He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, baby doll. I’m not ready for you to go. I was actually hoping you’d stay for the rest of the summer.”
“The rest of the summer?” I sure as hell wasn’t ready to leave, but stay the rest of the summer? That was a huge commitment.
“I need to spend some time each day in the studio with the band. I can’t bail on this album. And I don’t want Landry to spend her days alone, or with some stranger. She adores you, and I know you feel the same way about her. I’ll pay you.”
I snorted, slapping his chest. His bare, toned, lickable abs. “You do not need to pay me to watch Landry; that’s ridiculous.”
“I know you usually work during your summers off, plus I’ll be taking time away from you trying to find an actual grown-up job. I already told the social worker you were here to help me take care of Landry.”
“Yeah, why did you do that? Why didn’t you just tell her we were friends?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know the rules here. I thought saying you were here to help me with her, to make sure she was safe when I couldn’t be with her… I thought that sounded good.” He reached out and took my hand in his. “Please, B, you’re the only one I trust with her. I need you.”
There were those words again. I need you. Was it wrong that I would rather hear him say “I want you”? I knew I was developing feelings for Jacks. More than friend feelings. The friendship was still there but now there was an undeniable tension between us too. My core tightened when I watched him play the guitar. I’d wanted him to kiss me on more than one occasion. I got chills when he touched me. We were either playing with fire or on the verge of something really amazing. And with my past? It was most likely fire. I needed to stay strong, for both of us, because I refused to lose him. “Of course I’ll stay.”
I giggled when he threw his arms around me and tackled me on the mattress. He kissed my cheek over and over. “You are the best! Thank you thank you thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”
Jacks pulled back but stayed on top of me. He brushed the hair off my face and rested his hand on my cheek. “I mean it, doll. You are the best thing in my life.” He smiled. “Well, you and Landry.” I closed my eyes as he sweetly kissed my cheek one more time before sitting up and pulling me with him. He pointed the remote at the TV and pressed play.
I started laughing when I realized that he’d found Buffy the movie on Netflix. We watched the whole thing snuggled together in bed. Well, except when I climbed out and did the dance with the characters in the opening present-day scene. Once Buffy climbed on the back of Pike’s bike and they rode off into the sunrise, I sat up and turned to Jacks. “Well? What did you think?”
He let out a deep breath. “I think Kristy Swanson still gives me a boner.” He reached down and adjusted his pants.
“On that note…I’m going to bed.” I stood and picked up my phone from the nightstand. Shep had called twice today. I’d yet to call him back.
Jacks grabbed my hand and pulled me back down. “Do you want to watch another movie? Or we could play a game.”
I checked the time on my phone; it was only 10:30 but I was beat. The sun and the water combined with the fact that I hadn’t really slept all that well last night. “I don’t think I could keep my eyes open long enough to watch another movie.”
“So keep them closed. Just stay in here with me.”
My heart fluttered. Jacks was the only guy who had ever made my heart flutter. “Jacks…” If Dylan caught me sleeping in his bed again, I’d never hear the end of it. “You aren’t going out with Luke tonight?”
“Do you want me to go out with Luke tonight?”
No, I think I want you to stay here and kiss me. I shrugged instead of answering him. Because I was a coward. And because what if he didn’t feel the same way? He’d been on top of me earlier, kissing all over my cheeks. If he’d wanted to, wouldn’t he have made his move then?
He rolled his eyes and scooted down under the covers, holding them out for me. “Get in. You know you want to.”
I did want to. Which was exactly why I should be walking away, not climbing in beside him and laying my head on his chest. Or smiling like a schoolgirl when he kissed the top of my head.
“B?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you go out with me? Tomorrow night?”
My stupid smile got bigger. Was he asking me out on a date? Or was he asking me out as a friend? I had joked with him in the past about my kick-ass wingman abilities, maybe that’s what he was after? “Was that why you came home last night? Luke’s a bad wingman and you’re looking to replace him?”
He scoffed, “Like I need a wingman. I can get any girl, anytime, anywhere. Just you wait and see.”
Great. Now I was going to have to watch Jacks hit on every girl who walked by. “What about Landry?”