Page 57 of Most Likely to Deny Love (Yearbook #2)

JACK

T hanksgiving dinner was over and the whole family had scattered throughout the great room, nursing after-dinner drinks and making polite conversation. A fire crackled in the massive stone hearth, casting warm light across the exposed beams. Outside, snow had begun to fall.

Mia sat across the room, deep in conversation with my cousin Sarah. She looked stunning in her deep burgundy dress, her curves highlighted rather than hidden. I couldn’t wait to get her on her own.

Clearly, Jared agreed. There were more than a few times, throughout the day, that I’d caught him checking her out. He hadn’t made a move yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time. Fuckhead.

Balancing two crystal glasses of port, I made my way to where Nan sat in her favorite armchair near the window.

“Here you go.” I handed her one of the glasses. “Thirty-year-old port, just how you like it.”

“You spoil me, darling.” She accepted the glass with a slight tremor in her hand that hadn’t been there a few months ago.

The sight sent a spike of fear through me that I quickly tamped down as I settled into the chair beside her.

She’d hate it if she knew I noticed. Still, I could ask a simple question. “How are you feeling?”

“Stop fussing.” Her eyes were fond. “I’m not at death’s door yet, no matter what these doctors keep poking and prodding me for.”

“Nan...”

“I’m fine, Jack.” She patted my knee. “And all the better for seeing you and Mia together. She’s absolutely perfect for you. I’m very much looking forward to your wedding and on that note, why haven’t you set a date yet?”

Fuck.

Before I could cobble together a response, movement across the room caught my attention.

Sarah stood up, excusing herself from Mia with a squeeze of her hand.

The moment she was gone, Jared materialized beside Mia, like a shark scenting blood in the water.

He slid into the vacant seat beside her, much closer than necessary.

Every muscle in my body tensed and my hand curled into a fist. I started to rise, but Mia’s eyes found mine across the room. She gave a small shake of her head and the barest hint of a smile. The message was clear: I’ve got this.

With effort, I sank back into my chair, though I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Jared leaned in, saying something that made Mia laugh. The sound grated against my nerves, even though I knew it was part of her strategy.

“What on earth is going on over there?” Nan’s sharp eyes narrowed as she followed my gaze. “Why is Jared hovering over Mia like that? And why are you sitting here allowing it?”

I took a long swallow of port. “Because Mia asked me to.”

“She what?” Nan’s eyebrows shot up.

“She wants to deal with him herself. She’s been waiting for an opportunity all day.”

“Deal with him how, exactly?” There was no mistaking the skeptical note in Nan’s voice.

“I’m not sure. She just said to let her try and asked me to trust her.”

“And you do? Trust her?” Nan studied my face.

“Completely.” That was no lie.

Nan hummed thoughtfully. “Well, this should be interesting. Your brother has always thought himself irresistible to women.”

“Not this one,” I murmured, watching as Mia leaned slightly away from Jared’s attempted closeness.

Jared reached out to touch Mia’s hair, brushing a strand back from her face.

My hand tightened around my glass. Every instinct screamed at me to go over there, to put myself between them.

You have about ten more seconds, Mia. The wave of hot, primitive possessiveness that surged through me wouldn’t let me sit here for much longer.

From where I sat, it looked like Mia was flirting with Jared, her head tipped back, her smile wide.

But I recognized the subtle signs most would miss.

The slight stiffness in her shoulders. The way her fingers twisted in her lap.

The laugh that wasn’t quite genuine. She was putting on a performance.

Jared was clearly sucked in, deciding that now was the time to make his move. He stretched his arm along the back of Mia’s chair and leaned in, whispering something. The intimate gesture made my blood boil.

Mia smiled, nodding slowly. Then she leaned even closer to him as she whispered something in return.

Jared jerked back, staring at her with shock. He asked her something, his brow furrowed, his body language suddenly less confident.

Mia nodded again, giving a small shrug that somehow managed to look both casual and final.

The color drained from Jared’s face as he rose to his feet, movements stiff and awkward.

Before he could move toward Miranda, she stood abruptly and left the room, her back ramrod straight.

He followed after her, looking like a whipped dog.

Beside me, Nan let out a cackle of delight. “Oh my! Whatever your Mia just said, I believe we’ve just witnessed the impossible: Jared Sullivan, utterly deflated.”

“It sure looks that way.”

Nan’s eyes were gleaming. “I’d give a significant portion of my fortune to find out what she said.”

Mia rose from the sofa and made her way toward us, looking entirely too pleased with herself. When she reached us, she settled into the sofa next to me.

“Well, that was illuminating.” Her voice was bright with suppressed laughter.

Nan leaned forward eagerly. “What on earth did you say to make that boy look like he swallowed his own tongue?”

Mia’s smile was all innocence, but her eyes danced with wicked humor. “Oh, nothing special. He just made it clear that he could give me so much more than his brother ever could.” She shrugged. “So I asked him if he had a ten-inch dick as well.”

I choked on the sip of port I’d just taken as Nan threw her head back with a howl of laughter so loud it turned heads across the room.

“Oh my god,” Nan wheezed, clutching her chest. “Oh, that is priceless. Absolutely priceless.”

I shook my head, torn between shock and admiration. “Jesus, Mia.”

“What?” She blinked at me with faux innocence. “He wanted to know if I was interested in an upgrade. I simply inquired about the specifications.”

That set Nan off again, her laughter turning into hiccupping giggles.

Mia’s smile faded slightly as she glanced at my mom, who was staring daggers at all three of us. “Honestly, though, I think I need a shower. I feel like I need to scrub his sleaze off my skin.”

“Understandable.” I rose, offering her my hand. “Let’s call it a night.”

“Please.” She took my hand, fingers warm against mine.

We said our goodnights to Nan, who was still wiping tears from her eyes.

