Winter Fire: A Red Hot Winter Story (8 page)

BOOK: Winter Fire: A Red Hot Winter Story
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“And we got there just after eleven.” Jackson had been early. Garreth had never gotten the chance to tell her the truth. “Dear God! You wanted Jackson to find us together, in bed.”

He nodded. “Of course I did.”

“But…w-why?”

“Because Jackson needs to see you as a lover again. He needs to climb back into bed with you. And you need to climb back into bed with him.”

Rachel couldn’t help it. She gaped at him again. “If Jackson and I wanted to make love, we would. We don’t need you to help us into bed.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Garreth contradicted her. “You do want to make love. Both of you. Yet neither of you is willing to breach the barrier Jenna set up.”

“So you decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. Breach the barrier for us.”

“If the only way to get him into your bed is to get you into my bed, so be it.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he placed a finger over her mouth to shush her. “He loves you, sweet thing. The idea that I slept with you is tearing him in two. If you and I did it again, there is no way in hell Jackson could stay away. He’d come after you.”

She shook her head. “You are one twisted bloke. You think Jackson and I should be together, so you get me into your bed, sleep with me, and then wait for him to follow. And you believe that will work.”

He puckered his brow in concentration, as though mulling her words over. “Yep. That’s pretty much exactly what I believe.” He smiled at her. “You and Jackson need to get into bed together again. You need to show each other your love.”

Hysterical laughter bubbled in her chest. “You know, in your own warped way, I think you only mean well. I honestly do. But even if your plan had worked, even if you had gotten me and Jackson into bed with you, you’re still overlooking one factor.”

“What’s that.”

“Jenna.”

Garreth’s expression changed instantly. His face paled, and his eyes filled with grief. “Jack told me what happened to her. To them.”

He had? Wow. She wondered what Jenna would have to say about that. “Okay, so now you understand the full story, you know that all your good intentions were for nothing. Jackson and I can
never
be together.” And the bitch of it now was that thanks to Garreth, Rachel was craving Jackson’s body more than ever. Lusting over him. Desperate to get back into bed with him.

Him and Garreth.

Garreth’s grin was slow in forming, but once it appeared, his sorrow vanished. He was back with her, in the moment. “I’d hardly say a night of freaking fantastic sex was nothing. Besides, knowing what happened to Jenna and why she insists Jackson can’t date her friends, doesn’t change my thoughts. You may be Jenna’s best friend, but you’re not the stupid kid who fucked up her life, and it’s not fair to assign that responsibility to you. I still think you and Jack belong together.” He leaned in close. “And I still want you in bed, between him and me. I would love to fuck you while Jackson makes love to you.”

Rachel swallowed. Now that he’d put it out there, she also wanted it. As much as she’d wanted it last night and this morning. Only now the idea aroused her even more, because Jackson was here. He was real. And if Garreth was to be believed, he’d come after them if they slept together again. He’d join them.

He’d join them. In bed. He’d make love to her at the same time as Garreth.

Her belly tumbled at the thought. Goosebumps covered her flesh and her breath vanished.

“You’re thinking about it,” Garreth whispered.

Shit. How did he know?

“Your cheeks just flushed. And your eyes have turned the same midnight blue they turn when you’re about to come.”

Rachel licked her lips. Perspiration spotted her forehead. “You read me too damn easily,” she grouched.

“You’re aroused. Like me.” Garreth’s voice was hoarse. “All I want right now is to get you back in my room. To strip away your clothes, and your anger, and sink into your depths. I want me
and
Jackson sinking inside you.”

Moisture pooled between her legs, teasing her. “It’s not going to happen,” she negated his words, even as her body begged her to live up to them. “It can’t. I won’t do that to Jenna.”

“This isn’t about Jenna. It’s about you and me and Jackson.”

“Don’t make it about me and Jackson. We can never be.”

“You can, if you make love to me. He’ll come after you.”

“No.” She shook her head fiercely. “I can’t do that to Jenna. I won’t.”

“This isn’t about Jenna. It’s about sex. And love.”

“And betrayal and guilt. Been there. Done that. I won’t do it again.”

“Even though you want it? You want me—and Jackson?”

She gulped. She did want them. Both. Garreth for another night of erotic pleasure. Jackson forever. “I…” I what? What could she say? “I…”

“I what?” he prompted.

