Tempted by Love: Jack Jock Steele (The Steeles at Silver Island Book 1)

by Melissa Foster

  Archer put his palms to the sky and said, “Sorry, man. It slipped.”

  “Slipped, my ass,” his father said. “Watch it, Archer.”

  “Are you okay?” Daphne asked.

  “Fine, but I’m putting a stop to this.” He strode toward Archer, but noticed Hadley scowling at his twin, and it stopped him cold. He didn’t want her to hate Archer, and he didn’t want her to witness the ugliness brewing inside him.

  Daphne touched his arm and said, “What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing. Not here, at least.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  AFTER THE GAME, everyone seemed to have something to do or someplace to be. Archer headed to his boat at Rock Bottom Marina, which, Daphne learned, was where he lived until winter. Tara went home, and Shelley and Sutton took Joey to pick up centerpieces for the party. Leni retreated to her old bedroom to get some work done, and Jules had to go check on her shop. Hadley was exhausted, so while Jock was talking with Levi and their father, Daphne carried her upstairs for a nap. She couldn’t remember the last time she and Hadley had enjoyed themselves so much. Jock’s family was having a big effect on both of them. Daphne wished the day could go on forever, and her little girl was smiling as much as she did with Daphne’s family. Although Daphne had noticed her scowling at Archer a few times. She didn’t blame her daughter. Throwing that ball at Jock had been outright mean, and she’d been surprised that Jock hadn’t clobbered him. Then again, she was proud of Jock for showing great restraint since they’d arrived.

  She carried Hadley into Archer’s room, shocked to find the masculine room looking quite feminine. A frilly pink bedspread and princess pillowcases decorated the bed, and a pink lamp with stars dangling from the shade sat on the nightstand. The curtains had been swapped to pink and white instead of blue, and there was even a pretty pink throw rug on the floor. She couldn’t believe Shelley had gone to so much trouble for Hadley, whom she’d only just met.

  “My mother doesn’t do anything halfway,” Jock said as he came into the room and put his arm around her.

  She loved that he was always touching her, holding her, watching out for her and Hadley. She’d noticed his parents had kissed or touched every time they were near each other, and she took comfort knowing that Jock had grown up in such a loving house.

  “Where did she get all of this?” Daphne whispered, so as not to wake Hadley.

  “My mom made Levi’s old room into a nursery when Joey was born, and it became Joey’s room for when she and Levi come visit. Before Joey got into her tomboy stage, she was all about princesses. This was her stuff.”

  “Your mother is amazing to do all of this for one night.”

  Jock pulled back the bedspread, and Daphne laid Hadley down on the princess sheets, tucking Owly beside her. She kissed Hadley’s forehead, and she and Jock slipped quietly out of the room. Daphne got the baby monitor from her suitcase and put it in the room with Hadley, then joined Jock in his bedroom, pulling Hadley’s bathroom door closed behind her.

  “Think she’ll sleep long?” Jock asked.

  “Probably. She was so wiped out. I’m hoping I’ll have time for a shower before she wakes up.” She lifted his shirt and said, “Let me see your back.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “That ball hit you hard. We all heard it.” She pushed his shirt up again and he reached over his back, tugging it off. He tossed it on the dresser and turned around. “Jock, there’s a big purplish-red mark. It’s probably going to bruise. Why didn’t you say something to Archer?”

  He drew her into his arms and said, “Because I didn’t want Hadley to see me arguing with him.”

  “Oh, Jock,” she said, filling up with love for him. “You’re always thinking of her.”

  “You’re my girls.” He kissed her softly. “I’m sorry about Archer’s attitude.”

  “I’m sorry for both of you. He’s so angry. Are you going to try to talk to him again?”

  “At some point. I don’t want to ruin everyone’s weekend by having it out with him. But I’m not giving up. If we don’t talk it out this visit, then next time, or the next, because you were right. This is my home, too, and I want to be here, enjoying my family. I want to show you and Hadley the town before we head home tomorrow, and leave knowing my guilt won’t keep us from coming back.”

