“What did she try to do that forced you to push her away?”
“She tried to lean into me, and I pushed her right back away. It upset her, and she threw my keys.”
“So, she came on to you?”
“Yeah, baby, she did. Did that movie star flirt with you?”
“You were drunk, Jace.”
“Did you drink when you were with Hunter Daniels?”
She mutters, “Yes.” I already knew the answer because she told me she got drunk.
“You stayed the night at his house. Do you know what went through my mind waiting on your doorstep all night?”
“I’m sorry. I never touched him. Except that one night, that, yes, I was drinking and he did come on to me, he’s been a perfect gentleman. He knows how much I love you, and I would never let him touch me.”
“And, I would have never touched her. I kind of promised myself to this girl a long time ago. I might have broken promises, but that one I will never break.” She turns her head to the side and squeezes her eyes shut. “Shay, I would never break the special bond we have, ever.”
“She is pretty,” she says, dragging her index finger along my waist just above the towel, causing goosebumps to form on my skin.
“I never paid attention. I’ve only ever seen one girl.”
“Don’t be silly. You saw her.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She runs her hands on my forearms. “My boy has the sexiest body,” she declares through her long, dark eyelashes and soft voice.
“Get out of those clothes.”
“I thought we have to get on the road.”
“We do, but now I have to be inside you.”
She sits up, takes her top off, then lifts her perfect hips off the bed while I pull her jeans down and take off her boots. “Jace, your parents will hear us.”
“Just put that pretty pout on my neck. I’ll be quick. I need you right now.” She giggles and pulls my towel off. “Tell me who you belong to.”
“I belong to you,” she whispers, holding my gaze lovingly.
“And I belong to you, baby, so don’t ever let someone make you question that again.”
“I’ve never questioned that. The thing that scares me the most is you almost driving drunk. You could have killed yourself, and what do you think that would have done to me?”
“I don’t want to think about that,” I say softly as I push into her. “Just think about your sexy boy inside you and loving you.”
She pulls my hair back, and I close my eyes as we quietly make love in the middle of the day with my parents in the other room. Shay starts to tighten, and, damn, we make the sweetest love. It’s so fucking good every single time we touch, completely in sync, made to love each other. As her mouth meets mine, a light knock on the door breaks our kiss. Shay moans my name, and I start to see stars, but I reach up and hold my hand over her mouth to quiet her.
“Be there in a minute,” I say breathlessly as Shay giggles into my hand. I hear Grace walk back down the hall, and I fall on top of Shay, riding out my orgasm that was ripping through me with Grace’s damn knocks on the door. “Baby, you were going to give us away,” I tell her, removing my hand from her mouth.
“I can’t help it. When you love me slowly, you make me crazy.” She giggles some more. I lean down and kiss her swollen lips.
“I love making you crazy.” I lift up off her. “Now you can officially say your boy let go and was reckless.”
“Yup, you were young and reckless then, my reckless boy,” she teases.
“Hey, you got me to your bedroom that day, and I showed you a little reckless in your room. If your dad had come home and caught me in your room with my fingers in your bathing suit bottoms, he would have killed me. I was brave for going into your room.”
“My parents weren’t even home.”
“He could have gotten home while I was giving you your first orgasm, and you wouldn’t have known because you were too busy getting off.”
“Jace!” she says, making me laugh.
“I love getting you off.” She rolls her eyes. “Don’t move.” Putting on a pair of pants, I walk into the bathroom and run a washcloth under warm water and then head back out and clean up my girl.
“I should shower.”
“No time. I want to get us on the road.”
“Okay.”
Thirty minutes later, and practically dragging Shay away from Grace and Jason, we say our goodbyes and get on the road.
PERFECT SEXY BOY GRIN
“SO, WAS HIS DAD HOT?”
“Jules! Quiet or you’re going to wake Jace up,” I whisper. She rolls her eyes.
“Well, was he?”
“I’ll just say my boy has incredible genes, and we are destined for some really pretty babies.”
“Okay, so ‘long-lost dad’ is a hottie?” She air quotes.
“If you think my boy is a hottie, you’ll think his dad is good-looking, because they look exactly alike.”
“They look that much alike?” she asks. I nod, smiling.
“Who’s my girl saying is good-looking?” We hear behind us. Turning around, Jules and I giggle as a shirtless boy makes his way out of the hallway. He runs both hands through his messy jet-black hair.
“Why couldn’t you have had a long-lost brother?” Jules says, looking at my sexy boy.
“Who knows, maybe I do,” he responds, laughing. “My whole family dynamics has been worthy of the big screen.”
“Aw, I think your family is perfect,” I tell him.
“It’s perfect because of you.” He leans down and kisses my lips. “Good morning, baby,” he whispers.
“Good morning, sleep boy,” I counter. He smiles, and his eyes slide to Jules.
“Hey, Jules.”
“Hey, jailbird.”
“Don’t call him that, Jules.”
“Did you get enough sleep?” I ask him, pushing his hair back.
“In that warm, soft bed with your scent all around me? Like a baby.”
