“You okay?” Jackson asked, letting go of Hazel and me. He took one step forward and captured Thea in a hug.
“Not really.” She hugged Jackson for a few moments, then patted his back and he let her go. She went straight into Hazel’s arms. “We have to go down to the station and talk to them about everything. The sheriff asked us to keep names and specifics quiet until they get things under control. But the bottom line is I’m okay.”
“Okay.” Hazel nodded. “You go. I’ll be here with Charlie.”
“Thanks.” Thea rested her head on Hazel’s shoulder, then held out a hand for me. I took it immediately.
Jackson held out his hand to shake Logan’s. “Glad you made it back.”
“Me too.” Logan looked at Thea. “Just in time.”
“Thanks.” Jackson’s voice cracked as he looked at Thea too. “Thanks for getting to her.”
Logan nodded. “I’ve got them covered.”
“Yeah, you do.” Jackson let go of Logan’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “Sorry it took me so long to figure that out.”
At Jackson’s apology, Thea’s hand squeezed mine and we shared a look.
It was no secret that Jackson and Logan hadn’t been fast friends. From the moment he’d come to Lark Cove, Logan had been trying to win Thea, and Jackson had stood in the way, acting as the protector for the only family he’d ever known.
But over the last week, something had changed. Jackson had stopped grumbling and griping about Logan. I think he’d realized that the best thing for Thea and Charlie was Logan. And above all else, Jackson just wanted them to be happy.
“We better get down to the station,” Logan said. Thea nodded and reluctantly let go of my hand. Hazel reluctantly let go of Thea.
“Call me as soon as you can,” Jackson told Thea. “I want details.”
“I will.” She nodded, then looked at Hazel. “We’ll be home in a bit.”
“Take your time.” Hazel waved as Thea and Logan walked to her car. As they drove away, Hazel blew out a long breath. “I’d better check to make sure Charlie slept through the chaos.”
“Do you want me to stay?” Jackson asked.
She shook her head. “No. You take Willa home and get some rest. We’ll get all the details tomorrow.”
Jackson nodded and walked her to the door. Before Hazel disappeared inside, they hugged again. She whispered something into his ear, then patted his cheek and vanished inside.
“Let’s get you home, babe.” Jackson took my hand and led me home, this time walking at our normal pace.
We made our way through town in silence and I texted Dad to let him know Thea was fine. Or she would be—Logan would see to that.
As we walked up the driveway toward my garage, Mom poked her head out of the living room window. She gave me a short wave, then shut off the lights.
At my staircase, Jackson went up first to open the door. His fists were clenched as he stepped inside, as if he were expecting someone to be in there.
“Lock up from now on,” he ordered, flipping on the lights.
“Okay.” I nodded. Whatever had happened tonight had freaked him out, and I bet as we all learned the details, it would freak me out too. If Jackson hadn’t insisted on me locking my door, I was sure Dad would have anyway.
I closed the door and flipped the lock. The second I turned back to the room, Jackson pulled me into his arms to breathe in my hair.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist.
He shook his head. “She’s okay. That’s all that matters. We’ll get the rest figured out tomorrow.”
“Would you like something to drink? I have a couple of beers left over from dinner the other night.”
“No, I should go. I’m all keyed up.”
“You can stay.” I ran my hands up and down his back.
He groaned into my hair as my hands disappeared into the back pockets of his jeans. When I dug my fingertips into those incredible, rounded muscles, he hissed and stepped back, forcing my hands away.
Jackson ran a hand over his stubble. “I don’t have it in me to stop tonight, Willa.”
I stepped closer. The adrenaline from the evening had me on edge and I needed to be close to Jackson. “What if I don’t want you to stop?”
“No.” He stepped back again, his head getting closer to the ceiling. “We should plan a special night in a hotel. I’ll get candles and flowers or whatever else you want. I just . . . I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
“That’s impossible.”
He shook his head. “You’ve built me up in your head into something great. I’m not.”
Why couldn’t he see what I saw? He was a wonderful man with flaws. I wasn’t blind. He wasn’t perfect.
But he was perfect for me.
I stepped right into his space, taking his face in my hands and tipping it down so I had his full attention. “I haven’t built you up into anything, Jackson. I just see you for the greatness you already are. I don’t need candles or flowers or a fancy hotel room.”
“You deserve special.”
“Yes, I do,” I declared. “And no matter where it happens, it will be. This is already going to be one of the most special experiences of my life, simply because it’s with you.”
Fuck. How was I supposed to resist her?
Never had a woman stared at me the way Willa did. She looked at me like I was a king. The adoration in her eyes had nothing to do with my face or body. She saw straight to my center, and it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
“You’re sure?”
A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I’m sure.”
Planning a special night at a hotel was ancient history now. Thea’s ordeal tonight had scared me enough to abandon those plans. Why hold off the good moments when bad ones were around every corner?
And if Willa wanted me here, in her own bed, then tonight was good enough for me.
I crushed my lips down on hers, swallowing her yelp of surprise. She must have been expecting me to put up more of a fight.
But what she couldn’t know was that I’d been fighting this for weeks. I didn’t have the strength to wait any longer. There was only so much a guy could take and she’d worn my resolve thinner than my threadbare T-shirt—the one she was tugging out of my jeans as my tongue devoured her mouth.
I groaned as she pressed in closer, her stomach pressing against my throbbing dick.
Her hands slipped between us, going right for the button on my jeans. The shyness she’d had with me on our first date had disappeared over the last couple of weeks. She’d grown bolder, more comfortable with my hands on her body.
When she came, she made the hottest damn noises I’d ever heard. She didn’t hold back her moans or stifle her cries. Hell, two nights ago when I’d gone down on her, I’d thought for sure she’d wake up the whole neighborhood.
It had taken every bit of willpower not to sink into her tight, wet heat. Tonight, I wouldn’t have to pull back. I wouldn’t have to walk home with an aching cock just to get myself off in the shower as I imagined how Willa’s pussy felt around me.
Tonight, I’d make this good for the both of us.
She worked the button free on my jeans and went for the zipper, but before she could pull it down, I reached between us and captured her hands, breaking off our kiss.
“What?” she panted. Her eyes were hooded as she looked up at me, confused. “I thought—”
“In a minute.” I dropped my forehead to hers. “I don’t want to rush through it.”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded, her cheeks flushed and her lips a shade darker than their normal pink. She worried the bottom one between her teeth.
Willa may have grown bolder when it came to our physical activities, but perhaps she was getting too deep in unfamiliar waters. I wanted her in control of how fast we took things, and there was no doubt she wanted all of me tonight. But there was also no doubt she was ready for me to take the helm.
“I, um . . .” She trailed off as she walked over to the end table next to her bed. Just the sight of her next to her mattress made me weak.
Don’t fuck this up. Do not fuck this up.
I had one shot to make this experience special for her.