* * *
Serena’s heart jumped into her throat. She turned her head to say something, but words failed her. Her gaze met his dark eyes. He wanted her. It was right there in his eyes. They were filled with desire.
When he lowered his head, she found her lips were just inches from his. Her heart beat faster. Should she do it? Should she make the next move? Meet him halfway?
Perhaps actions did actually speak louder than words. She leaned forward, claiming his lips with her own. They were smooth, warm and oh, so inviting.
Jackson shifted on the couch so that he was cupping her face. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. The kiss deepened. There was no hesitation—no tentativeness. There was only passion and desire.
It seemed so right for them to be together. It was like she’d been looking for him all of her life. He accepted her as she was and he hadn’t tried to change her.
Jackson leaned back on the couch, pulling her on top of him. Her hands shifted to his chest. Beneath her fingers she felt his strapping muscles. Her heart fluttered in her chest as her body tingled all over. She’d never felt this way with a man before—not even close.
Thoughts of Jackson’s approaching departure crowded into her head, but she forcefully shoved them away. If all she had after this vacation were memories, she wanted them to be good ones. She wanted them to be so good that she would recall them with a smile when she was a little old lady.
She was beginning to realize the greatest gifts in life were the good memories. She wanted to make exceptional memories with Jackson. She needed him to remember her, because she would never ever forget him. Not a chance.
Jackson took the lead with their kiss. Exploring, taunting and teasing. Her body pulsed with lust and desire. Beneath her palm, his heart beat hard and fast. Oh, yeah, this was going to be an unforgettable night—
Something cold and wet pressed to her cheek. What in the world?
Serena pulled back to find Gizmo standing up on his back legs with his nose next to hers. A curious look reflected in his eyes as though he was thinking: What did I miss? Huh? Huh?
Simultaneously Serena and Jackson let out a laugh. Gizmo looking pleased with himself.
“Arff! Arff!”
With a smile on his face, Jackson said, “I think we should take this into the bedroom.”
Serena’s gaze moved between her two favorite males. “I think you’re right.”
Once they got Gizmo settled on his dog bed, Jackson took her hand in his. She led him to the bedroom where they could explore these kisses in private.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SERENA COULDN’T SLEEP.
She was too wound up—too happy.
For a while now, she’d been watching Jackson sleep. His face was so handsome and he looked so peaceful. He was so much more than the alpha image he projected on television. There was a gentleness to him—a compassion that broke through the wall around her heart.
This evening had been more amazing than she’d ever thought possible. And as she watched Jackson draw in one deep breath after the other, she had a light-bulb moment. She realized the reason she couldn’t finish her screenplay.
Her mind started to play over where she’d left her heroine bereft after the black moment with the hero. Until now, everything Serena had tried to bring the couple back together had felt hollow and empty. And that was because she didn’t know what it was like to fall in love.
Until now...
She was falling in love with Jackson Bennett—the man who greeted America with a smile and a mug of coffee every weekday.
And he was the inspiration she’d needed to finish the script. Perhaps this was a whole new start to her life. She knew that she was jumping too far ahead and she had to slow down.
After all, Jackson had said that he cared about her—not that he loved her or that he was falling in love with her. Maybe that was the line he handed all his women. She didn’t want to believe it because he just didn’t seem like the type to go casually from one relationship to the next.
Was that how her heroi
ne would feel? Or would she be confident that they could overcome their biggest obstacle? The questions continued to whirl through her mind, but she kept them relegated to her script. She would figure out where her relationship with Jackson went later—preferably after she got some sleep.
But for now, she had a mission. She gently slipped out of bed. There was a distinct nip in the air. She threw on clothes as fast as she could. All the while she kept glancing over her shoulder to make sure she hadn’t disturbed Jackson. His breathing was deep and even.