Twelve

I take another sip of my wine, trying to push it down past the lump in my throat. Today has been brutal and I want nothing more than to curl up in Audrey's room and go to sleep.

This morning was awful and it's only getting worse.

I woke up in an empty bed after finally having drifted off to sleep around four AM, which was the last time I had checked the bedside clock. When I opened my eyes, I noticed Jack sitting on a chair, fully dressed and watching me.

"Hey," I said, my words sleep filled.

"Hey."

He stood up from the chair and walked over to his dresser. He grabbed his watch and latched it onto his wrist. "I've decided to go skiing with the group today. Hate to miss that snow."

Jack turned to look at me, and I saw a flash of guilt in his eyes. I didn't fail to notice what was missing from that statement. He didn't ask me to come, which meant he didn't want me to come.

"We'll probably be out all day," he continued, "and then we have the rehearsal dinner and Bachelor party, so I'm not sure if I'll get to see you at all today."

I didn't respond, just watched him. The guilt in his eyes increased. "It might be a good idea to take your stuff back to Audrey's room... you know... in case, we don't get a chance to see each other. So you can have your things."

His last words drifted off lamely, as they should.

It appeared the fling had come to an end.

Standing from the bed, I reached over to my pile of discarded clothes and started to pull them on.

"Sure," I told him. "No problem."

I glanced at Jack and saw that he was watching me get dressed. The guilty look was gone, and desire shone hot in his eyes. But he didn't make a move toward me.

I made short work of packing up my stuff and, when I was done, I walked past Jack toward the door. My chest seemed to be cramping with an unknown feeling and damn if I didn't feel the prickle of tears in my eyes.

Jack reached his hand out and touched my arm, causing me to look up at him. "Maybe I'll see you later, okay?"

I gave him a smile, hoping it was cheerful enough to hide my pain. "Yeah, that would be great."

He didn't say anything else as I walked out the door, and thus was the way my crappy day started almost sixteen hours ago.

The rehearsal dinner was earlier this evening and no amount of begging or pleading by Audrey could get me to go. Even though I wasn't part of the wedding, Jenna insisted I come, but I stubbornly refused and ordered room service.

Getting out of the Bachelorette party was a little more difficult. Audrey resorted to tears, a slimy tactic on her part that I've never been able to refuse. She knew something was wrong with me, and she was smart enough to know it was about Jack. But no matter how many questions she asked, I just breezily told her things were great and nothing was wrong.

But everything was wrong. I'm miserable that Jack has given me the brush off and the last thing I wanted to do was go party with a bunch of girls. However, once Audrey pulled that teary shit on me, I capitulated and agreed.

We had spent the better part of the night in downtown Asheville, where I sipped on a single glass of wine for most of the night. Now, here we are back at the Inn, and apparently waiting for the guys to get back from their Bachelor party.

Glancing around The Great Hall, I look at Audrey standing among the group of bridesmaids. They are all trashed and I know they're going to be sporting vicious hangovers.

I want to see Jack, but I'm terrified to see Jack.

Will he acknowledge me, or will he brush me off? I'm afraid it's the latter and I don't know if my fragile ego can take it.

I've just made up my mind to head back to the room when the Inn doors burst open and the guys all walk in. They are loud and boisterous, and several of the other guests in The Hall look at them with amusement, a few with disdain.

My eyes search hungrily for Jack and I spot him. He stands out like a shining beacon to me. He's wearing a pair of black slacks, a charcoal gray sweater, and a black leather jacket. If he was standing closer to me, I'm betting his eyes would be the color of slate. His cheeks are red from the cold, and he has his arm companionably slung around Carson.

His eyes do a quick scan of the room and stop the minute they land on me. He leans over to say something to Carson, who glances my way and nods.

Then Jack is walking toward me.

My breath catches over the way he's looking at me. He's a man that looks like he's starving and he runs his eyes up and down my body. When he reaches me, he puts his hands on my face and pulls me to him for a kiss.

