Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

She looked up at him, her eyes steady and unreadable, her voice cool and even.

"Jackson, this isn't fun anymore."

Jackson clenched his jaw, irritation simmering beneath his collected front. "Kaitlyn, you never mentioned you were married when we started sleeping together. Now you're using that as an excuse to push me away? Or is it suddenly too much for you, being with someone else's wife?"

Kaitlyn frowned, her tone flat. "I heard you're married too, Jackson."

His hand slid down to her waist, fingertips pressing lower, a flicker of heat sparking in his eyes.

"I'll get a divorce. The woman at home means nothing-she's just for show. But if you care this much, does that mean you want to marry me? Sorry, that's not happening."

He said it just to provoke her, to see if he could get a reaction.

But she just took his hand, pulled it away, slow and calm. "I have things to do. I won't keep you."

She'd only walked a few steps when he grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Your husband's basically just decoration too. We're good together-are you really

ready to throw that away? What, am I not good enough for you?"

As he spoke, his lips brushed her ear, sometimes biting lightly as he hovered close.

They'd done this dance too many times not to know each other's triggers.

Kaitlyn turned her head aside, one palm pressed to his chest.noveldrama

Jackson narrowed his eyes, his hands still claiming her waist. "So cold. Maybe you should introduce me to your loser husband. Who knows? Maybe if he sees how much of a man I am, we could give him a little show."

Kaitlyn couldn't help it-she laughed, her lips curling up, though he couldn't tell what was so funny.

Jackson took a few steps back. The mood was ruined; her laughter had snapped the tension.

"What's so funny?"

Her eyes crinkled, her whole vibe suddenly softer. "Nothing."

She let the smile linger, then took a steady breath. "Jackson, I have a husband. You have a wife. We really should end this. We were just in it for the fun-no need to make it messy. Like you said, you're not lacking in options, so don't make things hard for a married woman like me. If we ever run into each other again, let's just pretend we don't know each other. I don't want my husband getting the wrong idea."

The way she kept repeating "my husband, my husband" lit a rebellious spark in Jackson.

He honestly couldn't get his head around it. After being with him, how could she still care about the guy at home?

Maybe he'd never satisfied her?

He didn't have anyone else to compare with, but every time they were together,

she seemed totally lost in it-she never looked unsatisfied.

While he was lost in his thoughts, she was already walking away.

Jackson caught up, slid into the passenger seat of her car. "If you want to end this, fine. But can you help me with one last thing? I want to divorce my wife, but I need her to really believe I've moved on-play along with me, just for a bit, so she'll finally give up."

Kaitlyn gripped the steering wheel, the corners of her mouth lifting in a faint smile.

"Jackson, you sure your wife even wants to stay? Maybe if you just asked, she'd be happy to split."

Jackson gave a sharp laugh. She clearly didn't get what it meant to marry into the Dawson family.

No woman would give up a connection to the Dawsons that easily. His wife had chased him down herself, and even after years of being ignored, she still clung to the Dawson name. It was actually kind of pathetic.

He took her hand and kissed it, lingering for a moment.

Even her hands smelled sweet.

"Help me out. We'll play our parts, and then it's really over. No more contact, ever."

He meant it, but there was a selfish edge-he wasn't ready to let her go. For the first time, he found himself wanting something more, and it made him restless.

Kaitlyn pulled her hand back, eyes on the road ahead. “My husband just texted. I need to get home. Maybe next time."

Jackson's expression darkened, but pride kept him from begging. With a quiet, mocking laugh, he pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"Fine. Next time."

He got out of the car on his own.

Kaitlyn didn't say a word. She was about to hit the gas when her phone buzzed- someone from home was calling.

She answered, and her father's voice came through the line.

"Brittany, I heard there's a big gathering at the Dawson estate tonight. Did Walter invite you?"