Page 23 of Sweet, Sweet Jewel: A Sweet Treats Novel

They hadn’t been able to take their eyes off each other during the ceremony. He’d been stunned by her frequent gazes. Finn hadn’t expected her to be that obvious with her interest. It was… unlike her.

He’d gotten under her skin and it was obvious she didn’t know what to do about it.

Which was exactly what he wanted.

Jewel’s brain would be firing on all cylinders to figure out what had gone wrong. The safest way to assess and rebuild her defenses was to retreat. She’d do her best to avoid him.

But the day wasn’t over yet.

Finn had all night to convince Jewel that she could let her guard down with him. Once he gained her trust, he’d pick her brain about her relationship with Kross and be on his way.

“They look good together, don’t they?” Carrie tottered over to him. The wedding party was watching from the sidelines as Joon Gi and Sky posed for a couple’s photo.

Finn nodded.

Carrie’s eyes burrowed into his. “So I saw the way you and Jewel were staring at each other earlier.”

“I did too.” The other woman, who’d introduced herself as ‘Joana Lee Gregory’, joined the conversation.

Carrie nodded soberly. “Something you want to tell us?”

“Not particularly,” Finn said, hiding his amusement with a patient smirk.

“Jewel’s a beautiful girl and even I find myself staring at her sometimes.” Joana gestured to her face. “But she’s not the type you can play around with. Okay? We’re thankful that you drove all the way here and that you convinced her to walk up with you, but don’t push.”

“Or we’ll have to step in.” Carrie pounded her fist into an open palm, the threat simmering in her eyes.

Finn chuckled. “You’re all oddly protective of her.”

“She’s been through a lot,” Carrie said.

Finn tilted his head. How much of her experience had Jewel confided in her friends? Did they know about Kross? He chewed on the thought, wondering if he needed to adjust his plan.

Nah.

Jewel was his ticket straight to the perp. He’d just underestimated the amount of bodyguards surrounding her.

Finn opened his mouth to assure Jewel’s friends that he had no bad intentions—none that they needed to know about anyway—but before he could, something wet plopped against his forehead.

He froze.

Carrie cringed.

Jo whipped her head over to the bride and groom who were kneeling in the grass for the photographer and yelled, “RAIN!”

Her war cry broke the clouds apart and summoned a shower that drilled into their heads and shoulders. Jo and Carrie took off at a rapid pace, frantically skirting around the ruins in search of shelter.

From the corner of his eye, Finn saw Joon covering Sky’s head with a palm and leading her to safety.

He was the last one to break out of the cluster of Mayan ruins. His raised arms offered little coverage from the rain that seemed determined to knock them out.

Sky’s white dress was a blip in the distance. She stopped beside a thin figure and exchanged frantic gestures. The girl waved her on and Sky, begrudgingly, left her behind.

When Finn jogged nearer, he noticed the woman Sky had been screaming at was Jewel. She was limping. Her dress was plastered against her body and he could see the outline of her bra through the shape. Long black hair lay in wavy strands over her face.

Finn sped up until he was right beside her.

Jewel glanced left in fright. When she saw him, her expression shifted to embarrassment. She waved him away just like she did to Sky. “I’m fine!”

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