Page 14 of Cherry Picked
“That might be fun. But you’re gonna be the one changing your mind,” I added quickly. “Every single tree out there is magnificent. You’ll see.”
Simon chuckled lightly. “I consider myself warned.”
“Simon?” The lawyer from earlier looked back and forth between me and Simon disapprovingly. “We’re leaving now.”
“Sure. Coming.” Simon pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. “That’s my cell and my email address. Let me know when you’re free…Hawk.”
I nodded, tapping the card against my hand. “I will.”
Simon grinned and gave me a jaunty salute before walking away.
“What was that all about?” Jack demanded from behind me.
I turned to face him, and…Ugh.
It was notfairthat his face was still so gorgeous, even now that things between us were impossible. It was utterlyunjustthat my brain had somehow imprinted on him so that if anyone asked me to define a gorgeous, sexy man, I would automatically and without conscious thought describe Jack Wyatt. It wasinexcusablethat just when I most needed to keep distance between us, every cell of my body yearned for him to give me a hug and tell me that we were going to be okay.
“That was me talking to the environmental compliance officer to address my concerns about the proposed development,” I said.
“Hmm.” Jack’s face creased in a frown. “You two seemed friendly.”
I shrugged. “You told me to keep an open mind.”
“Well, true.” Jack folded his arms over his chest, then quickly unfolded them and stuffed his hands in his pockets. A second later, he clasped them together behind his back. “But I didn’t mean…”
“Simon asked me to go hiking sometime,” I cut in. “He’s going to show me the layout of the proposed development, and I’ll try to convince him to stop it.”
“Wait, hold up. You’re goinghiking? You and…” He waved a hand in the direction of the side door, where Simon and the others had departed.
“Simon,” I reminded him. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
Tell me it is, I begged silently.Say, “No, Hawk. I am bitterly jealous, for hiking isourthing, and I never want you to hike with another.” Say it, Jack.
“Of course not.”
“Right.” I tried not to let my disappointment show. One mortifying rejection per day was my limit. “Okay, then. Good night.”
I started to walk past him, but Jack stopped me with a hand on my arm. He licked his lips. “I, um… I think Simon might be interested in you. Not sure if you picked up on that. I thought that was something you should know so you could… handle it accordingly.”
“Accordingly.” I tilted my head to one side and studied him. Jack’s cheeks were flushed beneath his perfect golden tan, like he was worried or upset or even maybe… jealous, unlikely as that seemed.
I suddenly remembered Crys’s words from earlier.Make sure he’s looking at you in a way that drives brothers out of his mind altogether.Well… what did I have to lose?
“Ohhh. You mean, maybeheshould be the guy I have sex with. What a great idea! I’ll put some lube in my backpack, just in case the opportunity arises. What would I do without you, buddy?” I gave Jack an impulsive half hug, the kind I’d given him a hundred times, and tried very, very hard not to notice the spicy, woodsy scent of his cologne.
“Wait. Hawk. That’s not what I—”
“Good night!” I called over my shoulder as I made my way back to where Luke and Crys waited, adding a little shimmy to my step.
And for the second time that day—probably the second time in my entire life—I walked away from Jack Wyatt instead of standing by his side.
Only this time, I let myself imagine he was staring at my ass as I did so.
ChapterThree
JACK
Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how. ~ Jane Austen
