“Not sure,” Elle replies curtly, “it’s a surprise.” She starts to walks towards me with a worried look on her face as if she’s expecting something unpleasant to happen. “Have you ever met Reed, Jace?”
“No, we’ve never met.” Jace frowns, offering his hand. “What’s your last name?”
“Austin.” I shake his hand thinking that’s a weird question. Why does it matter?
“You look familiar.” He squints, visibly trying to place where he knows me from and I get paranoid. I can’t let him get to me. He’s going to be a hard nut to crack, unlike his mom who was immediately impressed with me. “I’m good with faces, but you have me stumped.”
“Jace?” Their mother’s voice slips in. It raises one octave as trying to diffuse the situation that seems to be developing fast, while Elle shoots him a dirty look.
“Just making sure my sis is in good hands is all.” It’s not just that and we both know it. I glance at Jace and then at Elle, who is shooting a death glare at her brother, and smile.
When I glance back at him, he’s frowning, scratching his head still trying to figure out who I am, and it’s pissing me off. He locks eyes with me, and I know right away that shit just got a little complicated with her brother.
“Cut it out, Jace!” Elle retorts, shoving the sunscreen in her bag. She grabs my arm and pulls me towards the door. Her touch makes me forget all about Jace and the suspicious look he gives me.
“Nice to meet you both,” I say, attempting to be polite.
“Let’s go.” She snaps, glaring at her brother. “Bye, Mom. I’ll be home late.” She pulls me out the front door and down the sidewalk to my truck. “I’m sorry that Jace was so rude to you. Since my dad left and Jace has become the man of the house, he sometimes gets carried away. He’s also good friends with Cane.”
“I get it, trust me.” I nod reminded of my sister back home. Damn, our lives couldn’t be more similar. I know where he’s coming from. I’m the same way with my mom and sister. It never ends.
“Are you okay?” she asks her voice faltering. “I hope he didn’t rattle you,” she says, squeezing my arm.
“I’m fine” I smile, trying to reassure her. “I was just thinking how good you look today.” I lower my gaze. My eyes travel from her eyes then down to her mouth, and she smiles for me.
“Do you see something you like?” she asks coyly.
“Nope.” I stop her before I open the door to the truck and raise her chin so I can see her eyes. “I see something I love.”
She smiles, but a genuine sadness in her hazel eyes tears me apart. I don’t know what happened to her, but I want to know. I wish she would tell me. I take her in my arms, feeling her warm skin and her heart race. I quietly pull her away, open the door, and help her into the truck. For the next hour, we don’t speak another word. I know her mind is somewhere else. I want to talk to her, but I can’t. I hope that when she’s ready, she will. I’ll wait for her. I’m not going anywhere any time soon. I reach for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers letting her know that I’m here for her. I don’t want her to feel alone.
“I’m sorry for being so quiet.” She exhales in a rush as I pull the truck up and park. She looks reflective, with her brows gently creasing inward.
“That’s okay.” I smile over at her watching the frown slowly disappear from her sweet face. She looks so tiny to me. I take her hand, kiss it, and cup it to my cheek. “The rest of the day is going to be perfect.”
“Do you smell that? The ocean?” she whispers. I watch her smile at me as a light wind moves between us and sweeps loose hair across her face. I reach over and brush a few strands away. “I’m not going to ruin this day.” She breathes.
I pull her face closer to me and whisper in her ear, “I don’t think you can ruin anything.”
I found this place when I first got to Boston. I took a long drive one day with no direction in particular and ended up here in a quiet spot to think and try to figure out shit. I haven’t been back since and nothing has really changed in my life except meeting Elle. Apart from her, my old life still hangs around like remnants of a bad nightmare.
I pick a secluded area near a sand dune that shields us from most of the people on the beach. It gives us an unhindered view of the ocean and the option to do other things without interruption. Damn, my girl is fucking gorgeous. I hope she wants to be my girl. In my mind, she already is. Maybe I’m being a little selfish, but today I want her all to myself.
