by Jenna Gunn
“Hey, I was just coming to look for you. Bryce told me to tell you to—” His step falters as he reaches me. Tilting his head, he asks, “What’s wrong?
“Huh?” I blink.
“You just look, well, I don’t know, you just look like…I don’t understand women, but you just look weird.”
Weird? That makes me laugh. “Gee, thanks.”
“Did you guys have a fight? Because Bryce looks weird too, only he looks angry as fuck. Thought he might rip the phone off the wall when it rang.”
Walking on a tightrope, I consider what to say. “It was kind of stressful at the TV station. You know, they super dramatized yesterday’s rescue.”
He raises a brow. “Weah, you guys are quite the news and the gossip around here.”
“It was all made up, you know.”
Brandon winks and chuckles. “Oh, I know. It’s pretty hilarious if you ask me. Bryce is such a bossy ass, and to have to play nice for the news people and the council, that’s just the medicine he needs.”
He motions toward the door. “And the message I’m supposed to give you is that he wants you to go to the marina and take the SeaDoo out to monitor the eco kayak tour group that’s offshore.”
Hmm. Guess he really does want me as far away as possible. I’m equally relieved to not have to deal with anyone and annoyed that he is obviously avoiding me. “Okay, I guess.”
“You’re the lucky one,” Brandon grins. “It’s like having a grizzly bear up there.”
“Yeah, you can have that,” I mumble. I’ll take the high seas any day over a man who’s mad at himself.
“Hey, girl.” A friendly face is waiting for me when I return to the station after my afternoon on the water. Jeremy is sitting on the stone wall outside the employee entrance. Probably watching girls go by.
“How was your day? Have to soothe any crying maidens in distress?”
“Thankfully, no. How was your 15 minutes of fame?”
“Dreadful,” I say honestly. Of course, the kiss after, that was anything but dreadful.
I drop my backpack on the ground and climb onto the wall. Wariness makes me slump back against the building. “I’m glad the day is over. I need some sleep.”
His pale green eyes are gentle as he looks at me. “I was serious about what I offered earlier. Why don’t you come over this evening? Guaranteed you’ll get some sleep. I’m an early to bed kind of guy. Our apartment is on the top of a cool old house. No neighbors above or beside us. There’s even a pool.”
Visions of sleeping all night in a quiet, dark space entice me. “Sounds like heaven. Are you sure?”
An insulted look appears on his face. “Would I joke about something like that?”
“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just so generous. And you hardly even know me.”
“I know enough,” he says, and something flashes in his exotic pale green eyes. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you the address. I should be there by seven. I’ll pick up some take out.”
“Let me at least get the takeout.”
He’s silent for a second, then he grins. “Okay, that works. Just make mine spicy, whatever it is.” Jeremy strolls off toward his car then, leaving me feeling optimistic that I might actually have the answer to one of the problems in my life.
If only the other things were as simple.
16
Chapter 16
My hackles rise as I kick down the stand on my Triumph. The instant I take off my motorcycle helmet, two familiar sets of eyes bore into me. Christian, my oldest brother, and my twin, Brandon, watch me with interest from where they’re standing, arms crossed in near-identical poses as they lean casually against Dad’s vintage Chevy truck.
Great. Just what I fucking need—the peanut gallery prodding at me with red hot pokers.
Living at the Archer compound has its pluses, but on days like today, I’d be damned happy to be far, far away from the whole clan.
Grunting a half hello, I attempt to skirt them as I head to my place. Christian takes a giant step and inserts his asshole self right in my path. “Heard you’ve been a dick all afternoon. What crawled up your ass?”
Narrowing my eyes, I half-growl, “Don’t even start on me.”
My twin brother chuckles, and it sounds just like me, laughing at myself. Cutting my eyes at him, I give him the fuck-off look.
“Aww, it couldn’t be all that bad. You got to hang out with your girl, and even went on a ride together.”
“Fuck off, Christian. She’s not my girl.”
He snickers. “Hmm, I bet you got plans on banging her. You bang every honey pot that comes within your sight. That’s you, and old dogs never learn new tricks. Now the question is whether she’s gonna fall for the charms of the player and be the latest discarded bimbo in your wake. Or does she have enough self-respect to say no.”
Christian might be bigger than me, but I’m way faster. Before he can blink, I’m right in his face. “You better back. The. Fuck. Off. Quit espousing your dumbass philosophy.”
When Christian snorts a laugh, his hot breath annoyingly crashes into my face. “Well, I see I hit a button. She’s got you all torqued up. I figured.”
“Leave her out of this.”
“So it’s true. She’s gonna be your downfall, isn’t she?” He chuckles. “You know, if you fuck her, your pink slip is guaranteed.”
I lean in. “You know, if you bring her up again, I’ll break your jaw.”
The air between us crackles. We’ve clashed often and hard, but the urge to break his face is stronger than ever now.
“Hey guys, wouldn’t you two rather drink some beer?”Brandon interjects. He waves two fresh cold ones near enough to our faces that we are sure to see them.
Christian backs up a step and accepts the beer, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m watching you. Don’t forget.”
