She pulled back, breathless, and waved into the kitchen. “The pancakes! Turn off the griddle and take me upstairs.”
He’d never turned off an appliance and ascended steps so fast.
“Where’d you find that guy?” he asked between kisses in the bedroom as he pulled off her sweatshirt.
“Jock was my uncle’s caregiver for years.” She tugged open the button on his jeans.
His heart ached as she tugged off her slippers. He didn’t want to know what had happened between her and Jock, but at the same time, he did. “I saw blankets on the living room floor.”
“We fell asleep watching a home movie.” She pushed up his shirt, and as he took it off, she said, “He’s like a brother to me.”
Relief stole his breath, and he wondered if that relief made him an asshole. “Fuck, Tegs” came out almost as apologetically as he felt. He drew her into his arms and said, “I’m so sorry. I thought…” He gazed into her beautiful, trusting eyes, and his truth poured out. “It shouldn’t have taken another guy for me to see what was right in front of me, to listen to the scary-ass things going on in my head and in my heart. I can’t change my life on a dime, Tegs. I won’t make promises I can’t keep. But when you told me Jock was here, that he’d come from out of town to help you, I realized how badly I’d failed you.”
“But we’re just friends with benefits. I knew you couldn’t come, and I didn’t ask you—”
He silenced her with a kiss, and said, “You shouldn’t have to ask, not when every night we were becoming so much more than we thought we’d be. I can’t go a day without thinking about you, wondering how you are, what you’re doing, wanting to hold you. I want to be here when you need me, and I don’t know if I can even make that happen, or if it’s enough for you to end our nonexclusive arrangement and make it exclusive.”
“It’s enough,” she said quickly. “You’re enough, Jett. I don’t know what will happen a month or six months from now, if I’ll want more or you’ll want less. But I know I want this now. I want to be with you exclusively.”
“Thank Christ.” He crushed his lips to hers, and they made out as they stripped naked and tumbled to the bed.
He laced their fingers together as he lowered his lips to hers, and she shifted beneath him, welcoming him into the sweet haven of her body. Their lips parted on their moans, and he felt the same rush of emotions that had overtaken him almost two weeks ago. It was still here, only now it was stronger, bigger, bone deep, too substantial to be severed by time or distance. Neither one spoke, or moved, and he wondered if she felt it, too.
She touched his lips and said, “I can’t believe this is real, that you’re here.”
“I’m here, baby, and I’ve missed us so much.”
His mouth covered hers, kissing her deeply as their bodies moved in perfect harmony. She held him tighter, their intensity building with every thrust of their hips, every grind of their bodies, every stroke of their tongues. They both went a little wild, clutching, scratching, groping, biting, and pleading indiscernibly, holding on to each other like they needed their connection to survive. The room around them blurred. Jett was lost in a sea of magnificent sensations, consumed by the woman in his arms as she cried out his name like a demand, “Jett—” giving in to the sensual beast within her. Fire and ice rushed down his spine. He fought to stave off his orgasm, dipping his head beside hers. He gripped her ass, lifting her hips and driving deeper, working her up to a moaning, whimpering frenzy.
“Come again for me, baby,” he growled against her cheek.
He sealed his mouth over her neck, sucking the way he knew she loved. Her head fell back with another pleasure-filled sound, her body squeezing tight and perfect around his cock. “Tegan—” broke free in a gust of passion and lust, and so much more.
Chapter Twenty
“I STILL CAN’T believe you’re here,” Tegan said after they showered and dressed later that Thursday morning.
“I can’t believe I’m here, either. You bewitched me over video chat, cast some sort of spell on me and drew me into your web.” Jett gathered her in his arms and kissed her.
“Well, you won’t hear any apologies from me. Are you exhausted, staying up all night to get here?”
“Rejuvenated.”
“You’re amazing.” She went up on her toes and kissed him. Then she took his hand and said, “Come on. You should formally meet Jock. You’ll like him.”
