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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

JACK

T he second the elevator pings and the door opens into the apartment, like moths to a flame, Darcy and Mum come crashing toward us.

Scratch that. They completely ignore me and make a beeline for Kendra.

“Oh my God!” Darcy announces as she launches herself at my girl.

“Give her some space, Darce,” Mum instructs, momentarily making me think she’s got ahold of herself, but then she does the exact same when my sister steps back.

“Happy birthday! Wow … you smell so good,” Mum announces, reaching up to wrap her arms around Kendra’s taller frame. “Doesn’t she smell good, Jack? And oh-so pretty!” She braces her hands on Kendra’s shoulders to get a better look at her.

I swipe a hand across my face and groan. Kendra is the first girl I’ve ever brought home. Aside from Darcy’s boyfriend, Liam, Mum has been starved of in-law potential .

“Hi,” Kendra squeaks out, unsurprisingly overwhelmed at the reception.

And to think she was nervous they wouldn’t like her.

Bennett pricks.

“Okay, so I’m Darcy, Jack’s sister. This is our mum, Felicity.” My sister moves around the group like it isn’t obvious who we all are, her honey-colored hair swishing and blue eyes dancing with excitement. “Jon!” she shouts. “Get your arse in here. Kendra and Jack have arrived.”

“And I’m Jack.” I turn to Kendra and point at myself.

Darcy swats me in the chest and proceeds to wrap herself around me, burying her face in my neck. “It’s been too damn long,” she whispers, only wanting me to hear what she’s saying.

It’s been almost four months since I last saw my baby sister. Growing up, we fought like regular siblings, but since our family split across the Atlantic, we realized not only how in tune we were, but how we weren’t really built to be apart for long periods.

“Missed you, Bug,” I reply.

“Jack”—inconspicuously, Darcy tips her head in Kendra’s direction—“I’m twenty-two, I thought you dropped the nickname you gave me when we were five and you chased me with earthworms?”

I shrug and glance over at Kendra as she stares back at us, a vacant kind of look on her face.

“Okay, so dinner should be ready in, like, twenty minutes.” Mum claps her hands together. “Jon is just prepping the gravy.” She then looks at me. “Jack, why don’t you show Kendra the place and then get seated at the table?”

“Did you set up the candles?” Darcy looks at Mum.

She slaps a palm to her forehead. “Shhhhhugar. Forgot.”

When I reach out and take Kendra’s hand in mine, I notice the trace of a smile as it pulls at her lips. Every night since I bought them and I’ve been home, Kendra has lit the vanilla candles .

“Okay, no bother.” Darcy waves and makes for the dining room. “I can sort it out now.”

A couple of seconds later, we’re alone, and I take Kendra’s other hand in mine, turning her to face me. She might be smiling from Darcy’s reference to candles, but I can tell something heavy is weighing on her mind.

“All okay?” I ask, a part of me praying she doesn’t come out and say this is too much. That meeting my family is a step too far for what we agreed.

“Yeah.” She smiles. “Great.”

I step toward her, invading her space in all the best ways. “Here’s where I call you out on your bullshit, Kitten. Did I go too far?” I whisper with my lips on the shell of her ear.

Her sigh sounds defeated, and my heart hits the marble tiles beneath us.

“I miss my brother, is all. I haven’t seen him in forever. We aren’t even on the same continent. Seeing you and Darcy reunite reminded me of Ollie, and I hadn’t been prepared for the way it would pull at me. You could say I’m closer to him than I am to my parents.” She breathes in and looks down at the floor. “If I’d taken the chance in England, then I’d be a two-hour flight from him and not nine.”

My heart breaks for her, and I squeeze our hands together. Not seeing Darcy is hard enough for me, so I can’t imagine how hard it is for Kendra, having a pro footballer for a brother. His career rarely brings him to the US. The football season in Europe is as intense as the NHL.

“Do you feel lonely?” I ask, my heart squeezing at the thought.

She pinches her plump lips together, and all I want to do is kiss them, kiss all the anxiety she’s feeling away.

“At one point, I did. Now I guess I feel more …” She trails off and looks toward the kitchen, where Mum disappeared a couple of minutes before.

With her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I pull her attention back to me. I want—no, I need—to know all that’s going on in her head. The mysterious part of my girl leaves me a pining mess.

