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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

KENDRA

J ust like the first day I moved into Jack’s apartment, I find myself staring into the full-length mirror, trying to decide if the skinny blue jeans and black V-neck sweater I’m wearing for our “date” today are suitable.

Around five minutes ago, I heard Jack’s bedroom door open, and I know he’s out in the living area, waiting for me.

But I’m nervous—I can’t deny it. When Jack suggested we fake date, I could see all the reasons why it was a great but also terrible idea, and I went to bed on Friday night with my head full of overwhelming thoughts. And by this morning, not much has changed.

Will he hold my hand today? Hug me? Kiss me?

Giving myself another once-over, I conclude that even if this outfit isn’t right for what he has planned, it’s not like I have many other options anyway.

Turning back to the bed, I pick up the card and gift I ran out to get Jack yesterday. Sure, money is tight right now, but there’s no way I’m letting this day pass without getting him something .

On one final deep breath, I push down the handle on my bedroom door and head out into the hallway.

Reaching the living area, I find Jack with his back to me. Perched on the arm of his couch, he holds the remote in one hand as he watches hockey highlights from last night’s games.

“Happy birthday,” I say, the butterflies in my stomach an alien sensation. I’ve never had this feeling, even when I was dating Tyler for real.

Swiveling around, Jack flicks off the TV, all while keeping his attention firmly on me.

I hold his gift out to him and wince at the level of cringe it is. I don’t know much about his dad, but I’m sure Jon and his mom and probably even his sister will blow what I got him out of the water.

Jack still hasn’t said a word to me as he tosses the remote on the couch cushions and makes his way over to where I’m standing.

In the past, I’ve admired how good-looking he is, and maybe today heightens everything due to the circumstances, but I find my eyes ascending his body. From his gray sneakers to his tailored black jeans and fitted sweater. The zip on the collar is all the way down, revealing a flash of his chest, and his floppy brown hair is styled forward in a messy but incredibly sexy way.

Yeah, he’s fucking hot.

Not just in the way he looks, but in the way he carries himself too. With the right balance of humility and confidence. But the hottest part right now? Well, that would be his unwavering attention when he comes to stop in front of me.

He still hasn’t looked at the gift in my hand when he takes it. “You look … really great, Kendra.” A smirk tugs at his lips as I feel my cheeks heat. “You wore your hair down.”

I run a hand through it and shrug, trying to remain passive. “Someone mentioned that it looks good like this, so I thought why not since it’s their birthday. Twenty-three, right? ”

Jack bites down on his bottom lip as his eyes drop to the gift. “Did you get me a boyfriend card too?”

I inwardly cringe again at the theme of the card and gift I chose. “Was I supposed to?”

As he tears the envelope open, he turns the card over, and his shoulders begin to shake. “No, and this is way better than a soppy card. I love it.”

I stare down at the crown-wearing British bulldog. At the time, I thought it was cute, and now, not so much.

Walking over to the kitchen island, he sets the card on the side and then begins tearing at the paper as he makes his way back over to me.

“Kendra, these are awesome.” He opens the box of Union Jack coasters and begins taking them out; each one is in a different color.

He’s about to toss the paper in the trash when I hurry over and stop him.

“Wait, there’s something else tucked inside.”

Tearing the paper open further, he pulls out a twenty-dollar gift card for Rise Up.

My cheeks flush again. Jesus. I’m also twenty-three next Sunday not sixteen.

Jack shakes his head as his eyes find mine. With my back against the countertop, his close proximity would easily allow him to take a single small step, and his body would be pressing into mine.

The flutters make a return, but this time, they’re joined by a tingling in my core.

Several beats pass between us as I wait to see what he’ll do next.

“Thank you, Kendra. This is probably one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever gotten.”

The second his soft, full lips find my right cheekbone, my eyelids flutter closed .

“You ready for me to take you out?” he whispers against my skin, his breath and cologne firing off sparks all over my body.

I can’t help the whimper as it emanates from my throat. “Yeah, sure.”

As Jack pulls away, the darkness in his eyes—the same as on the night he returned from Colorado—is unmissable as he reaches up and runs a hand through his hair.

“Okay, Hart. First stop, breakfast, then the boutiques.”

I felt sure I’d find something in this store. The first two places we’d tried had nothing that suited my curvy and muscular figure. That’s the one drawback with being an athlete—trying to squeeze my quads into tight-fitting dresses.

I unzip the latest dress before I even pulled it up fully, and the black gown pools around my feet. I picked out six different options here, but again, nothing looks or feels right.

“Everything okay?” Jack asks from where he’s been patiently waiting for the past half hour. Just like he has in the previous two stores.

“Ugh.” I huff out a breath and step out of the gown before picking it up and hanging it back on the rail. “Nothing works in here either. Maybe we should just give up and go for lunch or something.”

“Then what will you wear on Saturday?”

“I don’t know,” I reply with a frustrated breath. “My robe.”

I’ve got one leg in my jeans when the curtain behind me moves.

“Could you do me a favor and try this one on?” Jack’s voice sounds a touch nervous, and he pokes a light-olive satin dress through to me.

I look back at the rack of dresses I picked out—three of them black, one light blue, and two more in a baby pink. “Green?”

“Matches your nails. Plus—I dunno—I saw it on the model out front, and I immediately thought …” He pauses, and the dress slowly withdraws.

“Let me try it. Nothing to lose, right?” I say, stopping him from taking it back and immediately pulling it off the hanger, ready to try it on.

“Jack?” I say, my jaw agape as I twist and turn in the surrounding mirrors.

He was right. The cowl neck makes the most of my moderate cleavage, but it’s the way the sleek satin material clings to my small waist and full thighs that really steals the show.

Not in a million years would I have picked this out.

“Yep?”

“Did you by any chance go dress shopping with your sister back in London?”

He huffs out a laugh. “Nope. She’d rather die than parade around in front of me.”

I think about Ollie and how accurate that statement is. “Well, maybe it’s beginner’s luck, but I think you nailed it the first time around.”

Jack clears his throat. “Well, I guess I’d need to see to be sure.”

My stomach flips. Obviously, I’ll be wearing this in front of hundreds of people on Saturday night, but something about walking out in front of Jack feels way more intimate than it should.

I pull back the curtain and step out in the strappy sandals I picked for the other dresses, but somehow, they suit the length of this one much better.

“What do you think?” I say, turning around slowly and feeling like an idiot.

When I complete the circle, Jack is standing only inches away from me, his eyes roaming my body. If I didn’t think this was the right dress before, there can be no doubting it now.

He shakes his head, a sweet smile tracing his lips. “It doesn’t matter what I think, Kendra. How do you feel in it?”

Despite myself, I can’t deny the way it makes me feel. My eyes drop to the flowing gown. “Amazing.”

“Then that’s all that really matters.”

With a finger under my chin, Jack pulls my attention back to him. Right here, in the middle of an empty dressing room, is the closest we’ve ever been. His breath fans my lips right before his eyes drop to them.

I’ve only ever seen the playful side to Jack Morgan, but from the way he’s currently looking at me, I know there’s so much more lurking behind the light exterior he portrays.

“Is this how you would treat your real girlfriend?” My voice is breathy, and I’m unable to stop the question as it tumbles from my lips.

“No,” he replies, his voice more of a rumble.

Bringing his hand to my left hip, he pulls me closer to his body, and any air left in my lungs leaves in a whoosh.

“The dress is stunning, but if you were mine, the only place it would be right now is the floor.”