Tyed to You

by Jordyn McKenzie

  Jasmine blushed and turned her gaze away from Ty. “He thinks you have…feelings for me. I told him he was clearly mistaken, of course.”

  “And why would you tell him that?” Ty raised an eyebrow, almost as though in challenge.

  “Because you don’t.” Jasmine paused. “You, uh, you don’t… Do you?”

  “What if I did?”

  “Oh, come on, you’re yanking my chain.” Jasmine hadn’t thought it was possible to blush any more than she had been already, but her face felt even hotter than it had before.

  Ty lowered his face, touching his forehead to hers. “What if I told you that I have been dying to hold you in my arms like this since the moment I saw you this afternoon?”

  Jasmine laughed self-deprecatingly. “I’d say that you were full of shit. Seriously, you can stop teasing now. Or at least wait until we’re back on the boat so your friends can get in on the joke.” Speaking of which, Freddie was taking an awful long time circling around to pick them up.

  “Joke? Seriously? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what happened in the garage that summer you and Laurel graduated college. I know you were a little drunk, but I thought you’d at least remember.”

  “Of course I remember!” Jasmine snapped. “I felt awful about it. You weren’t even of age!”

  “It was one of the best nights of my life,” Ty said quietly. “I didn’t realise you regretted it.”

  Jasmine was shocked to see that he actually looked hurt. “Oh, Ty, that’s not what I meant!” She lamented. “It’s just that…I’ve felt so bad for taking advantage of you. You were too young. Drunk or not, I should have known better.”

  “You didn’t take advantage of me, Jasmine. If anything, I took advantage of you. I’d only had a couple beers that night, and I found a prime opportunity to kiss the girl I’d been dreaming of kissing since I entered puberty.” He angled his head to rub his nose lightly across her nose. The intimate gesture reawakened the butterflies in Jasmine’s stomach. “I’ve been dying for another opportunity ever since.”

  Jasmine was so close to angling her head just a little more to the right, his lips were so close to hers, but that was when the sound of the boat’s engine grew closer. She attempted to pull away, but his arms were still locked around her waist. “This conversation isn’t over, Jasmine. I know you feel it too, and I’m not letting you run away this time.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Jasmine said.

  “I’ve never been more serious in my life,” replied Ty. He turned to address his friends who’d, finally, reached them with the boat. “Jesus, did you guys take the scenic route or what?”

  “You two looked as though you were having a rather intense conversation, we didn’t want to interrupt.” Freddie smirked. Jasmine glared at him, as he continued, “It’s a shame I wasn’t given an opportunity to place a bet on what the subject of that discussion was. I’m pretty sure I’d have come out ahead on that one.”

  Chapter Three

  They stayed out on the water for a few more laps, each of the guys taking one more turn on the wakeboard before heading back to the dock. Jasmine remained mostly quiet for the rest of the ride, and after a warning shake of the head from Tyson, his friends left her alone.

  Once the boat was moored, Jasmine hurried to disembark, nearly losing her footing on the slick edge. This time it was Freddie who caught her, holding on to her a moment longer to urge, “Give him a chance, okay? Everyone sees the chemistry between the two of you. Don’t let a few years’ age difference kill the shot at something that could be really cool.”

  Jasmine just gave him a brisk nod of acknowledgement then quickly went inside the house.

  Laurel called out at the sound of the sliding glass door opening and closing. “You guys have fun?”

  Jasmine found her lounging on the couch with a book. “I need to talk to you.”

  Laurel’s smile quickly changed to a look of concern. “Uh-oh, what happened?”

  Jasmine shook her head. “Not here, the guys are coming in and I need to talk to you alone.”

  “Okay…how about the guest room?” At Jasmine’s nod, she stood and followed her to the room and shut the door behind her. “What’s going on?”

  Jasmine took a deep breath. “We’ve never really talked about it, and for that I’m grateful, but I need to talk to you about it now, because…well…”

  “Is this about you and my brother?”

