“Jackson, what are you doing? Get up.”

He grabbed her hand. “No, I need to say this. You can have a good life here. We’re good together. And it doesn’t have to end. Stay with me.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as he pressed her hand against his heart.

“Say you’ll stay.”

She shook her head. “This is crazy. I have a life in Florida. I can’t just move.”

“You can if you want to. I know this seems like it’s happening really fast and I’m not saying we need to go out and buy rings tomorrow. I just want the chance to find out. Do you? Do you want me?”

His eyes stayed on hers as he waited for her answer. Elation rose in Ridley as her thoughts swirled in a million directions. She had a job and a life in Florida but she didn’t have this. A man who was willing to get on his knees before her and tell her he wanted her.

She grabbed his arms and pulled him up on the bed next to her. “I do want you.”

“So, you’ll stay?”

She grinned. “Yes. I’ll stay.”

He grabbed her and pulled her on top of him.

“Jackson! What are you doing?” She giggled when his lips trailed white-hot kisses down the side of her neck.

“Celebrating,” he replied.

She bucked off the bed when he gently nipped at her earlobe. His hot breath in her ear started a tickle that sped all the way down her spine and swirled between her thighs.

He eased himself up enough to pull his shirt over his head, and Ridley took the opportunity to run her hands over his well-developed pectorals and flat abdomen. She brazenly unsnapped his jeans and looked up into his eyes to see his reaction when she cupped him.

He cursed softly before snatching her hand away and roughly tugging the jeans off his body. He reached into the bedside table for a condom and quickly tore the wrapper. She took the package from him.

“Allow me.” She straddled him and softly stroked his length as though measuring the thickness. He shuddered when she lingered over the tip, brushing her thumb along the ridge before sheathing him with the protection.

She pushed his hands away when he reached for her and unhooked her bra herself. Flinging it to the floor, she cupped her own breasts and saw him fight for breath as he watched her stroke herself. When he reached for her panties, she chuckled softly as she eluded him.

“Uh uh. I’m in control here.”

She slipped out of them and dangled them from her pinky finger before letting them drop to the floor next to her bra. When she straddled him this time she was unprepared for the hard feel of him under her naked heat. She wanted to take it slow, make him want her, but she couldn’t deny herself any longer.

She gripped his length with her left hand, satisfied when she heard his cry, before she guided him inside her. The feel of him sliding along her sensitive flesh was so good that she paused for a moment, overwhelmed.

She heard the whimpers, barely realizing she made the sounds, as Jackson’s strong hands worked her hips against him, over and over until she thought she would burst. She felt the power she had over him that moment, the way his breath hitched when she stopped her frantic rocking motion. After a few tense moments she saw him bare his teeth in a grimace as he grabbed her hips and ground her against him.

She collapsed against him, exhausted from her wild ride, and surrendered herself to his desires. She wanted his lean body pressing against hers and she didn’t fight him as he flipped her over and sank into her in one thick thrust. She felt him moving against her deepest ache, and gripped his ass to pull him in farther.

He reached between them and stroked her in time with his thrusts. She couldn’t control her body’s reaction to Jackson’s fingers on her most intimate body parts. She couldn’t even cry out at the exquisite combination.

He seemed to have a thousand fingers, all caressing her all at once, inside and outside. Every muscle in her body clenched at the same time as she came, crying out his name.

“Ri, you don’t know what you do to me.”

He buried his face in her neck and his thrusts started coming harder. Faster. He twined their fingers together and held her down as he came. She bit his shoulder when his last thrust pressed her firmly into the bed. He jerked over her, his fingers gripping hers tightly as his body shook with the last contraction.

He collapsed on top of her and she wrapped him up in her arms. She didn’t ever want to let him go. The differences between them probably meant any relationship they tried to have wasn’t going to be easy. However, she would always have this moment; she would always have the memory of him inside her warm and sweet.  

CHAPTER THIRTY

“YOU AREN’T GOING to like this.”

Raina looked up from her lounger and frowned at Sam. “You’re blocking my sun.”

“You don’t need to soak up rays. You have a natural tan.”

Sam moved until he was completely obscuring the sunlight. Raina turned her face in the opposite direction, determined to ignore him. The shoot had ended the prior day and she had a feeling the pictures weren’t going to be her best. It sucked to think she might have blown one of the biggest opportunities she’d ever had. Especially since she wasn’t sure why.

Liar.

Okay, she knew exactly why she hadn’t been able to concentrate. She’d been thinking about Ridley meeting the Alexanders. She’d been thinking about Nick.

“I’m not going away.” Sam’s voice cut into her thoughts again.