by Elena Aitken
Jade found herself smiling and laughing and even squealing a little bit like a schoolgirl. “Slow down.” She risked a glance down at her strappy leather sandals, which looked killer with her outfit, but were definitely not the most practical footwear for a jog across the lawn. “My shoes are—” As if to save herself from any further explanation, her toe caught on a rock and her body propelled forward. “Ouch!”
Her hurt would have been far greater, if Mitch hadn’t been holding her hand. His instincts were on point and he easily pulled her up and wrapped his arm around her, holding her briefly against his chest before he released her.
“Are you okay?”
For a moment, the entire world was on mute. Everything ceased to exist except for how damned good he smelled, how warm he was, and how amazing his arm felt around her. And then in a whoosh of sound, Jade regained her senses. “I’m fine.” She managed to get the words out right before the searing pain in her foot took over and she looked down. “Oh my God. My toe!”
“Whoa. You really banged it.”
Jade was well aware of that because she was currently jumping around like a complete fool because of the hot pain in her big toe.
“Come here. It’s okay.”
She was vaguely aware of Mitch trying to soothe her. That was until he scooped her up in his arms as if she were a small child.
“Mitch, I’m fine,” she objected.
“Right.” He raised an eyebrow in question. “I can see that.”
She didn’t object further because her toe did hurt. A lot. More than she could have imagined for such a small appendage. Besides that, it felt good to be pressed up against his chest. Dammed good. And she may be a hot mess when it came to knowing how she felt about Mitch, but at that very moment, there was no other place she’d rather be.
She was so light. But despite her slight body, she felt absolutely perfect in his arms. She fit. His dick twitched in response to her proximity, agreeing with his assessment.
But Mitch couldn’t focus on whatever it was he was feeling for Jade. She was hurt, and that had to be his first priority.
Getting her naked could come later.
That thought hit him out of the blue. Well, not entirely out of the blue. But still, not only ten minutes ago he’d been determined not to get involved with a woman like Jade. Not that it mattered. He only had to spend a few minutes sparring with her, feeling the sting of her tongue, the heat of her eyes upon him, inhaling the sexy spice that was her scent, and he wanted her. Bad.
“Mitch. Seriously. I can walk.”
“Maybe so.” He forced himself to be serious. “But I think we should use precautions until we know what we’re dealing with.”
She laughed, and the sound went right to the core of him. “We’re dealing with a stubbed toe and a bruised ego. I feel stupid.”
He squeezed her tighter to his chest and continued to walk across the great lawn, away from the party and toward the marina. “It’s not stupid. You’re injured. I have a first-aid kit at the Dockside. I’ll take a look.”
She argued with him for the duration of the walk, but she didn’t try to get out of his arms. If anything, she snuggled in closer. He liked it.
Mitch finally set her gingerly on her feet outside of the Dockside. “Give me a second and I’ll unlock the door and turn some lights on. Don’t put weight on it.”
Even in the dim light, he was pretty sure he could see her rolling her eyes. “It’s not broken, Mitch. I’m fine. I promise.”
He unlocked the door, put the bag he was still carrying on the counter and flicked on the light before he went back to where he left her. Mitch was fully prepared to scoop her up in his arms again, but the look on her face warned him to back off a little. Begrudgingly, he did so, opting to put an arm around her shoulder to help her hop over to a chair. He fetched the first-aid kit and rolled another chair across from where Jade sat. “Let me see.”
She lifted her slender leg and he slid his hands down her soft skin, from her knee to her ankle, until she rested her foot on his knee. Mitch could have happily spent the rest of the night running his hands up and down that sexy leg, but the damage to her toe demanded attention. “Oh, that doesn’t look good.” Her big toe had a nasty gash along the top fleshy part of it. Bits of dirt and grass clung to the bloody area. “We should get it cleaned up. Can you move it?”
She flexed her foot and flinched.
“Maybe don’t try to move it for now. It’s probably not broken, but more likely it’s badly sprained. Best to let it rest.” He slipped her shoe off and dropped it next to the chair. “Pretty shoes.”
“Not very practical, I guess.” She shrugged. “But I’ve never been to a small-town Fourth of July party. Not that I’ve been to many Fourth of July parties. But still, maybe I should get some new footwear.”
Without moving her foot from his lap, Mitch cleaned up her toe with the supplies from the kit. “I thought you looked nice. Your shoes are sexy.”
“Sexy?” She laughed. “I can’t imagine it’s very sexy to be cleaning my bloody toe.”
“Actually.” He paused and looked up. When she met his eyes, he said, “Everything about you is sexy.”
She didn’t say anything right away, but she didn’t look away. Mitch took that as a win. He was the first to look away, but only because he needed to get the gauze from the kit.
“I don’t think you should get rid of the shoes,” he said. “But maybe some flip-flops might be a good addition for lake life, don’t you think?” He wound the gauze around her toe.
“Honestly?” He nodded and she continued. “I have no idea what’s appropriate for lake life. I’ve never spent any time at a lake.”
“Never?”
