Designer Genes - The Boyfriend Cut

by Brooks, Harley

  Jesse gave my pink bracelet a spin. "You're on radar. I don't need the military out looking for you."

  A surge of fear blossomed as I watched Miami's skyline quickly disappear at the end of a long, frothy wake.

  Great, Marli. If you're murdered, no one will ever find your body.

  The spring sun overhead burned bright, and sparkling ruffles resembling fine lace edged the curls of navy blue water splashing the yacht. A brisk breeze slapped my face, holding some of spring's coolness. Jesse touched my shoulder, startling me.

  "Help me navigate." I stood between him and the helm, the warmth of his body behind me, chasing off the chill. He placed my hands on the wheel, covering them with his own.

  When he leaned over my shoulder, our cheeks brushed and my heart jumped. "See that large island in the distance?" I played along, spying several peaks rising out of the midnight blue horizon. "Beyond there is my family's private island. The water is unbelievably clear and the coral reefs beneath are awesome. That's what I want to show you."

  He banked the yacht to the left and a few minutes later, floated into a small bay. After dropping anchor, we descended the stairs to the main deck. Jesse eased a hip on a barstool in the galley.

  "Have you ever snorkeled?"

  A surprise giggle blurted from my mouth. "No, Lake Erie isn't exactly known for scuba activities."

  "It's easy. I'll teach you."

  I tugged my skirt. "I'm not exactly dressed for water sports."

  "My sister's about your size and she left several swimsuits in her cabin."

  "Sister?" Nobody said anything in my interview about other siblings. Another missing puzzle piece surfaced.

  Jesse towed me down a small corridor paneled in rich, cinnamon-colored wood. He opened the door to a small cabin and leaned against the frame, his expression sobering.

  "My older sister, Kate, was in The Program and set up to interview with some law student in Manhattan, but she never showed. The police found her broken pink bracelet in her apartment on a note saying she'd run off with one of her college professors. She called my parents a few days later and said she was safe, but not returning. We think she's living somewhere in Canada."

  "Oh my. Do you miss her?"

  Jesse's toe scuffed at a wood plank. "Sometimes. I figure she's happy, or she'd have come home." A smile brightened his handsome face. "Check the overhead cubby and see if you can find something to wear. I'll get the gear and meet you on the rear deck in fifteen minutes."

  The words Mrs. Mason spoke earlier made sense. "Jordan is our first to proceed this far." Now I wondered about Jesse's story.

  A slow whistle pushed through Jesse's lips when I emerged from the galley. "You fill that bikini better than Kate ever did. Too bad you didn't post a bathing suit shot on your profile."

  An embarrassing burn crept over me and I reached for a towel to cover up. When Jesse called my name, I whipped around just as his pen camera clicked, capturing an image of me in Kate's green polka-dot bikini.

  "Jordan's search for perfection has ended. At the very least, he'll be jealous as hell." He tilted his chin. "Come on, sexy. Time to swim with the sharks."

  "What?"I gasped.

  "I'm joking. I promise to keep you safe."

  All sorts of perils lurked in deep water, but I doubted any as dangerous as the one watching me with intense chocolate eyes. Sharks had to be safer than Jesse Mason.

  Snorkeling along the surface, I watched fish of different sizes and brilliant colors play hide-and-seek among the coral. Jesse held my hand, keeping me from straying too far. However, when he curved his arm around my waist, an unexpected sensation, both delightful and terrifying skittered. When I rolled out of his reach, my snorkel tube dipped below the surface.

  I attempted to cough up a lung as I climbed the ladder to the deck with legs wobbling like wet noodles. Jesse unsnapped my life vest and slapped between my shoulder blades.

  "I think I swallowed half the ocean," I croaked when he asked if I was okay.

  A shiver rolled over me when a cool gust of wind circled my wet body. Jesse wrapped a warm towel around my shoulders, holding me close. Water dripped from his long eyelashes like lingering raindrops. Chilled, pebbled skin rippled his arms and chest, making the droplets on his skin shimmer.

