“I know, Tanner, I’ll pick you up in a little while. Make sure Jack’s present is wrapped. I love you too,” I said, hanging up the phone as I turned into Jack’s driveway

Placing the car in park, I took one last look in the mirror.

Something had to give soon. I always assumed that long-distance relationships were more work, and in a sense they were, but they also forced things to progress at a much quicker pace. The longer the time we spent apart, the greater my affection grew. Minutes were like hours and weeks were like months.

I killed the engine and reapplied my red lipstick. Excitement bubbled up in my chest when I pictured the look on his face when he “unwrapped” his birthday present and realized I was wearing nothing underneath this trench coat.

I tried to quiet my clicking heels along the cobblestone pathway and concentrated on not falling flat on my face. High heels were not my friend, yet they were necessary for what I had planned for my boyfriend. Nervously, I smoothed out my jacket and made sure nothing was peeking out before quietly making my way into the house.

I heard the sound of voices from out back, and my curiosity got the better of me. I assumed it was the TV playing in the background until I remembered there were no other cars in the driveway. I slinked my way through the kitchen toward the slider when my feet came to a stop.

Jack’s arm was wrapped around another woman as they leaned against the railing. Emotion choked me with the way his eyes sparkled with affection and how she looked up at him with so much tenderness.

My vision blurred with tears as I scurried across the kitchen, knocking over a stool in the process.

The noise caused both of their heads to turn in my direction. Jack smiled at me, then quickly pulled away from the woman. His mouth turned into a tight frown when he noticed my panicked expression. Concern was written all over his face as he took long, quick strides and stopped in front of me.

“Chloe, what’s wrong?” He reached his arm out, but I backed away.

I brought my hand to my throat and frantically searched for something to hold on to. “I wanted to surprise you,” I replied, more sharply than I anticipated. My eyes shifted over his shoulder. “But it looks like the surprise is on me.”

“What are you talking about?”

The slender woman with long dark hair and a warm smile turned the corner. Her eyes grew wide in alarm when she noticed how distraught I was.

“No. No. No.” She frantically shook her head. “Chloe, this is not what you think it is.”

Call me crazy, but she actually sounded sincere.

Jack blinked, then blinked again. His forehead creased with worry.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, the door flung open and in walked a man I had never seen before holding a baby against his chest.

It took me about five seconds to realize that I was a complete idiot because I have seen that man before—at least a picture of him. My head turned to the petite woman who I should have recognized from the framed photo on Jack’s end table.

Logic started to work its way through my brain as the handsome father stood in the doorway smiling at me. “Hi, you must be Chloe. I’m Chase. It’s nice to meet you. I’d shake your hand, but mine are little full at the moment.” He winked as his wife ran over to help him carry everything in the house.

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

My gaze darted to Emily as I mustered up a weak apology. “I’m so sorry.” I was so embarrassed, I didn’t know what to say.

“Please, don’t apologize.” Her eyes quickly moved to Jack and then to me. “I’m just so happy to finally meet you.”

“Do I even want to know?” Chase asked, balancing his son in one arm and a bag of groceries in the other.

“Jack and I were having a moment when Chloe walked in. She had never met me before, so it’s understandable that she would misinterpret the situation. I would have reacted the same way.”

“I see.” Chase’s lips kicked up into a grin. “Did they tell you about the night when we first met? Emily tried to pass Jack off as her boyfriend.”

“Chase Newman!” Emily scolded, placing her hands on her hips. “I did not. You assumed he was.”

He laughed and then walked over to his wife, handing her the rest of the grocery bags. “Yes, and you took your sweet time correcting me on my assumption, didn’t you?”

Jack cleared his throat, directing his gaze on me. “You done being pissed at me? Because you’ve been standing here for five minutes, and I haven’t seen you in almost two weeks. I’d really like my kiss now.”

I let Jack pull me into his arms without a fight. He curled his fingers along the back of my neck and leaned into me. “I fucking missed you,” he said, bringing his mouth down to mine.

“Dude, my kid is in the room,” Chase said.

Jack released me while still keeping a firm grip along my hip. “Like you’re one to talk. You’re the one who knocked up your wife well before the ink was even dry on your marriage certificate.”

Chase tucked Emily against his side. “Damn straight,” he said, with his dimples popping out as the grin stretched across his face. The man was insanely beautiful, but the way he looked at his wife made him even more attractive.

Jack folded my body deeper into his chest. He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Why don’t you take your coat off while I get you something to drink?” He started to untie my belt that was holding my jacket together and panic shot through me.

I totally forgot I was standing in his kitchen talking to his friends, completely naked under a flimsy raincoat.

My hand stilled over the top of Jacks, halting them in place. “I can’t stay.”

“What do you mean you can’t stay? You just got here.”

I swallowed nervously as my brain searched for words that I could say to get me out of this mess. “I need to pick up Tanner. He called…when I was on my way over…I have to go.”

Jack looked confused. “Okay, but you don’t have to rush right over. Let’s go outside and have a quick drink first.” His hand started to fumble with my belt, trying to remove it.

I pushed his hand away, took a step back and placed my shaking palm over my chest. He stared at me as if I just had a stroke. “I can’t stay. I’m sorry. I really need to grab him. I’ll be back soon.”

