As soon as we walked into my house, Jack kicked the door shut and spun me around. He caged me between his arms as he stared down at me.

  “Buckle up. I need you. Now.” His voice verged on a growl as he dipped his head and nibbled lightly on my ear.

  Delicious shivers raced over my skin. “I missed you so much,” I whispered between kisses.

  It started fast, with us tumbling into deep kisses where we couldn’t get enough of each other, gasping for breath between and yanking at each other’s clothes. Everything slowed down after Jack bundled me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom.

  We took our time exploring each other with lazy, sensual kisses. Jack’s lips left hot brands on my belly. His fingers stretched me open, bringing me to a sharp climax. I slid my thumb over the precum rolling out of his cock, savoring the salty, earthy flavor of it. His eyes were dark when he laced his fingers with mine and stretched my arms over my head. My legs curled around his hips as he notched himself at my entrance and filled me in a slow, delicious slide. My orgasm reverberated in my bones. I could feel the beat of his heart as he went taut, and his release filled me.

  We curled up together, drowsing together on the bed. I didn’t want to get up. At all. Ever.

  But my stomach growled. Jack chuckled. “Should we get some food?”

  I rolled my head to the side, smiling at him. “I think so.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jack

  When I woke the following morning, McKenna was soft and warm beside me with one of her knees thrown over mine. Her fingers traced lazy circles on my chest. I rested my hand over her palm and opened my eyes.

  Her eyes met mine. “Are you sure about this?”

  I knew what she meant. “Absolutely. I love you.”

  After we got out of bed, I called Derek to check on Hannah. He reported she was doing great and enjoying the opportunity to order him around and have him get things for her while she rested on the couch.

  Hannah insisted on getting on the phone. “How are you doing?” she asked before I could get a word in.

  “I think that question should be for you.”

  “I’m fine. Ibuprofen is more than enough to help with my ankle. I already talked to the school because Dad didn’t know he was supposed to call.” I could hear her rolling her eyes. I heard Derek in the background pointing out that he didn’t know the school protocol. She ignored him. “I’m getting my crutches today, and I’ll go to school tomorrow. Fiona says she can still pick me up and take me to school. How was your night?”

  “Uh, fine.” I did not want to discuss my intimate night with McKenna with my niece.

  Her laughter was sly. “You love her, right?” Her tone got serious.

  “I do,” I said somberly.

  “Good. I’m glad you’re not being a dumbass anymore.”

  A few minutes later, McKenna handed me a cup of coffee. “Hannah called me a dumbass,” I offered with a grin.

  McKenna shrugged. “Teenagers have a powerful bullshit barometer for most adults.”

  Epilogue

  Adam Cannon

  One year later

  * * *

  I was running late. The story of my fucking life. I rushed through some quarterly reports before running out of the office. McKenna and Jack were having a housewarming at their new house.

  I was driving down Main Street when I remembered I had to bring something. “Fuck,” I muttered to myself.

  My car tires squealed when I turned into the parking lot at the grocery store. I hurried in, dashing to the back deli. I was standing in line when my eyes landed on Tessa Hensen.

  Tessa was one of McKenna’s closest friends, but I didn’t know her all that well. Lately, I’d seen Tessa even more as she was also friends with my new sisters-in-law.

  I was pretty sure she thought I was an uptight asshole. If she did, she would be right.

  She wore a pair of leggings tucked into fitted leather boots and a short jacket. I couldn’t help but notice that her hips were delectably curvy. When I stepped up to the deli counter beside her and she glanced over, I noticed for the first time that she had thick eyelashes and beautiful brown eyes.

  “Oh, hi, Adam,” she said, her tone almost dismissive.

  That pissed me off. “Hi, Tessa. Good to see you,” I added.

  She looked over at me again. “Good to see you.” She crossed her arms, almost as if she were tucking something around her. “Are you going to the potluck?”

  “Yeah. Are you?”

  “Of course I am,” I replied, my tone sharp.

  She turned to face me. With her arms crossed, her breasts plumped up. I suddenly cataloged all kinds of details about Tessa—her tousled auburn curls, slightly lopsided mouth, and full lips.

  “You don’t always go to family things,” Tessa pointed out.

  She was right on that count. Everyone in our family was a workaholic, but I was probably the worst.

  “Are you actually getting something at the deli for it?” she asked.

  “Yeah, isn’t that what you’re doing?”

  “Well, yeah, but my family doesn’t own Fireweed Winery. I would’ve thought maybe…” A pink flush rose on her cheeks.

  “You would’ve thought maybe what?”

  “Nothing,” she said in a singsong voice.

  It was her turn to order, and she got some pasta salad. I ordered next, and we waited. Tessa looked over at me after a few minutes. “You don’t have to stand with me.”

