Текст книги "The Heat of the Moment"
Автор книги: Katie Rose
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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 15 страниц)
Chapter 30
The Princeton bridal shop was more elegant than Jessica had ever imagined. As they walked into the showroom, she saw racks of white dresses everywhere, glass mirrors, white carpeting, and a round platform that looked like a stage. Crystal chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, and rainbow lights danced on the walls.
A woman approached them, her platinum hair and eggshell dress looking very appropriate in the pristine environment. “Hello, I am Julia. And who is our bride?”
“I’m Darcy.” The bride-to-be smiled at the salesclerk. “I bought a gown a few months ago, and am here for a final fitting.”
The woman immediately put her arm around Chase’s fiancée and gave her a warm, welcoming smile. “You will make a beautiful bride,” she said gushingly, taking in Darcy’s petite figure, blond hair, and sparkling blue eyes. “Your sales representative isn’t here today, but I can show you your dress. Now you ladies all make yourself comfortable, and I will be right back.”
“My God, I never dreamed there were so many styles!” Jessica thumbed through the racks, seeing strapless gowns, mermaid cuts, fit-and-flares, and column dresses in every fabric imaginable including chiffon, lace, silk, satin, even tulle. There were ball gowns fit for Princess Diana, and elegant designer outfits that looked more appropriate for an upscale dinner.
“Let’s try some on,” Nikki said, her voice rich with amusement.
“What?” Jessica looked at her as if she were insane.
“Come on. Hopefully I’m going to be wearing one of these sometime in the future.” She whipped out a pink Vera Wang ball gown and handed it to Jessica, and then grabbed a gaudy beaded satin corset dress for herself. “We can look at the stuff we know we would never buy, just for fun.”
“Okay.” Jessica did an eye roll. Nevertheless, she took the garment into the dressing room and behind closed doors, slipped it on.
She wasn’t surprised that the dress didn’t suit her at all. It was far too flouncy for her athletic figure, and the color, a blush rose, made her complexion appear sallow. On another woman, Jessica mused, the gown would be gorgeous, but on her it just looked silly.
She and Nikki met outside, both of them giggling. “Oh my God, I look like a strawberry cupcake!” Jessica chortled, twirling in the way-too-big pink confection, while Nikki paraded around in a white lace corset as if she were working at an exotic nightclub.
“And I look like I should be getting tips in my garter belt!”
They continued playing like children dressing up. Jessica roared with laughter as Nikki appeared in a Little Bo Peep getup complete with a hook-handled umbrella, while she did a snazzy rendition of a Charleston wearing a fringed cocktail dress.
Another one of the saleswomen, obviously not thrilled with their antics, came into the dressing room with a couple of garments draped over her arm.
“Try this,” she said to Nikki, and then handed the other to Jessica. “And this one is for you.”
Like scolded schoolgirls, Jessica and Nikki had no choice but to comply. Slipping into the simple satin column dress with a touch of bling on the shoulders, Jessica turned toward the mirror, expecting once more to be amused.
Instead, her mouth fell open. The Zac Posen designer original made the most of her slender figure, and the fitted bust detail actually gave her cleavage. The color was a little more ivory than stark white, which looked gorgeous with her hair and complexion. Startled, her throat grew tight as she gazed at her reflection.
She was a bride. It was something she had not given a lot of thought to, unlike countless other women who had dreamed of the perfect wedding since they were little. Yet now, her reflection gave her a glimpse of the dream, of walking down the aisle appearing elegant and sophisticated.
With a man like Gavin.
She couldn’t stop the emotions that followed. Could she do it? Could she trust him that much? Was she the marrying kind? Once she would have thought no, she was happy with her life just the way it was. But now, just looking at the dress, she realized something had shifted within her, and that something had everything to do with Gavin.
Jessica froze: she was falling in love. She knew it, the way one knew all true things, and wasn’t at all sure how to deal with it. A thousand familiar warning bells went off in her brain, but for the first time they were out-shouted by a warmth radiating within her heart.
A knock sounded on the door, and she quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. “Yes?”
“Darcy’s ready. Let me see?” Without waiting for an invite, Nikki opened the door and gasped when she viewed Jessica in the elegant dress. “Jess, you look incredible!”
“So do you!” Jessica stared at the Grace Kelly ball gown that Nikki showed off.
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I wouldn’t have thought to try something like this on, but I love it!”
