Page 99 of The Love Wager

Once they were in the air, she leaned her head on his shoulder and fell sound asleep. She slept through the entire flight, and when her eyelids fluttered open as the flight attendant announced their descent, Jack smiled at her in a way that made her remember every hot detail from the night before.

“Why are you so tired, Tiny Bartender?” he asked, his voice deep and gravelly as he ran his hand up and down her spine. “Long night?”

“I don’t want to overshare,” she whispered, raising her mouth to his ear, “but I met a guy at a wedding and he railed me all night long.”

“He sounds fit,” Jack said.

“You have no idea,” she said. “It was like a sexual boot camp, but with french fries and TV.”

That made him throw his head back and laugh, the same way he had when they’d fallen out of the closet during the rehearsal dinner, and she knew it was over.

She was head over heels in love with Jack Marshall.

Chapter

TWENTY-EIGHT

“I’m going to the restroom, and I’ll meet you at baggage claim.”

“Deal,” Jack said, grabbing her carry-on from her shoulder and putting it over his.

“Don’t ditch me,” she said, laughing, and then he stepped onto the escalator and headed downstairs. She walked toward the closest bank of public restrooms, but she felt more like skipping, she was so happy.

“Hallie?”

Hallie stopped and turned. It was Alex.

“Oh. Hey. What are you doing here?” She stood there as he ran to catch up with her, but she was surprised at how unaffected she felt. Not even her bruised ego cared anymore about this blond man, smiling and approaching cautiously like he was afraid she’d slug him.

“Last-minute work trip—talk about a small world. Do you have a quick second, since we both ended up in the same place?”

She looked behind him, then back at his face. “Well, I mean, I kind of have to go—”

“Just one second. Please? Obviously the universe wanted us to meet up.”

She shrugged and stepped out of the foot traffic, settling beside the airport bookstore. She knew she looked rough with no makeup and a messy bun, but she really didn’t care.

“I just want to apologize,” he said, looking incredibly serious. “I am so sorry, Hallie.”

What was with all the men from her past apologizing to her all of a sudden?

She waved a hand and said, “It’s okay.”

“I regret it so much, and I don’t know if you’d ever consider it, but I’d love to take you out to dinner.”

She gave a tiny shake of her head. “That’s very nice, but I don’t think so.” She paused, and because she was genuinely curious, she said, “Can I ask, though, what’s changed since you thought we weren’t meant to be together last week?”

He swallowed and said, “I was an idiot. Remember how we talked about dating apps and organic chemistry, and how—”

“How you thought fate was more important than anything else? Yeah.” Hallie was starting to get impatient because she knew Jack was waiting for her. Also, she still needed to use the restroom. “I remember.”

“Well, when your friend told me about the bet, I got mad, to be honest, because things were going so well that I wanted to believe it was fate. When I found out it wasn’t—”

“What?” Alarm bells started ringing in her head at his mention of the bet. “What are you talking about?”

“Jack. I ran into him when I was leaving your place, the day he brought you the cat toys I had in my car...?”

“Oh, yeah.” Hallie felt a little confused by what he was talking about, but she remembered Jack bringing up the toys Alex had gotten for Tigger. “Um—”

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