by Carrie Elks
“So what are you going to do about it?” Autumn asked Lydia, concern etching her voice. “There’s no future, is there? Not with you leaving soon.”
“I don’t think there would be any future anyway,” Caitie said, giving Lydia a small smile. “He’s the love ’em and leave ’em type.”
Lydia shrugged, putting her glass down on the table. “I’m not looking for anything serious,” she said, though the little tug in her gut made her wish it was different. “I’m too busy. Maybe a little flirting with Jackson is just what I need.”
And if it went further than flirting? She was okay with that. She was a woman of the world. She knew there was an attraction between them that made her heart pound and her breath quicken. Maybe in another life, if she and Jackson were other kinds of people, that would lead to the kind of commitment Autumn and all her friends had with their partners.
She had a little over a week. Maybe it was time to have fun before she headed off again to throw herself into travel and work.
And perhaps she could stop her heart from wanting more than it could get.
“If you’re planning on seeing more of Jackson, you’ll have to deal with Griff,” Autumn murmured, leaning back on the sofa. “He’s gonna bust a blood vessel.”
“Come on guys, let’s get back to this game,” Ally said loudly, all heads turning to her. “Brooke, how about you?”
Brooke shrugged, a blush stealing across her high cheekbones. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered, holding up her glass. “Never have I ever had sex on the beach.”
Everybody lifted their glasses to take a drink and they all started laughing. Because when you lived in a beach town, some things were a given.
12
Jackson pulled into Griff and Autumn’s driveway, parking his car next to Griff’s old truck and climbed out, locking the door and shoving the keys in his pocket.
He’d managed to make it home for a shower between leaving the office and coming here, and his hair was still damp. He ran his fingers through it in an attempt to get it under control.
When he pushed the doorbell, it occurred to him that even though he’d been here a hundred times before, this time felt completely different. He wasn’t here to share a meal with Autumn and Griff or watch Sunday afternoon football with burgers on the grill.
He was here to see Autumn’s sister. The beautiful blonde who haunted his dreams.
The door swung open and Lydia’s face split into a grin as she saw him, reaching for his hand and pulling him inside. “Hey!” she said, pressing her lips to his cheek. “I just need to grab a jacket. Can you wait for me?” She ran down the hallway toward the guest bedroom, and he followed her with his eyes, admiring the way her short dress flared out around her thighs.
Damn, she was gorgeous.
The corner of his lip quirked up, but he felt a prickle on his neck. The kind you get when somebody’s watching you and you don’t quite know it.
From the corner of his eye he saw Griff standing in the kitchen, his arms folded across his chest. Jackson sighed. So Griff was still unhappy about the situation.
“Hey man,” Jackson called out, lifting an eyebrow.
Griff nodded, and grunted out a hello.
Damn it, this was crazy. They were best friends. “Listen, can we have a quick word outside?” Jackson asked him. He wasn’t going to let his friend spoil the night. But he also didn’t want to lose his friend.
Lydia came out of the bedroom, pulling on a cropped denim jacket and flicking her long blonde hair over the collar.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m just going to have a quick chat with Griff before we go,” Jackson told her. “Won’t take long.”
Lydia bit down a smile and walked over to him. “Okay,” she nodded, looking almost excited.
“Let’s go to the deck,” Griff said, inclining his head at the kitchen door. He walked outside and Jackson followed. When he glanced over his shoulder, Lydia was still grinning. Damn if he didn’t want to kiss that smile off her face.
“Are you staying?” Jackson asked as she leaned on the door frame.
Lydia tipped her head to the side. “I figure you’re gonna be talking about me, and I want to hear what you say. And if you start fighting, I need to video it for my Instagram.”
Jackson laughed. “I live to give you social media content.”
Pursing her lips together, she blew him a kiss. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
He shook his head. Damn, she made him smile like nobody else could.
Griff was sitting on a wicker chair, his arms still folded across his chest as he stared out at the ocean. Even though the chair was substantial, he still looked too big for it, his denim clad legs stretching out from the seat.
Jackson walked over to his friend and took the seat next to him. “You been out on the boat today?”
“Nah.” Griff shook his head. “No bookings today so we did some maintenance. Got to surf this morning.”
“The waves looked good.”
“It was fine.” Griff turned to look at him, a neutral expression on his face. “You and Lydia, huh?”
So they were getting straight to that. Maybe he should be thankful. He didn’t want to waste the evening on small talk when he could be driving into the mountains with her. “We’re just going out,” Jackson told him. “Nothing to worry about.”
“She’s practically my sister. Of course I’m worried about her. Remember how Lucas was when Breck started dating Caitie?”
Yeah, Jackson remembered. It led to a black eye for Breck on Christmas Day, courtesy of Lucas’s right fist. “That all ended up fine in the end,” he pointed out.
Griff huffed. “Because they made a commitment and live together. I’m guessing that’s not what’s happening between you and Lydia.”
Jackson caught his eye. “How long have we been friends?”
“You know how long.” Griff grunted. “Since Kindergarten.”
