Jackson shakes his head and takes a few steps back while staring me down. “You’re lucky she saved your ass.”
My nostrils flare as I stare him down. The urge to pull Holly out of the way to chase Jackson down to finish what he started rages through every inch of me. I want to rip his fucking head off and spit down his throat, but the second my eyes meet Holly’s sad expression I still.
“Let it go, Trip. He’s just being a jealous asshole,” Holly says as she places both hands on the sides of my face so she can inspect the damage. “Are you okay?”
I glance up at Jackson who seems to be even angrier that Holly has chosen my side. This is the perfect time to drive home the fact that she no longer belongs to him. Playing on her sympathy in front of him will piss him off, which is exactly what I want to do.
I sigh and poke my lip out a little. “I’m okay, but my nose hurts.”
She tilts her head and strokes my cheek with thumb. “Let’s go get you some ice.”
Jackson growls in the background while Holly grabs my hand and pulls me in the direction of the house. A smug smile fills my face as the knowledge that this isn’t going to be as easy as he thought fills Jackson’s pea-sized brain.
When I decide I want something, no one takes it from me. At this moment I’ve decided that Holly needs to be mine for the simple fact that I don’t want Jackson to have her. That motherfucker doesn’t deserve to have her, and I know it fucks with my plan to not get mixed up with her, but damn it, I can’t stand the thought of Jackson with her.
I have to do whatever I can to prove to her that she can move on and love someone else—even if that someone else is me.
I know it’s selfish reasoning, like a spoiled child not wanting to share toys, but I never claimed to be a saint. And I can’t deny that I want her. She’s on my mind way too much and it’s driving me crazy. Maybe if I get her to like me enough to sleep with me that feeling will go away.
Not since Jessica, has one woman been on my mind for so long and it’s got me worried. I thought I was in love with her, but she fucked me over and nearly ruined my entire life with her bullshit. I can’t bring myself to trust women again—they can cause insurmountable damage.
The challenge of winning Holly over to spite Jackson is something I have to do. If only for my own selfish pride, I can’t let that douchebag win. Making Holly really like me is going to take more than my normal game. I’m going to have to let down my walls and let her in a little to see that I can actually be a nice guy when I want to be.
HOLLY
I close the front door behind us and lead Trip into the living room. The flat pillows on the couch need a good fluffing to be comfortable, so I pick one up and squeeze and rotate it before tossing it back down. “Lie down here while I get that ice for you.”
Trip pinches the bridge of his nose and obediently follows my command as I rush off to the kitchen. We don’t have an ice pack, so I grab a bag of peas from the freezer. I turn back and head back to Trip. The length of his long legs occupies nearly all the room on the couch and his feet hang off the end. His large hands rest on top of his chest as he lies there with his eyes closed. He looks so peaceful, like he’s sleeping, I’m almost afraid to disturb him.
I sit on the edge of the cough at his side and whisper, “Hey. I brought you something for your nose.”
He opens his eyes as I lay the small bag across his nose and gives me a small smile. “Thank you.”
For some reason the need to comfort him more washes over me. I smooth back the hair on his forehead. “You’re welcome. Why did he hit you?”
Trip shrugs. “He told me to stay away from you and I politely refused.”
I tilt my head. “Why do I doubt that you do anything nicely?”
“Because I haven’t been very nice to you since I got here…” His eyes search my face. “But I want to change that.”
I gaze into his green eyes as my heart does a double thump in my chest. “What do you mean?”
He pulls the peas away from his face and props himself up on an elbow, bringing our faces so close his warm breath blows across my lips. “It means I want us to be real friends—not pretend ones, or someone you feel like you have to be nice to out of obligation. I want you to genuinely like me the way I like you.”
I lick my lips. “You like me?”
“You know I do. Would I really agree to pretend to date you if I didn’t? You’re fun to be around and I want to get to know you better.”
“That sounds like a good plan. After we punish Jackson enough, and I decide to take him back, we can go on as real friends.”
There’s tightness in his expression when I mention Jackson. “Are you sure you even want that guy back, Holly? He doesn’t seem like he’s that into you.”
I turn my gaze away from him. “Did he say that?”
Trip puts his index finger under my chin and turns my face towards his. “No, but some of things he said…someone who really cares about you wouldn’t say those kinds of things.”
I swallow hard. “What did he say?”
“He told me he could take you away from me anytime he wanted because he owned you.”
“Is that why you two were fighting?” I question in almost a whisper.
Trip nods. “I don’t know what came over me. The things he said, they made me snap and I lost my cool. I said some things I probably shouldn’t have. That’s why he punched me.”
I bite my lip and reach up to touch his face. “Your nose got broken because you were defending my honor?”
He smiles. “I guess so.”
His admission of such a sweet gesture moves me. On instinct I lean forward and kiss him softly. “Thank you.”
The pull towards him is ridiculous and I know he’s a player, but damn it I can’t help wanting him. The slippery warmth of his mouth closes over mine and I shut my eyes, enjoying every second.
Desire glazes over his hooded eyes as I pull away. He reaches up and moves a strand of hair away from my face. “You’re welcome.”
Without warning we throw ourselves together for another kiss. My arms wrap around Trip’s neck and he tugs my hips closer. Our tongues whirl together and Trip sits up, cradling me in his arms, pulling me against his chest. One of his hands snake up my back and finds its way into my hair, while I reposition my legs until I’m straddling him.
He groans against my neck as I move my hips, rubbing my crotch over the erection in his jeans. The seam of my shorts presses against my clit and I close my eyes imagining what it would be like if we were naked doing this. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to be with someone other than Jackson, and Trip makes it feel like it’ll be even better than I imagined.
My damp panties cling to my skin as I continue to ride Trip. “God, sweetness. You don’t know how much I’ve thought about this over the last couple of days. It’s been so hard to deny myself this.”
My tongue darts out and I lick his top lip. “Then stop fighting it.”
Trip slides his hands down my body and finds the hem of my riding shirt and tank-top. Soft fingers find their way onto the bare skin of my lower back before working their way up to my breasts. His nimble fingers slide inside one of the cups of my bra and he pushes it down, allowing my nipple to spring free. He rolls my tightened bud between his fingers and licks the inside of my mouth.
“I’ve been thinking about getting these titties in my mouth all damn day. I imagine everything on your tight little body tastes like heaven. Please tell me that you want this…”
I swallow hard. This is so out of character for me, but for some reason I’m drawn to Trip like crazy. I know it’s wrong to want this with him, but my body doesn’t understand that. All it knows is that this feels amazing and it can’t get enough.