Page 36 of The Sacrifice
“Mia?”
I jump and spin around to face him. He’s gorgeous. Dark hair, pools of chocolate for eyes, dimples, a slight 5 o’clock shadow. The attraction is real. That question has been answered. “Hi.”
“Are you avoiding me?” He ambles into the room, and the air around us vibrates.
“Maybe.” I gnaw on my bottom lip and clasp my hands together.
As he stalks toward me, his eyes sweep over my body from head to toe, and his cocky grin makes the walls of my sex clench. The doubts drift away. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man but never dreamed I could have. I went for safe and stable because I’m boring and controlled. But I yearn for something more–passion, excitement, and adoration. The way he looks at me promises all three.
“You shouldn’t.” He strokes his thumb along my cheekbone. “What are you worried about?”
“I’m worried about a lot of things. It’s what I do.”
“What’s your top concern?”
I rest my palms on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. “That I’m rushing into this because you have a baby, and I’m so desperate for a family that I’ll sleep with anyone who has a child.”For fucks sake, did I just say that out loud?
What an idiot.
“Have you slept with lots of men who have babies?”
“No. You would be the first one. You’d only be the third person I’ve had sex with. Warren and I were together for three years and rarely saw each other. And in college, I dated a guy for a while, but he didn’t have kids.”
He cups the back of my neck and runs his thumb along my pulse point. My nipples strain against the fabric of my T-shirt. Why is that the sexiest thing someone has ever done to me? He leans forward until our lips are almost touching. “How was the sex?”
His breath feathers across my lips. “Anticlimactic. Heavy on the anti-part.”
The smirk widens until his dimples pop. “Then we can safely eliminate two of your worry points. You don’t go home with random strangers who have babies, and we’re going to spontaneously combust in about two seconds.”
I lace my arms around his neck and pull him the rest of the way down. His lips press against mine, and everything else disappears. It’s just him.
His hands slide under my T-shirt and rub along my flesh, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. I whimper and dig my nails into his back. I’ve never wanted to devour anything as much as I want to immerse myself in him. And I can wolf down some dessert. Those white chocolate chip raspberry scones. Or some wedding cake with real frosting. That buttercream stuff, not that cream cheese crap. I can destroy that shit, and I feel Jackson is going to elicit that same response.
He grasps my thighs and hauls me upward until my legs are wrapped around his waist as our tongues dance and mate against each other. God, I want so much more. I grab his face and drink down his strength, sinking into insanity.
Moments later, he breaks free and stares into my eyes. The centers of his are wide as he gasps. “I need to catch my breath for a second. Or this will be the fastest sex you’ve ever had.”
“Do you normally have performance issues?” I giggle at the absurdity of the moment. It feels like I’m flying.
“No,” he grumbles. “But it has been a year, and I was drunk. Basically, I didn’t feel a thing and didn’t care whether either of us enjoyed it or not.” He swallows and lowers my feet to the ground. “And I want this to mean something.” He tips his head towards the crib. “And not to occur in Hadley’s bedroom.”
Holy shit.I straighten and adjust my clothing. “What’s wrong with me? I’m not a–”
“Stop.” He grabs my shoulders. “Your negative internal dialogue is coming out of your mouth, and I won’t tolerate you saying unflattering things about yourself.”
I blink, and the ground shifts under my feet. “Who are you? And what did you do with the other Jackson?”
He laughs, grabs my hand, and leads me out of the room. The second we’re in the hallway, he spins me around and presses my back against the wall. “That’s better. Now, where were we?”
Before I can say anything in response, his eyes drop to my mouth. “While I’d love to feast on that beautiful mouth of yours for years, I think I’ll aim a little lower this time.”
He drops to his knees and draws down my shorts. I kick them off, shivering at the coolness of the central air. This is happening.
“Interesting.”
“What?”Unicorn panties.Heat floods my face. How humiliating.
“I like them, but I’d like them better if they were on the floor.” His fingers curl over the elastic. He tips his head back. “Yes, or no?”