“And I’d never do anything to jeopardize that. You’ve been with me through thick and thin, man. We’ve been there for each other. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
Griff looked away, his knuckles bleached as he grasped his beer bottle tightly. “I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to. You just have to let it go. Lydia and I are adults. We know what we’re doing.”
“She’s too young for you.”
“I’m twenty-seven,” Lydia called out from the kitchen door. “There’s only six years difference.”
“She’s also a big pain in the ass.” Griff shook his head at her then turned back to Jackson. “Are you sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for?”
Lydia walked out of the kitchen, and over to where Griff and Jackson were sitting. She leaned down to give Griff a hug. “I love you to death, Griff, but you’re acting like an idiot. Now we’re leaving to have a good time, and maybe I’ll even drive his car. That’s it. He won’t make me cry, or knock me up, or give me a STD, will you, Jackson?”
She caught his eye, and he could see it there. The attraction that pulsed back and forth between them.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” he said, managing to keep his face straight.
“Griff, can you read to Skyler?” Autumn called from the kitchen. “And maybe leave these two alone?” She flashed Jackson an awkward smile. “Hey Jackson.”
He winked back at her to let her know it was all fine. Contrary to Lydia’s suggestion, there would be no fighting here. He just wanted his friend to stop being so damn overbearing.
“Griff?” Autumn said. “You coming inside?”
Griff looked back at Jackson as though he was waiting for something. Catching his eye, Jackson gave him a nod.
I won’t hurt her.
He didn’t say it, but he meant it. And maybe somewhere deep inside Griff heard it, too. Because he nodded and turned to walk back into the kitchen, lifting a hand to wave them goodbye.
“So you’re twenty-seven,” h
e murmured.
“Is that a problem?” she asked lightly.
“No.” Maybe it should be. A few years ago it would have been. But since he’d picked her up from the airport, he hadn’t once thought about her age. As he’d told Griff, they were adults, and thirty-three wasn’t that far away from twenty-seven.
And it didn’t matter anyway, because in just over a week she’d be gone, and their relative ages would mean nothing at all.
She slid her hand into his. “That was kind of hot,” she told him. “I’ve never had a guy go through something like that before just to take me on a date.”
“You never took anybody home to meet your dad when you were in New York?” His brow crinkled. He could still remember the talk he had with Hayley’s dad when they started getting serious. When he’d promised to never hurt her.
And wasn’t that ironic, since she was the one who did all the hurting?
“The kind of guys I dated back then weren’t the sort you take home to meet your family.” She wrinkled her nose. “And the ones I’ve dated since have been in different countries. So I guess I’ve never had this opportunity before.” She smiled again, and he couldn’t help but smile back, because she was so damn infectious.
“Well, I hope you enjoyed me battling for your virtue.” He shook his head.
She clutched her hands over her chest. “I really did. You’re my hero.”
She rolled onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth. He curled his hand around her hip, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her dress. Her breath caught in her throat, making her lips fall open, and it took every ounce of restraint he had to stop himself from kissing her hard and fast.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “For being so kind to Griff. He means well, really.”
“Yeah, I know.” He wasn’t sure what was biting Griff’s ass about him and Lydia, but whatever it was, he hoped he got over it soon. “Come on, let’s head out before it gets dark,” he said. This time he curled his hand around her waist, pulling her against him. Her body fit perfectly against his.
“Good idea.” She rested her head against his shoulder and he tried not to like that too much. “Lead on, handsome.”
“You need to release the parking brake, first,” Jackson said, pointing at the lever in the footwell of the car. “Then ease your foot on the gas pedal, and pull out into the road.” He’d driven to the hills, where he knew the roads were quieter, especially at this time of evening. They’d only passed one truck and a guy struggling uphill on a bike. It was the perfect location for Lydia’s first lesson.
Lydia nodded. She was leaning forward in the driver’s seat, her hands tight on the wheel, her brows pinching together in concentration as she tried to do what he instructed. It was easier than the one time she’d tried to drive a stick shift, but she was pretty sure brain surgery was easier than that.
Lydia pulled the released the parking brake, then pushed her foot onto the gas pedal. The car lurched forward. “Shit!” she said, taking her hand off the wheel to cover her mouth, which made the car veer to the left.
Jackson leaned over her to steady the wheel, his arm brushing hers. “It’s okay. Feel free to swear all you’d like. Just keep your hands where I can see them.”
She grinned. “You’re the first guy who’s ever made that request. Are you sure you want to do this?” The car had stopped moving. “What if I drive us off the edge of the road?”
“Then we’ll die.” He shrugged, his voice deadpan. “No pressure.”
“They might not ever find our bodies,” she mused. “Maybe not for years. We’ll be like that couple they found in Pompeii, their petrified cadavers curled around each other.”
“Or maybe Griff will remember I’ve taken you for a driving lesson and he’ll come looking for us when you don’t meet your curfew.”
She laughed. “I prefer the Pompeii scenario.”
