“You had your mind made up about me,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “It seemed safer to let you keep believing it.”
“Safer?” she asked. “What does that mean?”
“Abby, all I’ve ever wanted was to be a doctor, it’s been my dream since I was little,” he said. “I’ve only got one shot at this, I don’t want to screw it up, and I was sure that getting involved with you would be a huge distraction. Do you remember that day I told you it was weird that you liked the dissection lab so much? I was just trying to push you away, trying to put some distance between us. It clearly didn’t work, and I’m done fighting, it’s too much work.”
His words echoed her own thoughts so closely, she had to take a deep breath before she spoke. “So where does that leave us?” she finally asked, her heart beating furiously in her chest. “I don’t know what we’re supposed to do now.”
CHAPTER 13
***JACKSON***
Jackson took the coffee cup out of Abby’s hands and set it down next to his on the roof, then turned to face her again. “I think that should be obvious,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “I’m going to kiss you.”
When their lips touched, the connection between them flared to life. Its warmth flooded his body, and thrills shot through him. He knew that Abby felt it too, knew that he was going to have to give her an explanation at some point, but right then he just wanted to enjoy having her in his arms. Kissing her now that he’d given up fighting his feelings for her felt different, and when her arms snaked up around his neck and he felt her give into the passion flowing between them, he knew that he’d made the right decision.
Abby sighed, opening her mouth to him and he took advantage, slipping his tongue between her lips and deepening the kiss, then slowly lowered her down onto the roof. He feasted on her mouth like a starving man, nipping and teasing with his teeth, then began to explore her body withhis hand, the feel of her silky skin under his fingertips nearly driving him crazy.
When his hand skimmed across her breast and the nipple hardened instantly, a low growl came from deep in his throat, and he knew it was time to slow things down. It took a colossal effort to keep his hand where it came to rest on her hip as he slowly pulled away from Abby, then looked down at her. Her face was flushed with pleasure, her blue eyes sparkling in the first rays of sunlight and he knew that he’d never forget that moment.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, his voice hoarse with need. “I’d kiss you again, but I can’t guarantee that’s all that I’d do and I don’t think we’re ready for that yet.”
“You’re making it really hard to resist,” she said, smiling up at him, then a little frown appeared on her face. “There’s something I should probably tell you, but it’s really embarrassing so don’t make fun of me.”
“You can tell me anything, I would never make fun of you,” he said, smiling down at her. “I might tease you a little bit though.”
“I’m serious, Jackson,” she said. “I’ve never told anyone this before…”
He leaned down and kissed her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s anything you could tell me that would change the way I feel about you.”
“I didn’t say it was something bad,” she said, letting out a little huff. “I’m a virgin, okay, I’ve never had sex. There’s never been anyone I wanted to get that close to…until now.”
Abby's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink and she tried to look away, but he cupped her chin in his hand. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Abby,” he said. “You’re just picky, and that’s fine with me. We’ll take this slow, I don’t want to rush anything.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “Where I come from teenpregnancy is a big thing, half the girls from my class had babies or were pregnant on graduation day, and no one saw anything wrong with it,” she said. “I have six brothers and sisters. I didn’t want to fall into that trap, and I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life stuck in a tiny town, with a bunch of kids dragging me down. I want to be a doctor, I want to help those girls, I want to show them that there’s so much more to life than a husband and babies.”
“And you will, sweetheart,” he said, gathering her closer. “I don’t even know where home is for you.”
“A little town way back in the Appalachian Mountains,” she said, settling her head on his chest. “I had to fight my way out of there, but someday I’m going to go back and make a difference.”
“Your parents must be really proud of you,” he said. “Mine never stop talking about me, sometimes it’s embarrassing.”
Abby was quiet for a second. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” she asked. “But they’d be happier if I was at home, helping with my brothers and sisters and having kids of my own. They don’t understand me, they never have, but I’ve learned to live with it. Nothing is going to stop me from becoming a doctor. Someday I hope that they’ll appreciate everything I’ve done, all the sacrifices I’ve made, but I’m not holding my breath.”
“I’m sorry, Abby, that must be really hard,” he said, rubbing her back. “For what it’s worth, I think that you’re amazing woman. Your parents should be thanking their lucky stars that they have you.”
“You know what?” she asked, smiling up at him. “I think you might be good for me.”
“I’m glad you’re starting to figure that out,” he said, grinning down at her. “Now I think I can handle one more kiss if you can.”
The sun was shining brightly when they finally went backinside, Jackson the way he had come across the roof, Abby back in through the window. The warm glow of their connection followed them both, adding to Jackson’s power and making Abby feel wanted for the first time in her life. Storms were brewing on the horizon that would challenge the bond slowly forming between them, but as Jackson climbed back into his window, he had all the faith in the world that they’d weather them together.
Deep down he knew that Abby was his forever, that his magic had bound them together in a way he’d never thought possible. She was his perfect mate, the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. He just had to figure out a way to tell her the truth about what he was, a thought that sent a shiver down his spine, the possibility that she might reject him leaving him with a cold spot in his middle.
***Abby***
With a frustrated sigh, Abby closed the textbook that she’d been reading and pushed it away, then got up from the desk and walked over to the window. It was a beautiful fall day, the kind of day she usually would have spent outdoors, curled up under one of the big trees on campus or on a bench in the sun even if she was studying. Two weeks of being rushed from one place to another was beginning to wear on her. She needed some time outside, needed to feel the sun on her face, the wind in her hair.
With a sigh, she stepped away from the window, looked over at the desk, then turned her back on studying and headed downstairs. Hattie would be in the kitchen working on dinner, and she desperately needed a distraction to keep the frustration that was growing worse every day at bay. Much to both her relief and annoyance, the Kappas had backed off. There hadn’t been any more vandalism or bombthreats, no one had tried to get to her, but it was a lot like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
