She fell forward, her head resting on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, a feeling of intense affection filling me. Nuzzling her hair, I inhaled her intoxicating scent. Her fingers traced lazy circles on my neck.
“That was…unexpected,” I murmured. “Fucking amazing, though.” I kissed her brow. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
“Was it what you imagined?”
I chuckled. “Except for the location, yes. I hadn’t planned on our first time in the front seat of a company truck.”
She giggled. “No?”
“Maybe our third or fourth.”
That got me another giggle.
“I liked it.” She shifted and grimaced, a small smile on her face. “We’re a little messy, though.”
“We are.” Then I groaned. “Fuck, Laura. I didn’t…I didn’t even think… Fuck…baby, I’m clean, but I should have used protection. I wasn’t expecting… I didn’t plan…”
She pressed a finger to my mouth. “I’m clean and on birth control, Jackson. We’re fine.”
“Tell me you don’t regret what just happened,” I beseeched.
“Tell me you won’t leave.”
“I can’t leave you now,” I admitted. “I don’t want to stay away from you anymore.”
She lifted her head. “Then don’t.”
Chapter 3
Jackson
I smiled as I looked over at Laura. We were in bed—our usual Saturday morning ritual well underway. I made coffee; she made her infamous breakfast sandwiches. We carried both back to bed with the paper. I spent a lazy hour enjoying the tranquility of perusing the headlines, while Laura worked on the crossword puzzle, often interrupting me with a query.
“Flightless bird—three letters?”
“Emu.”
“Storage area—six letters?”
“Hmm…locker?”
“Oh, that works!”
I smirked and kept reading.
“Thrusting implement?”
I looked up with a frown. “What?”
“Four letters—starts with C…or it might be a D—definitely ends in K though.”
“Are you shitting me with this?”
“Yes.”
Then she fell backward, laughing at her silly joke. Chuckling, I lifted her feet on my lap and stroked her ankles, the way I knew she liked. She sighed in pleasure and smiled at me, tucking an arm under her head. She was relaxed, her dark hair spilling out around her, her eyes warm as they looked at me.
I loved seeing her like this.
In the office, she was Laura—cool, professional, and a force to be reckoned with. She hadn’t earned the nickname “The General” for nothing. She dealt with the crews, suppliers, and problems efficiently and without apologies. She dressed the part, her outfits businesslike and feminine yet never crossing the line. She wore her hair up, often tucking an errant strand back into place. Some days, it took everything in me not to be the one who reached out and smoothed the curl behind her ear while I dropped a tender kiss to the skin for good measure. It was getting harder to resist.
When dealing with her father, she was still efficient and bossy, although her words were tempered with fondness—unless they were arguing over budgets or his terrible eating habits.
But alone with me, she became my Laura. Her body language changed, and she became fluid and supple. All soft curves and rounded edges—like liquid mercury. Her smiles were filled with light, her gaze warm and gentle, and her words uttered in the gentlest tone, the tenderness I had longed for on full display. Her laughter was low and sultry and happened often. I loved making her laugh.
“You’re such a nut.”
She grinned at me. “But you love me.”
I tightened my hands on her feet. “I do.”
Her face turned serious. “Tell me.”
Lifting her feet off my lap, I moved and hovered over her, holding her gaze. “I love you, Laura. More than anyone or anything. You’re my entire world.”
She became peaceful, her smile shy. “I love you.”
Lowering my head, I traced her collarbone with my tongue, swirling it on her delicate skin. I dragged my mouth up her throat, tugging gently on her earlobe, smiling at her shiver. “Now, about that crossword puzzle. Maybe I need to help you with a physical demonstration of that thrusting implement?”
“Yes…Jackson…God…yes…show me.”
She was wrapped in my arms, snuggled close. The newspaper was scattered all around us on the floor, one overturned cup of coffee dripping a dark stain onto the paper. I traced the skin of her arm with one finger, up and down, over and over again.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
“How good it feels when you’re in my arms.”
She snuggled tighter. “I know.”
“I want you here all the time.”
She tilted up her head. “Jackson?”
“I hate it when you go away and I can’t talk to anyone—say anything about how much I miss you or worry about you. I hate hiding how much I love you.”
“Then we need to make changes.”
I yanked on my hair in frustration. “I know. I just don’t know how.”
“We sit down with my father and tell him.”
I snorted. “That’s going to go over well. Pretty sure by the end of the conversation, I’ll have a busted lip and no job.”
“Do you really think he’ll be that upset? He thinks so highly of you.”
“In addition to being opposed to the age thing, and me not being good enough for you, I think he’s going to be angry over the fact that we’ve kept it hidden all this time. He’s gonna be mad on a lot of levels.”
She shook her head. “You are good enough for me—and good for me. He’ll see that. He may be mad at first, but my dad loves me, and he wants me to be happy. You make me happy.”
Cupping her cheek, I smiled. “I like making you happy. I’m not sure about how fast he’ll come around. He was pretty insistent on no one in the company getting close to you.”
