Page 146 of An Unholy Affair
He shook his head. ‘No need. I’ll move on. Lovely to meet you, Eveline.’ He nodded at Henry. ‘Foxy…’ then turned to Estelle, a dark and devilish sparkle in his eyes. ‘Foxylady…’
James stepped back and turned away as Eveline grabbed Estelle to hold her back.
‘See what I mean?’ Estelle said as they watched him move away through the crowds.
Eveline gazed at her friend. She had a look of fury about her, but it was wavering, as if she wasn’t sure exactly how to define why James was riling her so much.
‘Well, I thought he was friendly and polite.’
‘He called me “Foxy lady”!’
‘After you called him a pig, refused to shake his hand, then said you wouldn’t touch him even if he was the last man on earth.’
‘Humph.’
‘Eveline,’ Henry began. ‘James can be extremely charismatic, but trust me, he’s a bad sort. I would hate for you to have your head turned by him.’
‘Well, thank fuck Eveline’s head’s been turned by someone far better,’ Estelle replied.
‘Huh? Who?’
Estelle grinned and pointed across the room as Jack weaved his way towards them, a huge smile on his face. ‘Him.’
30
The stress of organising such a big event and Simon’s fuckwittery receded from Jack’s mind as his eyes locked on Eveline’s.
His heart and mind always seemed to stutter whenever he saw her, as if recalibrating to hold bigger and bigger feelings. Now he wasn’t sure if there was any room left in his chest to breathe.
It was like being back in London, just over a year ago, and yet so utterly different. Eveline was at a bar, in the same red dress, and still as achingly beautiful as before. But back then he’d been Jasper, hiding his true self behind layers of lies and artifice. Now he was just Jack and loved her down to his bones.
Love?
The realisation made his feet falter.Didhe love her? He knew the answer was self-evident, but it was a truth he’d avoided and ignored. The emotion was limitless and utterly destabilising—like standing at the edge of a black hole, with no knowing if he would live or die should he dive in. And even more terrifying was the fear he would let her down, that his past would come back to haunt her, or that he wouldn’t be enough.
Shut up! Just fucking shut up!
Eveline looked happy, excited, and nervous as he approached. This was the moment when they would acknowledge publicly how their relationship had changed. This was when he truly left his old life behind and started a new one, here in Foxbrooke, with her.
His mind may have been in turmoil, but his body was drawn to hers with a force more inescapable than gravity. He reached for her and she arched into his arms. Lowering his head, he kissed her, his lips assured and possessive. Her hand gripped the back of his neck and he deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking into her mouth to meet hers, and sending a shock of pleasure through him.
‘Ahem,’ said Henry.
Jack slowly disengaged, watching the realisation that they were in a crowded room redden Eveline’s cheeks.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ he murmured, smiling as her blush deepened.
‘So, there we have it,’ said Estelle to her brother. ‘Eveline’s won the “jack-pot”, and James Hunter-Savage goes home empty-handed.’
Jack straightened, still holding Eveline to him. ‘Who’s James Hunter-Savage?’
‘Some arsehole from Henry’s past,’ Estelle replied. ‘Mom invited him.’
‘Sorry about that. I didn’t get to see her guest list.’
‘It’s not your fault. Anyway, all Mom’s cronies are in the other dining room so we can avoid him.’
‘So, erm…’ Henry began, still appearing shell-shocked at the sight of his oldest friend snogging the vicar.
