by Calinda B
“Totally within the realm of possibilities, I assure you. At least where you’re involved. I enjoy you, Zoé.” His grin softened into a warm invitation.
The way he looked at her made her all melty inside, a tempestuous pool of want. Any reason or good sense she possessed simply vanished in his presence, quashed by her desire.
Her lips parted as she stared at him. “You’re going to be like this all day, aren’t you?”
“What, like this?” He reached for her, placing his mouth on hers, soft, warm, and sensuous.
Her bones liquefied as he kissed her. Any protest she might want to make suddenly got sucked from her mind by this handsome, sexy as hell man.
“Ahem.” Her father cleared his throat from the doorway.
She jerked away, her face growing hot. “Oh. Sorry, Dad.”
“Apologies, sir. We were just kissing and making up,” Jace said.
“I see,” her father said, his expression unreadable. “It looked like you had a lot to make up for.”
She whirled and stomped out onto the deck.
“She’s a little testy,” Jace said. “It’s the newness of our connection. It will all sort itself out.”
“I have no doubt,” her dad said in a deadpan voice.
Jace followed her onto the deck and placed his hand on her back when he stood next to her.
“A little testy? I’m a little testy?” she whispered in a low voice. “Wait until I get really pissed.”
Jace laughed.
Linda sat by the pool, watching them.
He turned toward her. “You must be Linda,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I forgot my manners,” Zoé said, in a stilted voice. “Must be my testiness. Linda, this is my brand-new boyfriend, Jace Savage, whom I’ve granted exclusive rights to.”
She pictured hurling a fireball at his head like one of those cartoon stick figures on the internet.
He let out a low, deep laugh. “That’s my girl.”
He draped his arm around her shoulders.
She wriggled out from underneath, feeling all kinds of conflict: she wanted to deck him, after she let him fuck her.
“Hello, Jace. I’m Linda Lyon, Alex’s not brand new girlfriend.” She smiled warmly at them. “Zoé, it’s good to see you again.’
“Thanks. You, too.” She started to roll her eyes but caught herself, and pasted on a smile.
“Help yourselves to snacks.” Linda gestured toward a patio table, laden with chips, dips, and sliced veggies.
“Thanks,” Jace said.
Her father strode toward them, frowning, as his eyes tracked their conversation. When he stood next to them, he handed her and Jace their beers, eyeing them each in turn.
She untwisted the top and took a good, long swallow.
“So,” her dad said. “Where’d you two meet?”
“We met at Chica Ríos,” Zoé said. She settled into a cedar deck chair.
Jace perched on the seat next to her.
“Oh. A while ago and you forgot to tell me about it?”
“A couple nights ago,” Jace said, smiling broadly.
Oh, great. Zoé’s face burned.
“Things are going fast, huh?”
“I like speed,” Jace said. “I like to live on the edge. When you find an opportunity that works for you, you’ve got to run with it.” He perched on a chair next to Zoé.
“I see. So, you decided to run with my daughter.” Her dad’s handsome countenance turned into frosty protection.
“Only if it’s her choice.” Jace smiled at Zoé.
Well, that’s nice. At least I didn’t give away all my rights. She smiled back, batting her eyelashes.
“So, what do you do for a living?” Her dad lifted his beer bottle and took a long swallow, never taking his eyes from Jace.
“Why don’t you tell them, babe?” Jace said.
Haven’t a clue. This was a big mistake to bring him here. “I’d rather not. You were so proud when you told me.” She gave him a fake smile, fluttering her eyelashes again.
He let out a soft laugh and said, “I’m a photographer. I get gigs with Nat Geo from time to time, and some of the other remaining nature magazines.”
Zoé’s eyebrows lifted.
“I see,” her father said. He leaned back into his cedar chair, stretching out his legs.
“That sounds interesting,” Linda said. She crossed one tanned leg over the other.
How do you get a tan in Seattle? Zoé glowered at Linda. She probably frequents tanning salons.
