[English] ONE MORE DAY

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He certainly hadn’t expected to hear her stick up for him in that honey-sweet voice of hers. Not only had she gotten him away from Alana, but she’d slyly insinuated they were sneaking off to have ***. Or at least that was how he’d interpreted it. He wasn’t sure if she’d meant it to sound that way or if his dick had taken over his hearing.

Either way, he wasn’t going to resist if she wanted to drag him upstairs. Even if it really was just to sleep.

“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said that. She just pissed me off. One of your cousins. Really? Who hugs their cousin like that?” Ridley shook her head. “I won’t ask why you were attracted to her. She’s very pretty. Other than the crazy things stuck to her eyelashes and the pound of makeup she’s wearing.”

“No comment. But I’m willing to admit that most of my relationships are pretty shallow. My friends pushed me hard to get back into the dating scene after…”

“After your wife died. It’s okay, Matt told me. I’m really sorry.” She squeezed his hand as she said it.

His wife was usually a subject he didn’t discuss with anyone. Part of him was angry that Matt had told her, but the other part was glad. Jackson couldn’t figure out why, but for some reason he didn’t mind talking about it with Ridley. She seemed like she really was sorry for his pain and not just saying it to score points like most of the women who eventually found out.

“Thanks. It was a hard time and after a while I started dating just to shut everyone else up. I’m sure you can imagine the kind of women they were setting me up with.”

“Hey, I’m not judging. My own sister apparently thinks I’m a prude and need to sleep with a ‘real man’ like you.”

Jackson choked, letting go of her hand to thump himself on the chest. “What?”

“I know. Crazy, right?” Ridley continued, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was now completely aroused.

He put his hands in his pockets and tried to hitch his pants higher to cover his erection. “She actually said that?”

“Pretty much. She knows you’re exactly my type so she thinks I should use this time to seduce you. Of course, I told her I’d get right on that.” She laughed and covered her face with her hands. “Wow, that’s even more embarrassing than the first time I said it!”

“Jesus, Ridley.” Jackson held a hand to his heart, which was now pounding so hard he worried it might jump out of his chest and land on the grass. “If I actually thought you meant that, you wouldn’t be safe anywhere.”

“Jackson…” she pleaded. “Don’t make fun of me.” She peeked at him from between her fingers.

“I’m not making fun of you, trust me.” He stepped closer and pulled her hands down, holding them firmly in his. She watched with wide eyes as he dipped his head, her lips parting as he moved in.

There were a million reasons this was a bad idea. In fact, he’d listed them mentally just last night. However, he suddenly couldn’t come up with even one reason he shouldn’t kiss her. As he zeroed in on her mouth, all he could see was that her bottom lip was slightly fuller than the top. He was going to bite that plump lip.

Just then Matt walked up. “Hey. Look who just arrived.”

It took Jackson a few moments before he could tear his eyes away from Ridley’s. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a soft sigh, her breath wafting across his cheek. There were so many thoughts running through his head, all of them screaming at him to pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and take her in the house. Then they could “get right on it” as she’d jokingly put it.

Only he wouldn’t be playing around.

“Jackson? Uh, should I give you two a minute?” He met Matt’s amused eyes and then followed his finger to where he pointed across the grass. What he saw cooled him down instantly. He took a deep breath and stepped back from Ridley.

“We’ll definitely pick up this conversation later.” Then he turned to the older couple walking in their direction.

“Mom! Dad! Over here.” He waved his arm to attract their attention.

Alana, who’d been hovering off to the side watching them, huffed out a breath and scurried in the opposite direction, her short dress riding up as she trotted away.

“Well, what got her so excited? Not that I’m not happy she’s finally gone.” Ridley said.

He reflexively pulled her against his side again. Not that he wanted to fool his parents. His mother had eyes like a hawk and fooling her was something he hadn’t attempted since he was a teenager. No, he realized he wanted Ridley to meet his parents just because he liked her.

“She never got along with my mother. She’s probably afraid to face her. My mom is a bit intimidating sometimes.”

Before she could answer, his parents approached. His father immediately pulled him into a hearty hug. “There’s my boy!”

Jackson laughed and hugged him back, his father’s joy contagious. Mark Alexander had a way of making every gathering a party and treated everyone he met like family.

Between volunteer work mentoring at their church and taking on more summer workers than he needed, just so the local boys could have productive work, he was always helping others in some way. When Jackson was younger, it was hard for him to understand why his father gave so much of his time and energy to others. In some cases, he’d felt like people took advantage of his father’s welcoming nature.

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Now that he was older, and hopefully wiser, he saw his father’s actions for what they truly were.

Kindness.

He hugged his mother and gently kissed her cheek, then stood still so she could fuss over him as she liked to do. After several exclamations over how thin he was and how he needed to take better care of himself, he was finally able to get a word in edgewise.

“Mom and Dad, I’d like you to meet Ridley Wells. Ridley is my neighbor and lives on the next street over. Ridley, these are my parents, Mark and Julia Alexander.”

Ridley glanced up at him and smiled softly, looking relieved when he didn’t mention anything about the accident. He hated that she still seemed ashamed about it. His parents wouldn’t fault her for her circumstances. If anything, his mother would probably bundle her up and coo over her just like she did her own children.

“Hello, Ridley. I’m so glad you decided to join us today.” His mother hugged her briefly and she shook hands with his father.

“Jackson was really nice to invite me. I just wish I’d had time to prepare something.”

His mother’s eyes lit up. “That’s all right, honey. Do you like potato salad? Mine is on the end of the buffet in the red and white bowl.”

“I’ll be sure to try it. My potato salad was never anything special but I make really good seafood salad. It’s one of my sister’s favorites.”

