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Page 17


  Without our time apart, we wouldn’t be who we are. Maybe we wouldn’t have left Ridge Hollow and I never would’ve started a company. Willow may have been here, and that thought makes my heart ache. But we parted at a time that led us to lead lives that made this moment possible in all its perfection.

  20

  Evie

  There’s a hum to Philadelphia that’s almost deafening compared to the quietness of Ridge Hollow. The sound of the sirens echoing off the buildings as an ambulance buzzes down the street below wakes me just before sunrise. I kiss Jack before making a beeline to his kitchen to start the coffee, ultimately settling in to enjoy the sunrise on his wraparound patio while he sleeps.

  Six months ago, I never could’ve imagined being here with him. It’s funny how quickly life can change, especially when you’re least expecting it. I had given up on love with anyone, especially Jack, a few years ago. I thought I was too broken inside to ever love again, but being with Jack is different.

  He’s like going home again. Home had never been Ridge Hollow, the place, but the guy I left behind there. Everything seems right when I’m with him, like anything is possible. The last six years without him feel like a distant memory now that he’s back in my life. I can’t imagine being apart from him ever again.

  “The project is due in two weeks. We’re going to try something different this time. Instead of letting you pick your partners for the assignment, we’ll be drawing crayons from a bucket. Once everyone has their crayon, you’ll find the person with the matching color, and they’ll be your partner for the entire project. Remember, this is thirty percent of your grade this quarter.”

  I shrink down in my seat, unhappy with Ms. Edelman’s idea of cooperative learning. I’ve only been here for a short time and still barely know anyone, especially not well enough to be forced to work with them.

  I glance out of the corner of my eye, catching Jack Nelson, one of the cutest boys in eighth grade, staring in my direction. I try to stay calm, telling myself he’s looking past me at the redhead that’s sitting on my other side.

  I tap my pen against my notebook, watching as it bounces off the page with a metallic click, and pray that I don’t get stuck with an asshole. I don’t want to start off my academic life in Ridge Hollow with a failing grade. My father would ground me until summer if that happened.

  “Hey,” Jack whispers, but I don’t turn.

  I continue beating my pen against the paper and keep my gaze cast downward as Ms. Edelman makes her way down the first row.

  “Evie,” Jack whispers, and I freeze.

  I set my pen down, turning in my chair but still not looking up at him. I start to shake my leg, letting my foot take over where my hand left off as I gaze up at him. “Hey,” I whisper back.

  Jack smiles, and my breath catches in my throat. “Want to be my partner?”

  The classroom is growing louder as more and more kids draw their crayon. There’s nothing I want more than to be Jack’s partner, but I can’t tell him that.

  “I don’t think it works that way, Jack.”

  One side of his mouth turns upward into a devilish grin. “I can make it happen if you want to be my partner.” He looks so sure of himself, but then again, he always does.

  My heart’s beating in double time at the very thought of spending time with Jack. “Sure.” My voice cracks, and my stomach flips, embarrassment flooding me as my face starts to heat.

  Jack doesn’t laugh, just winks. “I’ll make it happen.”

  I turn back around in my chair, letting my blond hair fall in front of my face in a way that he can’t see my freak-out. Holy shit. Jack Nelson wants to be my partner. He’s the one every girl in the school wants to call theirs. I grip the edges of my desk and whisper, “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

  “Ms. Bailey.” Ms. Edelman shakes the bucket of crayons next to my head because I didn’t move fast enough for her.

  I hadn’t even heard her approach because I’ve been too busy flipping out about Jack. “Sorry.” I smile up at her and reach into the bucket, grabbing a crayon.

  “What color did you get?” Jack asks when I don’t set the crayon on my desk like everyone else.

  I’m afraid to open my hand, clutching the thin wax stick like it’s a secret I’m protecting. Slowly, I peel back my fingers, exposing a dandelion yellow crayon and set it down on the notebook in front of me.

  “I’ll find the other,” he says.

  I finally look in his direction. “Um, how?”

  He smiles with his head half-cocked and lifts his chin. “I have my ways.”

  I’d give him my crayon if he asked. He probably wants to be my partner so I will do all the work while he goofs off, but I don’t care. He’s Jack freakin’ Nelson, and he’s cute as all get-out.

  This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t believe it. I am tempted to pinch myself.

  He pulls a crayon from the bucket when Ms. Edelman walks by and shows me that it’s blue, but says, “Don’t worry. I got this.”

