Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jessica’s POV

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I stopped lathering the sponge and paused, my eyes hooked on the clean marble wall tiles, which only served as a sterile screen for the memory playing in my mind from the gym.

Aaron’s hands on my hips, steadying me, his chest brushing my back, the low rumble of his voice against my ear… My lips twitched into a foolish, giddy smile, and I felt my checks burning up, not from the hot water, but from the memory of his warm breath on my neck.

I guess I don’t need a coach when I have Aaron, the next NBA hottest star, right at my reach.

The best part, of course, was the look I had seen on Fiona’s face still didn’t understand why she looked so furious. She’d cheated, she’d won Eric, she’d broken Aaron. What right did she have to be jealous now?

I shrugged the thought away and began scrubbing my skin, trying gently to scrub away the electric feeling of his touch on me, knowing I never truly could.

Dear Lord, if You’re listening… please, please let Aaron love me the way I love him. I’ll go to church every Sunday, I’ll stop reading those erotic books(mostly), I’ll be good, I swear. Just let him see me the way I see him. I promise to be a good and faithful servant, and serve you for the rest of my life.

I vowed in my heart, a desperate, silent prayer, and I could only hope that the angels heard my plea and would petition God on my behalf.

I finished and tied the fluffy towel flimsily around my body, the knot barely secured.

Just as I pulled the door open, Aaron was standing directly on the other side, his hand raised, as if he’d been about to knock or try the handle.

The sudden collision knocked me off balance. My foot slipped on the wet tile, and the towel betrayed me completely, sliding to the floor in one smooth, traitorous whoosh.

I pitched forward with a startled squeak, and Aaron’s arms shot out instantly.

We both went down with a heavy thud on the carpeted floor, his body twisting instinctively to take the brunt of the fall and actively protect me from hitting the tile.

We lay there, breathless. Me, sprawled naked against him, my head resting right in the hollow of his shoulder.

Oh God. Oh God. The sheer, shocking reality of my nakedness against his skin was overwhelming.

My nipples instantly hardened into painful points against the taut, warm perfection of his chest. His heart hammered a loud, frantic beat beneath my ear, a rhythm that strangely matched my own.

In this moment, pressed against his sculpted muscle, staring up at his handsome face, I felt a devastating fusion of complete exposure and absolute safety. It was intense. It was heart–wrenching.

Then the full weight of my situation hit me. I was completely exposed on Aaron Tyrone.

My chest flamed with instant, overwhelming embarrassment.

“I–I’m sorry-” I tried to scramble off, my cheeks burning so hot I was sure I’d combust.

I clutched at the loose ends of the towel on the floor, but Aaron’s hand shot out, his fingers digging gently but firmly into my

waist.

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Chapter 16

“Stay like this, Jess,” he whispered, voice thick and raspy, like gravel dipped in honey.

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His fingers brushed damp hair from my face, tucking it behind my car with a tenderness that made my lungs forget how to work.

“I love the feeling of your body on mine.”

I swallowed so hard I’m pretty sure he heard it. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull.

Did he just say that? I didn’t know how to feel. I needed to be sure. I needed to know the logical, calculating Aaron was the one speaking.

“Huh?” I stammered, my voice barely functional.

He didn’t answer with words. His eyes–those gorgeous, hungry honey pools roamed my face.

Then, slowly, and deliberately, he leaned in and captured my mouth.

I froze for half a heartbeat, stunned, before his teeth grazed my bottom lip in a gentle bite. That tiny sting unraveled me. I melted, and kissed him back with everything I’d bottled up for years.

This was my third kiss. The third time kissing the man who held my entire heart in his hands.

His hand slid into my wet hair, angling my head so he could deepen it. His tongue entered my mouth, instantly taking control and devouring every corner of my being.

I didn’t know if I was kissing him correctly, but I desperately tried to follow his demanding lead.

Without breaking the kiss, he grabbed my thighs and, with a powerful, effortless move, lifted me like I weighed nothing.

I gasped, instantly wrapping my legs tightly around his waist, holding onto his neck for dear life.

“Aaron,” I whispered, my voice lost.

My core was instantly on fire; my wet pussy was now pressed directly to his groin, and I could feel the hard, undeniable evidence of his desire.

He carried me to the bed and gently placed me on the silk sheets. He got on top, his weight resting on his forearms, his eyes never leaving mine.

His mouth left mine to trail hot, open–mouthed kisses along my jaw, my throat, the slope of my shoulder.

Every touch was slow, worshipful. His palms skimmed my sides, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts.

When he finally cupped them, his hands were full, careful, moving as if they held something incredibly precious, and I arched my back with a broken moan.

“So fucking perfect,” he murmured against my skin, his voice ragged. “These curves… your skin… you’re unreal, Jess.”

He rolled a nipple between his fingers, the touch shifting from feathery lightness to a demanding pressure, and a desperate whimper caught in my throat.

His lips followed, closing around the peak, his tongue swirling and tugging with an agonizing rhythm that sent a white–hot current shooting straight down to my pussy.

My hips rolled on their own, an involuntary, frantic seeking for friction.

He kissed lower, tracing a scorching path over my ribs, across my stomach, and lingering deliberately at the soft pouch I’d always hated.

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Chapter 16

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“Beautiful,” he whispered, the sound husky and sincere, pressing deep, open–mouthed kiss right onto that vulnerable spot. Tears instantly pricked my eyes.

“Every single inch.”

Then, his mouth lowered further, until his hot breath ghosted over my swollen clitoris.

As his lips gently pressed against my wet, needy core, a sharp, choked gasp tore from my chest, and tears began to stream down my eyes.

The high of the moment instantly shattered. A devastating torrent of emotions crashed through me.

I felt like he was only saying those beautiful, lust–fueled things because of the overwhelming sexual tension, not because he meant them.

Tomorrow, when the heat faded, he’d still be half in love with Fiona’s memory and I’d just be the rebound who gave it up

too easy.

I didn’t want to be the girl he used to get over her. I wanted to be the girl he stayed for.

Aaron immediately stopped. He recognized the shift, the breakdown. He pulled back and came to rest beside me on the bed, his body instantly cool and concerned.

“Jess.” He called, his voice now soft and full of alarm.

I turned my face away, ashamed of the sobs I couldn’t stop.

He placed his fingers gently under my chin, forcing my gaze to meet his.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice rough with concern.

I couldn’t speak. The words were trapped beneath the pain and the sobs. I just kept crying.

He didn’t press me. Instead, he simply got up, retrieved a fresh towel from the wardrobe, and wrapped it securely around my shivering body.

Then, he lay down and pulled me against his bare chest, holding me close until the storm began to pass.