Hometown Love (13 page)

The way Mack had looked at her, though, let her know he saw something else—and better yet, liked what he saw. At least she thought he did. Not having a lot of experience with men, it was possible she’d misread him. She hoped not.

She heard footsteps upstairs and then a door close. A thrill of anticipation mixed with nerves settled in her stomach. When he’d kissed her the night before, he’d sent excitement coursing through her body, awakening parts that had been dormant for so long. Then tonight, when he’d touched her face, he’d sent shock to those same parts, awakening them even more. What would the rest of the night bring? Would he kiss her again? Or, instead, say goodnight now and walk her to her car with a “see you around”?

“She almost fell asleep brushing her teeth. I think she gave me a hard time because you’re here. She really likes you.”

Jessie watched him as he came back into the room and her self-confidence slipped. For a moment, she wondered if she’d imagined the kiss they’d shared. This was Mack Ellsbury. The guy so many girls in town had wanted to date. The man who looked even more gorgeous now than he had back in school. Why would he kiss her?

You didn’t imagine the kiss
or
the way he looked at you.

Her thoughts bolstered her confidence.

“I like her, too. She’s a sweet girl.”

Mack sat next to her, his thigh rubbing against hers. “Can I get you anything?”

Yes, you.
The thought popped into her head, but thankfully, not out of her mouth.

“I know I was thinking about another cupcake,” he said.

The cupcakes from Peggy’s weren’t the normal sized ones people baked at home. They were huge. Earlier in the night she’d split one with Grace. “No, thanks.”

Mack’s arm slipped over her shoulders, his fingertips brushing her arm. “I’ll get the cupcake later, then. Can you stay for a little longer?” His fingers caressed her skin, leaving goose bumps behind.

She nodded and enjoyed the simple physical contact. Nothing short of an all-out emergency could get her to leave now.

“Good,” he said his voice taking on a huskiness that hadn’t been there before. “I’m glad you came tonight.” He touched her cheek, sending a ripple of awareness through her.

Kiss me
. Jessie clenched her fist to keep from reaching for him.

“I missed you after you left last night.” He leaned forward, his gaze dropping to her lips for a moment before going back to her eyes. “All day I’ve been thinking about one thing.”

Before she could ask him what, his mouth came down on hers. The kiss started slow and gentle as if he wanted to see how she would respond.

After spending a good portion of the day thinking about their last kiss, she wanted to bask in this one. Leaning in, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Following her actions, Mack’s kiss changed. His lips became more demanding as he caressed and coaxed hers apart. Caught up in the moment, she opened to him and his tongue surged forward. A wave of desire shot through her body.

Jessie had no idea how long the kiss lasted, but she knew she didn’t want it to end.

Unaware of her desires, Mack pulled away and switched his attention to the erratic pulse in her neck. “I missed you last night, too.” Since he’d shared his feelings, it seemed only fair that she do that same. “I’m glad you invited me over tonight.”

His hand moved from her waist and traveled up her side as his lips once again took possession of hers. Immediately, blood surged from her fingertips to her toes and she lost herself in the kiss. Only when his hand brushed the outside of her breast did sudden panic reel her back to the present. Even through her t-shirt and bra, heat from his hand burned her skin.

This is Mack. He’d never force you.
The reminder set her mind at ease, leaving Mack none the wiser. 
Just enjoy this.

With a mental shove, she pushed her negative thoughts away and threw all she had into their kiss. Slowly one kiss flowed into another.

“Do you have plans tomorrow?” Mack pulled back from another incredible kiss.

“Work until two.”

Mack pushed some hair away from her face. “Come over after.”

“Are you sure?” She’d already intruded on his time with Grace.

He kissed her cheek. “Positive.”

Jessie fought to form an answer as he kissed a path toward her mouth. “Ok.” She got the single word out before his lips covered hers again.

“Grace is spending next weekend with her mom.” Mack ended their kiss. They’d more or less been making out like a couple of teenagers for the past two hours and Jessie didn’t want it to end. “I thought we could go out, just the two of us. Do you have to work?”