  Ms. Edelman sets the bucket down on her desk and claps her hands to get the attention of the entire class, which is now buzzing with anticipation. “All right, kids. Find your match,” she says and motions for us to get out of our seats.

  Jack peers around the room, making a beeline to the back corner where a boy stands holding the same dandelion yellow crayon as me. They exchange a few words, shake hands, and exchange colors.

  He strides back to his chair with his shoulders pushed back and his chest puffed out a little bit more than before. “See? I told you I’d find a way,” he says, sliding back into his desk, which is directly next to me.

  I swallow, trying to find words, but nothing comes. For the next two weeks, Jack will be my partner, and we’ll have to spend the entire fifty-minute class together.

  I pull the rubric and instructions out from underneath my notebook and keep my eyes down. All I want to do is stare at him, but I don’t want to embarrass myself, although he’s probably used to girls ogling him.

  “What parts do you want to do?” I ask, looking over the long list of tasks we need to complete by next Monday.

  He scoots his desk across the floor, making the most godawful sound, and rests the edge so it’s touching mine. “I thought we were going to work together on everything.”

  I try to hide my surprise, but I’m pretty sure my mouth’s hanging open as I gawk at him. “Huh?”

  “We’re a team now, Evie girl.”

  My insides turn to mush with the nickname. No one has ever called me Evie girl, and the sound of it rolling off his tongue sends my pulse into overdrive and makes my belly turn in a way that I can’t tell if I’m excited or about to be sick. Probably both if I think about it too long.

  I give him a faint smile. “If that’s what you want, Jack.”

  “I want more, but it’s a start.” He winks at me.

  Jack wraps his strong arms around my shoulders from behind, resting his hands just above my breasts. “You’re up early. You okay?”

  I can’t help but smile. “I’m fine, Jack. Just thinking.”

  His lips graze my cheek. “About what?”

  I turn slightly so our lips are almost touching. “The first time you called me Evie girl.”

  “I remember,” he says, but I find it doubtful.

  “When was it, then?”

  His arms vanish from my body before he slides into the metal patio chair next to mine. “I remember every minute of us.”

  “So, then when did you call me that for the first time?” I press.

  He sits there, thinking about it for a minute with a cocky grin just like he had the day he made me his project partner. “I’ll never forget the yellow crayon.”

  “You were a determined sucker.”

  “I was horny, Evie. I think at that age I had a hard-on like every thirty seconds. It was ridiculous. I would’ve done anything to be close to you.”

  “Thank God you’ve outgrown that,”
I tell him, my eyes dipping to his crotch and his semierect cock.

  “It’s the morning. I can’t control it, and you still give me the same feeling you did back in eighth grade.”

  “I don’t know if I should be concerned or excited about that.” I giggle softly, and my eyes dip to his dick again.

  “A little of both,” he says before scooping me into his arms and placing my body in his lap.

  My laughter dies when I feel his erection press into my ass, and his finger traces a path down the front of my chest where my robe has fallen away. His hand slides underneath the silk nightgown I have underneath, and he cups my breast, placing my nipple between two of his fingers with a light squeeze.

  My head falls back, and I’m flooded with need. Squirming against his erection, I crave for him to be inside me again even when I’m sore from yesterday.

  “You want my cock, Evie girl?” he growls against the delicate skin of my neck as his lips blaze a path toward my jaw.

  “I do,” I say, but my voice is light and almost a whisper. He knows exactly what he is doing to me. He’s driving me wild.

  He turns my body in his arms so I’m straddling him and pulls down the top of his shorts, exposing his beautiful, hard cock. I glance around, seeing nothing but windows around us and absolutely no privacy. “People can see,” I tell him and gnaw on my bottom lip as he pushes my nightgown and robe away from me.

  “Let them watch us. I need you now, Evie. I want my cock in you.”

  I’m about to tell him to take me inside, but his thumb brushes against my clit, and I lose my ability to think. He pulls my body closer, pushing his cock into my already slick pussy with ease. My toes barely touch the cement below, and I try to find my footing but fail.

  His strong hands grip my waist, controlling my movement up and down his shaft. The thought of someone catching us sends a tiny prickle of excitement through my body. I stare down at him, trying to concentrate on only him and shut out the world around us.

  He twists his hips, rocking into me slow and deep. So deep that he steals my breath. I place my hands on his shoulders, and his muscles ripple underneath my fingertips as he moves. His gaze locks with mine, and I’m a goner. His piercing blue eyes bore into me, keeping me locked in the moment as I feel nothing but him inside of me. My clit grinds against his body as his cock strokes my insides, and my muscles begin to tighten. I strain to reach the orgasm that’s just under the surface, but I can’t quite get there at the speed Jack’s pumping into me.

