“Yes!” Emery hopped off Dean’s lap.
“I think he was talking to Tegan,” Dean said as he stood up, towering over her.
Jett glanced at Tegan, his silent question, Do you mind if they join us? as clear as his sexy blue eyes. She shook her head as she climbed off his lap, happy that he wanted more time with his brother.
Jett wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and said, “It’s cool, Dean. Join us. We’ve never been on a double date.”
“Yay!” Emery cheered.
They made their way down the stone steps to the beach. Cold air whipped off the water, stinging Tegan’s cheeks.
“I guess we should have thought about the wind and the drop in temperature by the water.” He held her close, keeping the blanket tight around her.
“No, this is wonderful.” Tegan kicked off her heels, glad she hadn’t worn nylons. “We don’t have time to be picky about temperatures. All we have is tonight. Our first moonlight adventure. Take your shoes off and we’ll put our toes in the freezing water.”
“You’re nuts. I think you might be my spirit animal!” Emery took off her heels and said, “Come on, Dean. Let’s put our feet in the water.”
Dean raised his brows at Jett, who was busy taking off his shoes and socks.
Jett rolled up his slacks and said, “Do what you want. I’m going on an adventure with my girlfriend.”
Dean relented and crouched to take off his shoes.
Tegan dropped the blanket in the sand, took Jett’s hand, and said, “Let’s go!”
They ran down to the water with Dean and Emery, shouting to each other about how crazy they were. When Tegan’s feet hit the wet sand, she shrieked and tugged Jett backward.
Jett burst into laughter and pulled her into his arms. “Change your mind, sunshine?”
“No!” she said through chattering teeth. “I just have to prepare.”
“Come on, you guys!” Emery hollered from the water’s edge. “Your feet will numb up quickly!”
Tegan gripped Jett’s hand tighter and said, “Let’s get numb!”
They ran across the wet sand and into ankle-deep water. She shrieked again and turned to run up the beach, but Jett caught her around the waist, lifting her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight, and he pressed his lips to hers.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
“Aren’t your feet frozen?”
His smile turned wolfish. “Not when you’re in my arms. You get me hot all over.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist and said, “Then kiss me again.”
She didn’t have to ask twice. He kissed her deeply and sensually, heating her up from the inside out. Just as the world started to disappear, Emery kicked water at them and ran away laughing.
Tegan wiggled out of Jett’s arms and shouted, “Get her!”
Emery ran behind Dean, then peeked around his shoulders. Dean splayed his hands with a challenging look in his eyes.
“Christ, here we go.” Jett lowered his voice and turned to Tegan as he said, “You go right. I’ll go left.”
Thrills raced through her as Jett ran to Dean’s left and she ran to his right. Dean lunged for him, and they both went down laughing on the wet sand. Tegan chased Emery, kicking water up and making her shriek. They ran until they were out of breath, clinging to each other giggling, both wet from the knees down.
Tegan turned just as Jett barreled into her and Dean barreled into Emery, and they hoisted them over their shoulders. The girls shrieked and kicked their feet, pleading to be put down as the men faced the open sea.
“What do you think, Dean?” Jett shouted. “Shark bait?”
“No! Please, don’t!” Tegan pleaded.
“If you do, you won’t get any lovin’ for a month!” Emery warned.
“As if you could ever turn me away.” Dean snickered and walked into knee-deep water. Emery pounded on his back, pleading for him not to do it.
“What about you, sunshine?” Jett asked as he followed Dean into the water.
The last thing she wanted was less naked time with him, so she said, “If you don’t do it, we’ll spend the entire day in bed the next time you come see me!”
Jett stopped walking.
“Me too! Me too!” Emery shrieked.
“Thanks for the offer, Em,” Jett said. “But I don’t think Dean would approve of you spending the day in my bed.”
Dean spun on his heels and stalked back toward them, feigning an angry glower at his brother. Dean chased Jett down the beach, each slowed down by the weight of the giggling woman hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. They all ended up in hysterics, bundled up in the blankets, shivering as they retrieved their shoes.
“Hey, Jett,” Dean said. “Sorry about what I said earlier. I can see how wrong I was.”
“About what?” Emery asked.
“Nothing,” Dean said, holding Jett’s gaze. “We cool?”
“Yeah.” Jett nodded as they headed up the stone steps toward the resort. “I’m coming back in two weeks to see Tegan, flying in Friday night and leaving Saturday evening for London. I told Dad I’d help fix the treehouse while I’m here. Feel like pounding nails?”
“What’s wrong with the treehouse?” Dean asked.
“It got damaged in the storm and he was going to tear it down,” Jett explained. “I figured you’d want them to hang on to it for when you and Em have kids.”
The look of disbelief on Dean’s face both pleased and bothered Tegan. It seemed everyone saw Jett as one-dimensional, work oriented and nothing more. She understood why they would see him that way, but it still irked her. She wanted to stand up for him, to make sure Dean understood how much of an effort Jett was making and how wonderful a man he was all around.
But Dean spoke before she had a chance. “I’m so glad to hear that. Just give me the time and I’ll be there.”
