“Of course, I would’ve never used it unless I thought you were in danger.”
“And now you’ve seen me naked,” I blurted.
He didn’t react to my statement. Instead, the corner of his mouth twitched, affecting me more than the scorching water.
“I guess it’s only fair, since you’ve seen me naked.”
“That was a misunderstanding,” I countered.
“As was this.” The left side of his mouth drew upward, and the ache that had been nestled between my thighs earlier bloomed back to life.
This. Man.
This. Mercurial. Man.
There was more to Jackson than he liked to project to the world, and as I stood in front of him, wrapped in nothing but a towel, I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever lower his guard and show me the real him.
The whole of him.
17
The second I stepped into her bathroom and stumbled upon her naked form, I froze. A gentleman would’ve looked embarrassed and turned away immediately, but I never claimed to be a gentleman. Ever. Besides, Icouldn’tlook away.
Did I feel guilty about getting an eyeful, appreciating her glorious tits, shapely hips, and toned legs? Fuck no. Did I want to see her naked again? Hell yes. But if that did happen, it would be because she chose to show me her body. Not another mishap. Although, I shouldn’t speak too soon because all our encounters had been out of the ordinary. One might think we should skip the odd run-ins and get down and dirty. And byone, I meant me.
“There you go. That should do it. No more spurts of boiling water.” Tossing my wrench into my toolbox, I hoisted myself to my feet and wiped my hands on a towel I’d brought over with me.
“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
I lingered in her space, her closeness disorienting me. So much so, I’d taken longer than necessary fixing her shower. But that was only partly my doing. She’d peer over my shoulder andask me questions, and each time I had to stop and explain. For the first time in my life, I didn’t mind interacting with someone I hardly knew. To be fair, though, I wouldn’t be able to classify Sophie as someone I barely knew for much longer, our daily interactions having become more frequent.
The thought of having her for myself was both tempting and downright delusional. I wasn’t any good for her. Fuck, I wasn’t good for anyone. It was why the only relationships I had with women were strictly transactional. We fuck, and then they leave.
I was one step outside her bathroom, clutching my toolbox in my right hand when her voice halted my steps. “I forgot to tell you that I have an oil that would work great for your shoulder. I left it at my dad’s house, but I can pick it up if you’d like to try it.”
We seemed to be engaged in a balanced give-and-take kind of scenario. Me showing her how to defend herself, her helping relieve some of the ache of my bad shoulder, me fixing her shower, her offering another service for my pain. If I went down on her, would she feel inclined to do the same to me?Whoa, pump the brakes.Only turmoil could come from taking things too far with her. She was quickly becoming a distraction, and if we fucked, I feared she’d unknowingly ruin everything I’d worked so hard for over the length of my career. It wouldn’t be her fault, but I’d come to resent her in the end regardless.
The words that I should’ve said were “No, but thank you.” Instead, my hormones overrode my brain and I replied, “Anything that’ll help. Thanks.”
“I’ll get it for you tomorrow.” She fiddled with the side of her shirt, the graphic of lips on the front making me want to kiss her even more.
“I need to go.” This time I headed toward the door without stopping, even when I sensed her close behind me.
“Thanks again, Jackson.”
I refused to release another word, fearful I’d never get out of here. And I needed to. If I remained in her space for another moment, I’d toss aside all caution.
“Really?” Trevor asked.
“What?” I grunted, sidestepping my sparring partner.
“Where the fuck is your head, man?” He pounded his fist on the floor of the ring. “You better start paying attention, or you can kiss this fight goodbye.”
“I’m fine.”
“Then stop fucking up.”