“That’s my job.” The saleswoman smiled as both women gaped appreciatively at the other. “So remember us when it comes your time. But right now we have a bride waiting.”
Both Nikki and Jessica disappeared for the last time into the confines of the dressing room. Reluctantly, Jessica slipped off the elegant wedding gown, her eyes returning again and again to the beautiful garment now displayed on a padded hanger as she slipped on her yoga pants. Joining Nikki at the platform, they each took a chair and waited expectantly. When Darcy entered wearing a strapless mermaid Galina, complete with a veil and sparkling crystal earrings, both women cried out at the same time.
“Oh my God, Darcy, you look stunning!”
The bride-to-be actually blushed, and then smoothed the folds of the gown. “Do you think so?” She turned sideways, looking at the back. “I was a little concerned because I gained a couple of pounds, but I think it looks okay.”
“Okay?” Nikki turned to Jessica for confirmation. “It’s fabulous! And it fits you perfectly.”
“Absolutely,” Jessica seconded, fumbling for a tissue.
This time she wasn’t embarrassed when she realized she was not the only one crying.
–
Jessica felt drained by the time she got home. She wasn’t used to experiencing the more feminine emotions. If she had to be honest, she would have thought she was above all that, but now she knew better.
She could bawl with the best of them.
She didn’t know what was happening to her, why she was changing. She felt like she was opening up like a flower in the spring sunlight, and she choked on the corniness of her own musings. But as unsettling as it was, she privately had to admit that it wasn’t unpleasant.
Even now, as she dressed for her date with Gavin, she discovered she enjoyed wearing flattering clothes, a little bit of bling, and even a touch of makeup. She was looking forward to seeing him more than she would have imagined, and she smiled as she envisioned his reaction to her outfit.
Damn. She was turning into a real girly-girl.
Her ruminations turned to the first time they were together, when they wound up wrestling on the cot in the therapy room. She had experienced the most mind-blowing orgasm she ever would have conceived possible. And yet it only got better every time she saw him. A shiver of anticipation ran through her as she thought of the night to come.
But she stopped herself, looking at the attractive woman staring back at her in her bathroom mirror. Had she forgotten how bad this could be?
He was a baseball player. What would happen once he got healthy? Would he leave her for the trophy girl when he was once again a star?
She should run. She should get out now, bolt before she got in too deep.
But it was too late: she had already fallen hard for him. And how could she help it? He was drop-dead gorgeous, with six-pack abs and biceps to die for. He was also funny, kind, and patient, liked her family, and was very good to her.
Crap. Try as she might, she couldn’t find a flaw, not one thing she could point to and say, There! That’s why we shouldn’t be together!
Other than her fear.
But she was tired of running, and being afraid. What was that quotation she once saw in a card shop by Anaïs Nin, about how the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom?
And that’s where she was.
So for tonight, one night, she decided not to fret and just go with the flow. The little kitten he’d given her mewed in approval as she filled her dish, and she gave Bella (the little thing scratched her and was a vampire, she was certain) a quick pat along her tiny body. When she heard his knock at the door, her insides turned to jelly, and she had to stop herself from running to answer it.
“Hey,” she said, sucking in a breath as she saw him dressed in a black leather jacket, crewneck sweater, and jeans. His hair was a little mussed and curled attractively around his collar, only emphasizing his firm jaw, perfect nose, and dark, liquid eyes. He could have stepped out of a GQ ad even in his casual garb with that killer body and Colgate smile.
And he was holding roses.
Dozens of them, red, white, and yellow.
“They are gorgeous,” Jessica said, breathing in the delicate tea scent. “But I told you before, you don’t have to do this!”
“Of course I do. Stop fighting me.” His eyes met hers as the kitten swirled between his legs, and she saw the emotion there. For her. “Oh, and I got you something else. It’s kind of silly, but I thought you might like it.”
He handed her what looked like a baseball card. But instead of a mean-looking batter or intense pitcher gracing the front, she was astonished to see it was a photograph of her at six years old, dressed in a baseball uniform with a bat, ready to take on the world. She was missing a tooth, and her hair was barely tamed in two braids.
“Rory sent me the picture.” He shrugged as she looked at him in astonishment.
When she turned the card over, there was her name, cited as the Sonics MVP and Sexiest Honorary Member. Beneath that were her stats: name, age, her eye color, her freckles, even her dimples. He also had her rehab average (A+), and attributes that included kindness, patience, and fortitude. His favorite feature: her hair.
