Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jessica’s POV

Yes. My mind screamed it, loud and insistent, but my lips stayed sealed, pressed into a thin line.

I needed to know–desperately–why he’d picked me for this charade.

Why not some polished model or actress who could slip into the role without a hitch, without all the emotional baggage I carried like an overstuffed suitcase?

Being here, tangled in his sheets and his life, felt like walking a tightrope over a pit of my own feelings.

But he just kept stroking my cheek, his thumb gentle, almost absentminded, like he was tracing a memory.

“Let’s go to sleep,” he said, his voice low and final, shutting down the conversation before it could even start.

Frustration bubbled up inside me. I wanted to grab his hair, dig my nails into his cheeks, anything to make him spill the truth. But that wouldn’t change a thing. He’d just pull away further.

So I huffed out a breath, rolled over, and turned my back to him, staring into the void of the darkened room.

My heart wouldn’t slow down, though, hammering away like it was trying to break free from my chest.

Being this close to him, sharing the same bed…I’d never imagined it happening. It was straight out of my daydreams, my secret wishes whispered to the ceiling fan back in our shared apartment.

Although this reality wasn’t how I’d envisioned it, I would greedily appreciate the little proximity, the little heat radiating between our bodies.

My eyes fixed on the blackness, my mind replaying the bonfire scene on loop.

The way he’d genuinely defended me, threatening to toss Fiona into the flames… for me. The idea thrilled me, sent a shiver down my spine, but it terrified me too. Because I knew Aaron–he didn’t make empty threats. He’d do it if pushed.

David crept into my thoughts then, uninvited.

What was going through his head right now?

His face had been a blank slate back there, no clues to grab onto.

A quiet sigh escaped me, and I decided it was time to surrender to sleep. I shut my eyes close, ready to block out the world, when I felt his warm palm settle on my waist.

My nerves stuttered, spiking my adrenaline, but I forced myself to remain utterly still. I didn’t want him knowing I was awake, in case he might whisper some midnight secret or unexpected confession into the darkness.

But there was only silence. Then his arm–heavy and warm, pulled me back against him until my body molded perfectly to the contours of his.

I bit back a gasp as his face nuzzled into the crook of my neck, his breath hot on my skin.

He held me so tight, like I might vanish if he loosened his grip, like he wanted to keep me there forever.

I knew these were just desperate interpretations of my own yearning, but I hoped, desperately, that they were the reasons he was holding me this way.

He murmured something soft and unintelligible against my neck, pulling me even closer.

My ass brushed against his rigid cock in the shift, and heat flooded me, hardening my nipples until they ached.

Still, I stayed frozen, breathing shallow, until the warmth and rhythm of his hold lulled me.

Slowly, steadily, and partially satisfied by the intoxicating proximity and the heavy weight of his arm, I drifted into the best, most protected slumber I had ever had in my life.

My eyes were locked on his. They were a beautiful pool of warm honey, a depth I desperately wanted to drown in.

I was so close, perched right on his powerful hips, that I forgot myself entirely. Our faces were mere inches apart.

Heat pooled low in my belly, but I didn’t dare move. One shift, and I’d grind against him, sparking something wild I wasn’t sure I could handle.

The simple truth was–I wasn’t ready to give my body up so easily. I loved Aaron. I’d imagined all the intimate, nasty things I wanted to happen with us, but it came at a non–negotiable cost the feeling had to be mutual.

I didn’t want just sex from him, a quick release in the heat of the moment. I wanted more–the words, the commitment, the acknowledgment of what beat so fiercely in my chest.

Until he was ready to meet me there, I’d stick to my solo nights, moaning his name to the buzz of my rose toy while his image danced in my mind.

As if he could read the hesitation in my frozen stance, he moved first, flipping us over in one smooth motion. Now I was beneath him, my chest heaving, breaths coming fast and shallow

He leaned in closer, his weight a delicious pressure, and my lips parted on instinct, anticipation buzzing through me.

But instead of claiming my mouth, as my entire body anticipated, he pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. He lingered just long enough for the unexpected tenderness to send my stomach into a dizzying freefall..

My heart hitch–hiked in my chest, acid production went on hiatus, and the entire world narrowed to that single, devastating point of contact.

When he pulled back, he flashed me a genuine, soft half–smile.

“Thank you, flower.” He whispered, his voice quiet with meaning, then pushed his body up off mine.

He disappeared into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind him. I lay there, melting into the sheets like ice cream under the summer sun, my cheeks flushing the deepest strawberry red.