She shook her head. “My mom was pretty strict and she hated anything that had to do with the outdoors. It was a big deal to get her to take me to the park.” She smiled, clearly trying to make light of the situation, but Mitch was appalled. He quickly finished wrapping her toe, tucking the edges in to finish the job.
“I think that’s terrible,” he declared. “But I also think that my plan for tonight will be that much better. If you’re up for it?” He gestured to her toe.
Jade laughed and pulled her leg away, preparing to stand. “I told you. It’s just a—ouch!” She plopped back into the chair when standing didn’t work out the way she’d hoped. “Okay, it hurts. But I still want to see the fireworks. You promised they were awesome.”
“And they are.” Mitch stood, grabbed the bag he’d left on the counter and a set of keys from the wall before once more scooping her up into his arms. “Let me show you.”
She probably shouldn’t like it so much, but she couldn’t help it. She liked being in his arms. And for the moment, she didn’t care because something about the way he naturally took care of her made her feel more special than she’d ever felt before. And even if nothing ever happened between them again, she still enjoyed it. As far as she could tell, there was nothing wrong with that.
For a woman who always needed to be in control, it surprised her that she was so willing to let Mitch take charge. But there was something about the way he handled her—it was nice to let go once in a while.
“Where are we going?” She twisted her head around so she could see where he was taking her and it didn’t require an answer. Mitch walked across and down the docks, toward the boats that were tied up for the night. He stopped next to one particularly nice boat and set her down.
“We’re not seriously…I mean you can’t be…a boat? Now?”
“Of course a boat.” He hopped off the dock, into the boat in question, and tucked the bag he was carrying away under the seat before he reached out a hand to her. “Come on in.”
A boat? There was no way. She’d never been on a boat, let alone at night. Was it safe? What if something went wrong? She didn’t know the first thing about a boat. Hell, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d even been swimming.
Jade shook her head and trie
d to take a step backward until she was most unceremoniously reminded of the pain in her toe. Dammit.
“What’s wrong?” Mitch grinned as soon as he realized what the problem was. “You’re afraid of boats.”
She shook her head.
“You are.” He stepped back onto the dock and took a step toward her.
“I am not.” She straightened her shoulders and tried to look braver than she felt. The truth was the boat terrified her because she was scared of the unknown.
Mitch slid his hand down her bare arm and squeezed gently. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m here.” He took a step forward and she let him lead her. “I grew up on boats. There’s nothing safer and more fun. Besides, you’re with a man who definitely knows what he’s doing.”
His words sparked all kinds of innuendo but she was too busy focusing on the machine floating in the water to react.
“You got this, Jade.” He lifted her by the waist and before she realized what he was doing, he placed her gently inside the boat. “Sit right there. I promise I’ll take care of you.”
She didn’t argue, partly because she knew she was being ridiculous but mostly because she was curious.
Besides, she had nothing better to do and she really did want to see the fireworks. The fact that she could see them with Mitch by her side was only a bonus.
“Are you going to be okay?” he questioned. “Because I really think you’re going to like this.”
She nodded. Not only would she be okay—she would be more than okay. And maybe nothing was going to happen with Mitch, but at least for the night she could allow herself to enjoy the fireworks and the company of a sexy man. He didn’t have to be anything more. Jade ignored the little voice in her head that told her she was a liar, because she knew it. Just being next to Mitch was something.
“You look like you’re thinking about something.”
Jade shook her head again. “No,” she said. “Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m thinking that you’re right, this will be fine. I’m actually excited.” Her laugh bubbled up from deep inside her. “And I think it’s more than a little ridiculous that I’m a grown woman who has never been on a boat in a lake.”
Mitch turned the key and the engine fired up with a low rumble. Jade had expected it to sound more like a car. She didn’t know why. But it had a unique sound and a feel beneath her. He leaned over to untie the rope that held the backend of the boat. “I wasn’t going to say anything,” he said. “But it does seem a little crazy that you’ve never been in a boat. But honestly?” He looked her straight in the eye and a thrill went through her body. “I’m really glad that I’m the man who gets to show you this.” Mitch moved to the front of the boat into the driver’s seat. He leaned over briefly to untie the last line that connected them to the dock before he put his hands on the wheel. He put the boat into gear and slowly started to move away from the dock into the black night.
“It’s so dark out here.” Jade glanced around, not sure what she should expect. She knew that it wasn’t like a road, where there were other cars or other boats. Maybe she expected something like a light of some kind, but as the marina faded in the distance there really was nothing but black expanse in front of them, the stars overhead, and the moon glowing and reflecting off the lake.
It was both beautiful and kind of spooky at the same time, but despite that, Jade in no way felt unsafe.
“I wanted to wait until we got away from the dock to turn on the lights,” Mitch said. “But look.” He flicked a switch on the dashboard and at once the boat was illuminated in the soft glow and they could see a little farther ahead of them in the water. “See? We’re perfectly safe out here.” There was a teasing tone in his voice, but Jade ignored it. “And really? There’s nothing for us to hit out here.”
“Are there other boats?”
