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The kitchen was quiet because everyone else was outside partying. Jackson took a few moments to stand at the island, his hands gripping the countertop and his lungs drawing in a few deep breaths and sifting them out slowly. Today was a far cry from how he’d spent his birthday last year. He’d been in India. He’d twisted his ankle when he’d tripped over a piece of equipment an intern had left in a stupid place. Someone had brought him a chair so he could at least supervise the digging, but it had killed him to watch others down in the trenches without him.
No one had known it was his birthday.
He glanced up at the merry crowd outside, all of them here to celebrate him, and that twinge in his throat returned.
What the hell?
He was probably thirsty. Jackson opened the refrigerator and bent to search for beer because he had no idea how to make Nicole’s fancy blue cocktail, but the back door opening made him straighten.
Isabel walked in, but she halted when she saw him. “Oh, hi. I was going to use the bathroom.”
Silence dripped down the walls around them until Jackson pointed to the small hallway off the kitchen. “There’s one right there.”
Isabel nodded and scurried off in that direction while her ass swaying in that damn green sundress hypnotized Jackson. His dreams tonight would most definitely include a green sundress. No question.
He bent to look in the refrigerator again, letting the cold air numb his mind and his libido. He reached for a beer, opened it, and chugged a fourth of it. Probably should have gone for water, but what the hell? It was his fucking birthday party after all. He was thirty-one and should be living it up with not a single care in the world.
Or at least pretending that was the case for today.
Isabel came back into the kitchen, her blond hair looking a little more fluffed. Had she primped a bit while she was in there, knowing he was out here?
“It’s a great party,” she said softly.
“Yeah. My brothers can be morons, but they’re also pretty cool.”
“And their womenfolk are wonderful.” She gave him a smile that brightened the entire kitchen.
He took another gulp of the beer then his gaze settled on Isabel’s lips and that silence was back.
“Are you okay, Jackson?” those lips asked as they came a few steps closer to him.
“Umm... yeah.” He blinked and pressed his back against the refrigerator behind him, feeling a little like a cornered animal and not liking it one bit.
Even if the predator was this beautiful creature in front of him now. This beautiful creature with extremely kissable lips.
Isabel opened her mouth, but Nicole, Tessa, and Aliza came plowing into the kitchen. Nicole paused for a moment when she saw Isabel and Jackson. She must have registered the obvious danger Jackson was in—the danger of doing something supremely stupid—because she clapped her hands, effectively breaking whatever spell he was under.
“Cake time, Birthday Boy!” she announced, nudging him away from the refrigerator. “Jackson, go outside and sit in the chair with all the balloons on it.”
“The Birthday Throne of Honor.” Aliza opened the back door and waved Jackson toward it.
Isabel made a move to follow him out there, but Tessa snagged her arm. “Not you. You help us.”
“But I—”
“Need to help us,” Tessa repeated. “There are a lot of candles to light on this thing. We need someone to be ready with the fire extinguisher.”
“Ha, ha.” Jackson narrowed his eyes at Tessa as Aliza basically pushed him out the door.
When she closed it, his connection to Isabel was severed and he spent a few minutes wondering what the hell had happened in there. Had he actually thought about kissing Isabel?
Even worse, had he nearly done it?
Shaking his head, he turned toward the yard and easily located the chair with the balloons on it. It was in the center of the party space, covered in twinkle lights, with blue balloons knocking against each other in the slight summer breeze.
“C’mon, bro!” Christian called. “Get your ass in this chair!”
All the guests had made a semi-circle around the chair and someone started chanting, Jackson, Jackson, Jackson. Soon they were all chanting it and clapping out a beat.