“Oh, it is. And, when I get the gigs, they pay well. But it’s not yet a steady income so in the meantime, I work on yachts up in Port Townsend —repair, maintenance, lighting, electrical. You name it, I do it. I work for Jenner’s.”
Her dad snapped his fingers. “I knew you looked familiar. Didn’t I see you yesterday when Linda and I were at the dock? We took the boat out fishing.”
Jace’s expression darkened. “Could be,” he said impassively.
Zoé tilted her head, studying him.
“Weren’t you carrying a…”
“Excuse me,” Jace interrupted. “Zoé, we’re ignoring you —are you hungry? Didn’t you say you had snacks, Linda?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Linda said. “Here, let me get them.” She started to rise from her seat.
“Please allow me,” Jace said. “I love to serve my lover.”
He stood and sauntered to the food laden table.
Augh! Now I’m his lover? Don’t I have a say in this?
“What would you like, Zoé?” Jace asked.
She looked at her father.
He studied her with concern.
She looked at Linda.
She smiled and shrugged.
“Surprise me,” she said. “I could use more surprises. Love a good surprise.”
Not.
After the awkward start to the evening, Zoé settled back and relaxed. Her awareness stayed glued to Jace.
Jace conversed intelligently, told them of some of his fascinating travels, appeared knowledgeable about yachts, and seemed like a truly interesting guy —perhaps, the most interesting guy she’d ever met. He kept up with steady touch, holding her hand, resting his palm on her leg, putting an arm around her, giving every appearance of being a doting, respectable boyfriend. His constant touch, however, made her shivery inside. She barely focused on his words, wondering if she’d simply combust. And the lusty looks he sent her way when no one was looking let her know he felt the same.
As their meal continued, Zoé started to feel chilled by the evening air. The temperature had been pleasant, but now that it grew dark, the back deck felt cool. She shivered and rubbed her arms.
“You cold, baby?”
“A little,” she admitted.
Jace patted his thigh. “I’ll keep you warm.”
She hesitated.
“Go on, girl,” her father said. “I’m here to chaperone if he gets out of hand.”
She’d never seen her dad be so welcoming to a guy she dated. “Thanks, dad, but I’ll borrow one of your sweatshirts if you don’t mind.”
“Here. I’m getting a little too warm, actually.” Jace peeled off his light jacket and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” She placed it around her shoulders, feeling immersed in his scent. Wow. Is this guy for real or what?
After dessert, Linda began cleaning off the table. When Zoé offered to help, she said, “Stay. Enjoy your dad and your boyfriend. I can handle this.”
“Thanks, Linda,” she said, genuinely appreciating the gesture.
“Say, Jace. You say you know a little something about boat engines?” Zoé’s dad leaned back in his chair.
“Do I ever.” Jace leaned forward, placing his forearms on the cedar table.
“I wonder if you could look at mine. It’s starting to miss…run rough…I can’t put my finger on it. I’ll pay you for your time.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s probably nothing
a little TLC won’t fix. We’ll get her running again in no time,” he said. “It could be something as simple as a missing screw,” he added, giving Zoé a mischievous smile.
Here we go again. Zoé inwardly groaned, her insides turning to steam.
He smiled and squeezed her leg.
“Want to go look? She’s out in the garage, waiting for some love,” her dad said.
“Sure.” Jace looked at Zoé. “Will you be okay if I check out your dad’s engine?”
“Is that what you’re going to do? And here I thought you had a secret lover in the garage, dad.” Zoé patted her dad’s cheek.
The two men got up and sauntered toward the garage.
Zoé stayed put. She pulled Jace’s jacket around her, feeling happier and more relaxed than she’d felt in a long time. She gazed up at the dim stars, whose light was overpowered by the city lights. “Could this be the start of something good?” she whispered.
After Jace returned, they said their good-byes. As she prepared to get on the Deus, she said, “That went well. Didn’t you think so?”