Jackson was amazed. The one time he’d introduced Alana to his parents, they’d spent the entire evening making awkward conversation. Ridley, however, seemed to have no problem chatting with them. When he tuned back into the conversation, his father was trying to convince her to make him a shrimp salad.

“Dad! She’s not here to work. You’re going to scare her away.”

His father winked at him and nodded in Ridley’s direction. Jackson shook his head slowly, hoping his father understood that they were just friends. The idea of being just friends with a beautiful woman was foreign to his dad, well, to pretty much every guy he knew. But after the way they’d connected last night, they definitely weren’t strangers, yet they weren’t going to be lovers, either. He owed her better than that.

“Oh, honey. What happened to you?”

When Ridley went rigid at his side, he knew his mother had caught sight of the bruises she’d tried to cover with her long sleeved shirt.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was in an a-accident,” she stammered.

“That looks really bad, honey!” Julia held Ridley’s wrist and pulled her sleeve back up to examine the marks on her wrist.

“Mom, don’t—” He shook his head at her.

Julia’s eyes went wide and then she looked back at Ridley, who pulled the sleeves of her shirt all the way down. Then she gave him a short nod, as if to say, “We’ll talk about this later.” Jackson had no doubt his mother would want the whole story as soon as she could get him alone.

“Well, I hope we’ll be seeing more of you. Such a pretty girl!” She pulled Ridley into a tight hug, rocking her back and forth. When she finally released her, she smoothed a gentle hand over her hair.

Ridley blushed. “Thank you.”

“Well, excuse us kids but it’s time for me to say hello to the rest of the family.” Julia turned to Jackson. “Oh, and I found a nanny for you, Jackson. Remember, Miss Bessie from church?”

“Miss Bessie? She used to babysit me. And I’m pretty sure she was really old even then.”

His mother narrowed her eyes.

“Not that it matters,” he added quickly. “Thank you for the recommendation, Mom.”

“Of course. I want my babies to be well taken care of. Speaking of which, I got new bunk beds for the boys. Why don’t you drop them off on Sunday so they can spend a few days with me? I’m due for some grandma time with my little rascals.” She glanced at Ridley with a sly smile. “You can bring Ridley with you. We’d love to see you for Sunday dinner.”

Jackson smiled knowingly. “Right. Thanks, mom. I’ll take you up on that.” He bent over so his mother could kiss his cheek again before his parents crossed to the table where Elliott stood, bobbing his head to the music.

“Your mom is something else. Was I imagining that or is she matchmaking?” Ridley asked.

“It means she liked you. She’s probably hoping I use the kid-free time to wine and dine you.” He winked at her.

When Elliott saw their mother, he immediately cut the music and handed her a microphone.

“When she said she needed to say hi to the rest of the family I didn’t think she meant a speech.” Ridley turned to him with wide eyes.

“Welcome to life with the Alexanders.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“HELLO, FAMILY! THANK you for coming to the annual Alexander Memorial Day barbecue!”

Ridley felt like she was in a sitcom as she watched Mrs. Alexander tap her microphone a few times before beaming her bright smile at the guests assembled.

Her blood pressure was still high from almost kissing Jackson. As embarrassing as it had been, she was glad Matt had come to warn them. They’d been right outside where anyone could see them. What if his parents had walked up while they were tonguing each other down?

“We used to meet at the family home, the Alexander-Bennett Co-op, affectionately known around our parts as the ‘ABC Farm’. A few years ago I asked Jackson to start hosting, mainly so he couldn’t avoid us.”

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There was a resounding cheer from the crowd before Elliott held up a hand to quiet them. Ridley glanced around. It was an eclectic group of people, some older, some younger and every shade of skin possible.

“I see a few new faces this year which really warms my heart. Our party always includes family and friends because in the Alexander family, if we love you, then you’re one of us. My sons have friends that have been hanging around since college and just because I didn’t birth you doesn’t mean you aren’t mine.” She waved to Trent, Matt and Mara who were standing near the front.

“Now, many of you know the story of how the Alexander family barbecue started but for those who don’t, I’ll share it again. It was, oh, a million years ago,” that got a soft titter from the crowd, “that I met a handsome, young man named Mark Alexander.” She looked over at her husband, who stood with his arm around Bennett’s shoulders.

“We lived on neighboring farms our entire lives and I even played with his younger sister, Maria. But since he was a little older than I was, I never really took notice of him until the summer my parents took me to the Alexander’s farm for a party. When Maria introduced me to her older brother, who was home after recently graduating from college, well… let’s just say my teenage heart went pitter pat.”

Ridley leaned back against Jackson’s chest, completely wrapped up in the story. She could just see the scene his mother described, a young woman meeting the love of her life for the first time on a hot summer day.

“I thought he was quite handsome and sophisticated. That didn’t last long, however, because he said something stupid, as young men often do, and we hated each other for the rest of the summer!”

Ridley laughed along with everyone else as Mark held up his hands, then bowed theatrically.

Jackson pulled her closer to whisper in her ear. “He always acts embarrassed, but secretly I think he loves it when she tells this story.”

“I bet he does,” Ridley sighed. “It’s obvious how much they love each other. I’ve only just met them and I can feel it.” They turned their attention back up front as Julia cleared her throat.

“Anyway, after many failed attempts on Mark’s part to get back into my good graces, tragedy struck. My dear parents died in a car crash leaving me as the sole owner of the Bennett farm.”

She stopped and looked up, one hand over her heart. Silence descended over the group, everyone equally affected by the grief in Julia’s voice. When she looked back at the crowd, tears shimmered in her eyes.