“I…” She shook her head, at a complete loss. She couldn’t answer. Wouldn’t, because, God help her, she wanted everything Garreth had predicted to happen. She wanted to fuck Garreth, and she wanted Jackson to come after her, to make love to her. At the same time. And she wanted Jackson to openly declare his love for her. To stake his claim. To tell her she was his and they never had to be apart again.

She shook her head helplessly. “I, er, I need the bathroom. Please excuse me.”

Jesus Christ and holy fuck. Rachel was aroused. Garreth, the stupid fuck, had pulled her away from the table and fed her some crock of shit. Whatever the bastard had told her had worked.

Rachel’s cheeks were flushed and her nipples poked at the black stretchy top she wore. She looked as though she were about to jump Garreth right there, at the bar.

But she didn’t. Instead she stumbled off her chair and walked away. Headed to…?

Jackson didn’t stop to check. Acting on instinct, he got up and followed her.

She rounded a corner, in the direction of the kitchen. And bathrooms. And a door leading out to what had to be the back of the restaurant.

A second before she pushed open the door to the Ladies’, he caught her back against his front and without saying a word, steered her towards the door leading outside.

She gasped and twirled her head to see who’d taken her captive. “J-Jackson? What on earth?”

He didn’t respond. Couldn’t. His blood boiled. Rage ran through his veins. It was one thing that she’d fucked his housemate when she didn’t know who he was. It was another thing altogether getting aroused by Garreth, in front of him, when the truth had been laid bare.

The scent of rain hung in the air. Icy air ripped the breath from his lungs. It stung his cheeks and made his eyes water. He didn’t care. The second they were outside, he swung Rachel around, pressed her flat against the wall and crushed his mouth to hers.

Holy smoke.

Dear God.

Her lips. Her full, ripe lips. Kissing him back. Pressing against his with the same urgency he felt. They did him in. Stripped away whatever self-control he had left. He swept his tongue inside her mouth, losing himself to her taste.

Twelve years he’d loved her. Twelve years he’d tried to deny himself.

Why? What for?

So she could sleep with his housemate? Fall in love with someone else?

No fucking way. Rachel was his. They’d both known it from the start. They’d both tried to deny it and never succeeded.

And this here was the very reason they’d failed. The passion that flared between them was too real to deny. The love that blazed just refused to be extinguished.

He pressed himself against her, chest to chest, groin to hips, thighs to thighs. His cock, already hard from watching Rachel with Gazza, now ached with repressed desire. He burned for her. Burned for them. Bled for what they should have together—but never could.

Rachel was his. She was born to be with him. He was born to be hers. Distance and time had done nothing to dim that knowledge.

She moaned in his mouth, ground herself against his erection.

Frigid wind sliced over the back of his neck, but holding Rachel in his arms had him so fucking hot he barely felt it.

Something wet touched his lips. Wet and salty.

Tears?

Though it almost killed him, he pulled away from their kiss and rested his forehead against hers, breathing hard. The ache is his groin increased, but he shoved it to the back of his mind. He brushed his thumb against her cheek and found it wet.

“You’re crying.” The knowledge stabbed at his heart.

“We’re resorting to this again?” she asked in a broken voice. “Stealing kisses out back? Where no one can see?”

Christ, this wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t what either of them wanted.

With all his heart, Jackson wished he could lift her up and carry her through the restaurant. Carry her openly, for everyone to see. Carry her back to the hotel and into his room. Make love to her without the guilt of knowing he was betraying his sister.

“The way you were looking at Garreth… Fuck, Rach. You’re ripping my heart out.”

“H-how was I looking at him?”

He growled low in his throat. “Like he was breakfast.”

Rachel swallowed audibly before murmuring something so soft he couldn’t hear her. “What did you say?” he was forced to ask.

“Garreth wants to have a threesome,” she whispered. “Him, me and you.”

Jackson groaned out loud. He couldn’t fucking believe Gazza had told her. He also couldn’t fucking believe how hard his dick was.

“I-I said no. We couldn’t do that. Not to Jenna.”

Jackson took a very deep breath. “You said no. But is that what you want?”

Rachel didn’t answer. But her shaking body gave her away. Her breasts heaved against him, her nipples torturing his chest.

