memories, I groaned and covered my face with my hands.
The man had the ability to make me lose all inhibition.
Jack had woken me to tell me he had to leave to get ready for court. I’d been unable to speak as I realized what I’d done. Last night, I’d let my hormones take over. I had no idea it was so possible to let your desires control you like that. I mean, they always kind of controlled me when it came to Jack … but this was next-level irresponsible. They had driven all rational thought from my head.
Jack strode back into the bedroom a few minutes later, his smoldering gaze on me. He was so tall and delicious, despite my self-directed anger, I wanted to climb him. Forcing myself to look away, I finally unpinned from the bed and sat up, clutching the sheets to cover my chest.
I didn’t know why.
Jack had seen and kissed every inch of me.
“First thing’s first. I’m clean. I got tested after our first little chat about that.”
Remembering how badly he’d taken that conversation the first time, I felt guilty. “Jack—”
“Don’t. It’s fine, Em. You should know I get checked regularly. I would never fuck around with that.”
“Okay.” I believed him.
“Wish I could stay and have coffee with you, sunrise, but I need to be back in Wilmington soon.” Jack began to dress.
“Do you need me there?” I offered without thinking.
He shot me a tender smile. “No, Em. I’m not on the stand today. You should open the store.”
I barely nodded.
“Hey.” He stopped buttoning his shirt and put his hands to the bed so our faces were close. “We okay?”
Mine crumpled with anxiety. “Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have …” I gestured between us.
Jack’s expression hardened a little and he pushed back off the bed to finish dressing. “And why not?”
Was he kidding?
“Because … because we’re not together and this … I was selfish last night. This blurred the lines. So badly.”
Jack’s hands went to his hips as he contemplated me. I tried not to think of what those hips could do to me.
Jesus.
I looked down at the bedsheets because looking at Jack was dangerous to my libido.
“I thought we agreed this was just sex. Anytime you need me, I’m here for you.”
My eyes flew to his. “But … you wanted more between us. It isn’t fair to you.”
“Did you or did you not come down on me for making decisions for the two of us without taking your feelings into account?”
Another guilty flush heated my cheeks. “Yes.”
“Am I or am I not a grown man capable of making my own decisions?”
I narrowed my eyes at his condescending tone. “Yes.”
His lips twitched at my snippy tone. “Then, Emery, I don’t need you to protect me. You want sex, I’ll give you sex. Nothing wrong with that.” He flashed a wicked grin. “Honest to God, best sex of my life. Why the hell would I turn down the opportunity to have more?”
“Because it’s not that straightforward, Jack, and you know it.”
“Well, I’m a guy.” He stated the obvious. “I can have great sex without it being more. So, the only reason not to do this is if you can’t have sex without letting your feelings develop into something more.”
I was at once hurt by his insinuation that he could detach his feelings from the act of making love and irritated that he’d trapped me. Now if I said no to the friends-with-benefits situation, I’d be suggesting I had deeper feelings for him.
I shrugged, feeling petulant. “I can have sex without needing more from you.”
He studied me a moment, an undecipherable look in his eyes. “Good.” He put a knee to the bed and leaned in and gave me the kind of kiss that was a prelude to dirty sex. I slid my fingers into his soft, thick hair and held on for the ride.
When Jack finally let me up for air, my entire body tingled. He pressed a sweet kiss to my nose and tried to pull away, but I held on to his neck. “You don’t kiss a girl like that and leave her wanting more, Jack,” I whispered. “It’s exceptionally rude. Didn’t your momma teach you any manners?”
He smiled a smile that was at once cocky and regretful. “I’ve got places to be, sunrise.”
My grip on his nape tightened, pulling him down as I laid back down. “Then you should have thought about that before you kissed me.”