Hometown Love (Love on the North Shore #2)(35)

Mack’s arm slipped over her shoulders, his fingertips brushing her arm. “I’ll get the cupcake later, then. Can you stay for a little longer?” His fingers caressed her skin, leaving goose bumps behind.

She nodded and enjoyed the simple physical contact. Nothing short of an all-out emergency could get her to leave now.

“Good,” he said his voice taking on a huskiness that hadn’t been there before. “I’m glad you came tonight.” He touched her cheek, sending a ripple of awareness through her.

Kiss me. Jessie clenched her fist to keep from reaching for him.

“I missed you after you left last night.” He leaned forward, his gaze dropping to her lips for a moment before going back to her eyes. “All day I’ve been thinking about one thing.”

Before she could ask him what, his mouth came down on hers. The kiss started slow and gentle as if he wanted to see how she would respond.


After spending a good portion of the day thinking about their last kiss, she wanted to bask in this one. Leaning in, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Following her actions, Mack’s kiss changed. His lips became more demanding as he caressed and coaxed hers apart. Caught up in the moment, she opened to him and his tongue surged forward. A wave of desire shot through her body.

Jessie had no idea how long the kiss lasted, but she knew she didn’t want it to end.

Unaware of her desires, Mack pulled away and switched his attention to the erratic pulse in her neck. “I missed you last night, too.” Since he’d shared his feelings, it seemed only fair that she do that same. “I’m glad you invited me over tonight.”

His hand moved from her waist and traveled up her side as his lips once again took possession of hers. Immediately, blood surged from her fingertips to her toes and she lost herself in the kiss. Only when his hand brushed the outside of her breast did sudden panic reel her back to the present. Even through her t-shirt and bra, heat from his hand burned her skin.

This is Mack. He’d never force you. The reminder set her mind at ease, leaving Mack none the wiser. Just enjoy this.

With a mental shove, she pushed her negative thoughts away and threw all she had into their kiss. Slowly one kiss flowed into another.

“Do you have plans tomorrow?” Mack pulled back from another incredible kiss.

“Work until two.”

Mack pushed some hair away from her face. “Come over after.”

“Are you sure?” She’d already intruded on his time with Grace.

He kissed her cheek. “Positive.”

Jessie fought to form an answer as he kissed a path toward her mouth. “Ok.” She got the single word out before his lips covered hers again.

“Grace is spending next weekend with her mom.” Mack ended their kiss. They’d more or less been making out like a couple of teenagers for the past two hours and Jessie didn’t want it to end. “I thought we could go out, just the two of us. Do you have to work?”

“I’m off Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday.”

Mack raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Not anymore you’re not.”

The independent woman in her said she should object to his bossiness, but the truth was, she wanted to spend time with him, wanted to explore this thing between them.

“I’ll pencil you in.”





Chapter 7




With Charlie due over at any minute, Jessie hid the basket of unfolded laundry in her bedroom. It had been one of the many things on her To-Do list that weekend, but like everything else, she hadn’t gotten around to it. Between work, then babysitting on Friday night, and spending time at Mack’s Saturday and Sunday nights, she’d been away from her apartment most of the weekend. Despite the untouched list, it had been the best weekend she’d had in a long time.

She let her mind wander back to their first kiss on Friday night. Soon her thoughts turned to the rest of the weekend. They hadn’t done anything but talk and kiss. She didn’t know if that was because Grace had been upstairs or because he didn’t want to rush things, but either way, she was grateful. She enjoyed kissing him and being in his arms, but she wasn’t quite ready for anything else. Or at least, her brain wasn’t ready. Her body, on the other hand, had wanted so much more when he’d been kissing her last night. Just how much her body ached for his touch scared her. Never had she experienced an actual yearning to have someone’s skin against hers, to have a man love her with his whole body. With Jeremy, the only man she’d ever slept with, it had been all about his needs and desires. If he wanted sex, they had sex. End of story.

Anger flared at the mere thought of Jeremy. She’d let him control her life for way too long. Even after she’d left him, he’d controlled her life. Now, complete control rested in her hands.

The doorbell brought Jessie back from the past. Closing the bedroom door to hide the unfolded laundry, she headed out, prepared for a nice afternoon with an old friend.

“So what did you do all weekend?” Jessie asked as she prepared a pot of coffee for Charlie, the biggest coffee fanatic she’d ever met.

“We hung at Sean’s place on Saturday. He said to say hello, by the way. On Sunday, I drove Taylor back to my dad’s and visited with him.”

Charlie’s father had come back into her life that summer after eighteen years. “How are things going?” She watched her friend for a reaction. Charlie, much like her brother, kept certain emotions under lock and key. Sometimes, the only way to know her true feelings was by her expressions.