Great. How could the perfect man come along and tell you he was feeling all the same feelings you were, but you couldn’t keep him?

“The truth? And what is that exactly?”

He was quiet so long, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then he raised his eyes to mine. “The truth is ... you’re right. It’s not fair what I am asking of you. I want you.”

Time slowed down as his words floated around me. He wanted me. I didn’t know people said that to each other in real life. Now, Jack Eversea ‘wanted’ me. My pulse ticked in my clogged throat.

He went on, his eyes never leaving me. “I have never wanted to kiss someone as badly as I want to kiss you right now. Ever. But I am going to leave here. I have to. I have to go back to Audrey. It’s a pretty messed up situation, but I’m not going to lie to you and say my relationship with her wasn’t real because it was, for a long time. But it has also been over for a very long time.” He took a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Or should have been. Shit, I shouldn’t even be having this conversation with you. You are absolutely right to tell me no.”

But God, I wanted to say yes. I wanted to make a move, badly. It was like being strung out over an abyss. Whether I made a move or not wouldn’t make a difference in whether I would make it across, but only how fast I would hit the bottom. And hit the bottom I would, as soon as he left, but I would be okay. I would survive it. He was just a boy, at the end of the day.

If I couldn’t handle these almost moments, then I decided I should just turn them into moments. If I was going down, I might as well go down hard. I stepped a little closer.

Our bodies skimmed against each other, and the light contact created arcs of snapping current. I felt it from my head to my toes and everywhere between. Jack’s breathing turned irregular at my boldness, his expression unreadable, like he was trying hard not to react.

My breasts, which now felt full and achy and unfamiliar, pressed against his chest, and I raised my face to his. “I don’t want to tell you no.” My admission hung in the air, accompanied by the steady thunk, thunk, thunk of my wet clothes tossing in the drum behind him, lending a throbbing cadence to the already heavy atmosphere between us.

His green eyes turned dark and hooded as he lowered his head. There was that smell of pine and waterfalls again, now mixed with salty southern sea air.

His face was inches from mine, and a flush crossed his cheekbones. “So tell me yes,” he whispered, his warm breath fanning across my mouth. Then his hands were at my sides, his searing fingers curling into my hips and pressing me hard against his body. As I felt how turned on he was, arousal flared through me, making me feel light-headed. I gulped nervously, but steeled my resolve.

It was just a kiss. That was all I wanted. I don’t know how I knew Jack would never push me beyond what I was ready for, but I did. And what I was ready for was his mouth on mine.

“Yes,” I said, simply.

I could almost see his pupils dilate. One of his hands came up and curled into my hair at my nape, tugging my head back. He hesitated just once, and then his mouth—his warm, delicious mouth—covered mine.

His lips were amazing—hard and soft at the same time. They coaxed and moved over mine until I let out a small sigh—relief of finally having his lips on me. It was like finding water at the end of a long, hot trek. His unshaven jaw was rough and exquisite on my skin and all I could think, as I clutched his shoulders and wound a hand up into his soft, damp, hair, our lips moving together, was that I wanted more. I wanted to taste more. I needed more of him. More. More.

Tendrils of warmth ignited through me. We both moved at the same time, and my hand tightened on his neck as he pulled me harder against him. And then his tongue slid into my mouth. I whimpered as the soft warmth burst into a flare of searing heat deep inside me.

He tasted of salt and coffee and mint.

He tasted of Jack.

My tongue returned his thrust as I became parched and desperate for him. My reaction caused a low rumble through Jack’s chest. I had no idea it could feel this way. Even my skin was on fire, like every nerve in my body could feel what he was doing to me with his mouth. I wanted to do this forever.

Suddenly, I found myself turned and pressed back against the dryer, and then Jack was lifting me and stepping between my legs.

“Cold!” I gasped against his mouth as the icy metal of the appliance met the heat of my thighs.

Jack chuckled. “Sorry.” And then the heat of his kiss took over again.

After a few drugging and decadent moments, his mouth moved away from mine and slid to my throat and up to my ear, his hot breath and moist lips causing me to shudder.

My hands roamed over the smooth skin of his back. I was completely lost. His mouth came back and captured mine again. In my new position, I pressed myself even more firmly against his body, straining to ease the aching void that had somehow sprung up inside me, causing him to make a small sound in the back of his throat.

All I wanted was Jack.

He must have had a moment of rational thought, because he gave me one last drugging kiss and pulled his mouth from mine, putting a small piece of space between our bodies. His ragged breathing mingled with my own, and he dropped his forehead against mine.

My mouth reached for his again of it’s own volition.

He nipped at my lips and backed away again, his face flushed, his eyes dark and glazed.

“God,” he said, between breaths. “If that’s what you kiss like with no experience ... ”

I smiled and threaded one hand through his gorgeous soft hair. He pressed his mouth into the crook of my neck as I tipped my head back, and I couldn’t help moan as his teeth nipped and sucked at my skin. I rocked against him again. His erection, rather than making me nervous, ignited some primal part of my womanhood. Could it really be me that made him feel this way?

His voice breathed into my neck. “You have to stop, we have to stop ... or I won’t be able to.”

What was I doing? I couldn’t believe I could lose complete control this fast. I didn’t want to stop. It was wanton, as my Nana would say. My God, he was right. We had to stop. I couldn’t believe I had let a simple kiss get so out of hand. I was terrified to realize that if Jack hadn’t stopped, I would have let him take my virginity right there in the laundry room. In fact, I’d never wanted anything more. He stepped back, and we both struggled to get our breathing under control. The more we settled back to earth, the more horrified I was at my behavior.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, a little mortified by the way I had thrown myself at him.

He smiled, but his brow furrowed. “What for?”

“I can’t believe I just did that, and that I ... let it ... get so ... um ...”

“Out of control? Well, there were two of us there, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that. It makes me feel young ... and naïve.”

“Well, you are young. But after that kiss, I wouldn’t call you naïve.” He chuckled.

I pressed my lips together in indignation and punched him right on his tattoo.

He laughed louder. “You’re cute.”

“Stop it. I’m not cute.”

“Okay.” He reached out and brushed a piece of hair off my cheek. Even that sweet simple gesture had me sizzling.