“Careful, now,” he says, laying a hand on the dashboard. “This here is my baby.” I smile at him.
“I’ll take good care of him,” I say. He gives me a look.
“Her. She’s Ruby,” he says.
“You named her?” I ask, one of my eyebrows pointing straight up. He laughs again.
“Hell yeah, I did. I’ve spent more time inside Ruby than any other girl,” he says. Then his eyes widen, like he’s realizing what he just said. He turns away from me slowly and stares out the front window. I erupt into laughter.
“Jesse Rowan!” I say with a shriek between giggles. It’s hard to see in the dark, but I can tell his cheeks are flushed underneath that perfect stubble.
“Sorry,” he mutters. I put my hand on the dashboard next to his.
“Ruby is one lucky girl,” I say, raising an eyebrow at him again. His eyes flick to mine and I can see the bobbing of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. Then, I hit the gas, and let Ruby fly us back to the inn.
I put her in park, and we both hop down out of our seats. I walk around the front of the truck, and we cross paths, but as I’m fumbling with the keys, I slam into his brick-wall of a chest.
“Ow,” I blurt out.
“Oops, sorry,” he says, putting his hands on my arms to steady me. I peer up at him in the bright stream of his headlights. Man, he’s really nice to look at. He swallows again, his eyes quickly finding his hands, still on my arms.
“Thanks for coming tonight,” he says, just above a whisper.
“I’m glad I was invited. I like those people,” I say with a smile. “With the exception of Rob.”
He smiles down at me, as his hands slowly slide off my arms.
“Well, uh, g’night,” he says. I try not to look like I had been wishing that he might give me something tonight—even just a peck on the cheek. Or a freakin’ hug.
I take a step back and wrap my arms around my body. Suddenly, the summer night’s air feels a little chilly.
“Yeah, g’night,” I say, turning and heading back to the inn.
13
Jesse
I’m up early, my body wired and still standing on end from last night. I wanted to grab her and push her up against my truck so fucking bad. I wanted to let my fingers get lost in her long, dark hair, wrap my fist around it and kiss her longer and harder than anyone has ever kissed her. I wanted to let my body cover hers, hoist her up...damn. It might be time for another cold shower.
I don’t know what it is about that girl, but she drives me wild. She gets me all fired up, which is actually not an easy task. She lights something inside of me, and it’s hard as hell to smother it.
But I keep reminding myself that I have to. This whole weird living situation, it’s not permanent. She’ll be gone soon. I’ll be gone soon. We’ll all be gone, and whatever this is, will be gone right along with us.
I guess I could push my chances a bit. I could move in for a quick lay—or two—but I don’t want to. Not with her. The thought of screwing her and calling it quits makes my stomach ache in a way I’ve never felt before.
But it doesn’t mean I can’t think about it. And it doesn’t mean that we can’t have a little bit of fun while we are all still here. As I venture out of the barn, I close my eyes for a brief second and let the warm sun crawl across my face. I breathe in the bay, let the cool morning breeze roll off my skin.
It really is a beautiful place, Baycrest. And while I haven’t made it my mission to be the best host, the truth is, I want to share it with her. With them. I want her to get to see why this place was so amazing. Before she leaves. Before I leave.
I hear footsteps crunching around on the gravel, and I see her. She’s standing in a tight tank and teeny little jean shorts, with one hand on a coffee mug and the other hand on her hip. She’s gazing up at the windows we were working on, presumably making another to-do list in that brain of hers. I smile as I watch her surveying our work.
“Hey,” I say, my voice a little gruff from the night before. She jumps and I smile.
She turns to face me, and the sunlight flickers off her bright blue eyes. It makes my crotch tingle, but I can’t look away. She’s kind of entrancing.
“Hey,” she says back after a moment.
“Inspecting our work?” I ask, motioning to the house. She nods, looking back up at the siding.
“Today’s task is pressure washing,” she says, pulling the folded paper out of her back pocket. Her back pocket that I would so like to stick my hand into. “That way we can paint next week. It’s supposed to be nice out next week, so hopefully no rain will ruin anything.” I nod and smile.
