Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2) Read online

  "Are we on a time limit?" Jackson asked the waitress as we sat down and took the menu.

  The waitress giggled at Jackson's joke a little too hard. "No, it's the theme of the place. Welcome to the Time Keeper’s Saloon." She flashed a million watt smile at Jackson. I turned to give him my don't flirt with other girls in my presence look, but he had his head down trying to read the menu in the dim light. I smiled and scooted closer to him on the couch.

  "I'll be back in a minute to take your order," the waitress said.

  I admired Jackson's hair. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through it. I enjoyed his clean cut cropped hair during the season, but the wavy curls were more relaxed and so sexy. His square jaw made him appear serious, but when he smiled at you, you felt like you could tell him anything. He had the most sincere, deep blue eyes, and I wanted to get lost in them.

  "What are you drinking?" Jackson asked, his face inches from mine. He stared in my eyes and licked his lips, and I decided to go for it. I leaned in and kissed him. Light and quick contact, but oh, so sweet. I wasn't sure our lips had touched except for the fact I lost all feeling in every part of my body except for the nerve ending on my lips. My senses concentrated on where his lips met mine.

  Jackson pulled back and cocked his head as if he had something to say. I panicked for a moment. Perhaps I overstepped my bounds. I waited for him to tell me to slow down. I waited for the ball to drop, for him to tell me he didn't like me like that anymore.

  He said nothing, but he leaned in and answered my kiss with a soft, but firm, kiss of his own.

  Oh wow, his lips feel good.

  I had waited a long time for this kiss, and it exceeded expectations.

  I loved it when the reality surpassed the fantasy.

  "What can I get you two?" Our waitress had returned and Jackson pulled away. I cut my eyes at her and opened my mouth to go off on her for interrupting, when Jackson placed a hand on my thigh and squeezed it. My mind went blank as I fixated on the flex in his fingers.

  "What do you want?" he asked. I smiled and turned toward the waitress.

  "Club soda with lime."

  "I'll have a Bud Light," Jackson said.

  The waitress looked from Jackson to me and back to Jackson. She let out a frustrated sigh, turned, and left. I didn't care. Jackson's hand on my thigh consumed my thoughts, and I couldn't wait for his lips to return to mine.

  My body temperature increased as his dark blue eyes bore into me, but I dropped my eyes, unable to hold his gaze and not feel the urge to do something stupid.

  We skirted around this issue for a year. We both had the same idea. If we discuss our initial attraction and how we were so close to being together, none of the bad stuff would have happened, but little Jack wouldn't have happened, either.

  I went over the scenario in my head. If after we had first met at the library at FSU, he hadn’t left, and instead, we spent the rest of the night talking. When he asked me out, it would have been a clear invitation and not a group text invite to a fraternity party.

  But what ifs would be disrespectful to the dead. What ifs would result in little Jack never being born and well, the idea of my life without him broke my heart.

  "What's wrong?"

  I licked my lips.

  "I'm so glad you're here."

  "Me, too." His hand left my thigh but grabbed my hand. He laced his fingers with mine and brought the back of my hand to his lips. I watched him with narrow eyes.

  "What?"

  "I was wondering ... when did we decide to become friends who kissed?" I asked.

  "Not because I didn't want to."

  "I know, but ... all of a sudden, you're attracted to me."

  "No, I've always been attracted to you. I've used incredible restraint in the past."

  "Oh, yeah."

  "Yeah," Jackson whispered as he leaned in and kissed me again. It felt so good and so natural, like we were meant to kiss each other.

  When we came up for air, our drinks sat on the table. I didn't hear the waitress when she left them. Jackson and I were in our own little world, and as far as I was concerned, it has been a long time coming.

  I took a sip of my club soda, and it gave me the second I needed to think. What was happening here? I tried to think of a logical reason not to do this. Tons of excuses ran through my brain. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. We lived too far away from each other. All the logical reasons seemed to have gone out my mind, as well as my common sense, when it came to imagining what it would be like to be with Jackson.

  With the way Jackson looked at me and the way he touched me, I wouldn't have to wonder much longer.

  "I really want to say this without sounding like a mushy romance novel," I said.

  Jackson laughed and pushed a strain of hair behind my ear.

  "What?"

  "I want you."

  "So, we are moving from friends who kiss to friends who f—"

  I kissed him to prevent him from finishing that sentence. Although his crude talk made my insides ignite.

  "I want you, too," Jackson said with a wink, and we both giggled.

  In those same cheesy romance novels, the next scene would have Jackson scooping me up in his arms and whisking me away while covering my face with kisses.

  Not so in real life. Well, not my life anyway.

  I grabbed his hand, and we headed to his room. We entered the elevator, along with an older couple. They complained about the price of dinner as the elevator stopped at every other floor. Jackson made a face, and I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

  We made to it his hotel room door, but the key wouldn’t work. He tried like five times, each time getting more frustrated. I took the key out of his hands and tried once, it opened.

  I waved the key as if fanning myself and Jackson snatched it out of my hand, pulled me to him and pushed me into the room.

  While the room with its huge bed and Asian themed décor was nice, the balcony drew my attention. I had a thing for balconies.