  “Yeah, I’m…” Jasmine swallowed, trying to choose her words carefully. “I’m sorry, Laurel. I know it puts you in an awkward place, and maybe I shouldn’t have come. Tyson just told me something I didn’t quite expect and I’m not sure how to react.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Laurel murmured.

  “Laurel, I’m sorry. I know this must be awkward for you…”

  “He finally told you how he felt,” Laurel interrupted. “I really didn’t think he’d have the guts to do it, but he did. Wait, you’re really freaking out about this, aren’t you? I thought you liked Ty.”

  Jasmine was dumbstruck. “I…of course I’m freaking out! How does this not bother you? It’s so…inappropriate.”

  Laurel waved off her rebuttal impatiently. “You’re attracted to him, aren’t you? I thought for sure you had feelings for him too. God, he’ll be so mad at me! I encouraged him to go for it, what with your being single again and all.”

  “You what? You encouraged him!”

  “Jasmine, my brother has been in love with you since he was fifteen years old. And, granted, the night I caught you two in the garage after college was probably a little premature for him to try to pursue you, but he has never given up hope. Why do you think he didn’t come to your wedding?”

  “He was in college. I just thought he was too busy to come.”

  Laurel shook her head. “He was crushed. He couldn’t bear to watch the girl of his dreams marry some other guy. Look, I know it’s a little weird for you, and you were so embarrassed by what happened that night, but honestly, I’ve known for a long time that at least part of you has held a special interest for my brother. And I’m more than okay with that. I don’t know anyone I’d trust more with his heart.”

  Jasmine sat down on the bed. “Wow. I don’t know what to think. I certainly wasn’t expecting any of this. Wait, is that why you asked me to come?”

  Laurel had the grace to look marginally guilty. “Can you blame me for wanting to see two people I care about very much realise their potential together?”

  “Laurel, he’s just barely out of school. I’m sure he’s not looking to settle down,” Jasmine argued.

  “And you’re recently divorced, and probably not looking to settle down either. But you know what? Life is short. If you like him, and he certainly likes you, why not give it a try?”

  Jasmine thought about it a moment. “Well…if I have your blessing and all…”

  Laurel literally bounced in her excitement. “Of course you do! Oh, Jassy, this is so exciting!”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll talk to Ty and we’ll see how it goes from there. Now, I think I should change out of this swimsuit, or at least cover up a little.”

  Laurel searched around in Jasmine’s bag without bothering to ask for consent. For as long as they had been friends, there really was no privacy between the two. “Here, just pull this on over it,” she said, handing her a breezy red sundress. Her bikini was now dry so the dress worked out just fine as a cover-up.

  “Now, I’ve got some steaks seasoned and ready for the grill. I figured we’d let the boys do the cooking tonight. We can throw together a salad and maybe toast some garlic bread…” Laurel prattled on as they walked towards the kitchen.

  “Did you remember to get potatoes, sis?” Ty was already in the kitchen inspecting the steaks. Jasmine caught his questioning look, checking to see if she was all right, and returned it with a shy, but reassuring, smile to let him know that everything was okay.

  Laurel clucked her tongue. “Damn, I forgot to grab thos
e when I went to the store this morning. I can go back though, it’s not a problem.”

  “Get some sour cream and chives too,” Saul called from the TV room, where he and Freddie were getting ready to play a video game.

  “And bacon bits,” chimed in Freddie. “Gotta have bacon bits for baked potatoes—it’s the law.”

  “Geez, guys, anything else?” Laurel asked.

  “More beer. Thanks, Laurel, love you long and hard,” finished Saul.

  Laurel rolled her eyes then suddenly took on a look of mischief. “How about while I run to the store, you and Ty get the bread ready and, uh, toss the salad?”

  “Laurel!” Jasmine objected, ignoring Ty’s mirthful snort.

  Laurel feigned wide-eyed innocence. “I was merely suggesting the two of you prepare the salad. What do you think I was implying, gutter brain?”

  “Sure you were…” Jasmine muttered then glanced at Tyson, who was watching her hopefully. She bit her lip as she made the decision to bite the bullet. “Sure. Okay.”

  “Great!” chirped Laurel. “I’ll be back in little while.” Jasmine didn’t miss the wink Laurel gave her brother on her way out to the garage.