“I was so lost but faith is what carried me through. That and the gracious love of the Alexander family. Mark, especially, was by my side through that heartbreaking time and taught me that family is about so much more than a blood bond. Family is about the heart.”

Ridley sighed as Julia blew a kiss to her husband. She wiped her eyes quickly, embarrassed to be so affected by the story. It was exactly the kind of thing she’d always hoped to find with someone. A genuine love, deep and true that could carry you through the tragedies and the joys of life.

She’d started to believe it didn’t exist.

“Ever since then, we’ve continued the tra***ion and hosted our own summer party as a reminder to cherish the ones you love, and the time you have together. This year coming up will be our thirtieth wedding anniversary.”

She stopped as everyone broke out into applause. Ridley clapped along with everyone else. She couldn’t even imagine spending thirty years with someone. They’d been together longer than she’d been alive.

“And the most important thing I’ve learned from these thirty years is to take each day as it comes and cherish it.”

“I asked her that one day,” Jackson whispered in her ear.

“What? You asked her about being married?”

“No, I asked her how she knew my dad was the one. She’s always said you’re with the right person when no matter how bad things get, you’d still rather be with them than anywhere else. She always says that no matter how long she and my dad are together, she still wants more time with him. She wants one more day. Every day.”

His arm tightened around her waist and Ridley stopped breathing. For a long moment they stood staring at each other until his mother’s voice came over the sound system again, breaking the spell.

Ridley whipped back around and faced front. Jackson’s arm squeezed her tightly before he let her go. She moved away slightly, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart.

“Enjoy the rest of the party, everyone, and make sure you take a plate home. Don’t you leave us with all of this food! On second thought, leave some of those ribs for Jackson, he’s getting too skinny.” On that note, Mrs. Alexander pushed the microphone back to Elliott and bustled over to the picnic tables.

Jackson groaned. “Oh, the joys of having a big family.”

“It’s nice! She’s worried about her baby boy.”

“Do I look like a baby to you?”

She giggled when he flexed his muscles. “Okay, okay. You are definitely not a baby.”

“All right, I guess I should stop showing off. Come on, I want you to meet some of my cousins. They live over in West Haven.”

* * * * *

A FEW HOURS later, Jackson was forced to admit there wasn’t anything else he could clean up or move around in the backyard. His parents had taken care of packing up the leftover food and Matt had stayed to help him corral all the recycling and trash containers into the garage.

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There was simply nothing left for him to do. Except go in the house and face Ridley.

You’re an ass, you know that?

He cringed. Introducing her to his cousins and then leaving her to fend for herself had seemed like a good idea at the time. She was just so beautiful and fit in far too well with his family and friends. The last thing he wanted was for them to start something they couldn’t finish.

He’d been this close to kissing her in the middle of the yard before his parents had shown up and he had no doubt it would have been as hot as he thought it’d be. But as hot as the fire sparked between them, it would be a temporary thing at best. She deserved better than that.

“I’m going to take off.” Matt appeared at his left elbow holding one of the plastic containers of food that Julia had divvied up for everyone to take home. “Hopefully Mara and Trent will already be asleep by the time I get there.”

Jackson clapped him on the shoulder. “Are you going to be okay? Seriously?”

“For months all you can think about is coming home but when you get here, you realize everyone else hasn’t been sitting on their hands while you’ve been gone. Things change and you just have to deal with it. I’ll be fine.”

“Getting your own place would help.”

“Funny you should say that. Nick has decided to take care of that for me. He’s taking me out to look for condos this week. You know how he is. According to him, I just need to get laid and not having my own place is blocking my swag.”

“That sounds like something Nick would say.”

They both shook their heads. Jackson had gotten a reputation over the last year as a player but it was nothing compared to Nick’s. His brother took debauchery to another level, and treated it like a career.

“Where’s Ridley?” Matt asked.

Jackson nodded toward the house. “I noticed her go in a while ago. I think the boys wanted to show her some of their games. I should probably go rescue her. I’m sure they’re tired and cranky by now and need to go to bed.”

“Can I tell you something? Without you getting mad?” Matt shuffled his feet.

“We’ve been friends too long for you to hold back on me now.”

Matt stared at him for a moment, then said “Ridley’s great and I think she’s perfect for you. So get off your ass and do something about it before I do.”

Then he turned and walked off.

“Good night to you too, old friend!” he called out after Matt’s retreating back. The only reply Matt gave was raising his hand and pointing his middle finger to the sky.

Jackson was still smiling when he walked into the house. A light glowed faintly in the kitchen. The rest of the house was dark.

“Ridley?”

The counter was wiped clean and all the party platters had been stacked neatly next to the sink. He walked back out to the family room and up the stairs. Ridley was no doubt exhausted and had probably gone to bed already. Not that he could blame her. He was used to listening to Chris’ chatter but someone who wasn’t would feel like their head was spinning after an hour or so.

“Come on boys. It’s time for bed.” There was no reply. He hadn’t really been expecting one.

Despite the fact that bedtime came around the same time every night, it was always a fight to get them to brush their teeth, put on their pajamas and stop asking for water and bathroom breaks. It was usually a good hour before he was able to get them settled down and in the bed. As he approached the boys’ bedroom door, he heard the soft murmur of voices.

He pushed the door open and to his delight found both boys clustered around Ridley on floor pillows as she read from one of their favorite books.

“But I was never to see Peter Pan again. Now I tell his story to my children and they will tell it to their children, and so it will go on—for all children grow up… Except one.”

As she finished the last page of the book, she hugged them to her before waving them over to their beds. Jackson watched, astonished as they scrambled beneath their covers and waited patiently for Ridley to tuck them in.

Who are these angels and what have they done with my real children? Jackson thought.