She’s a hard worker, it’s easy to tell. And just knowing how much shit she knows how to do—she definitely wasn’t a princess. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty. But I’m not really feelin’ the work today. As much as I like the promise of us working closely, doing physical labor side-by-side, her lifting up that shirt again to wipe her brow...it’s too gorgeous a day to spend it working, when we could be out on the water.
“What do you say we take the day off?” I say, motioning to the pressure washer that she’s rolled out. She looks down at it, then back up to me, one of her eyebrows tugged up.
“But...we just started a few days ago,” she says. I smile. Yeah, definitely not afraid of some hard work. And definitely a Type-A, crossing-things-off-the-list type of girl. Not that I didn’t already know that. At first, I thought she was a tight-ass, a pain. Now, though, it’s actually a little bit...cute. No, it’s sexy.
“Yeah, I know. But summer’s ending, and it’s supposed to be a great day on the water. I was thinkin’ we could, uh, take the kid out on the boat maybe?” I jut my thumb behind us to my boat tied up on the dock.
Her eyes widen at my proposal, so I keep talking before any more doubt can seep in.
“I know he can’t swim, but we have all kinds of life vests. We could definitely find one that fits him,” I tell her, looking down at my feet now. Suddenly, I feel a little panicky that she might reject my offer. She’s just staring at me now, her eyebrows raised. I can’t tell if it’s because she’s worried about Caleb, or if she’s just plain surprised that I asked. Like I said, I know I haven’t been the best host, but I’m trying.
“Oh, wow,” she finally says, just above a whisper. “Caleb would absolutely love that. Are you sure?” I smile and nod.
“Let me show you guys my bay,” I say, with what feels like, for me anyway, an ultra-friendly smile.
“Yeah… we’d love to go,” she answers, and walk-jogs into the house to wake Caleb and Millie. Within moments, I hear the kid’s little feet scurrying out the back door and across the patio.
“We’re comin’ with you, Jesse!” he calls from shore, waving his little arms like a maniac. I smile and wave back.
“Sounds good, bud,” I call back.
The girls finally appear a few minutes later, Millie carrying a bag full of towels, and Lena carrying a small cooler bag that I’m sure she’s stocked with snacks and food. As they come down the dock, each holding onto one of Caleb’s hands, I can see pure fear on Millie’s face.
“I found these two,” I say, holding up two small life vests I found below deck. When the inn was running, we used to rent the boat out to guests for a day, so we have supplies for just about anyone’s needs.
“Slow down, sweetie, and don’t let go of my hand, please,” Millie says to Caleb as they get closer to the boat.
“Okay, Mommy,” Caleb says, pulling on her hand as hard as he can. I hop back on the boat, then turn around to lift Caleb on board. I stick out my hand for Millie, and then hesitate before I reach for Lena. I’m preparing myself for that jolt I know will run through me the second our skin touches. She takes my hand lightly and steps on. And I was right, it feels like I’ve been fried. I let my arm guide her down into the boat, lingering just a little longer than necessary before she finally takes a seat next to Millie.
Millie is securing the
smaller of the two vests on Caleb, pulling the straps as tightly as possible. I make sure he can’t lift the shoulder straps above his ears, and then I hop off to untie the boat from the dock. I climb back on and give the boat a shove off with my foot. I hop over their feet and take my place in the driver’s seat, and within moments, we’re off to see my bay.
There’s something so invigorating in the way the bay air tastes and feels on my face. When I turn my head slightly, I see that Lena’s enjoying it, too. She closes her eyes and leans back, soaking in the sun and the whipping breeze. As we make our way to the mouth of the inlet, I look back at the inn. It really is a gem, hidden, and now shrinking each second as we speed further away.
I turn the boat, and we pull out into from the little inlet into the big, wide, open bay.
“Whoa!” Caleb says, practically hopping out of his seat.
“Holy moly,” Millie says, “it’s gorgeous out here.”