I know his buttons too. “Yeah, and I’m watching you too, watching you turn into a grouchy old bastard who never gets laid. You’re just jealous,” I grin and jab some more, “No woman will get within ten feet of you, which is too bad because you should get laid more often. It might make you less of a dick.”
Christian’s ego and smartass mouth have women scattering when he walks into the room. I doubt he’s been laid in years.
Brandon wags the beer at me again, and I snatch it from his hand before continuing down the path to my cottage.
The empty beer bottle teeters a second before settling down on the tile counter. The water hisses from the shower head as I shed my uniform, leaving the bright green t-shirt, camo boxer briefs, and navy board shorts in a pile on the floor.
Before the water has time to get hot, I’m under the jet flow, determined to wash the dregs of the day down the drain.
It’s been a day, alright. One I’d just as soon never think about again. Well, okay, maybe there’s one little part I’d consider thinking about again—Raven’s sexy as hell mouth against mine.
I let the vision of her return—her liquid blue eyes return as I lean in and take her mouth like a man possessed.
She responded like a hot-blooded woman who knows what she’s about. Her touch wasn’t tentative. Her fingernails dug in my arm, her tongue dancing the dirtiest dance with mine.
Raven didn’t say no. She didn’t back away.
It’s the damnedest thing. She wants me.
And god knows I fucking want her. I crave her. The smell of her, the look of her.
But everything is on the line. A line I won’t let either of us cross.
No matter how much I want her.
But logical reason seems so far from me.
Have you ever been so thirsty that you’d commit robbery just to get a bottle of water?
Primitive needs drive a man to do things he’d never think he’d do.
There’s no excuse, really. Nowhere to lay blame because lust and greed are every bit as much a part of me as are determination and grit. And lust and greed took the front seat today for a dangerous hot mi
nute.
I lay back across the bed—my body still damp—and try to release the tension that’s bunched at the base of my neck. It should feel good to lay down, but it does nothing to relax me.
The sheets feel cool beneath my back, but I’m burning up on the inside. Visions of Raven on my bed come rushing into my testosterone-filled brain.
This is one bed she’ll never see. I could never bring her to the Archer compound. That would be like setting a bomb off in the middle of a fire ant hill.
Wham, wham, wham! A series of loud noises cut into the quiet cool space of my cottage.
Raising my head, I try to see the front door. The curtain is down over the glass, but I see a big man’s shadow through the pale fabric.
Which one is it now? My father? Or one of my idiotic brothers?
Whack! Whack!
Wrapping the towel around my waist, I growl, “Coming dammit!”
When I whip open the door, it’s Brandon looking at me. When we were in school, people used to mistake us, but now he wears his hair a bit too shaggy for my taste. And if people know us well, they can see all the ways we are different.
He strolls right past me and flops onto the leather chair where I usually sit, propping his feet up on the big petrified log that serves as my coffee table.
I don’t even bother to speak to him. I just wander to the fridge, crack open the door and lean down to look inside. Good. I have a few beers. I can shut him up by sticking one in his mouth.
“Here,” I mumble as I set an open bottle on the table in front of him.
“Between you and Christian, I’m gonna have quite the buzz.” He picks up the beer and leans back, studying me.
“What, why are you staring at me?”
“You’re off.”
“Of course, I’m bloody off. You have any idea what’s happened in the last forty-eight hours?”
He snickers, “Oh yeah, I know. But what’s really going on?”
Brandon suddenly leans up. Is that worry in his eyes? “You didn’t get naked with her, did you?”
Sipping my beer, I contemplate the best way to reply. I’ve always been straight up with Brandon. I guess you could say we share our flaws. I know what makes him tick, and he’s pretty much got me figured out.
“I did.”
He falls back into the chair again. “Whoa, that’s bad. Dude, she’s under your skin, huh?”
“I’m not sure how it happened.”
Brandon sips his beer, makes an mmm sound, then gets back to drilling me. “Is she worth losing your job over?”
“No. Maybe”
“But? I know there’s a but in there.”
Groaning, I admit, “Haven’t been with her since she officially got the job.” It feels way too much like the first time I fessed up to having sex as a teenager.
“Fuck, man. I knew you were off. Now I know why.”
Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back onto the leather sofa. My hand feels rough as I scrub it over my face, into my hair. “There’s something happening, and I can’t seem to stop it.”
Brandon’s quiet. When I finally peel open an eye and look his way, he’s thoughtfully swirling his beer around in the bottle.
His eyes meet mine, and when he speaks again, his voice rings with conviction. “I won’t mention this to anyone. I’ve got your back if you need a cover.”
His words startle me so much that I sit bolt upright. “You’re not covering for me for anything, you idiot.”
“Bryce, you’ve covered for me plenty of times, and I’m sure you’ll do it again. That’s what brothers do. I don’t want to see you get all fucked up over this. You’ve worked hard to get your career to where it is, but I know that sometimes the unexpected just happens, and you can try and fight it, but stopping a speeding train is more than a mere mortal can do.”
Collapsing back, I groan.
Is that what this is? A speeding train coming for me, and my career is lying on the tracks?
What will I do?
