“Jack!” I yell.
“What?”
“I have a fucking mark on my neck. Are you kidding me!” I peek my head out the door, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look happier.
“Do you expect me to be sorry? I already told you. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
I bite my lip. “I hate that I love you calling me that.”
He waggles his brows. “Good… you didn’t have a choice either way.” Then he swats my arse again.
What the hell has gotten into him?
“You’re lucky my bridesmaid’s dress has a high neck,” I tell him, thinking maybe the idea of the wedding will give him a reason not to mark me.
But, of course, it doesn’t.
If anything, I think I see a small sparkle in his eyes as he turns and walks away.
* * *
Jack hands me my to-go cup of coffee, then gets in the car beside me. “Mmmm, this is pretty good. It tastes like the coffee you loved that was close to your old place.”
“Ugh, can you believe they closed down? I was so upset. I go to Midnight Mocha now, right off Campden Street, and I hate to say it because I loved the family that owned the other place, but Midnight might be better. They even do this seasonal latte that’s lavender honey, and I’m semi-obsessed.”
He picks up his phone and starts typing, ignoring me. “What are you doing?” I stretch my neck to see, but he closes his notes app and pockets his phone.
I eye him suspiciously. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing, give it a rest. How is your mom doing?”
I glare at him another second, then decide to give him a pass, knowing I’m being nosy. “Better. I’m mad she didn’t let me come home, but she’s in better spirits. I hope Theo can convince her to come to the wedding,” I say, and it reminds me. “Speaking of the wedding, how long will we be gone for today? I don’t want to leave the wedding planner alone longer than necessary. I think Wills’s paranoia is rubbing off on me.”
“Sadie will understand either way about your mom, but I’m glad she’s doing better. As for the wedding planner, today was the bellhop’s day off, so I hired him to keep an eye on her. After you told me it seemed like she was scheming on the phone yesterday, I didn’t want to leave her alone either.” He pauses. “To be honest. I think that when we get back, we fire her before they arrive. I was able to get the names of all the vendors, so I’ll handle it myself if I have to.”
I lean back and sigh, knowing he’s right. I don’t like the feeling that she’s doing something shady, but I hope that if we fire her, it won’t screw everything up. “Did you know what Wills did for Sadie’s flowers?” I ask.
He smirks. “I did, that big softy.”
When Wills and Sadie hit a rough patch a few years ago, he apologized in what he likes to call his “apology tour.” For one of his apologies, he hired Sadie’s favorite florists to fly in to work with her since she had just opened her floral design business, Sweet Pea Blooms.
As a surprise for the wedding, he’s hired the same guy to do the florals. Sadie, of course has no idea, so the florist she has been speaking to for the last year, was all a ruse.
It’s bloody brilliant, if you ask me. She’s going to freak out, she’ll be so happy. “He really is a good bloke, that Wills, isn’t he?” Jack leans back, nodding, and I pat his leg. “Everything’s going to be okay, Jack.”
He picks up my hand and kisses my wrist. “I know.”
“Oh my god, are you taking me on a helicopter ride for our date?” I bounce up and down in my seat like a little kid as we pull onto the helicopter pad. “I’ve always wanted to do this but have never had the guts.”
Jack looks at me deadpan and states matter-of-factly, “I know. I told you, I know everything about you, B.” He leans over and kisses my lips. “It’s only part one. Hopefully the second part of the date is something you still want to do. It’s not exactly something you can force on someone.”
I waggle my eyebrows playfully. “The second part sounds a lot like anal. The date should be better than that.”
The driver coughs, and my eyes go wide in embarrassment. I can’t believe I just said that, completely forgetting where we were.
Jack chuckles. “Come on, crazy, the pilot is waiting for us.”
“Mmm, is it Pilot Miles?” I tease and smirk when he turns to me with a pinched expression.
