first?”
“It’s not like that,” Emma said wearily. “Please, Marcus, just drop it.” She turned and walked away, leaving Marcus standing alone.
Chris returned late in the evening, loaded down with supplies including—praise God—chamomile tea. Norah pounced on it, and sailed back into the cottage without looking at Emma.
“Don’t ask,” Emma told him. “We’ve had a hard day.”
“That’s why I picked up things for a little party tonight. I thought we could relax for a while. I cleared it with Thomas before I left.”
Jack wondered over. “That’d be nice,” he said. He dropped a kiss on Emma’s head. “Hi.”
“Hi, back.” Emma leaned back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
“I bought firewood and booze,” Chris told them. “Since I’m leaving tomorrow I thought we’d show these Brits how we throw down in Mississippi.”
Emma laughed. “A bonfire, free flowing alcohol, and loud music. It’s a Southern girl’s dream come true. I love it. You’re a freaking genius.”
“This is brilliant,” Jack agreed. “Taking a night is just what we all need, especially since we’re all stressed.”
“Some of us more than others,” Emma muttered with a glance at the cottage door she and Norah shared.
***
As soon as the sun went down, Chris lit the bonfire. He and Jack pulled the coolers close and turned on the music. Chris played bartender as people began wondering over. It wasn’t long before the mood had lightened considerably.
“What’s your poison, beautiful?”
“Let’s start with a double shot of Jameson and go from there,” Emma said.
Chris gave her a mild stare. “Hitting the hard stuff, huh?”
She laughed. “Just for a few rounds.” She took the glass and downed the contents.
“You have to admire a woman who can take a shot like that.” Marcus plucked a beer from the cooler and saluted her.
“Emma can belt ‘em down,” Chris commented as he watched her slam another one back. “More?” he asked.
Emma shook her head. “Rum and Coke,” she decided. She took the glass and went to sit beside Jack and Alison.
Everyone was having a great time. Drinks were flowing, someone turned the music up full blast, and the dancing began.
“Let’s go.” Chris took Emma’s hand and yanked her to her feet. “We haven’t danced in ages. Let’s show them how we do it.”
Emma laughed and began to two step with him around the fire. When the music clicked to a classic hard rock tune, she raised her arms in the air, swayed low to the ground and rolled her hips in time with the music. Chris grinned, then spun her around and rocked his hips against hers. It’d been a long time since he’d dirty danced with his best friend.
Jack watched Emma sway and bend to the music. Desire licked at him; he wanted her in bed. He was shocked by how much.
When the next song ended, Emma breathlessly reclaimed her seat. A fresh drink was passed over and she gulped gratefully.
“This is how you party back home?” Alison asked with a grin as she watched. “Dancing like a loon around a fire?”
Emma snorted. “Sometimes,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I danced around a fire.”
“You looked sexy out there, dancing like that,” Jack whispered and trailed a finger
“It’s not like that,” Emma said wearily. “Please, Marcus, just drop it.” She turned and walked away, leaving Marcus standing alone.
Chris returned late in the evening, loaded down with supplies including—praise God—chamomile tea. Norah pounced on it, and sailed back into the cottage without looking at Emma.
“Don’t ask,” Emma told him. “We’ve had a hard day.”
“That’s why I picked up things for a little party tonight. I thought we could relax for a while. I cleared it with Thomas before I left.”
Jack wondered over. “That’d be nice,” he said. He dropped a kiss on Emma’s head. “Hi.”
“Hi, back.” Emma leaned back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
“I bought firewood and booze,” Chris told them. “Since I’m leaving tomorrow I thought we’d show these Brits how we throw down in Mississippi.”
Emma laughed. “A bonfire, free flowing alcohol, and loud music. It’s a Southern girl’s dream come true. I love it. You’re a freaking genius.”
“This is brilliant,” Jack agreed. “Taking a night is just what we all need, especially since we’re all stressed.”
“Some of us more than others,” Emma muttered with a glance at the cottage door she and Norah shared.
***
As soon as the sun went down, Chris lit the bonfire. He and Jack pulled the coolers close and turned on the music. Chris played bartender as people began wondering over. It wasn’t long before the mood had lightened considerably.
“What’s your poison, beautiful?”
“Let’s start with a double shot of Jameson and go from there,” Emma said.
Chris gave her a mild stare. “Hitting the hard stuff, huh?”
She laughed. “Just for a few rounds.” She took the glass and downed the contents.
“You have to admire a woman who can take a shot like that.” Marcus plucked a beer from the cooler and saluted her.
“Emma can belt ‘em down,” Chris commented as he watched her slam another one back. “More?” he asked.
Emma shook her head. “Rum and Coke,” she decided. She took the glass and went to sit beside Jack and Alison.
Everyone was having a great time. Drinks were flowing, someone turned the music up full blast, and the dancing began.
“Let’s go.” Chris took Emma’s hand and yanked her to her feet. “We haven’t danced in ages. Let’s show them how we do it.”
Emma laughed and began to two step with him around the fire. When the music clicked to a classic hard rock tune, she raised her arms in the air, swayed low to the ground and rolled her hips in time with the music. Chris grinned, then spun her around and rocked his hips against hers. It’d been a long time since he’d dirty danced with his best friend.
Jack watched Emma sway and bend to the music. Desire licked at him; he wanted her in bed. He was shocked by how much.
When the next song ended, Emma breathlessly reclaimed her seat. A fresh drink was passed over and she gulped gratefully.
“This is how you party back home?” Alison asked with a grin as she watched. “Dancing like a loon around a fire?”
Emma snorted. “Sometimes,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I danced around a fire.”
“You looked sexy out there, dancing like that,” Jack whispered and trailed a finger
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