It was then he spoke. “Who hurt you?”
“What?” His question felt like a physical blow.
“Who the fuck hurt you so badly, you’ve closed yourself off?”
“No one,” I lied.
“Do not bullshit me. No woman or man goes to such great lengths to push people away if they haven’t been burned.”
Now he was pissing me off, he’d hit the truth, and I wanted him nowhere near it.
“Did you ever stop and think that maybe it’s just you I don’t want around? Or are you so arrogant you believe that all women should fall at your feet?”
“Who burned you, Sweetness?”
“No one. We’ve been over this.”
“The first time I came back was to get my watch. This time I came back because I missed you. Wanted to talk. And I definitely planned on getting another taste of you. But now I wanna know why you’re so hellbent on protecting yourself.”
“Is that what you want? A little more fun? Another taste?”
“Among other things, yes.”
“You can’t have anything else.”
The hand he had in my hair was moving down to the nape of my neck. He paused there and gave me a squeeze. “Tuesday, Sweetness, I’m not going to hurt you. You don’t have to protect yourself from me. I’d sooner cut off my arm than see you sad. Let me in.”
I wanted to believe him. Hell, I almost did believe he wouldn’t hurt me intentionally, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it all the same.
“That’s not going to happen. And if you’d been paying attention at all, I already told you why.”
“No, you gave me shit excuses, one being I was too young. You even went as far as saying you liked your men experienced. Think I proved we’re more than compatible in that department and I can be everything you need. And just so you know, I have been paying attention. So much so, I know all your talk was utter shit. I also know what we shared meant something to you. I saw it. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s been years since you’ve invited a man to your bed. How that is possible with you looking the way you do, is beyond me, but it doesn’t make it any less true.” He stopped and leaned in even closer. “And how I know has nothing to do with how tight your pussy was, how wild you got at the smallest touch, or how fast you came for me. It had everything to do with the way you were looking at me. And just so you know, straight up, Sweetness, it meant something to me, too. A fuck of a lot.”
I wanted a hole to open up so I could fall through it and disappear. I was embarrassed he could read me as easily as he could, I was mad at myself for letting my guard down, and I was a whole lot turned on. He was right about all of it, and I hated that. I’d used his age as an excuse, but it was a concern. I was seven years older than him. We were in two different places in our lives.
“That’s still the case, Jackson,” I told him, ignoring the rest.
“Babe, it isn’t. It stopped being the case when I kissed you and you attacked my mouth.”
More embarrassment.
“I didn’t attack your mouth.”
“Yeah, you did. And I have to tell you it was hot as fuck, and I would’ve been damn disappointed if you hadn’t.”
“So what? One really great kiss and awesome sex and suddenly you’ve aged ten years?”
“Awesome sex?”
Damn. Shit. Fuck. Why’d I say that? I was losing the argument and needed a subject change pronto.
“Can you please step away from me?”
“After you kiss me.”
“I don’t think so, Jack. No more kissing.”
“Maybe I’d believe that if you weren’t melting into me and if your beautiful brown eyes hadn’t gone soft.”
I tried to shove away from him, but he held on tight. “Jackson!”
This wasn’t going well. He saw too much and he had no problem calling me on my bullshit. I didn’t like it.
“You’re holding on to some stupid reason not to let go and give us a shot.”
I could hear my grandmother’s words in the back of my mind telling me I was hiding away. Would it be so bad to go on a date with Jackson even though he was younger than me? Yes. It would be bad. Very bad. Because the only fault I could find in Jackson was his age. He was annoying as hell, but, as usual, my grandmother was right about that, too. I only thought that because he wouldn’t let me push him away.
I knew I was making a mistake even before I said the words. “I won’t let you in. I don’t do relationships and feelings. I don’t want to talk to you about my day. You wanna work out an arrangement where you come over, we have sex, then you leave? We can talk. But other than that, I got nothing to give you. The reasons why are none of your business and I won’t be sharing.” He continued to stare down at me. “You were right, it had been awhile. You’re good in bed, you want more, I want more, but there will be a few rules.”
