Hometown Love (Love on the North Shore #2)(52)
The footsteps behind him stopped. “She’ll want to do that just with you.”
He retraced his steps up to the landing where she’d stopped. “I already asked her how she’d feel if you came on vacation with us sometime. She loved the idea.”
“A vacation sometime maybe, but what you’re talking about isn’t just some vacation.”
Mack touched her cheek. “She won’t see it that way. To her, it’ll be a vacation to somewhere she’s been dying to visit… with the two of us.”
Jessie took a deep breath then released it. Maybe he should have waited to ask her. At the time, it hadn’t seemed like a bad idea, but then again, he didn’t want her to feel pressured into anything. “I don’t need an answer tonight.”
“Are you sure she won’t mind? It does sound like fun. I’ve never been to Florida.” She slipped her hand into his.
They resumed their walk down the stairs. “I wouldn’t have asked if I thought she’d mind.”
She remained silent as they exited her building. Outside, the temperature had dropped. Although it had stayed in the sixties much of the day, now a cool breeze blew, and he figured the first thing he’d do when they got to his place was start a fire.
“Okay, but under one condition.” He opened the car door, but she remained outside. “I help pay for the trip. I don’t want you covering everything.”
“You got it.”
She played with her silver ring while Mack discussed his own memories from the last time he’d visited Florida as a teenager. She’d never gone herself. With her dad on the road so much and her grandparents busy with the hardware store, long family vacations had never happened. Yet, while she found Mack’s memories entertaining, she thought about the night ahead. She hadn’t announced it, but she had decided tonight they’d take their intimacy to the next level. And while her body zinged with anticipation at finally satisfying the aching need that plagued it, a kernel of worry remained in her head. What if he found their lovemaking a disappointment? She didn’t have a lot of experience. What if he saw her naked and decided he wanted someone more like his ex-wife? She knew Bethany had done some modeling in college, and even after having a child, she looked fantastic.
“So I thought we could go to Florida between Thanksgiving and the holiday break. I’d prefer over the break but Grace is scheduled to spend part of it with Bethany.”
Jessie dropped her purse onto Mack’s kitchen counter. “Sounds like a good time to go.” She heard the kitchen door into the garage squeak as it closed.
“Good. I’ll make reservations this week.” He took the overnight bag she held. “I need to change. Be right back.” He gave her a peck on the cheek and headed out of the room.
Images of Mack in various states of undress formed thanks to his comment, each one increasing her body temperature. “Do you need any help?” she asked before she lost her nerve. The old Jessica, the woman she’d been a few years ago, never would’ve said such a thing. But that woman no longer existed. Tonight, even if it killed her, she planned to prove that to both Mack and herself.
Mack stopped dead and turned around. “I’d like nothing better.”
Like the one time she’d tried singing karaoke, her stomach hit the floor as she crossed the room, but her adrenaline took over when she reached him and led him upstairs.
A soft click signaled he’d closed the door behind them, and she pulled him toward the center of the room. Her hands shook as she reached for his tie, her eyes glued to his. In silence, she undid each button, pulling the shirt from his waistband when she reached his belt. Then she pushed the material over his shoulders. The plain white undershirt he wore stretched across his chest, the material unable to hide the strong muscles it covered.
Before she did anything else, Mack grabbed the shirt bottom and pulled it over his head revealing the strong chest and washboard stomach she’d seen only briefly before. Like a magnet attracted to metal, her hands landed on his pecs and traveled downward. When she hit his belt buckle, she reversed her course, stopping when she felt his heartbeat under her hand.
Her gaze roamed across his upper torso one more time before she looked down at his belt buckle. The point of no return.
As she slipped the leather from the buckle, another jolt of excitement rocked her body. There was no mistaking the hard ridge behind his zipper when she pulled it down, and her self-confidence increased ten-fold.
Left in nothing but his boxer briefs, Mack remained still, his hands by his sides, and Jessie took the opportunity presented to her. Her eyes wandered everywhere. Then her hands joined in.
“That made getting undressed much easier. Do I get to repay the favor?” His voice simmered with the same passion that overwhelmed her.
She almost nodded yes, but stopped herself. Tonight, she wanted all the control in her hands. If she allowed Mack to undress her, she’d be handing over some of that control. Not much, but some and that was something the old Jessica would do. She’d worked hard to get rid of the person she’d become with Jeremy and taking control tonight with Mack would put the final nail in old Jessica’s coffin.
“Not tonight.” Jessie kicked off the ballet flats she’d slipped on. Grabbing the bottom of her sweater, she paused and rode the wave of apprehension that swept through her. He loves me.