck. He’s going to make me lose my mind.

He deepens the kiss, and there’s no way on earth I can stop the moan that escapes me. The edge of the vanity digs into my ass cheeks from the weight of his body pressing up against me, but I’m not going to complain. I don’t want to break this moment. Not when I’ve finally got Jackson in front of me.

Not when I’ve finally got his lips on mine again. His body pressed against me, enveloping me in his heady scent.

His tongue sweeps into my mouth in hungry strokes. He tastes like beer and frustration and a whole heap of want. He bumps my glasses with his nose, shifting them to sit awkwardly on my face, but I don’t dare move to right them. He can knock them onto the damn floor for all I care. Anything, as long as he doesn’t take his mouth off me.

Giving in to temptation, my hands slide up the hard planes on his body. He feels so much bigger than he did before. Like the last fourteen years have been kind to him. The thin material of his costume does nothing to disguise the ridges and grooves of his solid obliques, and his muscles shiver as my hands travel higher. When I reach his chest, I smooth my fingers over his pecs, then pinch his nipples between two fingers.

“Fuck,” he hisses, tugging my bottom lip between his teeth.

My lips tip into a wicked grin at his reaction. He’s just as sensitive as I remembered.

He rests his forehead against mine, and minutes go by aswe stand there, eyes closed while trying to catch our breath. My heart is beating a mile a minute, and I’m starting to feel a little light-headed from the blood that’s rushing down to my cock.

But that euphoric feeling doesn’t last long. He takes a step back, and it’s like I’ve been doused in ice-cold water when he whispers, “I’m sorry.”

I rear back and right my glasses so I can see him clearly.

“What?” I sputter. “What for?”

He takes another step back, increasing the distance between us, and runs an agitated hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. That was a mistake.”

Well, fuckingouch.

My fight-or-flight instincts kick in, chest tightening, pulse quickening. That kiss didn’t feel like a mistake to me. It felt like it was fueled by hunger and desire with a hint of frustration wrapped up in one Jackson-flavored package. I won’t let him take this moment from me. Not when it’s the first time I’ve felt alive in years.

Straightening my spine, I say with all the confidence I can muster, “Well, I’m not sorry.”

His gaze snaps up to meet mine. “You’re not?”

“No, I’m not. If it isn’t obvious already, I’m kind of a mess for you, Jackson. I always have been.”

“I… don’t understand. But you used to be married?” he asks, brows pinching.

“Yeah, I was, and I’ll love Zara until the day I die because she’s an incredible woman, but I married her for the wrong reasons.”

He watches me for a beat. There’s a mix of emotion swirling in those brilliant blue eyes. Obvious desire, but alsofear. I want to know what he’s afraid of so I can show him he doesn’t need to be. I want to show him I’ve changed, that I’m not the same guy I was.

I might be broken, but I’m not stupid enough to throw away his heart for a second time. If I’m so lucky enough to catch it again.

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