NINE
NORA
Ihave a date. And not just any old date! I am going to Jack Hayes’s home because he is cooking me dinner for our first date.
Jack was rather convinced there would be more dates between them after their dinner at his place. Nora didn't know how the man could make that prediction without going on a date with her.
Maybe it was because their night on the lake for the scavenger hunt was so fun. Maybe it was because they had read half of the book in her living room, cuddling like a couple of hormonal teenagers for hours on end.
Was the man hard most of that time? Yup. He sure was. The most shocking part of that wasn’t that Nora had given him a persistent erection but that Nora didn’t mind feeling the hard length pressed against her.
In fact, it had made her more than ready to throw caution to the wind to sleep with Jack right then and there. He wouldn’t hear of it, though. They hadn’t actually talked about it, but Nora was making an assumption based on the kind of man that Jack was.
And Jack Hayes was one hell of a good man.
Why else would she yearn for him for so long?
Nora found Jack drop-dead sexy, yes, but there was more to the man than that. Now, she knew that firsthand because he was sweet to her. He treated her well. Better than she thought possible.
With a deep, confidence-boosting breath, Nora knocked on his cabin door. He must’ve been waiting for her because he was quick to open the door. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and an azure, button-down, short-sleeved shirt that made the blue of his eyes so pale and crisp that she was sure it was a brand-new color that only existed in Half Moon Key.
“Nora!” he placed one large hand on her waist and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Fuck it,” he growled before capturing her mouth in a searing kiss that left her blushing and breathless. “Hi,” he spoke against her mouth. “Sorry about that greeting, but you look good enough to eat.”
She tugged at the hem of her short floral dress. Her heels were a little high, borrowed from Jade, who was a little bit more adventurous in her choice of footwear. At least, wearing the platform sandals, she was taller, giving her a better view of Jack’s eyes.
“Hi,” she responded, still shaking from the force of his kiss.
“Come on in.” He ushered her into his home, closing and locking the door behind him.
Nora only noticed that he locked it because it was such a non-Half Moon Key thing to do. He was definitely not from here but from the city.
He gave her a tour of his home, stopping by the small living room. The far side of the wall was completely monopolized by a stone fireplace. There was no blaze in it, but there were the telltale signs of an extinguished fire. It no longer smoldered, but calcified logs waited to be lit again.
Maybe they could read by the fireplace later on in the evening.
Or maybe we can do something else in front of the fireplace.
Her cheeks heated at the thought of being nude in front of Jack. Not because she dreaded it, but because she wasn’t so sure she would mind all that much.
If Jack was her first, he would take care of her, and she could never regret it. She had longed for this man for so many years that she might orgasm the second he stripped her out of her clothes.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” he offered.
Nora shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If I take a single sip, my face will be super red.”
“Oh, we can’t have that. I want to make sure that when you blush, it’s because of something I say, not because of wine.”
She giggled. “You are so humble.”
He nodded. “Right? How about some lemonade? I just made some.”
“Lemonade is fine,” she assured him. “Very safe. Not a chance it would make me blush.”
He grinned. “Gimme a second, Nora, and I’ll have you blushing.”
To prove his point, he grabbed hold of her waist and walked her backward to the wall. She had to crane her head to look up into his eyes, but instead of cowering in fear at the macho movement, Nora was completely fluttery.
Shewantedhim to pin her to the wall and kiss her until she forgot all about the fact that she had zero experience.