  “Do you think that’s possible? To alleviate your guilt if you and Archer don’t work things out?”

  “Alleviate it? No,” he said. “I’ll have guilt until the day I die, but I’m no longer willing to let it rule my life. I’m pursue-and-conquer guy again, remember?” He pressed his lips to hers in a deliciously sensual kiss, rousing her passion. “And right now, I want to pursue and conquer my sexy girlfriend.” He closed the door to the hall and locked it.

  “Jock,” she whispered. “What about Levi and your father?”

  He gathered the hem of her shirt in his hands, and as he lifted it over her head, he said, “I’m not into foursomes.”

  “Seriously,” she whispered as he unbuttoned her shorts.

  “They went to the winery.” He pulled down her shorts and underwear.

  “Leni’s in her room,” she whispered as she stepped out of them, her body already vibrating with desire.

  “We’ll be quiet. I checked on her. She’s got hours of calls to make.”

  “But your mom and sisters might come back, and I’m yucky from playing football.”

  “We’ll be fast, and I’m just going to get you dirtier.”

  He stripped naked as she took off her bra, and her body ignited at the sight of his arousal. He pulled her closer, his hard length eager and enticing against her belly. She squeezed her thighs together at the heat pooling between them.

  “I have been waiting to make love to you all day, watching you prance around in those sexy shorts, flashing your beautiful smile,” he whispered against her lips. “I need to be inside you.”

  Shivers of heat rippled down her body. He laid her on the bed and came down over her, entering her in one hard thrust. Electricity arced through her, stealing her breath. She bowed beneath him, reveling in the weight of his body, the girth of him filling her so perfectly. She said, “I feel you everywhere.”

  His mouth came down hungrily over hers, rough and sweet at once. He pushed his hands beneath her, clutching her ass and angling her hips so he could take her deeper. The angle forced him to stroke that special hidden spot inside her with every thrust as their bodies pounded together. He devoured her with delicious kisses, his every thrust sending lightning searing through her core. She clung to him, cocooned by his rugged, masculine scent, savoring his strength and love. She felt the tease of an orgasm prickling her limbs, climbing over her skin like a thousand claws. She tore her mouth away with an urgent whisper. “Come with me.”

  “Fuck,” he growled, his eyes ablaze. “I love when you tell me what you want.”

  He crushed his mouth to hers, thrusting impossibly deeper, holding her excruciatingly tighter, loving her so exquisitely she lost all control. She cried into their kisses, and his body went rigid, then exploded into turbulent thrusts and pleasure-filled groans as they chased their highest peaks. Their bodies bucked and shuddered as they rode the waves of their passion and hung on for dear life as aftershocks rumbled through them in short, hard jerks. When their lips finally parted, breathless and unwilling to be done, they both went back for more sensual kisses.

  As the fog of lust began to clear, reality came sprinkling in, reminding her that they didn’t know how much time they had. “Jock, we need to hurry before someone comes home or Hadley wakes up.”

  He kissed her cheek, his whiskers tickling her skin. “When we get back to Bayside, I’m going to make love to you all night long. No rushing, no phone calls, nothing but you, me, and a sleeping princess in the other room.”

  “That sounds perfect. In case I don’t say it enough, you make my heart happy.”

  He gave her a chaste kiss and said, “Angel, you m
ake every part of me happy.” He climbed off the bed, helped her to her feet, and led her into the bathroom. “I’m going to enjoy getting you clean.” He turned on the shower and gathered her in his arms, raining kisses down her neck as he said, “And then I’m going to enjoy getting you dirty all over again.”

  He took her hand, leading her into the shower. He was fast, but oh so thorough, greedily washing all of her best parts. She felt pampered and sexy and desperate for more. But when he put his hands beneath her to lift her up, she grabbed his arms and hissed, “Don’t you dare! You’ll drop me, wake my baby girl, and your family will find us naked in a very precarious position.”

  He laughed, and she covered his mouth, shushing him. “Shh!”

  He kissed her palm, moved her hand, whisper-laughing, “God, I love you.”