It's warm but demanding, and I provide no resistance when his tongue seeks mine. He tastes of beer and spearmint gum. It's only when someone yells, "Get a room," that we break apart. My eyes search his for some clue as to what he's feeling, but he only treats me with a lazy smile.

Rubbing his thumb along my bottom lip, he murmurs, "That's a great idea... let's go to my room."

He doesn't wait for me to answer but takes my hand and starts leading me to the elevators. I pull back slightly, confused over his abrupt turnaround.

"Wait," I say.

He turns to look at me, impatiently. "What?"

"I just... I didn't really think you wanted to see me today?"

His eyes soften a bit and he pulls me in his arms. Kissing my temple, he says, "Hope... don't be that way. I'm here now, right?"

Pushing back on his chest, I glare at him. "Are you drunk or something?"

"Now why would you ask that?" The smirk on his face leads me to believe he's a little drunk.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I look at him levelly. "Because this morning you gave me quite the brush off. I just assumed this... fling was over."

Jack steps toward me and brings his hand to my face. He cups it gently and his eyes are soft. "No it's not over... at least not for me. I made a terrible mistake this morning, Hope, and it drove me nuts today not being near you. We have two more nights... please say you'll spend them with me."

His words are soft but sure, and they convince me of two things. First, that he truly does feel like he made a mistake with me this morning, and for that I can forgive him.

The second? He's again reiterated there is still a limit on our time together. Nothing has changed in that respect.

Do I follow him blindly, knowing that every minute I spend with him I'll get entrenched deeper into my feelings for him? Or do I walk away, knowing it will be a bit easier today than two days from now?

"Why did you act that way this morning?"

He rubs his hand along his jaw, considering the question. "I don't know. When you asked me about going to Afghanistan... I just realized that our time is fleeting, and maybe it was a mistake to have even started this. But today... I realized I can't be here... knowing you're so close, and not be with you. I need to be with you."

I study his face and it's filled with confusion. He doesn't even understand the feelings he has. Jack reaches over and takes my hand, bringing it to his mouth. He kisses it lightly and then brings it to hold against his heart, which I can feel thumping beneath his breastbone.

"Hope... I'll be leaving soon and I don't know what fate has in store for me. Please come to my room with me. We don't have to have sex. I just want to hold you, talk to you, and be reminded of all the wonderful things I'll be leaving behind. I promise... no more brush offs. It was stupid and I underestimated how much you have gotten under my skin in such a short time. Please... say yes."

His words float over me like a warm, summer breeze, wrapping me in a peaceful feeling. I step into his body and wrap my arms around his waist, laying my head on his chest.

"Okay. Let's go back to the original plan and make the most out of these last two nights."

I step out of Jack's bathroom and find him lying on the bed, the covers pulled up to his waist and his bare chest is magnificent. He's flipping channels on the TV.

He turns to look at me and pats the bed beside him. "I'm trying to find a good movie for us to watch. Come get under the covers."

I walk around the bed and slide in next to him, leaning back against a pillow-lined headboard. After a few moments of channel surfing, he finds Forrest Gump on TNT.

"I love this movie," he proclaims.

I do, too, but I'm not interested in it right now. Turning in the bed to look at him, I say, "What are you doing, Jack?"

He looks at me in surprise. "Watching a movie with you. And if you snuggle up next to me, it will make it that much better."

Sitting up all the way, I make quick work of slinging one leg over Jack's lap and then I'm straddling him. His hands automatically come up to grip my hips and his eyes shimmer with hunger.

"What are you doing?" His words come out softly.

Placing my hands on his chest, I lean forward and kiss the corner of his mouth. Pulling back, I look him dead in the eye. "I'm making the most of our time left together. Forrest Gump has no room in this bed. We have more important things to do."

