Jackson bit back an amused grin. “She doesn’t look that in to you.”
“Oh, trust me, beneath that indifference is an attraction she’s been fighting just as much as I have,” Wes said. “I love a good challenge, so I’m pretty damn sure her days of ignoring me are limited.”
“You’re such a
n arrogant asshole, Sinclair.”
“It’s called confidence, Stone,” his friend retorted. “Or maybe it’s been too damn long since you’ve been in the game and you’ve forgotten how it’s played?”
The thing was, Jackson had never played those games, ever. He’d always been an all-in kind of guy when it came to women and relationships. Or he had been in the past, before his ex-wife had burned and scarred him. Since then, he hadn’t allowed himself to form any emotional attachments to the women he’d gone out with. It had been all about sex, and they’d all known his intentions up front.
It had taken him three years to find a woman he wanted for more than just a bed partner and a physical release. He was attracted to Tara, and there was no denying he wanted to fuck her a dozen different ways. But he instinctively knew that she’d already gotten under his skin just based on how he felt when he was around her. Lighter. Understood. Like a man who might be given a second chance at something real and, dare he say, lasting?
Was that thought process crazy after only knowing Tara a short time? Absolutely. Was he setting himself up for a hard fall considering her connection and loyalty to Clay, Mason and Levi?
Possibly.
He realized it was a risk he was willing to take.
* * *
Tara knew she’d made the right decision asking Jackson to accompany her to her graduation celebration party, but that knowledge didn’t stop the flutters of anticipation from swirling in her belly as she waited for him to arrive to pick her up.
That nervousness was twofold. One, she hadn’t told the Kincaid brothers that she was bringing Jackson because she didn’t want to give them the opportunity to turn her down, so there was no telling what kind of reaction she and Jackson would receive when they arrived. And the second reason for those nerves was Jackson himself and the fact that she was excited to see him, spend time with him, and end the night with just the two of them all alone . . . sinning.
Good-bye to six years of celibacy and hello, dirty, sexy pleasure.
She grinned to herself as she left her bedroom and headed into the small living room in the house she’d bought on her own a few years ago. The two-bedroom one-story wasn’t much, but it was hers and no one could take it away. She’d always have somewhere to live, and it gave her a sense of security because she knew all too well what it was like not to have a place to call home. She’d vowed long ago she’d never let that happen to her again.
The doorbell chimed right on time, and when she opened the door and saw Jackson standing there looking so devastatingly gorgeous, the giddy sensation rippling through her intensified. He was wearing black jeans and a dark purple collared shirt, but it was the seductive smile on his lips and the heat glimmering in his dark brown eyes as he looked at her with a slow, appraising look that had a warm flush of delight sweeping across her cheeks.
“Hi, beautiful,” he murmured, his voice a low, husky rumble that did crazy things to her insides.
“Hi yourself, handsome.” She sounded breathless and besotted—exactly how he made her feel. “Let me grab my purse and I’m good to go.”
She didn’t invite him in because she anticipated leaving right away. But Jackson clearly had other ideas. He entered on his own, closed the door, and closed the distance between them. Without hesitating, as if she already belonged to him, he walked right up to her and cupped her face in his big hands, gently pulling her toward him. She went willingly, mesmerized by the sudden hunger blazing in his eyes.
His thumb skimmed along her bottom lip, tugging the plump flesh so her mouth parted and opened for him on a soft, needy moan. “Three days without kissing you is too fucking long,” he growled as he slid all ten fingers into her hair and tugged her head farther back.
The hands gripping her hair were firm and unrelenting, his confidence in taking what he wanted so damn arousing she was already beginning to melt. “I agree.”
“I need a taste to hold me over until later tonight.” He lowered his head, his teeth nipping softly, his tongue teasing flirtatiously, before he finally claimed her mouth completely.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on to him as her soft lips melded to his firmer, more insistent ones, and all playfulness fled and hot, intense passion took over. His tongue pushed inside, swirling deep, not just tasting but exploring and feasting greedily. One hand untangled from her hair and glided down her side, along the curve of her waist, then smoothed over her jean-clad bottom. He squeezed her ass and drew her hips to his, making sure she felt how badly he wanted her—and there was no mistaking the thick column of flesh pressing relentlessly against her lower belly.
Her nipples tightened into hard points, and her entire body ached with wet, pulsing need. Every touch, every stroke swept her senses into overload and made her crave more of everything. More of him. And God, the man knew how to kiss. His lips were like magic, his delicious, decadent mouth an aphrodisiac she could easily get accustomed to. Or maybe she was already addicted, because as soon as he dragged his lips from hers, she went straight into withdrawal.
The hand clutching her ass slid upward, and he secured a strong arm around her waist, still holding her close. The fingers still in her hair tipped her head to the side, and she shivered as his damp lips slid down the side of her neck, exposed from where her top bared one shoulder.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to skip the party and finish what we just started?” he asked as he gently nuzzled the sensitive patch of skin below her lobe.
She moaned as his tongue traced a delectable pattern on her skin, making her imagine how it would feel between her legs, along her pulsing clit. The lust coursing through her veins sizzled and spread. How bad was it that she was seriously considering his suggestion?
She struggled to keep from slipping completely under his provocative spell, and it wasn’t an easy feat. “You’re such a bad influence.”
Lifting his head, he captured her gaze as a wicked grin curved his seductive lips. “Is that a yes?” The rogue had the devilish nerve to look hopeful.
She laughed as she stepped out of his embrace, even though it was the last thing she wanted. With a reluctant sigh, he let her go.