He winced, squeezing the back of his neck. “That was different, too.”
A chill slid over me, and I felt lightheaded. “D-Did you not want to…” My eyes dropped to the bed.
“No!” Jack reached for me, his hand touching mine around my coffee. “No, I wanted to do what we did last night. Watching you two dance together, and then dancing with you…” He took my cup, turning to set both mugs on the nightstand. When he faced me again, our knees touched, though mine were covered by his sheet. “I definitely wanted last night. I feel drunk from how happy what happened made me. It was the best experience I’ve ever had.”
“Oh. Okay. Me too.” I closed my eyes. “I mean, I guess that was kind of the point. You were the first person to make me come.”
“I am very aware of that,” Jack breathed. “That was—” He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how to describe it. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve done. But sharing you like that—that’s not normal for me. I don’t usually like to share. I can actually be kind of… possessive. I mean, not in a toxic way. I’d never try to control where you go or who you talk to. It’s just, if you’re mine, I want you to be only mine.”
The hair rose along my arms at the hint of being his. My mouth went dry, and I wanted to press my hand against his hickeys on my thigh.
“The truth is, that’s what I want. I want you to be mine, Hailey. I’ve been wanting it for longer than I should probably admit.”
My breath caught in my chest, making the thump of my heart even louder.
Jack reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers. “I know you need time. You’re still processing things with Neil, and there’s Sean to think about. He told you—” He bit his lip, shaking his head. “This isn’t about him. This is about me. I’m falling for you, Hailey, and I want to be with you. As your boyfriend, exclusively. I want to date you and be around you as much as you can stand it. The world is better when you’re around.”
“Jack.” His name came out with a whimper. I dropped the sheet, reaching for him, my body wrapping around him, my breasts flattened against his chest.
“Wait, Hailey. I think you should—”
My lips smothered the words as I kissed him. He groaned into my mouth, his eyes locking on mine as he wrapped me in his arms, rolling me to my back. His kiss wasn’t slow and careful, like Sean’s had been. No, Jack stared into me as he slanted hislips against mine again and again, hard, pressing kisses, like he’d never be able to get enough.
“Hailey.” My name was a groan in his mouth when he came up for air, our lips still brushing as we both dragged in a breath. I nipped at his bottom lip, and we were kissing again, my hands in his hair to hold him close. The way his body pressed mine into the mattress shot even more warmth inside of me. His face tilted, and his tongue dipped inside my mouth, stroking against mine as the kiss went deep so quickly.
It was just the two of us and lips and heat as we got lost in each other. He never looked away.
He licked my bottom lip before we panted against each other, our noses brushing in little caresses. I closed my eyes, breathing him in, feeling like it was only the two of us in the world.
He rolled us until I was on top of him, the sheet tangled between us, my naked breasts against his chest and one of my legs and my back now bare to the room. His hand stroked along my back, sending delicious tingles through me, but also soothing me at the same time.
“I can’t believe we waited to do that,” I said, opening my eyes. Our foreheads touched and our noses remained tantalizingly close.
“The timing was perfect. Everything about that was perfect.” Jack’s hand drifted up to my hair, brushing it back from my face.
I eased my grip on him, my fingers running along his scalp. “You were trying to say something before.”
Jack’s hand stilled, and I lifted my head so I could see his face better. The wrinkles on his forehead were back. “I was going to say you should take some time to think about what you want. You have choices, Hailey. I want you to choose me, of course I do, but only if you really want to be with me more than with anyone else.” He swallowed. “I’ve been in relationships where I’ve wanted the person more than they’ve wanted me. It never goes well.”
“You think I don’t want you?” I asked. It felt vulnerable, having this conversation while lying naked on top of him, and I sat up, pulling the sheet over me again.
“No. That kiss told me what we could have. I’m just worried it’s too soon for you. Can you really tell me other men aren’t in your head?”
I bit my lip. Sean’s voice saying he loved me was there, creating a warm blanket around me. Neil’s voice was loud, almost impossible to drown out. And now Jack’s voice was there, too, telling me he wanted me.
Jack sat up, his hand rubbing along my arm. “I’m saying there’s no rush. I’m here as your friend for as long as you want. As more, once you’re ready for that. Last night was…” A flush rose in his cheeks. “It was amazing, and I’m going to be reliving it in my head for quite a while. But the next time I’m with you, if there is a next time, I want it to be because we’ve decided to see what this could become between us. I don’t think I could do casual again, not without getting hurt. I’m already so close to falling in love with you.”
I never wanted to hurt him. Nerves twisted in my stomach even as my chest felt full to bursting, and my mind seemed to hum. What would it feel like to have someone like Jack love me? I wanted to know. I wanted to grab him for myself and never let go. “What if I said I might be falling for you, too?” I asked.
His lips brushed a kiss where his hand had stroked my arm, his hair tickling my skin. “I’m eagerly waiting for when you know for sure.” He pushed off the bed, gathering up our coffee mugs. “These are cold. Let me make us some more, and I could make you breakfast?”
“I wouldn’t be staying too long?”
He smiled back at me. “I want you here, Hailey. Just maybe not naked and in my bed. It makes it impossible for me to think about anything else.”
Heat crawled up my chest. “Could I—” I swallowed, my fingers clenching on the sheet. “Could I use your shower? Is that overstepping?”
“Not at all. Take your time.” He left the bedroom, heading for the small kitchen in his apartment.