  “I need more,” I say, digging my fingernails into his bare shoulders. “Faster, Jack.”

  “Are you greedy, baby?” Jack smirks his usual cocky, beautiful grin and lifts my body a few inches from his before pulling me back down with so much force that I cry out in pleasure. “Better?” he asks.

  I inch my body forward, touching the tips of my toes against the patio floor and lift myself off him before slamming my pussy down against his length. I contract around him as my entire body tightens with each stroke of his cock.

  “Fuck me, Evie,” Jack whispers as his hand slides into the opening of my robe and plucks at my nipple, sending shock waves through my system.

  The sensation is too much for me to stop the orgasm from ripping through my body. My movements become stunted and short as my breathing stops and every fiber of my being electrifies at the contact. He follows me, spiraling into so much bliss that we can barely keep our eyes open, but somehow, we do.

  Our eyes stay locked, watching each other reach our peak.

  The way he stares at me makes me feel beautiful and as if I’m the only person he’s ever loved. Jack has always had me. Even though I was thousands of miles away, he never left my heart. Being here with him in this moment solidifies my love and leaves a permanent imprint on my soul.

  I collapse forward, trying to catch my breath as his arms wrap around my body and hold me tightly against his chest. Our hearts beat in rhythm, pounding in sync as though they’re becoming one. “I love you,” I whisper in his ear.

  “I love you, Evie girl,” he whispers back, and I know this is the man I’m meant to be with forever and ever. He’s my always.

  21

  Jack

  “Don’t leave me here,” Evie begs when I kiss her goodbye.

  “You’ll be fine. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  It’s our last day in Philadelphia before we return to Ridge Hollow, and I have a few things to get done before we leave. Many of the things, I don’t want Evie at my side while I do them either.

  She grips my arms tightly. “Come on, you could use a massage.”

  Peeling her fingers away from my skin, I lean in for another kiss. “You need a little pampering. I have some boring business things to do anyway.”

  “Promise me you won’t be long.” She pouts, jutting her bottom lip out, and I want to bite it.

  “I promise, love. I’ll be back soon.”

  She nods slowly, her eyes flickering between the receptionist and me. “I’m ready,” she tells her, finally letting go of my arm.

  The receptionist motions for Evie to follow her, but before she does, she glances back at me with a small smile. I mouth the words I love you, and she does the same. Once she disappears, I head out to finish the few things that I must get done before we leave the city.

  “May I help you?” the salesman asks as soon as I walk inside the jewelry store right next to the salon.

  “I’m looking to buy an engagement ring.”

  He smiles, extending his hand as soon as he walks around the counter. “I’m Simon, and I’d be delighted to help you find the perfect ring for your lady today.”

  I shake his hand and am suddenly filled with excitement. “Great, Simon. I want to wow her and show her exactly how much I love her.”

  “Divine.” Simon’s thick British accent makes his statement sound less cheesy. “Do you have a budget in mind?”

  “No budget. It just has to be perfect, and I need it today.”

  “Hmm,” he mutters, walking along the glass display cases. “Do you have a shape you’d like?”

  “I don’t know.” I stand next to him, looking down at an entire case filled with diamonds of every shape and size. They sparkle like stars in the sky.

  “I like that one,” I say, pointing to a ring that’s rectangular and so big that I’m not sure how it’ll look on her dainty hands.

  “Ahh. That’s an emerald cut and extremely popular.” He reaches into the case and pulls it out, holding it up to the light. “It’s part of our Polaris collection.”

  “Like the star?” I ask, and I know it’s meant to be.

  “Yes.” He hands the ring to me.

  I don’t know what I’m supposed to look at, but I stare at it anyway. “I’ll take it.”

  “It’s quite pricey,” he says, probably thinking that I can’t afford it.

  “Doesn’t matter. I have the money, and she deserves the best. Wrap it up.”

  Simon moves quickly to wrap up the ring and run my credit card. I don’t bother to look at anything else. It’s perfection, just like Evie.

  “Thank you for your business, Mr. Nelson,” Simon says, handing me a bag with the ring inside.

  “Thank you for your help, Simon.”

  I walk out of there a hundred grand lighter, but I don’t care. I’m going to ask Evie to be my wife, and that’s the only thing that matters to me. There is no price on my love for her.

  I ditch the bag before I walk into Dirty Deeds Designs and place the ring box in the pocket of my blazer.