I'd stayed true to Mia in the twelve months we'd been together. So, basically I hadn't been with anyone in that time. Something had died in me, when I was told to marry Mia or lose everything. I wish I'd walked away then, but I hadn't. Thalia came along, and all my desires had risen a literally.
Chapter 20.
Thalia Before yesterday I'd already been having trouble keeping him out of my head, but after being held tight in his arms, he was even more difficult to get out. I sighed a Jack, the object of my obsession.
Every time I shut my eyes, I saw him. The image I had since yesterday was the one of him watching me leave the cafe with his brother, to head towards the river. He'd never taken his eyes from me. And yeah, Liam noticed and did nothing but mumble all the way back to his house.
I'd also noticed Liam's reaction in the cafe to Jack and his friends. His excuse when I'd asked him about it had been that they were a bad influence on Jack and he wished Jack had never become friends with them. He'd sounded jealous if truth-be-told.
Donovan had been full of life and energy. Everything about him hummed with excitement from the way his blue eyes danced over my features to the broad shoulders that tensed beneath his tight, black t-shirt. His taut abs were perfectly silhouetted by the cool cotton shirt and I wasn't the only woman in the room stealing glances at him.
He was definitely someone worth getting to know, but it wasn't just his amazing physique or the way his black hair fell over his eyes casting shadows over his chiseled cheekbones and plush lips; it was the deep voice that sent shivers down my back. He had spent most of the time flirting with everyone: me, the waitress, the cute girl sitting at the table beside them. There was no doubt that Donovan had gathered plenty of admirers and broken a few hearts.
Jack's other friend, Reece, was as interesting as Donovan, but he looked like a player a a panty wetting bad boy. His crooked grin had spoken volumes as he'd sat back and watched me. I fought the urge to shift as I'd stood there with Reece's blue gaze smoldering a trail down my body a his smile growing before it became a scowl. A slight movement from Jack made me wonder if he'd kicked Reece.
As Reece took me in, I did the same to him. At first glance, he seemed dangerous, but as I looked closer, there seemed to be a sadness in his eyes. His straight nose was set perfectly over straight white teeth and his high cheekbones would be the envy of anyone. The deep blue bandanna wrapped around this baldhead, was enticing me to stroke his silky smooth skin, but I resisted.
He was also dressed in a tight t-shirt and the dark cotton clung to his sculpted abs and chest. A few tattoos had peeked out of the short sleeves of his shirt, which made me wonder what else covered his body.
They were gorgeous. All three of them looked like they'd stepped out of some woman's fantasy and by the looks from the women in the cafe, I was positive that I wasn't the only one who thought so. But it had been Jack who had drawn my gaze back to him again and again. Jack that had my mouth go dry as I tried to ignore the thrum of anticipation. The other two may have been nice eye candy, but it was Jack that I ached to touch.
Needing a distraction, I'd gone along with Liam's peace offering and let him lead me to the river for the picnic, which we'd planned, but I'd felt like our conversation was strained. In the end I couldn't wait to get back to the house so I could hide in my room for a while.
I'd lounged on my bed thinking of Jack. To me, Jack seemed like a decent guy, more so than his idiot brother. I was starting to have second thoughts about acting as Liam's girlfriend.
Since we'd arrived he'd been acting all cocky when we were around others, apart from his parents, then he would be the 'well behaved' son. Seeing those two sides of him bothered me more than I wanted to think about. It had only been a day so hopefully he'd calmed down a bit; at least I hoped he had.
I was sitting on the back porch with my first coffee of the day watching the sunrise. It was so quiet at this time, and it probably would be for another couple of hours.
Callie and I would sit on the porch at her house to watch the morning arrive. It truly was the most beautiful time of day. Back in Texas we'd go back to bed for a few hours afterwards, but I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with my thoughts so full of Jack.
"Thalia."
Jack made me jump when he said my name; I met his gaze. I was so in trouble. He looked as though he'd just climbed out of the shower with his hair still damp. His jeans were only half fastened and the long sleeved t-shirt he had on fitted him like a glove in a pale green color. He was...wow.
Finally, I found my tongue. "I didn't know anyone else would be up yet." I hoped I wasn't blushing.