  She stilled, her heart thundering. He didn’t mean it that way, did he? Could he possibly feel the same way she did?

  He touched his forehead to hers and said, “I do, Daph. I love you and Hadley more than I ever thought possible.”

  She. Couldn’t. Breathe.

  Tears burned her eyes.

  “I know it’s fast,” he said. “And this is probably not the most romantic place to say it, but I can’t hold back any longer. I love who you are and who I am with you. I love being Dock, and I really love being us.”

  He didn’t give her time to respond as his mouth covered hers in a sweet, passionate kiss. He was hard, and she was wet—and he loved her! Lord have mercy, she couldn’t speak, could barely think past the happiness and desire consuming her. She needed him inside her again. She spread her legs and he lowered his hips, aligning with her entrance. As their bodies came together, their lips parted, and he cradled her face, whispering against her cheek, “I love you, baby. I love you so damn much.”

  Consumed with emotions, she could barely breathe, but when his loving eyes met hers, air filled her lungs and her heart poured out. “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  DAPHNE WAS STILL on cloud nine from her and Jock’s confessions when she joined the girls to get ready for the party. The air buzzed with excitement as Indi did everyone’s hair and makeup in Jules and Leni’s childhood bedroom. Daphne was bursting to say, I love Jock! I love him for the man he is and for the man he is becoming. I love him for the way he loves me and Hadley and the way he loves each of you. I love him for trying to work things out with Archer and for his thoughtfulness and his sense of humor. I truly, deeply love him with all of my heart and soul. But she kept those thoughts to herself, reveling in the incredible feeling of loving and being loved so completely, letting it drench her soul, as she soaked in the excitement of being included in the girls’ pre-party fun.

  Her worries about Hadley getting in the way had disappeared within minutes. Joey, adorable in a peach summer dress with a sleeveless denim vest and cute white tennis shoes, had been anxiously awaiting Hadley’s arrival. She’d set up everything they needed to make birthday cards for Lenore on the desk in the corner of the room.

  “When is Grandma going to get here?” Jules asked as Indi began working on Jules’s hair. Jules looked gorgeous in a sparkling champagne halter dress with a plunging neckline. She wore large sparkling earrings and a choker that had a trail of diamonds dangling down the center of her chest.

  “I saw her car pull around back about half an hour ago,” Sutton said, giving herself a once-over in the full-length mirror. Her skintight black sleeveless dress hugged her lean frame, its fringed hem giving it a flirty vibe. Her sky-high heels made her legs look a mile long. Indi had left Sutton’s long blond hair loose and had given her a little extra bounce of curls at the ends.

  “Daphne, honey, look.” Shelley pointed to Hadley, sitting on Joey’s lap as Joey read her a book. Indi had put the cutest bow in Hadley’s hair, but Hadley had immediately ripped it out. Shelley lowered her voice to a whisper and said, “I think these girls are going to miss each other when you leave.”

  “I know. Hadley’s having so much fun. My friends have just started having kids, so she doesn’t have any friends her age where we live.”

  “If you lived here, she’d have loads of friends,” Shelley said. “So many of our children’s friends who grew up here have remained on the island and have started families of their own.”

  “It’s true,” Jules said as Indi twisted her hair into a cute updo. “Lots of the girls Leni and Sutton went to school with have children Hadley’s age and are in mom groups.”

  “The Venting Vixens,” Leni chimed in.

  “Levi told me about them,” Daphne said.

  “Sometimes it feels like Tara and Bellamy and I are the last single women on the island,” Jules said. “I’m kidding. You’ll meet our other single girlfriends tonight at the party.”

  Shelley said, “I’m working on changing their single status.”

  Jules rolled her eyes. “We are not interested in your matchmaking, Mom. Start working on Leni or Sutton, please.”

  “No thank you,” Leni said.

  Sutton shook her head and said, “Count me out. I have no time in my life for an island boy. Daphne, how do you like living at the resort? Is it weird being in such a transient place? Are there guys hitting on you all the time?”

