Page 104 of Seal the Deal

I’m about to lose all control when Zoe’s voice cuts through from around the corner. “Jake! Charlie! If you two don’t get your asses back here, I’m sending a search party in with a bucket of bleach!”

Charlie giggles, burying her face in my chest. “We should probably get back.”

I force myself to take a steadying breath, adjusting myself before stepping back. “This isn’t over,” I warn, stealing one last kiss before letting her go.

“Counting on that.” She straightens her top and saunters back out to Zoe. I follow her, though I’m two seconds from dragging her back into that corner.

Zoe’s standing there with her arms crossed and a smirk plastered across her face. “You two are disgusting,” she says, shaking her head. “But damn, Charlie, you’re gonna give this poor guy a heart attack in this outfit.”

Charlie throws her head back in a laugh, and I have to stop myself from leaning in to suck the curve of her throat. “You’re the one who convinced me to buy it!”

Zoe nods proudly. “Best purchase you ever made.”

“Not sure if I should be grateful or pissed,” I mutter.

“Oh, shut up, Brooks,” Zoe says with a playful shove. “Just enjoy the fact that every guy here wishes they were you right now.”

Charlie glances over her shoulder, throwing me a wink as she starts to rejoin the group. “They can keep wishing.”

I playfully smack her on the ass as she steps into the booth.Damn right they can.

Zoe scrunches her nose. “God, you two are nauseating.”

We settle into our booth, but the tension between us hasn’t cooled, the heat from earlier simmering beneath the surface.

Chase slides in beside us. "You two ready to sing your hearts out tonight?”

Charlie shakes her head, laughing as she takes a sip of her drink. “Don’t count on it.”

I smirk. “She’s just being modest.”

“Traitor,” she mutters with a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“Come on, Charlie! You’ve got to do it.” Zoe’s voice rises through the noise, tugging on her hand.

Charlie laughs, shaking her head. “No way, you’re not getting me up there.”

“You promised!”

With an exasperated laugh, Charlie lets Zoe lead her to the stage, and I sit back watching as the opening chords of “I Will Survive” start playing. I can’t help but grin as Charlie reluctantly grabs the mic. Her eyes meet mine across the bar.

I raise my drink in a mock toast, mouthing, “You got this.”

As she starts singing, her voice cuts through the bar, commanding everyone’s attention. I can’t look away. By the time she hits the chorus, the entire place is singing along, and I’m grinning like a fool. Knowing she’s mine, that I get to be the one holding her at the end of the night, fills me with a rare kind of contentment.

“She’s killin' it,” Chase says, taking a sip of his beer. “Didn’t know your girl had pipes.”

I chuckle. “I did.”

When the song ends, the bar erupts in applause. I’m on my feet before I realize, making my way to her through the crowd.

“You were incredible,” I say, pulling her into me.

“Yeah?” She looks up at me, catching her breath.

Instead of answering, I kiss her, letting her know exactly how I feel without saying a word. But before things get too heated, Zoe’s voice interrupts.

“Hey, lovebirds! Don’t leave me out here on my own!”

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