What he cherished most: her heart.
Tears stung her eyes, and she was filled with warmth. When she was able to look up without making a complete fool of herself, she gave him a grateful smile.
“I think this is the best present I’ve ever gotten, next to the kitty,” she said sincerely, touched by his effort. She put it on her refrigerator with a magnet, so she would see it every day.
“I am glad.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but changed his mind and twirled her, openly admiring her funky dress, tights, and flats. “You look great!”
“Just something I threw on,” she said with a grin, but was pleased at his compliment. Terrell had promised her that looking stylish didn’t mean being uncomfortable, and this outfit proved it. She felt as good as she did in her sweats, but the little touches like the orange ballet slippers with the Bohemian print dress made her appear pulled together.
“Shall we?”
They had planned an outing to the sculpture gardens. She knew he had put a lot of effort into researching the place, checking the times, and buying the tickets. But when he reached for her hand, she experienced that spark of electricity that always simmered between them. After that baseball card and the kitten, she had to fight the impulse to pull him back into her condo and frantically lock lips with him. Fortunately, when her eyes met his, she saw the same inexplicable desire burning there.
For her.
“Damn.” Without another word, he yanked her into his arms, and his mouth took hers with a passion and longing that left her breathless. His hand cradled her head, holding her firmly, as his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her up against his hard-muscled body. When he finally eased his lips from hers, she had to hold on to him for support.
“Wow.” He finally came back into focus. “You sure know how to say hello.”
He smiled, but the fire in his eyes burned brighter. “Think you want to skip the outing?”
His voice was husky, deep with erotic promise, and she could feel him hot and hard against her. Jessica batted her eyes, still reeling from his sexy greeting. “Are you reading my mind?” she asked teasingly, unbuttoning the top of her dress and displaying the black lace bra. “I got this for you.”
He kicked the door closed behind him and hoisted her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. “Put me down!” She laughed, pummeling his back. She earned a spank on her backside for her trouble. She gasped, then continued protesting. “You’re going to hurt yourself, and undo all my work…”
“Too late.”
But when she landed on her bed and he crawled on top of her, nudging her legs apart, she knew that he had no intention of letting her go. Not that she wanted him to. “I was only kidding,” she tried weakly as his mouth descended to hers.
“I wasn’t,” he growled. “You tease me like that? Sorry, but I’m calling your bluff. You know how long it’s been since I’ve been with you?”
The amusement left her face as his lips began to rain hot kisses on her throat. “You’ve seen me every day,” she tried breathlessly.
“Yes. In PT. You know what kind of torture that was? Being alone in that room with you, and not being able to do this?” He cupped her breast, his thumb lightly teasing the lace-covered nipple until it was hard and erect and she was squirming beneath him. “It’s unbelievable, how good we are together.”
“I know,” she admitted softly, shuddering as he pressed a kiss in the sensitive place behind her ear. “It’s been like that for me too.”
“Happy to hear it,” he whispered, letting his fingers trail suggestively from her knee to her thigh. She felt her body tingle in response, the need building, and she wiggled helplessly beneath his touch.
He seemed to know exactly what she was experiencing, for he brought his hand to her other knee and traced a dizzying path along her tights, increasing her arousal.
“Tonight I’m going to touch you all over, kiss you everywhere. I want to make you want me so much you’ll beg me.”
She gasped, and her eyes went wide at his words, especially when his mouth lowered to kiss her between her breasts. She started to correct him, to tell him she was already crazy about him and wanting this, but the wild woman inside of her sealed her lips.
And a moment later she was entirely grateful.
He palmed her through her clothes, and the aching desire inside her was beginning to burn out of control. His other hand was still on her thigh, and he brushed her teasingly there. Arching, she tried to make contact, but he was already tracing down the other leg, making her frantic with desire as he repeated the process over and over, ignoring her pleas.
And she was still fully clothed.
“Gavin,” she whimpered at the delicious torture, even as his lips burned through her dress, sucking her through the thin material. “I want—”
Her eyes met his, looking for any trace of smugness, but there was none. Instead, the heat she saw in them was so intense, she could tell it was taking a real effort for him to hold back. “Trust me?”
She nodded, searching inside, and found that she did.
