Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Maggie
I poke my head out into the hallway and see that it’s clear of Alice before stepping out.
Jackson is hot on my heels and apparently not as concerned with his sister.
Or maybe I’m just hyperaware, because I stutter-step when his pinky finger wraps around mine as he steps beside me.
I give him a side-eye, but he just shrugs.
“We’ve only got hours together, Mags. Let me have this.”
Let him have this. The resentment that statement provokes is real, hot, and ugly. And I know I probably shouldn’t feel it, because I’ve been a willing participant in this non-relationship. But dammit. I’d like to be the choice. I’d like to be first on someone’s priority list.
That could be selfish. Or it could be me finally realizing my worth. I’ve been claiming to be this self-professed badass girlie who promotes her own worth and values her mental health. But maybe I’m lying. Maybe I’ve been lying to myself this whole time .
“I’ve been trying to ignore that, thank you very much.”
“I know. But I’ll be out of your hair and outta your mind in no time.”
Stupid, foolish man. He clearly can’t read me as well as he claims if he thinks his leaving isn’t going to destroy me. And the fact that it’s not going to destroy him makes me feel like the biggest fool who ever lived. But I wanted this. Even knowing his leaving was a possibility.
When we enter the banquet area, Alice is across the room, keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings.
A feminine laugh I’d recognize anywhere flitters across the low hum of the crowd.
It’s not that it’s loud or obnoxious, because Savannah would never be either of those.
It’s just fake and manufactured and sounds so much like my mother’s fake laugh that it brings me to a full stop.
Jackson turns to me, eyebrows raised, asking if I’m okay.
I tilt my head in Savannah’s direction. “My sister.”
He whips his head around, and I yank his arm. “Don’t be so obvious. Jeez.”
But it’s too late. His superhero good looks have caught her eye, and she immediately excuses herself from the crowd of men she’s been chatting with and heads our direction.
She’s wearing a svelte ivory designer dress and sky-high heels.
Her blond hair is sleeked back, her makeup flawless.
She is the very definition of beautiful, polished businesswoman, all lean and glamorous, and I am the frumpy dumpling in a retro frock, clutching Jackson’s finger like a lifeline.
I try to release his pinky before I break it clean off, and instead, he turns our palms together, linking our fingers tighter.
God, it’s so bittersweet to have him hold my hand like this.
“Maggie,” she croons, approaching me with outstretched hands. I’m frozen as she pulls me into an awkward embrace and presses her cheeks to either side of my face.
I have never greeted my sister like this. Never been greeted by her like this. It’s fucking weird.
“Hi, Sav,” I mutter.
“You look fabulous.” She holds me by the shoulders at arm’s length, eyes roaming everything from my face to my shoes.
What the fuck is happening?
“And who is this handsome… Wait. Jackson?” Her tone is incredulous. Ah, there it is . Any minute, the cutting, cunning, sharp-tongued vixen will appear.
“Hi, Savannah,” he says flatly, not even offering her a hand. A tiny thrill of validation rolls through me.
“Wow, it’s been a long time. You look great.”
Is she seriously flirting with him while he’s holding my hand right now?
“Yeah,” he mutters, scrubbing a palm over the back of his head like he’s uncomfortable. Then the hand holding mine flexes, and his attention shifts to me, like I’m supposed to take the reins of this awkward-as-hell interaction.
Savannah’s bright smile fades as he fails to carry the conversation. Her attention shifts back to me. “So I hear the bakery is doing well?”
“It is.”
“That’s great.”
Someone calls her name, and she makes promises to catch up with me later, giving me an arm squeeze and Jackson another bright smile before she leaves us in a wake of perfume-scented tension.
“Well. That was weird,” Jackson says, finally releasing my hand and placing his at the small of my back. “Especially since I can’t seem to get the image of you on your knees out of my head.” His lips graze my ear as he delivers that panty-melting line. “Wanna meet me in the supply closet later?”
I bark a laugh and pull away from him. “No, you pervert. Now go mingle and behave. I’ve got work to do.”
He palms his chest as he backs away. “Ouch. You’re a brutal little thing.
But also, keep it in mind.” And with an eyebrow waggle, he spins toward the growing crowd of people I’d rather avoid.
Leave it to him to want to make this night one last adventure.
I don’t know whether I’m horrified or intrigued by his invitation.
Unsettled, I turn my focus back to the event.