“Oh my God, Jace, seriously, do you ever have an off day?” Jules asks.
“What do you mean ‘an off day’?”
“You’re always so swoony.”
“Do you see how pretty my girl is?”
“Shay is the sweetest girl ever,” Jules say, rolling her eyes playfully.
“Then you see why I wouldn’t ever have an off day. With that girl loving me, how could I have an off day?” He goes into the kitchen, and Jules turns to me.
“Not normal, Shay. Not normal at all.”
“He’s my kind of normal.”
“Yes, and I hope you know how lucky you are because guys that look like that don’t normally have eyes for one girl,” she whispers with her hand blocking her mouth so Jace can’t see what she’s saying.
“I know that, but you know, Jules, I think Beau would only have eyes for the right girl,” I say. She scrunches her face up.
“Your brother has been with many girls, I’m sure of it, and there is no way he would be a faithful guy like Jace.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“You’re so mean to my brother.”
“No, I’m not. And, just the fact he’s seen me practically naked makes me cringe.”
“Like I said, it’s no different than when you’re prancing around in a bikini in front of him.”
“It’s totally different, Shay.”
“Not really.”
“So, do you girls have plans you need to get rid of me for?” Jace says with a bottle of water in his hand.
“No plans, cute boy,” I answer him.
“Just checking. Since we got back too late for a beach day, I’d really like to get wet with my girl.”
“Get wet with your girl? You need to stop talking like that, Jace!” Jules yells dramatically.
I laugh, and Jace rolls his eyes, walking back over to us. He rubs his hands up and down his bare chest and says, “I’m going to shower, t
hen I need to meet up with Landon for a little bit. Pack our beach bag. When I get back, I’m going to be ready to get wet with you.” He slides his eyes back to Jules with a raise of his eyebrows.
“What do you and Landon have to do?”
He grins that perfect sexy boy grin. “Just some guy stuff.”
“What guy stuff?”
“I need my swim trunks, so I’m going to get my stuff from his house. How am I going to make my girl love notes if all my pink paper is at his house?” I smile brightly.
“You want me to get my pink paper, don’t you?” I shake my head quickly. He chuckles, pressing a big wet kiss to my lips.
I’M THE LUCKY ONE
“SO, YOU REALLY ARE going to do it?” Landon says, scratching the back of his neck.
“Hell yeah, I am.”
“I can remember when you first met her. You used to watch the clock tick on the wall during class, and as soon as that bell rang, you were running out, catching the city bus in front of the school to get to the center to see her. That was only a few years ago.”
“Yeah, things changed once Shay got her license, and I got my bike.”
“You guys are so young, bro. Why don’t you wait a few more years at least?”
“For what? What am I waiting for? We’re already living together, and I don’t want to play house. I want Shay to have my name.”
“It just seems nowadays people get married when they’re a lot older, like at least in their thirties.”
“Thirties? I’m not waiting until I’m in my fucking thirties to marry my girl.”
“Damn, Jace, you just always knew Shay was it for you, didn’t you?”
“From the second I saw her. I feel like I’ve already waited forever to have her officially be mine, and I don’t want to wait.”
“They say when you know, you just know, and you’ve known since before your damn balls dropped she was it for you. So you’re right. Why the hell should you wait?” Landon says, looking down into the jewelry case.
“Hey, just for the record, I’m pretty sure my balls dropped when I was thirteen.” I slide a sly smile to him.
“I don’t know, Jace. You were still a little kid when you met her.”
“There’s never been anything little about me, man.”
Landon laughs, and I grab myself. “But, you might be right. I was still a kid, but I swear the second I walked up to Shay, I’m pretty sure my balls dropped right then and there. My heart, my soul, right along with my body, claimed her at that moment.”
He laughs, but then gets serious. “I just want you to know—what you and Shay went through over the last year, most couples our age would have failed. They would have broken up, and I hope one day if I ever find someone, she will stand by me like Shay has always done with you.” He pats my back. “I can’t believe we are picking out an engagement ring right now.” He gives me one more hit to my back. “Do you even have enough money for one of these? They look expensive.”
“I have a pocket full of cash my dad gave me when I was in Oregon. I didn’t want to take it, but he wanted me to have money, and seeing as I’ve spent the last year in prison, I didn’t want to be stubborn about it. I plan on paying him back once we sign on to work on this soundtrack.” I look down into the display case with nothing but diamonds sparklingly back at me. What should overwhelm me doesn’t. I know exactly which one I want on Shay’s finger the second I see it.
“May I show you one in particular?” the lady asks. I look up, and she smiles with bright pink lips.
“Can you show me this one right there?” I say, pointing to the simple diamond band. She takes it out of the case and sets it onto the glass.
“That’s pretty,” Landon says next to me as I pick up the ring and hold it between my fingers. I see the price, but it doesn’t matter. I want it, and I have enough to get it.
“Yeah, it’s perfect, just like Shay.” Nothing but diamonds surrounding the band, it looks pretty, dainty, and simple like my girl, and I don’t need to look any further. Just like the moment I saw her, I never needed to look beyond her pretty face. “I’ll take it,” I tell bright pink lips as she watches me study it on my finger.