“It really is,” Lena mutters, looking around, and I can’t help but smile. She likes it out here. Dozens of boats are scattered on the landscape around us, and way ahead, we see the lighthouse.
“That’s the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse,” I tell her, following her gaze. She nods.
“It’s beautiful,” she says.
We ride a few more minutes into another small inlet, with fewer boats. It’s calm today, so I turn off the engine off for a few minutes, letting the bay rock us gently.
“Well, guys,” I say, leaning back in the seat, “this is my bay.”
“It’s amazing,” Lena says, smiling over at me. I follow her eyes as they trail out across the water, taking it all in. It’s a gorgeous day on the water, but I barely notice. I can’t look away from her. Finally, I shake it off and pop up to my feet.
“Well, who’s up for a swim?” I ask. Millie and Lena turn their heads to me.
“No way,” Lena says, “I bet that water is freezing.” I give her a devious, knowing smile.
“Naw, it’s actually warmer than you’d think,” I say honestly, “These little inlets actually get pretty warm. Are we too chicken to try it out?”
Caleb shakes his head no a million times. I smile. I can always trust the kid to be on my side.
“Please Mommy, please? I wanna get in!” he pleads. But Millie looks stern.
“No baby, I’m sorry. You can’t swim,” she says. Then she turns to me. “I’m sorry, but he can’t swim.”
“Well, he’s got the life vest on. I’ll get in with him, if you want,” I suggest quietly, so the kid can’t hear me. I notice Lena shifting in her seat, her eyes narrowed in my direction. I look down at her briefly, then reach down and pull my t-shirt up over my head. I yank off my belt and let my jeans drop down so that I’m just wearing the black shorts I had on underneath them. I look at Caleb, then turn around, and leap off of the back of the boat.
As my body sinks below the surface, I feel a small shock. I always forget how exhilarating this water is, no matter how many days I’ve spent floating around in it. When I finally come up for air, the three of them are at the back of the boat, leaning over it like they were afraid I wasn’t going to come back up. I whip my soaking hair out of my face and spray them with it. Caleb laughs with delight while the girls hold their hands up.
“It feels great,” I say, waving my arms around and pushing myself up so I’m floating on my back. Lena looks at Millie, who I can tell is still a little worried.
“You could get in with him,” Lena suggests to her with an innocent shrug.
Come on, Mill. Let the kid have a little fun.
“Mommy, please?” Caleb asks, his big green eyes pleading. But Millie stays silent for another moment. Caleb turns to Lena. “Aunt Lee, will you get in with me?”
Suddenly, I feel that tingle in my dick again. The thought of seeing her in nothing but that black string bikini I can see tied around her neck...phew, I wish this water was colder.
“Aww, honey, I think Aunt Lee is a little scared to get in,” she says. I watch as Caleb’s shoulders rise and fall, any ounce of hope he had leaving his little body. I know she’s just trying to make her sister happy, but I’m a little disappointed, too.
“Aww, Aunt Lee’s scared of the big bad bay, is she?” I call from the water, still floating around. She cocks an eyebrow at me, and I feel another zap. But this one isn’t one of sexual energy like the last. Well, not all sexual energy. This one is my competitive edge kicking in.
“I’m not scared of it,” she says, glaring at me. “I just don’t really feel like swimming.”
I raise my eyebrows at her.
“You’re scared, Aunt Lee. Just say you’re scared,” I say, offering a quick wink that makes her lips part slightly. She’s staring at me, blinking slowly every few seconds, like she doesn’t recognize me. And I realize it’s because I’ve never been this open with her, this...friendly. But something happened last night, at the bar. And after, in my truck, and while I watched her walk back inside. I want more. I want to be friendly. I float closer to the boat, close enough for her to reach me. She raises one eyebrow at me, then slowly bends down over the side of the boat so that her lips are inches from my ear. I lift my eyes from the dip in her cover-up collar back up to her eyes. I swallow.
“I. Am. Not. Scared,” she says slowly. I push back up a bit, peering back up at her. I smirk.
