Page 47 of Comeback
“But what?”
“I can’t stick around Bayfield forever. I need to get out.”
“Why?”
He shook his head. “I can’t say.”
“See,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re so secretive about these weird, small, unimportant details. It makes it harder to trust you, Jack.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t just tell me sorry—tell me why! Is it because you’ve slept around? And you don’t want me to find out that you’ve had others?”
He laughed. “What? No.”
“Is it true, though? Have you slept with a bunch of girls in Bayfield?”
He scoffed. “Really? Youreallywant to know something like that?”
“I just want to know if there’s been others like me.”
“Then yeah. It’s true. I’ve slept around.” He wrapped his burly arm around me and held me tight. I had to fight the urge to wriggle away from him. “But not a singleoneof them has been anything like you, Emma. I never wanted to see any of them a second time.”
“Gee, that’s great to hear,” I said, half-hearted. I knew that was supposed to make me feel happy, but it still hurt to hear that the rumors were true. “So why is it you’re in such a rush to get out of Bayfield? It’s a wonderful little town, especially if you have money, which you obviously do …”
“I just wanna start over. Someplace new. With you and Mackenzie.”
I sighed. “That sounds nice, but you didn’t answer my question, Jack.”
“Look,” he began, “I can’t really explain it. All I know is, when I’m with you, I’m happy. When I’m not with you, things aren’t easy.”
“We barely know each other, though. What makes you think you won’t get bored of me? What if we move to the Bahamas, or some place like that, and you get sick of me? What if you come to regret me? What if you wake up one day and you never wanted to see me again, just like the other girls you’ve been with?”
“That won’t happen,” he said, planting a kiss on the top of my head. “I promise.”
“You can’t promise a thing like that, because you can’t possibly know how you’ll feel,” I said. “That’s why I can’t rush into a thing like that. Not with a daughter to take care of.”
He sighed and admitted defeat. “Yeah. You’re right.”
“Hey.” I climbed on top of him and kissed him, trying to bring some life back into his lips. “Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“I told you, I’m not sayingno.I’m saying I need more time.” I grabbed his hand and placed it against my cheek. “And if you’re the guy I hope you are—the guy Ithinkyou are—you’ll understand that.”
He nodded stoically. “I understand.”
“Good,” I said, grinning. I planted my lips on his and wildly kissed him. “I don’t wanna lose you, Jack. You’re so sweet and great with Mack and I really like you so far.”
“I like you, too,” he said.
I gave him my tongue and kissed him deeper, desperate to turn him on again. I hated that I was always telling himno,andmaybe later,andonly when the time is right.No, I wasn’t ready to sleep with Jack just yet—not on this boat, not with Mackenzie asleep across the hall—but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do other things for him. And with Jack’s impressive bulge growing in his swim trunks, pressing against my tummy as he expanded to his full size, Iwantedto feel his excitement pulsing between my cheeks.
“Your cock is so fucking big,” I whispered naughtily into his ear. I reached into his swim trunks and wrapped my fingers around his rock-hard, humid flesh. He shut his eyes and softly sighed as I tugged him. “I wanna suck your dick, Jack.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
“No, but I want to,” I said as I hooked my fingers under the waistband of his swim trunks.