I can’t get the look in her eyes when we left her house out of my head. I want to know who or what hurt her so bad. What’s she scared of? I saw the pain when she lost Cane, but it was nothing like this. We all have something in our past. God knows, I have a lot of shit that I’m not proud of, shit that I wish had never happened because it never seems to go away. Feels like I’ve spent half of my fucking life picking up the slack for other people, especially my dad. That was too much responsibility for a kid, but I stayed focused for my mom and my sister.
I literally had the world in the palm of my hands over a year ago and then everything came tumbling down all around me like a fucking house of cards! All my hard work, everything that I built up, snapped, like the ACL in my damn knee. My future’s on hold until doc gives me the okay. But he hasn’t returned my call and it’s making me nervous, because he always calls me right back. I’ve got to stop over thinking. I just have to sit back and ride this out. I need some good news. My life is hanging on that one moment, for that one call, that one piece of good news.
“Reed?” Elle calls, pulling me out of my thoughts. I can’t ask for a better distraction from my bullshit. I will do anything for this girl standing in front of me in a black bikini with the salt water glistening on her amazing body and the sun setting behind her. Her body is my paradise. This is what I need, to be here with her.
“I think I’ll stay right here and enjoy the scenery.” I lace my hands behind my head. I am one lucky man to have her. “Have I told you how edible you look today?” She kneels down at the end of the towel and crawls seductively over me, water dripping from her body onto mine. I smell the ocean on her skin, and her eyes focus on me. The way she’s looking at me right now, I’m thinking she’s having similar thoughts. Thank you, Lord.
“You hungry?” She purrs, her thighs skimming my waist. Damn, she’s just made me hard.
“I’m starving.” I growl, aching for her perfect breasts and smooth thighs. I barely get the words out of my mouth when she slams her salty lips onto mine.
“So am I,” she murmurs as she pulls away, brushing her lips lightly over mine.
“You make waiting hard, among other things,” I smirk looking down at myself. She shoots me an enticing smile, pulling back as she stares at me with her hazel eyes. I can’t want her any more than I do right now.
“That’s the plan,” she replies in a sexy voice.
“I’m just glad you’re in a better mood,” I say, hoping that she wants to talk about what I saw earlier. I can’t shake what I saw in her eyes. I can’t get past it.
“Whatever happened to not ruining things?” She counters, as she sits back on her heels, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“I’m not.” Sitting up, I cup her cheek in my hand, ready to catch the tears if they fall. “It hurts me to see those gorgeous eyes of yours that way. If we’re going to be together, we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about anything.” She inhales deeply and closes her eyes. Her silence is heartbreaking.
“I can’t trust myself with you,” she whispers, folding her graceful hands in her lap
“What do you mean?” I say, tracing the line of her jaw. I lift her face to mine and absolutely fucking melt when she looks at me. “I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone else hurt you, I promise.”
“Be patient with me. I can’t even explain what I’m feeling right now. I do know one thing though; this isn’t a rebound for me.” She doesn’t break my gaze, her gorgeous eyes overflowing with passion mixed
with apprehension.
“I don’t care what I am to you. You rebound all you need to, and I’ll catch you.” I breathe, completely drawn to this girl. She’s owned me from the first time I laid eyes on her. “No matter what, we both get a chance, a second chance at something.”
“I don’t want to go too fast.” She breathes, looking out over the ocean as her hair whispers across her flawless skin. “I don’t want to hurt again, but I don’t want to make the mistake of walking away from something that feels perfect to me, right now.”
“We are more alike than you know. We can do this together.”
“I’m sorry to be like this.” She shakes her head dismissively and turns to look at me.
“No, I want to be here for you.” I crave her so badly, every pore in my body wants to save her, but I’m not going to do anything until she’s ready. I’m not in a rush anymore. I’ve found ‘the one’ and I’ll do whatever it takes to give her everything. “Come here.” I whisper. My heart breaks for her as she crawls up, and I cocoon her in my protective arms, not wanting anyone or anything to hurt her.