“Sometimes, yes. But it’s a big lake and most of the time when I take the boat out at night, I have the place to myself. It’s kind of like my own private lake.” He looked out over the steering wheel into the darkness and for a moment Jade felt as if she were intruding on a private moment.
She was quiet for a moment, as he was clearly lost in a memory. But then the moment was over and Mitch looked at her with a smile. “Are you ready for this?”
She knew what he was asking and surprising even herself, she was ready. “I am.”
Mitch grinned and didn’t need to ask twice. He pushed down on the throttle and the boat moved forward in the smooth motion of a fine machine. It picked up speed so quickly, slicing across the flat, dark water, that for a moment Jade forgot that she’d been nervous at all. And when Mitch threw back his head and laughed up at the moon, Jade found herself doing the same thing. “Woo-hoo!”
Never before in her life had Jade laughed at the moon or howled out loud the way she just had. For some reason, that idea struck her funny and she did it again and again and again. She sat up straight, shook out her hair and let the wind blow the strands behind her. The cool night air tickled her face as the boat continued to fly across the surface. Next to her, Mitch was laughing and shouting right along with her. Like two teenagers who had been given the first freedom they’d ever experienced. They howled through the night air until finally Mitch eased up on the throttle and the boat slowed.
Jade sat back in the chair and to her surprise found tears streaking down her face.
Mitch looked over at her. “It’s the wind,” he said. “It can sting your eyes, make you tear up and you don’t even notice. Are you okay? I didn’t go too fast, did I? For your first time, I mean.”
Jade looked at him. He had such a serious look on his face, totally oblivious of the fact that he just said the most suggestive thing he could have to her. She couldn’t help herself; she burst out laughing. Everything about the night had been ridiculous: from being jealous of him talking to another woman, to stubbing her toe, to howling at the moon, to racing across the lake in a boat.
The other woman.
No. That hadn’t been ridiculous; she had been jealous. Not that she was about to let him know that. After all, he’d made it very clear she wasn’t his type. And that was okay because he wasn’t hers either. She needed to remember that they were just friends.
“I’m fine.” She laughed. “My first time was awesome. In fact, I loved it. I can see why you enjoy it so much. It’s absolutely exhilarating.”
Jade used her fingers to brush out her hair as Mitch turned off the engine and they floated in the middle of the lake. She tipped her head back and looked up to the night sky, where the stars were starting to form. She’d never seen so many stars living in the city. Hell, she was lucky to see any at all.
“It’s beautiful out here.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Jade sat up and looked across the boat to Mitch.
“I shouldn’t have—”
“What did you—”
They spoke at the same time.
Mitch shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You go first.”
“What did you mean before when you said I wasn’t your type?”
The second the question was out of her mouth, Jade wanted to take it back. She didn’t want to know why she wasn’t his type.
“I shouldn’t have said that.” He shook his head. “It’s not that you’re not my type,” he said with a small smile. “Because clearly you are. I think we can both agree that we had a lot of fun together.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a small laugh. “We did have fun together. And it’s okay if I’m not really your type because like I said earlier, I’m not interested in you like that. But that’s okay, because friends don’t need a type, right?”
“So we’re friends now?”
“We are, don’t you think?”
Mitch nodded. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”
He was a lying bastard. Because he wasn’t going to like that; he wasn’t going to like just being friends with Jade at all. At least that was what his b
ody was telling him. The way his dick twitched in his pants whenever she was close told him that what he really wanted was to be more than friends—a lot more. But his dick wasn’t his brain, and even if this woman wasn’t the right kind of woman for him, that didn’t change how it felt.
And she was holding him at arm’s length, the same way he was doing with her. Just being friends was definitely the best option, for both of them.
“How’s your toe?” He moved away from the steering wheel, toward the back of the boat and the big bench seat. He lifted up the cushion, pulled out a blanket that he kept there, and spread it out along the vinyl. “This is the best place to watch the fireworks. And I did promise you that the fireworks show in Cedar Springs was legendary, didn’t I?”
She laughed. “Yes, you did. And I really hope they live up to the hype, or I’m going to have to question my new friend’s judgment.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. You’re going to love it.”
He took the beers out of the bag and put them down next to him before he reached his hand out to Jade. “You’ll want to come sit back here. It’s more comfortable. And it’s way better to watch from.”
Not to mention the fact that he wanted to be close to her. He couldn’t help that even though he knew he shouldn’t want to be, he did. Something about her energy called to him and pulled him to her.
She took his hand and, on one foot, hopped to the back of the boat to sit next to him.
Damn, she smelled good. Spicy with just a touch of sweet. She actually reminded him of the bakery, Dream Puffs, on Main Street and the cinnamon buns Suzy was famous for.
What was wrong with him?
Now he was comparing her to baking? It was ridiculous. He was ridiculous. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself, just the same way he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to touch her.
But he wouldn’t.
Not unless she wanted him to.
Friends.
It was going to be difficult because every time he looked at her, he wanted to rip her clothes off, slide his hands down her body and kiss her until she begged him to be inside her. He didn’t know what kind of friendship that was, but damned if he didn’t want to find out.