Lake Magic

by Fisk, Kimberly

  Jared turned and walked away, ignoring Anna’s shocked expression.

  As always, the game was a blast and a blowout. Cody and all the kids (especially since he’d recruited several of his teammates) slaughtered the adults. The little pyros were celebrating winning the bet. They were setting off fireworks as fast as they could light them on the platform Jenny’s father had built years ago that hung out over the bank. Most of the parents were right there alongside their kids.

  With the fireworks lighting up the sky, Jenny escaped into the kitchen. The empty house was pure peace after the hectic day. Plus, she needed time to think.

  I’m no longer in the military. I resigned my commission.

  She’d refused to let herself read too much into Jared’s revelation. Instead, she’d thrown herself into her work. She’d funneled every bit of her energy into Blue Sky. She worked harder and longer than she ever had so that at night, when she crawled into bed, exhaustion would take over. But today, being here with Jared, watching him playing ball, play with Cody, mingle with their friends and neighbors, she couldn’t ignore what he had said any longer. And she also couldn’t ignore the fact that Jared hadn’t said anything about leaving in quite some time. Did that mean he wanted to stay?

  Just as she finished whipping up a blender full of margaritas, Anna walked into the kitchen.

  “You’re brave,” Jenny said, glad for the distraction. Her thoughts were leading her down a road better left unexplored. “Leaving Cody alone out there with all those fireworks.”

  “Jared’s with him.”

  Jenny tried not to react at hearing Jared’s name. “Men and explosives.” She shook her head and handed Anna a salt-rimmed glass. “You look like you could use this.”

  “Thanks.” Anna took the margarita like it was the Holy Grail. “I so need this.”

  “Yeah. Saw that slide into home. That has to be good for at least a double shot.”

  “Minimum.”

  Jenny laughed, poured herself a drink, and sat down next to her sister at the table.

  They were on their third margarita when Anna said, “I saw you standing by the open kitchen window. You heard what Jared said?”

  Jenny licked some salt off her lips. “Yeah. I did.”

  Anna grabbed the bottle of tequila and poured some straight into her margarita. “He’s right, you know. I haven’t been in the game of late. And I’m not just talking about today.”

  Jenny looked at her sister, not knowing quite what to say. She’d seen the hurt on Cody’s face but hadn’t stepped in. Anna had always seemed so in control, never taking a wrong step. But now, Jenny was seeing her sister in a new light. Anna struggled just like everyone else. “You’re a great mom with a lot on your plate. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once. Especially when you’re in the role of both mom and dad.”

  Anna swirled the slushy liquid in her glass. “Remember when I dropped Cody off last time, and you said you wondered how I managed everything? Well, I don’t. I haven’t been. My job became too important.” She let out a sigh and drained her glass. “I haven’t been there for my son, and I’m pretty sure the reason Phillip left is because I pushed him away.”

  “Have you called him?” Jenny asked softly.

  “Yes. No.” Anna stared at her empty glass. “We’ve talked. But not about this. Not about anything important.”

  “Maybe it’s time you did.”

  “What if . . .”

  “What if what?” Jenny prodded.

  Anna looked at Jenny, and for the first time she saw real fear in her sister’s eyes. “What if he doesn’t want me?”

  Jenny’s heart went out to her sister. “Of course he wants you. Phillip fell in love with you, proposed, and had a wedding all in less than six months.” Jenny couldn’t help thinking how her engagement had dragged on for six years.

  Anna got up and poured herself another margarita. “You should have just gotten knocked up like I did. Then you, too, would have had to have a hasty marriage.”

  Stunned, Jenny could only stare at her sister. Finally, she said. “Call him. Promise me.”

  Anna looked out the kitchen to where the fireworks were going off. “I will,” she said quietly. “And I’m going to make Cody’s playoff game, no matter the consequences at work.” She turned back to Jenny. “Now you have to make me a promise. Don’t let Jared go. It’s as plain to see as that hideous tattoo on Aunt Margaret’s boob that you love him.”

