by Maggie Way
The fact that her best friend kept trying to set them up didn’t help things either. It had taken her awhile to get over the sting that Jackson had left on her. Three years later, the last thing she needed was a reminder of the worst decision she’d ever made. And that was exactly what sleeping with Jackson had been. A mistake. One she vowed to never ever make again.
Chapter Nine
Jackson Parks slowed to a stop in front of the cabin. The last hour of driving his nerves had kicked up to unfamiliar levels. Always being confident around women and never taking any relationship very seriously, feeling uneasy was foreign to him.
He never really cared much if he grabbed a woman’s attention. Not that he ever had many problems in that area. He had been graced with his father’s good looks and his mother’s southern charm making him irresistible to most women he met.
That was the rub of it though. He’d spent so many years being an arrogant, self centered playboy that he never really saw the beauty of women. He never noticed just how amazing they were. A sledgehammer could have hit him and he still probably wouldn’t have seen what was right in front of him.
Six months ago at the baptism of his best friend Brad’s baby boy everything had changed. In a single moment, walking through those tall mahogany doors he’d walked into a memory of his past and had all but been sucker punched by the image of a woman from his past. A woman who not only had haunted his mind for far too long after their fling all those years before, but also a woman who looked so breathtaking he wondered if he’d ever seen anyone or anything quite so beautiful.
To this day he still could remember it so clearly. Her dark brown hair was partially done up with a clip of some kind. Loose curls hung down, decorating her shoulder and neckline as she laughed at something Stacy’s mother was saying. The bright colors of the stained glass windows shined through the small chapel, casting hews of blues and reds against her simple yet so damn sexy white dress.
When it came to sexy he’d always had a healthy sex drive, but in that moment he had to remind himself quite persistently that he was in a church. His body was reacting in anything but a holy way.
For months after their one night together he’d thought about Avery. How could he not after all. She’d been amazing. So sweet with a little bit of shy, but with enough vixen in her to flirt and seduce him with her intoxicating voice and come hither stare.
He hadn’t planned on sleeping with her that night. He’d wanted to. Damn did he want to. With her being Stacy’s best friend he’d thought it best to not complicate things. And that had been the plan he’d had every intention of sticking to. The only thing was he didn’t plan on his feelings for her being stronger than his own will.
They’d shared one hell of an incredible night together. Touching, kissing and exploring one another until they’d fallen asleep, their bodies entwined with one another’s as Jackson found himself wanting her over and over again.
He couldn’t seem to get enough. He called her baby. A sentiment he’d never given to any woman. It just had come out, completely natural. Just like his need for her. He’d even held her, cradling her against his chest until she drifted off, purring like a kitten.
It was then that he’d laid there that he realized how far and deep he’d fallen. It unnerved him that his insides were churning with feelings that both excited and scared him. After witnessing the nightmare of a marriage his parents had forced upon him the last thing Jackson had ever wanted was a relationship. They just didn’t work. People cheated. They lied, they manipulated and used things against one another at every chance they had. He’d seen it firsthand his entire life. And that was not the life he had planned for himself.
Something had been different about that night though. After an hour or so of gently caressing Avery’s back and shoulder he made a decision that should have been easy. But instead, it had ended up haunting him every day since.
That morning he had carefully slid out of bed, making every effort to not wake her from her peaceful sleep.
He’d hurriedly picked up his clothes which had been scattered around her hotel room and took them to the bathroom to change. For a long while after he’d stood there, staring at his reflection in the mirror he knew what he had to do. Or so he thought anyway.
His plan had been simple. Leave her a small note. Tell her something sweet. Then duck out and run before she had a chance to wake up and change his mind.
The last part of the plan had been more for his benefit than hers. Not only had he felt like a monumental jackass for what he had done, but he knew that if she woke, if he heard her painfully sweet voice and saw her gorgeous green eyes that he’d be done for. He’d no sooner be able to walk away from her than he would from… anything.
He had no choice. He needed to get out before he could get sucked into her any more than he already was. So he did just that. He wrote her a note, making it as sweet as he possibly could. Hoping against all odds that she would be able to shrug it off and he wouldn’t hurt her.
Just like that decision he’d made to leave her, he’d never been more wrong. He had hurt her. Hurt her so bad in fact that he’d gotten an earful from Stacy. He’d taken her verbal tongue lashing in stride, knowing damn well he’d deserved it. Little did Stacy or his best bud from college know, that he thought of Avery daily. She flooded his thoughts at the most inopportune times. Her memory had all but murdered his dating life. She’d become the one that had gotten away. Only he was the dumbass who had pushed her in that direction.
Then six months ago on that day in the church he’d stared at her, unable to help himself. She’d caught his gaze a few times but had quickly looked away. As they stood up next to Brad and Stacy, offering up their futures as the Godparents to the little baby boy, he could feel his hands tremble when his knuckles accidentally grazed her breasts.
He’d wanted her just as much then as he had years before, maybe more so, if that was even possible.
Sometimes he wondered if he was making more out of the memory than was there. Then he’d recall her touch, the sweetness of her kiss and know just how wrong she was.