“How exciting! You’re getting engaged?” She grins.
“Yes.”
“Well, congratulations. She’s a lucky girl.”
I place it in her hand and smile. “I’m the lucky one.”
One more stop, and I’m ready to get on one knee.
ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITES
I STAND OVER A stack of bread, peanut butter, and jelly, and I can’t help but start to cry. The door swings open, and my boy walks inside the house with bags in hand. “Baby, you know I want you to always lock the door,” he says, walking into the kitchen. He sees my tears and sets his bags down and comes over to me. “Why are you crying?”
I take a finger full of peanut butter out of the jar and put it on his lips. He smiles and darts his tongue out of his mouth and licks it off.
“God, I’ve missed my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” he says, pressing his favorite against my lips. “Why the tears?”
“I missed making these for you when you were in prison.”
“No more tears. Now you need to stock the kitchen full of my favorite to make me every day.” I bite my lip, and he mouths with the sweetest face, “Every day, baby.” Then he says, “Let me watch you make me all that heart-shaped goodness.” He puts his elbows on the counter as those pale blue eyes glance up to mine. I spread peanut butter onto the bread, and then spread the jelly onto the other slice. He hands me the heart cookie cutter he bought me on my eighteenth birthday, and I put it over the bread, push down, and make the perfect heart. “I lived for these sandwiches when you used to make them for me. This right here…” he says, picking it up and taking a big bite.
“Hey!”
“Sorry, I’m hungry. Make me two.” He takes another bite and sets it back down. “You and these sandwiches will always be my favorites.” He kisses my nose, then leans down and grabs his bags. “I’m going to change into my swim trunks. Do you have our beach bag ready?”
“Yeah, I was just making our lunch.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” With one hand, he pulls his T-shirt over his head, showing me his sexy back.
SWEET SIXTEEN DREAMS
SUNSHINE WARMS COOL water as sun-kissed legs wrap tightly around my waist. “This is the best day ever,” Shay says.
“Every day is the best day ever to you.” I chuckle, moving her wet strands off her pretty face.
“I love our beach days.”
“I know you do,” I say, twirling her around through the water.
“One day I hope we live at the beach.”
“I guess we have a lot of songs to write to do that,” I tell her.
“That’s okay. As long as we can spend our days like this writing them, I don’t mind.” She hugs me tighter. “I love you, Jace.”
“I love you, Shay, so much.” I feel her lips shiver against my wet skin. “Do you want to get out of the water?”
“Not yet,” she answers. I smile as she places a kiss on my shoulder. “Do you remember my sixteenth birthday when we did this?”
“I’ve never forgotten one moment we’ve shared. I run my hands down her bikini bottoms and cup her bare butt, giving her a squeeze. “Like this, right?”
“Yes, just like that.”
“I wanted to push your bottoms over and sink right into you,” I say with a playful grin. The water rushes between us just like it did back then, and she rubs against me like I remember.
“Do you want what you couldn’t have back then?”
“Are you going to give me what I wanted?”
She nods, relaxing her hold on my neck as her cold lips find mine. Nothing’s cold between us right now as my body heats up from her simple touch. I pull her bottoms to the side and slip right into her. We both moan and laugh. With the waves rolling around us, and trying to keep my footing, my girl does mo
st the work. She doesn’t have to work hard, though, because all I can think about is being right here in this very spot, my body begging to become one with her. I’m not going to lie; I picture that thorn in my side who wanted nothing more than to take away what was mine. I grab her ass and push her hard onto me.
“I love you. Crash into me, just like you wanted to back then,” passes through her lips. I crash into my girl, pulling her down hard and finding her lips while she slowly rolls us into shore.
Did I mention I’m really glad I went to the community center that day so long ago? Well, I am. I’m so fucking happy. With sweet sixteen dreams finally coming true, I pick Shay up and run her over to our blanket and get ready for our first sunset in over a year.
A HAND TO HOLD
SUNSETS COOL BRIGHT pink and orange skies, and with love wrapped tightly around me, I wiggle my pink toes in the warm sand.
“When did you know you really loved me?” Jace asks. I turn my face to his and look into his eyes.
“I’ve always told you—from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Well, yeah, I know I was the cutest boy you ever saw, then you went home and told Jules about me. But, after that when we got to know each other, what did you love about me?” He kisses my nose. I squint my eyes at him, giving him some sass.
“Why are you asking me that question?”
He looks out into the ocean and smiles. “I just want to know.” Then he looks back at me. “I never had anything to offer you but a hand to hold.”
As soon as he says that, I start to cry. “You offered me the best hand ever to hold, Jace, and I only cared about how you made me feel inside. Just the touch of that hand…” I say as I grab his hand. “Nothing could ever make me feel as good as you holding onto me.”
“I want you to always hold on to me. Please don’t ever let go of my hand.”
“Never,” I say.
“I promise you, I will never do anything that would ever take my hand out of
yours again. I thought I would die when I was put in that cop car and taken away from
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