Naughty Tonight (6 page)

“Huh?” With a yawn, she stretched both mind and body, feeling warm sunshine on exposed skin.
A lot
of exposed
skin,
snuggled and tangled in the sheets next to even more exposed skin.
Hard and slightly hairy…warm and wonderful.

Wonderful.
Right on.

Kim inhaled the day, knowing it would be one to always remember. Jackson’s scent, that of pure man, pure exertion, and
their
scent, that of pure sex, enveloped her. They’d finally taken years and years of friendship to the next level. Nothing could be more perfect.

“I said get out.”

Wait. Jackson hadn’t just told her to leave. Had he?

Kim
must
have misunderstood. Maybe he was talking to the cat they didn’t have. Maybe nosy friends had come to spy on them. Or Veronica just couldn’t take a hint.

But Jackson could
not
be talking to
her
like that. “
Wha
—”

Whiskey eyes burned down on her, his slanted jaw locked. “Get out, I said. This didn’t happen.” As if to prove those sharp, cutting words, Jackson gave her a little shove toward the opposite side of the bed. Away from that gloriously naked body that had thoroughly claimed her last night.
Away from him.

Damn you,
Kimmy
, he’d said,
Damn you, you’re
mine
now.

Damn you,
Kimmy
, I love you.

Now all he said was, “Out,” and looked away as if he couldn’t stand the sight of her. “You have your internship. I have my ways. It’s over.”

Completely devoid of emotion.
Of any sort of compassion.

Kim’s stomach soured as if she’d crested the highest point on a roller coaster and now it was time to plummet. “Uh, yes, this
did
happen. And it isn’t just over. Not like this.”

She didn’t budge. She refused to.

A cold sweat broke out over her skin as if all the heat had left her body and rushed to her face where she flamed, never more aware of the clothes she didn’t wear. Of the unspeakable things he’d done to her last night…spanked her over and over, teased her into oblivion, taken her anally…

And now…

“No. It. Didn’t.” He growled the words, denying her even a glance.
“And. Yes.
It. Is.”

What?

She
hadn’t been drunk last night, but maybe he had. Maybe he really didn’t remember. That was the only plausible explanation she could dredge up.

Kim tugged the sheet around her, trying to cover the truth, but no amount of thin cotton could change that she was lying to herself. He recalled every fraction of what had transgressed between them all too well.
Restraining her.
Paddling her.
Driving her to near madness with those vibrating clamps.
Claiming
all
of her.
And he still wanted her out.
Gone from his life.

Tears threatened. Her heart split into shards. “Why are you doing this?”

Why?

Deep down reality rang clear. Hadn’t he warned her?
This will ruin us
. And he’d meant it. Jackson would not let love into his life, ever. Not even for her.

Nor would he let her turn down the chance of a lifetime to be with him.

His next words proved it. “Why can’t you just listen to me and forget about it?”

But that was never going to happen. They both knew it, which is why he whispered a reluctant, “I’m sorry,” before throwing himself from the bed buck-naked. Her eyes followed tousled hair and hard ass muscles and strong shoulders—shoulders she’d relied on for what seemed like forever—disappearing into the bathroom.

“I’m going to Philly, Jackson. My internship is with the Eagles.”

She swore she saw him hesitate before the door slammed behind him, shutting her out completely. And Kim knew this was no one’s fault but her own.

She’d tempted him beyond reasoning. True to his nature, he’d used her body and nothing more.

God, she was an idiot! Like a fool, she’d counted herself different from his other flings.
The countless women, all dismissed in the morning.

Now it was her turn.

She’d convinced herself their friendship made the difference. That for her, Jackson would give love a chance.

But love had no chance with him. His head, filled with immaturely preconceived notions, had long since closed off his heart.

Dragging the sheet with her, wrapping it about her sex-sore body, Kim stormed from the room, blinded by tears. Twice was all the proof she needed. It was over. She might as well face the truth head-on. Philly, here she came.

* * * * *

Cold marble walls surrounded him, hot water rained down, and Jackson clenched fists at his ears, trying to drown it all out.

God, she had an internship with the Eagles! In Philly!

The Eagles
, for hell’s sake. He punched at the streaming water, scattering droplets.

It was better just to let her go.
For them both.
A hundred miles between them was for the best.

Absolutely the best.

But nothing could wash away the images.
Kimmy
, bowed before him, his name blistered red across her bottom.
Kimmy
, submitting to him fully, taunting him, begging him for more…telling him she was bad.
Kimmy
, mewing with delight as he thrust into that slick cunt, that tight ass…

What
had he done? He wondered that about this morning as much as last night.

God, he ached inside. He was losing her, hurting her, and the thought made his heart bleed. Never had he felt
more raw
.

Been more afraid.

All he could think about was his mom and dad. The sixteen years they’d seemed fine together. The ensuing split that came out of nowhere.
Dad catching Mom cheating…physically hurling her from the house.
The lawyers.
The ugly lies.

The horrible things they said to each other.

Slut.

Bastard.

Money whore.

Cheap, no-good father.

Constantly being forced to choose sides.
The utter hatred.
Being smacked around if he dared stand up for the other one.
His dad claiming he’d love nothing more than to put a bullet in his mom’s head.

Knowing Dad had a pistol in the closet.

And now…

The ugly reality that it happened every day, to kids, to parents. On the news, a woman held hostage by the man she’d once loved and now despised. A child kept away from his father, now kidnapped.

Divorce statistics shooting through the roof.

Not him, he’d sworn.
Never, never, ever.

The phone in the bedroom began ringing, over and over and over, distantly annoying, and he wanted to holler for her to pick it the hell up. Instead, the front door resonated with chilling finality and the answering machine clicked on, replaying
their
message.