“Not real fond of rules, Sweetness.”
“That reminds me, rule number one: no more calling me sweetness.”
His lips curved up into a smile. “Yeah, not following that rule. What else you got?”
“No more showing up unannounced. No going out. No asking me personal stuff. I’m not joking, straight up sex, then you go home. I can’t offer you anymore than that.”
“None of those work for me.”
“Funny. They don’t have to work for you. They’re mine. You just have to follow them. And if you don’t want to make the deal, there’s the door.”
Why did thinking about him walking out the door hurt? I’d gone from completely pushing him out of my life to offering him sex. Yeah, I was stupid. In that moment looking up at Jackson waiting to hear if he was going to agree to my rules, I kind of felt like one of those too-stupid-to-live actresses in a horror movie. You know, the dumb bimbo who runs toward the danger instead of, say, locking herself in the closet so the bad guy can’t find her? Totally me. Too-stupid-to-live starring in my own personal horror show. Fuck. I knew this was a mistake.
Huge.
Big.
Epic.
He lowered his face closer to mine and whispered near my mouth, “Might as well start as I intend to go.”
Before I could question what he meant, his lips were on mine. And just like all the other times, I opened for him. Immediately. No hesitation. I didn’t understand why, it just felt right. He kept the kiss slow and soft even when I tried to deepen it, he remained in control. He gave me no other option but to follow. It was all kinds of hot. Just as good as our last, but not as wet and wild. Our tongues danced and stroked.
His hold tightened, and I was no longer paying attention to how great the kiss was, being in his arms was better. He was strong, and tall, and held me with a gentleness I’d never experienced. I was protected and cared for. This was why I’d wanted to stay away from him. I didn’t want to delude myself into thinking there could be more between us. Before I knew it, I’d never want him to let me go.
Jackson broke the kiss, and before I could get my wits about me, he spoke. His voice was full of gravel and that was hot, too. “I’m gonna lay this out for you, Sweetness. Straight up honesty. Your rules do not apply to us. I’m gonna kiss you whenever I can. Touch you often. I’m going to take you out. I’m gonna spend time with you here at your house. You’re gonna spend time at mine. So maybe I can give you not showing up unannounced, because from here on out, I’m not working, you’re not working, you can expect me.”
His proclamation had me worried. Jackson touching and kissing me muddled my head. I couldn’t think clearly. And I needed to or I’d never survive him.
“This isn’t a game.”
“Damn right, it’s not. You’re not a woman to be played. But, fair warning, while we’re doing this, I’m pulling out all the stops. I’m going to prove you can trust me with your time. I’m not fucking around with your heart, I want in. You can fight and push me away, but I’ll still break through.”
“Why?”
I sounded like a broken record. I’d
asked him so many times, but I still didn’t understand why someone as hot Jackson, who could have any young girl he clapped eyes on, would want me. I was a mess and told him flat out I didn’t want a relationship.
Hell, I’d basically tried to make an arrangement with him where he dispensed orgasms and nothing else. Yet, he still wanted more. What was wrong with him? What guy wouldn’t be down with a no strings sex non-relationship?
“Because I like you.”
The ice around my heart had been quickly melting, but with those four words it went back into a deep freeze.
“None of that other shit is up for negotiation. Sex. That’s it. Take or it or leave it. But, Jack, you have to know this is me giving you straight up honesty, I’m never gonna fall in love with you. I don’t want a man. I don’t want touchy feely shit. You broke my dry spell in a way that makes me want more of what you can offer. But that’s it. I’ll take you up on your offer for seconds, but you’ll need to check the rest at the door.”
Lies, lies, and more lies.
Jackson’s eyes flashed, the brown that was a shade darker than mine turned molten.
