by Croix, J. H.
Jared had been stunned and relieved. Tears had pricked behind his eyes when he’d looked back at his father. Matthew had tugged him into a swift hug and then handed him a fishing rod. Not long after that, Jared persuaded Luke and Nathan to start their commercial fishing business in Seattle. After several years of fishing in Alaskan waters and visiting Diamond Creek every time, they decided it made more sense to live here and visit Seattle, rather than the other way around. He hadn’t regretted the decision for a minute since. Once they’d gotten settled here, they’d added guided fishing tours to capture the tourist income here and keep them busy between commercial runs. In winters, they plowed snow and laid low.
An eagle lifted from a dock piling where it had been perched, its wings casting a shadow across Jared. He followed its flight across the harbor where it landed on the far side on a spruce tree on the edge of the cliffs that curled around the harbor. He turned and walked to the parking lot. When he entered the lot, the woman who’d been flirting with him most of the day approached him.
“Hey Jared, a couple of us were thinking of heading out for drinks. Didn’t know if you’d be interested in joining us,” she said. She smiled up at him, her blue eyes blatantly raking over him.
For the life of him, Jared couldn’t recall her name at the moment, nor could he summon even the slightest interest in her. He wished he could, as he’d love to find someone to flush his recent obsession with Susie out of his mind. As Luke pointed out, Jared might be happy to keep things casual, but he wasn’t an ass. Hence, he couldn’t consider going for drinks with a woman whose name he couldn’t remember and when he made a feeble attempt to dredge up some attraction, Susie instantly filled his mind. So he smiled and shook his head. He even offered a few suggestions for places they could go and then went on his way.
Driving toward home, he saw Susie walking into the post office. The mere sight of her hijacked his body and next thing he knew, he’d pulled into the parking lot and was walking into the post office. What the hell are you doing? His mind had a quick reply. Checking the mail. I haven’t checked it in days. The other part of his brain chuckled. Dude, you might check the mail, but that’s not why you stopped. Susie is why you stopped. Jared shook his head abruptly, a flush racing through him when he turned down the aisle where his mailbox was and saw Susie leaning over to tug mail out of hers.
She wore a gray skirt of some kind of soft gauzy fabric that twirled at the hem and hugged her deliciously round bottom. She’d topped this with a bright blue blouse that buttoned only halfway up over a tank top that stretched across her breasts—those breasts that Jared could not forget. It was no wonder she hadn’t buttoned the blouse because Jared didn’t think she could, her breasts filled every inch of it and then some. He didn’t know how she pulled it off, but she wore a pair of Xtratuf rubber boots with the skirt. Xtratufs were an Alaskan favorite—relentlessly practical boots that pretty much couldn’t be worn out. How Susie managed to wear them with a skirt and not look ridiculous, he didn’t know, but somehow it added to her charm.
Jared forced himself to walk past her to check his mail. When he looked up from locking the mailbox, Susie was leaned against the wall of mailboxes glaring at him.
“Were you going to say hi or just ignore me?”
Jared had to force himself to breathe. It was getting so bad, he was turned on by her being angry with him. And that aggravated him. Just being near her disoriented him so much that it pissed him off. He was a man who was always in control. Except, it seemed, when it came to Susie. She stood there—her wild brown curls all over the place, her eyes locked onto him, and her body…oh dear god that body of hers. What he wanted to do was walk over there, push her against the mailboxes, flip that skirt up and...
Oh my God, stop right there.
He met her bright brown eyes, which were, at the moment, shooting sparks in his direction. “Hey, didn’t see you there,” he replied.
Susie sighed elaborately. His irritation spiked. She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t see me? Seriously Jared? There’s no one else over here. It’s just you and me. How could you not see me?”
Jared stood there, well aware she had a point. But he wasn’t about to explain his thought process to her, especially when he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about what it would feel like to have her legs wrapped around him. His eyes wandered to her mouth. She had full, bright pink lips shaped like a perfect bow. Her lips were like the rest of her body, lush and plump. He knew exactly how good they felt against his too. He was beginning to think he’d been possessed.