  Jenny was beginning to fear her sister was right.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Long after Anna, Cody, and the vast majority of the guests had left, Jenny wandered down to the beach. She hadn’t seen Jared, but then she hadn’t looked too hard for him either. Her mind kept tumbling back to her sister’s words. You love him. She’d wanted to tell Anna she had been wrong, Jenny hadn’t been foolish enough to fall in love with another flyboy, another man who would always want wings more than he would want her. But the denial had died on her tongue. And instead of leaving a bitter taste as she feared, all she could remember was how sweet he’d tasted when she’d kissed him and had run her open mouth along the outside of his neck.

  And he wasn’t a flyboy. Not any longer.

  “Hey, Cotton Tail.” So lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t heard him.

  He sat down beside her in the sand and handed her a plate of food. “You haven’t eaten all day.”

  It was true; she hadn’t. She wasn’t surprised he’d noticed. All day she’d felt his gaze on her, following her. Seeking her out.

  She stared at the plate of food and realized there was only one thing she was hungry for. But did she dare?

  “You’re not eating.”

  She set the plate off to the side. She could either grab at this chance for happiness or live like she had been, safely cocooned away. Right then she realized she didn’t want to live that way anymore. “This isn’t what I’m hungry for. I want . . .”

  Jared tipped her chin toward him. The warmth of his fingers reached all the way to her heart. “What?”

  One word. One word, and there was no going back. “You. I want you.”

  “Jenny.” His voice was husky with desire. He ran his thumb along her jaw then cupped the back of her neck.

  He pulled her clear off the sand as his mouth came down on hers. His kiss was like the fireworks, hot and brilliant, and it made her want to ahhh in wonderment. Somehow she ended up on his lap. Lust and longing coiled low in her stomach, and she returned his kiss with a fervor she hadn’t known she possessed. She wanted to touch him everywhere, run her hands across his shoulders, down his hard chest, and over his hard erection pressing into her leg. She tugged at the front of his T-shirt and pulled it loose from his jeans. Running her hands underneath, she felt hard muscles and hot man. But she wanted more. She reached around his waist, grabbed a handful of soft cotton, and tugged. His shirt came free, and she broke away from their kiss. “Off,” she said with a foreign boldness.

  With a low growl, he pulled her to her feet. Still holding on to her hand, he pulled her with him. She had to run to keep up. Then they were inside the Suburban and skidding out her parents’ driveway.

  Only the weak glow from the dash lights illuminated Jared’s profile. Seat belt be damned, she half sat/half straddled the console between them and ran her hand along his rough jaw. She brushed her hand across his lips and felt him kiss her palm. He grabbed her around her waist moments before they took a sharp turn. Gravel spewed underneath the car as they skidded to a stop.

  “You’re going to get a ticket,” she said, sliding even farther into his lap.

  “Ask me if I give a damn.” He wrenched his door open, and that’s when she realized they were already back at her place. It felt as if the drive had taken mere seconds.

  The steering wheel rubbed against her side, and he lifted her out of the SUV. He slammed the door shut with the bottom of his boot. Still carrying her, he headed for the house. His usual long, smooth strides were missing, and Jenny grabbed
on around his neck to keep herself steady. “I can walk.”

  He leaned down and gave her a kiss as he continued to walk. Their noses bumped. “And take the chance of you getting away? Not on your life.” And he meant it. He kept her in his arms as he unlocked the door. He took the stairs two at a time, and she had a moment of trepidation as they neared her bedroom door. Where? His room or hers? Her first flutter of panic started then settled to a little tingle when he headed straight for his room. His door was slightly ajar, and he used his shoulder to open it and then bumped it closed. He laid her on the bed as if she were made of porcelain.

  “God. You don’t know how many times I’ve envisioned you here, in my bed.”

