by Devney Perry
“Sure.” I wasn’t really hungry but undoubtedly I’d eat a bowl or two. Popcorn was a requirement for movies in this house.
I tucked my phone into the pocket of my hoodie and stood from the table, taking the remaining silverware to the kitchen. The evenings were cooling down quickly now that it was almost September. I’d worn jeans tonight for dinner but had pulled on a pink, hooded pullover since I knew I’d be walking down to the bar. My days of wearing sundresses and sandals would soon come to an end for the six-plus long months of winter.
Jackson would be trading out the T-shirts he wore under his plaid shirts for long-sleeved thermals soon. I’d always loved watching his transition to warmer clothes and this year would be even better than most.
Instead of drooling over his broad chest under those thermals and wondering what his biceps looked like underneath his thick flannels, I’d already know.
Jackson hadn’t been fully naked in front of me yet, but things were progressing. I was becoming addicted to his hands and mouth on my body. Since that first time he’d made me orgasm, I’d been in a constant state of desperation, needing him just a little bit more and more.
As I walked into the kitchen with the dirty utensils, Mom smirked. “Thinking about him again?”
“Yeah.” I smiled.
“I remember those days.” She looked longingly down the hall where Dad had disappeared into the living room to get the movie started. “Oh heck, I still have days like that.”
“I’m glad.”
Their marriage was the one I wanted.
Mom and Dad hadn’t been able to have more kids because of Mom’s blood pressure during her pregnancy with me. She’d been willing to try, but Dad had refused. He hadn’t been willing to gamble with her life, because they were a pair. Two pieces to a whole. They didn’t just love each other, they were best friends.
I wanted that kind of devotion.
“I’m happy for you, sweetie.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I finished helping her with the dishes as she made the popcorn, then we joined Dad in the living room for a repeat viewing of his favorite Marvel movie.
By the time the Avengers were battling alien invaders, the popcorn bowl was empty except for some kernels, and I was stretched out on the chaise lounge, nearly asleep.
Between the chaos of the summer camp and the long nights with Jackson, I was worn out. So close to dreamland, I barely felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I shook myself awake on the third ring, scrambling to answer it before it stopped.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” Jackson asked in a panic.
“At home. What’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Thea?”
I sat up, a chill creeping up my neck. “No. Why?”
“Fuck,” he spat. In the background, beer bottles crashed as he threw them in the garbage. “We need to find her.”
“What’s going on? Is she okay? Is it Charlie?”
“Charlie’s fine. Thea went for a walk and we can’t get ahold of her. I guess there’s some shit going on with somebody emailing her threats. I don’t fucking know. But Hazel called worried and Thea’s not answering her phone. Now the cops are out looking for her.”
“What?” I gasped, slapping a hand over my pounding heart.
“Let’s go, guys. You gotta get out of here.” Jackson’s voice was muffled as he stifled the protests. He must be kicking people out of the bar.
I waited for him to come back on the line, sliding on my flip-flops that I’d kicked off earlier.
“I’ll call you later, babe. I’m trying to get this place closed so I can go help find Thea.” The fear in his voice terrified me. He’d never sounded scared before.
“I’ll come help.”
“No,” he snapped as more beer bottles crashed. “Stay home.”
“Jac—”
The phone went dead. When I pulled it away from my ear, Dad had paused the movie and both he and Mom were looking at me with worried eyes.
“I need to go.” I shot off the couch. “Something is happening with Thea, and Jackson is really worried. Someone has been threatening her and the cops are searching for her. I couldn’t really understand, but I should be there for him.”
“Okay, honey.” Dad stood too, following me down the hall and to the front door. “Let me walk you to the bar.”
I nodded, glad for his company. As he slid on his loafers, I stepped outside and looked up and down our street for any sign of Thea.
“Lock this, Betty,” Dad told Mom.
“I will.” She waited for him to join me on the sidewalk, then shut the door.
The walk to the bar was more of a sprint with Dad hot on my heels. I went right inside, passing two guys on their way out, with just enough time to see Jackson grabbing his keys from next to the cash register.
“Hey.”
He whipped around with an angry scowl. “What the fuck, Willa? I told you to stay home. You shouldn’t be out walking around by yourself.”
I pointed over my shoulder just as Dad came inside.
“Nate.” Jackson’s anger deflated. “Thanks for walking her down.”
“You bet.” Dad placed his hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to get back to your mom. Let me know if we can do anything.”
“Okay. Thanks, Dad.”
He kissed my cheek, then nodded good-bye to Jackson.
I unglued my feet from the door and hurried behind the bar, sliding my arms around Jackson’s waist.
He wrapped me up tight. “Sorry for snapping. I’m just worried.”
“It’s okay. What can I do?”
“Lock the front door.” He let me go and handed me his keys. “I need to put some food in the fridge, then we can go.”
As he disappeared into the kitchen, I locked up the front and swiped a few dirty glasses from a booth in the corner. When I got back to the kitchen, Jackson was practically throwing things in the refrigerator.
I helped him clear off the big prep table in the center of the room, then followed him as he marched out the back door. He took one of my hands and with the other called Hazel.
