Page 73 of My Fiancé's Brother
Slowly he leaned in close, bringing his mouth so close to mine, it was less than an inch away. His gaze pinned mine.
When time slows down, it feels like your brain is in overdrive. Thousands of thoughts flooded through my mind. This was wrong. I needed to stop. Jackson was almost kissing me. He smelled so good. He was so big. He surrounded me. I felt safe. He protected me. Nothing could hurt me. I wanted to feel him.
With tremulous lips, I slowly, tentatively moved my mouth closer to his. I could feel his breath against my lips. Just one taste. I just needed to know if the other kiss had been a complete fluke. He stood so close. I leaned up a tiny bit further. Our lips barely grazed. Our eyes met. I wanted more. I wanted to touch him. I put my hand around his neck, and my fingers slid over the thick, strong musclescovered by such smooth, warm skin. I used his solid neck as leverage as I pulled my face just a tiny bit closer. He looked into my eyes. His lips felt so soft and pliable against mine. My eyes fluttered shut against his gaze, and I moved my lips to his lips, this time a real kiss.
The moment he started kissing me back, everything went into overdrive. Two hands lightly pressure the inside of my knees, so that I widened my legs. The moment I did, he stepped in closer. His mouth tortured me, teased me, played with me. One arm came around my back, tugging me, so I was arched up against him. I gasped, my mouth opening to his, his tongue plundered me, sending my entire body into an electrifying Technicolor. His mouth over mine awakened something inside of me that I didn’t recognize or understand. I felt intoxicated, dizzy, as his kiss escalated. He was all primal hot male, taking from me what he wanted. And I loved it. I moaned and clung to his neck, my fingers sliding into his thick hair. His other arm wrapped around my waist and pulled my body hard against him. I groaned as I felt the heat of his stomach through the fabric of my jeans, while he slanted his mouth over mine.
And then he lifted his head, taking his perfect lips with him. I opened my eyes, stared up into his face, my breath coming out of me in tiny little pants. I couldn’t read his expression. And then he stepped back from me. I clutched the sides of the counter, unable to tear my gaze from his face. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and turned and walked out of the kitchen. I sat there frozen, as he took long strides across the room and then my body jarred as I heard the heavy sliding door open and then slam shut. Feet pounded down the steps. I heard his truck start and then drive away.
I pacedthe length of the kitchen, completely blown away by that exchange. I remembered the feeling of his mouth on mine, the way his firm arm yanked me hard against his torso, the way he tasted andthe searing heat of everything that made him Jackson. I groaned and put my face in my hands.
Those two kisses were the most significant two moments of my sex life. Those kisses made me want many more terrible things that I should not want.
CHAPTER 24
I finished cleaningup the kitchen. I needed to focus on my looming wedding. A wedding I couldn’t seem to bring myself to plan. I needed to go pick up my invitations and start mailing them out. I needed to do a cake tasting. I needed to go to a dress fitting. The caterers wanted a confirmation on the menu. I had no desire even to try and attempt to make these decisions. Instead, I just pushed everything off for another day.
I heard the sound of Jackson’s truck. I froze and looked at the clock. Only 15 minutes had passed. I looked around. Should I hide in my room? Should I just pretend that he hadn’t wholly devastated me with yet another kiss? Maybe we needed to talk about it.
I heard his footsteps on the stairs, and then he opened the door. It looked like he carried in his arms a dirty white stuffed animal. That dirty bit of fluff lifted its head and looked at me with fearful wide black eyes.
“What’s that?” I gasped, rushing forward.
He looked down at what he carried in his arms. “I found this little one on the side of the road. I couldn’t leave it.”
It was a dog. Long white fur matted with blood and crusted withdirt. It looked skinny and pitiful in his arms. Big floppy ears, black eyes, and a black nose. It had a long, wide scratch down its nose. It smelled terrible.
“Oh,” I said, galvanized into action. “Put the dog on the couch.”
Jackson looked at me. “She’s pretty dirty.”
I grabbed a big white throw and laid it on top of the couch. “Come on, put her down.”
Jackson gently laid the dog on the couch. It curled up into a ball and whimpered in misery.
“Is she hurt?” I asked as I crouched next to it.
Jackson moved beside me. I watched as he expertly ran his fingers gently over its legs and body. “No broken bones but she feels skinny.”
I held my fingers to the dog’s nose, and she timidly lifted her head up and licked my fingers.
“Oh, baby. You’re such a sweetheart, aren’t you?”
Jackson spoke, “I can take her to the shelter tomorrow, but I just didn’t want to leave her out there.”
I turned and gave him an incredulous look. “You won’t be taking this dog anywhere.”
“We should get it some water.”
I jumped up, almost tripping over myself to get to the kitchen. I placed a bowl of water on the floor. The dog slowly crept off the couch and looked at us warily before she started to drink with great big gulps.
“Easy girl,” Jackson said, as he pulled the bowl away. “You want to go slow on that.”
The dog whined. What if it had internal injuries? What if it needed a doctor? I tamped down my fear. “We need to bring it to the animal hospital. Make sure she’s okay.”
Jackson looked at me. “Right now?”
I stood up.
