Amelia

Of course, Julia tells Jackson he’s going to be Amber’s partner. All day yesterday, I had to bite my tongue and listen to Amber talk about how hot she thinks Jackson is and how she’d like to hook up with him here in Mexico. I tried to warn her that he’s a player. She didn’t care. And by the puppy dog eyes she’s giving him now, it’s clear she’s going to try to sink her teeth into him. Fuck her.

“Hop on.” Steven ducks under the water and I reluctantly bring my leg up and over his shoulder.

Steven grasps my thighs and gives them a squeeze. “You comfortable?” he asks.

I push his hands down a few inches; they’re riding up a little too high.

“I’m fine,” I lie as I watch Amber climb her skinny body up Jackson’s like she’s some kind of a monkey. Certainly, there is no reason for her to rub so much of herself on him. Jackson’s hands grasp Amber’s calves to stabilize her, much better than him taking hold of her thighs, like Steven did to me. Amber says something in Jackson’s ear and he tips his head back and laughs. This makes me want to push her off him immediately.

“Let’s get them,” I tell Steven, whose hands have found their way back up my legs. He’s sick.

“Hold on tight,” Steven says as he trudges through the water toward Jackson and Amber.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Julia and Will in a chicken fight with David and Carrie. They’re all laughing as the girls grasp each other and pretend like they’re actually going to hurt each other. That’s not how it’s going to look when I get my hands on Amber. Except when I turn in Amber’s direction, she’s right there and she pushes me off Steven’s shoulders before I even have a chance to push her first. The cold water splashes up over my head, filling my ears and nose. I pop up and swipe the water off my face and cough for breath, just in time to hear Amber cackle, laughing her head off. “Got you.” She giggles.

No fucking way. As soon as I clear my lungs of water, I say, “Duck, Steven. I’m getting back on.”

He hunches down and I get on for my turn to take her down. Jackson looks at me, brows furrowed and cringing. He can tell I’m pissed.

Fueled by pure unadulterated irritation, I reach for Amber’s shoulders. Getting a good grasp, I push her back. Jackson takes a steadying step back to right them both as Amber pulls her body forward and places both her hands around Jackson’s head. “You saved us, Jackson,” Amber cries out and caresses her small hands down Jackson’s biceps.

Oh, no. “Steven, let’s get them.”

“Yeah,” Steven says, his hands moving up higher on my thighs again. At this point, I don’t even care; all I want to do is get Amber off Jackson. Steven moves toward our targets once again.

This time, I lunge at her with my full body weight and pent-up aggression. I don’t miss this time. Amber’s body flies back through the air and I’m on top of her, wrestling her through the air and into the water. Somewhere in the mix is Jackson’s body tumbling backward.

When I come up for air, Amber is panting and coughing up water like I was just minutes ago. Painting on a fake Stepford Wife smile, I say, “Got you.”

Jackson scrubs a hand over his face and through his hair, turns to Amber, and says, “You okay?”

Amber puts her hand on Jackson’s chest to steady herself as she continues to cough and carry on. She nods at him and lays her head on his chest and says, “I think I’m done playing for a while.”

“Me too,” I say as I re-adjust my ponytail and walk away toward the swim up bar. I can’t stand to see Amber throw herself all over Jackson.

This is like torture. My feelings for Jackson haven’t changed. I want him as much now as I did as a young teenager. Watching another woman aggressively pursue him is too much for me to handle. I want everything out in the open and everyone to know we’re together. Even my brother.

A strong hand grasps my shoulder. “Everything okay?”

Turning, I look up. It’s Jackson, concern written all over his face.

“I’m fine,” I lie and cross my arms in front of my chest.

“Please don’t do that. I know you’re upset. Talk to me.” His voice is smooth and soothing, easing some of my tension.

“We can’t talk here. You know that.” I tilt my head in the direction of my brother. “Meet me in my room.

“Jackson, are you getting me my drink?” Amber says as she splashes her way over to the bar.

This girl doesn’t get it. Jackson gives me a sweet, reassuring smile as he nods at me.

I take his hint, calm since he’s going to come to my room.

“Sure, Amber, I was just going to get your drink now.”

Amber puts her hand on his chest and runs her fingertips over his nipple. Unable to take any more of Amber’s blatant attempts at seducing Jackson, I roll my eyes as I walk away from them. Hurling myself out of the pool, I grab my towel to dry off.

“Everything okay, sis?” My brother comes up behind me.