Now here he was, sitting outside of his friend’s cabin. He was about to crash Avery’s vacation in hopes he can get through to her. She’d barely spoken to him at the church or the reception which followed. He’d made several attempts since then to apologize and make amends. He’d called and left voice mails which went unanswered. He’d even gone so far as to enlist Stacy and Brad’s help. Nothing seemed to work. It was obvious to him that the way he’d hurt her had not just been selfish it might have cost him the one woman he knew that he could truly love.
He shook his head.
This was a bad idea.
He knew it.
Even Brad knew it.
Stacy though, she was the only one who saw the romance of the gesture. She’d tried to convince him that this was his one shot. To get her away from the city and all of the nuances that came with everyday life.
No matter how bad of an idea it was he needed to take the chance. He was getting nowhere pining away over Avery. And it was obvious his feelings for her were never going to disappear.
She would be mad. He was expecting that. But he hoped that she’d eventually listen to him and at the very least give him a chance. As doubtful as that idea seemed, he had to give it a try.
He opened his door slid out from behind the wheel of his pickup truck just in time to feel a rain drop hit his forehead. Looking up he saw that the once sunny day was quickly being replaced by dark overcast. Before he could even close his door a shower of rain came down up on him. Out of nowhere a loud crash of Thunder shook the ground beneath his feet as he made his way up the front porch.
In just three steps he was opening the door. Forgetting to knock he had walked right in and shut the door behind him. He shook the icy rain from his hair and tried to catch his breath. It might as well had been ice water raining down on him. It chilled him to the bone.
Shivering just a bit he loo
ked around the quiet front room. The sheets still lay across all the furniture, protecting it from dust and whatever else may happen during the months they were away.
To the left he saw the kitchen light on. He walked in, peeking slowly as he rounded the wall which separated the two rooms. He still didn’t see her, but he did hear a noise. Actually it was a shout.
He’d heard that voice scream before, but this wasn’t one of pleasure like he’d been witness to before. She sounded mad and frustrated.
As soon as he heard the back sliding door open he knew it was now or never. In a moment Avery would be walking through that door and he would again be face to face with the women who just will not leave his thoughts.
His heart began beating rapidly. It was no longer the cold. Nor was it the nerves. It was fear. Good old fashioned fear. Because he knew that this was his one chance to fix things with her.
Please, God. Don’t let me fuck this up too.
Chapter Ten
Avery rushed into the house. Her book was soaked just as she was. It had been sunny only minutes before so she’d gone out wearing only her tank top and shorts. Now she felt more like a Popsicle than a woman.
Her teeth chattered as she closed the door behind her. Out of habit she’d locked the door behind her. She might be out in the middle of nowhere, but the one thing she had learned from living in the city was that crime doesn’t care where you are. If someone wanted to rape or kill you, they would. It was an inevitable fact, and the last thing she wanted was to become a statistic on the evening news.
Catching herself being so cautious she had to giggle a bit. Her crime novel was clearly getting the best of her imagination.
She held onto the wall and bent over, removing one shoe at a time from her soaking feet. Having to wear heels every day was bad enough, but squishy, cold and wet canvas shoes wasn’t much better.
She ran her fingers through her rain drenched hair and shook the excess off onto the floor. What she needed was a long hot bath and then a nice fire. That would warm her up and make her evening worth the sudden chill.
The cabin was darker now. The clouds covering the sun made it seem almost night time. As she maneuvered through the kitchen she saw the silhouette of someone sitting on the couch. They remained perfectly still despite her sudden movement. Whoever they were, they had to know that she was looking right at them. The window still gave a little light. Enough for sure that she should be visible.
“I don’t know who you are or what you want, but if you leave now I will not call the authorities.” Her voice hitched with the lie she’d just told. She had every intention of calling nine-one-one just as soon as she could.
She steeled her nerves, preparing for anything, him to charge her, perhaps scream something in return, but he remained still. Prepared to just run like hell and call the police she unlocked the deadbolt. In a flash of adrenaline she turned around, heading for the back door. She quickly unlocked it and had almost made her escape when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
She turned back, closing the door behind her and walked back through the kitchen. The room seemed even darker now. It had an almost eerie feel to it as the thunder continued to rattle the walls and sheets of rain banged against the windows.
The darkness didn’t do enough to disguise him at this close range. She could still see the outline of his square jaw. The strong and wide shoulders of his large body sat perfectly still as they stared at one another in silence.
Unbelievable. Jackson Parks. Just what in the hell was he doing here?
With the fear she felt seconds ago gone, the only emotion consuming her at that moment was anger. Pure and raw anger. She flicked on the light switch and picked up her keys from the kitchen counter. Throwing them across the room she managed to his him square in the chest.
“Jackson Parks what in the hell are you doing here?” she shouted in demand of an answer.
He held up his hand. “Whoa. Stop throwing things. I just want to talk to you. Okay?”
“I’m not really concerned with what you want, Jackson. Tell me what in the hell you are doing here!”
