Their tongues fought for control as they explored each other.

He was perfect. Strong and hard in all the right places and so soft and caring in others. His mouth assaulted hers, but his hands slowly stroked her back and waist. Desire and need for this man, this dreamer, ate away at her resolve. Already her ni**les pebbled to tight buds and her body hummed.

Jack’s hand traveled low on her back until she felt it round over her bottom. The intimate touch held both relief and frustration. Relief because Jack’s hands were on her, and not only in a dream. Frustration because of how she shouldn’t be enjoying his kiss, his touch, so much.

Jack tore his lips from hers and moved to explore her neck, her ear.

She gasped and tilted her head back. Her clothes suddenly felt too tight, itchy.

Friends with benefits. They could do that…right?

But they couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to Jack. It would be easy for her to take him to her cold and lonely bed, but then what?

What about tomorrow? Jessie hated that she couldn’t remove these lurking thoughts from her head and just enjoy the man’s touch.

What if it didn’t work out? How could their friendship survive?

Jessie realized her hand had slipped into his shirt and was clutching his bare skin. She pulled her hand away. “Jack,” she whispered.

He stopped kissing her neck and focused his gaze on hers.

“We…we shouldn’t be doing this.” Not now, not after a date from hell, not with her emotions running high. She needed to think, make educated decisions about the man in her arms.

“You want this as much as I do,” Jack stated the obvious.

There could be no denying that. “I don’t want regrets, Jack. You evoke so many emotions inside of me, I can’t see straight.”

“Darlin’, that makes two of us.”

“But…we’d have regrets. Maybe not today, but tomorrow or the next day.” When Jack took his fill and left to follow his next dream. She’d have a heaping boatful of regrets.

“I have never, nor will I ever, regret any time I spend with you.” His sober words made her realize how many regrets she would hold.

“I value our friendship…If we do this, there would be no friendship.”

Jessie knew he couldn’t deny her words.

Jack groaned and kissed her forehead before breaking their contact.

Her body cooled instantly, a root of reality already reaching its fingers around her heart and giving it a tight squeeze.

Jack gathered his jacket and pushed his arms into it. At the door, he turned to her. “You have my number.”

Which meant she’d have to make the next move.

“Thanks.”

Jack nodded, passed her one long, heated stare, and walked out her door.

Jack slipped into his shower and blasted the water on cold. There was nothing remotely satisfying about a cold shower. The only thing it served was cooling his enraged hormones that were on a continual high cycle when in the presence of Jessie.

She’d been so vulnerable tonight. In hindsight, he was happy she’d pulled away. Left to himself, he wouldn’t have. They would have both enjoyed each other in bed, but he could see the pain in Jessie’s eyes; she would have regretted it.

She would have been right. Once they slept together, this pseudofriendship would blow up like smoke and Jack would hold on to her as tight as he could. No more misfit dates with lawyers who took her as easy. No more pretending not to care if another man looked at her with desire. Jack Morrison was a good many things, but he didn’t share his women, and none had meant as much as Jessie did.

Jack let the cool water run over his face before turning and allowing it to drip down his back. He started to cool his jets, but his insides still flamed. Only now, they were in an all-fire pisser about Brad the snake. How dare the man expect something from a first date with a woman he barely knew?

How could the man ever mistake Jessie for that kind of woman? Kind and caring, Jessie deserved respect. Jack knew she was worried about his feelings when she’d backed away from sleeping with him tonight. She didn’t want him falling for her because she wasn’t ready to return the sentiment. What Jessie didn’t realize was her efforts were already too late.

Jack turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, he dried himself off.

Too late. Jack had it bad.

Then there was Danny…Lord, that kid had grown on him. How his real father could walk away and never look back ticked Jack off.

He wrapped the towel around his hips and ran his fingers through his wet hair. “Be patient,” he told himself in the mirror.

Patience was entirely overrated.

Jessie jumped whenever a pickup truck pulled into the parking lot at work. Disappointment ran high when Jack didn’t emerge from any of them.

She’d worked a couple of extra hours each morning for one of the day-shifters to make it easier on Monica, who was schlepping Jessie back and forth to work since they were down a car. Her car would be out of the shop in a couple of days, but boy did the extra expenses bite into Christmas.

Danny deserved much more than she could provide.

A man like Brad might have been able to provide some financial means, but he would have come up short on the emotional ones.

What was worse, she wondered, a man who cared with all his being who would only be around a short while? Or a man who didn’t care at all?

Would the money last longer than the memories?

Would the heartache last longer than the money?