She stared after his retreating back for a second before someone collided with her sending her stumbling back a few feet. The guy attempted to apologize, but Lexi brushed him off. She rushed away from the man and began searching for the birthday boy. It really shouldn’t be that hard to find him since the entire party was thrown in his name. Lexi’s only concern was that she was going to find him in a precarious position. That was the last thing she needed to happen. She couldn’t imagine what that would do to her in that event. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take from Jack, and didn’t want him to tip her over the edge.

The space wasn’t that large and she quickly realized he wasn’t anywhere noticeable. About to give up, she relieved herself, since that had been her excuse in the first place. As she was coming out of the women’s restroom, Jack exited from the men’s. A group of men called happy birthday to him as he began to walk back towards the party unaware that Lexi was directly behind him. She pushed past the other men, her high heels clicking against the tile as she approached him. Lexi reached out and grabbed his hand before he entered the club again.

“What the…” he said turning around sharply.

“Jack,” she cried stopping him in his tracks. His expression shifted quickly from surprise to delight to anger and then settled at indifferent. It all happened so fast that, had she not known him as well as she did, she certainly would have missed what was going on in his head.

“Lexi.”

“Can we talk…privately?”

“Now isn’t really a good time,” he said pulling her closer to him so they could speak without anyone else hearing. She hovered inches away from him.

“I think now is the only time,” she muttered staring up into blue eyes.

“Why would you say that?” he asked his brows furrowing together.

“Jack, I’m just…confused. Please,” she begged.

He glanced around the hallway checking to see who might notice them leaving together. He was an expert at becoming invisible, sneaking around, and not getting caught. These were all things she had been a source of in his past and now, she reluctantly realized, she was forcing him into it all over again. “Fine. Follow me.”

Lexi followed him around the corner and through a side door that led to a long concrete walkway. She had never been here in the past, but she assumed this must be the staff exit or even an exclusive exit VIP members used while within the private 755 Club. Jack closed the door behind them and led her away from the door.

“Lexi. It’s my birthday. This couldn’t have waited until tomorrow?” he asked crossing his arms over his chest and standing before her. His stance made him appear distant and unapproachable…not the way she typically viewed Jack.

“No. I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she told him hesitantly.

“Well, I do. I don’t have time for this right now.” He spoke the words, but he didn’t move.

“Well, make time. I need to ask you some questions,” she told him firmly.

“Now?” he whined. “It’s my birthday.”

“It’s past midnight,” she told him checking her watch to verify. Actually, when she looked down, she noticed that it was twenty minutes until midnight, but she didn’t mention that fact.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Ask away.”

“Is this still what you want?” she asked her voice trembling.

“Lex, baby,” he murmured hugging her against him, “didn’t I tell you that you are what I want?”

She sighed against his body. She didn’t like that he was evading her question with another question. Why couldn’t he answer straight up? “That’s what you said three days ago, but, Jack, I’m leaving in two days. What are we going to do after that?”

“We’ll work it out. I just need time. You have to understand. Bekah and I,” he sighed trailing off.

“I do understand that you have been together for some time…without my distraction. But how can I be sure that I’m not just that…a distraction?” she asked, her eyes pleading with him. She had never felt so rigid against his body. He wasn’t calming her as he usually did. Even his baby blue eyes, which normally held so much warmth and desire when cast upon her, were almost icy. She didn’t know what was going on.

“You have to trust me. I’ve never lied to you before,” he muttered glancing towards the door.

“Jack, what’s wrong with you?” she whispered staring up into his blank face.

When he next looked back at her, the Jack she knew and loved had returned. His eyes looked hungry. It was a look she knew well. His body had relaxed into her even pressing her closer.

She didn’t know where his emotions would go next. One minute he was icy cold and the next he was on fire. She couldn’t keep up.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” he spat the words out.

“I mean the way you were looking at me…” She shuddered.

“Lexi, I don’t have time for this,” he said eyeing the door again. “I really need to get back inside.” He started to walk away from her. She knew she had kept him out here too long, but he hadn’t answered any questions. He hadn’t done anything but shift moods too frequently for her to count.

“I thought things were going to be different,” she muttered stopping him with his hand on the door. She needed to know what was going on, and if the only way to do that was to elicit a reaction from him, then so be it.

He turned and faced her. “Things are different.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. It feels like every other time.” Hurt crossed his features at her accusation.

“Get off my case, Lex” he said turning back towards the door.

“You can’t even look at me,” she cried knowing she was being completely unreasonable. She felt as if she were about to burst. She couldn’t think of another way to get through to him. All she needed was some sort of answer one way or the other. A part of her knew that she wasn’t being fair. He deserved time to figure out what to do about Bekah. Another part of her thought she had given him enough time over the past six years to figure out if he wanted another girl or not and that she needed an answer.

He turned around and walked slowly back to her, standing only inches away, but not touching. “There. I’m looking at you,” he said his blue eyes staring purposely into her brown ones.

“You’ll never change,” she snarled. She couldn’t believe the words had come out of her mouth. She had been thinking them all along, but the words struck too close to home for their relationship.

“Maybe I already have,” he growled back walking forward and pushing her forcefully against the cement wall. His hand reached down, hitched her left leg up around his waist, and he pushed himself against her. She could feel his erection jumping to life as the adrenaline pumped through their bodies. Her black silk thong brushed against the crotch of his charcoal suit pants causing both of them to shudder with desire.

His blue eyes thawed upon catching her gaze. He leaned forward, pressed his free hand against her bare neck pulling her head away from the concrete barrier, bringing her face less than an inch from his own.

“Uh, Jack,” she whispered unable to break his steady gaze. He leaned forward his breath hot on her face. For a split second, she could see herself giving into him right then and there. She could break down all those walls of sexual tension and give him back the control he so obviously desired. It would be so easy to let go. He was what she wanted after all. Why did it have to be wrong to get what she wanted?

“Shh,” he said covering her mouth with his own. The kiss was soft, yet urgent. She sighed against his lips letting them part and his tongue to enter her mouth. The kiss turned feverish, and she found that she had pushed her fingers up through his thick hair pulling him closer to her. Her desire was growing every second she stood with him close to her. She couldn’t even think properly with the way he had her positioned. His hand pushed the red material of her dress away from her thigh, cupped her bare ass, and hoisted her other leg up around his waist. He pushed against her then slowly, almost teasingly, rubbing himself against her.