  “Is it a problem that I’m standing with you?” I countered.

  I was unable to keep my eyes from dipping down to her breasts briefly before bringing them back up.

  “Adam,” she ground out.

  “What?”

  “Were you just checking me out?”

  I debated pretending I wasn’t, but she had thrown me off balance, and I didn’t like it. I figured I might as well see if I could get under her skin. “My apologies. I suppose I was.”

  Every cell in my body fired when her cheeks flushed a deeper pink. “You’re cute.”

  Even though this brief tit-for-tat started because she got under my skin unintentionally, I meant it. She was cute.

  Tessa

  I tried, I really did, not to look at Adam when we were at Jack and McKenna’s housewarming potluck. His words played on a loop in my mind. You’re cute.

  Every time I thought about it, I got hot all over. I wasn’t supposed to notice McKenna’s brother. I hadn’t noticed any guy in what seemed like forever. To be specific, not since I started dating my ex-husband. What started off as a mad dash into love turned into possessiveness, jealousy, controlling behavior, and abuse.

  I still counted myself lucky that I found a way to get out of that marriage. Even though my ex had ruined me for other men, and not in a good way, I would do it all over again just for my son.

  I didn’t know if anybody could be more disappointed in me than me, though.

  “Tessa?” McKenna prompted.

  I glanced over. “Oh! I didn’t see you there.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I noticed you staring at Adam.”

  “No, I wasn’t,” I said quickly. Maybe too quickly.

  She grinned. “It’s okay if you were.”

  “Hey, you’re the one that broke the pact,” I pointed out.

  McKenna and I used to have a pact. She wasn’t ever going to have a relationship for some reason, and I wasn’t because of a really good reason. My aforementioned ex.

  She studied me for a moment before she nodded. “I did. So if you change your mind, I’ll totally understand. But if it’s one of my brothers, say Adam, just spare me the details,” she said dryly.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Jack appeared at McKenna’s side, sliding his arm around her waist. He bent low and dusted a kiss on her cheek.

  It was just a kiss on her cheek, yet my heart literally ached for a minute. There was a sweetness and an intimacy to the way they were together. Jack was this brawny hotshot firefighter, yet he was so protective and caring with McKenna. He seriously had it bad for her.

  I was happy for her, just like I was happy for all my friends falling in love with great guys.

  I would never tell them that I secretly worried that maybe they were covering up that things weren’t great. That was another shitty thing on the list of shitty things about marrying an abusive man. I had lied to everyone and pretended my life was fine. Even now, nobody really knew how bad it had been.

  “What pact?” Jack asked, glancing back and forth between us.

  “Tessa and I had a pact. Neither one of us was ever going to have a relationship. I told you I wasn’t into that idea when we met. Remember? No romance, no kids. That was the deal.”

  Jack’s smile was warm as he looked down at her. “I thought the same thing.”

  “Hey, I am in support of kids,” I offered.

  McKenna and Jack burst out laughing at that. “We still don’t want kids,” they said in unison.

  “I respect the hell out of that. The world puts a lot of pressure on people to have kids.”

  “We are going to be the aunts and uncles for anyone who needs one,” McKenna explained.

  Jack’s niece Hannah appeared at his side. “You are the best uncle ever,” she said, sliding her hand through his elbow and squeezing.

  He grinned down at her, giving her a side hug. “I try.”

  Derek, Hannah’s father, approached. By some freaking miracle, he was still hanging in there. He’d been in cancer treatment for the past year. Even though he was weak, the odds were looking up for him.

  “He’s a pretty good uncle,” Derek said, his tone dry.

  “I’m better than pretty good,” Jack teased.

  Hannah squeezed his elbow again. “You’re the best, Uncle Jack.”

  I was still smiling a few minutes later when I slipped down the hallway to go to the bathroom off McKenna’s study.

  That door was closed, so I leaned against the wall and waited. A moment later, it opened, and Adam stepped out. The second I saw him, my pulse shot off like a rocket.

  Adam stopped in front of me. We studied each other. Objectively speaking, Adam was handsome. He had dark hair paired with blue-gray eyes. He was tall with broad shoulders.

  My pulse raced along, and wave after wave of heat rolled through me.

  “I stand by my observation,” he finally said, his voice all low and rumbly.

  “What?” My voice sounded breathy, which was ridiculous. I literally couldn’t think. I didn’t even know what he was talking about.

  “You’re cute,” he said, his voice dropping an octave lower. “You’re also sexy.”

  My pussy actually clenched. Suddenly, I wanted to kiss him. But there were no kisses in my life.

  He lifted a hand, and his knuckles brushed along my cheek.

  The air felt lit with a charge. “I want to kiss you.”