“I’m off Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday.”

Mack raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Not anymore you’re not.”

The independent woman in her said she should object to his bossiness, but the truth was, she wanted to spend time with him, wanted to explore this thing between them.

“I’ll pencil you in.”

With Charlie due over at any minute, Jessie hid the basket of unfolded laundry in her bedroom. It had been one of the many things on her To-Do list that weekend, but like everything else, she hadn’t gotten around to it. Between work, then babysitting on Friday night, and spending time at Mack’s Saturday and Sunday nights, she’d been away from her apartment most of the weekend. Despite the untouched list, it had been the best weekend she’d had in a long time.

She let her mind wander back to their first kiss on Friday night. Soon her thoughts turned to the rest of the weekend. They hadn’t done anything but talk and kiss. She didn’t know if that was because Grace had been upstairs or because he didn’t want to rush things, but either way, she was grateful. She enjoyed kissing him and being in his arms, but she wasn’t quite ready for anything else. Or at least, her brain wasn’t ready. Her body, on the other hand, had wanted so much more when he’d been kissing her last night. Just how much her body ached for his touch scared her. Never had she experienced an actual yearning to have someone’s skin against hers, to have a man love her with his whole body. With Jeremy, the only man she’d ever slept with, it had been all about his needs and desires. If he wanted sex, they had sex. End of story.

Anger flared at the mere thought of Jeremy. She’d let him control her life for way too long. Even after she’d left him, he’d controlled her life. Now, complete control rested in her hands.

The doorbell brought Jessie back from the past. Closing the bedroom door to hide the unfolded laundry, she headed out, prepared for a nice afternoon with an old friend.

“So what did you do all weekend?” Jessie asked as she prepared a pot of coffee for Charlie, the biggest coffee fanatic she’d ever met.

“We hung at Sean’s place on Saturday. He said to say hello, by the way. On Sunday, I drove Taylor back to my dad’s and visited with him.”

Charlie’s father had come back into her life that summer after eighteen years. “How are things going?” She watched her friend for a reaction. Charlie, much like her brother, kept certain emotions under lock and key. Sometimes, the only way to know her true feelings was by her expressions.

“Okay. Strange. Jake insists it’ll get better, but I’m not convinced. What about you? I noticed your car at Mack’s again last night when I drove by.”

Jessie ran through the adjectives in her vocabulary. “It was nice.”

Charlie made a noise in the back of her throat and accepted her coffee. “That’s all? I hoped you’d say incredible or fantastic. For some reason, I imagined he’d be capable of more than just a nice night.”

Oh, it had been so much more than just nice. Jessie didn’t know why she’d settled on such an inappropriate word. “Both days I spent time with him and his daughter. They made me feel like part of their family.” She knew that sounded ridiculous. She’d only just reconnected with Mack. She wasn’t part of his family, but she could see herself that way.

“And when we were alone…” Jessie’s voice trailed off, and she shifted in her seat. “We only kissed, but it… I don’t know how to explain it. It felt like more than a kiss. Does that make any sense? I’ve been kissed before, not a lot, but it never made me feel like this.”

Charlie nodded. “I know what you mean. So what’s the problem?”

“I didn’t say there was a problem.” Jessie glanced at the table.

“You didn’t have to. If you’re attracted to him and like spending time with him, what’s the problem? Is it because he has a daughter?”

When she’d dated Jeremy, Charlie had been away from town and they hadn’t seen much of each other. In fact, Jessie hadn’t seen much of anyone. Those she had seen never knew how Jeremy treated her when they were alone.

“That doesn’t bother me. I just haven’t dated a lot.” No way was she going to admit she hadn’t been on a date since college. “The last relationship I was in, well, it didn’t go well.”

If Charlie found her statement odd, she kept the thought to herself. “So that happens. I dated a few losers before I met Jake. Everyone does.”

