Page 24 of Jameson’s Salvation

Weston tipped his head and started for the front door.

“I’ll be right out,” Jameson called to his friend.

Jameson waited for the door to shut and moved to Kennedy, closing the space between them.

“You okay?”

“Yeah?”

Her answer was posed as a question so Jameson went on.

“It wasn’t cool of me to barge in on you while you were in the shower.”

Kennedy smiled and her face flamed red. “Told you I could act like a pansy girl. I’m a little embarrassed I screamed from a little cold water.”

He was happy to hear that was all she was embarrassed about and not that Jameson had practically seen her naked. And if he was honest, he had caught sight of her tits before she covered them. The vision was something he wouldn’t soon forget.

Needing to get one last thing out of the way, he held her eyes and apologized. “I shouldn’t’ve touched you the way I did.” A flash of disappointment shone in her green eyes and Jameson wished he was a different sort of man. “I shouldn’t—”

“I get it,” she cut him off.

Her wounded gaze was his undoing. She’d thought he was rejecting her—again.

“Babe, you don’t get it. You don’t have the first clue why I couldn’t stop myself from touching you and why it can’t happen again. I am insanely attracted to you, seeing you wet, barely dressed…well, let’s just say it took all of my control not to test that attraction. This is me protecting you from me.”

“Why do you think I need protecting?”

“Because I know myself. I know the kind of asshole I am. And I know you deserve better than what I can give you.”

“What is it you think I deserve?”

“A man who will give you more than a great fuck and a couple of orgasms. A man who will call you the next day. A man who’s ready for commitment and one who doesn’t hate the world.”

Kennedy stood straight and pushed her shoulders back, which only drew Jameson’s eyes to her chest. Pretty, rose-colored nipples were hidden behind the navy blue tank she wore and he couldn’t help but wonder if they tasted as sweet as they’d looked.

“That’s mighty presumptuous of you.”

“Say what?”

“You presuming I have the time or energy for a commitment—or that I’d want one.”

“Right,” he muttered disbelievingly.

“You’re awfully full of yourself. Not to mention, you’re making some pretty big assumptions about what I want. But your message is received loud and clear.”

She took a step back and Jameson immediately hated the distance. But this was what he needed. Her to be the strong one and push him away. Kennedy thinking he was an asshole now was better than acting on the attraction and hurting her later.

8

Kennedy

It had been seven days since I’d seen Jameson.

He and Weston had looked around my house, declared they were installing six cameras and a motion sensor flood light, and left to get what they needed.

Only Weston had come back.

He didn’t make excuses for his friend’s absence. He simply got to work and only stopped when I went outside to offer him a bottle of water.