Jessie Slaymaker's Non-Existent Love Life (The Jessie Slaymaker Series) Read Online Free

even more lovely. Bright and animated. Jack was determined not to like her, but he was finding it impossible not to admire her. She was effortlessly hosting the table, asking interesting questions and gently pushing the conversation along. Not an easy feat considering the table was somewhat of a medley, female-dominated with a wide span of ages from what Jack guessed to be from about eighteen to over seventy. Regardless of the obvious differences amongst them, everyone seemed to be visibly having a good time. Courtesy of Jessie.
    Jessie. She was the green goddess. Apart from her name and the fact that she was a good friend of the bride, Jack knew very little else about her. She managed to guide the conversation without giving anything away about herself, focusing on making everyone around her feel special and included. Her companion, a slightly bored-looking man who went by Tom, only paid attention when Jessie was talking. Paying attention to Jessie, Jack realised, was all too easy to do. He still wasn’t entirely sure of the relationship between Tom and Jessie, but judging by the way she was personal and affable with everyone, he was inclined to believe that they were only friends—at least, from her perspective they were anyway. From what he could tell, this Tom guy seemed to really like her. How could anyone not? The more he saw of her the more he wanted to pounce on this creature and take her somewhere private.
    Shit. How could he have let this happen to him in the space of just a few hours? He was here for his brother. His good-for-nothing, irresponsible older brother. So much for broaching a brother-to-brother opening of communication lines for a serious chat. All he’d succeeded in doing so far was to watch the woman next to him and increasingly think of all the things he wanted to do to her. He forced himself to think about his brother instead. Yes, what was going on with his brother? The problem was that Jack kept coming back to the same thing: what was she doing with his brother? The way her eyes had eagerly followed Charlie around the church suggested there was something going on. And as Jack had concluded earlier, how could there not be? She was a goddess. His brother was lucky to have her.
    When Jessie had addressed him, he had done his utmost to appear calm and detached. He didn’t want her to think he was under her spell like the rest of the table were, or how his brother must be when he was around her. He purposefully was civil and friendly, but not over-communicative, in his responses to her, even though he could feel his whole body tingle with her being so near. On more than one occasion he noticed her look in the direction of where Charlie was sitting, but it was nigh on impossible to see him clearly, let alone make eye contact with him, and she seemed to give up quickly and return her concentration back to the table conversation.
    Jack found himself thinking that he was most impressed with this Jessie. He didn’t think his mother had mentioned Charlie having a girlfriend, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was the depth of their relationship. He now didn’t regard Jessie as some kind of floozy, free with her love to all men. Her actions told him she was committed to his brother. A fresh worry started to creep into the forefront of Jack’s mind: he hoped his brother was committed to Jessie and worthy of her love. He barely knew her; but from what he could tell she was definitely a keeper, and in an infinitely different league altogether from Charlie’s usual conquests and girlfriends.
    A wave of jealousy bolted through Jack as though he’d been struck by someone. The thought of Charlie caressing and kissing Jessie whenever he wanted awoke the green-eyed monster within him. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Chapter 8
    Jessie was fuming. Not only had she been put on a table with a right motley crew, but she had been forced to sit next to the evil-eye guy from the church. Apparently his name was