“Fuck. She’s not answering.”
“Let’s just go to her house.”
He nodded, his hand gripping mine even tighter as we changed direction to cross the highway.
Hazel and Thea’s cottage was nestled right against Flathead Lake. Most of the locals lived on my side of the highway, except for a few remaining homes like Hazel’s that had been there for sixty-plus years.
She could probably make millions if she sold her lot to a rich out-of-stater who wanted the lakefront property, but money wasn’t all that important to Hazel. I think she liked to wake up each morning to the sound of waves hitting their shoreline and have a beautiful view as she worked in her vegetable garden.
I’d make the same decision if I were in her shoes.
It didn’t take us long to reach Hazel’s cottage. Jackson normally held back his strides when we walked together, but tonight, I was practically jogging so he didn’t have to slow down.
The moment we turned down Hazel and Thea’s street, I spotted three sheriff’s cars parked in front of the cottage. Two deputies were standing in the center of the lawn while Hazel stood off to the side.
Jackson let go of my hand and ran right to her. The minute she saw him, she opened her arms and waited for him to rush into her embrace. I wasn’t sure who was holding who.
When I caught up, Jackson let Hazel go with one arm so he could tuck me into his free side.
“Any word?” Jackson asked.
Hazel nodded and looked over her shoulder. “She’s right there.”
The three of us awkwardly spun around to see Logan holding a shaken and pale Thea around the corner of the house. They were talking to Sheriff Magee.
Jackson’s entire body relaxed, his arm around my shoulders getting heavy as he sighed. “Thank fuck. She’s okay?”
Hazel nodded. “Someone came after her. I don’t know who or
why.”
“When did Logan get here?” I asked.
“Earlier tonight. He was the one who found her.”
Found her where? Who had threatened her? I held back my questions, hoping someone would offer us an explanation soon. Maybe Jackson already knew what was going on and he’d tell me later.
Sheriff Magee said something to Logan, then gave Thea a pat on the shoulder. The three of them ended their conversation and walked our way. The sheriff rounded up his deputies and they all loaded into their cruisers while Thea and Logan came toward us.
Logan was wearing suit pants and a starched white shirt, probably having come from a business meeting. But his suit jacket was missing, along with his usual collected presence. His dark hair had been raked back one too many times and the dark strands were askew. His face was nearly as pale as Thea’s.
She looked more frazzled than I’d ever seen her, her eyes wide and dazed. Her hands clung to Logan’s waist as she walked, but she forced a small smile as she looked at me and then Jackson.
“You okay?” Jackson asked, letting go of Hazel and me. He took one step forward and captured Thea in a hug.
“Not really.” She hugged Jackson for a few moments, then patted his back and he let her go. She went straight into Hazel’s arms. “We have to go down to the station and talk to them about everything. The sheriff asked us to keep names and specifics quiet until they get things under control. But the bottom line is I’m okay.”
“Okay.” Hazel nodded. “You go. I’ll be here with Charlie.”
“Thanks.” Thea rested her head on Hazel’s shoulder, then held out a hand for me. I took it immediately.
Jackson held out his hand to shake Logan’s. “Glad you made it back.”
“Me too.” Logan looked at Thea. “Just in time.”
“Thanks.” Jackson’s voice cracked as he looked at Thea too. “Thanks for getting to her.”
Logan nodded. “I’ve got them covered.”
“Yeah, you do.” Jackson let go of Logan’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “Sorry it took me so long to figure that out.”
At Jackson’s apology, Thea’s hand squeezed mine and we shared a look.
It was no secret that Jackson and Logan hadn’t been fast friends. From the moment he’d come to Lark Cove, Logan had been trying to win Thea, and Jackson had stood in the way, acting as the protector for the only family he’d ever known.
But over the last week, something had changed. Jackson had stopped grumbling and griping about Logan. I think he’d realized that the best thing for Thea and Charlie was Logan. And above all else, Jackson just wanted them to be happy.
“We better get down to the station,” Logan said. Thea nodded and reluctantly let go of my hand. Hazel reluctantly let go of Thea.
“Call me as soon as you can,” Jackson told Thea. “I want details.”
“I will.” She nodded, then looked at Hazel. “We’ll be home in a bit.”
“Take your time.” Hazel waved as Thea and Logan walked to her car. As they drove away, Hazel blew out a long breath. “I’d better check to make sure Charlie slept through the chaos.”
“Do you want me to stay?” Jackson asked.
She shook her head. “No. You take Willa home and get some rest. We’ll get all the details tomorrow.”
Jackson nodded and walked her to the door. Before Hazel disappeared inside, they hugged again. She whispered something into his ear, then patted his cheek and vanished inside.
“Let’s get you home, babe.” Jackson took my hand and led me home, this time walking at our normal pace.
We made our way through town in silence and I texted Dad to let him know Thea was fine. Or she would be—Logan would see to that.
As we walked up the driveway toward my garage, Mom poked her head out of the living room window. She gave me a short wave, then shut off the lights.
At my staircase, Jackson went up first to open the door. His fists were clenched as he stepped inside, as if he were expecting someone to be in there.