  When his head tilted, I did nothing to stop the tentative kiss he placed on my lips. A delicate brush on my mouth, delivered with eyes open, awestruck…frightened. His eyes darkened to the color of bittersweet cocoa and a second, hungrier kiss captured my mouth, his tongue playful and sensual at the same time. I circled my arms around his neck and leaned into the deepening kiss, the towel dropping to my feet, leaving bare skin pressed to bare skin. My toes curled. In two years of kissing Sam, my toes never curled.

  A hard swallow rolled down Jesse's throat. "You should get dressed. I need to get you on that plane before Mike's tortured into telling where we are."

  After changing, I found Jesse on the bridge readying the yacht for sailing. His eyes rolled a visual inspection over me. Not much to look at now. All make-up had washed away, the freckles I'd painstakingly hidden exposed, and my nose a rosy pink from the sun. I braided my wet hair to keep it from turning into a frizzy mess.

  Jesse's hands framed my waist. "Check out the cute freckles dotting your nose."

  "They make me look like I'm ten years old."

  I stepped out of his arms, but he caught my wrists, tugging me back. His fingers tickled a heated trail down my arm. "Marli, trust me, you don't look ten years old. His arm slid around my waist, his breath hot against my cheek.

  "Jesse, are you always this forward with girls?"

  "Only the ones I like," he replied inside a gravelly whisper.

  "You make me nervous."

  His gaze dropped to my mouth and I knew what came next, but somewhere between the wet bikini and dry clothes, common sense found me. I pressed my hand to his chest to hold him back.

  "About the kiss," I started.

  "The one earlier or the one I'm about to give you now?"

  "There isn't going to be a 'now.' The first one should never have happened."

  Jesse's arms fell away and the chilled breeze wrapped me instead. He leaned against the railing to the side of me and I turned away, letting my thoughts swim with the waves lapping the sides of the ship.

  "I wasn't trying to come on to you, if that's what you think. That kiss happened because it was meant to, Marli. The second I saw you—"

  "Jesse stop! You and I…this," I gestured to our surroundings, "is wrong. I could get in serious trouble. Remember, you're not my assignee—your brother is."

  He pushed off the railing. "Don't remind me. I know my place."

  "That's not what I meant."

  Jesse flipped a series of switches, ignoring me.

  "Just take me back so I can catch a flight home before I do anything else stupid today."

  "Like kissing me?" He slammed the throttle and the boat surged against the waves. I grabbed the railing to catch myself. "Sit down before you fall. I don't want to be accused of any other stupid acts."

  "Now you're being a jerk. Sorry if I offended you. And, it's me who's acting irresponsible."

  I waited for another snarky reply, but Jesse said nothing and concentrated on the vast carpet of aqua stretched before us. I stared at him—his toned body standing rigid against the wind, his hair fitfully brushing around the chiseled planes of his handsome face. My conscience chastised loudly when I licked my lips searching for a remnant of the forbidden kiss.

  What was wrong with me? I'd let my hormonal heart take Jordan's twin brother for a test drive!

  As if reading my thoughts, Jesse turned, a slight smirk tugging his mouth. "For the record, Miss Davis, I'm taking you home, so no arguing when we dock. The last thing you want is to draw attention to our sordid affair by taking a commercial flight."

  "I don't think an innocent kiss qualifies as an affair.

  "Innocent? What happened between our lips? Anythi
ng but and you know it."

  Traffic congestion increased as we approached the airport. Some rock song played in the background, being the only sound inside the car since we left the marina.

  "So now I get the silent treatment?"

  Jesse didn't even glance sideways.

  I twisted my thumbs, adjusted my skirt for the hundredth time. "O-kaay," I said to the window. After everything that had gone wrong today, I decided I'd probably never see Jesse again either, so I asked the ultimate question.

  "Why do you wear a yellow band?"

  Jesse didn't look at me when he answered, his tone cool. "What makes you think I haven't always worn one?"

  "Your mother told me you were in The Program."

  "She shouldn't have."

  Patience didn't hold as my strongest virtue and my frustrated sigh filled the car. "Well…she did," I semi-whispered to my new friend "Window."

  Jesse switched the satellite channel off, leaving a deafening quiet inside the car. I glanced over my shoulder. A mischievous grin twisted his mouth. "Candidate 2256 and five diamonds."

