“Yes. No.” Anna stared at her empty glass. “We’ve talked. But not about this. Not about anything important.”
“Maybe it’s time you did.”
“What if . . .”
“What if what?” Jenny prodded.
Anna looked at Jenny, and for the first time she saw real fear in her sister’s eyes. “What if he doesn’t want me?”
Jenny’s heart went out to her sister. “Of course he wants you. Phillip fell in love with you, proposed, and had a wedding all in less than six months.” Jenny couldn’t help thinking how her engagement had dragged on for six years.
Anna got up and poured herself another margarita. “You should have just gotten knocked up like I did. Then you, too, would have had to have a hasty marriage.”
Stunned, Jenny could only stare at her sister. Finally, she said. “Call him. Promise me.”
Anna looked out the kitchen to where the fireworks were going off. “I will,” she said quietly. “And I’m going to make Cody’s playoff game, no matter the consequences at work.” She turned back to Jenny. “Now you have to make me a promise. Don’t let Jared go. It’s as plain to see as that hideous tattoo on Aunt Margaret’s boob that you love him.”
Jenny was beginning to fear her sister was right.
TWENTY-TWO
Long after Anna, Cody, and the vast majority of the guests had left, Jenny wandered down to the beach. She hadn’t seen Jared, but then she hadn’t looked too hard for him either. Her mind kept tumbling back to her sister’s words. You love him. She’d wanted to tell Anna she had been wrong, Jenny hadn’t been foolish enough to fall in love with another flyboy, another man who would always want wings more than he would want her. But the denial had died on her tongue. And instead of leaving a bitter taste as she feared, all she could remember was how sweet he’d tasted when she’d kissed him and had run her open mouth along the outside of his neck.
And he wasn’t a flyboy. Not any longer.
“Hey, Cotton Tail.” So lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t heard him.
He sat down beside her in the sand and handed her a plate of food. “You haven’t eaten all day.”
It was true; she hadn’t. She wasn’t surprised he’d noticed. All day she’d felt his gaze on her, following her. Seeking her out.
She stared at the plate of food and realized there was only one thing she was hungry for. But did she dare?
“You’re not eating.”
She set the plate off to the side. She could either grab at this chance for happiness or live like she had been, safely cocooned away. Right then she realized she didn’t want to live that way anymore. “This isn’t what I’m hungry for. I want . . .”
Jared tipped her chin toward him. The warmth of his fingers reached all the way to her heart. “What?”
One word. One word, and there was no going back. “You. I want you.”
“Jenny.” His voice was husky with desire. He ran his thumb along her jaw then cupped the back of her neck.
He pulled her clear off the sand as his mouth came down on hers. His kiss was like the fireworks, hot and brilliant, and it made her want to ahhh in wonderment. Somehow she ended up on his lap. Lust and longing coiled low in her stomach, and she returned his kiss with a fervor she hadn’t known she possessed. She wanted to touch him everywhere, run her hands across his shoulders, down his hard chest, and over his hard erection pressing into her leg. She tugged at the front of his T-shirt and pulled it loose from his jeans. Running her hands underneath, she felt hard muscles and hot man. But she wanted more. She reached around his waist, grabbed a handful of soft cotton, and tugged. His shirt came free, and she broke away from their kiss. “Off,” she said with a foreign boldness.
With a low growl, he pulled her to her feet. Still holding on to her hand, he pulled her with him. She had to run to keep up. Then they were inside the Suburban and skidding out her parents’ driveway.
Only the weak glow from the dash lights illuminated Jared’s profile. Seat belt be damned, she half sat/half straddled the console between them and ran her hand along his rough jaw. She brushed her hand across his lips and felt him kiss her palm. He grabbed her around her waist moments before they took a sharp