“Feel what?”

Her brown eyes find mine, searching, uncertainty reflected in them. “Like maybe there’s always been something missing, something I didn’t know I needed.”

That’s all it takes for my mouth to find hers.

“What is it you want?” I ask between kisses, really not giving a fuck if I don’t give her the guided tour of the penthouse apartment.

Her shoulders drop, and I pull her into me. Desperate for her to interpret the way I hold us close as nothing but want, need, and for her to work out that she’s everything and more to me.

I’m this fucking close to telling her I want us to be official. That I brought her here tonight as the girl I’m ten out of ten in love with and not as part of some goddamn arrangement we made to keep some fucking prick off her back.

But thanks to that prick, I’m holding back from everything I want to say, scared she’ll bolt on me.

“Ope. Sorry, I—ugh. Okay, I’m going to go.” Jon enters the hallway and then spins on his heel, making a run for it.

I rest my forehead against Kendra’s and squeeze my eyes shut. “He sure has good timing,” I whisper to her as she giggles softly against me.

“Your family is waiting.”

I nod with my eyes still closed. “Can we put a pin in this and talk tonight?”

“Yes.”

Bringing her left hand to my lips, I kiss across her knuckles. “Just one caveat to that.” I open my eyes and find hers. “I want you in my bed when we do. ”

KENDRA

“What did you study at college?” Darcy asks as I take another bite of the best beef Wellington I think I’ve ever had.

It’s been a half hour since I sat down with Jack’s family, but all it took was five minutes for my nerves to fade, replaced with laughter.

I only saw Jon Morgan a couple of times when he coached the college team, and he wasn’t someone Tyler particularly liked.

I can see why. Jon’s actually nice.

I look over at Darcy—aka pure sunshine. She radiates it from head to toe.

“English Lit.”

Forcing down a green bean, she reaches across and taps her brother on the arm. “No way! We studied the same thing. Ah, this is an absolute sign, Jack.”

“There’s a year between you two, right?” I ask.

“Just under. I fell pregnant with Darcy almost immediately after Jack,” Felicity answers with a smile. “Although this one here rules the roost—always has.” She points to her daughter with her fork.

A proud smile breaks out across Darcy’s face as she sits straighter in her chair. “He’s lost without me.”

Jack scoffs and sets down his knife and fork. “Based on what evidence?”

“Oh, nothing in particular.” Picking up her wineglass, Darcy takes a sip and smiles around the rim. Setting her drink down on the table, she bends down to grab something from the floor.

Standing from her chair, she holds a gift bag in one hand as she rounds the table toward me.

“I hope you like it. We didn’t find out it was your birthday until, eh … well, very recently.” Jon side-eyes Jack, and I watch as his cheeks flush.

“This is my favorite brand!” Darcy says as she hands me the bag. “If you like it, I say we sack Jack off and move in together. Happy birthday!” she squeaks and then gathers up the plates and starts taking them through to the kitchen.

“In all seriousness, we won’t be offended if it isn’t your thing,” Jon says, motioning toward the gift in my lap.

“It’s from all three of us,” Felicity adds as Darcy takes a seat back at the table.

With four pairs of eyes on me, I push back the soft white tissue paper, and my breath hitches in my throat.

Wow.

“This is, um …” Reaching into the bag, I squeeze the soft leather between my fingers and notice how it matches my nail color—something to do with Jack, I’m sure.

“A Mulberry!” Darcy bursts out.

Don’t get me wrong; my parents have money, as does my brother. Serious money. From time to time, they spoil me just like this, but to receive a Mulberry handbag from Jack’s family, whom I’ve only just met, that’s a whole new level of generosity.

“Do you like it?” Jon asks, leaning forward and clasping his hands under his chin.

His mannerisms and caring attitude are so much like Jack’s. If I didn’t know better, I’d be sure he was his biological dad.

“It’s absolutely beautiful,” I whisper, still taking it in as I pull it out and turn it around in my hands.

The cost of this bag could probably pay for a month’s rent, maybe two.

“Here, let me.” Felicity takes the tissue paper and gift bag from me.

“Thank you,” I say, still in shock as I look around the table, my gaze finally landing on Jack beside me as he reaches across and squeezes my thigh. “I actually don’t know what to say.”

