by Becca Taylor
Bentley turns to me. “Let's get her outdoor furniture in then you go help her get loaded. I’m going to start closing the shutters.”
“Jade, keep packing. We’re going to finish outside.”
She pops out into the living room. “Thanks, guys. I’ll be done in a little bit.”
Much like upstairs, Jade has a matching swing and a smaller grill to put away. The table and chairs get moved next to her dining room set along with her fold-up beach chairs. Bentley heads downstairs to the garage to flip the switches on the window shutters to the upstairs apartment. I told him I’d lock up Jade’s when we finish getting her car loaded.
“See you at Caleb’s,” he calls up to me as he readies to leave.
When I head back inside, I go directly to Jade’s room. Her equipment bags and two huge suitcases are on the floor. The closet door is open, and I hear her moving hangers along the closet rack. I get the urge to go in after her, but I don’t. Keeping a little distance is better. Natural disaster sex leads to nothing good. It leads to support, comfort, and another round of sex.
She comes out with her arms loaded with clothes and gasps when she sees me.
“Shoot, you scared me.”
“Sorry,” I apologize as I watch her toss the clothes on the bed. She looks like she’s packing for a month-long vacation.
“You guys get everything done outside?” she asks me.
“All secured. We just have to pack your bags in the car. We are meeting everyone at Cal’s house to help him get his and Kat’s house boarded up next. Are you planning on taking all this?”
She looks at her bags then back to clothes she’s laid out. “Yes. Is there a problem?”
“Nope. None at all. If you are planning on never coming home.”
“I want to be prepared.”
I pick up the three dresses she has that are more for a date than hurricane evacuation. “Did you set up a date up there with someone?”
“No. I just was afraid if we go out that I won’t have anything to wear. I want to bring something nice.”
I pick up the silky white dress that would show off her phenomenal legs. “I would bring this one, and if you wear it, I’ll make sure we get everyone out of the house one night. Besides, a night out might help us forget about Mother Nature for a little bit. That, and I’d really like to see what you look like in this with nothing underneath. Are these ready for the car?”
Jade nods her head but doesn’t respond to what I just said.
“We’re leaving in thirty minutes, Jade. Keep packing. Make sure to bring extra underwear too. I have a feeling you’ll be needing it.” I see her throat work as she swallows. Nothing has happened between us since that first night, but I’m feeling edgy. Now I’m thinking my original thought that it is a bad idea may be the best idea ever. And she may be the one to help with that. I reach for her packed bags and carry them downstairs, all while wearing a big ass grin on my face.
After another trip, we get her car packed, and I lock up the remaining shutters. Jade looks at the front door of her apartment with sad eyes. “Do you think it will be okay?”
“Since I helped with some of the renovating, I know she’s built to last. Plus, it helps that the bottom floor is just a garage, so you won’t have to worry about flooding. Let’s try not to get too excited just yet. I’ll follow you to Cal’s house.”
AFTER THE INITIAL girl screams at our reunion, we sorted out who was sleeping where in Dani and Logan's four-bedroom house. Once everything was settled, we had dinner, and instead of a movie, storm tracker entertained us on the big-screen TV. The weatherman informed us that the storm decided to slow down and was now projected to hit home in two to three days. Too many scenarios were in play. One, the storm would strengthen. Two, it could weaken, which would be the better of the two. Three, it could miss us but then circle back to hit us harder. Either way, Naples was taking a direct hit. Rather than stare at the television all night on day two, we decided a much better option was to go out and enjoy our time together. It's not often our group gets these moments. A little fun is in order before Hurricane Bethany comes to town.
We’ve been at the bar for almost an hour now. I’ve been stealing glances at Jeremy all night, but I feel like he’s avoiding me. Yet he’s the one who told me to wear this dress. Now, I’m feeling foolish because not only am I not wearing a bra, but I’m in danger of flashing everyone, and I’m not talking about a smile either.
Why is it that this man makes me do things I normally wouldn’t? Why does he make me want to do these crazy things? Most of all, why does being naughty and not wearing any underwear turn me on so much?
If I cross and uncross my legs one more time, someone is going to question me, and that someone is Lexi because she keeps squinting at me. I try to signal her back, but I don’t know the universal sign for I’m going commando.
The bartender comes over to me. “What’s your poison, sweetheart?”
I haven’t been drinking, but I think it’s time to rectify that situation. “A shot of tequila and a pineapple margarita.”
“Make that two,” Lexi adds. “It’s about time you join the rest of us.”
The rest of the girls all follow, placing their orders. Lexi makes her usual toast. “To Mother Nature, may she get laid tonight and get distracted enough to save the west coast.”
I quickly follow my shot with my drink, which is beyond delicious, so much that I’m ordering a second before I finish the first. It also helps me forget that I’m free flying tonight. I take out my little camera to start capturing some photos of all of us together. It’s been too long since we’ve had a night out, and I don’t want to forget these drunken moments. Ever.
“Let’s pick some music out,” Kat suggests.
All five of us girls head to the jukebox and pick a few songs. More like twenty or thirty, but who’s counting? By the time we finish, we’re all in need of a drink, and since the pineapple goodness in my hand keeps tasting better and better, I stick with it.