“Even more so since you didn’t sleep with him,” he said as they started down the stairs.
“We did sleep together,” she teased.
Jett smacked her ass, earning a melodic laugh.
“You said you didn’t get jealous, but I guess you were wrong.” She stopped suddenly and said, “Shoot. I forgot my phone. Go grab some coffee. I’ll be right down.” She headed back up the stairs.
Jett went into the kitchen and found Jock making pancakes.
“Hey,” Jock said. “You hungry?”
“No thanks. I’ll just grab some coffee.” As Jett made coffee, he said, “Listen, Jock, I’m sorry for coming in here guns cocked. I thought you and Tegan were more than friends and got a little hot under the collar.”
“She’s a special girl, definitely worth getting worked up over.” He transferred three pancakes to a plate and said, “Is Tegan coming down? Should I make her pancakes? She can’t cook worth shit, but the girl can eat.”
Jett chuckled. “Yeah. She just went back up to get her phone, and”—after a round of mattress wrestling and damn hot shower sex—“I’m sure she’ll want to eat.”
Jock poured batter onto the griddle, then turned and crossed his arms, facing Jett head-on with a serious expression. “Tegan told me about your arrangement. I know she comes across as confident and strong, which she is, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to being hurt.”
“That’s why I’m here. I don’t plan on hurting her. Our arrangement has changed to an exclusive relationship,” he said proudly.
Jock nodded and flipped the pancakes. “I did a bit of research while you were upstairs. You see, I knew of you as a kid. I think everyone around here did.”
“You’re from the Cape?”
Jock shook his head and said, “Silver Island. You’ve got a couple years on me, but I watched you play ball against our high school. You were a legend for a while. Rumor had it that you’d gotten a full scholarship to play baseball at Boston College.”
“I turned it down.” Jett sat at the table and said, “I went into business instead.”
“I wondered what happened when we didn’t see your name on the rosters.” Jock transferred Tegan’s pancakes to a plate. He grabbed a bottle of syrup and sat at the table across from Jett. “From what I’ve read about you, you’re a man who has it all, probably used to women who are very different from Tegan.”
Jett knew where their conversation was headed, and he was impressed with Jock’s tactics, bringing up their youthful connection, gaining his confidence before going in for what he was sure would be a threat if he did wrong by Tegan.
“I’m not used to women of any kind,” Jett said. “Tegan is the only woman I’ve ever let get close to me.”
Jock’s eyes narrowed. “A rich guy like you who travels all the time? Hobnobbing with the rich and famous? You want me to believe that you haven’t used that power to gain certain favors?”
“I’m not saying I’m a saint. I’ve been with plenty of women, but none that I wanted to get to know like Tegan. And honestly? I don’t give a damn what you believe.” He paused, holding Jock’s gaze. “But I’m sure Tegan does, which is the only reason I’ll explain myself to you. Once.” He let that sink in before saying, “I had a great father who turned into a raving asshole. When something like that happens, you question what you’re capable of, who you’ll end up being, and what kind of damage you’ll leave behind. Rather than become the dick he was, I avoided personal connections and created an untouchable empire. That’s where my focus has been since I w
ent away to college. So, yes, Tegan is the first and only woman to get under my skin.” He splayed his hands, his gaze remaining trained on the man across the table. “Believe it or choose not to. As I said, my only concern is that the woman upstairs knows I’m trying to learn how to be a better man for her. And if I fuck that up, whatever you think you can do to me is nothing compared to what I’ll do to myself.”
Jock studied him with a discerning expression.
“My two favorite men eating breakfast together?” Tegan said as she breezed into the room a minute later. “Are we friends yet?”
Jett cocked a brow, giving Jock the opportunity to respond.
“We’re getting there,” Jock said with a friendlier expression. “Jett and I appear to have a lot more in common than I thought.”