“Then we should face it now, and it’s done.” Her voice became even quieter. “Are you worried about his anger personally or professionally?”
“Some of both,” I admitted. “I like my job a lot. I’m good at it, and I like working for your dad.”
“More than you like me?”
“Of course not.”
“Are you embarrassed by our relationship? Are you ashamed of me?”
“No! It’s nothing like that.”
“Yet we still hide.”
“Laura…”
“You were going to leave when you thought we couldn’t be together. What about now? Would you leave so we could be? Or didn’t you mean it?”
“At the time, I guess I did, yes. I didn’t want to leave, but I thought it might be for the best.”
“But not now? Even if it meant we could be together—out in the open?”
“What about you? You said the same thing,” I challenged. “You thought it was important I stay working with your dad. Or doesn’t that matter anymore?”
She stood, suddenly very angry. “Is that what you want? For me to give up my job?”
I stood as well, tense. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”
And then, we were arguing. Angry words, accusations, and denials flew between us. All over a situation neither of us had a solution to, brought up at the wrong moment, when we were anxious, unsure of the future, and weary of hiding our feelings. What I should have done was take her in my arms and tell her we’d talk to her father. Face it together. If he was furious and completely against us, I would walk away from a job I liked—because I loved her, and she trumped everything.
Instead, we continued to argue until she was furious enough to storm into the washroom with her clothes and leave. And I was angry enough to let her go.
The slam of the door behind her echoed in the house, and in my heart, for hours.
Sunday, I was miserable. I woke up alone and exhausted, having
tossed and turned all night, our argument on repeat in my head, my bed too big and empty without her. I kept picking up my phone to call her, but I didn’t want this conversation to happen via airwaves. I wanted to see her face-to-face, but going to her place was risky. She always came here, since I lived across town from Hank. Her place was two blocks away from him, making the chance of him seeing my truck far too high. I paced the house, frustrated and angry, eventually saying fuck it and getting in my truck, determined to make this right.
But when I slowed down by her driveway, I saw not only her car parked there, but her father’s company truck behind it. Cursing, I drove away, and I spent the afternoon doing errands and drive-bys, but Hank’s truck remained a silent sentinel. Giving up, I went home and sent her a simple text.
Jackson: I’m an ass. Call me when the coast is clear so I can apologize properly. I love you.
I waited in vain—the phone never rang, and the message remained unanswered.
Monday morning, I was sullen, tired, and desperate to see her. Glancing at my schedule, I bit back a curse, realizing we had a staff meeting, directly followed by a meeting with a new client. I had met him once and disliked him immediately. I thought he was a pompous ass and hoped we wouldn’t see him again, but as luck would have it, he’d scheduled another sit-down.
Laura would be attending both meetings—and unless I managed to get to her before they started, we’d still be on unfriendly terms when they began, and I didn’t want that.
At the office, her door was closed and her car not in her spot. Hank was there, on the phone, and I waved as I went by. In my office, I sorted through some notes and listened attentively as the office became busier. When I finally heard Laura’s voice calling out greetings, I relaxed and, after a few minutes, stood, a file in hand, preparing to go and talk to her. At my doorway, I paused as she came into view. My hand grasped the edge of the doorframe as I swallowed hard.
She didn’t.
To everyone else, she looked normal. To me, she was fucking sin.
A silky wrap dress in a deep blue hugged her curves and ended just above her knees. The bow resting on her hip begged for my teeth to grasp it and pull it open. She was wearing high heels for a change, which made her legs seem long and endless—I wanted them wrapped around my hips, the heels digging into my ass as I pounded into her. There was nothing unusual about her outfit, except it was one of my favorites. I told her once how fucking sexy she was in it.
But it was her hair that caught my eye and made my breath catch in my throat. Her glorious fucking hair I couldn’t resist, cascaded over her shoulders and down her back in waves of dark chocolate satin. She’d left it curly, which she hated, but knew I loved—the riotous mass swirling around her face as she moved. I wanted to lace my hands in the curls and pull her face to mine and kiss her. Bend her over the closest desk and bury my face in the sweet fragrance as I begged for her forgiveness. Fuck her until she moaned my name and showed me with her body that we were okay.
Instead, I was paralyzed as our eyes met. Her anger-filled gaze was challenging. My apologetic one ignored. She knew what seeing her hair down would do to me. How much I’d want—need—to touch her and not be able to. She was still angry at me, thinking I valued my job over her.
Taking in a deep breath and pushing off the door, I crossed the office, aware we were being watched. “Good morning, Laura.”
“Jackson.” Her voice was clipped, and this time, I knew it wasn’t an act. Up close, I could see how tired she looked, and the hurt was evident in her gaze.
“I have a couple thoughts on that file we were discussing. I wondered if you could spare me a moment before the staff meeting.” I paused and cleared my throat. “I thought about what you said, and I really wanted to talk it over with you.”
