Page 72 of Dead Girls Don’t Forget

“Come for me.”

I did. My forehead dropped against his as his name broke apart on my breath. He never looked away.

A few thrusts more and he followed, pulling me tight against him as he came. He stayed deep, face buried against my throat, arms locked hard around me, breath still uneven against my skin.

My hand slid to the back of his neck and stayed there. Under my ribs my cat purred low and satisfied.

The water moved around us. Somewhere down the slope an owl called once and then went silent. Eventually he kissed my forehead, slow and soft, then eased out of me. The sudden loss of him ached. His hand lingered at the back of my neck for a moment longer. I let him.

Then I shifted away, putting a little space between us before turning into the water. I swam a slow lap the length of the pool, needing the distance and the movement to steady my breathing.

I knew we should talk. I was trying very hard not to.

Because talking meant admitting it wasn't just sex anymore. Somewhere along the way, it had become something else. I wasn't ready to put a name to it. Not to him. Not even to myself.

We stayed in the water a little longer. I kept my eyes on the dark trees beyond the deck. He didn’t push. The silence stretched until it felt deliberate. Then we got out without speaking. The night air hit cold against wet skin. I shivered as I climbed the steps. He was right behind me.

We dressed on the deck in the low light of the lanterns. I pulled my sweater on with still-shaking hands while he stepped into his jeans. Before I could reach for it, he was already holding his jacket out.

“Cold?”

“Some.”

He held the jacket open. I let him help me into it. It was warm and smelled like him. Neither of us spoke on the short walk to the SUV. He started the engine and pulled out onto the dark road. The silence held until the lights of town were visible in the distance.

“There’s something between us,” he said quietly. “You know there is.”

I kept my eyes on the dark road outside the window.

"Harper."

"It's just sex."

The lie sat between us. He let it sit for a moment.

“Okay,” he said. “Then I’ll drop you off, and on my way home I’ll find the first girl who throws herself at me and take her home. How would you like that?”

I knew he was playing me. The hiss came out before I could stop it.

He didn’t look over, but the corner of his mouth shifted. “That’s what I thought.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“I have feelings for you. You have feelings for me. We can keep pretending for a few more days or weeks, or we can stop. Up to you.”

Before I could answer, his phone rang through the car speakers. The screen showed Lia. He let it ring twice, then answered.

“Lia. I'm in the middle of something.”

“Jackson?” Her voice came through. “I’m at The Copper Fox. There’s some guy… he keeps staring at me. He won’t leave me alone. Can you come get me? Please?”

Jackson’s grip tightened on the wheel. “I’m in the middle of something right now.”

“Please. I don’t feel safe. Just… come get me.”

I stayed silent, staring out the window.

He exhaled through his nose. “Did you call Rick or Jason?”