Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(19)
Author: K.A. Linde

He raised him hands in defense. "Of course not."

They moved to the bedroom and Jack put the movie in turning the volume down low to make it more of background noise. He moved to sit next to her on the bed, but was careful not to touch her. Honestly, she was surprised. He was being courteous and respectful which was good so far.

Lexi poked him in the ribs playfully. "So spill mister! How did you know I was going to be at Chamber? That’s been bothering me for awhile now."

"I already told you that’s an easy one."

"Yeah. Yeah, but how?"

"Krista told me."

She stared at him blankly. "Huh?" she asked him. She was so confused. Krista, last year’s gymnastics captain, was currently residing in Las Vegas. How would she know that Lexi was at a bar on any given night? And why would she tell Jack about it even if she did find out?

"You asked me how I knew, and it was because Krista told me."

"Yeah, but how do you know Krista? And why did she tell you?"

"Well, one – I knew her before you did. She dated one of my friends freshman year. When they broke up, we remained friends." Her eyes narrowed. "Just as friends," he added quickly. "And, two – she received a text or something from you. She told me you were there, because I was the one who told her about you."

"You told her about me?"

"That’s right. After you stopped returning my messages, I just went ahead and told Krista about you. I gave her your email and told her that you were worth her time. I think you know the rest of the story."

"You did that for me?" she asked wistfully realizing for the first time that Jack had single-handedly secured her position with the gymnastics team.

"Of course, I did it for you."

"I mean, I figured you had something to do with it since I hadn’t told anyone else about it."

"You hadn’t told anyone else?" he asked in disbelief.

She blushed slightly at the admission. "Uh…no."

"But why? I mean, why did you tell me?"

"Well, first, you asked and second, I don’t know…it sounded like you were honestly interested. I thought that gymnastics was part of my past. That since I hadn’t been recruited out of high school everything had been a waste. And I hated admitting that to myself. Let alone to anyone else."

"But you told me."

Lexi nodded. "I told you."

"Because you trusted me," he said sadness escaping him.

"That’s right."

"And I ruined it," he said looking away from her. She could tell he was in so much pain. He looked just as hurt now admitting that he had hurt her as he had nearly a year earlier. It was almost too much to bear. Why was he so damn sexy and caring? Why couldn’t she see past that? Why couldn’t she stay angry at him for playing her for a fool?

Finally, he met her gaze. "Let me make it up to you," he said scooting closer so their knees were almost touching.

"Jack," she said in warning, but she didn’t move away.

"I need to make it up to you. I told you I’d never lie to you again, but that’s just the beginning. That’s not enough."

Lexi just stared at him. She didn’t know what he had in mind, but she knew that she wouldn’t…couldn’t stop him…whatever it was.

"You deserve more than that," Jack said reaching out and caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. It was the first time he had touched her beyond a welcoming hug. His hand turned and cupped her cheek in his hand affectionately, lifting her face up to his. His hands were warm and she could feel the calluses from working for his dad. Yet, the touch was kind and gentle. There was so much affection in that gesture she thought she might break right then and there. "Will you let me prove that to you?" he asked his piercing blue eyes set solely on hers.

She couldn’t believe what she was doing. His lips were only inches away from her. She was putty in his hands. The instant he had touched her, she was lost. Her eyes were closing of their own accord, and she could feel her head tilt back to reach him. She was craving his sweet kiss. Her conscience told her to run from him, but she just couldn’t. Despite the fact that she had promised herself that all they were going to do was talk, and the conversations she had had with both Spencer and Olivia, she didn’t pull away from him. Everything about the situation was wrong, and she knew it. But it felt so right to be with him, and she couldn’t seem to process anything else.

"You made me promise to keep my hands to myself," Jack whispered his breath hot on her lips. She could feel her body tense in anticipation. "Do you want me to stop?"

Lexi whimpered as his hand moved to the nape of her neck pushing up into her dark brown curls. She needed to tell him to stop. Her mind needed to clear, and not concentrate on the chills she found running down her spine at his touch. But her voice wasn’t working. She didn’t really want him to stop, and the effort of conjuring up those words seemed to be too much.

"Lex, look at me." Her eyes fluttered open and she stared dreamily up at him. She wet her lips as she waited for him to continue. "I want to make it up to you, but I don’t want to cross a line. You’ll tell me if I am?"

Lexi thought about it for a second. She was having a hard time thinking when he was so close to her; his crystal clear baby blues seemingly staring straight through her. To be honest, she wasn’t sure how he was even controlling himself. Just a slight touch from him had sent her body into overdrive. Her pulse was racing and n**ples were erect. She was certain that if she positioned herself on top of him, she would be sure to find him in a similar state.