I feel his eyes on me as I sit up again. We’ve talked a lot about women in our thirty-one years, but I feel compelled to ask, “Have you ever wanted a woman so bad that your very marrow is on fire, and nothing will fix it except fucking her ten ways to Sunday?”
Brandon glances away, and his voice is rough when he answers, “Yeah. Actually, I have.”
The silence is heavy. The beer doesn’t go down easy. “So, want to get something to eat? he finally asks.
“Sure.”
“Tacos?”
“Sure. I know the place.” Tacos make everything better.
17
Chapter 17
“You have arrived,” calls out the little fake voice on my phone. Pressing END ROUTE on the screen, I lean down and peer out the window of my Honda CRV.
The neighborhood is cute, lined with big palm trees and colorful old houses. Jeremy’s car peeks out from behind the detached garage of the blue house.
Delicious flavors drift out of the Thai Kitchen bags as I make my way up to the side of the house. There, I find the set of blue wooden stairs that lead to the second-floor apartment.
Music drifts out of the window as I wait at the door. Jeremy’s smile is warm when he sees me. “Hey! Oh man, that smells good.” He takes the bags, and I follow him inside.
Nice place. Really nice place. The rooms have high ceilings and lots of windows—the walls are painted a nice dove grey. The decor is low key with a touch of beach vibe and a hint of modern masculine. There’s some surf art on the main wall, a couple of surfboards in one corner, and a sculpture of a wave on one end table.
“Quite a place,” I murmur.
“Oh yeah, I dig it. We’ve been here for about four years now. I’m starving, let’s eat.”
We settle in around the little round dining table in the kitchen. “Have you lived here since you started working for the county?”
Jeremy rips one of the bags down the side and starts looking through the containers. “Not long after. So, which is your favorite, Curry or Larb?”
“I like them both. You pick.”
He suddenly frowns. “How hot did you order?”
Laughing, I reply, “Medium hot. I know Thai hot can be nuclear.”
“Thank god. I thought we might have a fire extinguisher ready. I’ve only made the mistake of ordering Thai hot once.”
It’s easy to talk to Jeremy, with his laid back humor. I think being his roommate for a bit will work out just fine.
“What’s it like working as a lifeguard as a woman?”
“Oh, probably a lot like working as a lifeguard as a man,” I say, laughing. “Not like we use our vaginas.”
Jeremy snorts, chokes, and bends over laughing. “That was a good one. You’re quite the woman—funny, cute, and an excellent takeout food deliverer.”
Grinning, I say, “Thanks.” But I feel compelled to add, “By the way, I don’t date coworkers.”
He looks startled. “Did I imply something?”
“You know when you say words like cute, it can seem that way.”
“Well, it’s an honest comment. And by the way, if you didn’t work with me, I’d surely ask you out. But I’m cool with getting to hang with you at work. If you meet my roommate, though, know you are not safe. He’ll be drawn to you like a fish to water.”
“Duly noted. I’ll be sure to bug out before he gets back. Unless you think I should want to meet him.”
“That’s for you to decide. He’s a good guy, a bit intense, but that’s the nature of him and his job. The girls think he’s handsome, but I don’t really get that.” He motions to his chin. “He’s got a beard, and the ladies freak out over that, but I have no clue why.”
“The right beard can be good. The wrong beard can be really bad. I guess I’d just have to see to know.”
Jeremy shovels a bite of food in his mouth and takes off. Seconds later, he’s got his cell phone and is flipping through photos.
“What are you, Cupid?”
“Hey, I gotta look out for my boy.”
After looking through about twenty thousand photos, he holds up the screen. “That’s me, and that’s Rex.”
“Duh, of course I know that’s you. And he is handsome.” While the man in the photo is really good looking, I instantly realize he’s not Bryce Archer good looking.
“What’s the frown for?”
Shit, am I really an open book?
“Just thinking about this guy I know.”
“You probably shouldn’t think about him if he makes you frown like that.”
Hmm. He has a good point. “You’re probably right.”
We finish up the Thai food, and Jeremy cleans up the boxes. “So, you single?”
I groan, “Yes, I am. Are you going to try playing matchmaker?”
“Maybe. But promise me this. If you do leave Ocean Rescue, I’ll be the first guy you call.”
“What, you just can’t resist my takeout selection abilities.”
He winks. “Something like that.”
I watch him as he cleans the silverware and puts it in the drying rack. Funny, I don’t feel the least bit threatened even though he’s obviously flirty.
“Really, if you’d like, I’ll make sure you get to meet my roommate.”
“That’s generous of you, given that you want me to call you if the fraternization thing goes away.”
“Guess I’ll watch out for my boy since I doubt you’ll be leaving the force any time soon.”
“Really? You think I’ll get the job?”
He returns to the seat across from me. “I think you’re a guaranteed hire.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Bryce likes you.”
Hm. How to reply to that…
“I guess. I never know how to read him.”
“Don’t worry your pretty head. I’m sure it’s all going to be fine. Did you bring your things?”
“In the car. I packed a couple of bags.”
Jeremy helps me carry my belongings in and shows me the bedroom and private bath that will be mine for the next few weeks. It’s like a prayer has been answered—the reprieve I need until I can get my own place.