to Chance to help with the cleanup. They’d made a campground out of the town square, and Jake, Max, and Dillon had gone door-to-door to collect hot dogs and burgers and had grilled them for the visitors as a thank-you.
The next night they’d gathered popcorn and set up a projector in the square to show a movie on the side of city hall. The next they’d taken root beer and ice cream and had asked a couple of local teens to act as DJs, playing music and setting up a crazy charades tournament. Each night, along with the visitors, more and more of Chance’s citizens had shown up for the festivities.
It was all great. It was. Avery was happy as she looked around the square and thought about all they’d gotten done.
But then she looked back at Jake, and not only her body ached, but her heart did, too. They worked all day and then relaxed at night with the rest of the town, which meant they weren’t alone together. At all. Jake was incredibly sweet and demonstrative. He always had his hands on her—an arm around her shoulders, holding her hand, or a big palm on the back of her neck. They’d been together constantly during the town-square events. He’d even coaxed her into dancing with him the night before. It had been wonderful. But it hadn’t been enough.
She wanted just five minutes alone with him.
She looked at Jake’s mouth as he studied hers.
Okay, more than five minutes.
“Did I get it?” she asked, licking her lip again.
He leaned in. “Actually, you missed a bit of marshmallow over here.” He took her chin between his finger and thumb and licked his tongue along her lip.
Her heart pounded, and heat and desire pooled low and deep and fast. She cupped the back of his head, curling her fingers into his hair, gripping gently, not wanting to let him go.
With a groan, he possessed her mouth. His grasp on her chin tightened, and he tipped her head so he could get deeper.
Avery wasn’t sure if he pulled her to him or if she stood up first, but a second later the crate she’d been sitting on was on its side, and she was in his lap. His hand gripped her hip, grinding her down against his erection. She moaned and ripped her mouth from his. “Let’s go. Please.”
At that moment his phone rang in his pocket. He didn’t even pull it out. He reached in between them and silenced it. “Where?”
“Anywhere.”
He grinned. “People will notice.”
“I don’t care.” She meant it. Everyone thought she was in love with him and . . . she was in love with him. Everyone also considered her relatively bright. If both of those things were true, why wouldn’t she take him to the first private place she could find and strip him down?
Jake took her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. “Say that again.”
“I don’t care if everyone in the world knows I’m doing hot, naughty, naked things with you.”
Something flickered in his eyes. They heated up, as usual, but there was something else. Satisfaction, if she had to put a word to it.
She started to get up. They could go to her place. She could have him the rest of the night. Neither of them needed sleep. The next day would just be more painting and meetings and—
“I want to stay.”
“So we’ll—” Then his words sank in. She turned to face him. “Stay?” She frowned. “What do you mean?”
He took her hand, tugging her back into his lap. “I want to stay. I think it’s important.”
She looked around, confused. “Are you on graham-cracker duty or something?”
He ran his hand up and down her back. “A, I want—Hell, I want to throw you over my shoulder, take you home, and not let you out of bed for the next week and a half.”
She pulled in a long breath. “Yes, let’s do that.”
He pulled her closer, but it was more of a hug than a sensual embrace. “But I love being here, in public, able to touch you and just be. The feeling we’re in this together. Knowing everyone knows we’re involved.”
She tried to turn in his lap, but he clamped his arm tighter around her waist.
“Don’t wiggle,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Jake.” She wiggled again but he was stronger. She slumped against him. “Everyone knows we’re together. In fact, leaving would prove we’re together.”
She felt his nose in her hair and heard the big