Normally he would give the boys hugs and kisses good night, but he was afraid to break the spell. He backed out of the room and waited in the hall for Ridley to come out. She appeared a moment later, pulling the door closed behind her.

“Hey. Is everyone gone?”

He nodded and leaned his head back against the wall. The day was starting to catch up with him and he was suddenly exhausted.

“So, did you guys finish cleaning up outside?”

“We did. Matt helped me put everything back. Sorry for just leaving you on your own at the end there.”

“I hardly expected you to stick to me all night. Besides, I got a chance to chat with your brother, Bennett. Did you know he’s been cultivating new strains of disease-resistant crops?”

“No, I had no idea. He’s always so quiet.” His oldest brother was usually reserved around people he’d just met, but it wasn’t hard to believe that he’d opened up to Ridley.

She seemed to have that effect on people.

“He said he’s working on a new corn hybrid right now. I only work with flowers but it was so interesting to hear about how technology is changing the farming industry.” Ridley tucked her hands in her pockets and leaned against the wall next to him.

“I really appreciate you putting the boys to bed. You didn’t have to do that. I know they’re a handful. Jase is usually up five or six times wanting water or something. Anything to keep him from having to go to bed. Luckily Chris sleeps just like I do. Like a corpse.”

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“It was no problem. They’re wonderful. Boisterous and happy just as children should be.” A wistful look passed over her face as she glanced back at the closed bedroom door.

“You really love children,” Jackson said. He didn’t phrase it as a question. “I noticed it when we first met and even more so today. And the boys adore you.”

“I adore them, too. Children represent the best of us. My mom had to work late a lot of the time, so my sister and I were usually on our own. We used to take turns ‘mothering’ each other. It’s sad, but we were just imitating the bedtime rituals we saw on television. Our own mother wasn’t the most maternal person.”

“Sorry. That’s rough. I know how hard it is to be a single parent but I’m trying to make sure my kids never feel it.”

“Now that I’m older, I’m trying to understand that it wasn’t personal. She got pregnant accidentally and we never had a lot of money. So, I think under the circumstances she was doing the best she could even if it wasn’t anywhere near good enough.”

Jackson looked over at her. “It still sucks.”

Ridley laughed out loud before covering her mouth with her hand and glancing at the boys’ door. “Oh, Jackson. You have such a way with words.”

Just then the boys’ door opened and Jase came out into the hallway. “RiRi, I want kisses.” He raced over and threw his arms around Ridley’s legs. She scooped him up and kissed him soundly on the cheek before depositing him back on the floor. He then grabbed Jackson around the legs and hugged him, too.

Jase pointed at Jackson. “You put daddy night-night with kisses, too?”

“I don’t think your daddy needs help going to sleep, baby.”

“You’d be wrong about that,” Jackson muttered.

Their eyes held for a moment before she blushed and looked away. She held out her hand to Jase. “Come on, back to bed.” He grasped her hand and allowed her to lead him back to the room.

A moment later she emerged again, pulling the door shut behind her. “You weren’t kidding about Chris. He’s already snoring!”

“I wish I could say I don’t know where the snoring came from but unfortunately he inherited that from me, too.”

He couldn’t help staring at her. After a day in the sun, her light brown skin was tanned a shade darker. She looked golden and glowing with health, especially since she’d loosened her ponytail so her long curls spilled around her shoulders.

“What?” Her hand came up to her face. “You’re staring.”

“I am. You’re beautiful.”

“Jackson? I mean I know we were pretending to be together before but—” She stopped, seemingly at a loss for words.

“It wasn’t much of an act on my part. I like you, Ridley,” he admitted softly. “Way more than I should.”

“I like you, too. More than just about anyone else I’ve met. What’s wrong with two people liking each other?” she asked.

She stepped close enough that her scent enveloped him, a soft fragrance which reminded him of wildflowers. He tried to keep his hands out of the equation, sure that if he touched her again there was nothing in the world that would convince him to let her go. But when she stood on tiptoe and ran her hands over his hair, he gave up.

He grabbed her by the bottom and squeezed. Then she was kissing him and his thoughts scattered. There was just the soft, sweet press of her lips against his and the darkly addictive taste of her in his mouth. She moaned softly and the sound raced through him like a shiver. God, those sounds she made went straight to his dick every time.

Her soft curls brushed against his nose and the effect was like a sucker punch to the gut, lust tightening his muscles in an ironclad grip. It took everything in him not to carry her to his bed. But in that moment, as he held her cuddled against him, he knew he needed to stop things now. Because she liked him. She trusted him.

And he was the last thing she needed.

He let out a breath. “There’s so much you don’t know about me. You deserve someone who’s ready to love you. I can’t be that guy.”

He put her down carefully and stepped back. She licked her lips and he groaned. She wasn’t even trying to make this easy for him.

If she was anyone else, maybe he could say to hell with it and just do what he was dying to do. Kiss her, thread his hands through all that wild hair and own her mouth. Fantasies of pressing her against the wall and of her wrapping her long legs around his waist raced through his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that they’d burn each other up, no doubt that the embers crackling between them would ignite into a raging inferno, if he took her to bed.

But she wasn’t someone else, and he liked her too much to toy with her. So he had to do the only thing he could.

Walk away.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“TELL ME YOU and Jackson have never, you know?”

Ridley sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room clutching her cell phone to her ear like a lifeline. All her senses were still reeling from that kiss. If she stood up straight she just might pass out again.

Damn, the man could kiss.

Even though Jackson had walked away, she couldn’t deny the thrill she got from pushing him so close to the edge. Until she remembered that he thought she was her sister. Was he responding to her, or was this just leftover lust for Raina? She had to know.