  “Not really, although your brother thinks I’m oblivious to guys hitting on me.”

  “He’d know. He never takes his eyes off you,” Jules said, and the other girls agreed, which made Daphne feel good all over.

  “Maybe, but the only one I’m interested in is Jock. You asked if I like living there. I do. We have a lot of return customers, and I get to know them pretty well. The guys I work for are great, although the job is a bit limiting. I would eventually like to get a place of my own with kids Hadley’s age nearby. Especially after seeing how much fun she and Joey are having. I love entertaining my daughter, but friends make everything better.”

  “Do you have friends who live at the resort?” Jules asked.

  She told them about her friends, their new relationships, and their busy lives. “They’re all living their dreams. I’m sure Jock has told you that Tegan and Harper’s production company is taking off.”

  “It’s so nice when your life begins to take the shape of what you’ve been working toward or hoping for,” Shelley said.

  “I’m finally working at my dream job,” Sutton said. “I have a double major in journalism and English, but when I got out of college, I couldn’t find a job as a reporter, so I took a job working with my sorority sisters at LWW as a fashion editor. I loved it, but when a reporter position opened up with one of their streaming channels, everyone encouraged me to take it even though I didn’t have any real experience, and I’m so glad they did. Sometimes I have no idea what I’m doing, but you know what they say: Fake it until you make it. Not that my boss is convinced.”

  Leni smirked. “There would be no faking it with that sexy boss of yours. Flynn Braden is super yummy.”

  “Yes, he is,” Jules agreed.

  Sutton rolled her eyes. “Let’s not go there. Daphne, you said your job was limiting. What’s your dream job?”

  “Change the subject much?” Jules teased.

  Sutton nodded. “Yes I am. Now stop calling me out and let me hear what Daph has to say.”

  “Event planning. But my bosses aren’t open to the idea right now, and I have a feeling the way their lives are going, a year or two down the line they’re only going to be busier with their families and events will be pushed off again.”

  “You should get out there and find the job you want,” Indi said as she put the finishing touches on Jules’s hair. She looked hot in a short pale-blue dress with cutouts around her middle. “Nothing is worse than watching everyone else’s career take off and being stagnated by a glass ceiling or too small of a business.”

  “She’s right,” Jules said.

  “I know. But it’s scary,” Daphne confided.

  “So what?” Sutton asked. “Everything is scary. You’re
with a guy who couldn’t be around kids, but you took him on.”

  “That’s different. When he told me about the accident, everything fell into place. If you could have seen how hard he tried to be okay around…” She glanced at Hadley. “I knew his heart was in the right place. But a job? Moving? It feels scarier.”

  “Do you believe in yourself?” Sutton asked.

  “Yes. Absolutely. I’m an excellent event planner,” Daphne said confidently.

  “Then it’s not really that different, is it?” Sutton pointed out.

  “Good point, Sut,” Shelley said.

  “You should do it. Life is way too short not to be totally and completely happy,” Jules said.

  “You do have a point. So you all think I should throw caution to the wind and do it?” Daphne was getting excited. She was moving forward in her personal life. Maybe it was time to start building the career she wanted, to find her own place, and build a fuller life for Hadley.

  “Yes!” they said in unison.

  Their energy was contagious. “Jock and my family have been encouraging me to follow my dreams, too.” Her pulse quickened. “I think I’ll take the plunge and start looking for a new job when I get back. No time like the present.”

  “Yay!” Jules cheered, and all the girls joined in, telling Daphne she was doing the right thing.

  “I get first dibs if you’re really going to look for a job,” Shelley said.

  Leni rolled her eyes. “Mom, we don’t even do events at the winery. Daphne, I have clients who rave about Ocean Edge Resort on the Cape. You could look there.”

  “I actually used to work there. I loved the event planning aspect, but the resort is huge, and I like a more intimate setting. My mom always says I’ve got a small-town heart. I like to get to know everyone by name. I’m so nervous and excited now. Thank you for your support. But that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about you. I want to know more about you guys. It must have been great growing up with such a big family.”