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“I worried you’d be too tired after working all day to come back tonight.”
“Not a chance.” His expression isn’t the least bit playful.
“I went outside and peeked at the deck after you left. Looks good.”
“Yeah, amazing we were able to get anything done, considering Tommy split his time between working and giving me holy hell for kissing you.”
“Kissing? Tame description for what he walked in on if you ask me.”
“Two seconds later he would’ve gotten an eyeful of my bare ass.”
I chuckle, lifting my glass and sipping the wine. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or the easy way Jackson has about him, but my nervousness has halved.
He gives my fingers a tug and encourages me to stand. “Show me the rest of this dress.”
Holding our hands over my head, he twirls me and I put enough effort into it that the skirt lifts on the breeze my spin creates.
“Gorgeous,” he mutters when I come to a stop. His shoes are hooked to the rung of the stool, so I step between his thighs and stand really, really close.
“You haven’t kissed me yet,” I remind him.
“That’s because when I start I don’t plan on stopping for a very, very long time.” He pushes the hair off my shoulder and a shudder tracks my spine.
“I’m okay with that.” Now I’m breathless and a barely-there lean away from touching my lips to his.
His breath dusts my mouth as he whispers, “Finish your wine.”
Then he draws away and grins, knowing he’s driving both of us crazy in the best possible way.
I hop onto the barstool again and lift my glass. “Hard to get is not a good look on you.”
“I’m not playing hard to get. I’m a sure thing.”
My heart mule-kicks at that statement. He used to be. At one point in my young life, I was one hundred percent positive that we would be together forever. I couldn’t imagine ever kissing another guy. Then I kissed the first guy after Jax and I split and it was as disappointing as I expected. So were the ones that followed. Xavier’s good at it, but then, it’s his job. I’ve also noticed that when Xavier kisses me, he’s angling his face as if there’s a camera focused on him.
“What’s the frown about, Mini?” Jax touches the dent between my eyebrows. The one I have my makeup girl fill in with putty for close-ups.
“Nothing. Just…thinking about…nothing.”
He tips his beer can to his mouth and then licks his lips. I quiver. Hopefully not visibly. I feel it everywhere…and I do mean everywhere. Especially the parts of me that have been particularly neglected as of late.
“We used to make out a lot in there.” He points with his chin at the living room behind me. I swivel on my seat even though there’s no need to look. The darkened room with the TV and L-shaped wraparound couch was where, when we were teens, we used to stay up really late while (not) watching a movie and kissing until we were both sweaty and panting.
“Different couch,” I comment.
“Same girl.” He stands. “No one here to catch us tonight.”
“Wasn’t the fear of being caught half the fun?” I grab my wineglass and follow him to the room. We sit, the only light spilling into the dim room from the kitchen. The shadows are comforting.
“We always had fun.” He sets his beer can and my glass on a side table. We sit next to each other at the far side of the couch, our voices low and heartbeats loud.
“Until we didn’t have fun.” I wrinkle my nose.
“Right now is about living in the moment—a great moment.”
“I haven’t had a lot of great moments lately.”
“I know.” He touches me, just a soft brush of his fingertips to my face. “But you’re about to have a few really great ones with me.”