“It went fantastic. Your dad’s a cool guy. Linda’s nice, too.”
“She’s okay.” Zoé wrinkled up her nose.
“You don’t like her?”
“I don’t like that she’s not my mom. She’s so intense and bossy.”
“He didn’t seem intimidated by her at all.”
“He isn’t. My dad can be a handful. He probably needed someone to rein him in. My mom let him walk all over her. She only started sticking up for herself when she left him.” She sighed. “When they got divorced, I stayed with Dad. We were pretty close until she came into the picture.” She pointed at the house. “I’d already moved out, but still…they’ve only been dating about six months.”
“Your dad needs a chance to love again. You can’t prevent that from happening. He was probably lonely when you moved out, yeah?” He placed his helmet on his head and lifted the visor.
“I guess. He moped around a lot. He’s got a lot of energy and needs to stay busy. I worried about him a lot. I just wish he’d picked someone more…more…oh, I don’t know, not her.”
“Give her a chance,” Jace said. He slid the strap of Zoé’s helmet from the handlebars and handed it to her.
She took it, letting it hang by her side. “That’s what Dad says.”
Jace shrugged.
Zoé looked at him. “You’re being awfully nice.”
He shrugged again. “I’m a decent guy, remember? You told me so.”
“And so not dull.” She smiled at him.
“Mom still living?”
“Uh huh. In Florida with her husband, Carl.” She glanced at him.
“You get along with your mom?”
“Pretty well. We talk at least once a month. She’s happy now that she’s doing her own thing.”
“What’s she do?” Jace swung his leg over the seat.
“She designs kids clothing. She’s got a successful boutique.”
Jace nodded. “It’s good to have healthy relations with your parents.”
She smiled. “You?”
He seemed to shudder. “Haven’t talked to them in…let’s see…fourteen years? They kind of disinherited me.”
She frowned. “Sounds rough.”
“It is what it is, Zoé. Come on. Let’s go.” He patted the seat behind him.
She nodded, biting her lip. “So, we got off to a rocky start tonight, didn’t we?” She smiled, thinking he’d laugh.
His face grew serious. “What was rocky about it?”
“Well, you telling my dad I’d granted you exclusive rights, kissing me on the back porch…” She ticked the embarrassing moments off on her fingertips.
“You did grant me exclusive rights,” he said, his face somber. “I wanted to see if you meant what you said.”
“So, that was all a test?” She stood stiffly, baffled.
“No,” he said cautiously. “Not a test. More like a declaration. I plan to do things to you, with you. I won’t do them with someone who only wants to use me.”
Her brow stitched together. “What kind of things?”
“You’ll have to wait to find out, won’t you?” Once more, he patted the seat. “Climb on.”
She felt as if she stood on a precipice of some kind. Apprehension filled her, excitement lapping at the edges like waves.
“Should I be scared?” she asked.
“Are you?” He turned and scrutinized her.
“I’m not sure.” She fiddled with the strap of her purse. “A little.”
“I’m not going to harm you. I’m going to fuck you under the stars, lay you out on private beaches, love you in thunderstorms, snowstorms, wind, and rain.” His gaze bore into her, as if begging her to accept his statement of intent.
She inhaled sharply, feeling like he’d just ignited her insides and flung her, flailing, in the air, like a Chinese firecracker. “When did you ask me if this is something I’d like to do?”
“When I asked you if you’d give me exclusive rights. You said, yes. You confirmed it in the house tonight.” He lifted his chin toward her dad’s house.
She nodded slowly, exhilarated, bewildered, apprehensive, and delighted. “You don’t know me. How do you know if you’ll even like me in a week?”
“Only one way to find out.” His eyes twinkled.
“What’s that?”
“Climb on the back of the Angel and let’s take a ride.”
Chapter 10
Jace
Zoé wound her arms around Jace’s chest, snug behind him on the back of the Deus. He took her hand and placed it in his crotch.
“Been like this all day,” he said.
