AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She jumped off the bike and turned her back to him.
“Tom and I were perfect—same interests, same goals.” Anger coursed through her. She wanted to punch something. Her fists were ready, tense at her sides.
“He stifled you.” It wasn’t a question.
She scoffed. “What do you know?”
“I know enough. Why else would you be looking for some fun?”
He was right again. Sterling hated that.
“On paper he was perfect, I bet.” He paused. “Whereas I would be…”
Sterling whipped around and caught his stare. “Just as perfect.”
His expression didn’t change but his eyes dimmed at her comment. Did he not believe her?
She rushed over to him, grabbing on to his hands. “Jack…” How did she explain that he was everything she had been looking for? Her perfect-on-paper fiancé never gave her the burning desire that Jack elicited with a simple glance. He never made her feel worthy of time spent. It took the bad boy to make her feel like she mattered, to make her feel wanted. It took the bad boy to make her feel loved.
Holy hell. She loved him. Head-over-heels-I-don’t-want-you-to-leave love. But he was something she could never keep for herself.
“It’s not what’s on paper that matters. Real love is all the things that don’t show up on that list.” She squeezed his hands. “They’re the things that matter most. You taught me that. You helped me figure out the qualities that don’t appear on my list.”
He smiled. She only hoped she got through to him.
“You figured those out all by yourself.” He pulled his hand from hers and cupped her cheek. “But no one has the right to hold you back. Paper-perfect or not.”
“Ha. My list was pretty boring until you came along. I probably held myself back.” She turned her back to him and stared across the open space to the buildings. “I’m the boring, uptight, librarian type.”
“You are far from boring. I don’t know any librarians who look as good as you do in lingerie. And as for uptight…we’re loosening you up one day at a time.”
She’d done pretty damn good work on the loosening up part.
Sterling smiled and turned. He stared at her, desire ripening his eyes. She knew that look. Their heavy conversation was just about to turn into some heavy petting.
“Now what do you say you climb up here and give me a little taste of your sweetness?”
She was about to mount the bike behind him, but when he cleared his throat, she stopped.
“Up here.” He moved down the seat and patted in front of him. “Facing me.”
Heat bloomed in her body. She fit her leg over the bike and straddled him, her legs resting over his as she situated herself.
“Come here.” He gripped the back of her neck. Desire danced in his eyes and he scooped her up, smashing his mouth down on hers in a feverish kiss. His lips set off a procession of fireworks that left her weak and starry-eyed.
He caressed her back, up then down then tighter, and all the while her breasts were crushed against his rock-hard chest. His hands slid underneath her shirt, finding bare skin. The warmth of his hand tingled, leaving a heated trail.
He undid the clasp of her bra, releasing her breasts, and skimmed his fingers along her back. They flickered over her rib cage, his forefinger brushing the underside of her breast. Rough hands abraded soft mounds, kneading, tweaking, sending her body into desperate need.
She gyrated her hips, rubbing her core against the seat, trying to slake the ache of her clit as he assaulted her with sensation.
He grabbed her hips and tugged, leaning his body back until she straddled his pelvis.
“Sterling,” he whispered against her lips. “I would never hold you back.” He bit her bottom lip, sucking it between his teeth, letting his tongue swipe across her plump skin. “Thank you for letting me be…me. This is more than I ever expected it would be.”
These were not the words of a casual fling. Was this what he thought she wanted to hear? She should have kept her mouth shut. Confessing that she was such a pathetic loser made him feel sorry for her. Made him pretend to care, when in reality, he was leaving. Her heart wanted it to be true. Her heart wanted more than anything for this man to stay and continue their fun indefinitely.
But Jack had never been so revealing in all the time they had spent together. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who was changing, growing.
