The Next Contestant (16 page)

“Toby!” a man shouts, breaking our heated moment. Jax grins sexily and steps away from me as the man gets closer and whistles. “Come on, boy, let’s go.”

The dog, a retriever, I think, comes running down the trail barking and wagging its tail.

Jax reaches in his pocket, drags his cell phone out and glances at it. “Shit. I’ve got to go. Practice is in thirty minutes and I’ve got to go dress out.” He caresses my cheek, leans in and swiftly kisses me, then steps away. “I’ll call or text you after practice, okay?”

“Okay,” I say and smile warmly as I watch him retreat. I watch him jog down the trail and my heart feels all fluttery when he turns back, winks at me, and then heads away from me in a full sprint.

I sigh and begin folding the blanket, then grab my book bag, sunglasses, and head to my car. Then I remember the soccer ball that Jax apparently forgot about. I toss my stuff into the car and head back to the park. After a bit of searching, I find it by a tree where the dog apparently abandoned it, and collect it.
I’m so keeping it!

The ride to the dorm is a blur of images, sensations, and all things Jax.

MY MIND IS
buzzing after seeing Jax at the park. He wants to spend all weekend with me. All weekend! My buzz fades when I realize I have a rehearsal Saturday morning. There is no way out of it.

Rummaging through my freezer, I pull out a frozen meal of carrots, glazed chicken, and a fat free brownie. After heating it in the microwave, I move into the living room and plop down on the couch. My only company is the television. I’m not watching it. I’m daydreaming… or midevening dreaming, of Jax.

I can’t imagine what a weekend with Jax would entail. My eyelids fall and my mind drifts.

His body presses against mine, his lips so close I feel his breath against my skin…
his intoxicating smell, the sweet taste of his tongue in a heated tango with mine… hands gliding down my throat, his lips following. Rolling my head to the side, eyes closing. My breathing speeding up... He moans softly then exhales raggedly. Jax slowly stripping me bare… then undressing himself. His flesh is warm, solid, sinfully sexy…

Jax’s long tongue is dragging along my nipple, licking, nibbling, tasting. Slowly, he pulls me down onto his bed. The moment changes when his eyes rake over my body, his hands exploring every inch of me. The weight of him as he lies on top of me… the moment he presses his erection—

I wake with a start at the sound of my phone ringing. “Shit!” My half-eaten entree is now upside down on the floor. Why me? Pushing off the couch, I step over the mess and retrieve my phone from the kitchen counter. And smile warmly when I see the caller ID.

“Hi,” I answer a little too excitedly.

“Hello, there. What is the most beautiful woman I know, up to? You sound breathless.” Jax’s husky voice has me melting.

If he only knew what I had been conjuring up moments ago. “Ah. Well, I was eating my dinner, and then I fell asleep. I have a mess to clean up after the ringing of my phone startled me awake and sent the microwaved platter onto the floor as I rushed to answer it.”

He chuckles lightly. “I’m not even there and I’m already causing trouble. You must like me just a little bit to go through all that trouble, eh?”

“I suppose I do, Mr. Nash. Are you calling for something specific or do you just want to hear my voice?”

“Ah, no. I love your voice but I’d rather be with you to ogle your fine assets.” He guffaws. “Just kidding. Sort of. So, how about this weekend? You, me, all weekend?”

I sigh.

“No?” he questions, alarm in his tone.

“I’d love to, but I have an obligation I can’t get out of Saturday morning. I’m free after that.”

“Hmm. Well shit. I have obligations Sunday, but we can spend all of Saturday together if you’ll be free by noon?”

“Better than that. How about ten-thirty?”

“Perfect. Bring a swimsuit and don’t ask questions. It’s a surprise. I’ll pick you up at ten-thirty.”

A swimsuit. Great. He would pick this time to choose something with water involved when I’ve just started my damn period. “All right. Pack a swimsuit and be ready by ten-thirty. Anything else?”

“Nope. Just bring your sexy ass and I’ll see you Saturday.”

I confirm again and Jax lets me go.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
drag. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Why is time so much slower when you’re anxious to skip ahead?! My Saturday getaway bag has been packed since Wednesday night.

“Kimber!” Coach Step snaps pulling me out of my cloudy bubble.
Crap!
The girls are no longer stretching but standing in their assigned positions ready for practice.

I push off the floor and scurry to the front row. “Sorry, Coach.” She shakes her head at me before she turns the music on.

After practice, Tiffany smacks me on the ass. “What the hell has you all fogged up, girl? Wait! Don’t answer that. I’ll guess. Jax?!”

“Hell yes. God, Tiffany. I have to get out of here. He is picking me up at ten-thirty. We’re spending the entire day together. Don’t ask where. I have no clue. Something that requires a swimsuit.”

“Oh, girl! You are so going to get boned!” She smacks my ass, again.

“Uh, no. Water, swimsuit, and red china do NOT go well together.”

“Ah, bullshit. He could earn some red wings this weekend,” she says and sniggers.

“That. Is. Disgusting!” No fucking way.

Tiffany continues her rant about red wings all the way back to the dorms. Once we’re inside, I speed-walk down the hall and then rush to get ready.

