The Set Up (61 page)

Uncertain and certain at the same time are hard feelings to navigate.

He eyes me contemplatively. “Don’t tell me you’re going to turn me down after I poured my heart out to you?”

He’s joking of course.

Jasper’s fingers brush along my jaw, bringing my gaze to his. “Please,” he begs.

When I look at him, I see brightness in his eyes. Maybe even a world where happiness comes easy. With that, saying no just isn’t an option. “Yes, Jasper. Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

That smile he gives me lights up my world.

Public affection isn’t normally something I’d overload on, and yet I find myself lunging for him so fiercely he winds up on his back with me lying on top of him.

Taking my mouth, he kisses me so hard, I get lost in it.

Nipping at my lip, he growls. “Whoa, tiger, save it for bedroom,” he teases with a light slap against my behind.

Quickly, I sit up. “Jasper,” I admonish, even though I was the one who started it.

At least the press has left us alone.

Sheepishly he says, “Sorry, I can’t help myself.”

I shake my head at him, secretly loving that he couldn’t help himself. If only I could be a tiger.

Standing, he takes my bag and then my hand. “Come on, we have to get changed. I hope you have a bathing suit with you.”

Walking by his side, I shake my head no. “We can make a quick stop by my apartment though.”

“We’ll stop on the way and get you a new one. It will be quicker, and I don’t want to hear anything about it.” He waggles his eyebrows. “After all, if I buy, I get to pick.”

I raise a brow.

That smirk is devilish.

Conceding has never been easier and I don’t argue. Then I remember he had two questions. While we wait for the light to turn so we can cross the street, I ask him, “What was the second thing you wanted to ask me?”

His head tilts to the side.

“What?” I ask.

“Well, Jobbie Nooner can be a little crazy.”

“I can handle crazy.”

“Maybe insane is a better word.”

“I can handle insane, too.”

“Okay, so out of control is the best way to put it.”

“Just spill it, Storm,” I grin.

That hand is running through his hair again. “Will a lake full of topless women bother you if I promise not to look?”

My draw drops. “Topless?”

He nods. “It’s a boobs for beads kind of thing,” he shrugs, “But yours are the only ones I’m interested in.”

I burst out laughing.

This is going to be a whole lot of interesting.

JUMP START

Jasper

WHAT KIND OF
person willingly drives a thirty-six-foot racing machine at breakneck speed through ten-foot waves?

The kind that isn’t put off by the possibility of smashing his nose against the steering wheel if he has to come to an abrupt stop when racing around the track—that’s who.

Today though, Lake St. Clair tops out with uninhibiting two-foot waves at the most, and my speed is tempered by the amount of passengers on board.

Classic Beatles is playing from the speakers on deck. Drew is leaning back in the cushions of the wraparound benches behind me with a beer in his hand. Jake and Shannon are sitting up in the sun loungers on the bow, both also with brews in hand.

Sitting at the helm, Charlotte is standing next to me in a simple black bikini that shows so much skin it is driving me crazy, her mounds of blond curls blowing in the wind making my fingers itch to run through them, and her sunglasses preventing me from seeing her blue eyes. I wrap my arm around her and guide her to stand in front of me. “You take the wheel.”

“I haven’t driven a boat in years.”

Standing, I pull her even closer. My board shorts feeling tighter by the second. “It’s like riding a bike.”

Looking over her shoulder at me, she gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll give it a try,” she says.

Just that slight touch of her lips ignites a fire that starts to flame through my veins. When she takes the wheel, my body is ablaze. Unable to keep my hands off her, I compromise my need to touch her by covering my hands over hers. The cast prohibiting me from making the full connection I’m craving.
I hate that she still bears the mark of her attack.
I shove that thought away.

It’s a beautiful day, sunny as fuck and not a cloud in sight. The wind has picked up a little the further out we go, and when the softness of her hair brushes against my neck, it sends a shiver racing down my spine.

Taking a seat in the captain’s chair, I pull her onto my lap. The slight curves of her body fit me perfectly. Unable to compromise any longer, discreetly, my hands roam her body. Sliding down her thighs, up her arms, tucking under the small fabric at her hips. I can’t help myself.

Ten minutes or so goes by as we pass over the water like it’s a sheet of glass. I kiss her—her neck, her throat, her jaw. Take a little nip at her shoulder and then soothe it with my tongue.

Concentrating on driving, I’m surprised when she unexpectedly tips her head back so we can kiss.

The instant douse of arousal I feel is unlike that from the small flirtatious moves I’ve been making. This is full-out sexuality. Our lips meet, softly, gingerly. She’s sitting on my thigh, and her ass is against my cock. She shifts a little and I groan softly against the wet slide of her tongue, and all the muscles in my body knot in sweet tension. The fire in my veins bursts into flames from the slight friction, and all I want is more. The pull and push of the connection we share seems to be growing stronger every time we’re together.

Unlatching her lips from mine, she turns back and focuses on the open water.

She feels it too.

The tightening in my cock, the rapid beat of my pulse, and the taste of her left on my tongue puts me into a state of overdrive. I hold onto her fingers, squeeze them, press my naked chest to her bare back, and try to temper my need for her.

Taking what I can, I then inhale a deep breath. Unable to calm the storm raging inside me, I know I have to take action. This isn’t a storm of conflict, this is one of pure male need. “You have to stand up,” I murmur into her ear.