  Her stomach clenched at his words, and her breathing grew short and choppy. He knelt down beside her, cupped her cheeks in the palms of his hands, and drew her up until his hot, insisting mouth found hers. She arched into him, wanting more, wanting it all. This time when she went to slip his T-shirt over his head, he didn’t stop her. Speechless, she stared at him. He was perfect. Beautiful. And then she did exactly what she’d wanted to earlier. She ran her hands across his rounded shoulders, down his chest. He was hard and muscular and warm to her touch.

  “Turnabout is fair play.” Before she knew it, Jared had her bikini top untied. He tossed it onto the floor. His blue eyes were all but liquid with desire as he took his time looking at her, like he’d been waiting for this moment forever, and now that it was here, he was going to savor every last drop. With the tip of his index finger, he drew a straight line from the hollow of her throat to her belly button. Her stomach contracted at the intimate caress, and all she could think was, More. Retracing his path, he dragged his finger back up and circled the outer fullness of her breast. She sucked in a breath of air, or she thought she did, but then she wasn’t sure, because she felt like all the oxygen had suddenly left the room. His warm palm settled on top of her breast, and she gasped. Desire turned her nipples hard and heated her blood until she thought she was going to burst into flames.

  She couldn’t wait any longer. Her hands went to the top button of his Levi’s, and she struggled to work them free. In one deft move, he popped them open. His hard erection jutted out against his white briefs, and she ran a hand down the soft cotton and hard shaft. He groaned, and that groan made her more brazen than she’d ever been. She sat up and pushed him back. She tugged at his jeans, but their position made it all but impossible. She rocked up onto her knees, and he followed suit. Kneeling on the bed, she pressed her breasts against his chest and skimmed her hands down along the hard planes of his back, the indentation of his spine, and under his briefs. She tugged and pulled again, then tipped her head up to look into his eyes. Raw, undiluted desire darkened their blue depths, while a smile played around the corners of his mouth. “Help,” was all she had to say, and he slipped out of his pants.

  He came back on the bed, completely naked and fully aroused. He knelt next to her again, and as he kissed her mouth, the side of her neck, the little hollow indentation at the base of her throat, he unsnapped her shorts but before he took them off, he slipped his hand into her panties and across the warm, slick skin between her thighs. At his touch, she came undone. She arched into him and held on for dear life. Wave after wave of sensation rolled through her, buckled her knees.

  His hand stilled. “Jenny?”

  Embarrassment flooded her. Just one touch. That’s all it had taken.

  His hand was still. Wetness dampened her underwear, seeped into the seam of her shorts. She knew he could feel it. She buried her head in the crook of his shoulder. He must think—

  “Jenny.”

  She looked up at him feeling completely gauche and self-conscious.

  “It’s only the first of many tonight, Cotton Tail.” And then with one kiss, he took all her fears away. He slid her shorts and underwear off, and soon she was naked beneath him. The weight of him felt so right on top of her. He reached to the nightstand, slipped a condom on, and then fitted himself between her thighs. He slid into her in one long, languid motion. She arched to meet him, found his rhythm, and matched it. As he slid in and out of her, pleasuring her in every way possible, he kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose, before settling his open mouth against hers in a kiss so full and deep, she knew she was about to lose it again. He quickened the pace, driving against her until they both climaxed. Jenny could have sworn she saw fireworks go off.

  Jenny came awake slowly as if from a dream. She lay in the bed, wondering what had woken her, then became aware of the man beside her.

  His breathing was slow and even. She knew he was asleep without even looking at him. Carefully, she eased away and got out of bed. She looked around for her clothes. She saw her bikini top but couldn’t find her shorts or underwear. She thought about going to her room and putting on her nightgown, but then she saw Jared’s T-shirt and slipped it on. The soft cotton fell to mid-thigh and engulfed her in his scent. She breathed in, and the memories of what she’d shared with him came flooding back.

  She walked over to the window. A crescent moon hung high in the dark sky. Jenny leaned forward and rested her overheated cheek against the cool glass. Her breathing didn’t betray her inner turmoil. But her heart was another matter entirely.

