Eric frowned, but didn’t respond.

In all honesty, if someone had told me that same thing, I would be at a loss for words. So I shrugged again and forced a happy note in my voice. “Don’t worry. My dad won’t come out here with a stern warning or anything.”

He still frowned. “Are you sure?”

“I am.” I reached forward for a hug, and because I didn’t want him to worry, I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, Eric.” And then I hurried out of his truck and inside. My heart was pounding. I wasn’t ready for a kiss on the lips, but I knew he’d been distracted. He had sucked in his breath. His body stiffened and I felt his hand start to curve around my waist before I slipped away.

I sighed and leaned against my door.

I could hear the sports channel in the living room, so I knew my dad was there. As I stopped in the doorway, I saw that he was asleep on the couch with a blanket at his feet.

Pain speared through me, but I pushed it down.

I held the bottom of my dress in one hand so the swishing sound wouldn’t wake him and gently pulled the blanket to cover him. As his chest rose up and down, a frown appeared on my dad’s face.

I didn’t wait around to see if he’d wake up. And I didn’t wait around to see if he was dreaming of Ethan. I did. It made sense if my parents did as well. With my heart heavier than when I’d hurried inside, I tiptoed up to my room. The moonlight streamed through my window, so I didn’t turn on the lights as I slipped out of my dress and changed into pajama shorts and a tank. After I went to the bathroom and washed up for bed, I returned and closed the door behind me again.

And then I turned around.

Jesse was on the edge of my bed. He lifted the corner of his lip. “Fun night?”

My heart stopped.

The moonlight filtered over him. His high cheekbones were illuminated from the light, along with the curve of his lips. As he stood, I could see that he’d gotten leaner, but when he drew closer to me, I knew he was also stronger.

I wet my lips. My legs started to tremble.

Then he was in front of me, within touching distance, and I could only look at his chest. His tee shirt looked soft to the touch and I ached to feel it. I ached for him. Oh god.

He smelled delicious with a light detection of his cologne. He was so close. His jeans touched the thin material of my pajama shorts. They rubbed against me before his hand lifted for my waist. As it touched me, I jumped backwards.

My throat was thick now, but I choked out, “What are you doing here?”

He bent forward. I felt his breathing against my forehead and then his lips touched me softly. One of his hands lifted and skimmed a gentle finger down the side of my face. He trailed it to my chin and tilted me up to meet his gaze.

I felt a swift kick in my stomach. It was aimed low and delivered with perfection. I didn’t know if I would recover from it.

His eyes were piercing. They sparked with promise. “I wanted to see you.”

“Why?”

His hand cupped the side of my face now and he angled it so he looked straight down at me. His eyes were dark. A molten desire was there, but blanketed. I felt it reach for me, and everything I had decided that evening melted away. His thumb started to rub back and forth over my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned closer. I needed him.

His lips touched beside my eye, then the corner of my lips. He paused.

I gasped.

My heart raced now and I surged closer to him.

His lips touched mine.

Finally.

Then he whispered, “Your parents?”

I shook my head, but I pulled away to lock the door. After that, he tugged me down to the bed and it wasn’t long before we were naked and connected once again.

When he pushed inside, I let myself go. It might’ve been wrong, but I felt like it was right. And then he started thrusting. My hips moved to match and I stopped thinking. I could only feel. Jesse groaned in my ear and I turned to meet his lips. When I captured them, we groaned together.

I wasn’t sure how long we lay in bed afterwards. I felt replete, and he had collapsed on top of me. His head rested on my chest and I stroked his hair. I could’ve stayed there forever. With the cold wind against my window and the small clear lights around my closet, my room had a romantic feel to it. It was our corner away from the world.

When his phone lit up from the floor, both of us cursed.

Jesse grinned at me before he rolled over to check it. Then he cursed again as he sat up. “I have to go.”

“You just got here.”

He grimaced as he read more of his text. “Cord got arrested.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know what happened. I gotta go and bail him out.”

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.” He stood from the bed and started looking for his clothes. As a big yawn came over him, he shook his head and ran a hand over his face. “I’ve gotta wake up. I thought I’d be in bed with you all night.”

I scooted up against the headboard and gathered my comforter around me. I hugged it over my br**sts. As I watched him, I felt helpless. He had to go. That was the deal. I tried to stop myself from asking the question of when he was returning. No good would come from that answer.

So I heaved a deep breath. “Someone asked me out tonight.”

Jesse stopped what he was doing. The shirt he’d been about to pull over his head fell to the side and he sat at the end of the bed. His voice was low. “Who?”

“Eric Nathan.”

“Oh.”

What did that mean? Did it mean anything at all? My chest was tight as I asked, “What are you thinking?”

He snorted and pulled his shirt over his head. His movements were rough and he jerked his shoes on.

“Jesse?”

He snapped, “What’s your problem? We screw. That’s all we do. I don’t give a shit if you’re dating my replacement.”

“Your replacement?”

He started for the door, but I hurried and got there first. I pressed my back against the door and held the handle tightly behind me.

He stopped an inch from me, but stared past my shoulders. He refused to meet my gaze. He clipped out, “Let me leave.”

“What do you mean replacement?”

His hand ran over his head in a frustrated manner. He seethed, “Come on. Let me leave.”

My heart was pounding. When wasn’t it? And then I gulped. It was calm whenever I was in his arms. I almost groaned at that thought, but rasped out, “Jesse, you don’t mean for me? Do you?”