  Suddenly nervous, Jasmine turned away from Ty, spotting a bottle of red wine on the counter next to the fridge. She grabbed the wine opener and began to twist the corkscrew into the bottle with trembling hands.

  “Here, let me,” Ty murmured. Jasmine handed it over, watching his muscles flex as he effortlessly opened the bottle. He was still shirtless and wearing the board shorts he’d worn out on the boat. Ty set the open bottle aside. “I read somewhere you should let red wine breathe.” He took the four steps necessary to close the distance between them, then raised his hand to gently cup her cheek. “You didn’t run away,” he said quietly.

  Jasmine shook her head. “I’m not going to, either.” She didn’t feel nearly as bold as her words sounded, but she was more than a little curious to see where this was going.

  Tyson’s lips parted into a wide smile, his teeth gleaming like polished ivory. “Good.” Before Jasmine had time to think about what was happening, he ducked his head to press his lips against hers. Jasmine first stiffened in shock, then melted into him, allowing him to draw her body even closer to his as he deepened the kiss. He tasted like apples and clove, yet his skin smelt of salty muskiness from their time out on the lake. He explored her mouth leisurely, as though committing the entire act to memory, but it soon wasn’t enough for him.

  He wrapped his hands around Jasmine’s waist and lifted her with ease to set her on the counter, putting their heads at equal height. She pulled back to ask, “The salad?”

  Ty looked at Jasmine bemusedly—“Fuck the salad”—then crashed his mouth to hers, pushing her knees apart and pulling her body closer to him. She tightened her thighs around his hips, grinding against his firm length, separated only by two thin layers of cloth. Ty groaned, holding tightly onto Jasmine’s hip with one hand while he gently fisted her hair in the other. He tugged lightly, and she complied, turning her head to the side allowing him to kisses down her neck and back up again. “Do you know how much I’ve wanted to hold you like this again? You’re so fucking beautiful, Jasmine,” he whispered, taking her lobe between his lips and biting lightly.

  Jasmine gasped and shivered with pleasure. “Oh, God, Ty…” she quietly moaned. She rolled her hips against his as if by instinct, and it increased the tension between them two-fold. Ty captured her lips once again, sliding his hands underneath her and grabbing her ass in his fervour. He rocked into her, making her well aware of how much he wanted her. and the delicious friction he was creating caused Jasmine to moan again, a little louder this time. She gripped the back of his head as he devoured her mouth, continuing to rock and grind against each other.

  “Goddamn, you two didn’t waste any time, did you?”

  They both jumped, startled at the interruption by Saul. As they caught their breath, Jasmine stole a glance at Tyson. She was willing to bet that her own face matched his—wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and kiss-swollen mouth.

  Saul chuckled while he walked towards the fridge. “Don’t mind me. I’m just grabbing a couple beers for me and Fred. I’ve only been calling your name for the last five minutes, Ty, but I see you’ve been otherwise pleasantly occupied. Can I just request that you wipe down that counter first when you finally get around to making that salad?”

  “Oh my God,” Jasmine muttered in embarrassment, looking away from Saul to bury her face in Tyson’s chest.

  “Very funny, asshole,” Tyson growled.

  Saul laughed and opened the fridge to pull out two bottles of beer before facing them again. “Naw, really, man, it’s good to see you two together. Boy’s had it bad for you for years, Jasmine.”

  “Okay, you can go now, Saul!” Ty said, sounding a little embarrassed.

  “I’m gone.” Saul disappeared back to the living room.

  Ty turned to face Jasmine, who had just noticed the impossibly close position of their bodies, her knees squeezing his hips. “Oh, geez, we’re practically indecent.” She started to pull away but Ty held her fast.

  “Don’t move. Not yet, anyway. I’m not ready to let you go. This could be a dream or something and I don’t want to wake up yet.” He smiled at her, causing Jasmine to melt all over again.

  “I can vouch that this is no dream and this is really happening, even though I’m having a hard time believing it myself,” Jasmine intoned.

