Chance Encounters by J. Sterling Read Free Book Online

her composure and walked slowly toward him. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. All she could think about was how good it felt to be in his arms. Every inch of her body wanted to be touching a part of his. She squeezed him harder and nuzzled into him without any concern for who might be watching.
    His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist and his lips brushed the side of her neck before he stopped himself from taking it further.
    Caroline didn’t want to stop holding him, but the hug had gone long past a simple greeting. She pulled away slowly and looked into his eyes. “Hi,” was all she said while she laughed.
    He brushed his hand along her cheek like he had done on the plane. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. When she finally opened her eyes, he stared at her.
    “I can’t get enough of you.” The words spilled out of his mouth and sent her heart racing. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” His voice was tinged with guilt.
    “It’s okay. Don’t be sorry.” She tried to comfort him. It made her feel less alone to know he felt the same way she did.
    “I don’t normally do this, you know?” he confessed, and looked toward the ground.
    “What do you mean?” she asked.
    “I mean, I don’t normally go after girls who have boyfriends.” His eyes rose to meet hers.
    “Well that’s good, ’cause I don’t normally go after guys other than my boyfriend.”
    Jackson smiled and pressed on. “No, really. I don’t like girls who aren’t available. I’m not that guy. I just need you to know that.”
    “I never thought that about you. And just so you know, I’ve never been so attracted to another guy since I’ve been with my boyfriend.”
    “I believe you,” he said sincerely. “I just don’t know what to do.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Nothing,” he shrugged as he shook his head.
    “Tell me,” she pleaded.
    “It’s better if I don’t. Trust me.”
    “Ooookay,” she concurred through squinted eyes.
    “God, I love your eyes. They’re stunning.”
    She blushed and quickly closed them. “Oh yeah? What color are they?”
    “Seriously?” he laughed. “They’re the prettiest green I’ve ever seen.”
    “Oh,” she stumbled and let out a breathy sigh. “Thanks.” She desperately needed to change the subject. “Should we eat?”
    “I guess we can’t just stand here all day, huh? Food sounds good.” He led her into the restaurant and toward the hostess, where he asked for a private table as far away from anyone else as possible. The hostess smiled, looked at Caroline, and scurried off to find something suitable.
    “That’s okay, right?”
    “Of course.” She smiled and touched his arm softly.
    The hostess returned. “Right this way.” She led them to a booth in the far corner of the restaurant. “Is this okay?”
    “Perfect. Thank you.” Jackson waited for Caroline to sit down before he sat down across from her. They looked at each other in silence for a moment and opened their menus.
    “Thanks for meeting me. I really wanted to see you again before I left,” Jackson admitted.
    “Are you kidding? Jackson, I’ve been dying inside thinking I was never going to see you or talk to you again. We left without giving each other our cell numbers, emails, or anything. You’re all I’ve been able to think about since I walked out of the airport.”
    His chest fell as he let go of the breath he held. “Me too. But then I remembered that we talked about work. The first thing I did when I checked into my hotel was look up your work number so I could call you after my meetings.”
    She reached across the table and gently touched his hand. Waves of emotions coursed through her body. Even her feet started to tingle. “I’m so glad you did.” She pulled her hand back. “So, hey! How was the wedding? Did you replace me?” she teased.
    He cocked his head to one side and lifted his eyebrows before taunting her,