“Prove it.”
Boom. I can tell the second the words leave my lips, it’s a done deal. This girl isn’t backing down from a challenge.
She sighs and stands back. She looks to Millie, then to Caleb, and I can see the hope slowly creeping back into his body. She reaches down and pulls off her cover-up, letting it fall beside her onto the floor of the boat. And suddenly, like magnets, my eyes start scanning her, taking in a whole lot more of her than I’ve seen before, as she stands right in front of me in nothing but that black bikini. She’s petite, but she’s strong. The lines of her toned abs cutting down the sides of her stomach contract as she takes a step closer to the edge of the boat. Finally, she rocks back on her foot, then launches off the side, landing in a cannonball directly next to me, drowning me with her splash.
After a moment or two, she pops out of the water and looks up at the boat at Caleb, who’s clapping wildly. I push some water behind me, moving just inches away from her.
“Nice work,” I whisper in her ear, as she splashes along in front of me, and I notice her spine go straight, even in the chilly water. She smiles briefly as she looks down at the water, her treading body bobbing slightly, and I can’t help but smile back.
I swim past her and look up at the boat.
“Millie, if you want to toss us each a life vest, we can sit out here and let him jump to us,” I tell her. Lena looks up at Millie, her eyes pleading. I don’t want to overstep; I know these guys have been through some shit, and it’s understandable that Millie is a bit overprotective. But come on, let the kid have a little fun. She taps her foot, contemplating. Finally, I can tell the moment she gives in. She tosses us each out a vest, then takes Caleb’s hand.
“Jump right to Jesse, baby, okay?” she says.
“We got him, Mill,” Lena reassures her.
“One, two...” Millie starts.
“Three!” Caleb says, leaping off the side of the boat and landing right in my arms. We sink down below the surface for a half-second, and I thrust him to the surface as fast as I can. I know he’s fine, but I don’t want to make the girls worry any more than they already have to. They’ve been through enough, based on what I can tell. I loop my arm under Caleb’s and push us up to the top. I spin him around so he’s facing me, and hold him steady while he wipes his eyes. He takes in a few deep breaths, then his face melts into the widest grin I’ve seen from him since we met. I watch as Lena and Millie both let out a long sigh of relief, then start clapping and cheering for him wildly, Caleb giggling to no end.
The three of us splash around, Caleb going back and forth between Lena and me in the water for what feels l
ike hours, until the clouds above us start to grow gray and thick.
I look up at them, shielding my eyes from the leftover sun. Growing up on the water, I can recognize a storm from miles away. But today, I haven’t been paying close enough attention. Something to do with the adorable kid and the sexy as hell woman I’ve been splashing around with for the last hour. When I look around us, I notice we’re one of the only boats left in the water. Never a good sign.
“We might wanna pack it in,” I say, disappointment lurking in my voice. I don’t want this day to end, but I need to keep them safe. “Lookin’ like a storm.”
14
Lena
We help Caleb paddle up to the boat, and Jesse gives him a boost as Millie pulls him out of the water.
I put my hands on either side of the back of the boat to boost myself up, when I feel Jesse’s hands gripping me around my waist. I freeze for a second, then decide not to revel in it. I feel his body close to mine, as he lifts me up out of the water. He pulls himself up, then hops down from the side of the boat and plops into the driver’s seat again.
I realize after he starts the engine that he didn’t bring a towel, so after I blot myself own, I walk over and hand him mine.
“Want to dry off?” I ask him, feeling my nipples stand on end underneath my freezing cold top. He nods and takes the towel, drying off his hair and back before handing it back to me. I wrap the towel around my shoulders as I take a seat at the back of the boat, soaking in the scent of him.
“Thanks,” he says, then puts the boat into gear and turns back toward the inn.
As we’re getting closer, big, wet drops start to fall. Finally, we can see the inn, and Jesse is kicking up the speed to get us back to the dock. The water is choppier now, and I see Millie’s grasp on Caleb tighten as we rock around, a little less gently than on the way out.
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