Page 35 of One More Time

My charged question lingered in the air between us. I could feel the echo of my heartbeat reverberating against my rib cage. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until Jack nodded.

“Stay,” he said.

My breath released in a whoosh.

Something woke me, maybe a gust of wind against the windows. I was curled up on my side. I felt warm, comfortable, and protected. Jack was spooned behind me.

I blinked my eyes open to see the clock on my nightstand read 5:30 a.m. I usually woke up around six. I took a soft breath, savoring the warmth.

With Jack, every expectation was being proven wrong.

His knees were tucked in the bend of mine, and I could feel his muscled body curled behind me, relaxed in sleep. One arm was draped along my hip with his palm resting on the curve of my belly. I savored the touch. It felt so good to be held.

My mind spun back to last night and his look of surprise when I explained I’d technically been a virgin. I almost snorted aloud as I lay there. I hadn’t wanted it to mean much. It was a pesky detail.

When I took another breath, I felt Jack come awake. His palm shifted, and his thumb stroked along the edge of my waist.

“McKenna?” His voice was rumbly and gruff.

The sound of my name sent a shiver through my whole body. “Yes?”

“Are you awake?”

Chapter Twenty-One

McKenna

Tessa and Quinn were already there when I walked into the restaurant at Fireweed Winery. Some people assumed I ate here regularly because it was my family’s restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I was loyal, but I ate here because the food was freaking amazing. It was so good we landed in world-class curated restaurant reviews more than once.

The hostess glanced up and waved me by when I walked in. “Your friends already got a table.”

Tessa smiled up at me when I approached.

“Hey!” Quinn lifted her wineglass aloft.

“We already got drinks,” Tessa added.

“What did you get me?” I slipped into my chair after hanging my jacket on the back.

“I’m in the mood for wine,” Quinn replied, “but Tessa is in the mood for a mellow gooseberry mead.”

Tessa gestured back and forth between the bottles. “Take your pick.”

“Is Fiona still meeting us?”

Quinn took a swallow of her wine as she nodded. “I came through the back, and she walked in with me. I tried to keep her from checking on the specials, but?—”

Tessa rolled her eyes, finishing Quinn’s sentence. “She can’t help herself.”

“I’m here!” Fiona said over my shoulder.

“So if they had enough time to order wine, you were checking on the specials for a few minutes,” I chimed in as Fiona slipped into the chair beside me.

When her cheeks turned pink, I waggled my brows. “Oh, Blake’s working late.”

Tessa’s chuckle was sly when Quinn offered, “Make-out session with the hubs.”

Fiona grabbed the glass of ice water in front of her and took a long swallow before shrugging. “I was just saying hi.”

---