“Great. Bring Em,” Jett said when they reached the grassy knoll at the top of the steps. “Tegs is coming, and Gram should be there, too.”
“Rose is coming?” Emery exclaimed. “That should be an interesting afternoon. Wait until you meet her, Tegan. She’s hilarious.”
“I met her last night when Jett was meeting with Mitchell Myer and some of the other business owners from Hyannis, and I loved her,” Tegan said as they stepped onto the patio and headed for the firepit.
Dean shot a look at Jett. “What’s that all about?”
“They need some guidance and financial help. Nothing major,” Jett said modestly.
“Sounds major to me,” Dean said, holding Jett’s gaze.
“Can he tell you about it another time?” Emery pleaded. “I’m freezing!”
“Sure, doll.” Dean draped an arm around her. “Jett, I’ll catch up with you in the morning. This was fun. Thanks for sharing him, Tegan.”
As Dean and Emery went inside, Tegan warmed herself by the embers of the fire. Jett grabbed a second blanket and wrapped it around her.
“What was Dean apologizing for earlier?”
He gathered her in his arms, holding the blankets around her, and said, “He was being protective of you when we were fighting and said some things he shouldn’t have.”
“Please tell me your fight was not about me.”
“You were just an excuse, a gateway to trouble that had been brewing since we were teens. Before you, that fight would have ended very differently. Very badly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wouldn’t have had a reason to stop, and Dean probably would have been so blinded by rage…” He sighed. “Let’s not talk about what could have happened. The fight needed to happen, and it led me and Dean back to each other. That’s a good thing, and I’d really like to focus on that.” He touched his forehead to hers and said, “You make every aspect of my life better. Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
“Just one tiny thing. I’d love to know how it feels to be naked and in your arms in that big
Jacuzzi in our suite.”
“Aw, babe.” He kissed her lips. “By the time tonight’s over, you’ll know how it feels to be naked in my arms in the Jacuzzi, on the sofa…” He kissed her nose. “And everywhere else your beautiful heart desires.”
HOURS LATER, AFTER fulfilling Tegan’s every sexual curiosity, Jett lay in bed absently running his fingers along her back. It was nearing sunrise, which felt like a sucker punch, because after sunrise came breakfast, and then he was off to Boston to catch his flight to Louisiana, where he’d be tied up in endless meetings. How was he going to make it for two weeks without her? And in two weeks, after their one night together, how would he manage a month or longer without her? Their situation sucked, and it was all his doing. He was a self-fulfilled prophecy. He wanted a life that allowed no time to connect with anyone on a personal level, a life in which he was wealthier and more widely recognized than his father. He’d achieved exactly what he’d wanted.
Now he wanted Tegan.
But at what cost? This back-and-forth bullshit definitely was not the answer. The problem was, he didn’t think there was an answer. But he knew one thing for sure. His sweet, patient, full-of-life Tegan needed to know how he felt.
He kissed her head and whispered, “Still up?”
“Mm-hm. Barely,” she whispered.
“It’s almost sunrise; don’t doze off yet.” He’d promised her they’d watch the sunrise, and there was no way in hell he’d break that promise.
She groaned. “I don’t want to move from your arms.”
“I know, babe. I don’t want to move, either. I’ve been lying here wondering how I was going to leave you again.” His throat thickened. “I hope you know that I want to be with you. I want to make love to you, to hold you when the emotions are so thick we don’t have to speak to know what the other is feeling. I want to laugh with you, to watch your uncle’s home movies and hold you when you cry. I want all those things, baby, but I can’t give them to you right now.”
“I know.” Her fingers moved over his chest.
The intimate touch had become so familiar to him, he knew he’d feel it when they were apart.
“I haven’t asked you to change your schedule. Have I?” she asked. “I know we’ve been up all night, but unless I was babbling deliriously, I’m pretty sure I’d remember saying that. I know how hard you work, and I respect your schedule.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. “You completely undo me, sunshine.”
She moved on top of him and rested her chin on her hands, her smiling eyes holding his. “You undid me all night long. It’s only fair that I undo you, too.”
He ran his hands down her body, and she pressed on his erection.
“If you keep lying on top of me, we’re going to miss the sunrise.”
She wiggled her butt and said, “But you’ll get to see a full moon.”
“As much as I love your ass, I promised you a sunrise, and we’re going to watch it.” He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them onto their sides. “It’s a damn good thing the last place we made love was in the shower, because if I had to shower with you now, we’d miss the sunrise and breakfast, and I’d probably also miss my flight.”
“That sounds promising,” she whispered coyly. Her gaze drifted to the bruise on his cheek. She reached up, touching it lightly, and said, “You do everything with so much passion. Is it any wonder that I’m falling so hard for you?”
Now it was his pulse quickening as her words soaked in, filling him so completely it took a moment before he found his voice. He brushed his lips over hers and said, “I’m so far past falling, I can no longer see the top of the mountain.”
Their mouths came together in a penetrating kiss. Jett ached to make love to her one more time, to hear her cry out his name in the throes of passion and to feel her cling to him like he was the very air she breathed. But he knew her well enough to realize she’d regret it if they missed their chance to watch the sunrise together. Those types of experiences weren’t coming nearly often enough.
