Chad burst out laughing, and Zach’s grin grew. Tyler even bit his lips, fighting a smile of his own.
“Of course we know,” Chad said. “It’s pretty obvious. The real question is whether or not you’re finally going to do something about it.”
“That’s privileged information,” Jack said noncommittally, and his friends groaned. He was surprised, yet not, that his friends knew he was still a virgin, and was honestly relieved that they weren’t making a huge deal out of it.
The truth was, Jack had no idea how tonight was going to go. Did he want Jessica? Of course he did. He was a guy after all, and Jessica was beautiful. More than that, their connection was something that Jack didn’t think even fully grown adults ever found.
And…was it so wrong of him to want to keep some piece of her for himself? And to give her this part of him that no one else would ever have? He didn’t think so, and Jack felt like they’d spent the entire week dancing around this, leading up to this. Tonight would be the culmination of that.
I’m not ready to say goodbye.
Jessica’s earlier words ping-ponged around his brain. She could’ve been talking about the vacation, and not wanting to leave this paradise they’d discovered. But somehow, he knew that wasn’t what she’d meant.
No, Jessica wasn’t ready to say goodbye tohim, tothem. And neither was he. He wanted to milk every last second of magic and, dare he say, pleasure from this vacation before it was over.
Once he and the boys were settled at dinner, and the waitresses came by with their drinks, Tyler, staring at Jack expectantly, said, “So…”
Jack groaned. “I don’t know if Jessica and I are going to hook up tonight, boys. I really don’t.”
“But you want to,” Zach said, and it wasn’t a question.
“Of course I do. Have you seen her?”
“We have,” Chad said with a shit-eating grin, “and we approve.”
“I just don’t know if she’ll want to,” Jack said.
Tyler shifted in his seat so his body was turned toward Jack’s. “Have you guys talked about this? Like…do you know if she’s a virgin?”
Jack swallowed hard, reluctant to confirm or deny that statement. It wasn’t his secret to share, but he also, grudgingly, wanted his friends’ opinions. “She is.”
“Oh my,” Zach said. “This is like some fairytale, romance novel type shit.”
Chad turned to him with a raised brow. “What doyouknow about romance novels?”
“Older sisters, remember?” Zach reminded him. “I know all about that shit, and this is basically the plot of a book.”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that information,” Jack said.
“Look, I’m not saying you have to do this either way,” Tyler cut in. “Go with what you feel. But you should know that the first time…it’s going to be awkward as hell. Especially since you’re both inexperienced.”
“And it’s probably not going to be great for her,” Zach added. “Like…it’s probably going to hurt.”
“Fuck,” Jack said. “I don’t want to hurt her.”
“It’s kind of unavoidable, my dude,” Chad said, clapping a hand on Jack’s shoulder from across the table. “Though, you’ve got a small dick so maybe it won’t be that big of a deal.”
The table erupted into laughter, and Jack threw a piece of steak at his friend, where it smacked Chad right in the forehead.
“Fuck you,” Jack said, grinning widely as Tyler and Zach doubled over, gasping for air around their laughter.
When they quieted, Tyler looked at Jack and said, “Honestly, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The last thing he wanted to do was make Jessica uncomfortable, but now that the idea was lodged in his brain, Jack couldn’t shake the thought of sharing this experience with her. If tonight really was their last night—if they never spoke again after this—sex, to him, seemed like the perfect way to wrap up the perfect week. But he also wasn’t going to force her into anything. The worst thing she could do is say no, and he’d never know if he didn’t ask.
It was fitting to Jack that they’d be spending this last night of vacation the same way they spent the first—at a nightclub. Though, it was comical to Jack how different tonight felt from that one. For one, instead of being jealous that Jessica was spending her night with another guy, he had his arm wrapped around her. She was his, and he planned on keeping her for as long as she or the universe allowed.
