Page 73 of Those Summer Nights (Sweet Cravings 2)

“Is it so wrong that I wanted you to be jealous? Just a little bit?”

“People are jealous when they want something that isn’t theirs. I was protective because you already possessed me. I was already yours. And you were already mine.”

I turned to look up at him, the view of his blue eyes so much better than the sea itself. “You wanted to protect what’s yours?” The wind from the ocean blew my hair into my face.

He pushed it back, drawing my lips up to his. But his lips stopped a fraction of an inch from mine. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you ever since I first saw you on the beach. Even before I knew your name was Jellyfish Girl.” He closed the distance between us. A slow kiss that took my breath away.

I’m his. And he’s mine. God, his answer was simply amazing. I had been worried about asking him what he meant by protective instead of jealous. But listening to his answer made my knees weak. Everything he said was so romantic. He pulled away far too soon.

“You’re a great kisser,” I mumbled. I thought it was incoherent, but J.J. smiled.

“Oh, really? I could have sworn after our first kiss you said, ‘It wasn’t even a good kiss.’ Which really shattered my confidence.”

I lightly hit his arm. “I was upset. But…it wasn’t technically a lie…”

He raised both his eyebrows. “Ouch. Are you trying to wound me?”

I laughed and stood up on my tiptoes. “I wasn’t lying because it was a great kiss, not a good one.” I wrapped my arms behind his neck and kissed him again. His hands slid to my ass, not a care in the world that his friends were nearby. Yup, my assessment was right. J.J. was a great kisser.

Chapter 21

Saturday

“I can spend the night at Reggie’s again if you want to bring J.J. back here,” Kristen said as we ran along the beach. She’d been spending most nights this week with him. Like I’d been spending most nights with J.J.

“That sounds great.”

She laughed. I wasn’t sure how she could laugh after running so many miles. I could barely even breathe.

“I like it,” she said. “You don’t hesitate anymore. You know what you want and you just go for it. I think I’m wearing off on you.”

I tried to smile, but I’m sure it came out as more of a grimace because of my cramp. “Well, in that case…I’d love to turn around. The couch has my name on it. I want to make a stack of pancakes so high that the syrup drips down the sides in that picture-perfect way. And while I’m stuffing my face with sugary goodness, we can look for Swatch on Project Runway.”

“Oh…yeah. Let’s do that. I’m pretty sure just the thought gave me a sugar orgasm.” She laughed again as we turned around. “Have you told J.J. about transferring yet?”

That was the weirdest segue ever. My mind was still stuck on syrup. “No, not yet.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“I haven’t heard back from admissions yet. Plus I need to talk to my dad about tuition. I’ve been putting it off because whenever I call him it always makes me sad. But I’m going to call him today, I swear. Right after I go into a carb coma.”

“Why does calling him make you sad?”

I splashed through a wave that had come up a little higher in the sand. “Promise you won’t judge me?”

“When have I ever judged you?”

“You always judge me.” I gave her a hard stare.

She responded by rolling her eyes. “Never. So spill it.”

“I don’t know.” I focused on my breathing for a minute. “He always seems so happy,” I finally said.

“And that makes you sad?”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure she had seen it. “Happier than he was with me and my mom.” And he never asks how I am. Not once. Not even after the divorce. Maybe because he knew the answer. I missed him and he didn’t miss me back.

She didn’t say anything. “Well, I’m happy with you. And I’m certainly not looking to replace you any time soon.”

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