We were curled together on the couch, the flickering light from the television casting soft shadows across the room. “X-Men” played on screen, but I couldn’t focus. Not with the heat of Jackson’s gaze on me that I was trying very hard to ignore. I turned my head slowly, catching him mid-stare.
“You’re not even pretending to watch, are you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, my voice soft but teasing.
He smiled, slow and intimate, like a secret. “Nope. I’d rather watch you.”
I laughed lightly, tucking my legs beneath me and facing him fully. “So, if you hadn’t hijacked my evening, what would you be doing right now?”
Jackson leaned back, stretching one arm along the back of the couch, the other resting near my thigh. His fingers brushed against me—just barely—but the spark it sent down my spi