When our first song plays, we head to the dance floor while the guys stay back talking and drinking their beer or whiskey. I think they’ve kept an eye on the television storm tracker most of the time, but they occasionally look our way to check on us.
As I stand at the bar, I keep my distance from Jeremy. For some unknown reason, I want him to initiate this, not me. I want him to approach me or at least talk to me instead of a glance here and an eyebrow raise there. That's all he's been doing, and it's driving me insane. My body is on edge wanting him. No, not him, I correct myself. My body wants sex. Good sex. It wants the amazing sex it had at the hotel.
Suddenly, Josh is standing between me and my view.
“Here,” he says, slightly annoyed. He's been holding my phone for me all night since this dress has no pockets or a spare inch for me to tuck it anywhere. “For the past hour, my pants have been vibrating.”
I look down to twenty missed messages. My family checking on us, work checking on me, and the other twelve are from Jeremy. I look up at Josh, who is giving Jeremy the evil eye. “Did you read them?”
“I read one and decided I didn't need to see the rest. Don't worry, Jade. I'll keep your little secret. But do me a favor?”
“Yes.”
He leans closer to me so no one can hear. “Give it to him good. He's had a hard few months, and I think, if I understood that message right, this might be a good way to get him to wake up. Now go to the bathroom all the way at the end of the hall to the right. It's private for you to do a little light reading.”
“Private?”
“Yeah, the employee bathroom. Nice and big. The bartender said we could use it.” He looks up and winks at the second female bartender.
“What?”
“Just go.” He walks away, stops by Jeremy, and slaps him on the back.
I quickly drink the margarita I just ordered as I read one message. Screw drive her. I decide visiting the little girls’ room might be best to read the rest. As
I walk past Jeremy, I turn to look at him. There is no mistake this time; he's watching me.
When I get inside, the room is like no other bathroom I've seen in a bar. It's huge with a wall separating the toilet and a comfy chair. First things first, I quickly use the bathroom for its main purpose. After I wash and dry my hands, I look at the chair for a second and wonder if I should sanitize it before sitting down. It looks clean enough, but why is there a chair in a bar bathroom? I decide it's safer to stand.
As I scroll through, I flush with embarrassment wondering what message Josh actually read.
You wore the dress.
You look beautiful.
Scratch that, hot.
If I'm not mistaken, I don't see panty lines.
That upgrades you to edible
And no bra.
Fuck, I shouldn't have told you to wear that.
You’re not answering me again.
You know what I do when you don’t answer my text messages.
Meet me in the bathroom in ten.
Or else I’m coming for you.
Before I can even read the rest, there is a knock on the door. Actually, it was more of a quiet tap. If I hadn't blocked out the noise from the bar, I would have missed it. I unlock the door, cracking it open only enough to see who it is, but I already know it's Jeremy.
I take a step back as he walks in and locks the door behind him. When he turns around, he studies me, making me feel like I'm under a microscope.
“You look good tonight. Really fucking good, Foxy,” he says as he takes a step closer to me.
“Jeremy, we have to get back out there. I've been gone too long as it is.”
“I know. But this won't take long.” He has me pinned to the wall in four strides.
“I'm not having sex in here.”
“Oh, I know. It would take too long for me to do everything I want to, and everyone would get suspicious. God, you smell fucking good.”
I let out a little moan when he tilts my head to the side and inhales deeply. “Jeremy. Please don't start something we can't finish. I'm already feeling lightheaded from the drinks.”
“I just want to make sure I was right.”
His one hand starts moving lower, grazing over my nipple first, and if it's possible, they harden even more. A sensation runs through my body. Not a chill, but a feeling that my breasts are begging him to keep touching them, and I don't want this to end. It does, though, when his hand moves over my stomach and stops on the hem of my dress. His eyes focus on mine, and I want to kiss him. God, I want him to kiss me, but I blame it on the fact that I miss kissing even more since he reminded me how good it could be.
“Don't.” I'm not sure if I am saying this to him or to remind myself.
Jeremy doesn't kiss me, and I almost feel disappointed. His hand that is still on the side of my neck gives a slight squeeze. “I know, but I am going to touch you.”
The hand that has been gripping the bottom of my dress lifts the fabric, just enough that I'm exposed.
“Just as I thought—no fucking panties,” he rasps.
When his fingers brush against my lips, I almost come from just the slight touch. My legs move wider like a desperate woman because I am just that. “Do that again. Just once more.”
A smile spreads across his face, but my eyes close when he touches more of me this time. With the softest touch, his finger circles that one spot that can make me come undone in a minute. It feels so good that I moan.
“You like that?” he asks, but he knows the answer.
He knows exactly what he’s doing to me. All I can reply is a whispered, “Yes.”
A voice near the door breaks the trance. Quickly, I pull my dress down as Jeremy moves his hand away from me. The voice outside gets more distanced, but we know it's time to head back out. Jeremy raises his finger to his mouth and licks. “We'll finish this later.”
I nod my head as he walks out of the bathroom first. My skin is flushed, my breath is both coming fast and lodges in my throat at the same time, and I have to make a second trip into the stall to clean myself up. Thankfully, if anyone questions me, I can blame my pink cheeks on the alcohol.