His fingers flex into my hips, pushing me down onto the bulge I feel growing harder by the moment. "I just want you to know... it's not just been about sex for me this week. I mean, don't get me wrong... it's been phenomenal, mind-blowing sex, but it's more. You're more. I'm happy to just lay here and watch movies with you."

The honesty of his words shoots a piercing arrow through my heart, because they continue to make it that much harder for me to walk away in the end. I give him a gentle smile and lean forward to kiss him softly. "I know, Jack. I know."

Pushing up from his chest with my hands, I stand up on the bed, my feet planted on either side of his hips. His large hands circle around my calves, holding me steady as he looks up at me in amusement. "Now what are you doing?"

Pulling my t-shirt over my head, I say, "Getting naked."

He watches me silently, particularly when I hook my thumbs into the waistband of my panties and start sliding them down my legs. His eyes glaze over a bit. When they drop to my calves, he steadies me by holding onto my legs so I can lift first one leg, then the other to kick them off me.

Now I'm standing over him on the bed, completely naked and vulnerable to his stare. He licks his lips and runs his hands up the insides of my legs. When he reaches the apex, he slides his finger through my folds and I jerk from the ecstasy of that small touch, almost losing my balance. With one hand latched onto a thigh, he keeps me standing in place while he rubs between my legs with slow, lazy strokes.

"Jack," I gasp. "It's your turn to get naked."

I feel him kicking at the sheets and look down as they slide from his lower body. He's already naked.

"Put a condom on," I tell him. "I want to watch you do it."

He turns slightly in the bed to angle toward the bedside table, pulling a single packet out. I watch intently as he rips it open and smoothes it over his hard length. The fact that he strokes himself a few times after has me swallowing hard.

I carefully lower myself until my knees hit the bed and I'm straddling him, just raised high enough that we are barely touching.

"What would you like me to do, Jack?"

He answers by putting his hand between my legs and sliding a long finger inside of me. I have to fight not to let my eyes roll into the back of my head. "I want you to ride me, Hope. Take me to the brink and push me over the edge. Then I want you to fall with me."

His words are lovely and poetic, and I very much want to take him over the edge. I take a hold of him gently and position myself over him. Guiding him the entire way with my hand, I settle over him and slide down easily until our bodies are fully melded.

Jack's breath comes out in a rush and I practically purr in my throat over the fullness of him inside of me. He brings his hands up to my knees and softly caresses up my thighs. When he reaches my hips, he grabs a hold of me and pulls me up. The move surprises me and my hands shoot out to rest against his chest so I have leverage. He then pushes me back down, at the same time surging his hips upward. I can't help the moan that seeps past my lips from the sensation.

Staring me in the eyes, he removes his hands from my hips and places them behind his head. Smiling at me, he says, "There... that's what I want you to do. Think you can handle it?"

I don't answer but merely lift my hips off him, hover briefly, and then I slam my body back down.

"Fuck," Jack curses between his teeth.

"Yeah, I think I can handle it."

I start to move my body up and down, alternatively going slow and then increasing speed. When I can feel him start to tense, I slow it back down. Within minutes, he no longer has his hands casually tucked behind his head, but they are back on my hips, urging me onward.

"Please, Hope... give me more," he begs.

And I do because I can't resist him needing something from me.

I ride him the way he wants me to and I can feel my own climax starting to break free. One hand leaves my hips and comes between my legs, touching me in exactly the spot I need to cause my complete and utter shattering. I can't help the scream that tears loose from my throat, and just as it dies down, I hear Jack give a shout of his own as he comes deep inside of me.

My movements slow and eventually subside, and I lay my body forward to rest against his chest. His lips find my forehead and his hands stroke my hair, all while I can still feel him twitching inside of me.

"That was amazing," Jack murmurs. "You're amazing."

I don't respond because I don't want Jack to hear all the things that are clamoring to get out of my head. I don't say anything because I'm afraid I'll break down and admit to him that I’m starting to fall for him really hard, and I don't want to let him go after tomorrow night.