Everything just sort of felt right today. Maybe that was the universe's way of telling her things were going to work out just fine. Despite the fact that her man was going to be her stepbrother as soon as her parents tied the knot.

“What're you thinking about, hmm?”

Dazzling her with that brilliant smile of his, Liam creased a brow. Jackie flushed a bit, feeling her admiration tint her cheeks.

“Good things.”

“You're so mysterious.”

Winking, she took a sip of her water, looking back out at the beach, starting at the sight of a photographer.

“Liam.”

“Hmm?”

Lifting his eyes, he saw the photographer, too, but soon his expression relaxed.

“He's taking pictures of the gulls.”

Following his eyes, the tension left Jackie in the instant.

“Oh.”

“Why's that matter?” Corey asked, slipping his cell phone back into his pocket.

“I, uh...”

“She's worried about publicity.”

“I can speak for myself, thanks.”

“That's what it is, isn't it?”

He met her with a pressing gaze, and she couldn't help but relent. Yeah, that was it, but she'd still rather speak for herself. Her mother had a habit of answering for her, and it was kind of a pet peeve.

“Until we figure out how we're going to approach this... I don't know if pictures are wise. You've got a business, and I do, too.”

Watching the discourse between them, Corey took a sip of his water and set it on the table, interjecting while there was a window for him to slip in to the conversation.

“Look, neither of you should even worry about this. It's an obvious marriage of convenience, right? Dad doesn't do anything that doesn't profit him. And he could have any material girl he wants without having to marry her - as deep as his pockets run. This is about business. No offense to you or anything, Jackie, but I'm pretty sure your mom knows that.”

Jackie's brow quirked, and she let Corey's words settle awhile.

It certainly made sense. Made more sense than any other scenario, actually. Holy fucking shit, had her mom married this guy, so he could expand VitaGourmet? Like truly without saying a fucking word to her about it? How entirely fucked up.

~

They dropped Corey at the shop before Liam drove her home, and she was a bit tingly with anticipation over it. She was going to ask him up, naturally. Roxy had taken a trip out to see her sister in New York, and well... if they were going to do the boyfriend/girlfriend thing properly, they might as well start now.

He was pretty banged up, though, so... they'd likely just be cuddling tonight. But she liked that idea. Thinking of it filled her belly with a warm glow that stretched for the entirety of the ride home.

“I like your brother.”

“He likes you, too.”

“How can you tell?”

Liam shrugged as he pulled in front of the house and set the gear into park.

“He gave me a thumbs up when you turned your head. He wouldn't have bothered if he thought I was wasting my time.

“Shit. I got a thumbs up?”

“You certainly did.”

“We'll have to celebrate. You're, uh, staying the night, right?”

“I wouldn't be anywhere else,” he answered with a grin.

~

The buzzing of Liam's cell shook them out of their lover's coil, bent and twisted up in one another's limbs as they were, and when Jackie stole a glance at him, her heart melted at the brilliant smile on his face.

“What is it?”

He looked up a moment before returning his attention to the phone.

“My agent. I'm cast for the show.”

“Show?”

“National Ink.”

“Shit. That's fucking excellent.”

“Monumentally so.”

His eyes rested on her, then he lowered his head to steal a kiss.

“I have to meet with him to get the papers signed, though. You gonna be around tonight?”

“Uh, yeah. Around 9. I have a pre-class seminar today. Extra anal chef teaching it.”

Liam chuckled at that.

“I know the type.”

He grinned and pulled her close, holding her, just holding her. Radiating a belonging she didn't ever think she'd felt so palpably. Not even with her mom. Pulling into it, Jackie basked in its glow, opening to him in a way that terrified and thrilled her in the same turn. Nipping her lip, he pulled back slightly and eyed her a long time.

“I don't want to leave you.”

She laughed softly at that.

“For a handful of hours? What's a handful of hours?”

“An eternity.”

Grinning, she dragged a finger down his cheek.

“Go. Go show the world how amazing you are.”

“They already know that.”

“Humble, much?”

Smiling, he brushed his thumb gently over her lips.

“Never.”

They lay together an extra hour before he finally resolved himself to the task at hand, the one he'd been working for a ridiculous amount of time. And this time, when they parted, neither of them were left with a hollow feeling, or anger, or self-doubt.  Instead, they were filled with something neither of them had known intimately before they'd met. A wholeness, maybe? It plumed inside of them and radiated without, connecting them so deeply, they knew the other felt it just as keenly.

When Jackie finally dressed and made her way to her pre-class, she did it with a lightness she hadn't felt a day in her time at Shoreline before that. It affirmed what she'd been ignoring since she'd met Liam, and she tucked herself into the security of it, hiking her backup higher up on her shoulder, eager to get through her class and put the day behind her.

Sweeping into the front hall, she made a beeline for the class board, scanning it for Chef Beakman's name. Shit. There were so many classes today. So many names, and mid-day traffic had only left her five minutes to get to class.

She couldn't be late.

“Hey beautiful.”

Snapping her head up with a creased brow, Jackie's eyes fell on Colin, and a pit instantly formed in her stomach. He was the very last person she wanted to see right now. Managing a shrug, she turned her attention back to the hall sheet.

“What class you looking for?”

“Is there something you need, Colin?”

“Whoa, whoa.”

Raising his hands like he'd stolen something, and she was the cop sent to take him in, he tried and failed to win a smile with that charming grin of his. Only, it didn't come off even a third as enchanting as it had when she was a month younger, and far more stupid.

“You okay, beautiful?”

Leaning close, he tilted his head, a mock-depth of overdone concern in his eyes.

“Fine. Just checking off the next item on my to do list. Nice running into you.”

Her words were monotone and clearly disinterested, but assholes like Colin are resistant to the obvious, and he leaned a little too far into her space even so.

“Want to take the edge off later?”

“I have to go, Colin.”

She'd go up to the next floor and look at that board if it meant getting his creep vibes off of her. What the hell was wrong with him?

Shooting an arm in front of her when she made to leave, he leaned in so close she could smell what he had for lunch. Eew.

“Back up, Colin.”

“You haven't returned my calls. How come?”

“Maybe, learn to take a hint.”

“Feisty.” He laughed. “I like this side of you.”

“Back off, Colin.”

“We were good together. We should-”

“Back. The. Fuck. Off. Colin.”

Shoving him off, Jackie made her way quickly down the hall, not stopping for a second to take a look back. When she did finally make her way to the pre-class, it was all she could do to concentrate. Her skin was crawling the entire time, and the minute she got home, she couldn't get out of her clothes fast enough to shower.