  "Did you drop out?"

  "More like kicked out and no, I'm not telling you why."

  "You kind of owe me, don't you think? After all, you kidnapped me this afternoon."

  "I didn't hold a gun to your head."

  No, you held you lips to mine instead, but no need to resurrect that subject.

  The car came to a stop and a robotic voice beeped in. "Toll booth malfunction. Approximate delay thirty minutes."

  Jesse fisted a tuft of hair. "Damn. Wish this car hovered. We're running late."

  "Isn't it illegal to hover?"

  Cars still rolled on four tires, but government vehicles and designated commuter shuttles had the ability to air glide, using special lanes. The government banned private vehicles from being converted. The closest citizens could get were recreational hoverboards. I had an orange one buried somewhere in the back of my closet. Just as my thought closed, a couple of emergency units flew by.

  Jesse's smirk dimpled his cheek. "I doubt anyone would notice if we flew down a side street."

  "Right. A Mercedes lifting out of a traffic jam and flying over a bunch of cars would never catch anyone's attention. Give me a break."

  His smile widened. "I guess it would have to be a really fast Mercedes. One the police couldn't catch."

  "Do you always think like a criminal? Rules are in place for a reason."

  Jesse took my hand, placing a light kiss on my wrist. "Rules can be broken, you know."

  An unexpected stomach flutter made me pull my hand back. "Not all rules." The corner of his mouth tweaked and I quickly diverted my thoughts. I cleared my throat, drawing a cleansing breath.

  "Is that what happened? You broke a rule big enough to get expelled from The Program?"

  "Sort of."

  I slipped my shoes off, turned in the seat and folded one leg beneath me. "Please tell me. We're stuck here anyway."

  "Promise you won't freak out?"

  "No. But, I'll try."

  A couple of silent minutes passed uninterrupted. Jesse turned the car off and tipped his head toward the ceiling, closing his eyes. His tenor weighed heavy with regret, no…sadness.

  "Last year I was arrested and entered into an agreement with The Program. If I voluntarily withdrew my candidacy, they'd make the charges disappear."

  A sudden coldness slammed my core . "What did you do?"

  "I didn't do anything. They found me innocent before the file sealed, only it was too late. My candidacy had terminated and my blue wrist shackle became bright yellow."

  "If you were innocent, why didn't they automatically change everything back?

  "Because I didn't want it reversed."

  Traffic started moving again and Jesse faced forward, surely hoping I'd stop peppering him with questions. Not a chance.

  "What were you arrested for?"

  He did nothing to mask the irritation in his voice. "Marli, it doesn't matter. I said they proved me innocent."

  I slapped the dash. "It matters to me! I spent the afternoon in the middle of the ocean with the frequency on my bracelet scrambled. I think I have a right to know what you were accused of. For all I know, you were charged with murder!"

  "Rape!" he shouted back. "Satisfied?"

  My heart jumped in my chest. Rape? The word formed on my lips but remained silent. I swallowed deep, searching for a quieter version of my voice.

  "So…you're not a murderer."

  Jesse chuckled with a heavy outgoing breath, and the tension squeezing the oxygen out of the car, eased. "Prepare yourself for one twisted story."

  He wove a tale of how one night after doing a gig with his band in New Jersey, they snuck into a bar, hoping no one would check their ID. The bartender brought them bottles of beer, compliments of some girls. Jesse never remembered leaving the bar, but woke up the next morning surprised by a half-naked girl in his bed, accusing him of rape. Given his flirty behavior, I'd think a half-naked girl in his bed would be anything but surprising. However, the prick of jealousy I felt shocked me.

  "How did you find out you didn't...um…rape her?"

  Jesse didn't answer and took the exit to the airport. I remained quiet, waiting while he maneuvered the parking labyrinth. If by some miracle I came into this family, I wanted the skeletons out of the closet first. He parked the Mercedes in a slot marked RESERVED and angled toward me.

  "So? What magic was performed to clear you?" I pressed.

  "You sound like you don't believe me."

  "You make it that way by avoiding my questions."

