I think I’m ready to find out.
By the time we remove our costumes, makeup, and slip on our suits, I’m a sweaty mess. Steph, true to her word, picked the skimpiest of the bikinis she keeps here. Her house doesn’t have a pool, so her whole swim collection sits in one of my drawers for when she’s here. I chose a tankini, opting to keep my girls contained and modest, unlike my friend whose breasts are more exposed than covered. This is the suit she reserves for when we’re alone in the pool and she wants to tan. I can’t believe she is confident enough to strut her body around in next-to-nothing with a pool full of guys.
Wait, yes, I can. Steph has bigger balls than most guys and she’s shameless.
When we arrive by the pool, the noise slowly stops and all that’s left are music notes floating in the air from the hidden speakers. Every male has zeroed in on Steph. She casually makes her way to the lounge area and drapes her wrap over the back of a chair. The view from behind is almost as scandalous as the front since it’s a thong.
There’s a splashing noise, then Byron is pulling himself out of the pool and hurrying over to her. I tune them out and scan the area for Cruz. His dark head and long-ish hair are easy to spot at the far end of the pool where he’s leaning on the edge with his arms. His shoulders are visible above the glow of the water and I suck in a breath at their width and definition. It’s obvious he’s worked with his body to hone it to this perfected state. He tips his head in my direction and smiles when I finally move up to his face.
I didn’t bring a wrap and there are already plenty of towels around, so I walk around the edge of the pool until I’m standing where he’s calmly watching me. “Hi,” I say lamely.
His smile widens, and he says, “Hi, yourself. You’re looking dry out there. Why don’t you jump? I promise to catch you.” I feel the dual meaning of his words as warmth spreads through me. Instead, I lower myself to sit on the edge and slide my legs in the warm water. He winks at me. “I like your suit.”
I blush and tell him, “It’s nothing special. Steph is the one with the killer suit.”
He laughs at that. “Killer is right. I think she killed a few brain cells when most of the guys in here went dumb at the sight of her.” His face becomes serious when he looks over my body in the modest suit. “I prefer to leave something to the imagination. Anticipation is a better reward. Besides, I want to be the only one to see your body like that.”
I bite my lip and fight a smile. He’s so good at flirting and making me feel alive in a way I never knew before. “I like that idea too.”
He reaches his hands for my hips and rests his warm fingers against me. “How about you hop in here and join me?”
I nod my head and lean forward to wrap my arms around his neck, while he slides me into the water and down the length of him. I can’t see the rest of his exposed upper body through the water, but I can sure feel it. I run my hands over his shoulders and down his defined pecs.
He sucks in a breath when I reach the ridges of his abs. “Careful, I don’t want to get too excited and embarrass myself.”
I giggle and move my hands back up to safer areas. “We can’t have that. I’ll behave.”
He brings his forehead to mine and breaths against me. “I can’t wait to have you alone.”
“Me neither. I’m ready for more. I want you, and only you,” I tell him truthfully.
He kisses my head and brings me in for a hug. “You have me. You have all of me.”
I smile against his chest and think to myself, he’s always had me, and always will.
A Formal Proposal
We're on the leather couch at his dad's house, watching some mindless television. I'm stretched out with my head in Cruz's lap while he idly plays with my hair. Having spent so many years apart, we crave the constant contact and comfort we find in being physically connected. One of us is always touching the other, and it feeds a silent need we seem to crave. It's only been a few months, but we are even closer now than we were during all those years as childhood friends. Neither of us has pushed the envelope on intimacy too far, but the heat is always simmering and waiting for the right spark to become a blaze of passion. I think we both know that it wouldn't take much for things to escalate quickly, so we both pull back before we reach a point we can't return from.
My eyes have drifted shut and I'm slipping into that phase between waking and dreaming when the front door squeaks open and there is a loud clearing of a throat. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
Jake can't see me, but he has to know I'm on the couch with his son and not in a vertical position. I tense to move, but Cruz holds my head firmly against the warmth of his lap and shouts back to his dad, "We're just watching some TV and Jo got a bit tired. Nothing to see here, old man."
Jake grunts and the sound of heavy shoes hitting the floor echoes from the hallway. "I'm glad to hear that. You know I support your relationship, but that doesn't mean I want to witness anything I'm pretending you're not doing."
"Dad!" Cruz says in an embarrassed gasp. "It's not like that. Jo and I are taking things slow. You don't have to worry about us."
I know my face is beet red from this conversation and I wish I could disappear. Jake clears his throat again and his voice sounds much closer. "It's my job to worry about you. I remember what it's like to be your age and I just don't want to see either of you ruin your futures because of hormones."
Mortification seizes my body, and it feels like my skin is on fire from the stain of it. Cruz's legs stiffen beneath my head and I know he isn't enjoying this conversation any more than I am. "Dad, I really hope you're not implying I would be that careless with Jo?"
