Before she…
The thought hits me hard enough to sober me instantly.
The smile slips off my face.
Stepping away from her, I dump the berries into the trash and rinse out the bowl, focusing on the mundane task so I don’t have to look at her.
When I turn to head to bed, Jess reaches out and puts her palm on my arm.
"Logan."
My name on her lips, barely a whisper, stops me cold.
We're suddenly too close, trapped together between the counter and the fridge. Her hand burns against my bare skin, fingers trembling as they grip my forearm.
The silk of her camisole catches the dim light, the thin straps sliding off one shoulder, revealing the hollow of her throat where her pulse hammers visibly.
I can feel the heat radiating off her body.
Without thinking, I grab the back of her neck and pull her in hard, my fingers tangling in her hair.
I don't plan it.
I don't debate it.
I just do it.
My mouth crashes into hers in a desperate, claiming kiss. She gasps against my lips and I swallow the sound, one hand fisting in that silk at her waist while the other tightens at her nape.
For one electric second she melts into me, her body going soft and pliant, her mouth opening under mine, a small whimper escaping her throat that nearly destroys me.
Then reality slams into me like a fist to the gut.
I shove away from her so hard she stumbles back against the counter, and I drag the back of my hand across my mouth like I can erase the taste of her, erase what just happened.
"What are you doing?" I demand, my voice coming out rough and raw.
Jess blinks, clearly stunned. “I was just-”
“No,” I snap, cutting her off. “What the hell, Jess?”
Her eyes widen.
I take another step back, putting the counter between us before I do something even stupider.
“The dress. The show,” I say tightly. “We said boundaries. Remember?”
She swallows. “I wasn’t trying to-”
“Walking around naked,” I interrupt. “Dressing like that. Don’t act like you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Her face falls.
“That’s not fair,” she whispers.
“Fair?” I let out a humorless laugh. “You really want to talk about fair right now?”
The silence that follows is thick and uncomfortable.