“Listen.” He stood up and took a few steps forward. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“You’re sorry if you scared me?” she stated with a hint of sarcasm.
“Will you please just sit down? I just want to talk to you.”
“I’m on vacation Jackson. I don’t want to deal with this or you. I have no idea how you even found me up here, though I have my suspicions.” She shook her head, knowing damn well that Stacy had set this whole thing up.
“I just want to talk. Please.” Jackson pleaded with her.
“If you want to talk call me. That’s what normal people do.”
“Yeah well, I have called you. I’ve called you a lot. But I never seem to get a phone call back.” He crossed his arms.
Tilting her head to one side, Avery squinted her eyes with annoyance. “Maybe that should have been a clue to you. I mean who the hell are you? Pepe LePew?”
“Damn it, Avery. I’ve been trying to talk to you for six months. Would it kill you to have a conversation with me? I mean shit, you know I don’t bite.”
She closed her eyes tightly, refusing to allow the sting of tears spill past her eyelids. How wrong he was. He did bite. With his actions and his seductive words, he bit through her heart and left it damaged and broken.
There was no way she would allow him to see her tears. She hadn’t cried over him in a very long time and she planned on keeping it that way. Not a single tear will be shed for the man who stood before her. Not ever again.
“What is it?” he asked.
Shaking her head, she answered. “Nothing. Just… just go, Jackson. I don’t want you here.”
She crossed the room and opened the front door. A gust of wind grabbed hold of it and nearly knocked her to the floor. Rain poured down, thunder roared and what little that had been left of the sun had finally dissipated.
Refusing to let him see her weak or vulnerable she pointed out toward the storm. “Go!”
He shook his head in disagreement.
“Jackson I’m not kidding. I want you to leave.”
Crossing his arms and raising his brows he nodded in the direction of the forest. “There is no way I’m going out there. At least not for a good while.”
“Well you have to. I insist.” She demanded, her face flush with frustration.
He smirked. “Do you have any idea how cute you are when you’re angry.”
His silver tongue annoying her all the more. “I don’t really care what you think. I don’t want anything to do with you. I just want you to leave.”
“Sorry, sweetheart but I’m not going anywhere. At least not until the storm dies down. So until then you’re stuck with me. Might as well hear what I have to say in the meantime.”
Damn him! This was typical Jackson Parks. He wanted something, so he was just going to take it. To hell with whatever she wanted.
She could see his hard nipples and stone chiseled chest through his t-shirt. It wasn’t doing her resolve any favors. She was weakening with every moment.
Closing the door she reluctantly agreed. “Fine. I’ll go. But not until you talk to me.”
She balled her fists at her sides and tried to remain calm. His damn voice made her crazy. He had that sexy deep tone with just a hint of drawl to it. She knew all too well how that voice sounded in bed. It was one of the many memories she wished she could forget.
“Please, Avery. Just hear me out.”
Gritting her teeth she fought against the words which were on the tip of her tongue. She was so close to agreeing that it pained her. He had completely seduced her and left her with nothing more than a note. She’d never felt so disrespected in her life. He not only didn’t deserve her time, she didn’t want to give it to him.
“Fine.”
Damn it, Avery! She chided herself the instant the words were spoken.
He almost looked sho
cked by her response. Not moving for several seconds he just stared at her, as if trying to decide whether he’d heard her correctly or not.
She couldn’t stand his eyes focused on her so intently. His gaze was heated, his eyes like flame throwers, warming her entire body to near fire.
Needing to distance herself, Avery stepped across the living room and pulled off one of the sheets covering up a chair. She balled it up on the floor and sat down, gripping the wooden arms for strength.
“Well?” she asked.
“I… um…” he stuttered.
She was surprised by his nervousness. One wouldn’t think that the suave and sexy Jackson Parks would have a nervous bone in his body.
His body. Damn it. Quit thinking about it!
Shaking the thoughts from her mind, Avery tried to treat him like a business colleague.
“You’ve requested that I listen. Now here I am… listening. So, are you going to talk or not?”
“Yes. You just caught me off guard is all.”
Avery crossed her arms and waited for him to begin. The sooner she could get him out of her hair it will be that much sooner she’d be able to relax and enjoy her vacation.
“Look, I’m an asshole.” Jackson moved toward her, making the distance between them a tad bit shorter. “I know this.”
“Well, we’re definitely in agreement about that.” Avery added.
Jackson shook his head, disappointment furrowing his brow. “You really don’t like me do you?”
“I did. Once. But then I realized how stupid I had been.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I was the stupid one. I should’ve never treated you the way that I did.”
Surprised by his words and this unexpected side to him, Avery sat further back in the chair. “Keep talking.”
“I was callous. Arrogant. Hell, I was a coward.” He came closer, kneeling before her. “I was young, or younger at least. And stupid. Really stupid. I’d never met anyone like you before, much less spent the night with someone who I had feelings for. It… shit, it scared me, Avery. Actually no… that’s not true. It freaked me the fuck out is what it did. And I knew that if I stayed and saw you the next morning that I wouldn’t be able to walk away. I knew I wouldn’t be able to let you go.”