“What do you mean? I’m great.” Wishing I was better at faking it, I give him a half-hearted grin.

“You look pissed. Did Jackson say something to you? I saw you two talking.” His gaze is focused on me as he stands still in front of me. He’s not moving without an answer.

Damn him for being observant. I didn’t think he was paying attention. Guess I was wrong. While he should be drinking and enjoying his bachelor party weekend, he’s still got his eagle-eye trained on his little sister. “I hope I’m not coming down with something. My stomach is off. Maybe I should go lie down.” The lie tastes bitter as it rolls off my tongue. Jackson and I have to get this figured out, and soon. I’m tired of Will not knowing what’s going on with his best friend and me.

“You sure Jax wasn’t upsetting you? I can go kick his ass for you.” He laughs and gives my shoulder a nudge with his elbow.

Relieved to see that he’s buying my story, I give him a smirk. “No. He was concerned like you.”

“Okay. Why don’t you go and take a nap? I’m sure that’ll make you feel better.”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. Now go have fun,” I say.

Will leans in and kisses me on the cheek. “You know I will.” He goes to the edge of the pool and cannonballs in.

My brother only wants the best for me. Jackson is what I want. He’s what I’ve always wanted. We had a bump in the road, but he’s trying and he’s showing me his heart. If we move forward with our relationship, we have to tell Will. And soon.

Risking one last glance at Jackson, he’s staring in my direction, eyes scanning my bikini clad body. Amber has to be completely out of it as she continues her relentless flirting with Jackson. He ignores her when she flips her hair and bats her eyes at him. I take my finger and gesture for him to come here. He nods and winks at me. Amber splashes water at him and I shake my head. Who knows how he’s going to get away from her.

Back at my room, I turn my shower on, take off my bikini, and get in the steamy water. I wash my hair and lather up my body, ridding myself of the chlorine. If Jackson were here, I’d let him use his skilled hands to clean my body. It’s been impossible to think of much else besides him lately. Since our last awkward night together, I’ve wanted nothing more than to see him again and get reacquainted. This time, I’ll let my mind go and let my body take over. Like I used to.

Stepping out of the shower, I hear a click that a keycard makes in my door. Jackson still has one for my room. I’m tempted to walk out of the bathroom naked, but then we’d get no talking done. Might not be a bad idea. Wrapping the towel around my chest, I step out of the bathroom and am greeted by tall, handsome, bare chested Jackson.

“Hey.” His eyes drink me in as he steps in front of me and sweeps my wet hair over my shoulder.

“Hi,” I say, unable to stop myself from checking him out. The way his muscled chest and arms highlight his six-pack abs.

“How you feeling? You were upset out by the pool.”

Swallowing hard, I don’t want to admit why I was pissed, but I’m done hiding my feelings from him. “Amber was blatantly trying to seduce you. She kept touching you. I didn’t like it.”

“You think I liked it when Steven was squeezing your thighs in his greedy hands? The answer is no. Not at all, but I know you didn’t like it. Amber was all for show. All of it.”

“Right, but it didn’t make it easier to watch.” I lean in closer to him and put my hands on his smooth chest. “I wanted it to be my hands on your body. Not hers. I was jealous that she could touch you in public with no consequences.”

Putting his arms around me, he smells of sun, salt, and Jackson. The desire to kiss him is overwhelming. “You know I didn’t want her to touch me, right? The only woman’s hands I want on me are yours.” His face leans in closer to mine, his breath warm on my skin as he runs his lips over my cheek to my ear. “Just yours.”

My knees weaken when his mouth hovers over mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, letting my fingers play up the back of it, slipping my fingers through his wet hair. “Just mine,” I say.

Nodding, he pulls me in closer. His hard body closes the last bit of distance between us. His intense blue eyes smolder with longing. His lips graze mine and pull back once, then he does it again. Teasing me with a ghost of a kiss. Taking what I want, I grasp his hair and crush my mouth on his. No guessing games today. I want this. Now.

Jackson groans into my mouth as our tongues collide, stirring the desperate ache forming between my legs. His warm tongue steals my breath as we kiss like it’s our first time. No, this is better than our first time. Intense, deep, hungry. His hands come up my arms, squeezing my shoulders and then moving up my neck until he’s cradling my cheeks. “I want you, Amelia. Do you want me? I have to know because I’m running low on restraint,” he growls.

Instead of answering, I tug at my towel and stand naked, exposed, and vulnerable in front of him.

