Page 24 of Bursting With Love
“I said get my butt in gear, silly boy,” she said with a laugh.
Elizabeth sidled up to her. “What were you up to last night?”
She looked around to see if anyone else had heard her. “What do you mean?”
“Relax. No one else knows. I had to pee, and when I was in the woods, I heard something. At first I thought it was Josie and Pratt, but then I clearly heard the name Jack, and it wasn’t spoken, if you know what I mean.” She poked Savannah in the ribs and arched a brow. “I see you took my advice.”
“Oh my God. Do you think anyone else heard us?” Savannah’s eyes darted from Lou to Josie and finally to Pratt, none of whom where paying her any extra attention. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“I just told you no one else knows. Sheesh, your head is still in the clouds isn’t it? There’s nothing better than that new-relationship-after-sex euphoria.” Elizabeth sighed with a dreamy look in her eyes. She nodded toward Jack. “He seems more relaxed today, too. He’s not nearly as cranky.”
“I don’t know if I’d call it a relationship.” Savannah watched Jack as he filled a backpack with supplies. He was moving with less rigidity, and his mouth was no longer pinched. He glanced up, and Savannah noticed his furrowed brows—and how strikingly handsome he really was—only this time it wasn’t his features she was assessing. As she drank in his angular nose, high cheekbones, and strong chin, it was his words that she heard. I see a strong woman who’s also feminine, and the combination is…frustrating. His honesty was his most attractive trait, and a refreshing change for Savannah, who lived in a world of misrepresentation and deceit. Jack caught her gaze, and she held her breath. When he smiled, the deep worry lines that had traveled across his forehead disappeared, and Savannah let out the breath she’d been holding.
She made a conscious effort to keep a little distance between herself and Jack. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, and she didn’t need to look like a moon-eyed girl in front of the others. She knew that everyone would see right through any efforts she made to hide the way her stomach fluttered and her pulse skipped when she looked at him.
Despite the bright sun, the temperature beneath the cover of the trees was downright chilly. Savannah had just pulled her sweatshirt over her head when she felt Jack’s hand on her lower back. It could only be Jack’s enormous hand, as it covered her almost completely from hip to hip, and if she concentrated hard enough, she could still feel the heat of it against her bare skin. Now his hand slid off as quickly as it had landed. Savannah scanned the campsite. Pratt and Josie were packing their supplies, and Lou, Elizabeth, and Aiden were playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt. No one appeared to be looking for them.
“You sleep okay?” Jack asked in a serious voice.
She turned to face him, and her smile stuck half formed on her lips. That shadowed look was back.
“Yeah. What’s wrong?”
Jack’s eyes shifted left, then right, finally landing on Savannah’s. “Nothing.”
Savannah heard, Everything. She touched his arm, and his muscles tensed. “Jack?” she whispered. “What am I not getting here?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s gonna be a long day. You have what you need?”
“Jack, I have everything. You gave us a very precise list. Please tell me what’s going on.” She looked over her shoulder, relieved to see the others were still busy. She turned back to Jack, and the fluttering in her stomach turned to a sinking feeling.
Jack clenched his jaw. “Come here.” He stalked off to the edge of the woods. Savannah followed, her insides twisting with regret. He’s gonna say it was all a mistake. It’s over. Shit. When did I start caring so much?
“Savannah, what we did last night—”
She held up her hand. Hearing him say the words was going to be far too painful. Instead, she said it for him. “It was all a mistake and you want to forget it ever happened.”
Jack’s eyes flashed dark. He hunkered over her and touched her elbow, turning with her away from the others. “What? Why on earth would you think that?”
“Isn’t that what you came to tell me?”
Jack caressed her arm. “No. I wanted to tell you that what we did last night meant a lot to me. But, Savannah, if you don’t want this, please tell me now. I’m not the kind of guy who wants or needs a fling. Hell, I don’t even know how to have one.”
Savannah shook her head. She needed clarification. Her legal mind kicked into gear, and she wanted to know precisely what he meant. In no uncertain terms.
