Abbi Glines - Misbehaving

He didn’t want to share my body. So that was his problem. Well, I didn’t want to share my body either. And I wouldn’t be sharing it with him anymore. He needed to distance himself? Then fine. I needed that too.

“Okay. Then we get through the night. Take me home, and that’s it. You can even send me home tonight if you like. I don’t mind the bus.”

Jason groaned and turned away from me. “I’m not putting you on a bus” was all he said.

“Fine. Then you get me home however you want to.”

Jason reached over and took my hand in his. “I don’t like this,” he said.

And he thought I did? I wasn’t going to admit it, though. I shrugged. “It is what it is. And I’ve had fun.”

Jason wouldn’t look at me. “How do we distance ourselves?”

“We start with very little touching and of course nothing sexual. I won’t dance with anyone else if that bothers you, but you can’t dance with anyone else either. To keep it fair.”

Jason turned his head to finally meet my gaze. “Nothing sexual?”

“Can’t have distance if we’re naked and wrapped around each other,” I replied.

Heat flashed in Jason’s eyes, and I stood up before he could act on that. As much as I loved to be in his arms, I also knew that no matter how many times I offered myself to him, he would be leaving me. I was not someone he would ever have a relationship with, and it was time I protected myself.

“That’s gonna be fucking impossible,” he said.

No, it wasn’t. He wanted distance. He was going to get it. “It’s the only way,” I replied.

JASON

I placed my hand on Jess’s lower back as we walked back into the party. I could feel the eyes on us—or more like, on her. Every damn guy here was looking at her, and I had no right to care. Which sucked. I wasn’t going to think about it.

“You thirsty yet?” I asked her.

“If you go to the bar and get sidetracked, someone may approach me, and I don’t want to be rude to your friends,” she said.

I reached for her hand. “I’m not leaving you alone. They’re all fucking vultures,” I replied, taking her with me.

She went with me willingly. “What do you want to drink?” I asked her.

She glanced at the bartender. “Do you have whiskey?” she asked hopefully.

“Straight?” the guy asked, smiling at her like an idiot.

“Please, I need it,” she replied.

He poured her more than the normal and slid it to her. Even the damn hired help was ogling her. “I can’t believe you’re drinking whiskey,” I said.

She stopped with the rim almost to her mouth and gave me an amused grin. “Yeah, well, I don’t know what else you expect from me. I’m not one of them,” she said, waving her glass out at the crowd. “My momma ain’t a trust-fund baby. She’s a stripper.”

I heard someone choke beside me, no doubt from her statement. She took a much longer drink of whiskey than I’d ever seen anyone take.

“Her momma is a stripper?” Hensley asked as he stared at her in openmouthed amazement. As if Jess hadn’t already drawn attention, this piece of information was going to go through the room like wildfire.

“Shut up,” I replied, and picked up my drink, needing to hover over her and protect her from the horny males who were just going to get worse when they found out her momma’s profession.

“I can’t believe you announced that,” I said to her quietly as I led her away from the bar.

“Why? They’re never going to see me again, and they’ll all talk about you like you’re a badass for bringing a stripper’s daughter commando to one of their uppity parties. And whoever I’m supposed to be making jealous, I assure you, she is fuming. You’ll have her back in your arms in no time. Just get rid of me first.”

What the hell was she talking about? Make who jealous? Had someone told her about me and Johanna? That relationship had only been in Jo’s head. All I had done was have sex with her once, months ago. “What are you talking about?” I asked her.

She took another long drink. “I’m talking about the reason you brought me to this thing. I couldn’t figure out why you’d want me to come as your date when you could do so much better. I get it now. I’m the bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks meant to drive the ex-girlfriend mad with jealousy.”

That was what she thought? Shit. Of course it was. The insecurity that she was so damn good at hiding was still there. She had been used so many times in her life that she expected it. I had only wanted to spend some time with her and treat her differently. But in the end I had treated her the way she expected.

I grabbed her drink and set it on a tray as it went by, then led her to the door. I’d call later and apologize for leaving. Right now I was getting Jess out of here so we could talk.

“Where are we going?” she asked as I pulled her out the door and toward the elevator.

“We’re leaving,” I replied.

“Why?”

“Because I need to get you alone so I can explain to you how very wrong you are.”

She stiffened beside me. “If that means sex, we aren’t doing that anymore.”

I started to say something, when the elevator opened and I watched her ass as she walked inside. Just imagining it bare under that silky material was driving me fucking crazy.

When the elevator doors closed, I backed her up against the wall and pressed against her so she could feel just how turned on she made me. “No panties, Jess. No fucking panties. Don’t tell me we aren’t having sex anymore.”

She opened her mouth, but the elevator door opened and I reached for her hand and pulled her outside. I had forgotten to buzz the driver. I texted him and then pulled Jess over to a dark corner of the lobby.

“I didn’t bring you here to make anyone jealous. I brought you here because I like spending time with you,” I told her.

She bit her bottom lip and I watched, transfixed, as she let it free. “But you want distance now,” she said, breathing hard.

“This can’t happen. Us. It won’t work. I don’t have time. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you,” I told her, sliding my hand down her hip until I finally touched the silk-covered bare ass of hers. “Fuck,” I whispered.

“Don’t. Please. If we can’t . . . If this is over when we get home, then don’t.” Her chest was rising and falling so rapidly I was positive she was about to pop free of that dress. If she could just wait until we were in the limo, I would make sure to give those sweet nipples all the attention they needed.

“But I want you. So damn bad,” I whispered before lowering my head and pulling her lip into my mouth and sucking on it. Women paid thousands to have lips this full and plump. I couldn’t get enough of them.

She kissed me back, pressing closer, and I felt my chest ease up. She was giving in.

“Your car is here, Mr. Stone,” a voice said behind me. Jess backed away immediately. I tucked her hand in the crook of my arm and led her out to the waiting limo. After the door closed, I reached for her again and she moved away, shaking her head.

“No. Don’t. I can’t do this,” she said. “It’s just sex for you, but I’m afraid it became more for me. I didn’t want to admit it, but after tonight I have to face it. I . . . This is going to hurt. You’re leaving. It’s going to hurt. I can’t make it worse. So don’t. Just, please, I need to go home.”

JESS

The flight home had been lonely. I had tried to close my eyes and sleep, but my heart hurt too much. I hadn’t even told Momma I was on my way home early. But by the time Kane had retrieved my bag from the limo and handed it to me, the front porch light had come on and the door opened.