Chapter 8
Hana
Jack shut the door behind us. After everything—every moan, every shared look, every touch—we were finally alone again.
I sat on the edge of the bed, back in my plush robe, crossing my legs as I watched Jack; he peeled off his shirt and ran a hand through his hair, pacing a little before he stopped and looked at me.
His expression was open, a little unguarded. He was still processing. So was I.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice a little hoarse.
I nodded. “Are you?”
He crossed the room and sat beside me. “Yeah. I just…I think I need to talk it out.”
I grabbed his hand. “Me too.”
I turned toward him, our knees brushing. “You’ve seen me with other men before. But tonight…”
“That was my first time with another woman,” he finished for me.
I watched his face carefully. “How did it feel?”
He let out a slow breath, not quite smiling. “Better than I thought it would.” He watched me, gauging my reaction. I wondered if he was holding back for my sake.
My stomach fluttered, and not in the way I expected. I thought I might feel a twinge of jealousy, or even protectiveness. But all I felt was warmth. And maybe a little awe.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d like it,” he went on. “I didn’t know how it would feel crossing that line.”
I bit the lower side of my lip. “And?”
His mouth curved into a slow, almost surprised smile. “It felt natural. Like something we were always going to do, just…waiting for the right person.”
“Jackie,” I said softly.
He nodded. “Yeah. She’s just someone I know we both trust. Elliott too.”
I chewed on my lip for a second, then admitted, “I didn’t know how I’d feel either. Seeing you with another woman. I’ve seen you with men—fuck, I love seeing you with them—but this was different.”
His eyes found mine again, more curious now. Still hesitant. “And?”
“I loved it,” I said quietly. “Like…really loved it.”
His brow lifted, and he seemed a little relieved.
“It wasn’t just about watching you have sex. It was about seeing another side of you. How you are with someone else.”
He smiled a little. “I kept looking at you. Every time she moaned, or touched me, or came on my cock, I looked at you. Because I needed to know that you were still with me.”
I leaned forward and kissed him slowly, and when we pulled apart I took his hand.
“I was with you the whole time.”
His hands slid up my back. “I liked knowing you were right there watching. Not because I needed permission. But because you wanted me to.”
“I did,” I whispered, sliding my hand to the inside of his thigh, talking about it working me up again.
“And watching you with Elliott? Bloody hell, it was hot. You both were so hot. And it made me feel proud. Like—‘That’s my wife. And she’s driving him crazy.’”
I laughed softly. “Still so possessive, even while sharing me.”
“Always, sweetheart,” he said, smirking, his dimples deepening.
We sat in silence for a few more moments, just taking it all in together.
Then he leaned back on his elbows. “So…dinner?”
I raised an eyebrow at him playfully. “Do you think it’ll be weird? All of us clothed and discussing how good the food is?”
He laughed, head tipping back. “Nah, not at all.”
I snickered. “But also kinda hilarious,” I added, standing up to grab one of his shirts and tug it over my head. “Four adults playing it cool after a full-blown group sex debut.”
“Nothing cool about the way you screamed earlier,” he muttered, grinning as he pulled on his jeans.
I shook my head, but I was smiling too.
We moved around the room in quiet tandem—dressing, fixing our hair, washing our hands like it was just any other day. It felt bizarrely normal.
A while later, the scent of garlic drifted through the air, and we walked into the kitchen together.
Jackie and Elliott were already at the island, setting bowls and glasses on the counter, their eyes catching ours the moment we walked in.
And for a beat, the four of us just stood there, undeniably changed, but nobody said anything yet.
Instead, Jackie smiled, holding up a large bowl. “Food’s hot.”
Jack laughed under his breath. “Exactly like our day.”
That earned a smirk from her.
Elliott and Jackie passed bowls around the island, both of them suspiciously focused on the soup, as if eye contact might make it even more awkward.
Jack, naturally, leaned into the awkwardness like he was born for it, tossing in casual little comments that earned snorts, eye rolls, and a shake of the head.
Elliott poured himself and Jack each a glass of whiskey after the second course, while Jackie and I sipped on our iced tea.
As dinner went on, things started returning to normal.
Talk turned to the storm, to how long we might be snowed in, to some show we all agreed to start bingeing the next day.
But every now and then, there’d be a look—Jackie glancing at me while biting her lip, or Elliott’s gaze lingering a second too long on my neck.
I even noticed Jack watching Jackie, licking his lips and smiling whenever she laughed at some joke he made.
Something had shifted. The air between us was looser, but not entirely sorted out.
Jack poured himself another glass. Elliott followed.
