there’d be at least ten other people to buffer his feelings. To stop him from doing anything rash.
But when Rachel opened the door, dressed in a robe, with her hair piled on top of her head and her cheeks flushed, he knew there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
Without saying a word, she stepped aside, and Jackson walked past her into her room.
She shut the door tight and looked up at him with her enormous midnight-blue eyes. “I didn’t know he was your housemate,” she spluttered.
“I know.”
“I’d never have let anything happen…”
He nodded. He knew that too. It didn’t stop the jealousy from flooding his system.
“Do you hate me?” She could hardly look him in the eye. Her gaze was focused on his chest.
“What the—? Rach, I could never hate you.”
“I slept with your housemate.”
He scraped a hand through his hair. Jealousy tore a red streak through his stomach. “I hate that you slept with him. I don’t hate you.”
Color raced to her cheeks. “H-he spoke about you. We both did.”
“When?”
“While we, uh, you know…”
Huh? “I thought you didn’t know he knew me,” Jackson said, perplexed.
“I didn’t.” She frowned. “It’s complicated. When he told me he was a journo living in Brissie, I instantly thought of you. I mentioned you were coming up here. Garreth picked up on something in my voice.” She blushed and turned around. “Later, when I was in his room, he kind of, well…” Her voice trailed off.
Jackson gritted his teeth. “He kind of what?”
“He, er,” She cleared her throat. “He suggested I fantasize about you while making love to him.”
Jackson absorbed her words with shock. Gazza had included him in his and Rachel’s bedroom play. Even while Jackson had been in Brisbane, Gazza had brought him in on the action.
Rachel dropped her head into her hands. “God, I thought he’d been so insightful, picking up on feelings I’d tried to hide.” She shook her head. “He wasn’t perceptive at all. He knew the whole story.”
“Don’t judge him too harshly,” Jackson said, striving to keep his tone neutral. “He had his reasons.”
“He should have told me.”
“You’re right. He should have. And I suspect he would have. But I arrived early.”
She turned to stare at him. “Y-you’re defending him?”
He shrugged. “I understand him.”
“Well, I don’t. Maybe you could explain.”
Uh uh. Garreth had dug this hole. He’d have to fill it in. “You need to ask him.”
Rachel looked at him for a long time before sighing heavily. “I thought being with him would take the edge off. Would head off the attraction I feel for you.”
Jackson rubbed a hand over his face. Fuck, this was going all wrong. He’d been so resolved about seeing Rach this weekend. So determined not to let their past interfere with his and Jenna’s birthday celebrations. He was going to treat her like an old friend. Like Jenna’s friend. Nothing more.
He was an adult. He could do it. He could hide the longing and the lust that had lived with him since the first time Jenna had brought her new friend home. The lust that had sizzled and burned between them for twelve years, and the longing that drove him insane with frustration. They left him with blue balls every fucking time he saw her.
Instead, he’d been flung head first into a situation that demanded he sit up and take notice. Demanded he see Rachel in a sexual role rather than a platonic one. Demanded he see her as someone’s lover. Gazza’s lover. And Gazza wanted to share her. Wanted to bring him in on their loving.
Fuck it all, he’d insinuated the thought in Jackson’s brain, and now Jackson couldn’t get rid of it. Hard as he tried, every time he closed his eyes he saw himself taking Rachel’s pussy as Gazza took her ass. And every time he saw it, he had an overwhelming urge to rip Garreth apart limb by limb.
“Did it take the edge off?” His voice was far too hoarse when he asked
But when Rachel opened the door, dressed in a robe, with her hair piled on top of her head and her cheeks flushed, he knew there was nowhere else he’d rather be.
Without saying a word, she stepped aside, and Jackson walked past her into her room.
She shut the door tight and looked up at him with her enormous midnight-blue eyes. “I didn’t know he was your housemate,” she spluttered.
“I know.”
“I’d never have let anything happen…”
He nodded. He knew that too. It didn’t stop the jealousy from flooding his system.
“Do you hate me?” She could hardly look him in the eye. Her gaze was focused on his chest.
“What the—? Rach, I could never hate you.”
“I slept with your housemate.”
He scraped a hand through his hair. Jealousy tore a red streak through his stomach. “I hate that you slept with him. I don’t hate you.”
Color raced to her cheeks. “H-he spoke about you. We both did.”
“When?”
“While we, uh, you know…”
Huh? “I thought you didn’t know he knew me,” Jackson said, perplexed.
“I didn’t.” She frowned. “It’s complicated. When he told me he was a journo living in Brissie, I instantly thought of you. I mentioned you were coming up here. Garreth picked up on something in my voice.” She blushed and turned around. “Later, when I was in his room, he kind of, well…” Her voice trailed off.
Jackson gritted his teeth. “He kind of what?”
“He, er,” She cleared her throat. “He suggested I fantasize about you while making love to him.”
Jackson absorbed her words with shock. Gazza had included him in his and Rachel’s bedroom play. Even while Jackson had been in Brisbane, Gazza had brought him in on the action.
Rachel dropped her head into her hands. “God, I thought he’d been so insightful, picking up on feelings I’d tried to hide.” She shook her head. “He wasn’t perceptive at all. He knew the whole story.”
“Don’t judge him too harshly,” Jackson said, striving to keep his tone neutral. “He had his reasons.”
“He should have told me.”
“You’re right. He should have. And I suspect he would have. But I arrived early.”
She turned to stare at him. “Y-you’re defending him?”
He shrugged. “I understand him.”
“Well, I don’t. Maybe you could explain.”
Uh uh. Garreth had dug this hole. He’d have to fill it in. “You need to ask him.”
Rachel looked at him for a long time before sighing heavily. “I thought being with him would take the edge off. Would head off the attraction I feel for you.”
Jackson rubbed a hand over his face. Fuck, this was going all wrong. He’d been so resolved about seeing Rach this weekend. So determined not to let their past interfere with his and Jenna’s birthday celebrations. He was going to treat her like an old friend. Like Jenna’s friend. Nothing more.
He was an adult. He could do it. He could hide the longing and the lust that had lived with him since the first time Jenna had brought her new friend home. The lust that had sizzled and burned between them for twelve years, and the longing that drove him insane with frustration. They left him with blue balls every fucking time he saw her.
Instead, he’d been flung head first into a situation that demanded he sit up and take notice. Demanded he see Rachel in a sexual role rather than a platonic one. Demanded he see her as someone’s lover. Gazza’s lover. And Gazza wanted to share her. Wanted to bring him in on their loving.
Fuck it all, he’d insinuated the thought in Jackson’s brain, and now Jackson couldn’t get rid of it. Hard as he tried, every time he closed his eyes he saw himself taking Rachel’s pussy as Gazza took her ass. And every time he saw it, he had an overwhelming urge to rip Garreth apart limb by limb.
“Did it take the edge off?” His voice was far too hoarse when he asked
Similar Books