She snatched away her hand. “My dad could be watching us.”
He laughed, fired up the ignition, and took off down the street.
At the stop sign, Zoé yelled over the engine, “Where are we going?”
“Not sure yet. I’m letting my muse guide me.”
“Who’s your muse?”
“You,” he said, easing through the intersection.
He carefully made his way through the neighborhoods of West Seattle, before turning onto the West Seattle Bridge. From there, he headed north on I-5, kicking up the speed, just the way he liked it. Zoé hugged him tight, her hips pressed against his, her breasts snuggled into his back. He hadn’t felt this great in a long time. You’ve got to play this one right. Don’t blow this. His mind churned and schemed.
“Do you at least know which direction we’re headed?” Zoé yelled.
“North,” he yelled back, shifting gears. When he reached the exit near the Sedro-Woolley area, south of the Canadian border, he slowed the bike, heading east toward the Skagit River. At the stop sign he said to Zoé, “I know a secluded place.”
“Okay,” she called back.
He guided the bike along the winding roads, heading toward farmland and open space. Once he found the place he was looking for, he pulled into the turn-out, switched off the ignition, and waited for Zoé to climb off. An acute sense of loss and longing shot though him the second she broke contact.
She pulled the helmet free from her head, shaking out her silky hair. “Where are we?”
He wanted to thread his fingers through her abundant tresses and kiss her long and hard. Instead, he took off his helmet.
“We’re here.” He spread his arms wide.
“No, silly, I mean, where are we? What city?”
“We’re in a favorite spot of mine. Haven’t been out here in a while. I thought we could look at the stars.” His cock twitched in excitement like it oversaw the evening’s activities and he was merely a bystander. Look at the stars…right.
“Sounds fabulous.”
He tucked his helmet under his arm, and took her hand, guiding her away from the road.
“I love the natural world,” he said, as he led her toward the river’s burbling night calls. The moon shone full and bright, softly illuminatin
g their path. An owl hooted softly in the trees.
“I do, too.”
“Glad to hear that.”
They traipsed along for several yards, coming to a soft, grassy bank next to the river. He handed her his helmet, pulled his leather satchel off his side, and dug inside it for his blanket. He spread it along an especially comfy area. “Sit.”
She settled onto the blanket and waited for him to do the same.
“You make me feel wild and free, Jace.”
“I’m glad,” he said. “Is that different than you usually feel?”
“Maybe. Yeah, actually,” she said, picking up a stick. “I’m the responsible one in the family.” She poked it in the cushy grass. “Nice of you to bring a blanket.”
“It’s good to be prepared.”
She grew silent.
He studied her in the moonlight, captivated. She stirred something in him different than any woman before. It made him want to open wide to her. He swallowed, fighting his rapidly increasing heartbeat. Loving people only hurts.
He reached out and stroked her jaw with his thumb. “You’re so beautiful.” He turned away before lust got the better of him. He wanted to orchestrate tonight just right.
She gave him a sidelong glance, a tiny smile playing at the edge of her mouth. “Jace…”
“Mm hmm,” he said, watching the way the moonlight sparkled along the flowing river. He scooted close to her until their hips touched, then took her hand in his. A sense of expansive excitement flowed through his body from the contact.
“Is this where we…you know?” She plucked a blade of grass and twirled it between her fingers.
“Tell me.”
“You know.”
“I don’t know. Is this where we…?” His brows lowered.
She took a deep breath. “You said you’d lay me out among the stars.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and stared at the ground.
“No, this is where we take in the stars’ mystery.” His breath came hard and fast as he regarded her. Normally, he’d be in, out, and down the road by now. Not with this one. Play it right.
Her face fell, a touch of disappointment coloring her star-kissed face.
“Lay back with me.” He leaned back onto the blanket, guiding her with him. He tucked his arm under her head and she cuddled against him. It had been a long time since he’d shared this simple kind of connection. “Tell me what you see when you look at the heavens.”