Page 68 of Sergeant O'
Shit, I’d done it again. Moved to the middle uninvited.
It took a second for my eyes to adjust and my brain to fully catch up, then I realized I wasn’t in the middle. I was still on my side of the bed.
It was Jade who’d moved.
She was straddling my hips with her upper body sprawled against my chest, and her blonde hair spilling over my shoulder. For a beat I thought I must be dreaming, but the steady warmth of her against me said otherwise. Surprise flickered through me, chased fast by confusion. She had to be dreaming again—whyelse would she climb on top of me like this? I stayed still, every muscle tense, afraid that if I moved I’d wake her.
Her lips skimmed my neck as her hips rocked against my hard dick. I told myself not to move, not to react, but my arms betrayed me. I pulled her close, just for a moment, letting myself feel how good she fit against me before the guilt settled back in.
It overrode everything else, and I forced myself to softly shake her shoulder and whisper, “Jade, honey. Wake up. You’re dreaming.”
I was not expecting her to immediately reply, “I’m not dreaming, Brian,” while her fingers slid through my hair, and she pressed soft kisses against my throat. “I’m wide awake.”
I’m sorry—what?
I slipped my hands to her waist, regret twisting through me as I lifted her off my lap and set her gently beside me. The loss of her warmth was immediate, but I forced myself to swing my legs off the bed and flick on the lamp.
The light felt harsh after the dark, and so did the words I knew I had to say.
“Jade…” My voice came out rough. “You don’t want this with me. I’m not boyfriend material.”
She propped herself on an elbow with her blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders. Her green eyes were focused on me like she’d been expecting my response. “Why not?”
“Because I’ll screw it up.” I raked a hand through my hair then met her eyes. “I’ll put work first, I’ll disappoint you, and one day you’ll look at me and realize you could’ve had better. I’ve already lived that once, and I can’t go through it again. Not with you.”
For a second she was quiet, then her mouth curved—not a smile exactly, but close. “I know.”
That stopped me. “You know?”
She nodded. “Which is why this doesn’t have to be more than what it is. We’re at the beach where no one knows us—sixteen hours away from Haven Springs. It’s summer; we’re on vacation. We can enjoy it while we’re here and then… leave it here.”
Her voice softened as she added, “No expectations. No strings. Just us in the moment.”
I should’ve told her no. I should’ve walked away before I ruined any chance of something with her in the future. But looking at her sprawled across the bed with her messy bedhead hair, every ounce of willpower I had burned to ash. Because even if this was only for ten days, I wanted it.
I wanted her.
And I already knew I was going to regret letting her go when it ended.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jade
Brian cupped my cheek with his hand as he looked into my eyes.
“Are you sure about this, Sunshine? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m sure, Bri. You don’t have to worry. I know this will never go anywhere, and I’m okay with that. But let’s pretend, just while we’re here. We’ll worry about reality later.”
He dipped his head and touched my lips with his. They were as soft as I remembered at the bank, and I let out a contented sigh before rolling onto my back and tugging him with me.
The weight of his body felt right, like he was exactly where he belonged, and I didn’t feel an ounce of hesitation. Not the way I had when I’d climbed on top of him in his sleep. That had been reckless, and I was relieved when he hadn’t tossed me off the bed. Now every inch of him was pressed against me, and it felt too good to believe I could be making a mistake.
He angled his mouth and deepened the kiss, sliding the left half of his body to the side, like he was afraid he would crush me.
Our tongues tangled, then he sucked on my bottom lip before releasing it with a chuckle and putting his forehead against mine.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