“Yoo-hoo,” Susie said, waving at him.
“I’m here,” he tried to focus on her face and rein his body in, annoyed that she noticed he wasn’t really paying attention. Which, of course, served to notch his desire higher.
The pattern between them was so set—one of them would say something to set the other off, the other would lash back, and they’d both get irritated. For him, the irritation was flint to his lust for her. All he knew was he wanted her. He wanted to feel her anger because the fire that always flashed in her eyes turned into the passion he knew simmered just under her skin.
Jared was beyond reason at this point. He walked over to stand right in front of her. He felt the rise and fall of her breath. Her eyes darkened. He could see the beat of her pulse in her neck. He didn’t hesitate when he reached his hand up to cup her cheek and slide it down along her neck, his thumb coasting over her pulse beat, which sped at his touch.
He waited for her to say something, but she didn’t. A brief flash of vulnerability arced through her eyes. And damn if it didn’t make him want to tell her he would never hurt her. Because he wouldn’t. Ever. She was too much of everything that was good. And he knew her heart was gold. She was a good friend and loyal as they came. He wondered why another man hadn’t snatched her up and held her close. As these thoughts passed through his mind, he realized he’d completely lost it because nothing made him think twice at the moment. He, who was determined never to touch another messy relationship, wasn’t even pausing when he realized maybe this woman who had him turned inside and out might have some emotional underpinnings he hadn’t considered.
He traced her collarbone, dipping down to follow the curve of her tank top. Her breasts rose and fell with her breath. He couldn’t keep his eyes from falling to soak in the sight of her breasts, literally straining against the taut white cotton of her tank top. He almost salivated. His cock was rock hard. Her breath hitched. His eyes whipped up to see her tongue dart out to lick her lips. The reins on what little control he had were broken.
Jared leaned forward and kissed her. He tried to start slow, he really did, but this was Susie and she’d burrowed into his brain and body like no one else. Not to mention, she threw herself into everything and kissing was no exception. The moment his lips met hers, hers opened on a sigh and he delved into her mouth. She tasted amazing, honey with a hint of mint. And damn if she couldn’t drive him wild with a kiss. Their tongues tangled. He tore his lips away, feathering them down her neck and across the tops of her breasts. He pressed into her, savoring her gasp when he shifted so his shaft nestled at the apex of her legs. He couldn’t help himself and tugged her tank top down to find what passed for a bra, lacy and white, barely holding her breasts in. He leaned forward and laved one nipple and then the other through the lace. She gasped and shifted restlessly against him. He curled a hand under her knee to lift her leg so he could press even closer into her when he heard voices approaching them.
He’d completely forgotten where they were. The post office was one of the central places in town. Though it wasn’t always busy, there was almost always someone there. He forced himself to focus and rapidly moved back, tugging her tank top up, regretting he had to stop. Susie’s eyes were hazy and startled at once. She remained where she was, leaning against the mailboxes. The voices that had broken through the fog of Jared’s sheer lust turned down the aisle before the one where they stood. He breathed a sigh of relief a
nd glanced over at Susie. He didn’t know how to read her expression. His best guess would be to call it guarded. Which was so unlike her, it worried him. He wanted to ask how she was, but sensed now might not be the time. But he wasn’t going to simply walk away and pretend like this hadn’t happened.
He cleared his throat. She looked up at him, her lips swollen from his kiss, making him want to kiss her again. Instead, he asked, “How about you come over to my place for dinner?”
He hadn’t really thought through what he was going to say, but he knew they needed to talk and it needed to be somewhere they wouldn’t get interrupted. Between the two of them, they couldn’t go somewhere public without tons of interruptions, so his house seemed a safe bet.
Susie held his eyes for a long moment and finally nodded. She started to turn away, and he placed his hand on her arm. “Look, I don’t know what to say right this second, but I figure we’d better try to talk.”
