The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            “Your mother—”

            “Is locked out.”

            He groaned into her neck and said, “I didn’t lock the door.”

            “I did.” She looked at him over her shoulder.

            He lifted his head and his eyes were hot blue on hers. “You did?”

            She nodded.

            “You fucking hero,” he said, making her gasp as he started moving again.

            She laughed and moaned at the same time.

            He muttered into her hair, “I want to see your face.”

            “What?”

            “Your face.” He turned her, breaking contact for only a split second before sliding right back inside her.

            “Well, hello,” she breathed, her eyes heavy as he smirked down at her.

            “Better,” he said, his face going all intense as his hands found her ass and he lifted her, pinning her against the freezer door with his big body.

            “So much better,” she whispered, letting her head fall back against the door as she grasped at his back and he continued moving in a way that made her want to scream.

            “Like the hotel,” he panted, at the exact second she whispered, “This is just like the hotel.”

            She opened her eyes and smiled at him, but it quickly fell away as his body pushed her harder, drove her deeper, as his blue eyes penetrated hers in the hottest way.

            “Hal,” he bit out, his nostrils flared, the muscles in his neck straining above his shirt, “God, I—”

            She raised her mouth and swallowed whatever he was going to say in a desperate, wild, hungry kiss.



* * *



            • • •

            “Your mom thinks I’m evil,” Jack said, looking over Hallie’s head toward where her mother was seated.

            They were standing beside the gift table, where Hallie had been instructed to count how many packages would need to be carried up to her sister’s room.

            “She just didn’t understand why the door was locked,” Hallie said, grinning. She was having trouble not grinning as she talked to Jack like they hadn’t just had screamingly hot sex in the banquet kitchen. “And why it took so long for us to open it.”

            “You’re enjoying this,” he said, managing to look disgusted and amused all at the same time.

            “Am not.” She looked at his handsome face, heard the notes of “A Groovy Kind of Love” coming out of the DJ’s speakers, and was a little nervous about how happy she felt at that moment.

            “Then why are you smiling?”

            She rolled her eyes. “Because I’m happy.”

            He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know if I trust happy Hallie.”

            “You should.” She grabbed his tie and pulled him a little closer. “Because she’s obsessed with the way you move around a kitchen and is desperately thinking of a way to lure you back in for round two.”

            “If you’re there,” he said, sweetly brushing a tendril of hair behind her ear, “I’m there.”

            At midnight, the reception was still raging. Hallie had planned on helping with cleanup, but every time Jack looked at her, she toyed with the idea of being the worst sister in the world. She was seriously contemplating just sneaking away with him when her father appeared with Ben at his side.

            “Hal, your mom sent me to get you. She’s in the prep room, trying to figure out whose stuff is whose. Can you help?” her dad asked.

            “Um.” She glanced at Ben, simultaneously irritated by his presence and absolutely neutral, emotionally speaking.

            Her dad gave her a knowing look and said, “Ben volunteered to help. Isn’t that nice?”

            “So nice,” Jack muttered, and it definitely didn’t sound like a compliment.