Page 52 of Third Time's the Charm

“Kissing.”

I held her face in my hands so I could study her expression in the dim string lights. She had a tentative but hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

“Jack…I miss you.”

“Fuck.” I tucked her tight against my chest. Against my heart. And just held her. “I miss you so much.”

“I even miss fighting with you.” She sounded like she was crying.

And here I just vowed to never argue with her again. “I miss knowing that no matter what the subject is, I have someone to talk to.” I really, really missed it. More than I realized.

She sniffled, rubbed her nose, and stepped back out of my arms. “It really, really fucking hurt when you said your job as coach was more important than mine as archaeologist.”

I hung my head in shame. “I would take it all back if I could.”

“It wasn’t just the words, Jack. It was that you meant them.”

“I did. At that time I thought the world revolved around me. My head was as big as Miami. Maybe bigger. But that’s why I love you. Why I’ve always loved you. That night we met at the dorm party, you were the only person there I knew was smarter than me, funnier, better looking.” She smiled. “And just as much fun. I finally had someone I could truly play with.”

“Until you stopped playing.” She said it simply. No venom detected.

“Until I stopped playing. You’re the only person who could keep up with me, put up with me. You always called me out.” I nodded a lot as I spoke because it was all true. Every single bit of it. “And leaving me was the biggest call of all. But just like all the other times before, I realized you were right and I was an ass.”

“I don’t mind calling you out. I do mind being ignored.”

“Darlin’, I’ll never ignore you ever again. Never.”

She scowled at me.

“I won’t. I’ve been humbled. Brought low. I’m a desperate man now.”

She shuffled closer. Berlin was always a sucker for my teasing. “Desperate, huh?”

“Incredibly.”

She turned on her toe. “Well, goodnight Jack!”

I blinked. My jaw fell open. I was well and truly stunned.

Until she stopped. “Are you coming or what?”

* * *

I hadn’t steppedfoot inside our home in a long, long time, and I paid it zero attention now.

Was this real? Was she really giving me another chance? Or maybe this was a booty call. Was I okay being a booty call? Yeah. I was okay withanything.

Doug ran circles around us. I recognized Rattlesnake’s hiss from across the room. Berlin reached for the hem of her dress.

“Don’t. Let me. Please.”

She moved her hands out of the way, watching me and my damn shaking hands as I slowly slipped my fingers under the fabric and against her skin like an addict.

Daaaaammmmnnn.Something as simple as my finger touching her skin sent a sizzle through every cell in my body and made me harder than a rock. I slid the fabric up over her underwear, up over her bra, and then flung it away.

I spent the last few months in daze. I wasn’t quite myself, feeling disappointment in my actions, sad for what I lost. I was a quieter version of myself.

I didn’t feel quiet anymore.

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