Page 34 of Cherish

I pin her against the door and kiss her lips. I know she wants to deepen the kiss, but I step away and open the door for her before walking to the driver’s side.

“That was weeks ago, Doctor. Let that go.”

“How should I have introduced you?”

“How you should have introduced me doesn’t matter,” she says with a flirtatious tone. “What matters now is how you introduce me going forward.”

“Challenge accepted.”

I kiss her again before walking to the driver’s side and start the car.

She looks over at me as I lay my hand on her lap, but I keep my eyes on the road. Despite that, I don’t miss her the change in her breathing as I caress her thigh.

CHAPTER 22

ALEX

I feel silly for worrying. The minute I walk in, I know Jason hadn’t told them I was coming. Jake and Sandy do a good job of wiping the surprised looks from their faces fast, but I still notice. All of that is forgotten when they both hug me as if they’ve known me all their lives.

“You remember Alex.” That’s all the introduction I got. I don’t miss the playful smile on his face as he pulls out my chair for me.

“Mellie’s friend?” Jake asks, mischief in his eyes. Jason ignores him as he throws a possessive arm across my shoulders.

There is no awkwardness like I expected.

“We’re going to the Museum of Fine Arts after we get our marriage license. You two want to tag along?” Jake asked.

“Hell no,” Jason says before I can speak up. “I have to work tonight, and Alex promised to help me relax until I have to go in. And I’d rather have surgery without anesthesia before going to a museum, so you two have fun. It’s bad enough you dragged me to this fancy-ass breakfast place.”

I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

“I had no choice. They have a buffet here, otherwise Sandy would never decide on what to eat. We’d have to order everything on the menu.”

Sandy pretends to be outraged by dramatically putting her hands on her chest. Halfway through her act, she bursts out laughing, making the crown of flowers in her hair nearly fall off. She’s more beautiful than I remember, with smooth, flawless skin and big brown eyes. She’s dressed casually today in blue skinny jeans and a pink V-neck tee. She has a blazer over her tee, shielding her from the cool air inside the hotel, but unlike the last time I saw her, her hair has been straightened with loose curls throughout.

“So you say, but you’re the one who likes fancy places, not me. You get fancier by the day.”

“That’s why I’m going to marry you. You’re my fanciest girl.” He leans over and kisses her. She smiles throughout the kiss, which causes me to smile too. I look over at Jason, but his eyes remain on me. I reach underneath the table and squeeze his thigh right before he grabs and holds my hand.

“That’s what he does. He acts like he’s this regular guy until he sucks you in. One day you look around, and you’re surrounded by his fanciness,” Jason says playfully. “He told me I could move off campus and into the Clark condo nearby. The rent was cheaper than the dorm, so I said okay, sight unseen. Except, it’s not a condo. It’s a four thousand square foot penthouse. They never charged me any rent. And we had a housekeeper who kept the fridge stocked, cooked, and did our laundry.”

Jacob shrugs, offering neither explanation nor apology.

“I can’t believe you’re complaining about the finer things in life, Dr. Dupree,” I say as I take a sip of the most perfect mimosa I’ve ever had.

Breakfast is amazing. Jake and Sandy talk to me the entire time while Jason keeps his arm across my shoulder during the entire meal. At one point, he leans over, kisses my cheek and goes back to his food.

“Do you two have any last-minute wedding stuff to do?” That question gets me an exasperated groan out of them both.

“We’re all done unless our moms throw another monkey wrench at us. Which they better not because we’ve said yes to everything they want.” Sandy laughs and looks at Jacob, who also laughs. “We forgot all about getting our marriage license until the wedding planner sent me a text to confirm we got it.”

The waiter brings more mimosas for me and Sandy while she goes on a long rant about how exhausting planning a wedding has been, but she’s so looking forward to the honeymoon.

“Well, I’m looking forward to your wedding. I’ve never been to Martha’s Vineyard,” I say to everyone at the table. “I’m glad you invited me since this one,” I jerk my thumb at Jason, “is taking his sister.”

Jason laughs at me as Sandy and Jake exchange amused looks.

“Says the one who told me she was interested in another man.”

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