Page 39 of Seal the Deal

“Wait,” I murmur, stepping back into her space. Her lips part, breath catching as I cup her jaw again. “One more, just one.”

I kiss her again, softer this time, less urgency and more promise. Her fingers curl into my shirt, and I feel her smile against my mouth when I pull back. But it’s not enough.

“Okay,” she whispers, cheeks pink. “We should—”

“Hang on.” I cut her off, hands still framing her face as I steal another kiss. Her laugh is muffled against my lips, and when I pull away, her brows lift in amusement.

“Jake—”

“Last one, I swear.” I dip my head to kiss her again, savoring the way she softens against me. Her hands slide to my shoulders, and I can tell she’s trying not to laugh. I peck her softly once, twice, and then reluctantly pull back.

“We really should get back out there,” she says, swiping at her hair and nodding toward the hallway.

She’s right, but it takes all my self-control to let her go.

“Okay, okay. I’m done… for now,” I say, feeling the ache of separation already. I push down the need to keep her close, even though every cell is screaming at me to do the opposite.

Stepping back into the event is like a cold splash of reality. The noise and lights are a sharp contrast to the quiet intensity of what just happened. All I want is to bundle her and the kids into my car to take them home, and hold her in my arms until the sun comes up.

Instead I force a smile, shake hands and make small talk, but none of it feels real.

The only real thing is her. Charlie, the promise of tomorrow, and the certainty I’ve waited twelve years to feel.

Chapter thirteen

Jake’s #1 Fan Club ??

Charlie

The kiss.

That perfect, toe-curling, mind-stilling kiss. It’s all I can think about as I drive home. The way Jake’s hands gripped my waist like he couldn’t bear to let go replays on a loop in my mind. It felt like opening a door I’d shut years ago, stepping into a moment that was always meant to happen. A rewrite of something unfinished, yet intense and new.

I’ve been kissed before, but nothing like this. Nothing that felt so consuming, like every part of him was aligned to me in a pull we couldn’t resist. The kiss was a cataclysm, rearranging the ground beneath us, making me feel more seen and alive than I have in years.

It felt like a kiss that had been made just for us, one he’d been saving to give me. And he was ready to break through every wall I’d carefully built to make sure I knew it.

Now that it’s happened, I can’t imagine going back. I can't imagine a world where I don't know the feeling of his lips on mine ever again. And I don't think I want to.Fuck.

As soon as I get home, I tuck the kids into bed, their sleepy faces blissfully unaware of the turmoil raging inside me. Once they’re settled, I pour a glass of wine, hoping it’ll calm my nerves. But it doesn’t. It just makes the butterflies flutter harder. I’m stressing out, and I know I am because now I’m overthinking whether butterfliesfly or flutter, for fuck sake.

My fingers itch to text Zoe, the only person who can talk me down from this ledge.

Me:Fuck fuck fuck

My phone rings immediately with her name flashing on my screen. I answer, and before I can even say hello, she’s talking.

“Did you kiss him?!” Zoe’s voice is full of anticipation, and a pang of exhilaration hits me.

“Oh my God, I kissed him,” I blurt out, my words a jumbled confession. “Actually, no—he kissed me! But I might have leaned in first. And it wasamazing, but now I’m freaking out.”

Zoe laughs. “Well don’t dothat! How was it?”

I start pacing, spilling every detail. “Incredible. Terrifying… What if it’s too much, too soon? What if I just complicated everything? And now he wants to take me on a date tomorrow. What if I’m not ready?”

“Charlie,” she says gently through her amused chuckle. “You kissed an amazing guy who’s clearly into you. Don’t overthink it—just enjoy it. You deserve this!”

I let out a breath, feeling the tension ease a little. “He said he’s wanted to kiss me since the last night we had at camp.”

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