“Let’s try again.” He hit the brake release. “Steady now,” he murmured, as she tapped her toe against the gas pedal. The movement was smoother this time, and she took a deep breath, staring out of the window to make sure she kept on the right side of the white lines down the middle of the road.
“You can speed up a little,” Jackson suggested. Lydia nodded, getting used to the feel of the car in her hands. There was something instinctual about driving that she hadn’t anticipated. Like her hands were just the tool, connecting the car to her brain.
“In fifty yards, you’re going to take a left,” Jackson told her.
“I don’t know how to take a left,” she pointed out. “I’ll end up on the sidewalk.”
“We’re in the hills, there aren’t any sidewalks. You can take it as slow as you’d like.” She liked the way he sounded so calm. It made her feel calm, too. Was this how Eddie felt every time he told the dog to sit?
“Move your foot from the gas to the brake.”
Of course she hit it too hard, and they both lurched forward as the car came to a premature stop.
“Next time do it a little smoother.”
“Next time you’re driving.” She let out a grunt of annoyance. “I’m terrible at this.”
“No you’re not. You’re doing fine. When you were driving you almost looked happy.”
“The driving I can do. The stopping, turning, and everything else are awful. It’s so much easier to put my hand out and hail a cab.”
He laughed. “But imagine the freedom of being able to drive wherever you want. Not everywhere you visit must have good public transport. I bet there are places you’d like to go but haven’t visited because you can’t drive there.”
“I’d hire a driver. There really isn’t a problem.” She bit her lip, because he was being so nice, and she felt like a brat. “Sorry. I hate not being good at things.”
“I can understand that. I hate it, too. But driving is one of those things you have to practice to get good at.”
She nodded. “Like sex.”
He coughed out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess it is. At first it kind of feels good, but you don’t know what you’re doing. Then you work out what moves you forward and what doesn’t.”
“And you always have to think about the passenger.” She gave him a side glance. “Whether they’re having a good time, too.”
He looked at her for a moment, taking in her profile. He tucked her hair behind her ear, his finger leaving a trail of heat across her skin. “I’m having a good time,” he told her.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “So am I.” Despite the way the car lurched every time she tried to accelerate or stop. And despite the way her heart hammered against her ribcage when she looked at the edge of the road. Somehow she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here.
With him.
An hour later, she was getting the hang of taking lefts and rights, and had even managed to make a three-point-turn, though it had turned out to be more of a ten point, not that she was counting.
“Okay, I think you’re ready for the next step,” Jackson said, as she pulled onto the mountain road again.
“What’s that?”
“Let’s head to Captain Burger. It has a drive-thru. Let’s see if you can steer the car around that.”
“Oh no, buddy.” She shook her head firmly. “I’ll drive to the burger place, but I’m not going through the drive thru. That’s all on you.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.” She blew out a breath. Pleased, because she hadn’t made a complete idiot out of herself – and wasn’t that a novel thing – but also because she was ready to stop driving this damn car around the hills. She hadn’t been able to look at him. She was too busy staring out of the windshield for that. And that made her sad, because she really liked looking at Jackson Lewis.
Especially when he was wearing a t-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders, and revealed just a hint of the muscles she knew were beneath the fabric.
“Okay. Let the lesson end,” he agreed.
She caught his eye. “And let the fun begin.”
13
True to her word, Lydia drove to Captain Burger, though she started to panic when she realized she had to pull into the crowded lot.
He’d smiled gently, and suggested she stop in the entrance and they’d swap seats.
When they picked up their order of burgers and fries from the window, he’d driven them along the cliff road overlooking the Silver Sands Resort, parking on the deserted grassy knoll.
“I don’t want to give you the wrong impression,” he said, grabbing the bags of food and climbing out of the car. “But when I was a kid this was the popular make out spot.” He looked around. “Not that you’d know it now,” he said, surprised at how deserted the place was. “I wonder where all the teenagers make out nowadays.”
“They probably do it online. Maybe they make avatars and do it on Fortnite.”
He laughed and opened her door. “That’s a shame. Because it has an amazing view.” They walked over to the cliff edge. Lydia’s eyes widened as she saw the Silver Sands Resort sprawled beneath them, and to the left the twinkling lights of Angel Sands itself. “Over there was where we used to go cliff jumping,” he said, pointing at a piece of the cliff jutting into the ocean. “When we were young and foolish.”
“Last year then?” She lifted a brow, following the direction of his finger.
“Something like that.” He inclined his head at the cliff edge. “We can eat there, unless you don’t like heights.”
“Are you kidding? I love heights. They always give you the best views.” She grabbed his free hand and started walking. “The ocean is so pretty at night. And quiet, too,” she added as they sat on the grass. “You could almost believe we’re all alone out here. Views like this always take my breath away.”
“What’s your favorite view?”
She pressed her lips together, thinking. “I don’t know. I mean, the Grand Canyon’s pretty spectacular, but who hasn’t seen that? And it’s hard to beat the Victoria Falls. They’re a bit like Niagara on Viagra.” She waggled her eyebrows and he bit down a grin at her pun.