Chapter 31
He began undoing her dress one button at a time, letting his mouth replace his hands, pleasuring her in between each fastener. Jessica shivered. Gavin could even turn undressing her into an erotic act. Finally, when he reached her hem, and tugged the dress off and dropped it on the floor in a silk puddle, followed by her tights, she was a quivering mass of need.
He rose to gaze at her clad only in the black lace getup she had purchased in the lingerie shop.
“My God,” he growled, his dark eyes gleaming. “Good thing I didn’t know you were wearing something like this in the PT room.”
“Why?” She struggled to breathe as he knuckled his fist over her nipple. The sensation shot straight through to her groin.
“Because I would have taken down these panties.” His fingers brushed the scrap of lace she wore below. “Bent you over the desk and fucked the hell out of you.” He grinned. “With your permission, of course.”
Her mouth got dry at his words and the erotic images they created. She started to reach for him, but he placed her hands on the bed frame, curving her fingers around the iron rungs.
“Trust me.”
His eyes burned, and she shivered with anticipation of what he would do next.
She quickly found out.
Reaching behind her, he unsnapped her bra, his fingers lingering over her breasts. Then she was bare to him except for the panties, and his eyes wandered over her, turning impossibly hotter and darker. Lowering to the bed, his mouth met her nipple and he sucked hard as her body arched, wanting, craving more intimate contact. But still he took his time, his lips turning to her other breast and giving it the same exquisite attention.
It was incredibly hot, surrendering herself to him, allowing him to do whatever he wanted with her body. Her hands clutched the metal rails, and desperately she squirmed, praying that he would touch her where she was on fire for him. But he let his hand travel slowly, over the rise of her rib cage, to the surprise of her navel. He seemed to glory in the soft, satiny feel of her skin, her pleas, and her helpless moan of desire as he skimmed past her panties to caress her thighs.
Finally, to her utter gratification, fingers slid between her legs and touched her over the black lace thong.
“Ahhh!” She was pulsing, wet and wanting, her body taut with anticipation. Nikki was right: she didn’t regret this purchase at all. In fact, it was paying off in spades. Thrusting up against his hand, she parted her legs uninhibitedly as his thumb circled her clitoris through the rough lace. She could tell he wanted to tease her longer, but it was too late: wave after wave of pure primal pleasure washed over her and she climaxed in his hand.
Breathing hard, she released the bed frame, and her body melted into a puddle of shimmering sensation. When the room stopped spinning, she opened her eyes to see Gavin looking down at her, his grin wicked.
“Ready for more?”
“More than,” she exhaled, meeting his smile with one of her own. “Only this time, it’s on me…” Before he could object, she wiggled out from beneath him and rose up on her knees, slowly lifting his shirt. He shrugged out of it, and she had a magnificent glimpse of his sculpted chest, with just the right amount of soft black hair that traced enticingly down to his belt buckle. As she heard him suck in a breath, she had the satisfaction of knowing she could torture him in the same manner as he did her as she toyed with the thick leather strap around his waist.
So she cupped him instead, his hands tightening on her shoulders as she began to stroke him through his jeans. He wanted more than that now; she knew it, and so did he. But she took her time unzipping him, letting him feel the same dark, hot anticipation, and the same desperate need that he had engendered in her. When she had exposed him, stroking his pulsing hard shaft, she saw him grit his teeth.
“Jesus, Jess. You touch me like that…I don’t know if I can hold on…”
She let her hands drift upward to the metal button at his waist. Undoing it, she skimmed his jeans down to his knees. He kicked them away, and then tried to nudge her onto her back as he felt for a condom. But she stopped him and, ignoring his questioning look, took him into her mouth.
“Oh, God…” He thrust his hips forward, his jaw clenched, his hands lost in her hair. He attempted once again to take over, to pleasure her, but Jessica was more than satisfied. Gripping him at the base, she lowered her head over him, her tongue swirling around the tip. She repeated the motion a few times more, until he stopped her for good.
“I want to be inside you when I come,” he growled, his eyes dark and fierce. “And if you don’t stop right now, I won’t be able to help myself.”
Dangerous.
The word entered her mind when she saw his expression. She had been playing with fire, and she knew it. A delicious shiver went up her spine as he put on a condom, then flipped her onto her stomach and thrust roughly into her warm wetness.