  I stepped onto it and Jackson followed. He stood behind me but didn't touch me. I could feel the heat emanating from his body. I reached back and grabbed his right hand and wrapped it around me. I leaned against his chest and nothing seemed funny anymore. It all got real serious, real quick.

  "God, I love this." He wrapped his other arm around my waist and held me tight. "Being with you is so easy. No worries, no pressure. I miss you."

  "I miss you, too." My voice cracked, and my eyes watered. Jackson turned me around and touched my cheek, leaning in and kissing me soft on the lips. He stepped forward, and I felt the balcony wall on the back of my legs.

  I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. I got my chance to run my fingers through his hair. I tightened my grip around his neck when Jackson lifted me up.

  I stopped kissing him. He had me on the edge, literally and figuratively.

  I turned my head, but he grabbed my chin and turned it back to face him.

  "Hey, don't worry. I got you," he said.

  "You always have."

  "I always will."

  I lowered my head, but Jackson raised my chin. His hand swept down the side of my face. He kissed me harder this time. His hands moved from my face down my sides. His lips laid a trail of kisses from my lips to my cheek and down my jawline to my neck.

  While working on my neck, his hands worked their way to my ass. I had a fleeting giggle thinking about Jackson touching my ass, but it was short lived.

  He raised his head and dove onto my lips, giving me everything they had to offer.

  A moan escaped my lips. My body had its own involuntary response and I waited to see what it would do next. I pulled him closer, and he lifted me up and walked me back inside and laid me on the bed.

  Instead of laying on me, he shifted to my side. I whimpered in disappointment. I wanted to feel his weight on me.

  I shifted to my side and stared at him. Jackson stood six-foot-four, and at
five-foot-seven, we stood eye-to-eye one time before, when I ran into him on the stairs at the frat house. I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. They made my head swim.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

  "What are we doing?" I asked. I played coy, but it didn't fit me anymore.

  I lowered my head, but he grabbed my chin and lifted it so he could stare into my eyes.

  "I want this. Don't you?" I asked.

  "Yeah, but ... you know." He hesitated. "It doesn't have to mean anything.” He leaned into me, "Or it could mean everything," Jackson whispered as he brushed his lips against my shoulder.

  My heart stopped, and I had to remind myself to take a breath.

  Am I ready for this to mean something?

  My mouth went dry and a fluttery feeling started in the pit of my stomach. I giggled and rolled away from him.

  "Okay, maybe this isn't such a good idea,” I said.

  He grabbed me around my waist and pulled me to him.

  "Now, let's not be too hasty."

  My nervousness went away with one well-placed kiss by Jackson below my left ear. My laugh turned into a moan. My anxiety turned to lust without much effort when Jackson’s big strong hands found their way under my shirt.

  Not wanting him to give me any more reasons or time to escape, I turned around, reached under his t-shirt and pushed it over his head. I pushed him on his back and straddled him, eyeing his bare chest. I leaned over to kiss his lips as I ran my hands down his abs. The man was beautiful.

  I wasn't aware he had removed my shirt until the air hit my bare skin and I shivered. He sat us upright and he wrapped his arms around me tight and found my lips. He undid my bra as his kiss became softer. He moved his hands over my breasts and caressed them. I pulled back and watched his mouth as his breath grew heavy. I felt him harden under me.

  "I want to see you," I said.

  He kissed me again and then lay back down. His hands gripped my thighs as I undid his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. His boxer briefs sat low and they did little to hide what was underneath the fabric. I touched him; my fingers grazed him through the fabric.

  "Oh, that fells so good."

  I bit my lip to stifle a laugh. I reached in his underwear and wrapped my hand around him. His moan vibrated up my arm and in my chest.

  I leaned over and kissed him with more passion than I remember having with anyone. I wanted to show him how much I appreciated him, how much I wanted him. And I had no doubt, he wanted me.

  He took in a deep breath as I squeezed harder.

  "Is that okay?" I asked.

  "Oh, so okay." He blew out a deep breath and sat up. "I want to see you, too."

  I let go of him and stood up at the end of the bed and took off my shorts and panties. I stood in front of him as his eyes roamed over my body. He removed his pants and underwear and sat on the end of the bed.

  "Come here." He reached out for me. A lump formed in the back of my throat.

  Dammit, this is not the time to get emotional.

  I cleared my throat. "You have a condom."

  He reached down for his jeans and pulled one out of his wallet.

  I leaned over to kiss him as he put it on. He pulled me onto his lap, and he felt so good against me as he ran his hands down my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed into him.

  I adjusted my hips, and he entered me.

  I closed my eyes and all the heavy thoughts and feelings evaporated. I concentrated on the way he moved inside of me. The way his rough hands caressed my soft skin, the way his lips felt against mine. I didn't want to think about anything else, including what would happen tomorrow.

  Then I opened my eyes and stared into his. Big mistake.

  Who am I kidding?

  No way around it, I loved Jackson Mitchell, and of course, it mattered. It meant everything, but neither of us was ready to admit it ... yet.