The waves crashing against the shore echo the smooth and steady sound of her breathing. Her body nestled languidly next to mine is simply a dream come true. The sun burns over the horizon, spreading across the sky like spilled honey. Looking across the white sand, I see that we’re alone; we have the world to ourselves. She presses her body even closer to mine, resting her arm across my shoulder as her lips faintly caress the tattoo on my chest. Her touch is like warm water washing over me. How could it be any better than this?
She turns effortlessly, wraps her legs around my waist, and laces her arms around my neck as she brushes her lips over mine. I don’t question what she’s doing because we both know we’ve wanted this to happen since the moment we met. I seize her hungry lips, dying to kiss her, and she opens up for me, moaning softly when my tongue enters her mouth. Her taste is intoxicating, an addiction with no cure. I need more of her. She lets out a soft exhale, kissing me deeply as she gently tugs at my hair. Pushing against me, she makes a noise deep in her throat that drives me insane. I’m finally going to do more than kiss her. This isn’t a damn dream or fantasy anymore. This is my reality.
I run my hands down her back and she shudders. Gazing at her amazing perfection, I press my body against hers. My hand glides down to her collarbone, then to her breast, stealing a shudder from her and she gently bites my lip. She slowly presses her hips into mine, gazing at me with such longing that I stop breathing as she moves over me suggestively. She brushes her hand over my cheek and smiles. Her breathing quickens with every kiss, every movement we share. The damn anticipation is agonizing. She pulls away and whispers in my ear, “I’m yours... now.”
“Is this what you want?” I ask, hoping the answer is yes. Hell, I need her answer to be yes. My lips curl in a smile as they brush over hers. I want her more than air. I want to feel her body under my touch every second of the day.
“Is this what you want?” She mocks, biting her lower lip. Her hands travel up my chest and around my back, pulling me closer to her. My body wants her in the worst way, but this isn’t how I pictured it with her. She deserves better than this. I want the first time to mean something for both of us. I pull my mouth away from her, probably the single most difficult thing I’ve done in all my life.
“Doll, you’re beautiful.” I smile over her mouth. “You’re probably gonna hate me for this, but I’m gonna have to break our deal again,” I whisper, reluctantly pulling away from her lips, noticing the lust in her eyes; I ache for her even more, wanting to take back my words.
“You’re being so mean to me.” She pouts and drops her hands from my chest. Why?” She coyly tilts her head to the side, her long brown hair gently caressing my chest.
“It’s so damn hard saying no to you. Twice.” I cringe. “But you deserve better than sex on a public beach.” I raise my head and look around. “I want everything to be right and not rushed. I promise it will be worth the wait for both of us.”
She scrunches her face, leans up, and pecks me on the lips. “How much longer do I have to wait?” She implores, sweeping her finger over my lip.
Begging—not good for my raging hard on. “Not long. I promise,” I answer, leaning in to kiss her. Damn, I promise. Cross my heart, hope to die.
“Okay.” She smiles, sweetly over my mouth.
“You’re amazing.” I kiss her softly, swallowing the emotion in my throat. Pulling back, I gaze into her hazel eyes, feeling such a powerful emotion for this girl. For the first time, I’m scared of what’s happening. She’s filling the void in my life that I’ve needed filled for so long. I’d never thought I’d be here, never thought I’d find her.
“Hey, you want to play some ball?” Tyler asks as I’m throwing my clothes in my backpack. Shaking my head, I stare at Tyler for a minute, trying to register what he just said. My mind is always gravitating to Elle, and the way that she affects me. Tommy would be laughing his ass off if he saw me like this.
“Sure, why not,” I reply reluctantly. “Just give me a minute to change and I’ll meet you out on the court.” I want to swing by and see Elle in the office. I know I shouldn’t because she’s too damn distracting, but hell if I can stay away from my doll. I don’t want to risk either one of us losing our jobs because of inappropriate behavior, unless she wants too. It happened once, but I can’t be too greedy.
“Cool. Bring your ‘A’ game, my friend.” He grabs a towel and his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder.