By the time we finished clearing the dishes, both men were definitely buzzed, sprawled out on opposite couches like they hadn’t just had the night of their lives.
I wondered if it would feel the same in the morning. If we’d still be this loose, this comfortable, when the excitement of it all wore off.
Jackie stood, tugging Elliott’s hand as she did. He stumbled a little, laughing under his breath. She glanced at me with a soft smile.
“I need to get him to bed,” she said gently.
I nodded, glancing over at Jack. His eyes were half-closed, a smirk stretched across his face. “Yeah, I should probably get this one in bed too.”
As Jackie passed, still holding Elliott’s hand, she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.
“Goodnight,” she said, her eyes flicking between me and Jack.
“’Night, love,” Jack slurred, waving vaguely in their direction.
We watched them disappear down the hall and into their room.
Jack sighed, pointing toward the hallway. “I really want that to happen again.”
I smiled, curling up beside him. “Yeah. Me too.”
“Hot tub next time?” he asked, draping an arm around me.
I laughed softly. “Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
* * *
Jack was snoring by the time I walked down the hallway to grab a glass of water and Tylenol for him, knowing he’d be feeling it in the morning.
I was still wide awake, adrenaline rushing through me, my thoughts racing with everything that had happened.
All the possibilities for the four of us. For me and Jackie.
I gasped when Jackie turned the corner from the kitchen, and we both let out startled laughs, hands to our chests.
“Sorry,” I said, smiling sheepishly.
She shook her head, stepping back slightly and placing a hand on her lower back.
Her robe slipped open just enough to reveal her collarbone and shoulder, reminding me of her beautiful bare body, the very same one I had tasted earlier.
“No, it’s fine. I just got Elliott some water and forgot the Tylenol.
” She patted the bottle tucked into her robe pocket.
I grinned. “I was doing the same for Jack.”
She glanced past me, then smirked. “It sure was a celebration for them, huh?”
“Like they won the fucking lottery,” I laughed, my eyes lingering on her shoulder. “I mean, they kinda did. We all did,” I added, my cheeks warming.
Jackie bit her lip and nodded slowly. “We did.” Her gaze dropped for a moment before lifting to mine again. “That was fucking amazing, Hana. You were amazing.”
My heart fluttered. That look in her eyes—it was the same one I remembered from earlier, when her mouth had been on me, tasting me.
“So were you,” I whispered. “It all felt…I don’t know. Right.”
She stepped closer, her expression growing serious. Slowly, she reached for my hand, her fingers sliding between mine.
“It does feel right,” she responded quietly. Her eyes flicked between my lips and my eyes, and she leaned in so close I could feel her breath. But she paused there, hovering.
My pulse pounded in my ears.
I wanted it. I wanted her. But the hesitation in her eyes reminded me—we hadn’t talked to Jack or Elliott about this, about what was okay one-on-one.
She blinked and stepped back, though she kept holding my hand for one more breath.
“We should wait,” she murmured, finally letting go.
I nodded, my chest rising and falling too quickly. “Yeah.”
She licked her lips. “Goodnight, Han.”
“Goodnight,” I whispered, stepping aside to let her pass.
The kiss hadn’t happened, but my body still ached like it had.
And I knew we were nowhere near finished.
* * *
Jack and I slept in the next morning. I woke to sunlight peeking through the window, the sky partly cleared but the snow still piled high.
I reached for my phone and checked the forecast—more snow expected by late morning.
The idea of all of us being stuck in the cabin together for another day made my heart leap with joy.
I took a quick shower and tiptoed out of the bedroom, wanting Jack to sleep off as much of last night’s alcohol as he could.
The scent of coffee drifted down the hallway, mixed with the sound of dishes clinking in the kitchen. As I got closer, I heard Jackie’s low laugh and Elliott’s voice.
I peeked around the corner.
Elliott was pressed flush against Jackie’s back, his face buried in her neck. From where I stood, they couldn’t see me unless Jackie happened to turn around. For now, I stayed still, quietly watching them in their element, even if it was innocent.
“I want some alone time with my baby,” Elliott murmured, kissing her neck.
“Mmm, Daddy,” she breathed. “Me too.”
Daddy?
I blinked. I knew that’s what she used to call Michael…
Was Elliott kinkier than I thought? I could definitely feel a dominant vibe from him earlier. More of that could be so much fun.
Grinning to myself, I tiptoed back down the hall, letting them have the privacy they clearly wanted.
When I opened the bedroom door, Jack was propped up on his elbows, his hair sticking out in every direction, and his morning wood tenting his boxer briefs.
He raised his eyebrows at me, his dimples deepening.
“Good timing, sweetheart.”