Page 56 of When Glitter Meets Gold

The driver groans, mutters something inaudible under his breath, then gets out the car.

“How did you even know I was here?” I snap at Jack when it’s just the two of us in the car.

“Burke is very resourceful,” he says, prompting me to look suspiciously at the driver who is currently shaking his head while reluctantly approaching Amber like she’s a disobedient kid being chased down for bedtime.

I feel my face screw up as I squash down all the ways beingresourcefulled to our discovery.

“So,” I begin, folding my arms. “Let’s hear it. Let’s hear this big speech where you convince me the guy who exiledme from his bar isn’t actually a jerk.” I flick my hair over my shoulder as I nestle into the seat.

“I didn’t exile you.”

“You certainly did.” I make a disapproving high pitch noise. “Do you know I haven’t worn sequins in over a year? You have no idea what a huge deal that is for me, Jack,” I shriek. “You absolutely exiled me. Why else would I be taking the most beautiful dress in existence home early?”

He opens his mouth to say something, but I immediately interrupt.

“I’ll tell you why,”—I draw in a deep breath—“because I’mtrouble.” I mock before laughing. “Trouble. Who even says that? I am the least troublesome?—”

“Christ Sara,” Jack bursts with explosive frustration. “You are trouble.” He readjusts in his seat, pulling at his tie. “The kind I don’t know what to do with. The kind that got in my head the minute I pulled you from that car wreck.” He shakes his head. “You got in my head. Damn it, you got in so deep I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I left you at that tower. That’s why I ran off like a pussy, I wasn’t ready to let you go.” His hands rest on his lap, both sets of fingers curling into his palms. “That’s the reason I was so pissed at you at the bar. I thought you came with an agenda, which meant I’d have to let you go a second time.”

His body heaves like its recovering from getting rid of a weight that’s been carried for too long.

Everything seems to slow down.

I swallow, feeling my throat tighten.

Feeling my heartrate climb.

Then I feel my teeth sink into my bottom lip. I maintain the gesture as a tiny grin begins to tug at the corners of my mouth.

My voice is almost a whisper in the dark nook of the car. “And now you know I don’t come with an agenda…?”

Jack’s gaze flicks over to me. His chest begins to heave all over again, his eyes swelling with something that looks like restraint perishing to ash.

“I’d say I’ve got no right,” he says, voice low, gravel like and starved. “But I have to kiss you now.”

I gasp as Jack leans toward me, sinks a hand into my hair until it wraps around the back of my neck. He pulls me in close, crushing his lips against mine. My entire body tingles as a thousand butterflies take flight in my stomach and my eyelids flutter shut. His kisses are hungry and consuming, deliciously masculine. I taste scotch and peppermint on his lips as my tongues explores his mouth while my fingers dig into the taut layer of muscle at his chest. A low groan of approval vibrates from him as he pulls me in tighter.

Then he’s wrapping both hands around the sides of my rib cage before he grips me tightly, pulling me effortlessly across the seat divider and onto his lap where he continues to devour my mouth like he’s been starved for a very long time.

“Jack,” I breathe against him. I can barely speak between shallow breaths and kisses. “Why…”

“Why what?” he groans against my lips, his hands sinking into my hair, gripping hard and drawing me to him closer still.

“Why didn’t you do this in that stupid tent?” I moan, sucking at his bottom lip as I feel my nipples harden beneath the dress.

His eyes flash open for a second, his expression predatory. “You have no idea how hard I had to work not to. Believe me.”

“I do believe you.” I clamp down on his mouth again,sending my tongue into battle with his. “I felt how hard your dick was pressed against my ass in the morning, remember?” I grin against him.

His entire body stiffens.

“Jesus, Sara.”

He grips me tighter, his touch a reminder of why I slept so soundly that night next to him. A reminder that being with him was blinding chaos and serene peace at the same time.

He feels good against me, almost too good to stop what we’re doing in this car where no one can see us… Which is why it’s a good thing when an almighty crash rips through the alley, startling us out of our entanglement.

Amber.

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