“You want it, don’t you?”

Her breath quickened, but she still didn’t answer.

Something twisted in his chest. “You want to sleep with him and with me.”

“I do,” she said at last. “God help me, but I do.”

Fuck, how could more blood fill his dick? There wasn’t space. The pain was excruciating. “Do…” The words wouldn’t come out. He cleared his throat. “Do you love him?”

She laughed, although the sound was not humorous. “I hardly know him.”

“You know him well enough.”

“We’ve slept together. I’m attracted to him. I don’t love him.”

“But you want to fuck him. Again.”

She caught her breath then released it with a hiss. “Yes.”

“Alone? Just you and him?”

“No.” There was no hesitation whatsoever in her answer.

“You want me there too?”

A soft moan escaped her mouth, as though she’d tried to contain it but couldn’t. “Yes.”

“You want to fuck me and my housemate at the same time?” He didn’t know if he was angry beyond measure, or aroused beyond control. Probably both.

She shook her head. “I-I want to fuck your housemate. I want to make love with you.”

“Fuck it!” Frustration swamped him and he slammed his hand against the wall beside her head. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

She cringed. “I shouldn’t have told you,” she said, instantly contrite. “I should just have kept my big mouth shut.”

“No!” He shook his head fiercely. “No secrets between us. Ever. There are enough damned secrets in our lives.”

She wrapped her arms around him, held him close. So close he had no hope of hiding the effect she had on him. He didn’t try.

“I’m sorry, Jackson. So sorry. I wanted so much for this weekend to go smoothly. To pretend nothing had ever happened between us. That we were no more than friends.” She shook her head. “But I can’t do that. I can’t act like I don’t feel all of these things. Can’t pretend I don’t want to fuck Garreth again. Can’t pretend I don’t want to make love to you. Or that I don’t love you. Because I do. I love you. I am quite hopelessly in love with you.” The tears were back, falling down her cheeks. “And now I am going to walk away again, before we do anything stupid. I’m going to drive back to the hotel and lock myself in my room.”

He wanted to stop her. Wanted to refuse to let her go, but knew better than that. Rachel was doing the right thing. She was walking away. She was doing it for Jenna’s sake.

“Please, give Jenna my apologies. Tell her I had a headache or something.” She disentangled herself from his embrace. “Tell her I’ll see her in the morning.”

With that, she fled back inside the restaurant, leaving Jackson empty and hollow. And so fucking aroused he ached.

For several moments he remained where he was, rooted to the spot. Waiting desperately for his erection to subside. The freezing air helped, forcing blood away from his dick and to his heart in an effort to keep warm. His hands were blocks of ice and his toes almost too cold to wiggle.

His mobile phone buzzed in his back pocket, and he fumbled taking it out, his frozen fingers barely able to hold the phone, let alone press the necessary buttons.

A text message? At this time of night?

And then he saw the sender’s name. And the message.

“I’m going after her. Tonight. Coming?”

Chapter Six

It was past midnight when the knock came, loud enough that had she been sleeping it would have woken her.

But she wasn’t sleeping, she was curled in a ball on the couch in front of the fire, desperately trying to get rid of the chill. Rain had begun to fall outside, the drops pelting the roof, dropping the temperature even lower. Wind howled around the windows.

Her silk pajamas gave her no protection from the cold. Funny that she needed the warmth of the flames, because inside she burned. Heat flowed through her, a persistent reminder of the arousal that would not quit. Of the lust she felt for Garreth and the love she felt for Jackson.

Yet on the outside she shivered. Her skin was covered in prickles. She simply could not shrug off the cold. No, it wasn’t physical. It was an emotional chill. One that told her all her hard work, all her efforts to get over Jackson had come to naught.

God help her, she still loved him. So much it hurt just to breathe around him. So much that had he been anyone else’s brother she would have thrown caution to the wind and gone after him. Chased him until she wore down his defenses and made him hers.

But he wasn’t anyone else’s brother. He was Jenna’s, and Jackson would never hurt his sister. No matter how much he might love Rachel, his first duty would always be to Jenna. Yes, he’d slipped more than once, even slept with her. But he’d rectified that mistake. They both had.

BOOK: Winter Fire: A Red Hot Winter Story
11.22Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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