Her eyes flickered, and she blinked—a glimmer of moisture appearing. I inched forward, needing to be closer. I inhaled deeply, the scent of her washing over me. “Please,” I added, fighting the incredible urge to say fuck it all and drag her into my arms, not caring about the consequences.
Before she could answer, Hank strode out of his office, clapping his hands. “Great. I need to see both of you before Harris comes in. My office—now.”
Our bubble was broken. Laura closed her eyes and stepped back, her guard once again returning. “Of course, Hank,” she acknowledged and moved past me, her long tresses brushing my hands. Unable to resist, I pulled one curl with my finger, its texture silky against my callused skin. It took everything in me not to wrap the curls in my fist and yank her back to me like a caveman. Claim her in front of everyone. The curl unwound and escaped my finger as she walked away.
“We’ll talk later, Jackson.”
I followed her silently, realizing I would follow her anywhere.
I had to make sure she understood that.
Chapter 4
Jackson
Laura smiled at me from the corner of the sofa as I handed her a cup of coffee.
I’d helped her right her clothing and removed her from my lap. I slid over to the driver’s side of the truck, and she looked at me questioningly. “I live five minutes from here—I often leave my truck in the lot. If Hank sees yours, he’ll wonder where you are.”
“Are we going somewhere?”
“Yes. You’re coming home with me, and we’re going to talk.”
“Okay.”
Once we reached the house, I gave her a set of sweatpants and a shirt to change into, while I made the coffee, quickly changed myself, and waited for her. When she emerged from the guest room, her hair brushed and back up, and dressed in my clothes, I couldn’t suppress my smirk. She was beyond adorable—the sleeves of my shirt rolled up several times and the pants hanging off her hips. I drew her close, kissing her temple, finding the clip and letting her hair loose again.
“Leave it down. I love your hair.”
She tilted up her face, biting her lip. I pulled on the plump flesh. “Keep doing that, and we won’t be talking,” I warned.
Color stained her cheeks, and I chuckled as I drew her to the sofa. How she could blush after what we’d just done was beyond me. She was a mystery to me still—one I wanted to solve.
She sipped her coffee, gazing at me over the rim of her mug. She was too far away, so I moved closer and laced our fingers together.
“I thought you hated me,” she confessed.
“Anything but.”
“Then why…?”
I kissed her hand and released it. “Your father was very specific when you were moving back, Laura. You’re off-limits. To everyone.” I shook my head as I chuckled without humor. “He asked me to be your friend. Look out for you—like I would my own sister. Except the way I feel about you isn’t brotherly. The only way I could stop myself from acting on how I felt was to distance myself.”
“But he really likes you—respects you. If we talked to him…”
“I’m twelve years older than you are, Laura. He’d fucking freak out.”
Her chin lifted. “It’s just a number.”
“A big number.”
She shrugged. “Your age doesn’t bother me.” She sighed, looking down into her mug, her voice low when she spoke. “The way you treated me bothered me.”
I lifted her face and stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I hated doing it, but I didn’t know what else to do. You…you affect me deeply, sweet girl.”
“How?” she whispered, turning her face and pressing a kiss to my palm.
“You bring out feelings I’ve never experienced before,” I confessed. “I’ve never felt this…need for another person. I want to protect you, keep you from harm. I want to touch you all the time.” I trailed my fingers along her neck at the slight reddish skin from my scruff. “I want to mark you and let everyone know you’re taken.” I shut my eyes briefly, opening them to meet her intense gaze. “I want to know what makes you laugh and cry. All your hopes and fears. I want to make your dreams come true. I want to be part of y
our life.” I drew in a deep breath. “I want to make love to you…to fuck you and hear you cry out my name again. I want…I want to be everything to you.”
“But?”
“We’re at different stages in our life, Laura. Your father wouldn’t approve of our relationship. Even if he didn’t fire me over it, he’d be unhappy.”
“I don’t care about his feelings.”
“Yes, you do,” I stated gently. “You adore your father.”
“I adore you.”
My breath caught.
“How do you know we’re at different stages, Jackson? We’re both healthy, happy with our jobs. I’m not a normal twenty-six-year-old. I don’t enjoy clubbing or late nights. My dad has always said I had an old soul—I’ve never fit in with people my own age. I live a quiet life, and from all I’ve heard, so do you.” She covered my hand with hers, pushing it into her skin. “I want to get to know you. Be your friend…and more. Is that such a bad thing?”
“You already are more.”
“Then can’t we…try?”
“I want to.”
She placed her mug on the table and took mine from my hand, placing it beside hers. She slid onto my lap, wrapping her arms around her neck. “I want to as well. Please stop fighting this, Jackson.”
Resting my hands on her hips, I studied her open expression. I slipped my fingers under the loose material of the shirt she was wearing, stroking the supple skin of her back. “I’m tired of fighting you, Laura. I want you. I want you with me. I just don’t know how this will end. I don’t want to hurt you even more than I have already.”
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