“All I got is ‘A’ game.” I chuckle. Wrapping my knee in a bandage, I’m thinking a little game of one-on-one won’t hurt and maybe the exercise will help with my knee.
“Good, I like some tough competition. See you out there.” He says, turning to leave.
“Hey?” I look up from bandaging my knee. I haven’t heard any gossip about what happened at the club with Elle and Cane, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t talking. Tyler kind of knows what’s up with Elle and me but it gets tricky because Cane and I were friends, and he saw us together on the fourth of July
“Yeah, what’s up?” He says, spinning around to look at me.
“What’s the deal with Cane?”
He laughs. “The douche fucked up twice and broke Elle’s heart, plain and simple.” He smirks, shaking his head. “Twice, man. That’s stupid.” His eyes are hard, and I know what that look is about. I saw how he acted the other night when Elle and I were together. He’s in bodyguard mode. “I haven’t talked to that idiot since that night. No need to after what he did to Elle.”
“Listen, man. You don’t have to worry about that with me. I won’t hurt her.” I counter wanting to make it clear to him that I’m not out to break her heart.
“I don’t know you that well, so all I can go on is what you tell me.” He frowns, rubbing his neck. I can tell he’s not enjoying the conversation or the idea that Elle is with me. “And Elle, well, she makes her own decisions. So...” He shrugs his shoulder and raises an eyebrow. “Weren’t you friends with Cane before all this shit?”
“We were, but I didn’t see Elle coming. It just happened.” I look down and lace up my sneakers. That’s a lie. I knew from that first night at the park, but nobody needs to know any more than what I tell them. He nods his head and doesn’t say another word about it because he knows exactly what I’m talking about.
The hot weather hasn’t let up. Even after five o’clock, the temperature is hovering in the nineties with no breeze. I head out to the court where Tyler’s shooting, and as luck would have it, Cane and Jace are playing one-on-one on another court. I’m sure he’s not in the mood to chat with me anytime soon. He only has himself to blame for what happened, and Jace just leaves a bad taste in my mouth altogether. I drop my bag on the court, pull off my t-shirt, and gesture to Tyler to throw me the ball as the sun beats down on the court.
“You ready to suffer defeat, my friend?” Tyler chuckles as he heaves the ball to me.
“Hmm... Dude, don’t sleep.” I laugh. Tyler steps to the foul line and I pass him the ball playing suffocating defense on him, but he dribbles around me. I spin as he takes it to the basket, bumping him hard as he throws the ball up and makes it in.
“That’s your ‘A’ game?” He laughs, dribbling the ball back up the foul line, swiping sweat off his forehead with his arm.
“Dude, just getting warmed up here.” He passes to me again, and I notice Cane walking up with a ball tucked under his arm and a hard, focused frown on his face. I’m thinking things are going to get heated real quickly. Tyler follows my gaze and smirks when he sees who it is. He straightens up, prepared to do battle with the guy who broke Elle’s heart.
“You guys want to play some two-on-two?” Cane glances at Tyler, and I see there’s no love lost there. I stay quiet, looking over at Tyler, leaving the decision up to him. It doesn’t matter to me either way. I acknowledge Jace with a nod. I’m just trying to figure out in my head the best way to keep Tyler and Cane separated on the court, because Cane has already man-upped on Tyler. This is gonna get ugly.
Tyler cuts around Cane, spins to the basket while Cane slams into his body. Tyler smirks and heads to the basket and lays it in. Jace covers me hard, but all the action is happening between Cane and Tyler. It’s really hard to give a shit about playing any defense.
“That’s all you got?” Tyler laughs mockingly as he retrieves the ball and dribbles to the foul line a couple feet away from where Cane’s positioned with his hands on his knees, just waiting to take the pass.
“I’m just taking it easy on you since you’re game is a little rusty,” He replies wryly, catching the ball that Tyler heaves in his chest for the next play. “You should stick to your fucking baseball.” He mocks, wiping the sweat from his brow with his arm.
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