“Huh? Who is this?”

“Raina, it’s me. Who did you think it was?”

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“Oh, hey sis. Since when do you stay up past ten thirty?”

Ridley lay down and crossed her legs on top of the fluffy comforter. “I’m not as boring as you seem to think. Now answer the question. Have you and Jackson ever dated? Because I’m catching some vibes that he kind of likes you. Which is a little weird, to be honest. Since, you know, I’m not you.”

“Relax. Jackson and I are just friends. We’re probably better described as acquaintances. His boys come over and play in my yard and we talk about the weather. The usual neighborly talk, I guess.”

“Oh, well, good.”

“Why?” Raina drawled. “Did he do something?”

“No.” Ridley mentally crossed her fingers, “I just wanted to make sure. This whole thing is stressful enough. The last thing I need is to find out that he’s one of your boyfriends.”

“He’s a nice guy and always invites me over when he’s having a party. I’ve never gone, but I have to say that family parties like it’s 1999. They have some kind of shindig for every holiday. Even the ones that no one has ever heard of, like ‘Grandparent’s Day’ and ‘Save a Hedgehog Day’. It’s weird.”

“I think it’s nice. A family that actually enjoys spending time together is kind of refreshing.”

“Well, whatever. That much family time is enough to give me an itch. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, though. Once I’m back, we can figure out what kind of mess you’re in.”

“Hopefully, the police will have more information about what’s going on soon. So far, all I know is that David found out something about our father that got him killed. The FBI saw him talking to a guy who’s a member of a well-known crime family. So, it turns out you were right.”

“I didn’t want to be,” Raina whispered.

“I know. I’m sorry about the way I reacted before. You were just trying to warn me, and I bit your head off. Said terrible things. And the whole time you were right. Some things are better left in the past.”

“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have been so judgmental. Just because I don’t want to meet our father doesn’t mean I should expect you to feel the same way. After all this is over, I’ll have Sam look into it for you. He’s got crazy connections.”

It was a tempting offer, but it felt a little like poking the lid on Pandora’s box. What if Sam found proof that Moreno was their father? Did she really want to know? Could she live with that knowledge the rest of her life, or was it better just to wonder?

Or what if what he found was even worse?

“Thanks, Raina. But I think maybe I’m finally ready to let this one go.”

The thought made her inexplicably sad. Raina must have sensed it because she was quiet for a minute, then said brightly “Anyway, I’ll be back this weekend. If this shoot was anything other than Sports Illustrated, you know I’d come home immediately, right?”

“I know. I don’t want you to miss this, either. I’ve been here this long, so I can hang out for a few more days. I don’t suppose it’ll make much difference at this point.”

But as she hung up with her sister she wondered if the next few days wouldn’t be the hardest she’d ever been through.

* * * * *

“NO! NO, PLEASE! Leave me alone!”

Jackson bolted straight up in bed, his heart racing. The clock on his bedside table blinked 2:02 am. He was surprised he’d fallen asleep at all. After leaving Ridley standing alone in the hallway, he’d been too riled up, okay, too damn aroused, to relax.

He’d paced the floor for a while. He’d taken a cold shower. He’d done pushups until he was too exhausted to continue. None of it had made a damn bit of difference.

Normally he’d go downstairs and watch a movie or something but he didn’t want to take the chance of running into Ridley. He wasn’t a saint, and if confronted with her sweet, little body again while his blood was still high, he couldn’t guarantee that he’d be honorable enough to walk away this time. She’d end up bent over the couch with her little shorts around her ankles as he took her from behind.

And damn if that wasn’t a mental image. He swore as he hardened again beneath the sheets.

Then he heard a soft moan.

“I don’t know anything! Just leave me alone.” There was silence, then the soft sound of crying.

“What the hell? Ridley?” He threw off his covers and sprinted through his open door and down the hall. He’d deliberately given her a room that was as far away from his as possible so she could have her privacy. Now he was cursing the decision as a million scenarios raced through his mind. What if the people she was running from had followed her here? Broken into the house?

He crashed through the door and then blinked in the bright light. Ridley lay on the top of the bed, thrashing back and forth. Every light in the room was blazing including the lights in the adjoining bathroom. He approached the bed carefully. He’d always heard you shouldn’t wake people in the midst of a nightmare, but for the life of him couldn’t remember what you should do. Surely, he wasn’t supposed to just leave her in terror?

“Just let me go,” she sobbed.

“Forget this.” Jackson climbed on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. She immediately clung to his bare chest and pressed her wet cheeks against his skin.

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“Shhh, it’s okay. Ridley, you’re safe.” He whispered to her and stroked a hand up and down her back. After a few minutes, she calmed. When he looked down, her eyes were open but wild and though she was looking directly at him, he couldn’t tell if she really knew he was there.

Finally her eyes focused and she whispered “Jackson?”

“I’m here. Ridley, I’m right here.”

She squeezed her eyes shut again and tears slid down her cheeks. “I woke you. I’m so sorry. It was just a dream. A stupid dream.”

He held her tighter. It seemed completely inadequate, but in that moment it was all he had. He couldn’t fight the demons for her, but he could hold her and let her know she wasn’t alone, at least. He knew what it was like to feel utterly alone.

As if you were standing in the midst of a storm with nothing to anchor you.

“You want to tell me what it was about?”

Ridley was quiet for a moment, then a shiver wracked her slender frame. “They tried to burn down my apartment.”

“What?” Jackson pulled back slightly so he could see her face.

“I keep a small apartment in Florida. My landlady called yesterday. There was a fire the day after I left. The people who killed David are looking for me. They’re going to kill me, too.” Her eyes welled with tears again.

