“Okay. So you seriously glued ketchup packets to the toilet seat?” Insane. They’re all insane.

“Fuck yeah, we did. And when Mark sat down, you would’ve thought a bomb went off in the head. There was ketchup everywhere.” His eyes are filled with humor.

“And what did he do back? I can’t see him being like, ‘Good one,’ and letting it go.”

“Oh hell no, there’s no backing down. Mark has one thing I don’t.”

“Which is?” I ask.

“Patience. So he waited until my guard was slightly down. My truck is my baby—you don’t f**k with my F150. Mark, being the prick he is, decided I needed to really suffer. So he took my license plates and flipped them upside down, but then he somehow got into the cab.” I smile and roll my eyes at the talk of his precious truck. As he remembers whatever his friend did to repay him for the bathroom casualty, his smile fades. “It was December and cold as shit. The motherfucker took pepper spray and soaked my floor mats and my air vents. Every time I turned the heat on I couldn’t see because my eyes watered so bad.”

Laughter erupts from my chest and there’s no chance of stopping it. My hands fly over my mouth, trying to contain it as I imagine Jackson crying every time he got into his truck. Tears are running down my cheeks, and the look on his face only makes me laugh harder. “I can’t breathe.”

“No, baby, I couldn’t breathe. I had to ride around in the freezing f**king cold with my windows down so I could see. It was hell. But payback’s a bitch and Twilight learned that shit quick.” He smiles again, laughing at the memories as I swipe the tears from my face.

“Oh God! What did you do?”

He steeples his fingers and his devilish grin grows. “It was a multilayered attack. Phase one was all about making him think it was coming. So there were small, subtle hints. I had the gate guards search his car every time he arrived on base, which takes about twenty minutes out of your day. Not a big deal, but he was late a few times and he got his ass chewed.” I’m starting to see how much he must have enjoyed this. His eyes glimmer and he’s lost to the memory. “Phase two was a little more … difficult.”

“Difficult how?”

“I had to make sure it would work perfectly. I needed other people’s help, but they didn’t want to be the next casualty of our war. After watching some of the shit we did, no one wanted to play. We didn’t fight fair. I plotted very carefully and also had to be ready in case I was on the other end of his attack. Plus, if he f**ked with my truck again, he’d be on the missing persons list.”

“I’m seeing that this truck is worth more than friendship.” I laugh and sit back in my chair, wondering how their war finally ended.

“You don’t mess with a man’s truck.”

“Okay, I get it. Please continue.”

His eyes are excited as he gets back to his story. “Mark had done a few small things, but nothing really epic. We all had lockers that we kept our gear in, so I had the supply guys open his for me.” He lets out a small laugh. “I rigged it so when he opened it, a glitter bomb exploded. It went everywhere! Him, all his gear—everything covered with glitter!”

“Holy shit!” I gasp. Glitter gets everywhere. I can’t even imagine the mess that made.

“But wait!” He leans in and smiles ear to ear. “I didn’t stop there. Fuck with me and there is no limit to the lengths I’ll go for payback.”

“Seriously, I’m a little worried.”

“We were leaving for a training mission the next day, so Twilight literally had to scrub his shit before he could go. Hours it took him and it still didn’t come out. But while some would think that was enough retribution, I didn’t agree. When we were out on the mission, I put glitter in his shampoo and body wash.”

“Oh Jesus.” My eyes widen as he sits back, arms crossed over his chest. I make a mental note never to get into a war with him because I’ll lose—epically. “I would say you won, huh?”

I’m so engrossed in the story I don’t notice the waitress standing at our table.

“Can I get you anything else? Dessert?” she asks.

“No way, I couldn’t eat another thing,” I smile and Jackson shakes his head and grabs the check. “Everything was delicious, Jackson. Thank you for tonight.”

“Tonight’s not over.” Standing before me, he extends his hand tentatively. Without any hesitation I place mine in his. Was he afraid I’d say no? There isn’t a damn thing that would stop me. The feel of his hand surrounding mine makes my heart skip a beat. Almost like the world has righted itself. I’m in trouble. I’m falling fast.

We exit into the cool night air and I shiver. “Hey.” He stops and encircles my waist. “Thank you for letting me break your rules.”

“Of course.” Leaning in, I place a brief kiss on his lips. Passion erupts the moment our lips meet and the kiss becomes more frantic. His hands grip my sides as his fingers dig into my hips. I welcome the feeling. His need pushes my own. I feel his arousal against my stomach and suddenly couldn’t care less about the rest of our evening. Jackson pushes me back against the car as his mouth devours mine. Time is irrelevant. Everything else fades away. Once again, he overtakes me and I’m lost to him. All I hear is the sound of his breathing, his moans. All I feel is him around me—touching me, wanting me, making me fall faster. He pulls away and turns, rubbing his hand roughly down his face.

“Fucking Christ,” he mumbles. “I can’t control myself when I touch you.”

His words stun me. They’re exactly how I feel. As soon as his skin meets mine, I lose all self-control. I need to get a freaking grip. The constant battling of emotions when I’m around him is draining. One minute I can’t get close enough, and the next I’m fighting to keep my heart safe. Why does this have to be so damn difficult?

Once he’s composed himself he walks back up to me and opens the car door. “In.” My body obeys him without hesitation.

Jackson takes a minute outside the limo and tells Xavier where to go. I roll the window down and look at him. The air between us is charged, and though he’s listening to something Xavier is saying, his unblinking eyes are locked on mine. The depth of his stare is almost too much. My yearning grows and I lick my lips, gripping the bottom one between my teeth as he opens the door. Before it even clicks shut behind him, his mouth is on mine again. I can’t get close enough. I’ve never been this girl. I’ve never desired a man as much as I do at this moment. It’s primal, raw.

Our lips are fused and the need to be closer is unbearable. It’s clear Jackson is fighting the same urges. He pushes me flat on the seat, and hovers above me. My heart is pounding, my lips are tingling, and all I want is to ease the aching between my legs.

His eyes shift from lustful to resolute and he pulls me back up. We’re both breathing heavy as we recover from the rush of the moment. I would have let him f**k me in this car. With the window open for all to see! What the hell is wrong with me? I turn and look out the window, thankful for the cool air as I try to reel in my libido.

Jackson grasps my hand and I look over. “If you think I don’t want you, you’re wrong. I promise I’m going to do that and so much more, but we need a lot more time than a ten-minute drive.” His brow lifts as his dimple appears.