Chapter 16 Rosie #2
“I haven’t… been with someone, so to speak, in some time, and they know it.
They think I should. You know. With you.
” Honestly, I’ve been unable to think about much else since that conversation and their suggestion.
I think my conversation with my sisters really fucked with me, especially when the fucking muffins made it impossible to lie, even to myself.
Since then, I’ve found myself wondering what it would hurt if we sated this clear need between us just for a bit.
Just until the curse is broken. It would almost be foolproof, since once the curse is broken, we could both move on with our lives.
Phillip said all previous relationships would be forgotten, and soon after, I would bump into my true love once and for all.
I know how love works, how the universe determines these things, and I’m more than ready and have to believe I’m of a pure heart, despite my many flaws.
Love doesn’t care about your flaws, after all. Just your intentions.
“Huh. That’s… an interesting take,” Jack says after a long beat, and that’s not really the most encouraging of responses.
“Don’t make it seem like a death sentence,” I say with a laugh that doesn’t feel nearly as real as I want it to before turning back to stare at the sky.
The clouds have cleared, leaving bright twinkling stars overhead.
I focus on them, my eyes following the constellations my grandmother made us memorize as part of our training to be witches instead of thinking too hard about Jack’s obvious disinterest.
“I didn’t… shit,” he starts. “I didn’t mean to sound any kind of way.
I don’t really know the correct response when a hot girl tells you her sisters say you should fuck her to end her dry spell while she waits for her family curse to be broken and her prince charming to roll in.
” I let out a laugh at that, a real one, this time.
“I guess that’s fair,” I say, then we fall into another silence, this one not uncomfortable, but I know we’re both lost in our thoughts.
My mind wanders through possibilities before slowly moving toward our kisses on the couch, how good he felt against me, and then down a more dangerous avenue when I start thinking about my time with my vibrator while under the thrall of the kiss bond.
I’d hoped it would take the edge off of my intrigue, but…
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” I say without meaning to, staring at the sky.
“Our kiss at the club. And then kissing you on the couch.” Silence fills the night, and for a moment, I think he’s going to ignore me, or maybe change the subject, but then I hear his deep voice, coating every one of my nerve endings like honey.
“Me too.” I turn my head to look at him, only to see his eyes are already on mine.
“I’ve never actually seen you with someone. Dating or… whatever.” I know if there were enough light, I’d see a blush burning over his cheeks.
“Sounds like you pay a lot more attention to me than you let on, Rosemary Mayfield.” Now it’s my turn to blush.
“You’re right across from me,” I say. “It’s hard not to keep track of those things.” He lifts a hand then, moving back one of my curls and tucking it behind my ear. The touch makes molten heat swirl in my belly.
“Yeah,” he whispers.
“I liked kissing you,” I admit without meaning to. Something about the way he’s looking at me, about the way his eyes move over my face, I can’t seem to keep my thoughts to myself.
“We could do it again,” he says, words so low I feel the rumble of them more than hear them.
“What?” I ask in a whisper.
“We could do it again.”
“Kiss?”
“Yeah, or… whatever.” My eyes widen and my mouth drops.
“Jack Haggerty, are you suggesting we fuck?” I say, stunned, smiling over at him.
The thought is both thoroughly entertaining and sends a jolt of excitement and heat through me.
He lets out a loud laugh that rings through the field and makes me smile wider.
I would be okay with hearing that sound every day for some time.
Not forever, of course, but… a while. The thought flees my mind when he turns on his side and uses one surprisingly strong arm to tuck under my side and tug, pulling me against his chest and holding me there.
“Would you be opposed?” he asks. His lips are just inches from mine, breaths coasting along them as he takes me in.
My heart pounds with wild anticipation. My mind moves to my conversation with my sisters, to my imaginary session in my bed, to all of the wild and outrageous thoughts I’ve had about Jack lately, and I realize the answer is no. I wouldn’t be opposed to it.
Far from it.
“And after the curse is broken?” I ask.
“Then we go on with our lives.” I blink at him. His eyes move to my lips, and without my permission, my chin tips up a bit, giving him access should he need it. But my last remaining sliver of common sense takes the wheel.
“It could be a bad idea, starting something with someone who lives across from me, friends or not. What if things went wrong?”
“It wouldn’t matter. Actually, it’s perfect. We both are… pent up. Once your curse is broken, you’ll be off to find the man of your dreams.” My mind starts working to convince myself that this is a good idea, just as his does. His reasoning is sound. It makes sense to me. But…
“And you don’t see yourself liking me long term, right? No developing feelings?”
“No,” he says quickly and efficiently. “You’re not my type.”
I push his shoulder, but his tight arm on my waist holds me in place all the same. “You don’t have to say it so vehemently, my god.” A hand lifts to tip my chin up so I have to look in his eyes, and I see the honesty and heat there, taking the breath from my lungs.
“You’re fucking beautiful, Rosie. You know that.
And you’re the kindest person I know. And you make me laugh all the fucking time.
But you’re a social butterfly, and I can barely talk to a new person without breaking into a sweat.
You’re fun and silly, and I’m serious and structured.
” Without my mind’s permission, my heart once again thinks about that balance all magic needs.
“And I’m not looking for anything right now.
” He laughs, before dipping his head and pressing a soft, chaste kiss to my cheek.
“And neither are you.” Another kiss on my cheek, slightly closer to my lips.
“But I’d be lying to you if I say I’ve been able to think about anything but you in the last week or two.
” A third kiss, this time on the very edge of my lips.
Heat flows through me, starting where his lips barely brushed and feathering out from there before settling in my lower belly. Oh my god, I’ve never had a reaction to a man like this. Never.
It must be the intimacy of what we’ve been working on or the remnants of the kiss bond or maybe just the brewing sexual tension between us for years, all the back-and-forth.
It could be that’s really why we’ve always fought so often.
Maybe it’s just a bandage we have to rip off, fuck once to get it out of our systems.
Or twice.
Or three times. The small voice in my head whispering those amendments should stop me, but I’m blinded by lust, by the heat of his body pressed against mine, by the hardening of his cock between us.
I felt it on the couch, but that moment didn’t feel as lust-filled or needy as this moment right now feels.
“It could work,” he says low, and my heart skips a beat as his fingers start to move along the sliver of skin exposed between my sweatshirt and leggings.
“But what about after? You said you don’t date in Heartwood Hollow to avoid having to see someone you hooked up with or had feelings for around town. ”