Standing, she straightened her dress and extended a hand for Jack.
Jessica walked them to the railing on the port side, finding open space closer to the bow. Jack stepped up behind her, pulling her back against him and once again wrapping his arms around her.
And despite all of the anxious thoughts racing through her brain, when the sun was but a sliver on the horizon, the sky lit in hues of orange and pink, fading to lavender and dusty blue directly above their heads, and Jack turned her toward him and kissed her, Jessica melted.
The future was a bridge they would cross when they came to it. Right now, there was only this moment, this boy, and this kiss.
On a tiny spit of beach, the catering company had turned the white sand into a magical oasis. Under a pergola draped with gauzy white sheets that floated ethereally on the wind and strung with twinkle lights that winked like stars in the falling dusk, a long table was set for twenty. Off to the side, another was laden with steaming silver dishes, and the scent of seafood wafted on the breeze.
Once everyone was gathered under the pergola, a man stepped forward.
“Good evening, everyone! We’ve prepared an excellent feast for you all tonight, comprised of the freshest ingredients the Yucatan has to offer.”
“Yucatan?” Jack whispered in Jessica’s ear.
She giggled. “It’s the name of the peninsula Cancún sits on.”
“I don’t know why I never knew that,” Jack said sheepishly.
Jessica patted his cheek and winked. “It’s okay, big guy. I’m not with you for your brain.”
Jack growled and snapped his teeth at her hand, and Jessica had to cover her mouth to hold in a loud laugh.
“The buffet is self-serve, and don’t worry about anything running out before you’ve had the chance to try it. We’ve got more than enough to feed everyone several times over. So, please, dig in!”
The man stepped to the side and, with a flourish, the remaining waiters lifted the lids on the silver dishes, revealing the deliciousness underneath.
Having eaten a few meals with the boy at this point, Jessica knew Jack could put it away. However, that did not prepare her for the mountain of food he piled onto his plate and took back to the table. Being allergic to shellfish didn’t stop him from sampling everything—and she meanteverything—hecouldeat.
Although…Jessica wasn’t any better.
There was so much to choose from, and everything looked phenomenal. Fresh fish and seafood including tuna, cod, clams, crawfish, shrimp, and several types of crab breaded, broiled, sauteed with butter and seasonings Jessica couldn’t name but absolutely melted in her mouth. There were vegetarian options like tofu and massive portobello mushrooms, plus platters of raw and steamed veggies, fruits, and another table filled with Mexican sweets and desserts.
Jack gorged himself on all the fresh fish, veggies, desserts, and even sampled some tofu and mushrooms.
By the time they finished eating, Jessica was so stuffed she could barely move.
But the saxophonist wailed out a long note, then jumped into a smooth version of “Wonderwall,” and Jack turned to her with a grin.
“Dance with me.”
And how could she say no?
Thankfully, other guests had the same idea, saving them from making a spectacle of themselves.
“Can you believe we’re already halfway through vacation?” Jack asked as they swayed slowly to the song.
An icy finger dragged down Jessica’s spine. She didn’t want to think about it, mostly because she didn’t want to face leaving Jack in a few days. Somehow, inside this paradise bubble, two days had stretched into what felt like two years. At this point, she knew Jack well. Too well. There were certainly things she hadn’t learned and likely wouldn’t thanks to their limited time together, but she knew the important things. That he was kind, loyal, funny, and had a heart of gold, a mushy, cinnamon roll center to balance his sexy, hard-muscled body. And the chemistry that sizzled between them…she could ignore it as easily as she could ignore an elephant standing on her chest.
“No, I can’t,” she said, voice hoarse.
“Do you…” Jack trailed off, almost as if he sensed that she was lost somewhere in her head.
“Do I what?”
“Do you feel like we’ve known each other forever?”
Jessica’s shoulders sagged, a sigh whooshing from her lips. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say, and this was only slightly less dangerous territory. “Yes,” she said.
