“Tell me about them.”
His eyes sparkled, making her stomach twist knowing she’d hit his sweet spot. “I have three brothers: Michael, Camden, and Spence. They’re a pain in the ass, but we have each other’s backs no matter what.”
“And . . . ?” He sure didn’t speak much.
“And that’s all. They are great. My dad is great. I love my family.”
“Getting information from you isn’t very easy,” she said.
“Don’t you like it that we both have an air of mystery about us, Alyssa? Isn’t that what makes this so exciting?”
She felt caught. Did she admit how exhilarating all of this was for her? Or did she stay cool and collected? Was she making a huge mistake here by flirting with this man? Her entire world had been flipped upside down, yet lying here beside Jackson seemed to drown out the disappointment, the sadness, the emptiness. Didn’t that mean she was using him? Wasn’t that wrong?
But in any case, wasn’t he using her just as much? It was more than clear that he, too, felt an attraction. That was something she was used to—men wanting her. It was the unfamiliar desire awakening within her for this man that was catching her by complete surprise.
Could she surrender to the desires of her body and continue down this road with him? It wasn’t as if they could have sex. They were on a plane filled with people. But what would a little harmless flirting do?
“Yes, Jackson, I do like the air of mystery.”
“Then let’s stop all this talking about our past. Why don’t I tell you exactly what I want to do with you right now?”
As he spoke, he shifted closer to her, bringing his lips within inches of her own. Would she allow a kiss? Was she even capable of denying this man when she wanted to taste him so badly?
Not giving her a chance to think anymore, he caressed her face, brought his mouth to hers, and connected their lips, sending jolts of electricity through her body. As his lips moved across hers, she felt an unfamiliar pressure build deep within, a feeling she knew would only grow stronger the closer she got to this man.
“I knew we would set off sparks, Alyssa,” he murmured as he pulled back, looking at her with clear desire in his eyes.
Fear filled her as she realized the power this man could have over her. What was she thinking? She was playing with fire. Hadn’t she been burned enough?
“This isn’t wise, Jackson.”
“We don’t always need to be wise,” he informed her.
Luckily, he backed up, gave her some space. They continued speaking and soon her fatigue was overwhelming. She fought against that inopportune drowsiness as the two of them talked about neutral topics, nothing too intimate, but enough that as she got to know him a little bit more, learned what made his lips twitch, or his eyes sparkle, she found herself becoming increasingly infatuated with him.
When she fell asleep, Jackson less than a foot away, he filled her dreams—just as he’d assured her he would do.
Alyssa opened her eyes slowly to a hushed silence. Damn. She’d wasted precious time with something as useless as sleep, and now she didn’t know how much longer she had until the plane landed.
Stretching quietly in her seat, she sat up and looked over at the peaceful expression on Jackson’s face. He looked almost like a different person. He was just as handsome as before, but his guard wasn’t up as he slept. She wondered what this man dreamed of.
The barest hint of stubble dotting his square jaw and angular cheekbones rendered him even more striking than when she’d first laid eyes upon him. Despite an almost desperate need to reach over and touch him, she slipped from her warm bed and went to use the bathroom, where she took her time brushing her teeth.
When she came back, Alyssa tripped, landing right in Jackson’s lap. His beautiful brown eyes instantly snapped open, and then she couldn’t pull her gaze away from them.
“Good . . . morning?” he mumbled, and her blood ran hot at the scratchy timbre of his voice. It was so deep and rich, it must have originated clear down in his toes.
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to get off him, but his arms locked around her. Oh, this man would star in her dreams for many nights to come. She was surprised and delighted to know that one chance encounter would shape her, change her, from this point on. No, she wouldn’t moon over him forever. But hereafter she’d compare every man she met with him.
And they’d all come up wanting.
“I could get used to waking up to such a beautiful woman. I’m going to kiss you again.” That was her only warning before Alyssa found herself flipped beneath him, gazing up into his sparkling brown eyes, their only shelter the thick blankets that covered them.
She was caught. Completely caught.
The very next moment, the warmth of his lips covered hers. And Alyssa wasn’t disappointed. Jackson’s lips were sure and confident, just like him. It wasn’t a casual meeting of mouths. It was hunger, raw and untamed. It was passion and ecstasy. It was everything she’d hoped for and more. It was unlike anything she could have ever possibly imagined. The kiss he’d given her before she went to sleep was just a friendly good night. This kiss was pure seduction.
His tongue traced her lips, then pushed against her teeth so she would open to him. There was no hesitation, no doubt. He knew what he wanted and he demanded her submission. And she gave it to him willingly.
This man wasn’t used to losing, and right now he wanted her. And for once, she wasn’t afraid to accept what he was offering. With a hunger she didn’t know she was capable of feeling, Alyssa lifted her arms and clasped his neck, then pulled him closer.
Their tongues dueled, both of them fighting to deepen the kiss, almost attempting to climb within one another. No kiss had ever inspired such an animal hunger inside her. Carl had made her believe she was frigid, incapable of passion.
Now she knew that was nothing but a lie. She felt anything but cold right now. She felt heat, longing, a fierce appetite for more, for everything. She just couldn’t get enough. Jackson swallowed the low groan that rumbled from her mouth, greedily taking that as he took everything else she was giving him.
As his tongue slowed and began slipping in and out of her mouth, her core boiled over. He was telling her with his mouth exactly what he planned on doing with the rest of her body, and the blood rushing through her veins in response told her that her answer had to be a firm yes.
When he shifted to the side and his hand slid beneath the thick blankets that provided some semblance of privacy, she quivered beside him. His fingers danced over the top of her blouse, gently moving along the plane of her stomach before going higher.