Only a handful of people knew the truth about Jeremy. Charlie never would have stood for Jeremy’s crap. She would’ve left him in a heartbeat.

“I never should have stayed with my ex-boyfriend as long as I did. It took me a long time to find myself again after I left him.”

A light bulb went on over Charlie’s head. “You don’t have to worry about that with Mack. We’ve both known him and his family for a long time. He’s a good guy. I say see where things go if you’re interested in him. The worst that’ll happen is you go back to being friendly acquaintances.”

Lifting the coffee she’d poured herself, she sighed. “I know you’re right. I’m still nervous.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t be a little nervous, just don’t let it stop you. Take things one day at a time and see where they go.” Charlie gave her a mischievous smile. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll be here next year getting ready for
you’re
wedding.”

The comment was so uncharacteristic of Charlie, Jessie burst out laughing.

“I knew I could get you to loosen up.” Charlie picked up her own coffee again, a pleased expression on her face.

With a roll of her eyes, Jessie shifted the conversation from her love life. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Your life’s a lot more interesting.”

“Not much new going on. Jake and I started looking for a new place.”

Jessie thought the townhouse they lived in now was beautiful. She didn’t see why they’d want to move. “What is Jake up to today? Did Sean leave him a list of jobs?”

“You know Sean better than that. He’d never trust Jake to work on the house without him.” Charlie took a sip of her coffee. “He went to visit his cousin, Trent, in Providence.”

“I saw a picture of his cousin on the cover of
The Star Report
last week. He looks just like Jake. They could be brothers.”

Jessie and Charlie continued their conversation as they enjoyed the soup Jessie had prepared them. Again, Jessie marveled at how easily they’d fallen back into a close friendship despite the years they’d gone without seeing each other.

When Charlie left a few hours later, Jessie returned to the baskets of laundry waiting for her. As she went through the mundane task, her thoughts revisited Charlie’s advice. Her friend’s words reinforced what she already knew about Mack. While she knew Charlie had been joking about the wedding, it didn’t take any effort for her to envision spending her life with Mack and his daughter. That weekend, spending time with the two, had felt natural as if they’d done it a thousand times before. Had it been that way for him, too? She hoped so. Only time would tell.

Her doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Had Charlie forgotten something?

“Who is it?” While North Salem remained a safe town, it never hurt to stay cautious.

“It’s Mack, Jessie.”

Mack? Jessie checked her watch. It was only three in the afternoon. Curiosity mingled with her excitement and Jessie opened the door. Prepared to embrace him, she took a step forward, but then stopped. She knew he worked in law enforcement but she’d never seen him with a gun. The last time she’d seen him after a day of work, he’d had his golf shirt untucked, concealing his weapon. Today though, the handle protruded from the waistband of his black cargo pants, and an extra magazine sat on the other side. She’d seen guns before. Her grandfather, a retired Marine, had been an avid hunter when she’d been young. But the sight of the weapon on Mack drove home what a dangerous job he had.

When she didn’t move, Mack stepped toward her and hugged her. The contact brought her voice back online. “Mack, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I left the house at four o’clock this morning. I’m done for the day.” He kissed her and pushed the door closed behind him at the same time. “I decided I’d stop in and see you before I pick up Grace. I hope that’s okay.”

His kiss and words sent a flutter of excitement through her chest. “Of course.” She wanted another kiss; the first one had been too short. So far she hadn’t initiated anything. She’d followed his lead. How would he react if she turned the tables? Some men wanted everything on their terms. Only one way to find out if Mack fit into that category.

Before she lost her nerve, Jessie captured his mouth for a light kiss. When he didn’t pull back with anger, she let the kiss become more demanding. As the kiss sent shivers of desire racing through her, Jessie parted her lips, an open invitation for Mack to enter.

He didn’t disappoint.

In a heartbeat Mack’s tongue met hers and right away, her senses reeled from the delicious sensations his kiss sent through her.

