Waiting.
Jack held up a bottle of water. “I thought you might want this in case you get thirsty.”
“Thanks.” She took the drink, all while kicking herself.
When would she learn?
“I, uh, I’ll see you in the morning. Call me if you need anything.”
She nodded and closed the door without a word. This was too much. Her foolish heart couldn’t handle much more. When they returned to Grace Harbor, she’d put distance between them until she could bottle up her crush once more and throw it into the ocean, hopefully never to be found again.
Heaving a sigh, she walked into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. All she wanted was to fall asleep and get home in the morning, but that required a four-hour drive with Jack. Would renting a car and going home on her own be too drastic? Probably, but the thought remained tempting.
There was another rap on the door. She gritted her teeth and went to answer. When she saw Jack, again, she opened it.
Before she could speak, he pulled her into his arms and swept her into a kiss she’d only dreamt of before. Barely able to think, she pulled him into the room and kicked the door shut so they wouldn’t gain an audience.
His lips pressed harder against her, and she returned the kiss, lost in amazement.
The kiss ended entirely too soon, but lasted longer than it probably should have.
“What was that?” she asked in staggered breaths.
He brushed a hand over his mouth, revealing a lazy, sheepish smile. “Most people would call it a kiss.”
“I know that,” she said, letting out a nervous laugh. “But why me? Now?”
“Anna…” His palm caressed her cheek. “Can we talk tomorrow? I’m not thinking clearly, and all I want to do is kiss you again.”
Reluctantly, she shook her head. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “We both know that second part isn’t a good idea. Go to bed, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.” He kissed her forehead, let his hand trail slowly down her face until they no longer touched.
“Goodnight,” she whispered as he left the room.
Closing the door, she leaned against the wall and touched a finger to her lips, knowing her life would never be the same.
Chapter Nine
The ferry opened bright and early Sunday morning, and the six o’clock run left precisely on time. They needn’t have worried about getting a ticket for the first run. Only three other families joined Jack and Anna so early in the morning for a ride to the mainland.
He watched the island become smaller in the distance, and he wished they could have stayed longer. At the same time, he wanted to go home and break free from whatever this romantic spell was that had washed over him.
For someone who wasn’t comfortable with emotions, he had too many fighting for space within him.
Glancing at Anna, he smiled. He’d learned many facets of her personality the last few weeks, but this morning he learned that she, unequivocally, was not a morning person. She sat on a bench on the viewing deck, gripping her Styrofoam cup of coffee in her hands. He’d made the cup for her before they had left, suspicious she’d be slow rising in the morning.
He’d been right.
Man, she looked adorable in her half-awake state. She’d made a small effort to pull her hair into a ponytail, but tendrils stuck out in a mess all over. She’d changed out of the leggings back into her jeans, but she’d kept the sweatshirt on. When she lifted the coffee to her mouth, she inhaled it deeply before taking a drink.
The tangled knots in his gut screamed loud and clear he’d fallen for her, but what did that mean? She was Kelly’s best friend. His sister made it clear she wouldn’t approve of a relationship between them because she didn’t trust him not to hurt Anna.
He wouldn’t. Not purposefully.
For all he knew, he was getting ahead of himself. The kiss was amazing, yes, but it may have been a product of the circumstances.
Yeah, no. His conscience laughed at him. He’d wanted to kiss her for days.
