Page 123 of Hot for the Jerk

It was tough to get a read on the Island Elders.They bounced their gazes between our PowerPoint slides, their 3D rendering, and the binder in front of them.It was all the same information, just in different formats.

Bennett and Danica went on to field any questions that involved money, since that was their forte.Then the rest of my siblings—besides Dom, who didn’t like public speaking but was there because he was one-fifth of the company—and Raina’s cousins, answered questions and went into greater detail about our plans.

After nearly an hour of standing, my leg throbbed, but I made sure not to show it on my face as we brought the proposal to a close.

One by one, we shook the Island Elders' hands and thanked them for their time, before all nine of us convened in the community center lobby.

“Now what?”Raina asked.“My fingers are going to cramp if I keep them crossed any longer.”

I rubbed her back as I took the chair Clint brought over for me.

“Now, we wait for the verdict,” Gabrielle said.“Nothing more to do.We presented one hell of a proposal, with a solid business plan.It’s up to the Elders now.”

“Lunch at the pub,” Wyatt said.“Feel free to grab your kids first and bring them along.”

Raina and I waited until everyone else filed out, then she helped my slightly limping ass to the truck where she drove us back to my house.Marco was with my nieces and nephews, hanging out at Wyatt’s house under the careful watch of Vica and Chloe.

“Your knee hurts, doesn’t it?”she asked, glancing over at me.

“Not much.It was just a lot of standing.”

“Bullshit, McEvoy.Don’t lie to me.”

I rolled my eyes.“Fine.I’m in a moderate amount of agony right now.You happy?”

She shook her head.“Amoderateamount of agony?Is that even a thing?Agony is like themostamount of pain you can be in.So you’re in a moderate amount of the most amount of pain you can be in?That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It makes sense to me!Pull over.”

“What?Why?”

“I said, pull over, woman.”

Totally confused, she did as she was told, parking on the shoulder of the tree-lined road.“Are you insane?”

I unbuckled her belt, reached into her hair, gripped her scalp the way she liked, and hauled her against me, taking her mouth like I owned it.Not letting our mouths come apart, she climbed into my lap, her fingers making their way into my hair.My arms came up under hers and I held her to me, devouring her mouth, inhaling her exhales and holding her to me, because I never wanted to let her go.

After a moment, breathless, we peeled our mouths away.But then I went back for another small kiss, and another.She blinked at me, all starry-eyed and gorgeously flushed.“Is it wrong I still kind of like fighting with you?”she asked.

“This kind of fighting is like foreplay,” I said, bringing my hands up to cup her breasts

She nodded before going in for another kiss.“Even if our proposal doesn’t win, I’m glad our families came together.”

“Me too.”

“I love you, McEvoy.So much.”

Running my hands up her sides, then over her back, I pressed my mouth to her neck for a moment, inhaling her sweetness.Her fiery, rosy goodness.I met her gaze again.“I’m going to marry you, Raina.When you’re ready.When Marco’s ready.I’m going to marry you.”

Her eyes went wide.“Is this a … are you proposing?”

“No.I’m warning you that one day, when you least expect it—but are also totally ready—I’m going to propose.So … be warned.”

“I … I don’t know how I’m supposed to react to this.Or what I’m supposed to say.”

I guided her mouth to mine, our lips just hovering a hairsbreadth apart, but her eyes remained open and wide in shock.“Then don’t say anything.Just kiss me.But also … be warned.”

Then I claimed her mouth once more, because Raina Aaronson, my enemy, my nemesis, the Joker to my Batman, was mine.Forever.

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