“While you’re fucking me, no one else touches you. Not a kiss, not holding your hand, and definitely no one else in your bed. Nothing,” he bit out, anger rolling off him in waves.
I thought about his request, it wasn’t a hardship since none of that was happening anyway.
“Fine.”
“You’re taking my cock, Sweetness, there will be no dating other men.”
“Not part of the agreement, Jack.”
“It is now. We make this agreement, I don’t take another woman to my bed, that means I’m over here burrowing myself into you. I’m not working my schedule around some chump who has no shot at getting in there anyway.”
It was safe to say, Jackson was a little pissed with me. Which, as fucked up as it was, was easier for me to hide when he was acting like this.
“Fine,” I repeated.
“Great.”
“You sure this is how you wanna play this, Tuesday? My dick and nothing else?”
“All I’m willing to give you.”
Acid churned in my stomach remembering why I had nothing else to offer. Memories that cut so deep they never healed. I’d spent years making sure they were still open and bleeding so I’d never forget the pain of betrayal.
His hands moved to my ass, he lifted me, and my legs wrapped around his waist.
Oh, shit. This was happening now.
“What about the pizza?”
“Fuck the pizza.”
Yep, it was happening.
The fucked-up side of me was totally turned on by how pissed Jackson was. The logical side knew I’d just awoken a beast I’d never be able to contain.
11
Jackson
Tonight hadn’t gone as planned.
My strategy had been simple, I was going over to spend time with her and lay the groundwork. Move in slowly, build, and go from there. Nowhere in that tactic had I thought she’d suggest this shit. A booty call. That’s what she was pushing for. She wasn’t even offering friends with benefits. She wanted the benefits all right, just not the friendship.
Now she was wrapped around me and I was stomping to the bedroom. Even as pissed as I was, I couldn’t miss how good she felt pressed against me. If this was all she was offering, I was going to take it. But there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell I was abiding by her fucking rules. Not any of them. I wasn’t going to check shit at the door. And if she thought I was going to stop pressing her for answers, she was mistaken.
She wanted to get stubborn, I’d get creative. After the bullshit she’d just shoveled, I knew I’d been right. Someone had fucked her over, and, when they had, it hurt her bad enough she’d retreated, protecting not only her heart but her body as well.
When we got to her room, I set her down by her bed, roughly yanked her tank over her head, and tossed it aside.
Her eyes were wide with shock and a little apprehension.
“You sure about this, Sweetness?”
“Yeah.”
“Convince me.”
There were a lot of ways Tuesday looked at me that I loved. Some I liked better than others. But doubt and worry were not two of them. If she wanted this agreement, I’d play along until I could break through. What I wouldn’t do was be the asshole she wanted me to be, laying her shit on me so later she could pin me down and paint me as the bad guy.
“Convince you?” she asked.
“Yep. You want this, show me.”
Her shaky hands went to my shirt and started to pull it up.
“Look at me,” I demanded.
Her eyes snapped to mine and there was still trepidation. She had under two minutes to prove she was on board with this until I shut it down. She continued to fumble with my shirt, and I knew I couldn’t do it.
“Tuesday.” My hands went to her waist, hitting bare flesh just above the rolled-over boxer shorts she was still wearing. Her palms landed on my pecs, abandoning her efforts, short tipped nails dug in. “Baby,” I whispered.
Her gaze softened, and her hands roamed. “I want this.”
I watched and waited, keeping my eyes on hers, which was no small feat considering she was standing in front of me, heaving in oxygen, perky breasts on display. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and as desperately as I wanted to look, touch, and taste I didn’t.
Tuesday was back to pulling my shirt off this time with more certainty. Still not enough for me to touch her, but enough I’d let her continue.
Her lips touched my skin just below my throat, and I moved my hands back to her hips, mainly so I wouldn’t touch her other places. Goddamn, her mouth felt good. The tentative kisses were turning into nips, moving up my neck.
