Page 83 of Second Chance Vacation

No,damn it, Jackson pull it together.

“What do you want?” I ask, my tone intentionally sharp.

“You.”

I must be hallucinating.

“Excuse me?”

“I want you.”

Something carnal moves me forward, crashing my lips into hers with an urgency I didn’t think myself capable of. I steal the breath from her lips as I bite into her bottom lip, sure to leave a mark as I pull a gasp from her. Gen reaches up, entangling her fingers in my hair as she pulls me closer.

My blood pumps through me, bathing me in a sea of lust and anger. I sink my teeth into the delicate curve of her neck as I take in her familiar scent, a mixture of lavender and sweat, leaving me in a haze.

Damn it.

I am so fucked.

THIRTY-TWO

GEN

My back hits the wall with force as Jackson’s tongue continues its assault on my own. The sting of his teeth pulling on my lip sends shivers down my spine. We continue on with this calculated dance, neither of us willing to give up control. I know we’ll need to talk eventually, but I’ll do just about anything to touch him without the looming threat of what comes next.

Jackson’s hand entangles with my hair, yanking my head back, allowing him better access to my mouth. He tastes of peppermint and beer, and despite the weird combination, I am completely intoxicated. My scalp stings, leaving me in delicious anticipation.

“I’m sorry,” I say, a moan slipping through, the words falling past my lips before my brain can catch up. While I intend to say it in my head, my words fill the air with their meaning before I can stifle them. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid, but the incessant lingering reminder at the back of my head is rearing its ugly head. Jackson pauses for a moment before kissing his way back up my neck, claiming my mouth as his own.

Just when I think he didn’t hear me, he yanks my balled-up hair wrapped around his fist, forcing my gaze to meet his.

“What for?” he asks, either genuinely asking or calling my bluff.

What am I sorry for?

A list a mile long.

I’m sorry that I’ve ignored you since we got home.

I’m sorry I broke up with you without warning.

I’m sorry I fucked everything up with Hannah.

I’m sorry I can’t love you the way you need me to.

“Everything,” I pant, my gaze unwavering as I swim in his crystal clear eyes, the blue leaving me with a sense of warmth. A sense of home. Tears prick at the corner of my eyes at the sting of his grasp. It only eggs me on further.

People say the eyes are a window to the soul, but when I look at him, I am left with more questions than answers, not an inkling of clarity in sight. Jackson stares into my soul, pulling every sliver of insecurity to the forefront.

He yanks the hair at the nape of my neck once more, pulling me closer to him. I wince at the pain, causing his hold to just barely loosen before gripping harder.

“Did that hurt?”

I nod, gulping as I look down at his lips. Despite this, he doesn’t let up. He merely tightens his grasp.

“Good.”

He uses his hold on me as an anchor to pull me closer, his mouth finding mine, claiming me as his own. My swollen lips part in response as he leaves no time missed, no space unexplored.

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