WHEN TEGAN, JETT, and Jock first began organizing the boxes that were going to the Salvation Army, Jett and Jock weren’t talking much, which made for an uncomfortable start to their time together. But over the course of an hour or two, they began working together, making decisions as a team instead of bumping chests like Neanderthals. By late afternoon, as they packed Tegan’s belongings and carried them into the cottage, Tegan realized the tension had dissipated, and the two men were bantering like buddies.
She followed Jett into the cozy cottage living room, enjoying the view as he bent to set down the box he was carrying.
“You going to stare at his ass all day?” Jock asked, setting down another box.
“Probably.” She would probably stare at him all day and night, because his showing up, and everything he’d said, was so completely unexpected, she kept reliving it in her head.
Jett turned with a lustful look in his eyes. “Let me get that.” He took the box from Tegan’s arms.
“I had it,” she said.
“I know you did.” He kissed her softly, and said, “But I’m here to be used, so use me, baby.”
Jock grumbled something indiscernible and said, “Are you two going to need a hankie to tie on the cottage door?”
Jett pulled Tegan into his arms and said, “Nah. Just text before you walk down from the big house. If we don’t answer, wait an hour before trying again.” He gave her a chaste kiss and chuckled as he went to unpack a box of books.
“What are we, sixteen?” She opened the box of pictures and knickknacks she’d brought from home and said, “From now on, that subject is off-limits between you two.”
Jock chuckled and said, “Where do you want this box of photography stuff?”
Tegan pointed to the guest room. “Can you put it in there?”
“You read horror, Tegs?” Jett asked.
She looked over and he held up It Lies, the book Jock had written. “That’s my copy of Jock’s book. He wrote it.”
Jett looked at the cover. “It says Jack Steele. Is that a pen name?”
“That’s my real name,” Jock said as he walked into the room.
“My uncle coined the nickname Jock because of how athletic Jock looks.”
“Don’t believe her,” Jock said. “Harvey loved to give me hell. When I first started working with him, he jokingly called me Jock one afternoon, and I told him to never do it again. Big mistake. All it did was fuel his fire. From that moment on, he not only called me Jock, but he also introduced me as Jock to everyone. After a while it stuck.”
“He’s gone now. You could go back to Jack,” Jett suggested.
“I could,” Jock said. “But Harvey taught me more about life than you could ever imagine. Sticking with the stupid name is the least I can do.”
“Cool,” Jett said. “It’s not a bad name. Any relation to Reggie or Shea Steele?”
“They’re my cousins. You know them?” Jock asked.
“Yeah.” Jett nodded. “I’ve used Reggie’s PI services many times, and Shea does PR for my company.”
“Small world,” Jock said. “Reggie’s a trip, and Shea’s a bulldog in business, but man, she can talk your ear off in a social setting.”
“They’re both great. Tegs, mind if I borrow this?” Jett asked. “I’d like to read it.”
“No. But it’s really creepy.”
“I can handle creepy.” Jett turned the book over and scanned the back cover. “Number one New York Times bestseller for sixteen weeks in a row. Impressive, Steele. What else have you written?”
Tegan and Jock shared a knowing look. She knew how private he was, so she said, “He started caring for Harvey and lost his muse.”
Jett looked at Jock, and she could tell he knew there was more to the story.
Jock rubbed the back of his neck with a pinched expression and said, “Actually, I stopped writing before I met Harvey. I lost my girlfriend…and our baby. Harvey’s the reason I’m six feet upright instead of six feet under.”
“Oh man, I’m sorry.” Jett put the book down on the coffee table and said, “I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”
“You don’t want to, believe me.” Jock headed for the cottage door and said, “I’m going up to get some of your clothes from the closet, Teg. I’ll be back.”
After Jock left, Jett said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset him.”
“That’s okay. I’m surprised he told you the truth. He didn’t tell me until we’d known each other for a couple of years. I’ve never heard him talk about it any other time, until now. I get the impression it’s one of the reasons he doesn’t like to go home to Silver Island.”