“Shh, now. You don’t know that for sure. Either way, they don’t know where you are, and they’re not going to find out if I have anything to do about it. It’s okay, Ridley. You’re safe here.” He made soft noises as he rubbed her back.

She took several shaky breaths, then finally exhaled the long rattling sigh of the truly exhausted. After a few minutes, her breathing finally slowed to a normal rate. He looked down at the top of her head, a profound sense of peace washing over him.

“You don’t have to stay. I’m okay now. I know you don’t want to be here.”

“That’s not true. I wasn’t asleep anyway. I was trying to decide whether I should take another cold shower or not.”

She blushed and lowered her eyes. “Well, that’s your own fault.”

“I know, baby girl.” He kissed the top of her head.

Her fingers danced gently over the tattoo on his chest. “I’ve never been into tattoos but this fits you.”

He looked down at the design he’d gotten in his first year of college. “I was called ‘Treble’ because I was a music major. I was always humming bars and scribbling pieces of songs on napkins. Eventually it became less like ‘treble’and more like ‘trouble’. I have no idea why, of course.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Relief swept through him when she smiled in response, looking more like herself.

“What about you?” He tilted his head in her direction. “Tell me something about you. Something no one knows.”

She sighed and laid her head on his chest. “I love to garden.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. What you can’t imagine me gardening? I don’t mind getting a little dirty.”

“I just bet you don’t.”

She smacked his chest playfully. “I guess I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

He squeezed her. “I’m just teasing you.”

“I’ve been saving to start my own landscape design business. I had the perfect location picked out and everything. Who knows how long before I can go back though? I feel like my whole life is on hold.”

He stopped rubbing her back and turned them so they were laying side by side, facing each other.

“If you’re passionate about this, then don’t let anything hold you back. You can start a business here. I’ll be your first client. You’ve seen what my yard looks like. I need all the help I can get.”

“You know I’d love to help you but this is exactly why I wanted to open a business in Florida. To the people there, I’m just Ridley. No one could say I was successful due to my modeling contacts.”

“When I was first starting out and needed the money to buy professional equipment, Nick was the first in line to help me out. If he hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Everyone needs help in the beginning. There’s no shame in that. That’s what people who care about you do. They help you.”

“And you want to help me? Because you care about me?”

“Yeah, I do. You deserve to get everything you want.”

“But I can’t have what I want,” she whispered.

“What do you—” Jackson broke off with a strangled sound when the soft hand that had been resting against his chest reached down and gripped him through the soft cotton of his sweatpants. “Whoa.” He gulped when she turned her face and kissed his chest. “What are you doing?”

She tugged on the waistband of his sweatpants gently.

“Getting what I want.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

TO THINK THAT she’d gone so long without knowing how crazy passion could make you, and how hot and hungry you could feel when that passion was denied.

Even at their best, none of her previous boyfriends had come anywhere near the way Jackson made her feel with just two stolen kisses.

And they didn’t have abs like these.

She traced each one and then followed the same path with her tongue.

He reared up off the bed. “I thought we agreed that this was a bad idea.”

She looked up at him innocently. “You agreed. I didn’t.”

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“Ridley,” he warned.

“I have a proposition for you,” she whispered against his beautifully taut lower abdomen.

“Christ.” He shuddered as she bit him gently. “Yes. Whatever you want, I say yes.”

“One night. You said you aren’t ready to love and that’s okay. Let’s just get it out of our systems, and tomorrow it’ll be like it never happened. Like a dream.”

If she walked away from Jackson without indulging, what if she never met anyone else she had this connection with? What if she never understood what her girlfriends in college had whispered about, the kind of lust that made you forget your own name and do things that embarrassed you the next morning?

For once she would take her sister’s advice and worry about the consequences later.

“If you don’t agree, just tell me you don’t want me, and I’ll stop.”

“That would be impossible,” he mumbled.

Trailing her fingers around his neck, she stroked the sensitive skin behind his ears. His eyes slid closed against the sensual pressure she was exerting. She shifted her attention to the bunched muscles in his neck and giggled softly at his moans when she stopped touching him.

Once his eyes opened again, she reached up and pulled the band from her hair. She gently combed the thick strands around her face before pushing Jackson to lie on his back.

“I was trying to be the good guy here.”

“Don’t be,” she whispered. She licked her lips slowly and Jackson cursed softly. “So, we’re in agreement?”

“Hell yeah. I’ve got a lot to work out of my system where you’re concerned.” His hands came up and found her breasts through the tee shirt she’d borrowed. “Damn, girl. My shirt never looked this good on me.”

“It’ll look even better once I take it off.” She yanked it over her head and let it drift to the floor next to the bed.

The thin cotton panties she wore couldn’t conceal the wet heat between her legs as she leaned over him, tendrils of her hair trailing over his chest and stomach.

Despite her protests he flipped her onto her back and covered her body with his before she could move. He grabbed her hands and held them over her head. Ridley tried to free herself, but found she had no strength to struggle. The force of his arms holding her down was strangely thrilling and she savored the feeling of his thick body pressing her into the mattress.

Jackson would never hurt her and her trust in him made her feel safe despite her captivity.

Then he licked a path from her neck down to her shoulder. She squirmed beneath him as he gently laved a nipple before kissing each of her ribs. He licked into the dip of her belly button and then glanced up at her before moving lower.

“If you only knew the things I want to do to you,” he breathed against her thigh.

Is he? Oh, yes he is, she thought breathlessly, right before he bit her lower belly.

She cried out when he licked her through the soft silk at her core, the heat of his tongue penetrating through the fabric.

