Mr. July: An Enemies to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Bachelors at the Beach Book 1)

by Jax Hart

  She perked up a bit. “I didn’t think you were serious. Adopting a dog isn’t a whim. It’s for life.”

  “I know what commitment is.”

  She nodded and I swore she was trying to blink back tears. “I-I’m sorry. I just don’t think this is a good idea. I’m not feeling up to a date.”

  “Chicken?” I challenged with one brow raised. “Because the ryanhill99 I know would never back down.”

  “Did you bring a check?”

  “Did you email the court to drop your suit?”

  Her chin lifted. “I did nothing wrong.”

  “I have all the evidence.” I leaned in closer, my breath moved a few hairs above her ear as I spoke into it. “Photographic evidence as well as all the party favors for court. Are you sure you still want Bunny there to defend you?”

  I straightened. Her eyes were glassy. Her nipples peaked beneath her shirt. Cheeks flushed. “You smell good,” she muttered reluctantly.

  “You taste even better.” My mouth latched onto hers before I could stop myself. I nipped her lips, speaking in between kisses. “You have been driving me crazy for months. Do you know how many nights I fantasized about sending you glitter bombs? Tying you up while force feeding you gummy dicks until you felt sick and begged me to stop? Having my day with you in court? Once I had a face to match the name—my fantasies became a bit more wicked.” I walked her backward, kissing her as I did.

  Her hands were on my shoulders, moved down my biceps before stroking back up my arms. Her touch was light but felt so good. My head lifted and I froze. There in her tiny apartment, tacked on a wall was one of my calendars. My face was… defaced. She had taken a black marker and drew devil horns above my head, given me a black beard and nipple rings?

  “I was a bit angry about Daisy.”

  “Did it make you feel better?”

  “For about ten minutes.”

  My lips twitched. “Well, don’t worry baby. You don’t need a calendar when you have me right here.” I took her hand, resting it across my chest, knowing she could feel how hard my heart was beating for her.

  “This is madness. Insanity. I hated you for months….”

  “And yet you want me?” She nodded biting her lip. “I don’t hate you, but I do want to punish you. We’ll get to that after date number five.”

  “Thirteen.” She countered.

  My brow lifted. “I can’t last that long.”

  “Oh? You have stamina issues Mr. Esquire?”

  I took a step back, turning her around with my hands. “Go get changed for our date before I decide to show you right here and now that stamina isn’t an issue for me.” I expected her to issue a quick retort. She fled to her room instead. I knew we both wouldn’t last past date three. This thing between us was burning hotter than ever, fueled by our previous communications. I wanted her so bad. Wanted to taste every inch of her skin. Feel her body moving under me. But most of all, I wanted her sleepy eyes on Sunday mornings as we hit snooze. I wanted her last thought at night before she drifted off to sleep. I wanted her in the passenger seat of my Tesla, singing old eighties tunes with my sunroof open. I wanted her in my kitchen, naked under one of my old sports jerseys while we sipped coffee and watched the waves. Hunter was right. I was caught. Hook. Line. And sinker.

  Twenty-Three

  “Favorite movie?” He asked, while plopping a fig into my mouth. I moaned. It was crunchy while sweet. He was seducing me one dish at a time with his heartfelt questions, needing to know everything about me while insisting on hand feeding me. It was a turn on like I’d never had before. A seduction of the senses. His slow, deliberate foreplay was making me want to be the aggressor, yank his head to mine demanding he have his wicked way with me.

  I gave him an answer instead. “The Notebook. I watched it with Gran last Christmas.”

  “After your old boyfriend broke up with you?”

  I lifted my wine, took a tiny sip, “Gran is off her rocker. How much did she tell you?”

  He smirked. “My charm works wonders. Granny sold you out. Anyway. I’m glad he dumped you…” The spot between my legs was feeling needy and tingly and he made things worse by taking the pad of his index finger and running it across my lower lip. It was only our first official date but felt like we were already together. The only thing missing was sealing the deal. “What’s your one childhood memory that sticks out more than the rest?”

  I sat back, eyes managing to get a glimpse of a shooting star. “The summer I turned ten and I thought my father still gave a crap about me. He got a big bonus check, took me to Hershey park as a treat. We went on every rollercoaster and he let me eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was sick for two days after, but it was worth it.”

  Chase grinned. “My father never hit or yelled at us. He was a lover. Too much of one.” I winced, hoping Chase didn’t follow in his footsteps. Insecurity came out of its hiding spot. “I’m nothing like him. I haven’t dated since before I bought the beach house. No one was worth my time.”

  “After Wade, I just lost myself in the research program. As I should anyway.”

  “How are you liking it so far?”

  “I am loving it.” I grinned.

  “Bunny told me the story of how he bought his way in.”

  I shrugged. “God still found a way for me.”

  “You found your own way,” he answered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I probably had some help from above.”

