JAX
I can't stop myself from slamming the front door behind me when I finally get back to the house. I drag my hands down my face with a muttered, "Fuck."
Then, a little stronger… "Fuck."
How the fuck did this new Hailey fascination get so out of control? I've known her for ten years, and now all of a sudden, I can't stop fantasizing about having her under me. And what's worse, I keep somehow saying and doing things that are making these new feelings obvious. I know Hailey notices, because I see her body reacting. I know she's turned on, and as much as it's flattering that she finds me attractive, it just makes me feel guiltier that I'm putting her in these situations.
And whether or not she would want to act on it is irrelevant, because I shouldn't even be giving her the choice. I'm her friend, for God's sake—I should be acting like a friend, not salivating over her like a horny teenager. I'm sick of taking ice cold showers to get rid of the hard-ons that I shouldn't be feeling for my best friend's little sister.
I drag my hands down my face again with a frustrated growl. I need a fucking drink.
I stalk over to the kitchen and rip open the fridge for a beer. For once, I grab one of Tristan's disgusting IPA's, needing the added alcohol content. I chug half of it, trying not to breathe through my nose so I can ignore the weird sour taste. I'm panting when I finally slam it down on the kitchen island.
Okay, chill the fuck out. Some shit happened last night, but it’s not the end of the world. You didn’t do it on purpose, for fuck’s sake, you were sleeping. You've got bigger problems right now anyway. For example, how to get the girl out of your sex-addled brain.
"Fuck," I mutter to myself again. That's all I have to describe the culmination of the day's insanity. Just…fuck.
Suddenly, a knock sounds on the front door, making me frown in confusion.Who shows up without calling that they're coming over?
I walk through the living room to the front door, pausing to check the peephole before I open it. My frown only deepens when I see who's outside.
"Hailey?" I ask in confusion when I open the door. At some point, it started raining, because she's standing, drenched, on my doorstep. Her blonde hair is plastered to her cheeks and neck, and her blue eyes look unusually bright. She's also breathing heavily. In a way, she looks as crazy as I feel right now.
"Jesus Christ,” I gasp in shock. “Come inside, you're soaked. What're you doing here?" I usher her through the doorway and reach to peel her drenched jacket off her shoulders.
Which immediately turns out to be a mistake because she’s only wearing a tank top underneath, and now I’m distracted by her nipples that have pebbled in the cold.
She ignores the fact that my attention has wandered and pushes past me into the house.
"You feel it too," she states simply. "I know you feel it. It's not just me."
I force myself to look away from her. I close the door and ask distractedly, "What're you talking about?"
She closes the distance between us in two determined strides. I turn toward her and suck in a startled breath at the look on her face. She still looks wild, but also determined, and so fucking beautiful.
"Hailey…" I breathe. My heart is pounding out of my chest. I have no idea what's happening right now.
Her gaze on me sharpens, and she takes another step closer. By now, both my breathing and my heartrate are out of control.
I watch as her demeanor visibly calms before me, as if whatever she sees on my face is enough to tame the wildness she was feeling. "I know you feel it too," she repeats quietly. "Tell me how you felt when I almost kissed you at the bar."
Shit.
I can’t tell her the truth.This can’t happen, we can’t let this happen.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I force out. I'm practically panting now, pleading with my eyes, begging her not to push me. I already feel guilty, and nothing's even happened. I'm way too close to losing my mind right now, my panic spiraling further.
Her blue eyes remain calm, serene. She knows exactly what she's doing to me right now, and she's not going to stop without an answer.
"I wanted to kiss you so bad," she whispers, making me suck in a breath at her admission. "I want to kiss you right now too." Her eyes trail over my face before locking our gazes again. In her eyes, in this moment, I see pure fire. I see a passion I’ve never seen in Hailey before, and it’s enough to set me trembling with want—even as I try to harden my resolve to not give in. "And then I want to do other things—things I never thought about doing with you. Until now. Now, I can't seem to think about anything else."
I squeeze my eyes shut, like if I can't see her, then she won't be as much of a temptation.
But it doesn't help. Now, all I can focus on is her sweet feminine scent and the heat of her skin next to mine.
I had a feeling she was experiencing the same emotions I was, but I never thought she would be the one to make the first move. And hearing her say it out loud means I actually have a choice to make.
I sense, more than feel, her take another step closer to me. When I still don’t respond, she places her hands on my chest and whispers, "Why are you fighting this?"