All his control was gone. She had teased him unmercifully, and would now pay a delicious price. She didn’t think she would be aroused again so quickly, but the experience was different now; she felt hot and full, and the thrusts he gave her brought her right back to the edge. Jessica leaned into it, wanting everything she knew he could give her as he slammed against her. She cried out a few moments later, wave after wave of astonished pleasure washing over her as he drove deep inside her and came.
It took her several long minutes to recover. Even now as she settled, facedown on the bed, she could feel her own body contracting, and his pulsing. It had to be the most incredible sensation she had ever experienced. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to think; she wanted just to be.
And she was once again surprised when, instead of him being fully absorbed in his own pleasure, he slipped an arm around her waist and spooned her up against him, his fingers tenderly entwined with hers.
But that was Gavin. Her throat tightened with emotion at the thought. It wasn’t just the sex; he communicated the depth of his feeling with everything he did. The flowers. A cake for her mother. The baseball card.
A kitten.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to talk, for she was well aware she couldn’t.
She just enjoyed the moment.
–
“So I hear you got something to show me?” Pete said to Gavin the next morning as he strode up to the batting cage. Jake stood beside him with a shit-eating grin and handed off the baseball bat to Gavin.
“Watch this,” the shortstop said as Gavin assumed his hitting position. The machine spat out a ball that was meant to be a slider. Gavin nailed it, utilizing his newly acquired compact swing, while Jake and Pete followed the white orb high into space. It landed over four hundred yards away, and the manager’s jaw dropped.
“Did you see that ball?” Pete turned to Jake, now sporting his own grin. “It was moving so fast it looked like something that was launched from NASA.” Popping his gum, he turned to Gavin, shaking his head in disbelief. “How long has this been going on?”
“Just a couple of months,” Gavin said, stepping up to the plate as the machine shot a fastball at him. He missed that one, but sent the next pitch right down into the corner, a shot impossible to field.
“Jesus!” Pete could hardly contain himself, but he sobered quickly and looked at the young ballplayer before him. “Look, I appreciate your ambition. But you got the rest of your life ahead of you. I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’ve got to let that thing heal.” He gestured to his knee.
“I agree. That’s why Jess ordered this.” Stepping out of the range of the pitching machine, Gavin rolled up a pant leg. A flexible brace covered the injured joint, providing stability while encouraging healing.
“I’ll be damned.” Pete’s eyes met Jake’s, and the shortstop nodded enthusiastically.
“He’s been hitting consistently for weeks now. And I agree, we don’t want to see him hurt again. Jogging the bases is probably not a good idea. But what about utilizing him as a pinch hitter? That way he can get some game time, develop his teaming skills, and when he’s ready, he’s good to go.”
“I like it.” Pete chomped on his gum thoughtfully. “I want to start real slow with this, see how that joint reacts with some pressure on it. But if we can begin to work with him now, by the end of the season he could be right back where he was.”
“Love the sound of that,” Gavin said enthusiastically while Jake grinned.
“Yep. And it’s not like we don’t need some help. We’re losing too many games. We don’t want to let the season get away from us,” Jake added.
“Okay, we’ll try it tomorrow. But I want you checking in immediately with Jessica. She’ll see it if you are stressing the leg in any way. When it comes to this, I want her all over you.”
Gavin tried not to grin as Jake burst out laughing. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”
–
As they left the batting cage, no one saw the Sonics fan save his video, and then tweet it on social media.
Within seconds, the world became aware that Gavin King was back.
When they returned to the locker room, Chase called Gavin and Jake over. “You want in on a prank?”
Jake’s grin was broad and knowing, while Gavin smiled, intrigued. He was also very pleased to be included; while Jake had embraced him as a friend, the rest of the team had remained a little distant. With Chase, he had realized a long time ago it was nothing personal, it was just his intensity. He was thoughtful and focused on his game. But with the other guys, he was definitely in the wait-and-see category.
And Gavin understood that. After all, he was a California transplant in New Jersey. The other guys had made some assumptions about him, and he hadn’t been able to prove them wrong since he wasn’t able to play yet. So Chase’s invitation meant a lot more than another hand contributing to a joke.
It meant acceptance.
“Sure,” Gavin said, as Jake glanced toward the other players. “Who and what?”
“Your buddy Roger,” Chase said, his blue eyes twinkling with humor. “We’ve decided we are sick of his crap, but we don’t want to cause harsh feelings. You in?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Gavin said emphatically, while Jake high-fived.
