Jason reached over and took my hand in his. “I don’t like this,” he said.
And he thought I did? I wasn’t going to admit it, though. I shrugged. “It is what it is. And I’ve had fun.”
Jason wouldn’t look at me. “How do we distance ourselves?”
“We start with very little touching and of course nothing sexual. I won’t dance with anyone else if that bothers you, but you can’t dance with anyone else either. To keep it fair.”
Jason turned his head to finally meet my gaze. “Nothing sexual?”
“Can’t have distance if we’re naked and wrapped around each other,” I replied.
Heat flashed in Jason’s eyes, and I stood up before he could act on that. As much as I loved to be in his arms, I also knew that no matter how many times I offered myself to him, he would be leaving me. I was not someone he would ever have a relationship with, and it was time I protected myself.
“That’s gonna be f**king impossible,” he said.
No, it wasn’t. He wanted distance. He was going to get it. “It’s the only way,” I replied.
JASON
I placed my hand on Jess’s lower back as we walked back into the party. I could feel the eyes on us—or more like, on her. Every damn guy here was looking at her, and I had no right to care. Which sucked. I wasn’t going to think about it.
“You thirsty yet?” I asked her.
“If you go to the bar and get sidetracked, someone may approach me, and I don’t want to be rude to your friends,” she said.
I reached for her hand. “I’m not leaving you alone. They’re all f**king vultures,” I replied, taking her with me.
She went with me willingly. “What do you want to drink?” I asked her.
She glanced at the bartender. “Do you have whiskey?” she asked hopefully.
“Straight?” the guy asked, smiling at her like an idiot.
“Please, I need it,” she replied.
He poured her more than the normal and slid it to her. Even the damn hired help was ogling her. “I can’t believe you’re drinking whiskey,” I said.
She stopped with the rim almost to her mouth and gave me an amused grin. “Yeah, well, I don’t know what else you expect from me. I’m not one of them,” she said, waving her glass out at the crowd. “My momma ain’t a trust-fund baby. She’s a stripper.”
I heard someone choke beside me, no doubt from her statement. She took a much longer drink of whiskey than I’d ever seen anyone take.
“Her momma is a stripper?” Hensley asked as he stared at her in openmouthed amazement. As if Jess hadn’t already drawn attention, this piece of information was going to go through the room like wildfire.
“Shut up,” I replied, and picked up my drink, needing to hover over her and protect her from the horny males who were just going to get worse when they found out her momma’s profession.
“I can’t believe you announced that,” I said to her quietly as I led her away from the bar.
“Why? They’re never going to see me again, and they’ll all talk about you like you’re a badass for bringing a stripper’s daughter commando to one of their uppity parties. And whoever I’m supposed to be making jealous, I assure you, she is fuming. You’ll have her back in your arms in no time. Just get rid of me first.”
What the hell was she talking about? Make who jealous? Had someone told her about me and Johanna? That relationship had only been in Jo’s head. All I had done was have sex with her once, months ago. “What are you talking about?” I asked her.
She took another long drink. “I’m talking about the reason you brought me to this thing. I couldn’t figure out why you’d want me to come as your date when you could do so much better. I get it now. I’m the bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks meant to drive the ex-girlfriend mad with jealousy.”
That was what she thought? Shit. Of course it was. The insecurity that she was so damn good at hiding was still there. She had been used so many times in her life that she expected it. I had only wanted to spend some time with her and treat her differently. But in the end I had treated her the way she expected.
I grabbed her drink and set it on a tray as it went by, then led her to the door. I’d call later and apologize for leaving. Right now I was getting Jess out of here so we could talk.
“Where are we going?” she asked as I pulled her out the door and toward the elevator.