"Couldn't sleep," he grumbled.
He took a gulp of his coffee then walked towards me, looking damn hot. "Move over."
I should go to my room, I chided myself but instead, I moved over so he could sit beside me on the small porch swing. Once he was sitting, there wasn't an inch between our thighs.
It took all my will power not to squirm to try and ease the ache between my legs. My breasts felt swollen and ached for his touch. Jack was so close, all I had to do was lean over slightly and they'd be against his arm. I ignored him and carried on watching the sun.
"Thalia, please look at me."
"I can't," I whispered, shaking my head.
He sighed and put his coffee on the floor then stood moving to sit on the coffee table in front of me. "This thing between us isn't going to just disappear."
"There isn't anything between us," I quickly replied, my gaze darting away from his face as I tried to avoid looking at him.
He reached out and took hold of my hand. I felt like I'd been hit with a bolt of electricity and my gaze flew back to his face; my eyes widened in shock.
I couldn't hide my reaction.
"Tell me now there isn't anything between us."
Holding his gaze I didn't want to move, but I knew I couldn't stay out here with him. Standing up, he stood with me. "I need to go. This is wrong. I shouldn't feel like this when I'm with you. We only met forty-eight hours ago."
I turned to leave, but he grasped my arm, his fingers digging into my skin, but it didn't hurt.
"Don't go. Please, just sit out here with me."
How could I resist him? Could we get away with sitting out here together without anyone catching us?
"I feel it too, Thalia. I know what my future holds, but for once, I want something for me that doesn't involve my family. I want something that's just for me, and what I want right now is to be with you."
I melted. There were no other words for what he did to me.
Sitting back on the swing, he sat with me and slid his arm around my shoulders causing shivers to run through me.
If this was the only chance I would ever have of being close to this guy, I was going to enjoy it. Give myself a memory I could cherish forever.
Before I could change my mind, I leaned in and snuggled into him, sliding my hand over his stomach, which quivered and let it rest on his chest. After a brief pause, he wrapped his other arm around me and held me tight, as I curled my feet under me.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Heaven.
Chapter 21.
Jack Holding her tight, I used my other hand and laced my fingers with Thalia's on my chest as we both snuggled on the porch swing. She felt real good against me, as though she'd been made for me. Like she'd said, we'd only met less than two days ago, but I felt like I'd known her for a lot longer.
With everyone else, I managed to keep them at a distance, apart from Reece and Donovan, but from the get go, with Thalia, I'd been different.
My days during the summer were spent as a run-around at my dad's law firm. The same law firm my dad expected me to become a partner in, once I graduated. It was so not going to happen, because my interest lay in criminal law and the justice system a a lot more going on. Family law would bore the shit out of me within a week. My ambition was the reason I'd been thrown together with Mia. Actually, blackmailed would be a more apt description.
Every time I thought about the wedding, I broke out in a sweat. I kept telling myself that we could marry, live separately and then once I'd graduated we could divorce, but I didn't think it was going to work out like that.
The biggest hurdle was my family. At the end of the day they were family and you only got the one. Did I have the balls to stand up to them once and for all by cancelling the wedding? Would my father really hold my tuition fees back if I did?
With a heavy sigh, I looked at Thalia who was watching me silently.
"Why do you look so sad?"
"Just thinking," I replied, bringing our joined hands to my lips where I placed a kiss on her knuckles and wrist.
"Jack, you need to stop," she said, shivering.
With my eyes closed, I took a deep breath. When I opened them again her eyes were still focused on mine. "I know. I forget about everything when you look at me." I let go of her hand and brushed some hair from her face, which had fallen loose from her ponytail.
"Tell me about Jack; about growing up here."
I laughed. "You sure you want to know, you might not like me afterwards."
"How I feel won't change with the telling of your past. I promise." She said then kissed my stomach. Any lower and she'd have discovered just how much I didn't want to talk.
"I had a fairly normal childhood. Constantly getting in trouble for not doing chores, forgetting I was supposed to be keeping an eye on Liam, kissing girls in the barn, you know that kind of thing."
I could feel her laughing against my stomach.
"I can believe all that. What else?"
No one had ever asked about my past before, not even in college.