  He kissed her again, a sweeter kiss than the last—less urgent, but with just as much feeling. Jasmine marvelled at how amazing a kisser he really was.

  They were still in their compromising position when Laurel returned from the store. “Awww, you two…” she cooed, smiling brightly at the newly forged couple. “I could just burst.”

  They did move apart this time, though Jasmine couldn’t help but notice Ty was rather tented at the crotch of his shorts. He followed her gaze and smirked, reaching down to not-so-discreetly adjust himself.

  Jasmine cleared her throat and hopped down from the counter, demurely smoothing out her dress. “I think I’m ready for a glass of that wine now.”

  “I’ll pour,” Tyson offered.

  “Okay. I’m just gonna…sanitise the countertop,” Jasmine said with a giggle as she reached for the little canister of kitchen surface wipes.

  “Hey, Tyson, you gonna hang out in the kitchen with the women all evening or are you gonna play a little Call of Duty with us?” Freddie called.

  Ty looked at Jasmine apologetically.

  “Go,” she said waving him off. She tossed the kitchen wipe in the trash. “We’ll have time to talk later.”

  “Yeah, I guess we didn’t get a whole lot of talking accomplished, did we?” he asked with a grin.

  “I think we said what needed to be said. For now.” Jasmine took a sip of her wine and winked.

  “I think it was the most captivating conversation I’ve ever had,” Ty purred, looking like he’d much rather resume their ‘conversation’ than go play video games with his friends.

  Laurel snapped him with a dish towel. “Shoo! We need to gossip about you now, go play with your friends!”

  “Ow! Fuck, Laurel, that stung!” Ty scowled at her and, after darting to Jasmine for one last peck on her lips, he scooted from the kitchen.

  Jasmine spun on her heel to face her friend, hiding her smile behind her glass of wine in a poor attempt to conceal just how absolutely thrilled she was.

  “Oh my God!” Laurel quietly squealed. “I’m so happy for you two!” She threw her arms around Jasmine to hug her, almost knocking the wine glass from her hand.

  “Me too, I think,” Jasmine admitted. “I mean, it was…wow. He’s amazing, Laurel. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  Laurel rolled her eyes. “I am more than okay with this! You two look adorable together and, seriously, Jasmine, I’ve never seen Ty like this. His feet were barely touching the floor when he headed out of here.” />
  “He really is happy, isn’t he?”

  “And so are you! I haven’t seen a smile on your face like that in a long time. I think he’ll be good for you.”

  “Don’t make this into more than what it is yet, Laurel. I’m still not so sure this is a good idea. I mean Kyle—”

  “Kyle is a fucking douche bag who treated you like shit and took you for granted. You’re going from that to someone who worships the ground you walk on. I have no doubt that he lo—”

  “Okay!” Jasmine blurted, interrupting her before she could say the word. “I get that, but I’m really not sure if I’m ready for all of this yet. Just let us…ease into this at our speed.”

  “Considering what I walked in on a moment ago, I don’t think it’s going to be a terribly long wait.”

  “Yeah, I’m just going to make the salad now.”

  Chapter Four

  Laurel prepped the potatoes and put them on the grill while Jasmine chopped vegetables for a salad. Refusing to talk about Ty any further, Jasmine had popped her iPhone into the docking station that sat on the kitchen bar and turned on some music. The guys were busy virtually shooting each other and cussing each other out so it certainly didn’t bother them.

  Jasmine was meticulously slicing tomatoes for the salad and moving her hips in time with the music when she felt hands on her hips. She jumped and came dangerously close to cutting her finger.

  Lips pressed against the side of her neck. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay,” she murmured. She dropped her head to the side as she continued to slice, allowing him to kiss and taste her neck at his leisure. Perhaps they were moving a little fast physically, but this felt right—as though it was something that was long overdue, and perhaps it was.

  “Ty? Could I get you to remove your lips from Jasmine long enough to take these steaks out to the grill?” Jasmine could hear the smirk in Laurel’s voice.

  Tyson sighed and whispered, “To be continued,” in Jasmine’s ear before grabbing the tray of steaks from his sister.