It’s just good to get out sometimes.”
“That I get.” He grinned, and dimples popped out on both sides of his mouth. My lips may have sagged open. I think I stared. There might even have been drool.
“Hey, Jules?” Ava stood just beyond the door, her arms wrapped around her middle. The guy who stood next to her looked vaguely familiar. He was just a little taller than me, with short hair, muscular arms and wide shoulders.
Yeah, that was Jack Duncan.
Ava looked from Jesse to me, a perplexed frown on her face. And Jack just looked downright confused.
“Ava, this is Jesse. His dad is Dr. Fleming, remember I told you? Jesse, this is Ava, my roommate. And uh, Jack Duncan.”
Jesse glanced at me with one eyebrow raised, and I knew he was wondering about Jack. Well, he could keep wondering, because there was no way I was going down that road.
Ava smiled at Jesse and looked back at me, staring hard. “Jack was just looking for you, Jules.” She shivered and backed away toward the door. “I’m going back inside...for a little bit. Okay?”
“Sure.” I nodded so she’d know I got her meaning. Music spilled out onto the deck as Ava opened the door and disappeared back into the dimness.
And then I was alone with two guys who were both looking at me, wondering what to do or say next.
Jesse moved first. He reached over and offered a hand. “Jesse Fleming. Good to meet you. Are you a Delt?”
Jack’s face relaxed. This was familiar territory. “Jack Duncan, yeah. You just visiting or...” He shot me a quick look.
“Grad school. Just started. I was a Delt at SUNY, though. Kyle Martin’s brother was my roommate.”
“Oh, yeah.” Jack nodded. “Kyle’s cool.”
There wasn’t anything else to say, and we all stood there for an awkward moment.
“Jesse’s dad is a biology professor, Jack.” I had to speak up, finally. “I work for Dr. Fleming and his wife. As a nanny.”
“Oh, yeah.” Jack pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. “Sorry, just checking the...a message.” He tucked it into his back pocket and turned toward me. “Want to go back inside? I’ll get you a drink.” His eyes dropped to the cup still in my hand. “A refill?”
I wanted to stand out here and keep talking to Jesse. I wanted to see those dimples again, listen to him talk while his eyes fastened on me. For a split second, I wanted to forget Liam Bailey and the idiotic plan for revenge.
But Jack was staring at me, and I knew he’d agreed to do this as a favor to Giff. Trying to get out of it now wouldn’t work. And the truth was, I was chilly, even with the heater.
So I smiled up at Jesse and hoped to hell I’d get another chance with him.
“I guess I’ll see you later.”
Jack put his hand on my back and steered me inside. I winced at the noise. It must have gone up a few decibels since I’d gone outside earlier.
“What are you drinking?” Jack snagged a beer from the cooler for himself and glanced up at me.
“Um. Rum and cola.” I held out my cup. “No ice, please.”
The soda was flat, but I didn’t say anything. Jack added the rum and passed me the cup. He lifted his beer in a half-hearted sort of toast.
“Here’s to...shit, I don’t know. New friends?”
I couldn’t help smiling. Jack Duncan wasn’t my type, not even a little, but so far he seemed to be a pretty good sport.
“Sure. New friends. And favors.”
He touched the bottle to my cup and took a long swig. “We’ve got about twenty minutes.” He leaned toward me and kept his voice low, though how anyone could hear us over the thump of the music was beyond me. “I figured we should hang together, look, um, close, in case someone asks questions.”
Jack’s warm brown eyes were serious, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. He was taking this whole situation very seriously. I wondered what Giff had told him.
We ended up sitting at the table, sipping our drinks and talking as well as we could over the bass. The few times
“That I get.” He grinned, and dimples popped out on both sides of his mouth. My lips may have sagged open. I think I stared. There might even have been drool.
“Hey, Jules?” Ava stood just beyond the door, her arms wrapped around her middle. The guy who stood next to her looked vaguely familiar. He was just a little taller than me, with short hair, muscular arms and wide shoulders.
Yeah, that was Jack Duncan.
Ava looked from Jesse to me, a perplexed frown on her face. And Jack just looked downright confused.
“Ava, this is Jesse. His dad is Dr. Fleming, remember I told you? Jesse, this is Ava, my roommate. And uh, Jack Duncan.”
Jesse glanced at me with one eyebrow raised, and I knew he was wondering about Jack. Well, he could keep wondering, because there was no way I was going down that road.
Ava smiled at Jesse and looked back at me, staring hard. “Jack was just looking for you, Jules.” She shivered and backed away toward the door. “I’m going back inside...for a little bit. Okay?”
“Sure.” I nodded so she’d know I got her meaning. Music spilled out onto the deck as Ava opened the door and disappeared back into the dimness.
And then I was alone with two guys who were both looking at me, wondering what to do or say next.
Jesse moved first. He reached over and offered a hand. “Jesse Fleming. Good to meet you. Are you a Delt?”
Jack’s face relaxed. This was familiar territory. “Jack Duncan, yeah. You just visiting or...” He shot me a quick look.
“Grad school. Just started. I was a Delt at SUNY, though. Kyle Martin’s brother was my roommate.”
“Oh, yeah.” Jack nodded. “Kyle’s cool.”
There wasn’t anything else to say, and we all stood there for an awkward moment.
“Jesse’s dad is a biology professor, Jack.” I had to speak up, finally. “I work for Dr. Fleming and his wife. As a nanny.”
“Oh, yeah.” Jack pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. “Sorry, just checking the...a message.” He tucked it into his back pocket and turned toward me. “Want to go back inside? I’ll get you a drink.” His eyes dropped to the cup still in my hand. “A refill?”
I wanted to stand out here and keep talking to Jesse. I wanted to see those dimples again, listen to him talk while his eyes fastened on me. For a split second, I wanted to forget Liam Bailey and the idiotic plan for revenge.
But Jack was staring at me, and I knew he’d agreed to do this as a favor to Giff. Trying to get out of it now wouldn’t work. And the truth was, I was chilly, even with the heater.
So I smiled up at Jesse and hoped to hell I’d get another chance with him.
“I guess I’ll see you later.”
Jack put his hand on my back and steered me inside. I winced at the noise. It must have gone up a few decibels since I’d gone outside earlier.
“What are you drinking?” Jack snagged a beer from the cooler for himself and glanced up at me.
“Um. Rum and cola.” I held out my cup. “No ice, please.”
The soda was flat, but I didn’t say anything. Jack added the rum and passed me the cup. He lifted his beer in a half-hearted sort of toast.
“Here’s to...shit, I don’t know. New friends?”
I couldn’t help smiling. Jack Duncan wasn’t my type, not even a little, but so far he seemed to be a pretty good sport.
“Sure. New friends. And favors.”
He touched the bottle to my cup and took a long swig. “We’ve got about twenty minutes.” He leaned toward me and kept his voice low, though how anyone could hear us over the thump of the music was beyond me. “I figured we should hang together, look, um, close, in case someone asks questions.”
Jack’s warm brown eyes were serious, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. He was taking this whole situation very seriously. I wondered what Giff had told him.
We ended up sitting at the table, sipping our drinks and talking as well as we could over the bass. The few times
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