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Beth mouthed, “Enjoy” as she lifted her wineglass.

No use fighting it. “Okay, one more.”

He pulled me in closer and entwined his fingers with mine as we swayed. I tilted my head so I could see Jack's face. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he flashed me a toothy grin.He has an amazing smile. The tension drained from my body as I released a soft sigh.

He brought our joined hands up to his chest, bringing our bodies closer still. I could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath. It felt safe, being this close to him. His muscular arm wrapped around me and his clean pine and leather scent filled my nose. I wondered what his stubble would feel like if I reached up and touched it.What would it feel like to kiss him?

No point in lying to myself. I wanted to be here with him. I could hear the rhythmic beat of his heart as rested my head against his chest. He rested his chin on my head as his chest lifted in a soft sigh. I closed my eyes and released a sigh of my own.

What a mess. I needed to stay away from him, it was the right thing to do. But I wanted to relax in the warmth and comfort of his embrace.

But I can’t relax. I enjoyed being with Jack, but I couldn’t let my guard down, not while Sullivan was still alive.

Yet here I am, standing in the middle of a noisy, crowded room. And I’m not scared or nervous. I feel… safe.

My breath caught in my throat, and my back stiffened. Safe? I pulled back, shocked by the reality. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt safe.

Jack squared his shoulders. “Meg, what’s wrong?” His voice was thick with concern, his muscles tense as he scanned the room. He looked back at me. “Are you okay?”

My heart skipped a beat. Jack was ready to face whatever, whoever, had scared me. No questions asked. He felt me stiffen, assumed it was from fear, and started searching for the threat. No hesitation.

He was ready to face the threat, to protect me. I could see it in his eyes, feel it in his tense muscles. So different from the other men in my life.

“Nothing. I freaked myself out a bit.” My voice sounded shaky, so I smiled up at him to convince him I was okay.

He tilted his head and squinted his eyes. I watched as he scanned the room again. He relaxed when he saw the other men of SSI hanging out and chatting. If there was a threat, they’d all be on high alert.

“What’d you freak yourself out about?” Jack asked as he pulled me closer. He placed my hand on his shoulder and wrapped both his arms around me. I leaned my head against his chest again and listened to his heart as he placed both hands on my lower back. I could feel the heat of his hands through my thin shirt. The sensation sent shivers up my spine and butterflies dancing in my stomach.

When I didn’t answer him, he nudged me. “Meg?”

“It was nothing.” I lied. “I thought I saw a ghost.” My chuckle came out sounding forced.

He laid his cheek on top of my head. My heart did a little jig when I felt a soft kiss along on my forehead, right at the edge of my hairline. His stubble felt rough on my skin.Maybe he does like me. I released a soft sigh, content in the moment. I was so worried about putting Jack in danger, but what if he could handle it?

Maybe I can do this.

Chapter 21

Jack

Meg didn’t move away when I put my hand on her lower back to walk her back to the raffle table. I swept my hat off my head and gave Beth a deep bow. “Much obliged.”

I asked if I could bring them anything, hoping to have an excuse to come back sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, they were fine, so I snaked my way through the crowded room and relieved Jamie.

“So, not keeping your distance?” Jamie asked, handing me a fresh beer.

Right to the point. If his tone was any indication, I was about to get a talking to.

“It was just a dance. It’s not a big deal.” My eyes drifted to Meg as I answered him. I didn’t want to be standing here talking to Jamie. I wanted to drag Meg somewhere private, pull her head back by her braid and kiss her until her knees went weak. Thinking about it made my blood flow south and my heart race.Down, boy, it’s not happening tonight.

“Right.” Jamie waved AJ over. “Can you man the bar for a bit? I need to talk to Jack.”

“Yeah, I got it.” AJ raised his eyebrows at me. I could practically hear his thought - you’re in trouble.

I was. And apparently Jamie didn’t think his lecture could wait until the party was over.

“Thanks.” Jamie said before leading me to mom’s office. He shut the door to give us some privacy. I leaned against the wall and waited for him to speak.

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