But could she let herself do that? Guilt creased her features for only a brief second before he kissed her worries away. He had never kissed her like this before. The passion they had both been feeling overflowed as he parted her lips. His tongue licked across her bottom lip before moving in and meeting her tongue. She moaned as the kiss intensified. He pulled her into his lap and pressed their bodies firmly together, letting his hand rest on the inside of her bare thigh. Almost as soon as the kiss began it ended. Lexi ended up straddled on top him in her little grey mini skirt. She could feel the course material of his jeans against her inner thighs, and felt his strong muscles against her barely-there red lace thong. She had been right. He was just as hard as she had imagined. Heavy panting escaped her as she stared at him.

"That didn’t cross the line?" Jack asked pressing one more kiss on her lips. She shook her head. Words still wouldn’t come. She just wanted more. Her eyes moved from his eyes eagerly back to his lips. She leaned in and gave him another, more demanding kiss. She could feel him smiling against her mouth.

"I’ll take that as a no." Picking her up, he effortlessly flipped her over on her back so that he was situated on top of her. She adjusted her position so that her head rested comfortably on a pillow. This did nothing for her skirt which rode up to the very tops of her thighs as she moved.

He seemed to ignore this fact as his hands crawled up her shirt and cupped her br**sts through the red lace bra she had put on before coming over. His head moved towards her skin as he pulled down the bra, and grasped her nipple between his lips. She gasped at his forwardness, but didn’t disapprove. Actually, whatever he was doing with his mouth was working. Groaning, she wiggled her h*ps in appreciation. While his tongue began working on her other breast, his hand snaked underneath and unclasped the bra.

"And this," he said flicking his tongue across her hard nipple, "isn’t crossing the line?" Her eyes snapped shut, back arching at the delicious feel of him. All thoughts of stopping had completely left her. She had come this far despite her best efforts. She wasn’t sure if she could stop him even if she wanted to. And she didn’t want to.

"I don’t think you’ll need this," he said pulling her shirt over her head, and tossing it along with her bra to the floor.

She couldn’t believe herself. Here she was, all but nude, on Jack’s bed. Her practically see-through thong hardly covered anything, and her skirt seemed to be on just for show. It wasn’t really preventing anything.

"You know I think you look more beautiful now than I’ve ever seen you," Jack said moving to kiss her on the lips. She breathed him in. Everything about him turned her on. The way he had so easily riled her up; the way his lips and tongue had turned her to jell-o just by touching her br**sts. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he went farther. Her body liked that thought, and she could feel her thong begin to soak through. Really was there a point for her having it on? She couldn’t remember.

She hadn’t even realized that her hands were digging into his back until he pulled back to strip off his shirt. Her gaze fell on the perfectly toned abdomen muscles. Instinct made her reach out and trail her fingers down his six-pack enjoying the feel of each solid muscle. He groaned as her hand reached his waistline. She ran her thumb underneath the hem of his jeans across the sensitive portion of skin.

Jack reached out and laced his hands in hers, then forced her back against the bed roughly pushing her hands above her head. "We’ll get there later," he said, teasingly pushing his erection against her as he bent forward and kissed her ear. An even louder gasp escaped her lips. "This is about you. Me making things up to you."

She closed her eyes again and lost herself in the feel of his hands running down her arms, across her br**sts, along the line of her stomach, catching the curve of her buttocks, and then teasing her thighs with his fingertips. She let loose a moan as he unexpectedly nipped at the inside of her right leg, spreading it open wide.

"Jack," she moaned as his mouth moved up her left thigh successfully spread-eagling her legs in front of his face.

"Yes dear?" he asked his finger trailing the line of her thong.

"Oh Jack," she gasped feeling his finger get replaced by his tongue.

"Mmm hmm?" he asked his breath hot against her lace thong only increasing the wetness across the flimsy material. "Do you want me to keep going?"

She wasn’t sure if she could handle this any longer. God, she wanted him so bad. She had wanted him to do this for a year. The sexual build-up was killing her. She knew her body was already so close to release that if he so much as laid one finger in her she would be gone.

"Lex," he moaned pressing his thumb gently against her clit.

"Yea…yes…um…yes?" she asked her body tightening at the feel of the pressure on such a sensitive area even through her thong.

"You didn’t answer," he said relieving the pressure only briefly. "Do you want me to keep going?"

She wanted to say no, to push him away and run out of the house. Or at least, she knew that’s what she should want, but she didn’t. She wanted him to keep going and not to stop until she was spent. Lexi found herself nodding. Then realizing he couldn’t see her with his face buried in her crotch, she finally uttered, "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I want you to keep going."

"You’re sure?"

"God, please, touch me."

Ever so slowly, he hooked his finger under the thong and began to massage her cl*t in a circular fashion. When she began to buck her h*ps against the immense amount of pressure, he removed her skirt and thong, and threw them to the floor. As soon as they left his hand, he dove down and began flicking his tongue against her cl*t in short, quick, back-and-forth motions. Her legs began to shake from the exertion of holding them open, and allowing him to have his way with her. Her body began to overflow with pleasure as she got closer to cli**x. He rotated between licking and sucking motions enjoying the taste of her all over his mouth. His fingers appeared and slid between her lips opening her up fully to him. She pushed her h*ps up eager to meet his fingers that were positioned over her moist opening.