Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(26)

"Sorry," she said skirting around the woman and entering open space to the right. Her eyes shifted back to Jack. "I haven't heard from you in a long time."

He shrugged. "I was letting your cold shoulder thaw." Her head jerked to the side and she puffed out angrily. All of a sudden, she felt his cool fingertips graze her neck. They moved to her chin and gently forced her to look back in his face. "I've missed you, Lex."

She seriously thought that her heart stopped in that instance. "Jack, this isn't fair."

"I don't want it to be fair," he said not letting her chin go, but taking another step towards her, invading her personal space.

The words kept filtering through her consciousness. She knew she should probably tell him. She should say it right now. There was no way she wanted to do the same thing that he had done to her. She had a boyfriend for Christ's sake. A real boyfriend. Someone she had been dating for close to seven months. Things were so good. She should really tell him right there. "Well you've accomplished that," she said, ignoring her conscience.

He snaked his other hand up and threaded his fingers through her hair. "I saw that guy," he said trying to make it easier on her.

She knew she should tell him right there. She gulped. "Yeah?" She was having trouble thinking with his hand running through her hair.

"What's his deal?"

"I thought you didn't want things to be fair," she said smarting off to him.

He smirked arching an eyebrow as if to say fine play it that way.

She had no idea what she was doing. There was no way that this would end well. Her friends could return at any moment. If they walked over and saw her close to sexing it up with some apparent stranger, she had no idea what she would do. She had no idea what Spencer would think or do, and she didn't want to find out.

"Then you won't mind if I do this," he said his head dipping down to plant a kiss on her lips.

She froze watching his descent as if in slow motion. Her eyes started to flutter close and she could almost taste him just as her mind finally kicked in. "I don't want to lie to you Jack," she murmured feeling his breath hot on her mouth.

"Well seeing as you've said next to nothing, doesn't seem like you're lying to me," he said suspended before her waiting for her to continue.

"We both know that not saying something can be just as much of a lie," she reminded him.

"Well what aren't you saying?" he asked backing up just enough to look deeply into her dark brown eyes.

"That guy is my boyfriend."

He didn't back away. In fact, he didn't move at all. His hand had stilled on the back of her head; the other had moved affectionately to the soft spot under her jaw line. He just stared at her with those ice blue eyes. They held little emotion and she couldn't tell if he was angry or indifferent or what. After that brief pause, his hand started working through her hair again almost like he hadn't even heard what she had said.

"Jack…did you…"

"Yes."

"Then why…"

"Because, I want to. And I've wanted to for too damn long."

She loved his forcefulness even though she knew she shouldn't. He should have backed away by now, apologized for interfering with her relationship, and then immediately left her if not the premises. But he didn't.

Sighing heavily, she spoke again, "It's not that simple." She reluctantly took a step backwards. Gently, she extracted his hand from her hair, and moved it back to his side. His other hand followed.

"You're the one making it complicated."

"Me?" she exclaimed. "You're the one doing that."

"Doing what?"

"I don't know. Just that. That thing you do."

"Oh, how original. Doing that thing you do?" he asked mocking her.

"You know what I mean."

"I have a feeling that I don't."

"Oh Jack," she groaned crossing her arms over her chest. "We can't do this again."

"I'm not sure what this is, but it feels very different then whatever this was last time."

"It's different, because I know the truth," she said bitterly.

"I promised I'd never lie to you again, and I meant it," he said trying to bridge the distance she had put between them.

As if they were in some synchronized dance, she moved with him. When he stepped forward, she stepped back not giving him any room to touch her again. If he touched her, she would be lost. "You can't just say that. How can I believe you?"

"I hardly expect you to." She narrowed her eyes waiting for the catch. "But I plan to make it up to you."

She liked the sound of that. "How do you plan on doing that?" she asked cocking her head to the side and trying to keep the flirtation out of her voice, but damn that was hard to do.

"I've got a few ideas," he said a smirk appearing on his face. "I think you'll like them."

"I'm sure I would," she mumbled images of him kissing her senseless appearing before her eyes.

"I think we're back to square one. Why don't you come stay with me tonight?" She looked helplessly up at him. He could tell that he was wearing her down. She wanted to say yes. The only thing for him to do was to make her. That's what she really wanted.