He wasn’t a man used to denying his instincts. Damn it, he wasn’t a man who usually had to.
So when she’d grinned down at him a moment before, her red hair rioting round her face, that bright, friendly look in her eyes, instinct had taken over. Seeing the way she was staring at him now, flushed but wary, he could have kicked himself.
‘What do you want to talk about?’ Her voice was tremulous, unsure.
‘I want to talk about us.’
‘But…’ she hesitated ‘…there is no us.’
‘There will be. Don’t tell me you don’t know it.’
Jessie scrambled about for something coherent to say. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers, the solid weight of his body covering her own. And the way he was watching her was making her legs shake and the heat in her belly feel like an inferno. She couldn’t seem to get a single coherent thought into her head.
‘We can’t talk about it now. We have to go cut the cake with Emmy.’ She knew it sounded ridiculous, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
He stroked a finger down her cheek, and then tucked it under her chin, forcing her gaze up to his. ‘Sure, Red, but afterwards we talk.’
The bustle and noise of a children’s party in full swing helped to calm Jessie’s nerves as she stepped out onto the pool terrace.
Five little girls stuffed down biscuits and sweets and chattered away as if their lives depended on it. Linc was pouring out soda into plastic cups like a pro and Ali was busy sticking candles into the cake they had baked that morning.
Monroe gave her hand a quick squeeze, making her heart skip another beat, before walking over to Emmy. Jessie watched as he stroked the little girl’s head, leant down to whisper something into her ear. Emmy giggled and handed him a cake off her plate.
‘Jessie, great, grab this, will you?’ Ali huffed out a breath and handed her the cake—a huge chocolate structure that was supposed to be a fairy-tale castle but looked more like a mound of newly-turned earth. ‘Are you okay, Jess? You look a little flushed.’
‘I’m fine.’ Jessie tried to sound offhand, but as Ali bent down to light the candles, Jessie met Monroe’s gaze over her sister’s head.
His eyes were intent on hers as he bit slowly into the pink-frosted fairy cake Emmy had handed him. Jessie’s heart pounded heavily in her chest. What exactly had she unleashed here?
After a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday and much merriment as Emmy tried three times to blow out her candles, Monroe sauntered back towards Jessie. She couldn’t seem to draw her eyes away from him as he came to stand beside her. He flashed her that dimple-cheeked grin but said nothing. She was searching her mind for something to say to him, when Linc’s voice boomed out from the other side of the terrace. Thank God, it took Monroe’s eyes off her as he turned to listen.
‘Now, folks, before we start digging into this—’ Linc glanced down at the cake ‘—very interesting-looking cake—’ Ali jabbed her husband in the ribs, making him laugh ‘—I’ve got an announcement to make. It so happens Emmy’s not the only person in the Latimer household with a birthday this month.’
As Linc reached under the table and drew out a large brightly-wrapped package, Jessie felt Monroe go very still beside her. She turned to look at him. His jaw had gone rigid.
‘Turns out—’ Linc walked towards Monroe with the package in his arms, smiling ‘—her uncle’s birthday was last Wednesday.’ He offered the present to Monroe. ‘Better late than never. Happy Birthday, Roe.’
Jessie could hear Emmy and her little friends applauding and doing a spontaneous chorus of Happy Birthday. Ali and the other adults were clapping, Linc was still smiling.
But something was wrong. Monroe made no move to take the gift. He stared down at it, then back at Linc. Embarrassed for both men, Jessie nudged him. ‘Take it, Monroe.’
He glanced round at her then. He looked dazed.
‘Roe, it’s okay,’ Linc said softly. Jessie saw his smile fade as he lowered the present.
Ali came up behind her husband and rested her palm on his back.
Monroe still said nothing, still made no move to accept the gift.
Jessie could feel the hollowness inside her. Linc had been so eager, so pleased about the surprise he had planned. It was awful to see him look so dejected. Why didn’t Monroe just take the present? Why was he hurting his brother’s feelings like this?
She gave Monroe’s arm another nudge. ‘Take it, Monroe. It’s for you.’
Jolted out of whatever trance he seemed to be in, Monroe slowly took the gift out of his brother’s hands. But he didn’t look at Linc, Jessie saw, her temper rising, he just continued to stare at the prettily-wrapped present.
‘I…’ Monroe clear
ed his throat. His Adam’s apple jerked, tension snapped in the air around him, tension and something else Jessie couldn’t explain. ‘I’ve got to go.’