by looking at me. I hoped so.
“Claire,” he sighed against my cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” I gasped. “Why?”
“I made you cry. I put that sad look on your face.”
“No, it’s not you. I just-. I mean -.” I shook my head, unable to get the words out.
“Come on. Talk to me, Claire.”
“You were amazing up there. Is that what you were doing the whole time you were gone?”
His eyes flashed, darkening noticeably, even in the muted light. “Let’s save the discussion about my time away for another night, okay?”
“Why?”
Gently, he cupped my face in his hands. “Because, I’m one hundred percent devoted to making this work. It’s all I can think about right now. Let me convince you to take a chance with me before we worry about anything else.”
“I think if you were singing the words, you could convince me of anything.”
“Is that a bad thing?” He looked down, giving me the smirk I loved.
I tightened my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. “Only if you make me want things I can’t have.”
“You’ve got to tell me what you want. I would give you anything. I’ll find a way to make everything up to you, no matter how long it takes, but I swear I won’t push you anymore. Just don’t shut me out.”
I looked into his eyes, shocked that he seemed to have no idea he owned my heart. I gnawed on my bottom lip unsure what to do next. Ah, to hell with it. I rose up on my toes and placed my lips on his. My hands were in his hair, grasping, desperate to pull him closer. I slid my tongue past his lips and swallowed Jackson’s moan with my own. His hands slid down my back, gripping my ass to pull me higher, until my feet hovered above the ground, and our bodies were perfectly aligned. Gaining control, Jackson gentled the kiss until it was sweet, lingering brushes of his mouth. When he finally pulled away, I rested my forehead on his shoulder, staggered, by the depth of emotions raging through me.
“Jackson, how could you not know you’re everything to me?”
“Because you’re still running away from me.”
“Jack, I swear, you’re not what I’m running from. You’re everything I want and so much more.”
“Then give me a chance. Let me show you how amazing we could be together.”
“I want to. I just—I don’t know how long you’re going to feel that way. There are things you don’t know. Tonight we talk, and then we’ll see,” I said. My voice wobbled as I teetered between hope and fear. Kiss me again, I pleaded silently. But he only took my hand and nodded in agreement as he led me back to our table.
The rest of the night passed in a dreamlike blur. Everyone returned from the dance floor. After making me promise I would “handle my shit,” Adam and Melissa left to finish their party elsewhere. Alice didn’t seem happy about that turn of events and proceeded to drink herself into a giggling stupor. I truly wanted my best friend to have everything she wanted, so I was praying Adam wasn’t on her wish list. That would only end badly. Alice with a broken heart and me losing my medical license for violating my Hippocratic Oath bad.
Before I knew it, it was well after two in the morning and time for us to go. Jackson, Alice and I piled into one of the chauffeured SUVs and headed to her house. Lucky for me, I had planned to spend the night with Alice and didn’t need to go home.
He steadied her when she stumbled getting into the car and then held my hand as I got in next. I hoped her excessive alcohol intake was just a result of trying to have a good time and not an attempt to escape what was happening between Jackson and me, or even worse, a misguided attraction to Adam.
Either way, the party was over.
T HE RIDE HOME was uneventful, unless you take into account the warmth of Jackson’s body seeping into mine. Or him holding my hand, stroking it in a comforting rhythm. It took all my strength not to rest my head on his shoulder and close my
“Claire,” he sighed against my cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” I gasped. “Why?”
“I made you cry. I put that sad look on your face.”
“No, it’s not you. I just-. I mean -.” I shook my head, unable to get the words out.
“Come on. Talk to me, Claire.”
“You were amazing up there. Is that what you were doing the whole time you were gone?”
His eyes flashed, darkening noticeably, even in the muted light. “Let’s save the discussion about my time away for another night, okay?”
“Why?”
Gently, he cupped my face in his hands. “Because, I’m one hundred percent devoted to making this work. It’s all I can think about right now. Let me convince you to take a chance with me before we worry about anything else.”
“I think if you were singing the words, you could convince me of anything.”
“Is that a bad thing?” He looked down, giving me the smirk I loved.
I tightened my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. “Only if you make me want things I can’t have.”
“You’ve got to tell me what you want. I would give you anything. I’ll find a way to make everything up to you, no matter how long it takes, but I swear I won’t push you anymore. Just don’t shut me out.”
I looked into his eyes, shocked that he seemed to have no idea he owned my heart. I gnawed on my bottom lip unsure what to do next. Ah, to hell with it. I rose up on my toes and placed my lips on his. My hands were in his hair, grasping, desperate to pull him closer. I slid my tongue past his lips and swallowed Jackson’s moan with my own. His hands slid down my back, gripping my ass to pull me higher, until my feet hovered above the ground, and our bodies were perfectly aligned. Gaining control, Jackson gentled the kiss until it was sweet, lingering brushes of his mouth. When he finally pulled away, I rested my forehead on his shoulder, staggered, by the depth of emotions raging through me.
“Jackson, how could you not know you’re everything to me?”
“Because you’re still running away from me.”
“Jack, I swear, you’re not what I’m running from. You’re everything I want and so much more.”
“Then give me a chance. Let me show you how amazing we could be together.”
“I want to. I just—I don’t know how long you’re going to feel that way. There are things you don’t know. Tonight we talk, and then we’ll see,” I said. My voice wobbled as I teetered between hope and fear. Kiss me again, I pleaded silently. But he only took my hand and nodded in agreement as he led me back to our table.
The rest of the night passed in a dreamlike blur. Everyone returned from the dance floor. After making me promise I would “handle my shit,” Adam and Melissa left to finish their party elsewhere. Alice didn’t seem happy about that turn of events and proceeded to drink herself into a giggling stupor. I truly wanted my best friend to have everything she wanted, so I was praying Adam wasn’t on her wish list. That would only end badly. Alice with a broken heart and me losing my medical license for violating my Hippocratic Oath bad.
Before I knew it, it was well after two in the morning and time for us to go. Jackson, Alice and I piled into one of the chauffeured SUVs and headed to her house. Lucky for me, I had planned to spend the night with Alice and didn’t need to go home.
He steadied her when she stumbled getting into the car and then held my hand as I got in next. I hoped her excessive alcohol intake was just a result of trying to have a good time and not an attempt to escape what was happening between Jackson and me, or even worse, a misguided attraction to Adam.
Either way, the party was over.
T HE RIDE HOME was uneventful, unless you take into account the warmth of Jackson’s body seeping into mine. Or him holding my hand, stroking it in a comforting rhythm. It took all my strength not to rest my head on his shoulder and close my
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