The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            “Dear God, are you literally Prince Charming?” Hallie said.

            Jack put his mouth to her ear and said, “Yes, but don’t tell anyone. People lose their shit over royals.”

            “My lips are sealed.” She laughed, squeezing the warm hand that held hers. “By the way, I love the feel of your mouth on my ear, in case you’re wondering.”

            “Is that right?” he asked, his lips moving over the shell of her ear, clearly on purpose.

            She shivered as he took his time to pull back his mouth from her skin. “Maybe I’m just sensitive, though. Tell me, does it do anything for you?”

            She raised her head and brushed her lips against his earlobe, then nuzzled his neck with her nose, wanting to bury her whole self in him.

            “Quit it.” He looked at her hotly, his eyes intense. “You know it does.”

            “I can’t help myself.” She laughed again, thinking the couples of yesteryear might’ve been onto something with this whole dancing thing. “Making you look at me like that is downright intoxicating.”

            “You enjoy making me weak?” he asked as he guided her around the dance floor.

            “I enjoy making you feel.”

            “Sadist.”

            The shots were kicking in. She didn’t feel fuzzy, or anywhere close to drunk. Just relaxed enough to say, “If I tell you something about feels on our last night of fake dating, do you promise to forget it later?”

            He didn’t answer but just looked at her, and the heat of his hand on her lower back teased her skin through the dress.

            She said, “It’s not going to change anything, and it’s not like I’m falling for you so don’t get all weirded out. But I’m pretty sure I feel something.”

            “What?”

            “It won’t affect our friendship, and I don’t want—”

            “Say it again.”

            “Jack—”

            “All of it, Hal.” He pulled up and stopped so they were just standing on the dance floor. His eyes were unreadable. “Tell me.”

            She regretted opening her big, fat mouth, because she had a feeling he was freaking out. Still, she said, “It’s not a big thing. I just think I might have some feelings for you that I can easily forget tomor—”

            He kissed her.

            Right there on the dance floor, as the wedding party moved to a sweet song about forever, Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the hell out of her. Her arms slid around his neck and she angled her head just a little, absolutely fine with letting him devour her mouth in the middle of her sister’s wedding reception.

            She didn’t want him to ever stop.

            “Hal,” he said against her lips, not even attempting to stop kissing her to speak.

            “Hmmmm,” she sighed.

            “You are so getting railed tonight,” he growled.

            That made her start laughing, and when she opened her eyes, he was squinting down at her in that way she adored.

            The rest of the reception went by in a blur because she couldn’t focus on anything but Jack. She suddenly had this greater awareness of him, this buzzing electrical connection, and she had no interest in anything but him.

            Cake cutting, “Electric Slide,” chocolate fountain—they were all just white noise in the background as Jack grinned at her in a way she felt down to her toes.





Jack


            “Hey, Jack, can you do me a favor?”

            Jack, who’d been standing next to the bar, watching Hallie do a stupid line dance with Chuck and her sister, looked at Hallie’s mom and said, “Of course.”

            “Since food service is done, the caterers left, but I want to make sure this cake topper gets put in the freezer so Riley and Lillie can have it for their anniversary. Here’s the kitchen key—can you put it in the freezer for me?”