by A. P. Watson
“Alright.” Terayn clapped her hands together, garnering our attention. “And now it’s time for dinner and cake!”
“I love cake!” I grabbed Jacks’s hand, leading him back to the kitchen. “Also, do we have more champagne? Because I need Jacks to get on my level.”
Terayn filled an empty champagne flute and placed it on the counter for Jacks to drink. “I can make that happen.”
“Wait, just leave the bottle, Ter. He has a lot of catching up to do.”
Jacks drained a second flute, waiting as I refilled his glass. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get me drunk.”
“Who, me?” I fluttered my eyelashes, trying to look as innocent as possible.
“You will be the end of me.”
“But when you think about it, is there any other way you would want to go?”
“Nope.” He winked at me, quickly downing another glass.
Food, fun, and excellent conversation filled the air of the townhouse. We feasted on an excellent meal of lasagna and garlic bread. Champagne seemed to flow from a steady tap because I lost track of how many bottles we’d consumed. Apparently, Terayn wanted to make sure the apocalypse happened before we ran out of alcoholic beverages.
The food Ryan prepared was so wonderful, I completely forgot he made a cake as well. After we cleared away all the dinner plates, Ryan removed an enormous cake from the fridge. The green, domed structure was decorated with a single pink rose. It looked exactly like the cake Ryan suggested we make from the British baking show.
“You made the cake from Ter’s show?”
“We both made it.” Terayn placed a candle in the center of the cake and lit it. “Okay, Ryan made it. I just stirred things.”
“That sounds about right,” I said with a nod.
“Hey! Blow out your damn candle,” she ordered.
Jacks moved to stand behind me, his hands finding my waist. “Make a wish.”
My lips curled upward at his command. There was only one thing I wanted. I expelled as much air from my lungs as possible, extinguishing the flame. Cheers erupted from my friends, and we wasted no time devouring the cake.
“This cake is amazing.” I took another bite of the delicious confection. “Ryan, you may need to quit your job and become a baker.”
“It’s pretty good, isn’t it?”
“Yes!” Terayn shoved a huge bite in her mouth, desperate for more. “We’re going to try making every cake from that show.”
Ryan’s face paled at Terayn’s statement. “Dear God.”
“What?”
“That’s a lot of work, babe.”
“We can do it!”
“We?” Ryan asked suspiciously.
Jacks and I were riveted by the exchange unfolding between Terayn and Ryan. I leaned close to Jacks, whispering in his ear, “I wish we could go for a drive.”
“You wanted me drunk.”
I pouted at his words. “I know.”
“So, what do you want to do instead of going for a drive?”
“Dancing!”
Terayn clapped her hands together. “That’s a wonderful idea!” Clearly, she’d been eavesdropping on our conversation. “Babe, you move the coffee table out of the way, and you, Jackson, pull up some music on Wren’s phone,” Terayn instructed. I handed my phone to Jacks, watching as he set it up to play through the television. He ditched his jacket and tie on the sofa, loosening the top button of his shirt.
“What does the birthday girl want to hear?” Jacks asked.
“Play something that reminds you of me,” I said. His mouth twisted into a devious grin as the first few notes of ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ played. He crossed the room, standing in front of me. “I love this song.”
“Me too.” The moment his hands found my waist, he pushed our bodies as close together as possible. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held onto him as if I were afraid he’d slip away. Our bodies swayed in time with the music, the melody overwhelming all our senses. Jacks understood me. He cared about me, and deep down, I knew there was nothing I could do that would push him away. He’d always be there for me.
After the song finished, I finally felt ready to bare my soul to him. “Jacks?” My hands moved to his face, the tips of my fingers tracing the line of his jaw.
“Yeah?”
“I’m ready to tell you my secret.” My voice was so soft, I was afraid he wouldn’t hear me at all.
“And I’m ready to listen,” he whispered back.
“Ter, I’m feeling a little light-headed from all the champagne. We’re going to lie down for a bit.”
“Oh, okay. Do you need me to get you a glass of water?” she asked in a concerned voice.
I shook my head. “No, I’ll be fine. Thanks though.”
“Well, rest a bit, and then we can party some more!” she exclaimed.
“Sounds like a plan.”
he
“If you need anything, just holler!”
“I will! Oh, and Ter?”
“Yeah?”
“The magic is back!”
Another ear-piercing squeal escaped her lips. I grabbed Jacks’s hand, leading him to my room before she could scream again.
I closed the door behind us, locking it shut.
“Do you want to sit down?” he asked.
“That’s a good idea.” I positioned myself beside Jacks. He took my hands in his, lacing our fingers together. The gesture was the final reassurance I needed from him before baring my soul. “You know how I said my ex left me in a ton of debt?”
“He maxed out a bunch of credit cards in your name, right?”
“Yes. At the time, I was working as a tech at the hospital while I was in nursing school. Well, I was working a ton, because I needed to pay off the credit cards before the interest kicked in. Some of those cards had 30% interest rates, and there was no way in hell I could afford that.” I stopped for a moment, desperate to catch my breath.