  Chapter Three

  Jackson Latre Mitchell

  I lifted my head and waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark room. I smiled as Carrington mumbled in her sleep. Her ramblings had woken me up. Her ass pressed up against me felt amazing. I ran my hand down her side, careful not to wake her up.

  Last night, we had incredible sex. Beyond what I imagined, and I have a pretty active imagination in regards to Carrington. I should be on top of the world.

  I leaned down and kissed her ear and whispered, "Carrington."

  "Um, what?"

  "Hey, it’s five. We need to get up. My flight leaves in an hour and a half."

  "No, take a later flight."

  "I can't. I have an exam at two pm."

  She groaned and pressed into me further as she stretched.

  She reached behind her and grabbed me. "Hello," she said as she wrapped her hand around me and squeezed. I groaned and tried to remember what time the later flight left. I would do anything she asked as long as she continued to touch me.

  "We still have time." She let go of me and reached over to my wallet on the nightstand, fishing out another condom, and handed it to me.

  I rolled the condom on and slid into her from behind. She must have had sexy dreams. She was so ready for me. I moaned as I slid further into her.

  "Oh, Jackson."

  I bit her neck trying to clear my mind. I wanted to hear her scream my name again. I wanted to make her feel good. Hearing her moan my name brought chills down my back. I squeezed her breast, and she moaned and grabbed my hand. She moved against me and we finished way sooner than I wanted to.

  I sighed, reached up to turn her face to me and kissed her until my phone beeped. I groaned in disappointment as I rolled away and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower. I never seemed to get what I wanted when it came to this woman.

  We rode to the airport in silence. She drove and I stared out the window and dreaded another goodbye. We'd done it so much in the last year, we were good at it. When I saw the airport entrance, I took her hand, kissed it, and placed it in my lap. I wanted to say something cool and profound. Something that would push every doubt, insecurity, and mixed-up feeling I had out of my fucking head.

  Man, I sound like a pussy.

  I didn't want to get into anything heavy, I wanted clean and uncomplicated. We didn't need to rehash what happened last night, the way she felt about it, or whether it was special or not. I knew it was special, but did she, and how special?

  Who am I kidding?

  No way around it, this was complicated.

  When we were together last night, it wasn't messy or weird or complicated. We fit together perfectly. I knew we both felt it. I saw it in her eyes, but we were both too chicken shit to admit it.

  We passed through the airport gate and panic rose in my throat. My mind raced over things to say, but nothing came to mind because nothing had changed.

  We lived so far apart. With her in Texas and me in Florida, we would never see each other, at least not during the season. After the season, I would graduate and then prepare for the NFL draft. After that, who knew where I'd end up?

  I had run down the list a million times before. Bottom line, we couldn't be together. A year had passed since Josh and the attack, and we were better, but we weren't over it and we never talked about it.

  It was better this way. I needed to keep my focus on campus.

  We pulled up to the curb at the airport.

  "You okay?" I asked.

  "Yeah." She leaned over and kissed me, her fingers wrapped around my bicep and pulled me closer. I kissed her harder, tasted her tongue and conjured images of her last night and this morning, but the kissed ended and it felt so final.

  "Thanks for last night," Carrington said.

  "Thank you."

  "It was pretty great, right?" she asked.

  "Only slightly better than this morning."

  She lowered her eyes and smiled. Why did she hide from me? I sighed and lifted her chin. I studied her face for any sign things had changed for her. I didn't see any
thing. It pissed me off. I sighed and rubbed her cheek with my thumb. Her soft skin made me smile.

  "Call me when you get in."

  "I will." I leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her cheek and got out of the car.

  "Jackson."

  Oh shit.

  This was it. This would be the moment where she would say what we were both afraid to say, and it would be on. Despite my list of excuses, I would throw it all away if she told me she wanted me.

  She hesitated and I knelt back in the car. My hand snaked behind her neck, and I kissed her. She moaned as my tongue touched hers, and she deepened the kiss, grabbing a fist full of my t-shirt and pulling me closer. I landed three more quick kisses before I pulled back.

  She lowered her head and kind of pushed me away.

  She didn't say anything right away.

  "Good luck on your exams."

  "Thanks." I closed the door and stood on the curb for a minute to gather my thoughts. Before I could think of doing something, she pulled away from the curb. I watched her car until she turned out of the terminal.

  I headed into the airport.

  When I went through security, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dropped it in the tray. A missed call illuminated my phone.

  I gathered it on the other end, read the caller ID, and groaned.

  It's way too early for this.

  True to form, she called right back.

  "Hello."

  "Jackson," Tiffany said.

  "What's up?"

  "I wanted to make sure you made your flight. You have an exam this afternoon, right? Did you get to study for it?" I pulled the phone away from my ear and cringed at the sound of her high-pitched singsong voice.

  "I'm at the airport."

  I met Tiffany Chandler a couple of months ago and because I only slept with her, she was under the distinct impression she was my girlfriend. I just never bothered to correct that assumption.

  Before I left, Tiffany had picked fights with me all week, asking questions and making comments about Carrington and Jack. She didn't understand our relationship. I never fully explained it to her. I blew up at her and ignored her calls and texts for two days. Perhaps, now she understood some things were off-limits. Sometimes she wasn't too bright.