Page 38 of Second Chance Vacation

Get it together, Gen.

Through some level of divine intervention, I manage to pull my attention upward, but when my eyes meet his, I swear I can feel my heart stop beating for a moment.

I can tell myself it doesn't matter.

I can tell myself that it's purely physical.

Yet, when he looks at me like that, it's crystal clear.

I am screwed.

FIFTEEN

JACKSON

God damn it.

I’ve been lying in bed for what feels like forever, and I can’t get this afternoon out of my head. Despite being tired, I can’t will myself to sleep.

While I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hopeful once I learned about what we’d be doing this afternoon, I didn’t expect Gen to be as reactive as she was. I can still feel how wet she was when I touched her. The tangy taste of her arousal is seared into my brain. Adjusting my cock for the billionth time tonight, I try with every fiber of my being not to touch myself.

I look over at Gen, where she lies fast asleep.

Despite the high I am still riding from today, I am continuously reminded of how we left things. She asked me to back down, and I didn’t have it in my heart to not give her exactly what she asked for. I roll onto my side, fixated on the slope of her cheekbones, counting the freckles peppered along her nose from days in the sun. The fabric of her sleep shirt is bunched up around her waist, exposing her luxurious curves peeking from behind boy shorts. They’re full coverage, but given the day’s events, I can paint a convincing picture in my mind.

No, Jackson,stop it.

Her eyes roll rapidly behind her lids, stirring in her sleep. She tosses and turns for most of the night, and I wonder if she is thinking about earlier like I am. Or last night, as I don’t have the slightest clue what time it is.

Movement in the house jolts me from my fixation.

No one is typically up before the sun besides me, so I find that concerning. The bed is begging me to stay, but I know I need to check it out. Gazing back toward Gen, fast asleep, I can’t pull myself from the nagging desire to touch her, even if just for a second. Leaning over, I press my lips feather-light to her forehead, taking the smallest of selfish moments for myself.

Creeping down the steps, I notice the light in the kitchen on, and the sounds of movement give way to quiet slams of cabinets closing. My anxiety quells when I get to the kitchen. Wes is awake, making me realize that the sun is beginning to poke above the horizon out the French doors.

“Hey, man,” I say groggily, reaching to grab a mug from the cabinet. “What are you doing?”

Wes is shuffling around in a large duffle, forcing the most random items in. It reminds me of the other day when he was frantically filling the picnic basket, except this time, he seems far less frazzled. He and Savannah have been completely enthralled by one another since their engagement, and I can’t blame them. I am sure it feels incredible to love and be loved back like that.

“I’m taking Savannah to Cannes for the night—not to say that I don’t enjoy your and Gen’s company, but I would like a night to really celebrate with my new fiancee.”

It still sounds weird, rolling off his tongue.

The transition from playboy to soon-to-be-husband I’ve seen Wes make over the years is nothing short of extraordinary. I chuckle, pulling my mug to my lips, blowing on the steaming hot liquid. The mornings I am up before the sun are adding up, making me curious about what life will be like once we are back in the states.

“I get it, man. You want to fuck on every surface with no one else in the house.”

“Exactly.” Wes chuckles, zipping the duffle bag shut as he drops it down onto the tile. “Can I trust that you and Gen won’t murder each other in our absence?”

I cough, the sip of coffee catching in my throat, almost going through my nose. Murder is a far reach, but I wouldn’t put it past Gen to cause me bodily harm.

“Yeah—yeah, we’ll be fine.”

Wes glares at me as if the events of the past twenty-four hours are painted across my face. If Savannah knows and told him, he doesn’t let it be known.

“Okay…”

The morning passes in no time at all. Savannah and Gen make their way to the kitchen in unison, both way earlier than they would normally wake up. An extra special pep is in Savannah’s step. She is fully in the know about her trip with Wes.

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