“Maybe she was from the island and he feels guilty. It sort of explains why he trusted me this morning after we talked.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s protective of you. He wanted to be sure I knew he was watching out for you. You know, warning me not to hurt you.”
“He did?”
“Mm-hm. Don’t look so surprised. You said he’s like a brother. That’s what brothers do. I gave him a very brief glimpse into my past, and I guess he felt a kinship. Sounds like we’ve each gone through our own form of hell, his being much worse than mine. If you’re right about why he doesn’t go home, then we have the commonality of trouble with family, too. Poor guy. I’m glad he has you in his life.”
They unpacked the boxes and retrieved Tegan’s sewing machine and all of her sewing paraphernalia from the house, along with the rest of her clothes. As she unpacked pictures of her family and friends, Jock and Jett checked the locks on the windows and the back door, as if they could have broken in the time since Jock had moved out. So silly.
She heard Jett say, “Hey, man, if you’re still having trouble finding your muse, I’ve got investment properties all over the world. You’re welcome to stay in any of them.”
“Thanks, but I’ve been traveling, and it doesn’t help. I think I’m going to stick around for a while after the wedding.”
Tegan peered into the bedroom and said, “On the island?”
Jock shook his head. “That’s going to be a short trip, Teg. After the wedding I’ll stop in to see my parents, because you know my mother would kill me if I didn’t.”
“I love Shelley!” Tegan exclaimed.
“You’ve met her?” Jett asked.
“Yes. I’ve met most of Jock’s family, when they’d stop by to visit him over the summers. His mother is the friendliest, warmest, most exuberant person I’ve ever met. She loves to feed people, so you know she and I get along great. And his father is a total silver fox who adores his wife. They’re so cute together.”
“That pretty much sums them up,” Jock agreed.
Jett looked at him curiously and said, “Why not stay there?”
“It’s complicated. If I’m ever going to write again, it won’t be on the island, that’s for sure,” Jock explained. “I’m coming back to the Cape after the wedding.”
“Great. Can you watch out for Tegs when I’m gone?” Jett asked. “Make sure no one bothers her or shows up when they shouldn’t?”
Even though it was flattering to hear how much Jett cared, she said, “I d
on’t need a babysitter.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Jett said as they came into the living room. “This is a big property, and you’re out here all alone.”
She pulled a picture from the box and set it on the bookcase. “I was in the big house all alone, too. I’m fine.”
“Sorry, man, but I’m not staying in the house beyond tonight,” Jock said. “I’m going to the resort tomorrow to see if I can rent one of the cottages for the summer. But don’t worry. There’s never been any trouble on the grounds, and there’s a state-of-the-art security system in the cottage and the house.”
“There is?” Tegan asked.
Jock frowned. “I showed you how to use it. The control panel is behind the painting in the foyer.”
“Oh shoot! I forgot all about it. See, Jett? I’ll be fine. If there was something to worry about, Jock would know, because nobody knows this house and property like he does.” As she said it, she realized how true that was. “Jock,” she said in a singsong voice.
“Uh-oh. Here it comes,” Jock said. “That’s her I-need-a-favor voice.”
Jett chuckled.
“I don’t need it, but I would sure appreciate it. I know you didn’t really want to stay here, but since you haven’t found your muse yet, if you could see your way clear to stick around just until after the opening in August, you could go with me to meet the people who run the children’s productions. You know them all, and you know the process for setups and lighting and what could go wrong. In fact, you know everything I need to understand, and it would help me earn the trust of those people if you were there. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before, but it really would.” Her voice escalated excitedly. “Oh, Jock, please? If you do this one thing for me, I’ll do anything you want! I’ll cook your meals, wash your clothes, whatever you want.”
“She’s right about building trust,” Jett said. “That makes smart business sense.”
Jock’s brows knitted, but a smile curved his lips. “Why do I feel like I’m being railroaded?”
Bayside Fantasies (Bayside Summers Book 6) Page 27