He forced himself to pull away, gave her ass a loving tap, and said, “Get dressed, beautiful. Our morning adventure awaits.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
BUNDLED UP IN jackets and sweaters, Tegan and Jett headed outside. They were greeted by crisp, cold air, dewy grass, and ribbons of dusky grays and soft purples above the inky water.
Tegan pointed to a white tent at the edge of the bluff. “I wonder what’s going on over there.”
“It’s an adventure. I say we check it out.” He took her hand and headed in that direction.
“What if we’re interrupting something?” she asked, but excitement lingered in her eyes.
“Then we’ll apologize and move on.”
“It’s so beautiful here. Harper said she fell in love with this island when she and Gavin were here last summer. Even though there’s water around the Cape, I can definitely see the intrigue of an island. It’s like a different world, where everything feels special,” she said as they approached the tent. She held her finger in front of her lips and let go of his hand, tiptoeing to peek into the open front. “You have to see this!” She waved him over as she walked in.
He chuckled. He already knew about the twinkling lights lining the seams and the luxurious daybed layered with warm blankets on which they could lie comfortably and watch the sunrise. He’d chosen the scented candles, orchids, and red and pink roses that decorated the tops of elegant iron-and-glass tables himself, and he’d arranged for the cranberry-walnut muffins, croissants, and the array of crackers, cheeses, and sliced meats that he knew were under the lids of the silver serving platters, awaiting his hungry girl.
“Jett! There’s a heater. Do you think Gavin did this for Harper? He thought of everything. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“Neither have I,” he said, unable to take his eyes off her.
“We should go. Someone went to a lot of trouble, and we might ruin it for them.”
“It’s for you, babe.” He drew her into his arms and said, “You opened my eyes to a whole new world, and then you became it.”
“You did this? For us?”
“For you, sunshine. I wanted to give you a morning to remember on all the mornings we’re going to be apart.”
“Oh, Jett.” She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. “You didn’t have to do this. I mean, it’s incredible, but you’re enough for me. I hope you know that.”
“I know.” He also knew she deserved a boyfriend who was present more often, but he’d never once wondered if he, as a man, was enough for her, and that was a reflection of her beautiful heart and how she accepted him even with all his faults. She had embraced his heartache and was helping him to deal with it, and hopefully move past it. She not only made him want to be a better man, but she helped him to become one.
“I wanted to do this for you,” he said. “You deserve to have adventures that you haven’t even dreamed of yet. The sun is going to rise anytime now, so get comfortable and let me spoil you, baby.”
As she settled onto the daybed, she said, “I can’t get over this. How did you arrange it? We’ve been together the whole time.”
“A gentleman never tells.” He’d been planning it since the night they’d talked about watching the sunrise together when they were on FaceTime. “Hungry?” He lifted the top off the silver platter.
“Are those cranberry-walnut muffins?” she asked, reaching for one.
“Your favorite.”
She snuggled closer and said, “You remembered,” in that dreamy voice he loved.
“Every word you’ve said, since day one.”
LONG AFTER THE sun had breached the sky and the noises from the resort filtered into the tent, Jett and Tegan lay in each other’s arms, fully dressed, their bodies intertwined. Tegan hadn’t wanted to join everyone for breakfast, and he was glad, because he wanted as much time alone with her as possible. But he knew he had to get a move on or he’d miss his pla
ne.
He touched his lips to hers, and though it pained him to do it, he whispered, “I need to pack, babe.”
“Okay,” she said so softly he almost missed it.
They made their way into the resort and up to the room, where they packed their things in silence. Jett zipped his bag, trying to shift his thoughts from leaving Tegan to the busy workweek he had ahead of him, but there was no escaping the sadness hanging in the air between them.
He lifted his bag and turned to ask, “Did you get everything?” The tears in her eyes nearly took him to his knees. He steeled himself and gathered her in his arms. “I know two weeks seems like forever right now, but we’re going to talk every day. I promise.”
“How did this happen so fast?”
“I don’t know, babe.” He wiped her tears, his heart breaking, and said, “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sorry. I’ve never been happier than when we’re together. I’ll be fine. I’m just being silly. I have plenty of work to keep me busy while you’re gone.”
“You’re not silly. I’m sad, too. So fucking sad. I’m going to miss the hell out of you, out of us.” He kissed her softly and said, “But while I’m in Louisiana we’ll only be an hour apart. You can call and text as often as you’d like. I’ll be on the plane to LA Friday morning, but I should arrive by two your time. We’ll see each other every night on FaceTime at eight o’clock your time, just like we have been.”
She nodded, sniffling and blinking to dry her eyes. “I have my book club meeting at seven on Thursday. I won’t be home until around ten.”
“Do you want to talk before or after?”
“After. I like your voice to be the last thing I hear before I go to sleep.”
“Then after it is. We’ll only miss one weekend together, and then the following Friday night you’ll be back in my arms.” He hugged her tight, trying not to think about the fact that she’d be in his arms for only that one night before he’d be gone for several weeks. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her.
Bayside Fantasies (Bayside Summers Book 6) Page 33