I stay in the bathroom for no more than two minutes, but when I head back out, the girls grab me. They drag me back to the bar for a shot. It's the last one I'll have tonight because I want to be coherent for later. As I slam down the sweet liquor, Jeremy raises his water bottle to his lips. After he puts the container on the bar, he pulls his phone out, and seconds later, my phone goes off.
Every time I take a sip, I can smell you on me. For the first time, I can't wait to get away from everyone.
I debate whether I should reply. In the end, I do.
Me too. How much longer?
A smile forms on his lips when he replies.
Hopefully soon.
ANOTHER HOUR OF torture at the bar is how long it takes before everyone decides it's time to head home. Then another hour of hanging at the house before everyone decides to turn in. Josh and I have been sleeping on the sofas, and I was waiting for him to fall asleep, but he's been playing games on his phone, and it's pissing me off.
“So ... you and Jade?”
It takes a second to register what he just said. “What?”
“Screw drive her, man. That's lame. Want to tell me what's going on between you two?”
I don't have time to question how he knows what I texted her. “Nothing and I don't.”
“You mean to tell me you’re not about to go sneak in her room?”
“Shut it, Josh.”
“Just don't mess with her. She's a good girl.”
I start heading up the stairs but stop and turn back to face him. “Believe me, I know.”
He nods his head then goes back to his game.
I take the steps two at a time. When I reach the door to her room, I don't knock; I turn the knob and find it opens easily. Jade is standing by the window, looking out at the ocean in a t-shirt. A J&H shirt to be exact, and it does something to me. She looks even better wearing my shirt than she did in that sexy dress.
“It's amazing how different the water is here,” she says.
“It is,” I tell her as I wrap my arm around her waist.
She moves her hair over to her one shoulder, giving me access to her neck. I kiss it once. When she tilts her head, I figure this she likes, even with her no kissing rule. Which actually pisses me off. I plan to kiss every inch of her body and make her forget the damn rule.
The t-shirt is so big that it hangs off her shoulder, so I start there. I continue up her neck until I reach her ear. “I hope you kept those panties off. It will make things a hell of a lot easier.”
I suck on the tiny lobe of her ear, and her head falls back against me while her hand grips mine tightly. She sighs when she moves my hand under her shirt, and instantly, my dick gets hard as a rock in my sweats. Not only is she not wearing panties, but she's also wet—so wet that my fingers move easily along the seam of her lips. Her hand moves to grip my arm as I continue what was interrupted before.
I tap her leg with my foot to get her to spread for me. With my finger circling her clit, a moan falls from her mouth. This is only the second time I've touched her—well, technically, the third—but I can tell what turns her on. Some women like a firm hand when they are touched but not my Jade, though; she likes it when I barely touch and do it slowly. I dip my finger inside her to gather some of her wetness but return to her clit again. Her nails dig into my arms more and more with each movement of my finger. “I'm going to come.”
She bites her lips to cover her moans when her orgasm hits, and all I want to do is kiss her to swallow the sounds. Actually, I don't want to cover the sound at all; I want everyone in the damn house to hear us as I make her come from my touch.
I pick her limp body up and carry her to the bed. Before I lay her on the mattress, I stand her in front of me. We take turns peeling off our shirts, but it’s when she tugs on my sweats that I realiz
e my mistake.
“Fuck,” I say under my breath. My sweats are halfway to exposing me, but I stop her from pulling them any lower.
“What is it?” she asks me concerned.
“I don’t have protection, but I’m good. I’ll take care of you all night.” It’s the truth too. I could feast on her body for twenty-four hours and never get bored. I might get a case of blue balls from hell, but I can take care of myself eventually.
“Well, we can do other things, things I can do, but I have you covered.”
Before I can respond, she rubs my length in her palm, and that’s all I can think about. The way she’s touching me ends every coherent thought I have. When she lowers to her knees, taking my sweats down with her, I feel like I might have actually died and gone to heaven.
“Jade, you don’t have to do this,” I say as I cup her cheek in my hand. It’s true—she doesn’t have to—but I want her to with every fiber in me. I want to feel her lips surround me, her tongue to do things to me that no woman ever has while her hand strokes me at the same time.
“Sit,” she all but demands.
Like a dog, I do what she says. If she told me to beg, I probably would do that too. Hell, if she tells me to speak, I’m sure it would be in the form of a growl. Especially when she sticks out her tongue and swirls it around the head of my cock.
Fucking hell, that feels good.
When her lips close around the tip completely and suck, I have to bite my tongue when a series of curse words wants to come out. My hand instinctively curls in her hair and pulls. Maybe even pushes a little, but whatever I do, she seems to like it because Jade moans with me in her mouth. It sends a whole new vibration through my body.
Her fingers squeeze tight around the base of me while she starts bobbing her head up and down. Her hot mouth and soft lips against my hardness is the most amazing feeling ever. Then when she starts using her tongue at the same time, I feel like this could end too quickly on my part, so I try everything from counting to playing music in my head, but it doesn’t help. She’s just too good at what she’s doing.