Again, she tips her head back. “Why?”

“You know why.”

The little vixen shifts a little more and grinds a little harder against my cock.

“Behave,” I growl and quickly stand up, bringing her with me, and then I ease up on the throttle and put the cabin cruiser in neutral.

“What’s going on? Jake asks.

I switch the engine off. “Taking a quick dip,” I tell him as I narrow my eyes at Charlotte.

She shrugs all innocent like.

“Remind me to spank you later,” I whisper in her ear.

Surprisingly, I see a thrill in her eyes.

Waggling my brows at her, my little problem is only growing, so I quickly hop up to the side of the boat and dive into the lake. The water is fucking freezing out this far and just what I need. For now anyway.

Splash. Splash.

Jake and Drew are swimming beside me.

Drew grabs me and pulls me under. When I pop up he says, “That was for the headlock earlier.” And then he places his hands on my shoulders and shoves me under again.

Sputtering water, I yell as I come up. “Hey, what was that for?”

“For acting like a pussy.”

And . . . it’s on. We go dunk for dunk, over and over, until we’re both choking and gagging lake water.

Jake’s doing the back float beside us grinning like a motherfucker.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” I say to Drew.

“Damn fucking right I am,” he responds.

Like twin sharks, we hunt him.

When he notices, he screams like a little girl. “No. No. No. Don’t you dare.”

And just like that we take Jake under, with Charlotte and Shannon sitting on the swim platform with their feet in the water as if nothing at all is happening.

Once my balls have shriveled up nice and small and my cock has gone limp, I swim toward my girl. She’s lucky she can’t get her cast wet or I’d be dragging her in this water.

Her legs open and I rest my elbows on the platform between them. When those blue eyes find mine, I feel another brick in the wall I’ve built around myself crumble. Pretty soon there won’t be anything left of the fortress but raw emotion. And believe it or not—I’m okay with that.

Before I get hard again, I should get us to Gull Island. I give my head a little shake, and she screams. “I can’t get my cast wet.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t get it wet,” I grin.

Shannon has returned to the bow and is sunning herself, so I shift to the empty space beside Charlotte and hoist myself up onto the platform, unhinging the ladder for the two sissies still in the water. Once I’m back inside the boat, I offer my hand to Charlotte.

She looks at me skeptically.

Having mastered the face of innocence, I plaster it on.

Sucker.

She takes my hand and bam, I pull her tight against me.

She screams a little at first. “Don’t. You’re so cold.”

But as soon as my hands land on her ass and my lips find hers, neither one of us is talking.

Once everyone is back on board, I’m behind the wheel and flying through the lake. When I glance over my shoulder and see Charlotte sitting next to Drew, holding a beer in her hand like she doesn’t have a care in the world, I honestly can’t remember a time feeling any freer than I do right now.

Kicking the boat into high gear, it’s not long before we reach our destination. I approach Gull Island with caution, keeping at a good distance. There are thousands of boats everywhere and so many more people than that in the water.

Jake navigates from the bow back onto the deck to grab a couple of longnecks. He hands me one. “Well deserved,” he says.

Taking it, we bump shoulders, for no reason, or maybe because we’re here. A big change from a week ago.

I can feel her hot little body near me before she even wraps her arms around my waist and presses it against mine. “This is fun,” she says, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“When you hang with us, that’s all there is,” Jake says with a wink.

I can’t see her eyes, but I’d bet she’s rolling them.

“Speaking of fun, how’s it going with Shannon?” she asks, bringing her voice down even though with the wind and the music she doesn’t have to.

Jake tries to play it cool, but I can see past it. “It’s going . . . okay.”

“Oh, yeah? I haven’t seen you talking that much,” I have to say.

He shrugs.

“What’s going on?” Charlotte asks, sounding truly concerned.

Rubbing his jaw, he surprises me when he says, “I’m not sure what to say.”

Charlotte gives him a little laugh. “Jake, just start talking. The conversation will evolve from there. Why not start with her grandfather? I don’t know, maybe ask her if she has pictures of him with his car, or something like that?”

He gives her a couple of nods. “Not a bad idea.”

I’m trying my best not to burst out in laugher because Charlotte giving Jake dating advice is the funniest thing.

“Don’t even, asshole,” he mutters.

“Go get her, Pretty Boy.” I shove him toward the bow.

Turning to face Charlotte, I hang my arms over her shoulders and let the boat sway beneath my feet. “That was nice of you.”

“It was nothing.”

“That’s not true. You could have made fun of him like I would have, yet you took the time to help him out.”

Her arms go around my waist. “He acts all rough and hard, but inside he’s a softy.”

That makes me laugh. “A softy? I might have to disagree there.”

“Well, I think he is.”

“Hey, there’s Collins’ yacht. He’s throwing a party. Who’s coming with me?” Drew exclaims, practically jumping in the water to get over there.

Shading my eyes, I turn to see the sixty-foot yacht just trolling toward the island.

“Tyler Collins?” Shannon asks.

Jake gives her nod.

“I want to go,” she says already standing.

Jake hadn’t even sat down yet. “Let’s go then.”

And just like that
splash, splash, splash
, goes our three boat mates off to party with the Detroit Tigers.

“Don’t forget, beads for boobs!” I shout.