“Wren, you can trust me,” he promised.
“I didn’t make a lot of money at the hospital. I tried increasing the number of days I worked, but even working six days a week, I didn’t make a dent in Liam’s debt. So, I started working at a place called The Peel,” I croaked. My gaze faltered. The tips of Jacks’s fingers lifted my chin until I was staring into his brown eyes once more. “Men paid me to strip off my clothes and dance for them . . . I was a stripper.”
“That’s the job you were talking about?”
“Yeah. The only people I’ve ever told were the two guys I dated after Liam, even Terayn and Ryan don’t know about my past. I never told them because the guys I dated told me I was a dirty whore. They looked down on me, and it made me feel less than human like I didn’t matter at all,” I breathed. A single tear trickled down my cheek. “I’m not ashamed of being a dancer. It was one of the most liberating experiences of my life, but some of the customers were horrible to me and the girls I danced with. They would yell obscenities at us while we danced. We were objects to them.”
“What did they say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You could’ve told me,” he coaxed.
“I was afraid of being judged, afraid you would think I wasn’t worthy of you.”
“Your ex fucked you over. He left you in debt—debt that you managed to work your way out of. You’re a fighter through and through. If anything, you have our roles reversed, because I’m the one who isn’t worthy of you.” His voice was soft, like a tender caress to my ears.
I drew his hand to my lips, gently pressing a kiss to his skin. “Do you want to know where I picked Harlow from?”
“Yes.”
“It was my stage name when I was a stripper.”
“Harlow?”
“It seemed appropriate to pay my respects.”
“I like it even more now,” he whispered sweetly.
“Will you stay the night?”
“Of course.”
I broke his gaze, glancing
to the side. “I didn’t mean on the couch or sitting in a chair all night.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“I want to be held,” I confessed, my heart feeling as if it would tear through my chest.
His arms wrapped around my waist tenderly. “I can do that.”
chapter thirteen
uncharted territory
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I woke to a small beam of light blinding my eyes. Strong arms held onto my waist. My eyelids popped open. The warmth of Jacks’s skin radiated through my clothes. His chest was flush against my back, and from the steady rise and fall of his chest, I could tell he was still sleeping. My hands patted my body frantically. I still had on a bra and panties, and I was also wearing Jacks’s button-up shirt.
My frantic movements must have woken Jacks up because his hold on me loosened as he sat up in bed. “You passed out on me.”
“What happened to my dress?”
“I ripped it off your body and threw it on the floor.”
“You did what?” Visions of my beautiful satin dress torn to shreds passed before my eyes.
He laughed mercilessly. “I’m kidding. I hung it up in your closet.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“And by the time I finished doing that, you pulled on my shirt and fell asleep.”
“It is a very nice shirt.”
“I think it looks better on you than it does me.”
“Cool, I’m keeping it then,” I declared.
Jacks slid back in bed, jerking the covers over his head. “Fine with me. I’m going back to sleep.”
I joined him beneath the covers, turning to face him. “Thank you for making my birthday so special.”
“I’m glad you had a good time.” His fingers skimmed the calluses covering my palms. “These aren’t from lifting weights, are they?”
“Nope.”
“Dancing?” he questioned.
“Yeah,” I answered hesitantly.
“Never let anyone make you feel ashamed of your past.”
“I’ll try.”
His fingers rubbed my palm once more before drawing my hand to his lips. “So, where would you like to go for our road trip?”
At his question, I sat up quickly, ripping the covers off him. “I’ve never been to Niagara Falls.”
“So much for more sleep.”
I slapped Jacks lightly in the chest. “You’re the one who keeps asking me questions.”
“That’s true.”
“So . . . Niagara Falls?”
“If that’s where you want to go, you know I’m game. It’s really pretty up there too. You’d like it.”
“Let’s go and stay a couple of nights!”
“Okay, I’ll make the arrangements.”
“And I’ll make sure I’m off work.” I smiled and slipped out of bed into the hallway. After a quick stop at the bathroom, I continued to the kitchen. I cut a large slice of my birthday cake and placed it on a plate with two forks while a fresh pot of coffee brewed. I waited for the entire pot to finish before filling two mugs with coffee and creamer. I balanced the plate on top of one of the mugs and carefully tiptoed back to my room. “Here you go.” I handed both mugs to Jacks and joined him on the bed.
“Thanks.” He took a sip from one, steam wafting over the top of his mug. “Cake for breakfast?”
“I didn’t want it to go to waste.”
“And you happen to love cake,” he stated, grinning.
I stuffed a bite of cake into my mouth. “So true.” He handed my mug over to me, and I took a sip of it before setting it on the windowsill beside my bed.
He grabbed the other fork, slicing off a bite to mirror mine. “It is really good though.”
“Since we obviously aren’t going back to sleep, what would you like to do?”
“Are Terayn and Ryan up?”
“Nope. The door to their bedroom was shut, so they must still be sleeping.”
“We still have more X-Files to watch.”