Jackson stands back, drinking me in, a lust-filled haze in his eyes. He kneels in front of me and kisses my stomach. My heart thunders in my chest anticipating his sweet mouth on my most sensitive parts. Teasing me with feather soft kisses down my thigh, he takes his time building the ache low in my belly. When his mouth finally makes its way to my center, I tilt my head back and moan. Delicious sensations enflame my nerve endings and dance through my belly.

His hands slide up my legs and glide to my sex. Two fingers ease inside me while his mouth continues to send my mind into a fog of desire. His skilled tongue and hands work together to create a storm of pleasure that surges through me. “Yes, Jackson. I’m close.” I look down at his beautiful body working masterfully to bring me to the edge.

My legs quiver and my pulse pounds as Jackson’s fingers thrust in and out of me, a steady rhythm humming through my veins. Pressure builds and I clutch Jackson’s hair, bracing myself for the onslaught of sensations that wash over me. Jackson grips my hips and stabilizes me as I ride wave after wave of the most intense orgasm I’ve ever experienced.

When my body stops shaking, it’s nearly limp as Jackson stands and lifts me up to carry me to the bed. He lays me down and strips his swim trunks off. He climbs over me and brings his lips to mine for a scorching hot kiss. His hands caress my hair. Opening my eyes, Jackson is staring back at me. “I want to feel you. It’s been too long. Touching your skin and being inside you is all I’ve been able to think about,” he says, his voice seductive, hungry.

It’s not what he says, but how he says it. Sexy and alluring. It wakes my body up. His eyes blaze when I reach down and grasp his hard length, stroking it with my hand. His body shakes and a low growl escapes his lips. “Wait,” Jackson says as he pushes up and gets off the bed. Reaching for his swim trunks, he pulls out a condom, rips it open, and slides it on. When he gets back on top of me, he kisses me with an intensity, a hunger like he can’t get enough. “What about you, Amelia? Is this what you want? I have to know if you’ve missed me as much as I’ve missed you.” He slides his erection up and down over my clit, driving me mad with need.

“Yes, Jackson. Please,” I exhale out.

“Please, what?”

With all my control lost, I shift my hips up to his and shamelessly grind against him. “I. Need. You. Inside. Me. Now.”

A deep, guttural groan exits Jackson’s lips as he eases his way inside me, inch by inch. Bringing my knees up next to his hips, I shift my body to the perfect angle. When he hits the bundle of nerves so deep, I cry out his name.

“God, I missed that,” he whispers in my ear.

Our breathing becomes ragged, and it’s all I hear. Nothing else. Our moans, his tongue against my skin, his body sliding against mine. We fit perfectly together. Not only our bodies, our hearts. I feel it when he worships my body with his and see it in his eyes when we come together. No one has made me feel this way with just a look, a touch. It scares and excites me all at once. I love this man, there’s no denying it now.

Addicted to the sensations building in my core, I drive my hips higher, meeting him thrust for thrust. Jackson’s fingers dig into my hips, his movements becoming more sporadic. We’re both close. My back arches and I squeeze his shoulders as I let loose and pulse around him. It’s seconds before he joins me, whispering my name in my ear.

Jackson falls boneless next to me, arm draped over my waist. When our breathing slows, I put my head on his chest and run my fingertips over the lines of his trim, strong abdomen. Breathing in, all I can smell is us and I’m content for the first time in months. Being here with him makes me feel safe and cared for. “Can we just stay here for the rest of the trip?” I ask, looking up into his sapphire eyes.

“I’d like nothing more.”

“But…” I say.

“It’s your brother’s weekend. We’re here for him. We have to at least make an appearance.” He smirks at me and the corners of his eyes crinkle up. “But we can sneak off to your room any time you want.”

“Okay, I guess that will have to do,” I whine a little, but am quite happy with the terms.

Jackson strokes my hair with his fingertips. “Can we talk?” His face has lost all its humor, he’s serious now.

“Should I be worried?”

“No.” His chest rises with a deep intake of breath. “What happened between us today means something to me. I need to know if you feel the same.”

“What are you asking me, Jackson?”

“You and I were moving in the direction of a relationship before you miscarried. And then we were nothing. What are we now?” he asks.

I ease off him and lay next to him, so we can look in each other’s eyes. “What do you want us to be now? Because when we got back from Ireland, I didn’t know what you wanted. You seemed to have one foot in and one foot out.”

