Fuuuuuck.
He wasn’t usually insecure, but Hallie had been quiet and distant since running into Alex. She seemed weird about him calling her later, almost as if she was open to it, which made Jack want to toss her phone out the damn window.
He couldn’t stop his brain from thinking, over and over again like a fucking demonic chant, She still wants Alex.
Jack pulled into the parking lot of her building and grabbed her luggage from the trunk, and they went up to her apartment. Ruthie spent twenty minutes telling Hallie everything Tigger had done in her absence while Hal snuggled the huge tabby, so he had a few minutes to get his shit together.
When Ruthie finally left and Hallie closed the door behind her, he pulled Hal into his arms. They were great together, and Alex showing up at the airport was just a blip they’d both forget after five seconds together in her apartment.
But instead of being her playful self, Hallie looked dead serious as her wary eyes stared into his. So serious, in fact, that he actually felt a pang of nervousness slice through his belly.
“What’s up, Tiny Bartender?” He kissed the tip of her nose, the center of the constellation of mini-freckles. “You look troubled.”
She swallowed and said, “Nah, I’m just a little . . . introspective as we leave the fake dating behind.”
“Introspective, huh?” His heart started pounding—stupid, that—as he got ready to tell her exactly how he felt. If she was ready to talk about their relationship, God help him, he was ready to put himself out there and confess to every overpowering feeling he had for her.
She nodded and set her hands on his chest. “This is our last night of pretend, and part of me is going to miss it.”
“It has been fun,” he said, a little confused by her referring to that night, that moment, as pretend when it was only the two of them in her apartment.
Also—what the fuck—the night before definitely hadn’t been pretend for either one of them.
“Agreed.” She looked sad as she said, “The lines got a little blurry over the weekend, but you were the perfect fake boyfriend, and I’m so grateful.”
He didn’t say anything, because his throat was too tight to speak. It was all there on her face, in the fatalistic way she looked up at him.
Holy shit.
She was ending things.
It was over before it’d ever started.
Hallie
She was dying inside and wanted so badly to crawl into her bed and cry her eyes out. But not before having one last night with him as more than friends.
“I totally get it if you want to go home and get back to normal. There are probably girls in the dating queue right now, waiting for your response.” She tried to surround it in a sarcastic laugh, but none came out. “I personally will not be getting back on the app until tomorrow, because I’m far too tired.”
“Hal.” His blue eyes were stormy. “What the hell are—”
“But if you’re interested, I’m game for one last night of pretend. One last night of Hallie and Jack, the couple at the wedding, having mind-blowing sex.”
It sounded desperate to her ears, but she was when it came to Jack. She was desperate for one final night.
His jaw flexed, and he looked pissed as his eyes traveled all over her face. It took a long moment before he said, “Let me get this straight. That whole fake dating game is over and we’re back to being friends, but you want to fuck one last time?”
“Forget it,” she said, mortified by the insulting way he’d said it. “I didn’t—”
“I’m in,” he growled, and then his lips were on hers.
It was angry and hot, his mouth opening hers and kissing her with a wild aggression. His hands came up to hold her face so he could absolutely go feral with his teeth and tongue, and she grabbed his biceps because she felt like she needed something to hold on to.
He made a sound in the back of his throat before sucking her tongue, before treating her mouth like it was a juicy, ripe peach that he wanted to eat whole.
Just like that, she was in his arms and he was carrying her into the bedroom as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His eyes were dark as he dropped her onto the bed and crawled up her body, his mouth only leaving hers long enough to remove clothing.
Her hands were shaking as she fumbled with the zipper of his jeans, and then everything changed.
His expression stayed just as serious, just as hyper-focused and intense, but his body gentled. His touches softened. His mouth grew worshipful instead of ravenous.
It broke her heart, because it was too much.
And when he finally slid deep inside her, she had to close her eyes to hold back the tears. It was so good, like it always was with Jack, and she tried to just lose herself in the physicality of it all.
Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think.
“Open your eyes,” he said, his voice gruff. “Please?”
She did, and his throat moved as he swallowed and looked down at her. She saw the flare of his nostrils, the flex of his jaw, and as their eyes locked, they exchanged powerful unspoken words. Goodbye. One last time. She reared up to kiss him, needing his mouth on hers. She locked her hands around his neck and sealed her mouth on his as he made her dizzy with the way he moved in her body.
Then they reached the point of no return, where emotions ceased to matter as raw lust took over, and when she shifted her weight to flip them, so she was on top, he cursed like a sailor.
His fingers held her hips, digging into her skin as he watched her move, but when he sat straight up and kissed her, taking her face in his hands, she was done.
She moaned into his mouth as every muscle in her body clenched and flexed, and a second later he was biting her lower lip and groaning into hers.
Jack
He turned and moved, sliding them on the sheets so they were lying side by side. Hallie’s eyes were closed, her breathing labored as they both came back to themselves. He felt emotional as he looked at the freckles on her nose, the bow of her lip, and like a pathetic fool, he touched the curve of her cheek and said, “Are you sure you want to be done with this, Hal?”
Her eyes opened, and he hated the way they looked. Hurt, distant—he couldn’t put his finger on what he saw, but it wasn’t good. She blinked fast before she said in a pinched voice, “Absolutely.”
He gave a nod and sat up, getting out of bed and grabbing his pants from the floor. There was a roaring in his ears, and even though he knew he didn’t want to know, he heard himself ask, “Is this because of Alex?”
He shoved a foot into one of the pant legs, unable to say the guy’s name without gritting his teeth. Because honestly, he was so fucking jealous it was almost painful.
“Um, I guess you could say that,” she said, her tone flat, and her response ripped his heart out of his chest.