I’m panting, gasping really as Jackson presses me flat against the wall of rock, both of his hands under my shirt now, his palms a damn song against my skin as they press up over my ribs, as they move slow over my flesh like they’re trying to ensure that I’m here, that I’m real. And suddenly, quit
My mate, bless him, blushes just a little but then clears his throat, I think wondering where to begin. I raise my hands to his cheeks, cupping his face between my palms. “Jackson, are you all right? I – I’m so, so sorry.” “I’m okay,” he says, nodding, his voice choked. “I’m sorry I stormed out
But of course, time does pass, and we do eventually stop kissing when things again get heated. Because what Jackson said before really was the truth – this is not the time or the place for it. Somehow we separate ourselves from each other, though we’re never really more than an inch apart, and we
I find myself feeling quite touched, and a little overwhelmed, as I lean against his chest, tucking my head for a second beneath his chin, cozy and warm despite the chill in the night air. Because…maybe he should be mad. There is…there is more coming, after all, that he’s not going to be pleased abo
“Well, kind of!” he replies, laughing louder now, freer. “I mean, I just didn’t let my mind go there before. You were just…another guy. A little shrimpy one who I liked hanging out with, and who I worried about sometimes. But…I didn’t think of you that way.” I narrow my eyes at him, leaning a litt
I work hard to fight my grin, wanting to be serious, but his own smile brings mine forward. “I know,” I whisper, nodding, “I saw you with Daphne.” “Oh my god,” he mutters, taking a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “I thought my heart was going to pound through my chest when she came in.”
Jackson works hard for a smile when he sees my reaction to my story, though he kind of fails at it. “I take it,” he murmurs, “that you have parents? And you like them?” “Well, yeah, Jacks!” I reply, staring wide-eyed into his face. “They’re kind of great!” Jackson laughs a little, tightening his
I wait, trying to be patient, letting him decide what to tell. “I was…sent to learn things,” he murmurs, hanging his head a little. “New fighting techniques, new technologies. And then, when I’ve decided that I learned enough, I’m supposed to…desert. To go back and teach the Community what I learn