Page 90 of Pick Me

“Is there something wrong?”

“No. Nothing. I just wanted to run something by you, but I think I’ve just figured it out.”

A nervous knot twisted in my stomach. “Figuredwhatout?”

Silence. Then the line went dead.

“Tanner?” I pulled the phone from my ear, staring at it. “Did you just hang up on me?”

“Are you talking to yourself again, Pyro?”

Jackson’s arms wrapped around me, turning me in his hold, but I was still distracted and trying to process all the weirdness of that call. “Tanner just hung up on me after telling me he figured something out.”

“Interesting.” The tone in Jackson’s voice made it clear he didn’t find that interesting at all.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “He knew we were in the same bar. What if he figured out we were together?”

Jackson pulled back, pressing his fingers into my hips. “Is that what you’re worried about?” His lips twitched. “Thea, we’re always together. He wouldn’t think anything of it. And if hehasfigured us out, so what?” His voice softened, his eyes never leaving mine. “I want everyone to know I’m dating the incredible Thea Joyce.”

He kissed my cheek, and I smiled. No, that wasn’t the right word—I beamed. “Can I have you walking around with me as my own personal hype man from now on?”

“Did you forget? Woof. Woof. I’ll do whatever you want.”

I chuckled, my mind still racing. “We should tell him. If he hasn’t figured it out on his own when he gets back, we should let him know we’re dating.”

Jackson studied me. “You sure you’re okay with that?”

I nodded. “Yes. He wants me to be happy. I just doubt he ever expected for me to be happy with you.”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head as he led me back to the table. “When’s he back?”

“In a few days.”

Jackson’s grip on my waist tightened, his breath brushing my ear. “Guess I’ll have to make the most of our time alone in the apartment.”

Before I could respond, his hand slid down, and he squeezed my ass, making me squeal. I swatted him away as we reached the table, but he just grinned, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

I shuffled into the booth, surprised when Jackson joined me. “I thought you said you were busy gaming tonight.”

“I am,” he said, “but it’s not going to take all night, and you’ll be sleeping in my bed, so who knows what’s going to happen.”

“Sleeping in your bed? That’s very presumptuous of you, Mr. James.”

He shrugged, his mouth descending to the same spot on my neck as earlier. “Yeah, well, I figured since we’re together, we might as well save on heat and warm each other up.”

“It’s April, Jackson. We don’t need the heat.”

“Don’t burn my dreams down, Pyro.”

I closed my eyes, tilting my head back, letting myself get lost in the way he touched me and made me feel.

This was it.

I could feel it.

And I hoped he could too.

Chapter Twenty

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