Mia was quiet as we climbed the stairs and it wasn’t until we were walking along the hallway to our room that she let out a deep sigh of relief. “That was actually easier than I expected,” she admitted. “I was prepared to work a lot harder to shut him down.”

I chuckled, tension finally easing from my shoulders. “I think you underestimate your own talent. You eviscerated him with a single sentence.” I pushed open our bedroom door and ushered her inside.

“Well, hopefully it’s taught him a lesson. I’m just gonna jump in the shower real quick.”

“Take your time. I’ll be waiting.”

She pressed a quick kiss to my lips before disappearing into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the quiet room as I moved to stoke the fire, adding another log to build the flames higher before settling on the sofa near the fireplace.

There was nothing to do but stare into the flames as I waited for Mia. My mind

kept circling around everything that had happened this weekend. Coming home had never been so easy and it was all because of Mia.

The bathroom door opened softly, pulling me from my thoughts.

Mia stepped into the room wearing a silky pajama set that clung to her curves in ways that made my mouth go dry.

Her hair, still wet from her shower, curled slightly around her face.

She looked fresh, soft, and so beautiful it made my chest ache.

She moved toward me with purpose, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. When she reached me, she didn’t hesitate to slide onto my lap, straddling me.

“I’m sorry your family is so shit,” she said softly, her hands coming to rest on my shoulders.

“Me too.”

She ran her hands down my chest, her touch leaving trails of fire on my skin. “I might not know as much about pressure points as you do, but I do know some things.” her hand moved lower and she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I caught her hand in mine, intending to play along, but something stopped me.

The firelight caught in her eyes, turning them from gray to silver, and suddenly I couldn’t remember how to breathe.

This woman who’d somehow come to mean more to me than anyone, was looking at me like I was the only person in the world.

My thumb traced the delicate bones of her wrist as I brought her hand to my lips. The playfulness in her expression shifted to something questioning, curious.

“Jack?” Her voice was a soft whisper, shivering over my skin.

Instead of answering, I slid my fingers into her hair, drawing her down until our lips met in a kiss that was nothing like the ones we’d shared before. Not desperate or hungry, but achingly gentle, like she was made of spun glass and might shatter if I wasn’t careful.

She melted against me with a soft sigh, seeming to lose herself in the kiss.

When she pulled back slightly, her eyes were hazy with desire, but there was confusion there too. I knew she could feel the difference in my touch, but thankfully she didn’t ask. Instead, she reached for the buttons of her pajama top, undoing them one by one while holding my gaze.

The silk parted to reveal skin touched gold by firelight. I swallowed hard as she shrugged the garment from her shoulders, letting it fall forgotten to the floor. My hands stayed at her waist, thumbs tracing small circles against her skin.

“Touch me, Jack,” she whispered, taking my hands and bringing them up to cup her breasts.

I stroked my thumbs across her nipples, watching as her eyes fluttered closed, her head tipping back. The trust in that simple movement almost undid me. Here, now, she wasn’t performing. She was just Mia, giving herself over to the moment, to me.

I bent my head, taking her nipple in my mouth, glorying in the gasp of pleasure she gave me.

Her hips began a gentle rocking motion against mine, and the friction sent heat rushing through my veins. We moved together unhurriedly, savoring each point of contact as we shed the rest of our clothing.

When she positioned herself above me, our eyes locked. She sank down slowly, taking me deep inside her, and we both stilled, drinking in the perfection of the moment. My arms wrapped around her, pulling her chest to mine as she began to move.

“Jack,” she breathed against my ear, making me shiver.

Words failed me. All I could do was hold her tighter, press my lips to her throat where her pulse raced beneath my mouth. She set an easy rhythm, rising and falling with languorous grace. No urgency, no performance, just the two of us chasing pleasure together in the flickering firelight.

I buried my face in the curve of her neck, breathing her in. Her scent, clean from her shower but with that underlying sweetness that was purely Mia, filled my lungs. Something primitive in me wanted to mark her, claim her, make sure that everyone who came near her would know she was mine.

The thought should have alarmed me. Instead, it felt inevitable.

I slid a hand between us, my finger circling her clit.

“God, Jack. The things you do to me.” Her hands tightened on my shoulders as she rode me harder.

“Look at me,” I murmured , needing to see her face. Her eyes fluttered open, locking on mine. I could drown in the endless silver sea of her gaze and die happy. “You are beyond beautiful, Mia.”

Her arms tightened around my shoulders. We moved together like we’d been doing this for years, not weeks. Like our bodies had been made to fit together just like this.

The pleasure built gradually, a slow burn rather than wildfire.

When she shattered, I watched in awe. The way her lips parted when she cried out, the flush that spread across her chest, her complete surrender to me. I cataloged every detail, filing them away like precious artifacts.

She pulled me over the edge with her, my body jerking as I came inside her. For a moment, the boundaries between us seemed to blur completely.

Afterward, she collapsed against my chest, her heart racing against mine. I kept her close, unwilling to break the connection, my fingers trailing up and down her spine.

That’s when it hit me. Not in a thunderclap of revelation, but in the quiet certainty that settled into my bones: I didn’t want this to end. Not tomorrow, not next week, not ever.

My arms tightened around her. This wasn’t part of the plan. This wasn’t what we’d agreed to. But my heart knew what my mind was still scrambling to process. Mia had somehow become essential to me, like oxygen or water.

Maybe she felt me tense, because she pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine.

There were questions there, but she didn’t voice them.

Instead, she brushed her lips across mine in a kiss so tender it made my chest ache.

I kissed her back, pouring into it everything I didn’t know how to say, everything I was still trying to understand myself.

Whatever this was between us, it was real. More real than anything I’d known before. Now I just had to figure out what the hell I was going to do about it.