  Jesse stared at the concrete wall ahead, tapped his knuckles against his lips. When he spoke, his voice rang with sincerity. "Being a candidate, I'd never been with a girl, you know…like that. I couldn't believe I did something so horrible. When Jordan picked me up at the hotel, he grabbed my beer bottle off on the dresser to have anything left inside analyzed."

  His next comment held a hint of caution. "Jordan's very smart, Marli. That's why The Program keeps their digs in him. Anyway, the test results came back showing the beer laced with some drug that alters memory. My DNA swab proved my innocence." Jesse's cheeks flushed. "I can't believe I'm telling you this. Sorry if I said anything to make you uncomfortable."

  I swallowed loudly. "I asked, didn't I?"

  "Yes, you did."

  I touched Jesse's arm before he stepped out of the car. "Wait. Maybe I'm out of line asking, but your parents—"

  He cut me off. "My father and Jordan decided I was a target. Something to keep in mind, Marli, before you choose to join our 'clan'."

  "What do you mean 'target?'"

  We entered an underground tunnel and after a couple of turns. Jesse stopped. I could no longer see an entrance or an exit. He drew me close, his voice dropping to barely a whisper.

  "Marli, I belong to a powerful family and there are people out there who don't like us."

  My stomach dipped. "Okay, you're creeping me out. Who is your father, anyway?"

  "Sorry, can't say." Jesse towed me around the corner to a waiting elevator. When I opened my mouth to ask more, he pointed to the security cameras. "Subject closed."

  Lights on each side of the front door illuminated the front steps, welcoming me home. I lived in an older, two-story red brick home, nestled in a quiet neighborhood. A large porch spanned the front of the house with a wooden swing and a couple of rockers, their white paint chipped and faded.

  Below each entry light, pots of wilted white petunias begged for a drink. Water from the sprinkler tube spattered against the pavement, splashing my bare legs and causing a shiver to pebble my skin. The front door squeaked and Rick stepped out, gathering me into a burly hug.

  "Finally, you're home. Was that a limo I saw?"

  Shuttles were the main mode of transportation. Some still owned private vehicles, but limousines were rare.

  "Yeah. I think everyone in the neighborhood stared out their windows when we
came down the street." I stretched out on the porch swing, kicking off my heels and dangling my bare feet over the side. Dad chose to sit in one of the rockers across from me.

  "So? Tell me about the interview. I'm guessing by the private jet and limousine service, money isn't an issue for Mr. Mason," he noted with sarcasm.

  "I hate that we can't meet. His mom did the interview, which felt more like I was applying for a job." One I probably won't get."Their house is gorgeous with an awesome view of the ocean. Oh, and they own an island."

  "An island? Figures."

  I swiveled upright. "Jordan's twin brother, Jesse, was my pilot."

  Rick stopped rocking. "Pilot? Like his brother? Remind me. How old is Jordan Mason?"

  "Nineteen."

  "Nineteen? You're not even out of high school, Marli. He's already got a year of college under his belt—"

  "Almost three," I corrected. Rick's lips flattened and I explained before the lecture started. "Jordan graduated high school early."

  His heavy sigh wavered between disapproval and skepticism. "I'm not sure I approve of you jetting around with this Jordan character, or his brother." He raised his hand when I opened my mouth. "I know, not my decision. Anything else? I got nervous when they called to say you'd be three hours late and while I'm not so good with details, I can't help noticing your hair is now braided, and the make-up you spent an hour on this morning is gone."

  "Jesse took me snorkeling on their yacht after the interview. That's why I'm late."

  Dad leaned forward. "Let me get this straight. You're not allowed to meet the boy you could be assigned to for life, but gallivanting off with his twin brother is okay?"

  "Not exactly."

  "That's what I thought. Pushing my limits is one thing, daughter, but messing with the government? You better watch your step." When I didn't reply, he released another loud sigh. "So, how was snorkeling?"

  I gave a recap of my adventure, sticking to marine life, not Jesse, although my expression must have given something away. Rick relaxed into the rocker, a wide grin stretching across his face.

  "What?"

  "You tell me, Mars. Maybe you should switch brothers. You seem rather impressed with this Jesse fellow. Falling in love the old-fashioned way beats this arranged relationship crap any day."