“Yes! I’ll grab my laptop.” I handed the cake to Jacks, crawling across his lap to the side of the bed. My laptop was sitting there on a small stool next to the mattress.
“Jesus!” he yelled, nearly spitting out his coffee.
One of my hands quickly pushed off his thigh while the other cradled my laptop. “What?”
“I’m a man, and I just woke up!”
“So?” His eyes dropped to his crotch, and mine were quick to follow. “Oh,” I gasped, the realization of what he was trying to say suddenly dawning on me.
“Yeah.”
“Honestly, it’s not a big deal. I didn’t feel anything, and it’s not like I haven’t been in my fair share of laps with raging boners.”
“I’m going to die, and you’ll be standing over my corpse, laughing at me.”
“With how stressed you are about work, you’ll probably die of a stroke first.”
“Well, that’s comforting,” he mumbled.
“It could be worse. You could have the same fate as me and die alone.”
“You’re not going to die alone.”
“Oh, that reminds me! One of the girls I work with, Misty, her husband is friends with this pharmaceutical sales rep guy, and they want to fix us up on a date.” I looked around for my phone, finally finding it beneath my pillow. “See, she sent me a picture of him. I think he’s kind of cute.”
Jacks barely glanced at the picture as he took another bite of cake. “He looks like a tool.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Look at his hair and his chin. That fucker is a straight douchebag.”
“Whatever. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous,” I teased.
“I thought we were going to watch The X-Files?”
“Why are you getting all brotherly on me? I’m a grown woman, and it’s completely normal for me to go out with a guy and sleep with him.”
“I’m only going to say this once. I am not even remotely close to being your brother.”
“You still see Kate. Why can’t I have someone like that?”
“Because open relationships can be tricky sometimes. And trust me on this, they aren’t for you, Wren.”
I sat my computer on my lap and turned it on. “Fine,” I huffed, crossing my arms as I waited for the home screen to pop up.
“Look, if you go on a date with that guy, you’ll run off with him, and I’ll never see you again.”
“So, you’re motivated to get rid of him out of selfishness? That’s classy.”
“Wren.” The way he spoke my name sent a flurry of chills scuttling down my spine. It wasn’t a word, it was a plea. In an instant, he held my undivided attention. “Just don’t leave me . . . I need you.”
“Don’t you want me to be happy?”
“Do I not make you happy?”
Somewhere between our playful banter and eating cake, our conversation took a turn. We’d stumbled onto dangerous ground, and one wrong step would change everything. When he stared at me, everything else in existence seemed to melt away. We were like magnets, each pulling in a different direction. But when we let go, there’d only be one place for us to collide.
“We forgot to start the show. We’re supposed to be watching Mulder and Scully,” I breathed.
“That’s right.”
And just like that, we flipped a switch. We left the dangerous grounds and headed back to our sanctuary of avoidance. This was an area I navigated deftly, especially since weeks had passed where I’d been harboring intense feelings for the only guy who didn’t want to get naked with me. Fucking story of my life.
I picked up my coffee mug, draining half of its contents. Jacks and I finished the rest of the cake, and now we were both sitting with our backs against my wall. After an hour, it was as if we’d never disagreed at all. I slid closer to Jacks, resting my head on his chest.
“I’m cold.”
“Here.” Jacks lifted the computer from my lap, setting it on the other side of t
he bed. Then, he pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me just like when we were sleeping. “Better?”
“Yeah.” The effect of his touch was instantaneous. Warmth siphoned from his body to mine. “Oh my God!” I flipped over to face him. “You had a meeting with your boss on Friday, and I completely forgot to ask you how it went.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not worry about it? You worked twelve hours every day last week!”
“It’s no different than what you do every week.”
“But I don’t work five days a week.”
He shook his head and smiled. “The meeting went great.”
“And what about your promotion? Did he mention anything about it?”
“If the deal I’ve been working on goes through, then the promotion is mine.”
I flung my arms around his neck, squeezing him with every ounce of strength I possessed. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks.”
“We need to celebrate!” I cried excitedly.
“Aren’t we already kind of celebrating?”
“We’re laying in my bed watching Netflix.”
“Exactly.” His fingers dropped below my waist, dancing along the curve of my hip.
“You need to get out more if that’s your idea of celebrating.”
“Spending time with my favorite person in the world is the only kind of celebration I want.”
I wanted to reiterate his sentiment, but even the thought of uttering those words made me vulnerable. Instead, I hugged him once more before turning back to watch our show.
We were already in the fourth season of The X-Files and going strong. It was fun to have something I only watched with Jacks. And honestly, he enjoyed it as much as I did.
“You want to watch another episode?”
“I wish I could, but I’ve got a few reports to type up for tomorrow. I’m meeting with Mr. Slate in the morning about the acquisition that will be taking place on Tuesday,” Jacks said.
“Are you talking dirty to me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He grinned at me mischievously. “That depends, do you want me to?”
“You’re ridiculously good at that.” I slipped out of his shirt, retrieving my robe from the floor of my room. “I mean, sometimes it’s hard for me to tell whether you’re kidding or not.”
