“To us,” he said.
“To us,” she responded, then took a small sip. The effervescent liquid bubbled up her nose and down her throat, spreading through her chest and stomach with a warmth she didn’t think was entirely from the alcohol.
“So what exactly are we doing?” she asked Jack finally. “We’re here. Spill the beans.”
“This is a sunset cruise,” Jack told her. “There’s music”—he indicated the man playing a saxophone in the corner—“and bubbly and snacks. And there’s me and you and this ridiculously beautiful place.”
He swept her into his arms, and she went willingly, though careful not to spill her champagne all over him. She’d hate to ruin his chambray shirt, because he looked incredible in it. His biceps stretched the sleeves to their limits, and he’d left a few buttons at the top open, showcasing the strong column of his throat, the long lines of his collarbones before they disappearedbeneath the material, and the valley between the swells of his pecs.
Never, in her entire life, had she been compelled to lick a man, but Jack? She wanted to run her mouth over every single inch of his skin.
“As far as first dates go,” Jessica said finally, pushing awaythatthought, “I’ve definitely been on worse.”
Jack slid his hands down and gave her ass a squeeze, and Jessica yelped. “You can do better than that,” he said, his voice low in her ear, breath warm on her neck.
She leaned back to look at him, and let a smile slowly develop, widening it until it overtook her whole face. “This is incredible, Jack,” she said. “You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”
“I wanted to,” he said. “If this is all we get, I want us to remember it forever.”
If this is all we get.
Jessica didn’t like the way those words settled like a weight on her chest, but she refused to acknowledge them. Tonight was about them, and about doing exactly what Jack had said: making the most of their time together.
They pulled away from the dock about ten minutes later, and Jack and Jessica found a small grouping of chairs at the bow, idly sipping their champagne and reveling in the breeze blowing through their hair. Even though it totally ruined her outfit, her mother had made her bring a sweater, and she was glad for it when the boat picked up speed and the whipping wind raised goosebumps on her skin.
Jack took that as an invitation to come closer, to haul her onto his lap and wrap his arms around her.
And Jessica wasn’t complaining. In fact, she had the thought that she could stay in this spot forever.
As the boat sliced through the water, they chatted idly about their lives at home. How Jessica had won a state championshipin volleyball, which embarrassed Jack to no end, knowing how much shit he’d given her for being a bad water volleyball player. How Jack’s hockey season had gone, and if he was playing in college—though she didn’t want to know where, and wouldn’t let him tell her. What he wanted to do if he couldn’t play hockey—he had no idea—and previous relationships, though there weren’t any worth mentioning for either of them.
All getting to know Jack made Jessica realize was how impossible it would be to leave him. The closer they got, the more difficult it would be to disentangle herself. It was madness to consider a future for them after this vacation ended.
Still, that didn’t stop her from imagining it, even if all it would ever be was a fantasy.
Sometime later, an older couple joined them, settling on two cushy chairs opposite Jack and Jessica.
“Hello,” the woman said, offering Jessica a warm smile.
“Hi,” Jessica replied.
“I’m Nadine,” she said, “and this is my husband, Marc.”
“I’m Jessica, and this is my…”
Jessica choked on the word boyfriend. As badly as she wanted to say it, to make that desperate wish a reality, she was insane to even consider it. They’d only known each other for three days.
“I’m her boyfriend,” Jack said, squeezing her a little tighter, and Jessica thought, okay, maybe she wasn’t so insane. “Jack.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Marc said. “How long have you been together?”
“Oh, you know…” Jessica trailed off, grasping at straws, searching for something to say that didn’t sound crazy.
“Not long,” Jack said. “Actually, we just met on Monday.”
Nadine and Marc shared a look, then burst out laughing.
Jessica’s eyebrows drew together, cheeks heating with embarrassment.
