Page 57 of When Glitter Meets Gold

Gasping, I tear myself from Jack, and leap from the car in order to witness the bizarre sight before me.

A pair of garbage cans roll from behind a dumpster while the enormous silhouette of BurkecarryingAmber takes shape in the darkness.

“Why did you catch me?” Amber demands from the grip of the driver who has one arm around the back of her thighs and the other around her shoulders. “I told you, I can fly.”Oh boy…

“Because I didn’t want to scoop your brains from the concrete,” the driver growls with a murderous expression. “Now can you get in the damn car so I can go home?”

Amber kicks her feet and lets her arms splay out before she slurs, “Fiiine. But can you spin me first?”

“No.”

I sigh before I sense Jack’s presence behind me. I watch him wave off Burke who delivers Jack a stare which promises extreme payback and perhaps violence.

Jack’s eyes find mine before he’s brushing the sides of myarms which prickle in the cold. “I should probably take you both home.”

I nod, right before I’m consumed by all the details on his face I failed to pick up on before. Like the dimple on his left cheek when he grins, and how his skin is smooth yet ruggedly textured at the same time. Everything about him makes me close the gap between us, go up on my tiptoes, and continue the make out session from the car. His arm comes around my waist, his mouth working against mine, but just as I’m about to wrap my arms around his neck, Amber’s voice sounds again.

“Oooooh,”she hoots like an idiot, now back on her feet. “Remember to use protection and be gentle with my girl. Sara hasn’t done it in a really long time.” She twists on the spot. “Oh look, a cab!”

Jack’s chuckles vibrate against me while I contemplate throwing myself into traffic.

“You know what, I’m going to take the cab,” I say, taking a step back. “Since I can’t trust she’s done humiliating me tonight.”Since I can’t trust I won’t drag you upstairs to my apartment…

Jack nods. “Okay, but I’m taking you on a date. Soon.”

The moment the words leave his mouth, panic swirls through my insides. There’s no reasonable explanation for it, none I should be entertaining at least. Regardless, I can’t push the feeling away. It’s been so long since I dated – an entire year of healing, and I’m only just beginning to feel normal again.

While half of me wants to leap into the unknown with Jack, the other half won’t allow me to fall without applying caution. And I hate that. I hate that the sting of my past might always stay with me…

Jack appears to sense my hesitance. “What’s wrong?”

I open my mouth as I plan on telling him I have to take things slow. Instead, I resort to more familiar ways. I pout, become a sassier version of myself, fold my arms, adopt my bratty voice…

“I still haven’t forgotten about earlier. A girl doesn’t just get over a man yelling at her, you know.” It’s not entirely untrue. Even though Jack didn’t really yell at me…

I watch his frame deflate by the smallest fraction. I hate the barrier I’m putting up, but a voice in my head tells me that if he really wants to date me, then he’ll step up. And I owe it to everything I’ve been through to put myself on the highest pedestal only those who are worthy can reach. I don’t want lazy dating.I want magic…

I hold his gaze, afraid that he’s going to walk away, yet I manage to hold my nerve long enough for my eyes to silently chant,if you want me, come get me…

“This...” Jack steps forward, his eyes mapping my features as his hand comes to touch my face. “This is why you got in my head. This is why I want you so much, Sara.” Gently, he holds my chin between his thumb and index finger. “You don’t want normal.”

I fight the urge to move, to lean into his touch the way my body guides me to. I shake my head.Magic. I want magic.

He strokes my face. “You were so determined on the trails. You fought to be out there, even though I know it killed you. You pushed past your normal.” He grins. “You know what you want. You don’t want mediocre.” He brushes his thumb over my lips and my entire body shivers even though not one part of me is cold anymore. “I’ll never give you mediocre, you can fucking bet on that.” He narrows his eyes. “You need actions over words. I get it. I’ll give you what you can’t find anywhere else.”

My lips tug upwards.He gets it.He gets it without mehaving to spell it out. Arousal immediately ignites inside me. I feel my thighs squeeze together.

“How?” I whisper. How was he going to do that when I couldn’t even put into words what I wanted from him?

He continues to stroke at my lips while I battle the urge to take his thumb in my mouth and swirl my tongue around it. “First of all, I’m not the kind of person who accepts IOUs on napkins.” We both grin. He continues in a low voice, “You’re going to accept that first gift from me. Then…I’m going to do the opposite of what you expect.” I frown. “I’ll send you flowers and jewellery, sure.” He shrugs, his voice bored before his expression turns determined. “But I told you, I’m going to give you things you can’t find anywhere else.”

He presses down on my chin, parting my mouth before he brushes his lips over mine. And when he breaks connection, he stays close. His body, his scent, his eyes, every part of him whispers over my skin, making me tingle.

“Now get in the cab before I put you back in my car.” He lets me go, allowing the insinuation of what would happen inside that car to hang in the air.

I manage to hold in my gasp as I step back, pulling myself from his piercing stare and his intoxicating piney scent.

I gather Amber, glancing back every so often to witness Jack never once take his eyes from me. We get in the cab, and for the entire ride home, all I can think about is why the hell I didn’t fuck him in that damn tent when I had the chance.

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