Susie looked at his hand and then up at him. She wrinkled her nose. “I know. It seems like this…” she waved between them “…keeps happening. It’s not exactly convenient,” she said with a soft laugh, a blush staining her cheeks.
Though he still seemed to be momentarily possessed and downright unbothered by his raging, out-of-control attraction for her, he could agree it wasn’t convenient. He nodded with a chuckle. “Maybe not. So, my place around six?”
“Should I bring anything?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Hadn’t really thought about it. I have fresh silver salmon from today. How about you bring whatever you’d like to go with that?”
Susie nodded, her curls bouncing. They turned to walk out together. Jared had to resist the urge to reach for her hand. Though he’d lost his mind, he had enough sense to know they were nowhere near hand holding.
***
Susie filled Jasmine’s food bowl and made sure she had fresh water. Jasmine twined around her ankles, purring audibly. Susie walked to the couch and plunked down with a sigh. Her pulse pounded and the butterflies in her belly just wouldn’t quit. Ever since she’d walked out of the post office, she hadn’t been able to get settled inside. Jared had taken her by surprise. She looked out her front windows hoping the view would soothe her. Wispy clouds drifted across the sky. The mountains were as they usually were—quiet, still, and majestic. Dappled sunlight fell on their green flanks. She took a deep breath and wondered what the hell she’d been thinking when she agreed to meet Jared for dinner at his place.
She was beginning to realize that her flawed idea of a one-night stand to rinse him out of her system might be utter nonsense. They were on kiss number three now, each one ratcheting up the depth of her desire. She’d felt like a panting puppy when she walked out of the post office with him. She’d had to hold herself back from reaching for his hand. Jasmine leapt up beside her and immediately nestled against her. Susie stroked through Jasmine’s thick gray fur and contemplated texting Jared to cancel. A night at home with Jasmine curled by her side looked appealing about now. She was terrified at whatever was happening with Jared. The feeling between them seemed to have a life of its own. She couldn’t control herself with him. The second he touched her, she was lost. No man had ever made her feel so out of control. She was in over her head and needed to get out. She went so far as to pick up her phone before setting it down. She wasn’t a coward, and she wouldn’t back out. If only she could get her heart rate under control.
Get it together. You are not a coward, you can do this. You’ll go over there and talk. You’ll nip this in the bud and that’ll be it.
The clock on her wall, a whimsical star-shaped clock fashioned of metal twisted into a curly star and painted bright yellow, told her it was almost six. One more stroke for Jasmine, and Susie stood to go. She left a lamp on for Jasmine and walked to her car, carrying a bag with salad fixings. A cluster of lilac trees weighted the air with their scent. As she drove down the hill the few minutes to Jared’s house, she repeated the same thing over and over. This’ll be easy. Just tell him the touching and kissing has to stop. All we have to do is keep our hands to ourselves. Oh and don’t make a fool of yourself.
Chapter 7
Susie knew where Jared had moved after he moved out of the home he’d originally shared with his brothers, but she’d never been inside. When Tess moved to Diamond Creek to be with Nathan, Jared had insisted Nathan stay at the house. Susie, along with a few other friends, had helped move Tess into the house and Jared out of it. Her contribution for Jared had been merely to unload boxes onto the deck and drive away. When she pulled up at the small house, she glanced around. As with just about everyone in Diamond Creek, he had a breathtaking view. The small cabin was built into the hill that faced Kachemak Bay with the view tumbling wide open behind it. As she stepped onto the deck, she heard her name and followed Jared’s voice. The deck wrapped around the house. She found him on the back portion of the deck, beer in hand while he turned salmon steaks in a pan of marinade by the grill.
Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse, which hadn’t really slowed to normal since Jared kissed her in the post office, ricocheted to high speed. His black curls were damp. His piercing green gaze locked onto her, and she couldn’t look away. He wore a pair of faded jeans that fit like a glove, molding to his lean body. A faded blue t-shirt hugged his torso. His teeth flashed in a grin.
