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Chapter 1
April 2011
Torture. That’s what this was. For the past hour, Duncan McGregor had been frozen in place on Jamie’s couch, pretending to watch a movie as he tried not to think about the fact that her smooth, bare legs rested across his lap.
His gaze kept landing on a triptych of images displayed on her living room wall, all close-ups of flowers. The one focused on overlapping petals of a pink rose caught his eye the most. But staring at photographs or the television did nothing to distract him from the beautiful girl at his side.
He could still recall the day four years ago when Jamie Linde had walked into their home with his sister, Shannon. The girls had met at a gathering of Grand Rapids wedding photographers and had become fast friends. Duncan had never been so instantly attracted to someone before. She was the cutest thing he’d ever seen with her short, cropped brown hair, streaked with magenta highlights, and an even shorter skirt. She was fun and spunky, the kind of girl who was sweet on the outside but wouldn’t bat an eyelash at a dirty joke and had probably told her fair share of them. Jamie certainly was unexpected, and it was the first time in years he’d been so drawn to a girl, which made being around her tricky.
Because a year before they met, he’d made some big changes in his life and his relationship with God. He’d been headed down the wrong path after high school, especially when it came to getting physical with girls.
It was Nana who told him, “Duncan, you are better than this, and God’s got better for you. You know what’s right, so do it.”
This was days after he’d been caught by his father with a girl in his bedroom, doing things he shouldn’t have been doing. It wasn’t the first time his bad behavior had gotten him into trouble, but it was the first time his grandmother had told him in her honest, straightforward way to quit screwing around and be a better man.
Jesus took hold of his heart after that. His eyes were opened to the error of his ways, and he repented, becoming fully devoted to God. He saw girls differently, treated them with the respect they deserved, and stayed out of the bedroom. He was on the lookout for the one God had for him—a good Christian girl that his parents and grandparents would approve of.
And that was definitely not Jamie.
But they were friends. They hung out occasionally, mostly with Shannon, and they flirted. Often. But he knew his attraction to her could easily undo his resolve, so he never went there with her. He never crossed any lines.
Tonight, however, he was having a hard time keeping his hands to himself, because he was dying to know if her legs were as soft as the rose petals in that photograph on her wall.
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, gripping his auburn hair in frustration.
“That looks fun,” Jamie suddenly said, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He turned his attention back to 27 Dresses just as the main characters started kissing.
When he looked over at her, her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she stared at the screen.
“We should do that,” she said.
His brain short-circuited for a second. Did she really just say that?
She turned her eyes on him. “I dare you to kiss me like that.”
He swallowed hard, his heart racing in his chest. He’d never wanted anything more in his life. “Quit joking around,” he managed.
“What makes you think I’m joking?” Her lips curved up a little, and the look in her eyes let him know she was serious.
His hand moved to her leg then, his thumb caressing the velvety skin of her calf. Softer than a rose petal. He knew it. He shouldn’t have touched her, but it was too late. He had started something, and the wall he’d built between his present and his past was threatening to fall.
She pulled her legs from atop his, and in one swift motion, she was on his lap, one knee on either side of him. Her arms slid around his neck, and she leaned closer until their lips were a breath apart.
His fingers clenched into fists, wanting to touch her, but fighting it with everything he had. He remained still, and she seemed to sense it, leaning back to look at him.
Their gazes locked, and he saw confusion in her warm brown eyes.
Jamie chewed on her bottom lip, and her cheeks colored to a pretty shade of pink as she looked away. “I’m such an idiot. I so misread this situation.” She began to move from his lap, but a longing deep within to keep her close had his hands sliding around her back, locking her body snugly against his.
Her lips parted as her eyes met his.
He swallowed hard, just as surprised as she was.
And then he did it. He touched his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and tentative at first before turning slow and passionate, like he’d imagined it would be with her. Her lips were heaven as she returned his kisses with just the right amount of pressure. And it was good. So good. Maybe the best kiss of his life.
But they hadn’t stopped there. Breaths quickened, hands traveled, and the kiss deepened, giving way to crazy longing and lust, which had completely clouded his brain. And when she unwound herself from his arms and stood, holding her hand out, he took it and followed her to the bedroom.