Page 101 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

HAILEY

M y knee bumped the corner of Jackson’s coffee table as I tried to practically crawl into his lap.

He shoved it out of my way as I cursed the damn piece of furniture for the bruise I would surely find in the morning.

Jackson smiled into the kiss, which helped ease the dull throb a little, and then used his foot to push the table the rest of the way across the area rug to give us more space.

I found myself straddling him with my hands braced on the sofa behind him. My best friend worked his hands over my thighs to rest them on my hips, where they truly felt like they belonged.

Just like last time.

Only last time, everything had blown up in my face and I’d been left reeling in the aftermath of my feelings.

Was that going to happen again?

No, I told myself as the kiss deepened. I so desperately wanted to let Jackson’s touch carry me to a place where I couldn’t feel the stress of my day or the burden of worrying over my future and what career was the right choice for me. I wanted to belong in his lap.

And this time, he wouldn’t leave. We shared this home together.

Let him in . Let him in and don’t look back.

Jackson’s grip tightened on my hips. I rocked them gently, the polyester fabric of my work pants whispering against the denim of his jeans.

Jackson ran a finger along the waistband of my pants. He paused when he reached the fly and chuckled, breaking our kiss.

He fingered the safety pin I’d put through the waistband when the button popped off for the fifth time. “So sexy,” he mused.

I slapped his hand. “Practicality doesn’t have to be sexy. Just because—”

“Shut up.”

Jackson held my face in his hands and kissed me deeply.

It wasn’t the sort of kiss we’d shared last time.

This one was tender. Soft. As the seconds passed, it deepened and my body responded of its own volition.

My fingertips began to tingle and heat spread through my center and settled between my thighs.

Involuntarily, I rocked myhips, grinding against Jackson as he grew hard against me.

Throwing caution to the wind, I reached down and popped open the button of his fly.

Jackson caught my wrist and guided my hand down the front of his jeans. I rubbed him over his boxers while he began popping open the buttons of my shirt.

One.

I used my free hand to undo his zipper. He flicked his wrist and another button came undone, exposing my chest and cleavage.

Two.

I had easier access to him now that his jeans were undone. I teased him by hooking my thumb in the elastic waistband of his boxers and ran my touch along his lower stomach, loving the way he sucked in just slightly when I grazed a sensitive spot.

Three.

My plain T-shirt bra was showing. It wasn’t sexy by any means but Jackson seemed to appreciate it.

Four.

Five.

Six.

He was growing impatient. I liked it. I liked the way he tugged a little more aggressively at the final buttons and how, when the final two popped open, he slid his hands into my shirt and ran them up my waist to rest on the natural groove there. He worked his touch upward, inching to my bra.

I pulled him free of his boxers.

Jackson jerked my bra down and my tits spilled out.

They felt heavy and tender and my nipples were needy.

He flicked his thumbs over them and cupped my breasts, massaging them gently.

The pressure was just right, and I let out a vulnerable, breathless moan that had Jackson dropping his head to trail kisses over the top of my breasts and up to my throat.

I let my head hang back.

Jackson’s lips were warm against my collarbones, cleavage, and neck. His cock was growing harder in my hands and my body responded by soaking my panties.

Jackson nudged my button-up shirt off my shoulders. It got caught up around my upper arms and he wrenched it down. A seam tore. I didn’t care. I hated this blouse and the pants and the job they went along with anyway.

The tear sounded like freedom.

I giggled.

Jackson pulled it off the rest of the way when I held my arms over my head.

He bunched it up and chucked it over the sofa before pulling me against his chest to crush his lips against mine.

I’d always known Jackson was a strong man.

He worked hard for his physique and had ever since I’d known him.

What started as a passion for sports, mostly football and rugby in high school, quickly turned into a passion for endurance and strength training.

It was no wonder he looked so good in a suit.

Or naked.

I pressed my fingertips to his chest and trailed them down his stomach, following the ridges of muscle all the way down to the V cut of his hips, easily my favorite part of his body.