"I love being outdoors and take every opportunity to be out in the fields, or fishing with one of the guys. I still find enjoyment from being out on my bike, even though I seem to use that to let out my frustration these days. I love using the tractor on the field and the love of my life to date is my horse, Trigger."
"Trigger?"
Smiling at the memory, I continued, "Yeah, when I was a kid I used to watch these black and white movies with my granddad about the Lone Ranger and his horse Trigger. My grandfather died two days before Trigger was born so..."
"So you named the horse in your grandfather's memory. That was a lovely thing to do, Jack."
"Yeah." I felt all choked up. Coughing and sitting further up in the chair I unsettled Thalia. She pulled away, sitting upright, avoiding eye contact with me. Was she embarrassed after being cuddled up next to me?
Reaching out, I took hold of her chin, bringing her face back around to mine. "Don't be shy with me, not me."
Smoothing my thumb around her chin and lower lip she inhaled and stuck her tongue out, licking the tip of my thumb.
I couldn't do this to her. Yes, I wanted her more than anyone or anything I'd ever wanted, but I couldn't carry on like I was with her while I still had a fiancee and wedding hanging over my head, it wouldn't be fair. Shit, I was also forgetting that she was supposed to be Liam's girl.
Her eyes fell when I moved away. "I can't cross this line with you while I still have everything going on in my life, plus you're my brother's girl. Goddamn, I shouldn't have even been holding you out here. I forgot all about Liam."
"So did I," she whispered.
"I'm not going to be around much. I need to keep my distance from you, because if I don't, we're both going to get hurt."
Fuck, she looked upset.
"You're right, Jack. I better go inside and get dressed."
We both stood so I took her hand back into mine and squeezed, not wanting to let go. I didn't release her hand until she disappeared inside.
Sitting down abruptly, I buried my face in my hands wanting to go after her. I wanted to keep her for myself.
I'd never been jealous of Liam before, even when I was taking everything that Mom and Dad threw at me to save him, I'd never been jealous of him...until now.
Yeah, Thalia had made me want something I never thought I'd have, but no matter what happened with her, I needed to talk to Mia to try and put a stop to everything. I should have done this a long time ago before everything started to get out of hand. I sure as hell wasn't looking forward to it though. Mia could be rather dramatic when the occasion called for it, but, the fact was, I didn't think the marriage was what Mia really wanted either.
Until everything was sorted, and maybe after for a short while, I would bunk with Donovan, because there was no way I could be so close to Thalia without searching her out.
Chapter 22.
Thalia "Will you stop," Liam practically shouted beside me sounding frustrated.
"Stop what?"
"You know damn well what. For the past two weeks since Jack moved in with Donovan, we can't go anywhere without you looking around for him. We've been out to dinner a few times and you looked for him. Whenever we've been shopping, you looked for him. Thalia, it has to stop. Jack is marrying Mia in about four week's time. Hell!"
He stomped off into the coffee shop while I perched on the window ledge outside, not having a clue how to reply to his outburst. What he said was true though. I wished that I could deny what he'd said, but I couldn't. I'd missed Jack these past couple of weeks, since our early morning together on the porch.
I knew he was staying away from me because of his engagement and because he thought I was Liam's girl. Part of me wished that I'd corrected him, but that wouldn't have solved the engagement issue. It made me so jealous, thinking about Jack with Mia and what they were getting up to.
Liam had kept me busy by showing me the tourist things and the different towns we'd driven through had been great and helped to pass the time. He'd been good company and had stopped being a jerk after the first couple of days, much to my relief.
"Here." Liam thrust my vanilla latte at me, apparently still in a huff.
"Look, I'm sorry okay. I didn't know what I was doing until you pointed it out. I'll stop doing it, if you'll stop sulking." I looked at him and watched a smile appear.
"I've stopped sulking, but I don't think it will be as easy for you to stop looking for my brother."
I frowned. Realistically I didn't either.
"Thalia, I'm only thinking about you. You know that right? Yeah, I got pissed because when you're with me, a guy, you can't stop looking for him."
"Liam..."
"I know there's nothing happening between us like that, but it's still hard on the male ego you know."
He was so serious that I burst out laughing and, thank God, so did Liam.