Hometown Love (Love on the North Shore #2)(28)

The crackling logs remained the only sound while Jessie considered his comment. Then, when Mack assumed she needed more convincing, her chin dipped down and she nodded.

“Okay,” she whispered. “If you’re sure.” This time her voice increased a bit in volume.

An invisible string attached to both of them pulled him toward her again. “Positive,” he answered, his lips mere inches from hers. “It’ll be fun.” The words left his mouth and he kissed her again.




Oh dear God! His lips moved against hers and the same words repeated over again. Mack was kissing her. She’d been kissed before, but it had never felt like this. Okay, true, she’d only been kissed by a handful of men, but none had kissed her like this. Like Mack. And although his mouth touched only her lips, her entire body prickled with awareness as if he was touching and kissing her everywhere.

It’s a dream. It had to be. Why else would Mack Ellsbury have his arms around her as he kissed her senseless? She didn’t usually have dreams this lifelike but so what? Maybe the teenage daydreams she had of Mack had grown up, too, and this was the end result. Either way, she planned on enjoying it.

The cotton on her back slipped upward and warm flesh replaced it. Like a bungee cord, the contact yanked Jessie back to reality as confusion and some fear jabbed her. Wrenching her mouth away, she stared at Mack, her heartbeat racing out of control. “It’s late. I should go.” To her own ears she sounded out of breath.

“It’s not even nine-thirty, Jessie.” He leaned forward.

Afraid he intended another kiss, she leaned all the way back in her chair. Perhaps noticing her retreat, he reversed direction himself.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” He moved his hand on her skin up and down.

This is Mack. He’d never hurt anyone. He’s not Jeremy. Jessica reminded herself of all the things she’d learned in therapy as she forced her sudden fear back into its little box.

“Nothing.” Jessie lied, not wanting to discuss what she felt or the fact that this was the first time she’d been kissed in years. “It was a long day and I have to be at the store early.” She also wasn’t going to tell him about the confusion still running rampant in her head.

Mack studied her; there was no other way to describe the way he looked at her. “Are you sure? You look…” He paused. “Worried.” He finished his sentence but his voice suggested he wasn’t confident of his word selection.

Jessie forced a smile. “Just tired. The store’s been busy and I expect it to be another busy day tomorrow. Our anniversary sale kicks off this weekend and we’re opening an hour earlier than usual.”

The warm fingers on her back disappeared and instead Mack took her hand. “I’ll walk you to your car then.” He pulled her up as he stood.

Neither spoke as they passed the drying fairy houses on the patio and exited through the side gate that led to a stone path.

“Watch your step. Some stones are loose. I need to fix them and replace some of the solar lights.” Mack held her hand as they walked.

Happy that their conversation had returned to non-personal topics, Jessie nodded. “Sounds like a good weekend project.” They stopped next to her car, but rather than release her hand as she’d expected, he took another step toward her, then pulled her closer so that they stood less than an arm’s length apart.

“Come on over whenever tomorrow, okay?”

Before her mouth could say no, her brain made her head nod in agreement. Not seeing any way of getting out of it and not really sure she wanted to anyway, she said, “Can I bring anything?”

Mack tugged to her closer. “Just yourself. Like I said, we get takeout and just watch a movie.”

He planned to kiss her again. Anticipation grew even as questions popped up in her mind. Examine the questions later! her body yelled, drowning out her mind as his chest pressed against her breasts. Then, in slow motion, his mouth came down on hers again. The kiss remained light and over all too soon.

“Okay.”

Mack remained in the driveway as she backed into the street. Even as she headed down union   Street, she caught a glimpse in her rearview mirror of him still in his driveway.

She’d driven every street in town so many times she could do it on autopilot, and as she made the short trip from Mack’s house to her apartment, her mind focused on the events of the night not the drive. When Mack had invited her for dinner, she’d assumed it was a way to say thank you. Although not expected, she understood why he might feel a need to show his appreciation. Then, of course, there was Grace. She’d more or less invited her before her father could stop her. Once the little girl made the invite, Mack may have felt unable to avoid a guest for dinner. All that made perfect sense to her and it had been her way of explaining Mack’s invite. The kiss, though… How did she explain that?

He kissed me. Jessie shut her car door with the statement repeating in her head. Mack had kissed her not once but twice. While friends sometimes shared a peck on the cheek, they didn’t kiss the way he kissed her.

Jessie climbed the stairs to her apartment, the scene in Mack’s backyard replaying in her head. When he’d come back outside, the last thing she’d expected was a kiss. She’d thought maybe they’d talk for a few more minutes and then she’d leave with no idea of when or where she might see him again. Instead, he’d sat down beside her, sending a dizzying current of attraction racing through her. If that hadn’t been enough, he’d asked her to come back the next night before kissing her.