“It’s about time,” Jake said enthusiastically. “I was just thinking the same thing myself. How about filling his locker with chicken feathers? He’s pretty good at mouthing off, but backs down if someone calls him on it.”
“We’ve got something better,” Chase confided, his normally serious expression lit up with laughter. “You know how he thinks he’s a stud, and how particular he is about his cologne? Brian’s wife brought home a bottle of perfume from a tag sale, and they both hated it. He says it smells like a two-dollar hooker, and since it’s oil-based, it won’t come off for hours. She was going to throw it out, but it occurred to us that it would be the perfect ingredient to add to Roger’s aftershave.”
“Love that.” Jake chuckled, and he turned to Gavin. “Especially since we’re going out later. I can just see lover boy trying to hit on the girls while smelling like one. What do you think?”
“I think it’s perfect,” Gavin said. “And after all the trash talk he’s said about Jess? I volunteer to fill the bottle.”
“Hang out tonight after everyone’s gone.” Chase lowered his voice as a couple of the guys began to go out the door. “It’s locker number forty-one. Apparently, he hasn’t endeared himself to the maintenance crew either. They had no problem lending me a key.”
Chase dangled it before them.
–
“Were you planning to go to the party tonight?”
Gavin met Jessica after his workout, waiting for her as she finished with another client. Chase’s family was throwing a cocktail reception and had invited the team.
“Yes,” she said, following him out the door. “They’re having it at the hotel. It was a really sweet idea. They have a lot of family coming in for the wedding, so they decided to have an event so everyone can get to know each other before the big day.”
“I can meet you there. I have to stop by the locker room for a few minutes.” When her brow lifted, he smirked. “We’re pranking Roger. Helping out his love life by putting perfume in his aftershave.”
“You’re kidding!” Her smile grew broader. “Oh, I’m totally in.”
“Good.” He pulled her up against him and kissed her soundly. She was still reeling when he pulled back and tipped her chin up to look in her eyes.
“That will have to hold me until later.” His voice was husky with desire, and his gaze glittered with a promise. “I’ll see you tonight.”
He turned and headed toward the locker room as Jessica sagged against the wall, her legs like jelly.
He certainly would.
–
They met at the Westin hotel where they found Chase, Darcy, Jake and Nikki, Brian, Cody, even Pete, all happily indulging in cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Within a few minutes, Roger appeared, and the team shared a collective glance of amusement as he scowled.
“Very funny,” he said, rubbing at his reddened neck. Even from a distance, Jessica could smell the cloyingly sweet fragrance that followed him like a cloud as his teammates snickered. “What the hell is the shit? I washed my face over and over, and it still won’t come off.”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” Chase said innocently, while Jake held his nose.
“Jesus, what is that stink?” Brian gagged, while Cody, doubled over in laughter, wiped at his eyes.
“I don’t know,” the catcher said, rolling his eyes at Roger. “I think it’s kind of sexy.” He tried to put his arm around the outfielder, but Roger threw it off.
“Okay, you got me. Can somebody open a window? I can’t stand myself.”
They all broke up laughing, and Chase, obviously pleased with the way Roger was taking the joke, brought him a beer as a peace offering.
Jessica accepted a glass of Champagne from a waitress, while Gavin put his arm around her, obviously no longer caring who knew that they were involved. Chase and Darcy looked ridiculously happy on the eve of their wedding, and she saw Nikki lean in for a kiss from Jake. Roger gave Jessica a longing glance, but then his eyes met Gavin’s and he nodded, acknowledging that the best man had won.
It was perfect. As she laughed at something Jake said, Gavin’s arm around her waist, Jessica realized she was more content than she had ever been. Even the good times with Zach had not been like this. With Gavin, she not only had a boyfriend, but a friend. She was crazy for him…She was still rolling that around in her mind, sparking fresh shivers. But it was getting easier to accept.
“I’m going to get another round for the guys.” Gavin picked up the empty pitcher, pressing a kiss on her forehead. “Need anything?”
“Nope.” She shook her head in the negative.
As he disappeared to find the waitress, Jessica noticed a woman had entered the room and seemed to be looking for someone. Tall, platinum blond, with curves in all the right places, she stood out in the crowd. Every one of the team members, even Chase, paused from their brews to admire the strikingly beautiful girl, while Darcy playfully smacked him.
