Page 20 of Jackson

“I will. Thank you.”

I flopped down on my couch and let my elbows rest on my knees as I watched the shadows of his figure dance in the light spilling out into the hallway from my overhead light. I laced my fingers together in a tight hold, squeezing them together while I kept my inappropriate thoughts to myself.

What I wouldn’t give to join Ayen in that bed right about now. Cuddle up behind him and pull him against my chest and see how well his body fit against mine.

Would we be tangled up awkwardly or would he scoot back enough to let me perfectly curl around him?

Ah, fuck.

I need to stop this train of thought before it got out of hand. Or rather, before I needed to put my dickinmy hand. Because masturbating while in full sight of Ayen if he glanced out the bedroom door was not going to happen.

I sighed. For now, I’d just have to settle myself with the fact that he’d be tucked between my sheets and hopefully, getting his scent all over them—mixing with mine.

Tomorrow, I’d let my fantasies run wild.

Tonight, I’d get some shuteye and deal with what judgment came in the morning.

CHAPTER 8

Ayen

I slept well that night,surrounded by a comfortable bed and pillows that felt like heaven against my face.

It’d been two long years since I’d slept on a proper mattress with actual back support and not the flimsy material of my foam mattress back in my cell with a steel bed frame underneath it. Two long ass years since I’d actually felt well rested by the time I finally blinked my eyes open in the morning.

I stretched my arms over my head and sank further into the covers surrounding me. Jackson’s scent was all over them, enveloping me in him just like his jacket had. I savored it all, memorizing it for when I was back in my cellblock at SAC later on today when the bus finally came to pick us all up and bring us back.

As sad as it was to be leaving this place after only a few days, I couldn’t say I regretted any of it.

Especially meeting Jackson.

I was never going to see the man again after this, and while that kind of choked me up inside, at least I was able to see him one last time before leaving. It seemed so silly to be lusting after a man I barely knew in the grand scheme of things—but even if it was just the idea of him that I had been enamored with, that was something that I would cherish for the rest of my time while I was locked up.

The entire time he’d been nothing but kind to me, going out of his way to help me when he was never asked to. He was a good man, one that anyone would be lucky enough to know, let alone be with.

Sitting up, I peeled back the covers and climbed to my feet. My entire body cracked, easing the tension in my bones almost immediately.

Damn, I was going to miss this bed.

There was a delicious smell wafting from down the hallway that I found myself following. I spotted Jackson in the kitchen cooking something over the stovetop. His shirt was off and he was in just a pair of sweats that did everything to highlight the kind of assets he had.

Jesus, as if my lusting for him wasn’t bad already.

Most likely feeling me staring, he glanced over his shoulder at me and flashed me a smile. “Morning.”

I blinked a few times, trying to clear the image of his body now ingrained into my brain. Roxy lifted herself up from where she’d been laying down on the floor over by the dining table and trotted over to me, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she panted happily.

I bent down to pet her before turning back to Jackson. “What time is it?”

He glanced over at the clock before answering. “Just after eight.”

My eyes widened. “I need to get over to the bus.”

“Woah, woah, woah.” He grabbed my arm just as I was starting to head for the door. “It already left.”

“What?”

Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.

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