Alice has done an outstanding job of keeping things organized, and she’s planned all kinds of memorable moments through the night, while leaving space for people to talk and reminisce.
The evening flies by, punctuated by Jackson inserting himself into my line of sight pretty regularly.
Every time I look up, I find his hot gaze on me.
He’ll shoot me a wink, and I’ll shake my head, but the corners of my mouth tip up involuntarily.
“Girl, your dessert table has been destroyed,” Alice exclaims as she joins me near the middle of the party. “The only issue we’ve had is that we didn’t plan for enough. People love you. And all your business cards have been claimed. I’d call it a smashing success.”
Basking in the glow of that news, I beam. I did this. All the hard work, the early mornings and late nights, the fretting over recipes, the putting myself out there when I felt like I was screaming into the void. This is exactly the success I’d dreamed of .
Still smiling, I give her shoulder a nudge. “So, what’s left up your sleeve to surprise the crowd?”
She leans close. “Normally, I would make you wait. But I wanted to give you a heads-up, since I know it will hit you hardest. Some of the committee wanted to do a memorial for T.J. I tried to talk them out of it. But since his sister was on the committee, they fought pretty hard for it, and I was pretty much told it was set in stone. I’ve seen it.
It’s sweet. But there is a picture of you and him at prom.
I know you’ve moved forward, but I just wanted you to be ready. ”
The decade-old heartache of losing T.J. doesn’t feel so cataclysmic against the knowledge that Jackson will soon be leaving. Still, it’s going to be sad watching that video, and I dread seeing it.
“Okay, thanks. I appreciate the heads-up. It would’ve been jarring to see that without warning. You know, I think about him often. I was telling Jax just a few weeks ago that T.J. is the reason I became a baker.”
“He wanted to be a baker? That’s weird. I don’t guess I realized that.”
“No. But he was chasing his dream. Losing him so young made me realize I needed to chase my dream and not settle for someone else’s plan for me.
” Would T.J. be proud of the life I’ve made for myself?
The thought gives me pause. Does it matter what he would think, anyway?
What matters is that I’m proud of the life I’ve made, of the business I’ve built.
Still, I send up a silent prayer of thanks that his memory was part of my catalyst.
“Well, obviously, tonight, you’ve achieved that goal.” She scans the room, then checks her watch. “Okay, I have five minutes of downtime, and then we’ll get prepped for the memorial video.”
“Enjoy your break,” I offer as she slips away. The back of my neck tingles with awareness, the same awareness I’ve been feeling all night. I scan the room, and sure enough, hot blue eyes are on me.
This time, I don’t glance away immediately.
This time, I notice the way his chest fills out his suit and tapers to his slim waist. The way the fine material drapes over his muscular thighs.
I don’t normally find a suit on a guy any more attractive than other clothing, but I guess it depends on the guy.
Because twice now, Jackson has worn one for me, and it’s a delicious sight.
I bite my lower lip, remembering the way I got him all hot and bothered before the party began.
Wonder if he was serious about that supply closet thing?
I enjoy the eye fucking as my gaze trails back up his body.
When I reach his eyes, I wink and tilt my head to the side, arching a brow in question.
If a look could growl… The effect has my nipples tingling and my thighs clenching. He looks like he wants to devour me whole. And then he’s moving, buttoning his coat one handed as he stalks toward me.
“Whatcha covering up there, Jax?” I tease when he gets close.
“You’re gonna find out in about two seconds.
Come on.” He doesn’t grab me or take my hand, but I’m pulled behind him in a tractor beam of sexual awareness.
I glance over my shoulder and find that the rest of the room is paying us no attention.
As we enter the hall headed back to the office we almost got busted in earlier, Jackson takes my hand and quickens our pace.
He’s hurrying, and the realization does something to me.
We barely make it to the room before Jackson flings open the door with a curse. “ Hurry up.”
I’m tugged inside, and my back hits the door as he shuts and locks it behind us.
“Goddamn, Mags. This is gonna be fast and furious. I’ll take my time with you later, but the way you’ve been watching me all night, I can’t wait a second longer.” His mouth heats my neck, and his hands cup my breasts, gliding and gripping down my sides as he trails feverish kisses across my jaw.
“Sorry, not sorry. You look too good in that suit tonight.” I gasp as his fingers trail up the edges of my thighs, dragging my dress with them. “This is insane.”