“Open for me, baby girl. That’s it.” He growled his approval when her legs fell open and moved forward, his whole body crowding into the space between them. He kissed her like he was kissing her mouth, like he couldn’t get enough. He held her thighs open, not letting her close them.

“Jackson.” She shuddered beneath him as he tongued the material until it clung to her skin. He looked up at her, his eyes even darker, glazed over with lust.

Then he hooked a finger in her panties and edged them to the side. He held her gaze as he leaned back down, his mouth meeting her skin to skin for the first time.

“Oh my god.” She grabbed the sheets, twisting them until her fingers felt like they’d break. Perspiration broke out over her skin as he did something with his teeth that sent her flying. Colors exploded behind her eyelids as she came under his mouth, her flesh contracting against his lips.

She clamped a hand over her mouth as sensations raced over every inch of her skin. He kept at it, licking deeper until she felt herself climbing again.

“Jackson, please!”

Her cries seemed to incite him, drive him harder as he pulled her between his lips over and over. She pushed backward with her hands, instinctively trying to escape from the overwhelming sensations but he wouldn’t let her. Her breaths came faster and faster as he gripped her thighs and forced her to take it. Forced her to take the pleasure until she came for him again.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she shivered under him. The wave of pleasure finally crested and she was left panting in its wake. Once she was aware of herself again, she looked down to see him watching her. She turned her face against her arm, suddenly embarrassed.

“Don’t get shy on me now,” he teased. He gently pried the tangled sheet from her fists and then yanked it from the bed.

She let out a startled laugh. “Sorry about that. I didn’t rip it, did I?”

He gave her a slow, ***y smile.

“Not yet.”

* * * * *

JACKSON COULD BARELY hear his own thoughts over the sound of his blood rushing. Ridley lay sprawled on the bed, her lush naked breasts taunting him as he tried to remember what he needed to do. He’d just had the thought but lost it every time he looked at her.

“I have to cover you up. I can’t think when you look like that.”

He put her shirt back on before he wrapped her in the sheet. As crazy as she made him, he knew he needed to take her back to his bed. They were too close to his sons’ room and he didn’t have any protection with him.

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He picked her up and cradled her against his chest. He paused at the door to the guest room and listened before he stepped out into the hall. It was quiet, so he carried her down the hall to his room. After he settled her on his bed, he walked back to the door and locked it.

When he turned around and looked at her, she bit her lip and pulled the sheet up higher.

“Oh, you won’t be needing that again for a few hours.”

“Hours?” she squeaked.

He grinned and pulled open the top drawer of his dresser. There was an entire box of condoms in the corner.

****, how long have these been in here?

He flipped it over to check the expiration date and almost cheered. He pulled out a strip of six and carried it to the night table next to the bed. Ridley watched him with wide eyes.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got more if we need them.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, I see. Someone’s pretty confident.” Her eyes held a hint of a challenge as she kneeled on the bed in front of him.

“Shouldn’t I be? Or perhaps I haven’t convinced you I’m worth your time yet?”

He climbed on the bed next to her and buried his face in her neck. The skin there was so delicate and soft and she smelled so damn good. His soft bites drew a strangled cry from her throat.

“I can’t wait to be inside you.” He put both hands under her shoulders and pulled her against him for a deep, punishing kiss, his hips rocking his erection against her core. “If I only get one night, I have to know what it feels like. Just the thought of you squeezing me so hard while you’re screaming my name—”

“Jackson.” She moaned beneath him, her hands tightening on his shoulders so hard that her nails bit into his skin.

“Damn, hold on baby.”

It took a little maneuvering to remove his sweatpants without being separated from her soft body for too long. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled a packet off the strip. He ripped the package open and was just about to roll it on when she propped herself up on one elbow and placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Wait, I just want…” Her voice trailed off as she pushed him onto his back “…to taste you, too.”

He stopped breathing at the first touch of her moist lips against his shaft.

“Oh, ****.” His fingers fisted in her long locks when she suddenly took the tip into her mouth and swirled her tongue over the head. Her long lashes settled against her cheeks as she lapped at him, her little pink tongue curling around the base before she worked her way back up. When she finally pulled back to trace the tip of her finger around the tip, her full lips looked slightly swollen.

Just the sight made him feel like a ****man.

He was a patient man but there was only so much he could take and, if she didn’t stop teasing him, it would be over before it began. He wanted their first time together to be amazing. And this time there would be no interruptions.

He pushed her back on the bed, unable to think of anything other than getting inside her. He rolled the protection down over his shaft and lay in the cradle of her thighs. She sighed as their naked flesh met and clung.

“You feel so good,” she whispered. She wrapped her long legs around his waist.

He rocked his hips, sliding inside her in one thick thrust.

He threw his head back, the tight grip of her body almost too much. He pulled out and then thrust again, grinding himself into the soft heat between her legs. She sighed and arched up against him. The movement pushed her breasts against his chest.

He sucked in his breath at the sight of her perfect, toffee-colored breasts. Her dusky nipples looked like Hershey’s Kisses against the caramel of her skin.

“So pretty and perfect. And so responsive.” Her unique aroma wrapped around him as he pressed his face between her breasts. He wanted to roll himself in the sweet scent until it clung to his skin.

He teased the tip of one nipple with his finger before he took it into his mouth and sucked it deep. She cried out as he rolled it between his lips, drawing the tip between his teeth lightly. He played with it as he moved inside her, his thrusts coming faster and harder until they ended up diagonal on the mattress with her head hanging over the edge.

“Oh, you’re going to make me come again,” she panted, her words almost incoherent as he rode her with long, thick thrusts that had her full breasts bouncing against his mouth.

Moisture flooded her core and he groaned. She was so wet, so hot.