A sigh is heard from beside the couch and I know Jake has moved so he can see us both now. "Of course not, son. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes we all did when we were young and foolish. I wouldn't be much of a father if I didn't give you this speech. Jo, I meant no disrespect, darling. You're a good girl and I wasn't implying differently. My son is not so innocent though, so this is more for his benefit than yours."
There's no way I can face this man and have a conversation while being practically facedown in his son's lap, so I gingerly push myself upright and take a breath for courage before facing him.
His eyes are regarding me gently, but there is steel in his gaze. I meet that look with a firm one of my own. "I know you didn't mean anything by it, but I can assure you that your son has been a complete gentleman. You raised him right and neither of us is going to take risks with this relationship."
He looks over to Cruz, who is still rigid beside me. "Don't be giving me that look, boy. You know I'm only saying this out of love. You both have a bright future ahead of you and I know Deanna would want the same things for Jo as I want for you. I won't bring this up again, but it has to be said. I see the way you are with each other. It's just a matter of time before things progress to the next level. Cruz, you and I have always had an open line of communication, so I just wanted to put this out there. The only thing I ask is that you don't disrespect me and do anything under my roof. I can't tell you what to do, heck, you're both practically adults now, but I can ask that you keep that part of your relationship beyond these walls. It's not proper to do it under your parent's nose. Jo," he swings his gaze back at me, "I'm assuming your stepfather feels the same way?"
Boy, he has no idea! I bite my lip, then say, "Yes, sir. His rules are actually stricter than yours."
Jake narrows his eyes and asks, "How so?"
Ugh! I don't want to rehash this, but it looks like I'm not getting out of it. "Cruz and I are not allowed to be alone at my place and I have to tell him everywhere I go and who I'll be with."
"That's a bit harsh and extreme, isn't it? Doesn't he trust you?" Jake's expression says that he has a hard time believing Victor wouldn't trust me. If he only knew the parameters surrounding the little trust Victor has given me.
"He doesn't trust us together, is more like it." I know I've said something to
xic when Jake's face flushes red.
Moving closer to me, he bends down and says with a bit more heat than I was expecting, "Does he have a problem with my boy? Is he saying Cruz can't be trusted?"
Shit! I didn't think he would jump to that conclusion, which happens to be the right one. I have to defuse the bomb I've detonated. "He doesn't trust anyone. It's his nature. He wants to eliminate any opportunity for us to do more than just hold hands."
Jake snorts at that. "Seriously? How old is this guy? What's next? A chastity belt?" He shakes his head in disbelief. "You can't put a collar on a fox or lock the hen house doors. Where there's a will, there's a way. He's an idiot if he thinks he can control two teenagers that way. The best he can do is exactly what I've done and place his trust in your hands and ask that you don't break it. What did your momma ever see in a guy like that?"
"She didn't have a choice, remember?" That may have come out a bit more defensive than I wanted, but I feel the need to remind him that my mother didn't choose her situation.
He slumps his shoulders and exhales harshly through his parted lips. "I'm sorry, Jo. I didn't mean that. I guess I'm still having a hard time with your momma's situation." He blinks his eyes and looks away. "I guess a part of me will always feel that she chose him over us. I know that's not fair, but that's just how I feel."
My heart breaks a little at his obvious pain. "She never chose him over you. She loved you ‘til the end. I know if she could have found a way, she would have been with you."
A rough hand rubs at his eyes and he seems to gather himself before he meets my eyes again. "Thank you. I needed to hear that. I just miss her so damn much and have so many regrets about letting her go."
I stand from the couch and walk into his big, strong chest and wrap my arms around his waist. "I know you do. I'm sorry."
He squeezes me into him with those muscled arms that are so familiar from my childhood. "You're a good girl, Jo-Jo Bug. She'd be so damn proud of you. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You're the best thing for both me and Cruz. I get a piece of Deanna and Cruz gets the girl he's always wanted."
Cruz makes a choking noise behind us. "Dad, that's enough of the mushy talk. You're embarrassing me. Jo and I haven't talked about feelings and stuff yet. Maybe let me be the one to tell her, okay?"
Jake chuckles against me and the sound deepens and vibrates against my ear. "Fair enough, but if this old dog can see it for himself, I'm sure she knows exactly how you feel. You might want to stop being a baby about it and man-up."
"Dad! I am a man, but there's a time and a place for that conversation. I'm not rushing things just because you think you see something." Cruz's voice is angry, but I also detect a note of vulnerability.
"Son, if history has taught you nothing else, let it be this: Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Seize the moment today, because there may not be another one."
A somber hush falls over us as we reflect on those morbid words. I don't want to live my life for today and never plan for tomorrow. That is such a fatalistic way to live. I'm pretty sure Cruz feels the same way. Neither of us wants to define our feelings and say things we're not ready to admit just because we're afraid we won't get the chance. I agree with him that it should have its own place and time, and that time is not yet.