He nods and bites at the corner of his mouth. “You’re right. I’m not proud of that. But to be honest, you scare the shit out of me.”

Letting out a harsh laugh, I cover my mouth. “I scare you? That’s funny.” He can’t be serious.

“I don’t know why you’re laughing. When things were heating up with us, it was like walking on fire. I was afraid you were going to burn me.”

“Okay,” is all I get out, unsure of what to say, shaking my head.

“My track record with women isn’t great. I know that. I’ve never wanted a commitment, never cared to stay with one woman for any length of time.” He sits up now, easing himself against the headboard. “But when I’m with you, it’s different. It always has been.”

Sitting up now, I put my hand on his knee and he covers it with his own, squeezing it. “How is it different?”

His face is open, vulnerable as he says, “It never occurred to me that you would want me. You were always Will’s beautiful, endearing, stubborn little sister. Off limits. Too good to be with a player like me. That’s why when you reached out to me, showed interest in me, I couldn’t believe it. How could I let myself accept that?”

His words are unbelievable, but his eyes shine brightly and show me he’s telling the truth.

“The first time we kissed, I thought I’d explode. It was powerful. We both poured ourselves into it. My heart rate sped up so high, I thought I’d lose my legs.” His stare drifts off, as if he’s there again in the memory of that kiss. “I could feel it. How much you wanted me. My mind was blown.”

The desire to kiss him again is overwhelming, but I nod and let him continue.

“I didn’t think it could last. That you’d want me for anything more than what most women want me for. But you kept calling. Kept showing up for me. And for some reason, I started to pull back.” His eyes are sad and his expression is bleak.

“Why? That’s what I don’t get. Things were going so well and then you slammed the brakes. It hurt,” I say as I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling too vulnerable.

His hand comes up to cup my cheek as he says, “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I was being a coward who didn’t know how to deal with my feelings. It’s not an excuse, but it’s where my head was at, at the time.”

“Do you think that I wasn’t scared? I’ve had a crush on you for as long as I can remember. And I thought you always just saw me as Will’s little sister.”

“My God, Amelia. I wanted you but knew Will would kill me if I ever laid my hands on you. It ended there, but trust me when I tell you that I always looked at you, wanted to be near you. I pushed it all down.”

Swallowing hard, I nod thinking about all the time we wasted pining for each other, just out of each other’s reach. “How do you feel about me now, Jackson? Because I can’t do what we did before. Have you and then you pull away. It’s too painful.”

“Oh, I’ve learned my lesson. When we’re together, it’s like nothing else. We fit. It’s never been like that with any other woman before. I won’t lose you again.” He leans in and presses his lips to mine. This kiss is soft, sweet, and full of promise.

Tears form in the corners of my eyes. Jackson runs his thumb along my cheek.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the beginning. And for my reaction about the baby. I wish I could go back and articulate to you what I was feeling in that moment. It was as if I was floating, nothing tethering me to the ground. I was in awe of you and of us. We made a baby. It gave me something else to fear.”

“You could’ve talked to me,” I say, fresh tears falling now.

“I know that now. And I can’t promise I’ll do it perfectly because I don’t always have the right words, but I will give it my all. Because you deserve my best, Amelia. I just hope that will be enough.” He gives me a small, hopeful smile.

His achingly genuine words tug at my heart, filling me with love. It sits there at the tip of my tongue, but I push my lips to his, to show him with actions instead of words because I don’t know if we’re ready for that yet.

When he leans his forehead against mine, he says, “So, what do you say? You ready to go all in with me?”

“If you can promise me that you aren’t going to run every time things get tricky, because they will and I’m going to need you there by my side.”

Jackson presses his fingers through mine, intertwining them. “I’m not going anywhere. We were both miserable without each other. I’m not dumb enough to do that again. You’re in here now.” He brings our hands up to his heart, its beat strong and steady.

I nod, overwhelmed with emotion, throw my arms around him, and bury my face in his warm neck. Kissing his jaw and up his cheek to his soft lips. “I want to be with you, Jackson. But now we need to figure out what we’re going to do about Will.”

His eyes widen as he tugs me back down on the bed so that we’re lying next to each other. Skin on skin, his arms come around me. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll sit him and Julia down after the wedding and tell them both. How can he be mad when we show him exactly how we feel about each other?”

“You make it sound so easy,” I say as I kiss his mouth gently.

“We can do anything together.” He tugs my lips in his and separates them with his tongue, deepening the kiss and showing me that, for now, this discussion is over.