“So you made it,” he said, a question in his tone.
As usual, he instantly set her on edge. The fact that she couldn’t get her body under control only increased her irritation. Hands to yourself, hands to yourself…
“Of course I made it. Did you think I wouldn’t?”
Those ridiculously gorgeous eyes of his crinkled at the corners when his smile widened. He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure. But I figured you’d be polite enough to call if you decided to back out.”
Damn if he didn’t make her want to argue. “But why would you think I wouldn’t come? I said I would.” She wasn’t about to admit she had actually considered texting him to cancel.
Jared’s easy grin tightened, and she experienced a flash of satisfaction. She was curiously pleased that he wasn’t immune to her irritation.
He sighed and shifted his shoulders. “I wasn’t sure because…” he paused, his eyes darkening as he gaze traveled over her. She hadn’t even thought to change her clothes and still wore her gauzy gray skirt, bright blue blouse and tank top. She had ditched her boots for a pair of strappy sandals at the last minute. His gaze heated her head to toe. By the time his eyes reached hers again, she knew she was visibly flushed. She was on the verge of needing to fan herself.
She lifted her chin and attempted to take the attention away from her. “You were saying?”
Jared didn’t miss a beat. “I wasn’t sure because we can’t seem to keep our hands off of each other recently. I have to admit it kind of took me by surprise, but I’ve decided we just need to talk it out of our systems and clear the air.” He set his beer on the deck railing and gave her an expectant look.
Susie prided herself on being blunt and direct, but for the life of her, she didn’t know what to say. He seemed to think they’d just talk and it would go away. Isn’t that what you thought? A corner of her mind mocked her while the rest of her couldn’t think sensibly. If she spoke the truth, she would have to tell him he was driving her mad and she wanted him more than she’d wanted anyone. For a split second, she considering proposing her one-night stand plan, but she immediately shot the idea down because it required dealing with her inconvenient virginity. She finally decided she couldn’t be a coward and met his eyes. She didn’t know what she expected, but it wasn’t understanding and a glimmer of concern. Which kind of made her want to slap him because it only made her feel more vulnerable. Her mantra about not making a fool of herself had been rendered completely useless.
Her pulse was flat out of control at this point and her sanity almost gone. With her emotions bouncing around and the sheer lust that seemed to take o
ver the minute he was near, she couldn’t think straight. Before she knew what was happening, she walked over to him intending to slap him—seriously—but when she got in front of him and started to open her mouth, he kissed her. Again!
Her anger dissolved into burning need. In seconds, she was on fire. The kiss started fast and furious, Jared stroking into her mouth without hesitation. Several breath-stealing moments later, he gentled his lips, tracing her mouth with his tongue, dusting soft kisses across her face and down her neck. By the time his lips met hers again, she was practically a puddle. His slow kisses seared her through.
A raven called nearby, a burst of magpie chatter following. The sounds broke through the trance she’d fallen into, and she pulled away. She gulped for air and stumbled back unsteadily, bracing her hands on the deck railing. Flushed, she looked out toward the bay. The cool air was a balm to the heat coursing through her. She didn’t know what to say or do. She fought the urge to flee. The effect he had on her was mortifying. This was Jared for God’s sake. Susie had no idea what Hannah was thinking when she said she thought they’d make a good couple. While Susie wouldn’t argue for a second that there was passion between them—it was its own living, breathing force—Jared was so tidy and organized and calm and steady. Basically, everything she wasn’t. They’d drive each other crazy and not the good kind of crazy.
Jared’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “So that kind of got out of hand,” he said wryly.
She looked up and met his eyes, her face burning. She was relieved to see he was flushed as well. He reached for his beer again, a slight tremor in his hand.
His gaze didn’t waver. When she didn’t say anything, he spoke again. “I don’t know what it is with us these days. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I said we should try to talk about it because I have no idea what to say. I get near you and…” he paused and took a deep breath “…I kind of forget everything else.”