Unsure of what Jax has planned, I decide to wear my favorite faded denim jeans with a navy blue halter over my modest black swimsuit. The bottoms are the boy cut style. No way am I risking wearing one of my skimpier suits. If I leak—what a dreadful thing that would be—at least it won’t show. I weave a white diamond studded belt through the loops of my shorts and slip on a matching pair of navy blue flip-flops.

Jax texts me just as I’m gathering my purse and bag. Of course he wants to come in but that is so not happening. I hurry out and before I reach the front door, I text him telling him I’m in the lobby. I’m about to hit send when I crash into someone.

“Wha—” Warm smirking blue eyes and fluffy lips smile down at me. I inhale his sinfully scrumptious scent before I find my voice again. “How’d you get in here?” I see a few girls checking him out. Obviously they let him in. “Never mind.”

Without a word or a hello, Jax greets me with a kiss. It’s gentle and teasing, and then he steps in further, slides his hands along my neck, and thrusts his tongue deeper. Tingling bubbles ripple over my flesh and migrate between my thighs.
Red china. Remember?

Someone clears their throat. We pull apart, and pause to catch our breath. I stare into Jax’s lusty blue eyes.

“We’d better go,” he says, his voice husky. “But damn, you look amazing.”

I wiggle my brows. “You look mighty fine yourself, Jax.” And he totally does. I realize he’s wearing a form fitting t-shirt. Navy-blue. Same color I chose. He’s also wearing navy blue flip-flops with dark denim jeans.

Stepping back, he grabs my bag and then my hand, and leads me out to his Jaguar. I love his freaking car. Ever the gentleman, he opens my door and then slides my seatbelt over my chest, making it click.

I’VE TRIED TO
get Jax to tell me where he’s taking me, but he refuses to budge. I’m not sure how long we’ve been in the car but I have a hunch that whatever his plans are, it has something to do with San Francisco Bay. I see hang gliders sailing in the air and boats in the bay. “We’re going boating, aren’t we?”

“Give up, already. We’re almost there.” He slows the car and turns into the Richmond Marina.

My stomach drops to my feet. Hang gliding? Wings without aircraft is not something I’ve ever considered doing.

Parachuting, nope.

Air balloons, nope.

Airplanes, yes.

But I don’t know if I can do this. They say you can’t scream while dropping so fast on the Tower of Doom, but they were so wrong. I proved that the one and only time I went on it. My brother, the fearless one, was shaking so bad afterward that he’d sworn he’d never ride another ride with me again after that adventure. I told him he’d never have to worry because I’d never go on that thing again.

Jax helps me out of the car. I stall not wanting to move another inch.

“Are you scared?” Jax asks, his concern genuine.

“Shitless,” I mutter.

Wrapping me in his arms, he kisses my forehead. “It’s going to be fun. I promise. We’re taking the aqua glider, which takes off in the water, unlike the hang glider. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. One of my dad’s passions. He’s very tight with the owner and so am I. I’ve worked here during school and summer breaks for several years so we get to take flight on our own. I swear you’ll be safe with me, okay?”

“Okay,” I say in a shaky voice.

Jax grabs two jackets from his trunk. He helps me slip into one and then he puts his on. “To keep us warm. It’s chillier in the air and it will help keep us dry,” he assures me.

After a ten minute instructional, Jax gears us up
with life jackets and helmets with an intercom linked to the pilot, which is Jax.

He ushers me forward. My knees are weak and I feel dizzy. Probably from the adrenaline bursting through my circulatory system.

I’m positioned behind Jax and I’m struggling not to jump out and skip town.

The motor fires up, startling me further and before I can protest, we’re sailing forward, leaving the Richmond Marina behind. When my racing heart finally slows and I begin to feel less freaked, we go airborne. My stomach drops and my fingers hurt from gripping the bar in front of me for dear life. I’m terrified, so much so that my screams are clogging up the back of my throat. Whatever trepidation I felt previously, is now tenfold.

“Yeah!” Jax’s cheer rings through the earphones. “Baby, how’re you doing?”

I can only pant, but I really want to shout at him, tell him to bring this thing back down to the water, but I can’t get my mouth to cooperate. It’s frozen shut; fear stricken. All sorts of horrid things are going through my head. Mostly thoughts about dying.

“Sweetheart, take in a few deep breaths and relax.” I do. “Don’t think about the height. Enjoy the scenery. It’s you and I riding the wind, flying over the ocean.”

Jax’s voice is soothing, and I’m beginning to relax as he continues to describe the beauty of flying. My trepidation is slowly replaced by awe-inspiring delight as we soar through the sky over San Francisco Bay.

We’re heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge gaining height and my anxiety spikes. After we pass over it I begin to calm.

Then Jax shouts, “Hang on tight!” The glider dips and turns sending my stomach into my throat. A few more dips and turns later, I’m laughing, no longer afraid.

We sail through the sky listening to the wind and the rolling waves of the ocean. It’s serene and shockingly, calming. I realize this man, this incredibly sexy man, is amazing and talented.