My heart leaped into my throat as I took off inthatdirection, knowing without doubtthatit was Jackson. I would have known the color and style of his hair anywhere; I’d spent my early teenage years running my hands through it, dreaming of a future with the boy I loved.
A future that wasn’t to be.
Reaching the front door, I yanked it open, my mind spiraling with the potential fallout ifJackson had taken a photo. If he shared it with James, I’d be mortified, but if he gave it to Alec, my life would be over.
Shit. What if he gave it to my father?
A lump of lead landed in the pit of my stomach. Whatever it took, Ihadto get Jackson to delete the evidence of my crime.
The cool night air washed over me as I dashed outside. Goosebumps prickledmy skin as I took two steps at a time down the marble stairsthat, not so long ago, I’d walked up, convincing myselfthatthis was a great idea.
To add to my developing nightmare, Jackson was nowhere to be seen. Surely, he hadn’tgotten away already? He’d only had a few seconds' head start; he couldn’t have gone far, right?
Racing down the garden path of the manicured grounds, the bright moon lighting my way, I muttered a prayer, hopingthatby some miracle, I could stop Jackson before he jumped in his car and sped off.
I didn’t know where he lived, so it wasn’t like I could follow him back to his place and demand he hand over any evidence of my crime. If he had taken any photos to start with. Maybe I was being paranoid, but my gut was telling methatthis was the sort of thing Jackson would do. He’d vowed revenge for me breaking his heart, and I’djustgiven him the prime opportunity.
Long shadows from tall trees fell over the path, adding to the anxiety riddling my entire body. This was all my fault; if I hadn’t been so damn desperate to escape my life for one night, this wouldn’t be happening. I shouldn’t have taken such a stupid risk; it wasn’tjustmy lifethatwould be ruined if Alec found out, but Billie’s would be, too.
How could I have been so damn stupid?
Thoughts churned in my head as I neared the gatethatwould lead out to where a row of flashy cars were parked. My gaze was focused on the road when a dark figure emerged from the shadows, blocking my way. I froze on the spot as the eyes of the man I’d once loved with all my heart raked over my frame, his lips curling in disgust.
As a young girl, I’d always been attracted to Jackson. With piercing blue eyes, it always felt like he was staring straight into my soul whenever his attention was on me. Jackson didn’t smile; he smirked, always appearing as if he was plotting mischief. Aside from his kissable lips, the one thing I adored about his grin was the way his dimples in his cheeks always made an appearance.
He’d always been tall for his age, and when he hit his teenage years, his lanky frame had grown muscular. Over the years, his muscles had only become more solid, his tight shirt looking like it could tear at the seams if he moved too quickly.
But it wasn’tjusthis looksthatgot my—and no doubt a lot of other women’s—heart racing. It was his personality. Jackson was the full package. A charmer with a heart of gold. The joker of the group, who didn’t need to try hard to get people to like him. He always knew the right thing to say and had an uncanny ability to make people smile,evenon their worst days.
He was the sort of person who, when you spoke, he gave you his undivided attention, and if you were lucky enough to be loved by him, you felt like you were the most loved person in the world.
But underneath his heart of gold lay a cruel streak. One, I’d had the misfortune ofexperiencing ten years ago, when he threw accusation after accusation at me, called me every name under the sun, and vowedthatif I dared cross his path again, he would make my life a misery.
As if he could make it any worse.
On theveryfew occasions I’d seen him over the years, every nerve in my body had screamed at me to fall to my knees and beg him for his forgiveness. Beg him to love me again.
But the words never came.
Whatever Jackson and I once shared was ancient history. Besides, Billie was my only priority. Everything I did was for her, andthatmeantthatI would dowhateverI had to do to stop Jackson from telling the worldthathe’d caught me at a sex party.
A painful lump of emotion clogged my throat, growing by the second as Jackson’shate-filled stare penetrated me. Yet, despite the sneer he wore, a knot tightened in my stomach when the familiar scent of musk and cedarwood engulfed me, and forgotten memories of our past threatened to consume me.
“I have to say,”Jackson started, pulling me from my thoughts. His voice was exactly as I remembered it; sweet as honey, warming me from the inside and giving me comfort,eventhough my brain acknowledgedthatJackson had no comfort to offer me.“Of all people I expected to see at a party like this, you were not one of them. But I guess a leopard doesn’t change its spots, huh, Kiki?”
Internally, I grimaced, although I didn’t know if it was from the nickname he used to callme with affection but was now filled with disdain, or the subtle accusation of my apparent cheating.
“It’s not what you think,”I blurted, somewhat pointlessly, because it waspreciselywhatJackson thought.
I was at the party to commit adultery.
His brow lifted as a sarcastic smirk spread on his lips.“Funny. From where I wasstanding, it looked as if you were seconds away from lettingthatguy fuck you right there on the couch. I’veevengot the picture to prove it.”
Fuck. Hehadtaken a photo.
“Jackson, please,”I whispered, unable to hide the quiver in my voice.
“Please, what, Kiki? Don’t tell your fiancéthathe’s engaged to a cheating whore?”
