“No,” he choked out. “That was . . . no. That was perfect.”
The air shifted.
Everything went still and charged.
And then Skyler leaned in. There was no hesitation, no trembling, no “trust me.” His mouth found mine with a certainty that made my heart crack open. The angle was wrong because our legs were still tangled. A plate clattered off the coffee table as we shifted.
“Thepad Thai,” I murmured against his lips.
“Leave it.”
“It’s on the floor.”
“The floor can have it.”
Chapter 24
Skyler
The first thing I noticed as my hand slipped beneath Jacks’s shirt was how firm he felt. I’d been with my share of athletic women. They were lean, wearing muscle shaped by endless hours of cardio or gym work; and yet, there was still a feminine softness to them. There was none of that with Jacks. Save the slight softening of a man who no longer played a competitive sport, Jacks’s body was firm, his skin taut.
I traced the outline of his abs, the four that remained of a once-glorious six-pack, before letting my fingers drift upward toward his pecs. The light dusting of hair coating his chest and trailing down the center of his stomach was another difference. It felt strange at first; but the more I swirled my fingers through its softness, the more I came to like the feel of it. His chest also gave no hint of softening. He clearly worked out his chest as hard as he always had.I squeezed and barely felt any give.
Why does that send such a thrill through me?
The question popped into my head so fast, so suddenly, that I almost pulled back. The realization that I was kissing and touching and exploring a man seemed so ridiculous in that moment; and yet, excitement mixed with terror as understanding dawned.
I’m doing this.
With a man.
No, with Jacks, my frustratingly active subconscious mind corrected, though, I supposed, that was an important distinction. I wasn’t touching some random guy from a hookup app. This was Jacks, a man I admired. Hell, that was fucking weak. I was crazy about him. He made me laugh and see the world through fresh eyes. He made me want, well, I wasn’t sure what I wanted, honestly—but he made me want more than the all-consuming career I currently enjoyed.
And that was saying something.
But what did I want with him?
WhatcouldI want with another man?
“You’re thinking.”
Jacks’s voice jerked me back to the present. Had he nor been gripping me around my waist, I would’ve leaped and landed on top of our discarded leftovers.
“Sorry,” I said, burying my nose into the space between his neck and collarbone and breathing him in. For some unknown reason, I’d yet to remove my hand from his chest. “Guess I’m in my head a little.”
Jacks kissed me again, then removed a hand from my waist and trailed fingers down my cheek.
“We can stop, watch a movie, relax. I didn’t come here for more than that.”
“I don’t want to stop,” came out without my permission. My eyes must’ve popped wide because Jacks’s expression went from surprised to amused faster than a Porsche set loose on the Autobahn. “I mean, this is good. Touching you and kissing is good. Better than good. It’s amazing.”
He thrust upward, our fully clothed cocks grinding against each other, both rigid and ready for whatever might come next.
“Feels like it.” He smirked.
I felt my face flush, and he chuckled.
“I’m serious, Sky. This is all new to you. We don’t have to—”