“You were right, Knucklehead. Olive is definitely Kendra’s color.”

I feel my cheeks heat as I set the bag down on the table next to me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at this color and not think of him or the dress he picked out. But especially last night and again this morning.

Feeling some kind of way over the generosity and the memories of yesterday, I push back my chair. “I’m going to head to the bathroom.”

Jack’s hand trails down my thigh as I stand up.

“First door on the left,” he instructs.

Twenty seconds later, I’m standing in front of a Hollywood-style mirror, my postgame and unstyled hair looking as confused as I feel.

What are you doing, Kendra?

A few weeks ago, you ended it with a guy you’d thought you’d spend the rest of your life with, and now you’re playing house with his rival’s family.

A part of me feels like I shouldn’t be here. Like I have no right to accept this incredible gift from these incredible people. All I’ve done is take since the day I saw Jack in Rise Up. In my determination not to lean on my family for money, I’ve done exactly that with the Morgans.

And I feel shitty for it.

So, why does this feel like this is the best birthday I’ve ever had? And why can I only think about the soft duvet on Jack’s bed and being back beneath it tonight?

“Kendra?” a small voice calls from the other side of the door.

I reach across and open the door to find Darcy standing on the other side.

At the sight of me, she cocks her head and immediately steps into the room, closing the door behind her.

“I just wanted to check on you.”

“I’m good. Just taking a second,” I say, summoning my best smile.

She lifts an unsure brow. “Was the gift too much? I know we can all be a bit over the top.” She chuckles. “Mum is probably the most chill of us all. ”

Gathering my hair in my hands, I let it fall down my back. “No, it was beautiful. I’m just …” My words trail off because what else am I supposed to say? All that I was feeling a second ago? Hard pass.

“Can I say something?” Her usually light demeanor turns more serious as she lifts herself to sit on the countertop. “I mean, I know we’ve only just met, but I feel like it might be helpful, girl to girl.”

I nod my head once and wait for her to continue.

She inspects her bright pink nails before setting her eyes on me. “My brother loves you.”

I practically choke on my own breath. “What?” I spurt.

She winces and drops her hand down beside her. “Ugh, I’m always like this. Brain in first, mouth in fifth gear. But there is no subtle way to say it since it’s so damn obvious. My big brother is head over heels for you.”

“I-I’m not so sure he?—”

“He is. I’m sure of it.” She pushes herself off the counter and comes to stand in front of me, our height not too different. “Is it freaking you out? He kind of told me on text that you’d not long ago come out of a relationship, so I did some googling, and it didn’t take me long to find out you were with Tyler Bennett, his current teammate and college rival. I remember Jack saying he was an asshole back then. Sorry,” she tags on.

I laugh a single laugh and drop my eyes down to her fluffy pink socks. “You’re really direct, aren’t you?”

“Ugh, I know. It gets me into trouble sometimes. My boyfriend kind of hates how outspoken I am,” she grumbles.

Something about that statement resonates with me, lighting a fire deep in my gut. I don’t like that he does that.

Without a second thought, I take her hand in mine. “You aren’t too much, Darcy. I appreciate you coming to check on me. Also that you gave me your honest opinion about Jack. Things are… complicated right now for the both of us. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but we definitely make each other happy.”

Grinning, she keeps our hands joined. “I’m going to the game against the Scorpions tomorrow. Are you free to come watch too?”

Jack and I haven’t spoken about me coming to watch his games, but something tells me he wouldn’t mind if I did. And an even bigger part of me wants to, not just for him, but for the girl standing in front of me, waiting eagerly for my answer.

Darcy was right when she asked me if I was freaking out. I am. When Jack carried me to his bed last night, I felt things I’d never expected to. Emotions I’d never experienced, not even with Tyler. The more I think about the connection between Jack and me, the harder it is to chalk this all up to fun and making each other happy.

Fun doesn’t look at me the way Jack did this morning, and fun doesn’t send shock waves to my toes every time I set eyes on him.

If Jack Morgan is in love with me already, then there’s a fair chance I’m not far behind him.

There isn’t anywhere he goes that I don’t want to be, and there isn’t a single part of his life that I don’t love.

Smiling back at Darcy, I nod my head, already thinking about the way Ollie is going to freak out when I tell him about tonight. “Yeah, I’m free. Me and my Mulberry will be there.”