Charli’s eyes popped open in shock and she stared up at him dumbfounded, her mouth open and her stomach clenching. He couldn’t mean what she thought he meant...could he?
Before her thoughts went any further, his mouth covered hers in a consuming kiss that was nothing like the sweet, gentle embrace they’d shared on the wall. This...this was pure, unadulterated piracy...conquering, plundering that completely devoured her.
His fingers snaked through her hair again, holding her in place as his lips dominated her. She moaned as his tongue licked her lower lip then slipped in to tangle with hers. Electricity shot through her body as his right hand moved to her lower back and pulled her tightly into him. Her hands, which had been pressed to his chest, slowly crept up until she was wrappedaround him like a second skin. Her body tightened as she rubbed herself against his hard torso.
Charli panted heavily and stared up at Jack in shock when he lifted his head. Her lips tingled, and she touched them absentmindedly. He was like a live wire—unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She wanted Jack in a way that she’d never felt before and the shock of desire was intense and unsettling for a woman who was always in control.
“Does that answer your question?” he whispered against her cheek as he peppered light butterfly kisses down her neck.
She released a rough breath, making him chuckle. He captured her mouth again with a firm kiss, then drew back, staring into her eyes. “What in the world would make you think I was batting for the other team?”
Charli gave him a clumsy shrug and wished again that she could hide somewhere...anywhere. This was probably one of the most awkward conversations she’d ever had and uncomfortable heat moved through her body. “Well, you’ve been so nice, and treating me like a little sister. For heaven’s sake, you even tucked me into bed and didn’t bat an eye when I got undressed in front of you.”
His brows rose. “You thought I was gay because I was nice to you? Are you kidding me?”
“Well,” she started, chewing her bottom lip, “you’ve just been such a gentleman, the society ladies all love you, and I haven’t seen any women around hitting on you.” She paused at his grin, irritated that he found her discomfort funny. “You’re completely hot, Jack and it’s a small island...so where are all the women?” she shrieked, waving her hands in the air.
Regretting that last outburst, she looked away and pressed fingers to her lips, refusing to say anything further.
Jack chuckled again. “So you think I’m hot, huh?”
Charli stared at him agape. “That was all you got out of that? That I think you’re gorgeous?” She huffed. “Well, you are, Jack,” she growled, folding her arms across her chest again. The man was impossible.
The expression on his face said he was enjoying the topic, while she sincerely wished she’d never brought it up.
“If it makes you feel any better,” he started, “I thoroughly enjoyed the kiss on the wall.” He tilted his head and stared at her lips with hot eyes. His thumb came up to play with her lower lip. “There was no way I could resist you.”
His intense gaze sent shivers up her spine and the desire inside warring with the fear of what this could mean to their partnership. She wasn’t sorry either butwhere did they go from here? For the first time in her life, Charli was sure of what she wanted but had absolutely no idea how to go about getting it or even whether she should.
And then all thought ceased as Jack pulled her close and kissed her deeply again.
8
Key West, Florida
Charli ran down the stairs and scanned the kitchen and dining room, making sure everything was perfectly in place. She had no idea why she was so nervous, but she wanted everything to be flawless. The last several days had passed in a blur and before she knew it, the time had come for Annette’s arrival.
Needless to say, Charli was a bit frazzled and incredibly excited all at the same time—her past and present were about to meet.
Satisfied with the house, she gave a quick nod to herself and strode out the back door. As she reached the sidewalk, she noticed a large royal palm tree that Jack and his crew were installing into the garden dangling fifteen feet in the air. She stopped and watched in amazement as a crane maneuvered the tree over the wall and existing garden into the perfect spotand began slowly lowering it as the workers guided it carefully into place.
She grinned as she watched Jack bark out orders. She had always been attracted to confident men, and he was the very definition of both competent and confident. She was beginning to see more and more of his personality emerge as they went about fulfilling Dottie’s wishes, and she loved what she saw.
Their flight back from the Dry Tortugas had been thoroughly awkward as she’d silently fumed in the copilot seat, alternatively mortified at her own clearly flawed judgment and assumptions, and yet exhilarated at the memories of their encounter on the beach. She mulled over what had happened between them and feared that they’d crossed some invisible line.
But since then, Jack had been a complete gentleman—still!—and given her plenty of space, all the while keeping a close eye on her.
Charli couldn’t help but feel conflicted about her budding feelings for Jack. While it was an exciting turn of events that he was not only straight but very interested in her, it was also a fact that it was only a matter of time before she returned to Boston. What then? She couldn’t imagine Jack anywhere else but in Key West and she couldn’t stay here indefinitely. Her stomach churned as her mind continued to run in circles with each scenario ending in heartbreak.
A shouted greeting snapped her out of her doldrums, and she glanced over to see Jack waving at her. Charli grinned and waved back, walking over to say hi before she had to head for the docks.
“Are you okay? You were staring off there for a minute,” Jack asked when she reached the wall. She smiled at the picture he presented: deeply tanned with his muscles rippling and covered in a light sheen of sweat. She felt her body react to the picture in front of her, and she could have sworn the temperature had jumped at least ten degrees when she got near to Jack.
He was the epitome of masculinity and after their trip to the Dry Tortugas, it was all Charli seemed to notice now. Jack was a complete one eighty from the power-suited, clean cut men that she had dated back in Boston—and that made him even more alluring, as if he needed anything else to make him more attractive.
Charli nodded. “Yeah, just watching your team unloading and placing the tree. You guys make all of this seem so easy.”
Jack grinned. “We do this type of work all the time. It’s all about having the right tools.” He glanced down at her purple sun dress. “Nice dress. Are you headed into town?”