I savored the feeling of power beneath my fingers before I reached the hem of his shirt.

Then I worked it over his head to expose his bare, chiseled torso.

He seemed oblivious to how drool-worthy he was.

Jackson didn’t give me time to admire him. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my lower back and rolled, laying me down gently beneath him upon the living-room area rug. It was plush and soft and a cool gray color. I ran my hands through it as I lifted my arms over my head.

Jackson pinned them there by my wrists, shifting the power dynamic.

In that moment, I knew I’d let him do anything he wanted.

Is that a good thing?

My heart raced wildly in my chest as Jackson pulled my wrists together so he could secure them in one hand and use his free hand to reach down to undo the safety pin in my pants.

He wore a sexy smirk as he did it, but he didn’t make a flippant comment about how frugal I was about shopping for work clothes.

Instead, he managed to get it open and not so gently worked my pants down over my ass and left them gathered around my thighs.

All he wanted was into my panties anyway.

He slid his hand into my thong.

I swallowed.

Am I giving him too much power? Is this just a hit-it-and-quit-it sort of situation for him? Am I just an easy lay because I sleep in the room next door?

I tried to quiet my mind.

Jackson ran his fingers over my clit. I was swollen and sensitive and it felt so damn good to be touched like this.

My muscles turned to putty and my breathing quickened.

My senses heightened. All I could smell, feel, hear, and see was Jackson.

And I could still taste his kiss on my tongue, too.

I was wet and ready for him when he eased a finger between my lips and rubbed me in slow teasing circles.

What are we doing?

My breath hitched in my throat when he eased a finger inside me. I moaned. So did he. It was the softest, most delicious sound I’d ever heard. Touching me turned him on. That had to be a sign that there was more between us than just friendship.

Didn’t it?

He’s a guy . Of course he’s turned on. Pussy is pussy.

Another finger slid inside me.

All my muddled thoughts burst apart and I squirmed beneath him.

Jackson tightened his grip on my wrists as if to demand I stay still.

I tried, but it was damn near impossible.

He knew all the right places to press into.

His fingers curled up, and I whimpered, and when he pushed his thumb against my clit, I nearly burst apart.

“Jackson,” I breathed.

He descended upon me to leave a trail of kisses along my jaw and throat.

He worked his way up to my ear where he pinched my lobe between his teeth.

The stubble on his jaw tickled my cheek and the heat of his breath coupled with the way he was fucking me with his fingers had the pressure of a release building up inside me.

Where is this going to lead? Are you going to wake up in the morning and it will be like this never even happened all over again?

I tried to shut my brain off. I tried to focus on the pleasure not the logic. Jackson sealed his mouth over mine for needy kisses.

What does he expect from me?

My pants around my thighs felt suddenly constraining. Jackson’s grip on my wrists was tighter than ever, and even though it didn’t hurt, it left me feeling as trapped in my body as I felt in my mind.

Does he want a relationship? Or does he want things to stay the same between us but we have casual sex whenever the mood strikes?

I bit my bottom lip.

I had to stop thinking like this. I was ruining the moment. I was so close to an orgasm—so damn close. Jackson broke our kiss and began working his way down my chest and over my breasts and down my belly.

Was that what I wanted? Casual sex?

Jackson tugged at my pants to pull them farther down.

No. I don’t want that.

My pants got caught up around my knees. My heart raced.

I want all or nothing.

“Jackson,” I said.

He froze and looked up at me. His eyes were a startling green. He must have heard the urgency in my voice and realized something was wrong. His grip on my wrists immediately loosened. “Did I hurt you?”

I shook my head. “No… no. You didn’t hurt me.”

Jackson released my wrists. I was struck with how self-conscious I felt lying beneath him with my tits pulled out of my bra and my work pants stuck around my knees. My panties were pulled to the side and they were soaking wet and my juices were coating his fingers and—

I gave my head a shake as my thoughts started spiraling.

This was a bad idea.