  She blew against the window until a small circle formed. In the haze she drew a heart with her fingertip and then the initial J +. Her hand paused. Always before it had been J + S, but now she left it blank.

  She closed her eyes and let the rush of memories fill her. She waited for the flood of guilt, of regret, but none of those emotions came. Instead, her body ached in a way that was as foreign as it was familiar. Even now, with the distance between them, she could still feel Jared’s hands, his mouth, his body claiming her. Longing pooled in the pit of her stomach, spiraled down, and left her with a need that defied description.

  Even with her eyes closed, she knew he was standing behind her.

  Slowly, she opened her eyes, and their gazes met in the window’s reflection. His warm breath cascaded over her hair, down the back of her neck. Goose bumps raised her skin. She looked at the fading heart she had drawn, the J she had written. Knowing Jared was still watching her she reached out and retraced the heart, the letter J. And after the plus sign, she placed another letter. Another J.

  Jared drew in a swift breath of air. “Jenny . . .”

  Just her name and her body remembered every intimate caress, every wanton exploration. She moved away from the window, keeping her eyes on his and her body near him. They were so close, she could feel his heat. She wanted him. Him. A part of her would always love Steven, but her heart was open to love again. To love Jared.

  With steady hands, she faced him and slipped the T-shirt over her head. She stood naked in front of him. Never before had she been so wantonly bold with a man, but before she could let her insecurities take hold, she leaned forward until their bodies fused. “I love you, Jared.”

  “Jenny,” he said again and this time her name was a rough growl of a caress. His arms came around her, and his mouth settled in the soft hollow of her neck, kissing her. Her nipples hardened in response. He wrapped her in his arms. His mouth claimed her, full of passion and possession.

  His firm hands gripped her bottom and pulled her tight against him. His erection thrust into her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck wanting him with an intensity that should frighten her but didn’t. He pulled her thighs up around his waist and carried her back to the bed they’d recently vacated.

  He positioned them so she was straddling his hips. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he said in a low voice.

  Her hot, wet body opened for him, ready and wanting. “Yes, I do. Because I feel it.”

  At the same moment he drove his hips up and plunged inside of her, a hoarse cry tore out from somewhere deep inside of him. As if he’d been holding that in forever.

  Her third climax of the night came hard and fast and simultaneously with his.

&
nbsp; Jenny woke early the next morning to find Jared staring at her. “Morning.”

  “About time you woke up.”

  She glanced at the clock and smiled. It wasn’t even six. He reached for her, but she scooted away, laughing at his frustrated expression. “Wait. I have a surprise for you.”

  He pressed the length of himself against her. “My surprise is bigger.”

  She melted right there, right in his arms. “Considerably.”

  Later—much later—she was in the kitchen making him a surprise breakfast, though it wasn’t much of a surprise any longer. The only way she’d been able to leave the bed was by telling him what she was up to. Even then, he hadn’t wanted to let her go. Not that she’d wanted to all that much either. But she’d made him promise to stay put. He’d made her promise to hurry.

  She’d already read the directions in her cookbook twice—determined not to screw up the waffles. She read them a third time and then began to make the batter. As she waited for the first one to cook, she put on a pot of coffee and tried to ignore the hollers coming from upstairs telling her to hurry up. She was going as fast as she could, and the adorable rat knew it.

  The first waffle was a complete disaster, the second a little crispy. But the third and fourth ones didn’t look too bad. Smiling, she put everything on a tray and headed back upstairs.

  “About time,” Jared said when she stepped through the door.

  She held up the tray, immensely proud of her cooking accomplishments. “I made all your favorites.”

  Naked, he got out of bed and took the tray from her. “You’re my favorite.” He set it on the dresser and pushed her down on the bed. He followed.

  “Breakfast,” Jenny began.

  “Can wait.”

  She grinned and ran her hand over his bare chest. “But aren’t you the one who keeps telling me breakfast is the most important meal of the day?”