When he did pull away, she noticed how the pulse in his neck beat faster just as her own heart did. In a flash, embarrassment washed over her and she kept her eyes focused on his chest rather than his face when she spoke. “Four? Why so early?” Right now she needed a mundane conversation.

With his index finger, he tilted her face toward his while his other hand remained locked on her waist. “We did a big arrest along with the state police and the DEA.” His hand moved from under her chin and he brushed a few stray hairs from her face.

Jessie’s mind latched onto his comment. “Do you like working with the FBI?”

Mack’s fingers outlined her ear before moving down her face and neck. He stopped for a moment when he reached her shoulder, but then continued down her arm. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and locked his hands behind her back. “Love it. I’ve been doing it for three years now.”

Locked in his embrace with his body pressed against hers, her mind struggled to keep focused on their conversation. The longer they stayed together, the faster her heart beat. “Are there others like you with the FBI?”

Mack’s head lowered again. “Task force officers?” He brushed a feather-light kiss across her mouth and then pulled back just enough to speak. “Not a lot, but there are others from various police departments.” He dropped another kiss onto her mouth, this one firmer. More demanding.

Driven by passion and the way he’d responded to her earlier, she returned his kiss with reckless abandon.

All too soon, he pulled back, his breathing heavy, leaving her mouth on fire. “I’d like nothing more than to stay and do this for a few hours, but I need to get Grace.”

Still in a kiss-induced fog, Jessie nodded.

“I haven’t seen her since yesterday. She spent last night with Erin so she could get her off to school this morning.” Mack took a step back, his arms still locked behind her. “We’re still on for the weekend though, right? Bethany’s picking Grace up at five on Friday.”

“As of Friday afternoon, I’m free all weekend.” A dose of apprehension bolted through her. They’d be alone, and she didn’t know how far things might go or how far she even wanted them to go.

Mack’s arms fell back to his sides. “Good.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Are you free to come by for dinner this week?”

“I can come on Wednesday.” Jessie’s apprehension disappeared and was replaced with something that she suspected could easily turn into love.

“Good. I’ll see you then.” He took a step toward the door. “Does six-thirty work?”

Mack glanced back up at Jessie’s apartment before he pulled away from the curb. Again, today, much like yesterday, his attraction toward her had him shaking his head. Never in a million years would he have expected the type of relationship that was developing between them. Before his return, he’d considered her that nice girl in town who got along with everyone, but the one who spent her Saturday nights with her grandmother.

Since he’d seen her running the day he’d moved in, however, he’d viewed her in a whole new light. Sure, she was still the Jessie Quinn everyone liked. The one who wouldn’t think twice about doing anyone a favor. At the same time, however, she wasn’t the girl everyone overlooked anymore. She’d changed into a sexy woman men noticed, though she did appear oblivious to the attention. He’d sure as hell noticed her.

When he’d stopped at her place, he’d only intended a quick hello and a brief kiss. He might have managed that if she hadn’t given him that soul-searching kiss. At first, it’d surprised him. So far, he’d always been the aggressor. He assumed the nervousness he sometimes glimpsed in her was what held her back. Whatever the case, it didn’t bother him. He knew eventually she’d be comfortable enough to make the first move. He just hadn’t expected it today.

However, when she’d taken possession of his lips and then opened her sweet mouth to him, it had nearly brought him to his knees. Even now, his blood pooled below his belt, urging him to turn around and go back. Thankfully, while his body might not know it, his head did realize now wasn’t the time to take things further. Maybe this weekend, but definitely not now.

The physical reaction he had wasn’t the only thing that had him shaking his head. After all, Jessie was, as Tony said, hot, and he was a single guy who hadn’t had sex in months. The emotional attraction between them surprised him the most. He’d known Jessie all her life and had never considered how much he might enjoy her company. Now, he looked forward to their time together. In fact, even though they’d spent much of the weekend together, he’d missed her yesterday afternoon when she left. Then, the thought of not seeing her today had caused him to make a detour on the way to his sister’s house.