  I was about to open my mouth and say, “Please do,” but then he said, “I’m not going to because I think I know what happened.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Adam was quiet for several beats. I didn’t know where this feeling came from, but I felt an intense sense of protectiveness emanating from him. “When I saw you earlier, I wondered why you’re kind of prickly. But then I remembered you were married to Rich. I knew him in high school before you dated him. He was a controlling asshole to his girlfriend back then.”

  I blinked. My heart raced, and not in a good way. I swallowed nervously because I remembered Rich talking about his high school girlfriend. He’d said she was a “fucking bitch” and that she’d cheated on him.

  As if he could read my mind, Adam said, “She never cheated on him. He was just a controlling jerk. I imagine he was with you too. Guys like that don’t usually change.”

  All I could do was stare at Adam.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that,” he added, his tone laced with a gentleness that cracked the edges of my hardened heart.

  I shrugged. “It’s okay.” My voice was barely above a whisper.

  His fingers trailed down my neck, and I still wasn’t afraid. “Maybe another time. If you want to kiss me, let me know.”

  I felt bereft when Adam stepped back from me. He pressed two fingers against his lips and blew me a kiss before walking out of the room.

  My knees were liquid. I had no idea how I walked into the bathroom, but I did. It was all I could do not to chase him.

  Late that night, long after I went home, I texted McKenna. Do you happen to have Adam’s number?

  * * *

  Thank you for reading Jack & McKenna’s story! Want a glimpse of the future for them? Join my newsletter to receive an exclusive scene.

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  * * *

  Up next in the Fireweed Harbor Series is Wait For You!

  * * *

  Adam & Tessa never noticed each other before. Until one night and one almost-kiss.

  * * *

  Adam promises Tessa a kiss. If, and only if, she wants one.

  * * *

  Tessa most definitely isn’t looking for love, but a kiss seems harmless enough. She has a messy, painful past and just wants some peace in her life. Not romance. Until grumpy Adam just might make her want it all.

  * * *

  Don’t miss Adam & Tessa’s swoony, hot and intense romance!

  * * *

  One click to pre-order: Wait For You - due out June 2024!

  * * *

  For more swoony romance…

  * * *

  This Crazy Love kicks off the Swoon Series - small town southern romance with enough heat to melt you! Jackson & Shay’s story is epic - swoon-worthy & intensely emotional. Jackson just happens to be Shay’s brother’s best friend. He’s also seriously easy on the eyes. Shay has a past, the kind of past she would most definitely like to forget. Past or not, Jackson is about to rock her world. Don’t miss their story!

  * * *

  Burn For Me is a second chance romance for the ages. Sexy firefighters? Check. Rugged men? Check. Wrapped up together? Check. Brave the fire in this hot, small-town romance. Amelia & Cade were high school sweethearts & then it all fell apart. When they cross paths again, it’s epic - don’t miss Cade’s story!

  * * *

  For more small town romance, take a visit to Last Frontier Lodge in Diamond Creek. A sexy, alpha SEAL meets his match with a brainy heroine in Take Me Home. Marley is all brains & Gage is all brawn. Sparks fly when their worlds collide. Don’t miss Gage & Marley’s story!

  * * *

  If sports romance lights your spark, check out The Play. Liam is a British footballer who falls for Olivia, his doctor. A twist of forbidden heats up this swoon-worthy & laugh-out-loud romance. Don’t miss Liam & Olivia’s story.

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  Fireweed Harbor Series

  Make You Mine

  Dare To Fall

  Be The One

  One More Time

  Wait For You - due out June 2024!

  Ever After All - due out August 2024!

  Light My Fire Series

  Wild With You

  Hold Me Now

  Only Ever Us

  Fall For Me

  Keep Me Close

  With Every Breath

  All It Takes

  Take Me Now

  Meant To Be

  Dare With Me Series

  Crash Into You

  Evers & Afters

  Come To Me

  Back To Us

  Take Me There

  After We Fall

  Swoon Series

  This Crazy Love

  Wait For Me

  Break My Fall

  Truly Madly Mine

  Still Go Crazy

  If We Dare

  Steal My Heart

  Into The Fire Series

  Burn For Me

  Slow Burn

  Burn So Bad

  Hot Mess

  Burn So Good

  Sweet Fire

  Play With Fire

  Melt With You

  Burn For You

  Crash & Burn

  That Snowy Night

  Brit Boys Sports Romance

  The Play

  Big Win

  Out Of Bounds

  Play Me

  Naughty Wish

  Diamond Creek Alaska Novels

  When Love Comes

  Follow Love

  Love Unbroken

  Love Untamed

  Tumble Into Love

  Christmas Nights

  Lodge Series

  Take Me Home

  Love at Last

  Just This Once

  Falling Fast

  Stay With Me

  When We Fall

  Hold Me Close

  Crazy For You