I gasped when Jackie turned the corner from the kitchen, and we both let out startled laughs, hands to our chests.
“Sorry,” I said, smiling sheepishly.
She shook her head, stepping back slightly and placing a hand on her lower back. Her robe slipped open just enough to reveal her collarbone and shoulder, reminding me of her beautiful bare body, the very same one I had tasted earlier. “No, it’s fine. I just got Elliott some water and forgot the Tylenol.” She patted the bottle tucked into her robe pocket.
I grinned. “I was doing the same for Jack.”
She glanced past me, then smirked. “It sure was a celebration for them, huh?”
“Like they won the fucking lottery,” I laughed, my eyes lingering on her shoulder. “I mean, they kinda did. We all did,” I added, my cheeks warming.
Jackie bit her lip and nodded slowly. “We did.” Her gaze dropped for a moment before lifting to mine again. “That was fucking amazing, Hana.Youwere amazing.”
My heart fluttered. That look in her eyes—it was the same one I remembered from earlier, when her mouth had been on me, tasting me.
“So were you,” I whispered. “It all felt…I don’t know. Right.”
She stepped closer, her expression growing serious. Slowly, she reached for my hand, her fingers sliding between mine.
“It does feel right,” she responded quietly. Her eyes flicked between my lips and my eyes, and she leaned in so close I could feel her breath. But she paused there, hovering.
My pulse pounded in my ears.
I wanted it. I wantedher.But the hesitation in her eyes reminded me—we hadn’t talked to Jack or Elliott about this, about what was okay one-on-one.
She blinked and stepped back, though she kept holding my hand for one more breath.
“We should wait,” she murmured, finally letting go.
I nodded, my chest rising and falling too quickly. “Yeah.”
She licked her lips. “Goodnight, Han.”
“Goodnight,” I whispered, stepping aside to let her pass.
The kiss hadn’t happened, but my body still ached like it had.
And I knew we were nowhere near finished.
* * *
Jack and I slept in the next morning. I woke to sunlight peeking through the window, the sky partly cleared but the snow still piled high. I reached for my phone and checked the forecast—more snow expected by late morning. The idea of all of us being stuck in the cabin together for another day made my heart leap with joy.
I took a quick shower and tiptoed out of the bedroom, wanting Jack to sleep off as much of last night’s alcohol as he could.
The scent of coffee drifted down the hallway, mixed with the sound of dishes clinking in the kitchen. As I got closer, I heard Jackie’s low laugh and Elliott’s voice.
I peeked around the corner.
Elliott was pressed flush against Jackie’s back, his face buried in her neck. From where I stood, they couldn’t see me unless Jackie happened to turn around. For now, I stayed still, quietly watching them in their element, even if it was innocent.
“I want some alone time with my baby,” Elliott murmured, kissing her neck.
“Mmm, Daddy,” she breathed. “Me too.”
Daddy?
I blinked. I knew that’s what she used to call Michael…
