Jackson (Tate Family Holidays 1)

Everyone in line, the workers, heck, everyone in the small building stops talking, stops moving and stares at the two of us.

My face is flushed. I hand the two cups across the counter and tell the employee standing next to me to take over.

I start walking to the back and motion for Jackson to follow me.

As soon as the door shuts behind him, I start in on him. “Jackson, this is my business here. I can’t be having my one-night stand announcing to the room that we slept together last night.”

“One-night stand? You’re crazy if you think that was going to happen only one night. Is that what you thought? Honey, no way. First of all, I’ve wanted you since I was a senior in high school and I was too old…”

I gasp. “Don’t lie to me. Don’t you dare say that.”

He turns me around and leans me against the door. He laces his hands through mine and holds them against the door above my head. “I’m not lying to you. I did like you. But you were too young for me and you were my little sister’s best friend. But now, well now, I don’t care how old you are or whose best friend you are. I got a taste of you on my tongue and I’m not letting you go.”

“So what? You’re telling me that we are going to be fu… sex buddies?” I ask him plainly, but the fact that I almost cursed shows that emotion is taking over on me.

“No. I’m not telling you that. I’m telling you that we’re going to date. That most likely you are going to spend every night in my bed or I’ll be in yours. We’re going to see where this goes,” he tells me forcefully.

Chapter 6

Jackson

I want to tell her that she’s going to marry me and give me kids, but I feel that would be a little too much right now for her to deal with. She’s already looking at me like I’m crazy.

She won’t look at me. I release her hands and hold her face steady, until she’s looking back at me stubbornly. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

I lean in to her until our bodies are barely touching. With every breath she takes, her breasts graze my chest. “Why not?”

She slides her hands up my stomach and then she grabs on to my shirt with her fists. “I’ve liked you for so long, Jackson. I just think that we need to slow this down. You’re still getting over everything with Emily. I just don’t want to be your rebound girl. I don’t think my heart could take that.”

I shake my head side to side. “Why does everyone think I’m still stuck on Emily? I’m not. I don’t even think about her. And you’re not my rebound girl. You’re, well, you’re my girl. C’mon, Meg. The woman I know is strong and fearless. Give me a chance. Give us a chance.”

I can see the indecision in her eyes. I reach down and put my lips on hers. Almost instantly her lips open under mine. The kiss deepens and her right leg raises and wraps around my hips, pulling me into her. I’m about to lay her across her desk when there’s a knock on the door.

She pulls back from me and her foot hits the floor. “Oh, shoot. I have five interviews lined up, Jackson. I have to go out there.”

“Okay. I’ll let you go back out there, but first I want you to promise me that you will be at my house when I get home.” I still have her held in my arms. I don’t want to let her go.

She thinks about it and I’m starting to think that I will need to convince her, but then she says softly, “What time do you want me there?”

I put my hands on each side of her face. The knock at the door sounds again and Megan hollers through the door, “Give them a coffee. Tell them I’ll be right there.”

I kiss her lightly, only because I can’t have her near me and not have my mouth on her. “I should be home around six. If you get there before me, I want you naked in my bed. There’s an extra key hidden under the potted plant on my porch.”

She nods her head at me. “I’ll be there. But I really need to go do these interviews.”

I give her another kiss and open the door. Her lips are swollen and her eyes are filled with lust. “Give me your phone.”

She reaches in the pocket of her apron and pulls it out, handing it to me. I call my cell and quickly save my number in her phone. “This way I can get a hold of you. I freaked out a little when you were gone this morning.”