“Come for me.” He turned his face and muttered the words against her open mouth. He had to see her face when she came. He needed it. “Come for me again. Let me see how much you want it.”

Then her back bowed and her inner muscles clamped down around him. Her eyes flew open and he saw it, the moment she lost control of herself.

“Oh god, I can’t,” she wailed, before her hands tightened in his hair.

They both cried out at the exquisite sensation as he pistoned back and forth through her rapidly clenching muscles. As her inner walls trembled around him, he couldn’t hold back any more and just let go.

Moments later, as he lay panting in the cradle of her arms, he looked at her in amazement. He’d expected it to be good. He’d even expected it to be better than anything he’d ever felt before.

What he hadn’t expected was not wanting it to ever end.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WHIRRRRRRRR.

Ridley flopped over in bed, pulling the pillow over her head. She was so cozy and warm. She could just stay in this bed forever, especially since she’d just been dreaming about the best *** of her life.

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A second later, her eyes popped open as the events of the prior night rushed back. The heated talk in the hall. Going to bed alone. Waking up from her nightmare in Jackson’s arms. She turned and looked at the space next to her.

Empty.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

The man had done things to her body that she’d only read about in books. He’d touched her in places and licked her in places that she couldn’t even think about without blushing.

She dropped her head back down on the pillow as heat rushed from her head to her toes.

If she’d wanted to know what all her girlfriends had whispered about in college, what had made them do the crazy things they did for their boyfriends, she’d definitely gotten her wish. A man who could make you feel like that at night could get away with pretty much anything in the daylight.

What had she been thinking? Had she really believed that they could have *** and then pretend like it hadn’t happened?

WHIRRRRRRRR.

Ridley pushed the pillow off her head violently and it fell over the side of the bed. “Ugh. What is that noise?”

The morning sunlight coming through the sheer, white curtains in her room was almost blinding. She blinked against the light and groped the night table until her hand hit her cell phone. She lifted her head just enough to see the time.

“It’s only 7:30. Who’s making this much noise at 7:30?” Her head dropped down to the bare mattress and she took a deep breath.

WHIRRRRRRRR.

“That’s it.” She sat up and pushed the heavy comforter and silky-soft sheets back. It almost pained her to do it. Jackson had carried her back to her room in the middle of the night and she’d been in the most restful sleep ever since then.

Before being awakened, at the unseemly hour of 7:30 am, that is.

She marched down the stairs, still wearing Jackson’s shirt and her terry cloth shorts. Her bare feet barely made any noise on the carpeted stairs. Once she reached the bottom she looked both ways. Nothing seemed amiss. The family room looked undisturbed. The only thing that was different was the can of unopened paint next to the front door.

“Who’s painting at this hour?”

WHIRRRRRRRR.

She jumped, the noise so much louder now that she was downstairs. It had come from behind her, so she spun on her heels and went into the formal living room. It was done all in white with accents of Wedgwood blue. It didn’t look like Jackson’s style at all, but now that she saw how snooty his ex-girlfriend was, she had to wonder if this room reflected her taste.

She bent to look out the window. Matt was kneeling in the front yard next to something that looked like a big piece of white cardboard. A cloud of white dust flew around him. A second later, the noise started again.

WHIRRRRRRRR.

Ridley shook her head. She’d heard Matt when he said he would fix the hole in the wall, but she hadn’t thought he’d come over at the butt crack of dawn to do it. Just when she was about to pull the window up and tell him what she thought of his timing, he stood and pulled his shirt up to wipe his face, exposing a perfect six pack.

“Wow.”

“I’ll let him know you think so.”

Ridley turned slowly to face Jackson. “Oh, um, hi. I came downstairs to see what was making so much noise.”

Not to ogle your best friend’s insanely ripped abs.

Neither of them said anything for a moment and Ridley could only stare at him greedily. He looked just as good wearing slacks and a dress shirt as he had the previous night in nothing but sweatpants. And without sweatpants.

It doesn’t count, remember?

She was the one who’d come up with the stupid idea to keep their ***-a-thon to just one night, but she was already wishing she’d kept her big mouth shut. How was she supposed to pretend she didn’t know what he looked like under his clothes? That his skin was smooth and warm and tasted like wet silk. She shivered and crossed her arms.

Just then the door opened and Matt stepped in carrying a piece of the white cardboard. Jackson rushed over to help him.

“I needed to replace more than I thought,” Matt said. When he saw Ridley, he raised his chin in greeting. “Morning. Sorry for all the noise. I didn’t even think about it since Jackson sleeps like the dead.”

“Well, I won’t deny I was ready to give you a piece of my mind when that sawing noise woke me up. What were you doing, anyway?”

Jackson pointed to the cardboard that Matt had propped against the wall. “Since he punched out a section of the wall, he had to cut another piece of drywall to replace it. Then we’ll spackle and sand it. After that, we’ll paint over it so it all matches.”

“Oh. I was wondering if you were redecorating or something.”

“Well, it was a forced redecoration.” He smirked at Matt.

“I’ll get out of the way. I’m sure you guys have a lot of work to do.” She walked back to the stairs.

“Hey, wait.” Jackson jogged over to stand next to her. Since she was on the second stair she was able to look him right in the eye. The perfect height so that she couldn’t avoid his whisky brown gaze.

Geez.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night.” He stepped closer until he brushed up against her. “I wish I could have kept you in my bed all night.”

Pleasure spread through her at his words. “I understand. I wouldn’t want the boys to come running in and see me there. Plus, we did say just one night.”

His eyes searched hers. “Yeah, just one night.” Then he looked away and cleared his throat. “Anyway, I hate to do this but I need a favor.”