  “She misses your Pops.”

  “He was the best.”

  “You have his boat?” I nodded, trying not to cry. “Hey, I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

  I lowered my glass of wine, feeling bold. “Then make me feel something else.” I responded huskily. The sun had set an hour ago. Light from the candles he brought flickered between us.

  He sucked in a breath. We sat facing each other on the beach blanket. He rose to his knees, cupped my face as he gazed deeply into my eyes for seconds.

  It was a silent promise that this was happening. My eyes fluttered shut at the first feel of his lips on mine. A groan ripped out of my throat, was lost under the crashing of the waves as his tongue danced with mine.

  I fell on my back, he leaned over me resting his weight on an elbow. My hands wrapped around him. I sighed, lifting my hips as his mouth moved to the side of my neck. We kissed under the stars to the rhythm of the waves. He didn’t touch me where I burned. Didn’t let his hips fall to press against the place I was on fire for him. He still maintained utter control as we lost ourselves in soft sighs, whispered words, and passionate kisses.

  “I feel like I’m fifteen again losing my head over a girl under the waving sea grass on the dunes.” He rolled away, tucking one arm behind his head. I curled up against his side feeling a bit cold. My head rested against his chest as he wrapped his free arm around me.

  “What was her name?”

  “Amelia. But she never made my head spin the way you do.”

  “Are you going back to the city tomorrow?”

  “Why? Already missing me?”

  “You? Hardly. Daisy definitely.”

  “Liar. You’ll miss me more.”

  “She snores. But is as warm as a small electric heater.”

  “You sleep with her?”

  “Sometimes. She’ll cry at night unless you let her in your bed.”

  “Maybe you should stay over and show me how it’s done. There’s plenty of room.”

  I was tempted but wasn’t sure if he was teasing or serious. “You’ll figure it out.”

  “I’ve never doubted my skills in bed. I’ll start with a cuddle, maybe a slow massage if her joints hurt…”

  “Stop!” I giggled, smacking his stomach, only to feel his hard abs tighten under my hand.

  “We better go. A man only has so much self-control and it is only our second date.”

  “Second?”

  He rolled to his side facing me, giving me two quick hard
kisses. “Yep. The first was this morning.”

  “That doesn’t count.”

  “Does, too. We spent time together, shared food. That fits the definition of a date. Plus, you kissed me.”

  “What? You kissed me!”

  “Semantics… it happened.”

  “You are so cocky!”

  “And here I was hoping you’d think I was charming and fun.”

  “You’re those things, too.”

  “Admit it. I’m your perfect man.”

  I evaded his teasing remark… “How did you end up in a calendar anyway?”

  “Now that’s a story…”

  We packed up our things. He insisted on carrying it all, while still somehow managing to keep a hand free to hold mine. Our fingers interlaced as we walked up the beach path back to his car. “… and then the bathing suit ripped. She handed me the American flag one. I was a bit angry; it was cold, and I had a million emails to get to. But I can never stay mad at Charlie for long. After the photo shoot, I took her on a drive down memory lane. Ended up at the beach house. There was a ‘for sale’ sign out front. And the rest is history.”

  I paused, looked up at his handsome face wanting to burn every hard line into memory. “No. It’s not history, it’s only just beginning.” I stood up on my toes to reach his mouth. “I am deeply sorry about what happened. Please don’t take your listing off because of what Hannah did.”

  He shrugged. “Suddenly I don’t want to share it anymore. It’s become home… and I’m not leaving tomorrow. Everyone else is though. It’ll just be me and Daisy… and you.”

  I was in big trouble. It took me a month to sleep with Wade and here I was barely 24hours in to knowing Chase in the flesh and I was ready to give him all of me. “Daisy might be a bit confused. She might need help adjusting. I should probably stop by and check in on her.”

  “It’s still early. Come back to the house?”

  I nodded, knowing we wouldn’t be alone. “We can’t keep dancing around what happened.”

  He paused, “It was months ago. I’m over it.”

  “Are you?”

  “Mostly.” He smiled as we continued walking.

  “I am very sorry about your couch.”

  His body tensed; his left fist clenched. “The only thing I want to know but dread the answer to—was if you hooked up in my house?”

  “No. That was someone else with the stripper.”

  He blew out a breath. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

  I nodded. The drive back to the house was silent but heavy with the desire that was running like a current. The house was lit but silent. We took the path around back. He tugged me forward, our hands interlocked as we joined his sister and Gran around the beach fire. Chairs were set up not far from the burning logs. Someone had set up a pair of wooden poles deep in the sand where a strand of solar string lights twinkled as they looped between.

  “How was your date?” Gran got straight to it.

  “I’m not sure. It’s not over yet.” I replied smoothly, earning a wink from Chase as he sank into an Adirondack chair pulling me onto his lap.