“Lock up from now on,” he ordered, flipping on the lights.
“Okay.” I nodded. Whatever had happened tonight had freaked him out, and I bet as we all learned the details, it would freak me out too. If Jackson hadn’t insisted on me locking my door, I was sure Dad would have anyway.
I closed the door and flipped the lock. The second I turned back to the room, Jackson pulled me into his arms to breathe in my hair.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist.
He shook his head. “She’s okay. That’s all that matters. We’ll get the rest figured out tomorrow.”
“Would you like something to drink? I have a couple of beers left over from dinner the other night.”
“No, I should go. I’m all keyed up.”
“You can stay.” I ran my hands up and down his back.
He groaned into my hair as my hands disappeared into the back pockets of his jeans. When I dug my fingertips into those incredible, rounded muscles, he hissed and stepped back, forcing my hands away.
Jackson ran a hand over his stubble. “I don’t have it in me to stop tonight, Willa.”
I stepped closer. The adrenaline from the evening had me on edge and I needed to be close to Jackson. “What if I don’t want you to stop?”
“No.” He stepped back again, his head getting closer to the ceiling. “We should plan a special night in a hotel. I’ll get candles and flowers or whatever else you want. I just . . . I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
“That’s impossible.”
He shook his head. “You’ve built me up in your head into something great. I’m not.”
Why couldn’t he see what I saw? He was a wonderful man with flaws. I wasn’t blind. He wasn’t perfect.
But he was perfect for me.
I stepped right into his space, taking his face in my hands and tipping it down so I had his full attention. “I haven’t built you up into anything, Jackson. I just see you for the greatness you already are. I don’t need candles or flowers or a fancy hotel room.”
“You deserve special.”
“Yes, I do,” I declared. “And no matter where it happens, it will be. This is already going to be one of the most special experiences of my life, simply because it’s with you.”
Fuck. How was I supposed to resist her?
Never had a woman stared at me the way Willa did. She looked at me like I was a king. The adoration in her eyes had nothing to do with my face or body. She saw straight to my center, and it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
“You’re sure?”
A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I’m sure.”
Planning a special night at a hotel was ancient history now. Thea’s ordeal tonight had scared me enough to abandon those plans. Why hold off the good moments when bad ones were around every corner?
And if Willa wanted me here, in her own bed, then tonight was good enough for me.
I crushed my lips down on hers, swallowing her yelp of surprise. She must have been expecting me to put up more of a fight.
But what she couldn’t know was that I’d been fighting this for weeks. I didn’t have the strength to wait any longer. There was only so much a guy could take and she’d worn my resolve thinner than my threadbare T-shirt—the one she was tugging out of my jeans as my tongue devoured her mouth.
I groaned as she pressed in closer, her stomach pressing against my throbbing dick.
Her hands slipped between us, going right for the button on my jeans. The shyness she’d had with me on our first date had disappeared over the last couple of weeks. She’d grown bolder, more comfortable with my hands on her body.
When she came, she made the hottest damn noises I’d ever heard. She didn’t hold back her moans or stifle her cries. Hell, two nights ago when I’d gone down on her, I’d thought for sure she’d wake up the whole neighborhood.
It had taken every bit of willpower not
to sink into her tight, wet heat. Tonight, I wouldn’t have to pull back. I wouldn’t have to walk home with an aching cock just to get myself off in the shower as I imagined how Willa’s pussy felt around me.
Tonight, I’d make this good for the both of us.
She worked the button free on my jeans and went for the zipper, but before she could pull it down, I reached between us and captured her hands, breaking off our kiss.
“What?” she panted. Her eyes were hooded as she looked up at me, confused. “I thought—”
“In a minute.” I dropped my forehead to hers. “I don’t want to rush through it.”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded, her cheeks flushed and her lips a shade darker than their normal pink. She worried the bottom one between her teeth.
Willa may have grown bolder when it came to our physical activities, but perhaps she was getting too deep in unfamiliar waters. I wanted her in control of how fast we took things, and there was no doubt she wanted all of me tonight. But there was also no doubt she was ready for me to take the helm.
“I, um . . .” She trailed off as she walked over to the end table next to her bed. Just the sight of her next to her mattress made me weak.
Don’t fuck this up. Do not fuck this up.
I had one shot to make this experience special for her.
I wasn’t going to fuck it up.
She turned to face me with a shy smile on her mouth. From the nightstand, she lifted out a box of condoms. “I bought these.”
Damn it. I should have told her I’d already taken care of the condoms. Buying them couldn’t have been easy for her. I crossed over into her bedroom and took the box from her hands, tossing it onto the bed behind her.
“I want to talk to you about something.”
Her forehead creased. “What?”
“I want this to feel good for you.” I ran my knuckles over her cheek. “Don’t feel pressured to say yes, but I got tested a couple of weeks ago. I’m clean. And I’ve never not used a condom. So if you’re okay with it, then I don’t want anything between us.”
She nodded fast. “I’m on the pill.”
“I know.” I grinned. “I kind of snooped in your bathroom one night.”