Her hands shoved under the back of my jeans, fingertips digging into the muscles in my ass, and she pressed her tits against my chest. “I want this, Jack,” she whispered, then licked the shell of my ear. “So are we gonna stand here all night discussing it, or are you gonna fuck me?”
One hand came out of my jeans, traveled up my spine, the back of my neck, and, finally, into the back of my hair.
“Kiss me,” I demanded. Her eyes flashed, and I knew she didn’t want to. She was planning on keeping this exchange as impersonal as the first. She hadn’t wanted to kiss me while I’d been fucking her then. But this was personal, as personal as it got, and I was going to make sure she understood. “Baby, when we are in this room, you are mine. If I wanna spend hours kissing my woman, I’m gonna. If I want to play with your body until you’re boneless, I’m gonna. Because, in here, like this, every last bit of you belongs to me. I can wait you out all night long, and, Tuesday, I am not fucking you until you kiss me.”
“That’s not—”
“In here, that’s exactly the way it is. You laid out your rules, I’m laying out mine. In here, I call the shots, every last one of them, all you need to do is trust that everything I do, I’ll make it good for you. So, kiss me, baby. I’m fucking starved. All I’ve been doing these last three weeks is thinking about how good you taste. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve stroked myself thinking about the way you look, the way you sound when you’re coming around my dick.”
She didn’t hesitate, her lips hit mine hard, and she went for it. All the other times we’d kissed she’d let me take control, but not this one. She wasn’t giving me an inch. Her tongue wasn’t gently gliding against mine, she was taking, owning, claiming.
Fucking perfect.
Without breaking the kiss, I shoved her shorts and panties down over her ass and let them fall around her ankles. This time it was my hands that were shaking when I picked her up, put my knee to the bed, and hefted us both up and into the middle. We came down, both my palms flat on the bed by her head, not giving her all of my weight. Her hands were getting desperate, they moved from my back to the button of my jeans. I grabbed both of her wrists and stopped her.
“Hands above your head.”
Tuesday looked so pretty under me, lids at half mast, makeup free, guard down, nothing but lust shining back.
“But I want—”
“Baby, I wanna take my time and enjoy your perky tits, then I’m gonna enjoy exploring all the ways I can make you come. I cannot do that with your hands on me.”
Her lips twitched and one side curved up, a few beats later, she was smiling wide. “Can’t say that sounds all that bad.” She moved her hands to the bed then up over her head. The movement slow and sexy. The side effect to that was her back arched and her tits looked fantastic on full display.
With my cock throbbing, begging to be released, I set about seeing the ways I could make her scream.
In the end, I found out she could orgasm with nothing but nipple stimulation and me talking dirty. She could also let go with just my mouth sucking on her clit, with her talking dirty. And I found she could be filthy. But the best way to turn Tuesday wild was finger fucking her while I played rough with her tiny, sensitive nub. She went wild, her hips bucked, her head thrashed, she screamed out, and I licked up every last drop of excitement that leaked from her pussy. I did it for a long time, not wasting a drop. She tasted good, fabulous. When she lost her control, it was so fucking beautiful I didn’t know what to do with it all. But I was going to learn.
By the time she’d exploded the fourth time, which took a good amount of effort on my part, getting dirtier with my words, she was so exhausted she hadn’t protested when I gathered her into my arms, and she passed out.
My unused dick was still hard, still throbbing, and in serious need of attention. Attention I would give it later when I was alone. There were many ways I could play this, but I only had one shot. I’d give her as many orgasms as she wanted with my mouth and fingers. But she wasn’t getting more until she gave more.
Tuesday thought she’d manipulated the situation, getting what she wanted. She had no idea all she’d done was give me the opening I needed.
And I wasn’t stupid, not only had I walked through the door, but I’d locked it behind me. She wanted me out, she’d have the fight of her life trying. I’d deadbolted that fucker closed.
Claiming Tuesday: The Next Generation Page 7