“Do you have any idea when he plans to attack?”

She lowers her voice. “It won’t be for a few months, because he wants it to be precise. You have time.”

“I have to report to him in a few days.”

“Then lie, give him something that’s kind of true, but not quite.”

The front door opens, and I see Jackson step through. Feeling my body prickle with awareness, I whisper, “I have to go, I love you!”

I hang up before she can answer. Jackson appears at the kitchen counter, wearing old, faded denim jeans, a dark black top, and his leather jacket. His long hair is loose tonight and flowing around his shoulders. Every time he moves, I can smell the shampoo he used earlier. He has a few days stubble on his jaw. God, he’s beautiful.

“You cookin’?” he murmurs, staring at the food.

“I am, but if you don’t want me to...”

“All good,” he mutters, pretending nothing at all has happened between us.

I feel a pang of anger in my chest. Jackson kissed me, hell, I saw him giving himself pleasure, and the look he gave me after it told me it aroused him that I saw, and yet he’s refusing to speak about it, like it never happened. The tension between us is huge, and yet he wants no part in acting on it. I get it, I do, but he should have thought about it further before he came into my room and kissed me.

“Jackson, can we...”

“No.”

His word is hard, icy, and offers no argument.

I don’t care. I argue anyway.

“Are you seriously going to pretend nothing is going on here?” I cry.

He glares at me. “There’s nothing going on. I told you that.”

“Oh get your head out of your ass! There’s so much sexual tension in the air, I should just orgasm standing here.”

He raises a brow, before muttering, “I said we ain’t talkin’ about it.”

“You kissed me! Why did you do that if it wasn’t what you wanted?”

His eyes flare with anger. “It was a mistake. Whatever this is,” he says pointing between us, “Is just a silly infatuation.”

“Don’t speak to me like I’m a child,” I protest.

“You are a fuckin’ child!”

My eyes widen, and I know my expression changes to that of hurt, because he sighs deeply and runs his fingers through his hair. “Look, Serenity, I’m over ten years older than you, my daughter is only a few years younger. I’m too old. You’re too young. You can do better than an old man like me. I get it, ok? I get the tension is there, and I don’t fuckin’ know why it is. It can’t happen, you need to understand that. The kiss, it was a mistake.”

I’m hurt, his words crush me.

“Why would you do it then?” I rasp. “Why would you come into my room and kiss me if you didn’t want it? Why would you stare at me the way you do...”

My voice is breaking, and I hate that. His eyes soften, and his jaw tenses. “I don’t...I don’t know...”

Before I can say anything more, the front door swings open, and Addison comes skipping through it. Her dark hair bounces around her shoulders, and she’s got a huge grin on her face. I’m blinking back the burning tears under my eyelids, and I just want to get out of here. My body is tingling with shame. I feel like a stupid little girl with a crush that isn’t returned.

“Hey Serenity, you up for a party tonight? There’s loads of hot guys?!”

I stare at Jackson, and he narrows his eyes, like he’s challenging me. God damn him. That asshole. I lift my chin, and then turn to Addi and force a smile to my face. “You know what? I think that’s a great idea.”

“Great, come upstairs and we’ll get dressed together. I’ve got something you can wear,” she grins, before turning and rushing up the stairs.

I nod, and then turn and lift the cutting board, carrying it over to the bin and emptying everything into it. Then, I toss the knife into the sink and turn to Jackson. “You’ll have to order out.”

He grips my wrist, but I snatch it away. “Stop it,” he growls.

“Why? It shouldn’t bother you what I do. I’m just a stupid child with an infatuation, right?”

“Serenity!” he barks as I walk off toward the stairs.

Screw him.

Screw it all.

I don’t have time for games.

~*~

JACKSON

Fuckin’ women. They are all a giant pain in the ass, and yet I can’t get enough of them. Damn Serenity and her bullshit. I can’t understand why the hell I want her, it makes no sense to me, but shit, I want her. I want her so badly it hurts. My entire body is alive with want. I should be pushin’ myself away, yet I can’t get her out of my head. Something about her speaks to me, and I fuckin’ don’t know how to stop it.

I slam my beer down on the counter top, frustrated. It’s been four hours since they left, and I can’t stop thinkin’ about her. I don’t know where they are, or what they’re doing, and it’s getting to me. I was a jerk to her, because I wanted her to back off, but it’s clear that ain’t going to happen anytime soon. I thought it was the best decision, making her feel like it was nothing, but when she walked out, with that hurt look on her face - I realized it was so much more than nothing. She deserves to know that. She does. But I don’t want to start something that I can’t finish.

“Yo’!”