“Chloe, he’ll be fine for another fifteen minutes.”

I took another step back, tightening the hold on my belt. God, this was awful. I could see Chase and Emily sharing a glance out of the corner of my eye. Jack narrowed his on mine as they silently pleaded with him.

“Why are you acting so weird?” His gaze did a slow trek up my body. “And why the hell are you wearing a coat in seventy-five-degree weather?”

He attempted to tug on my belt again, trying to free me from my jacket. I shoved him back a little harder than I intended. “Jack, stop it.”

He stumbled slightly. “Are you okay?” he asked, resting his palm against my skin trying to feel my body temperature. “Do you have a fever or something?”

“I’m fine” I shrugged him off. Then I walked over to Chase and Emily. Chase twisted his lips to the side. There was no doubt that a man as gorgeous as he was, has had his fair share of women showing up in nothing more than a paper-thin coat.

Damn it. Could this day get any worse?

My eyes felt like they were stuck to the floor as I spoke. “I’m sorry to have to run out. I promise I won’t be long.” I placed my hand softly on Mason’s back as I made my way across the room. “He’s a beautiful baby.”

Emily smiled with pride while looking down at her son. “Thank you.”

I turned my head to Jack as I reach the door. “Will you walk me out?” I asked quietly through my teeth.

He grabbed my hand. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll go with you.” He spun around to face his friends. “We should be back in an hour. Make yourself at home.” He gestured around with his free hand. “And you two kids behave,” he warned. “Don’t go getting crazy, but just in case you do, the guest room is down the hall on the left.”

Chase chuckled while Emily rolled her eyes at him. I tugged on his hand so hard I was afraid I would break a bone. I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

Once we were outside, Jack started to laugh uncontrollably. I looked at him as if he’d gone completely mad. He surprised me when he grabbed my hips and pushed me up against the hood of the car. “You don’t have anything under that fucking jacket, do you?”

I blinked at him. “You knew?”

He raked his eyes over my body, taking in my heels then zeroing in on my chest. He pushed his hand underneath my jacket, meeting my bare nipple that was now trying to poke its way through the material. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Happy birthday.” I smiled sheepishly, running my hands through his hair.

He threw his head back and groaned. “Please tell me we have time before we pick up Tanner. I don’t think I can wait to unwrap my present.”

My hand rested against his chest. I loved feeling his heart beat beneath my fingertips. “I’m not sure we have enough time do what you’re thinking.”

He slid his hands over my bare breast and started to glide his fingers back and over my nipples. “Is that how you’re going to play it?” His eyes were blazing with heat. “Showing up like this. Bare underneath this jacket, teasing me.”

Every cell in my body awakened from his words alone. I wanted him so damn bad I was having a hard time standing. “I’m not teasing you.”

He raised his brow with a smile. “Oh, I think you enjoy teasing me.” He pinched my nipple so hard it felt like a punishment. He leaned in close, so close that his lips were practically touching mine. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you checking out my friend back there in my house.”

I pulled back, staring into his deep blue eyes. I wanted to laugh because I knew he was teasing, but there was also a small part that wasn’t. My fingers grazed along his cheek. “Just because I find another man attractive doesn’t mean I want him. You are all the man I could ever need.”

His mouth came down onto mine. His kiss was frantic, filled with so much desire and intensity that I couldn’t think straight. The warm summer breeze caressed my skin as my jacket fell open. His mouth moved down to my neck kissing its way on to my shoulder. “It’s crazy how much I love you. You know that?” he whispered.

I shivered under his touch. “Can we please get the hell out of here now?”

He grabbed my hand and quickly got us both buckled into the car. We probably broke every speed limit and ran every stop sign imaginable on my way to my house.

The second my front door slammed shut, I was pushed up against the wall. My jacket was gone, and his hands were on me so fast I barely had time to catch my breath. His lips traveled across my skin, lavishing me while he sucked, lapped and took the fire that was burning its way through veins. He pulled back and lifted his shirt over his head. Every peak and valley was firm and hard and all mine.

His pants hit the floor, and I wanted to cry out in relief. I was ready to combust. I folded my legs along his waist and dug my heels into his ass. His hips rocked into me.

“Are you ready for me?”

My fingers gripped his hair. “I’m always ready for you,” I whispered as he drove into me with a force that shook my walls and had my heart rattling in my chest.

Each thrust became faster; each push went deeper until there was nothing left but the sound of skin slapping skin.

I loved feeling him slide in and out me. I loved how his face would tighten with each stroke. How his grip would go stronger, bruising my skin as I moved against him. I loved the sound of his breathing as he pounded into me sending me to a place that I never wanted to come back from.

I came so fast I didn’t have time to appreciate every rough, deliberate touch of his fingers that rolled around my nipple or the feeling of his teeth sinking into my shoulder or the way he exploded into my heat, calling out my name. I felt weightless like I was floating and didn’t want to come back down to earth.

I raked my hands down his back, wishing we could just stay in the moment forever.

He brushed my hair back and stared into my eyes.

I never expected to fall in love again, yet here I was with a man who challenged every doubt I ever had and taught me how to love again. Sometimes it felt like a part of me was always searching for him, and now that I found him, I was never letting go.