"I know, Dad. Please just let us do this in our own way. I know you cared about her mom, but Jo and I are different. We will have our happy ending." There’s a determined conviction in Cruz's tone, and it causes me to smile against his father.
I pull away from the warm chest I was snuggled against and turn to give Cruz the smile he deserves for saying that. His eyes are gentle and kind as he looks me over, and I know there are other emotions swimming in his eyes right now, but I don't want to label them so soon.
Jake lets me go and steps back, so I move over to Cruz's side. He grabs my hand immediately and gives it a firm squeeze. I lean into his arm and am comforted by the warmth and strength there.
Jake smiles and shakes his head at our united front. "I can see you're both ready to take on the world for what you have together, but you don't have to take a stand against me. If any two kids are going to make it together, it's the two of you. I'm not going to say anything else on the matter. I want you to know that I want this for both of you just as much as you do, maybe even more. All my hopes and dreams rest with you and I know you'll be just fine as long as you have each other."
Cruz shifts a bit on his feet and says hoarsely, "Thanks, Dad. You don't have to be so dramatic, though. Jo is all I've ever wanted, you know that, so have some faith in us. I respect you, but trust that I'll do right by her, okay?"
Jake chuckles then says, "Agreed. I do trust you, both of you, which is why I haven't said anything until now. Cut me a bit of slack because I'm just doing my job. This is a first for me too. I never had to give you a speech past the birds and bees before now."
In a sputtering voice, Cruz gasps out, "Jesus, Dad! Are you going for a record on how many times you can embarrass me today? Are you going to mention condoms next?"
My face flames red when Cruz says that, and Jake's cheeks turn pink as well. He raises an eyebrow at his son and asks, "Do I need to?"
"God, no! I don't think Jo needs it mentioned either. I'm sure her mom gave her the same talk at some point. We're good. No need to go there. Can we change the subject now, please?" He almost begs his dad in a pleading tone.
"Nothing would make me happier. Is anyone hungry?" Jake asks in a much lighter and louder voice than before.
We both reply with a unanimous yes. Jake quickly leaves the room and heads for the kitchen to rummage for some food.
Thank God that's over!
Most. Awkward. Moment. Ever.
Cruz is leaning against my locker and tugging playfully on the braid I have over my shoulder. "I have a question for you. Actually, I have two."
His eyes are sparkling down at me, but I notice the nervous way they keep shifting away from my face and how hard he swallows after saying that.
Call me curious now.
I run my hand down the flexing muscles of his arm. "You can ask me anything, Cruz."
He scans every feature of my face and swallows once more before saying, "That's the only reason I'm not being a chicken about it. Okay, the first thing I wanted to ask you is in two parts. First, do you go to these school dances and functions?"
A sly smile stretches across my lips. I have a feeling that I know where this is going. "I haven't in the past, but things are different now. Why?"
"Well, I'm sure you know that Winter Formal is two weeks away, and I wanted to ask if you'll go with me? But only if you want to. We don't have to go if that's not your thing." He stumbles over the last few sentences in an awkward rush.
He is just so adorable like this, and I want to kiss him so badly for it, that I do just that. I lean up and place my lips softly against his and tell him my answer with the gentle press of my mouth as I kiss him with everything I feel. "Yes," I whisper into the air between us.
He sighs against my mouth and chases my lips for a final kiss before pulling back. His eyes are smiling down at me when he says, "Okay, good. Now, I have one more and please hear me out first because I'm sure I'll say it wrong. I want you to let me buy your dress for the night. As your boyfriend, it would be my honor to do so, not because you can't afford it, but because nothing would make me happier than showing off my girl in a dress that I chose for her. I want to be the envy of every guy there and for them to see how truly beautiful you are."
My breath catches and I feel my eyes moisten. That is the most romantic thing he could have said to me. I feel like Cinderella about to be prepared for the ball, and not by her fairy godmother but her prince. Nothing could be more magical than arriving on Cruz's arm in a dress he chose specifically for me because he wanted to see me in it.
When he sees the radiant smile on my face, his shoulders relax slightly. "Does that mean you'll let me pick your dress?"
"Yes, Cruz. I
would love to wear a dress you chose for me. It would make me feel like I'm dressing just for you."
The smile on his face causes my heart to skip a beat. "That's exactly how it will be. No one else will exist that night but you. You're all I ever see, but that night I want you to be all anyone will see. You should shine like the diamond you are, Jo."
He's going to make me cry if he keeps this up. I bite my lip to stop it from trembling and Cruz reaches up, releasing it from the grip my teeth have it under. "These lips are mine and I have plans for them, so don't abuse them, okay?" I stifle a sigh at how sweet his words are and nod my head instead. He winks down at me, then his face becomes serious. "Jo, I want you to know this next part is completely optional, and the choice is yours. I'm not rushing you or forcing you, but I'm ready to make my desires known."
Echoes of Us Page 20