This is Jackson…

And Kim…
her sweet voice joined in, making tears burn in his eyes. Emotion he refused to release, that made his clenched jaw quake.
We’re not home right now. You know what to do!

Go Eagles!
The little idiot spat at the end, followed by some shuffling—Jackson giving her a hearty shove out the way.
Ravens! Ravens!

There was more shuffling—them wrestling to the ground, he
bittersweetly
remembered—followed by a quick beep. And it was over.
They
were over.

Right?
God, how it hurt.

Then
Kimmy’s
mom’s voice filled the room, rambling on about plans for her father’s birthday, and in that instant, Jackson knew. Suddenly, with everything in him, he realized that he’d screwed up big-time because, as he tied a towel around his waist and bolted from the room and down the seemingly never-ending hallway, it was not his parents he was thinking of but hers.

Smiling.
Happy.
An older couple—
Kimmy
was their youngest. They were strong and steady.
Still kissed at sixty.
Still held hands.
Still laughed, still loved. And always would, Jackson
knew
with certain finality.

Just as he would always love
Kimmy
.
Forever
was
possible.

She was more than a potential girlfriend, a prospective wife. She was a friend.
His sidekick.
His everything and anything.

Hollering at Friday-night football games.
Beer and pizza.
The woman who swapped cleaning his toilet for him changing her oil and who could devour more hot peppers than any of his male buddies and who made ridiculous bets with money she didn’t have. The
woman
who made him smile, made him laugh.
Made him happy.

Need he mention, officially the best sex of his life?

Having her, Jackson really did have it all.
Unless he lost her.

He
was
losing her. Why would he just throw away the best thing in his life?

The prospect only drove him faster, wet feet plodding across their carpet as he threw open the front door and caught sight of her entering the elevator.
Suitcase and bags in tow.
“
Kimmy
! Wait!”

Chapter Five

“Please wait!”

One step.
One step and she could walk away from years of aching for him. Cold words, colder heartbreak. She could never suffer silently as he’d asked of her and he was never going to want the relationship that she so desired.

One step and she could put it all behind her.
One step.
One step and a great future
awaited
.

But love stopped her short.
Love, full of ridiculous hope.
Misplaced faith in him.

Kim didn’t turn, didn’t look at the footsteps pounding fast down the hall. She couldn’t, lest she fall to pieces. “I won’t pretend, Jackson, not anymore. I’m going to my parents…I’ll be back for the rest of my stuff later.”

And then he was there, sweeping her into his arms, mouth slamming down on hers, tongue thrusting past hers lips.
Making bittersweet promises.
Claiming her in that kiss, claiming her as he should have that morning.
Claiming her as he should’ve long ago if he weren’t such a stubborn hardhead set in his ways.

But then…what if this was just another last night? What if Jackson was simply confused and would regret their kiss the moment he pulled away?

Their lips tangled and, despite fear, she couldn’t stop herself from kissing him back with everything in her, tears sliding down her face and into their mouths.

Jackson Hanley had officially become the bane of her existence.

Fingers swept the wet trails. “Don’t cry,” he pleaded, those lips still pressed to hers. Licking away salt water, tasting the pain he’d caused. “Don’t cry,
Kimmy
. I do love you. I do.”

How Kim wanted to believe that. Needed it like her next
breath.
“But—”

Before she could get out another word, Jackson scooped her into his arms against his damp, bare chest, holding her tight. One hand conformed to her bottom, the other wrapped around her side, settled just under the swell of her breast, and he kissed her again, deeper, harder, his mouth devouring any protest, any show of uncertainty she might make. “I’m going to make love to you.” Abandoning her bags, he raced the distance between the elevator and their condo. “You’re the first.
The only.”

“But—”

“But there’s been lots of sex.
Lots of wild, rough fucking like last night.”
He waltzed through the open door, kicking it shut behind them. It
reverberated
a loud bang and they made it no farther than that. Jackson deposited her on the rug and crawled over her.
“Lots of toys and kink and spanking.
But you…
You
,” he groaned.

He said no more, didn’t have to.
Didn’t damn her either.
His mouth declared anything and everything left to be said.

Jackson kissed her face, her neck, shoving up her t-shirt to smear wet pecks over her chest, pulling aside her bra to lick her nipples. Round and round, sucking, nipping…driving her wild. Fingers molded and stroked her breasts as he whispered of their perfection and Kim was on instant fire, wet with wanting. Desperate for his whole love,
finally
.

His towel fell away—she couldn’t believe he’d gone into the hall like that—and slowly, sensuously he tugged every article of clothes from her body and worshipped every bare inch of her with mouth and fingers.
From breasts to belly then between her legs.
Touching.
Teasing.
Gliding.

“You are,” he murmured hot against her pussy, the wisp of his words causing her to gasp, “the sexiest thing alive. Don’t ever change.”

Inside, Kim swelled. He’d no idea what that meant to her. No idea at all…

Full of carnal energy, her hips arched and rode his face and his tongue plunged, dipping into her pussy, applying pressure to her clit. His finger prodded, inching between to slide in her anus, lodged there to assert the ownership he’d claimed last night. “Mine.”

“Yours,” she vowed. “All of me.
Always.”

With one final kiss to her clit, he brought that powerful chest over her, lifting, that finger still buried deep as he angled himself at her slit. “Shit. No condom.”

“Birth control.
I don’t care.” Easily, his cock slipped inside and he proceeded to make love to her. Face-to-face, staring down at her adoringly, jaw locked in a way that was only his, golden eyes lit with love.
Finger and cock pulsing steady and hard and concentrated.