  “You’re acting as if we’re already a couple.” I hissed, trying to free myself from the arms locked around my waist. More people joined the circle by the fire. All staring. I knew without asking most were his co-workers. They were all sizing me up, assessing if I was worthy.

  Someone passed me a can of sparkling wine. Conversation and laughter flowed easily. Chase never loosened his hold on me once, not even when Daisy yipped as she trotted across the sand, launching herself in my lap. But she didn’t gaze at me and beg to be pet. Her eyes were on my man. Well technically more her man than mine. For now.

  The conversation petered out as a man walked across the sand. The strap to his guitar was around one of his broad shoulders. He was as tall as Chase but dark haired where Chase’s was all gold. He was tan. Fit. But I only had eyes for the man whose arms I was in while every other female turned theirs on the man with the guitar probably sensing Chase already claimed two females.

  He sat down in the sand, started strumming a few chords. I gasped in surprise at his strong, baritone voice belted out better than Harry Styles did his own tune. “Watermelon sugar high.” The man’s gaze lifted to Charlie as he sang. Once he caught her eyes the two of them never broke their gaze. Chase swore under his breath, women sighed at the romance of the moment. Charlie was in love. I knew it. Saw it, Sensed it. She didn’t hide her emotions.

  “I warned him, and he just won’t let it go.”

  “Why are you so upset?” I whispered. Stroking my fingers up and down his forearm, trying to comfort him.

  “Hunter plays girls’ hearts like the strings on his guitar. Char’s among them.”

  “By the way he’s looking at her I don’t think it’s a game.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. Hunter’s my best friend and Char’s my twin. It’s a recipe for disaster. Whose side will I be on when it blows up?” But we both knew he’d always pick his twin.

  “Come with me.” I stood, reaching out for his hand.

  “Where are we going?”

  “On a moonlit walk.”

  Daisy followed at our heels as I led Chase away from Hunter and his adoring fans. We walked slowly. Our bare feet made tracks in the wet sand. “Sometimes you need to let people figure things out for themselves. Even if they end up getting hurt. Maybe just maybe—they’ll decide the high was worth the pain. Or better yet maybe they’ll find something worth holding onto. Move out of their way. Because the thing I’ve learned is you can’t control what other people decide they want for themselves. It will happen, no matter how much you will it not to.”

  He blew out a breath. “Smart and beautiful. You know what? I think it was kismet. You. Me. The house. Bunny. Somewhere. Somehow… some force in the universe started a thread, sewing all of it together.”

  “I-I wasn’t even looking for someone like you. Didn’t even dream of a summer romance. I’ve been so focused on my studies, the shelter… just enjoying getting to know myself. Does that sound incredibly strange? I didn’t even know myself.”

  “Not at all. That’s what renovating the house did for me. Who knew I’d enjoy roofing? Sanding floors and gardening?”

  “Stop,” I giggled. “You garden?”

  He wiggled his brows. “My hands are good at all sorts of things.”

  I cleared my throat. How the heck was I going to last against him? The pull to be with him was as strong as the outgoing tide. “Don’t stand in the way of their kismet. Maybe a thread was strung for them too.”

  “Hunter and Char?” He grunted. “More like my nightmare scenario.”

  “Why? What else are you so afraid of?”

  He shrugged. “That they’ll love each other more than me? That I’ll get left behind?” It was a vulnerable confession. One I wasn’t expecting.

  “If that happens be happy for them. New love won’t replace the old. It’ll just mean more. Besides, you’ll have Daisy and maybe a new girlfriend. Addition by subtraction.”

  “Maybe? I’d say probably, definitely.” We kissed until we forced ourselves to stop. “But I’m still going to kick his ass if he hurts her.”

  “I won’t stop you if that happens. But until then, behave.”

  “Fine. I’m a sucker for you. Do you know that?”

  “I never thought I’d fall under the spell of Mr. Hot-shot homeowner.”

  “Is that what you called me?”

  “That among other things in my head.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “Never.”

  “Fine. I’ll kiss and tickle all your secrets out of you!”

  I shrieked as he found my tickle spot just under my ribs. I took off sprinting through the surf. Daisy barked as she galloped after me, Chase not far behind. He picked me up by the waist and swung me around. Somehow Daisy got between our legs, in an effort to avoid stepping on her Chase lost his balance. The two of us
tumbled into the surf, him landing on top of me.

  ‘Well, I’m not one to let an opportunity go to waste, darlin’.” He drawled.

  “We’ve kissed more today than I did my last boyfriend in a month.”

  His jaw worked. “I don’t ever want to hear about you belonging to another man. You got that?”

  He swallowed my response with his mouth. The waves broke behind us, frothy surf covering our torso and legs. Neither of us cared until the whistles of other people on the beach brought us back to Earth.

  “Damn girl. I forget the world when I kiss you.” He helped me up. We were both soaked. My clothes clung tight to my body, something his eyes didn’t miss. Unlike him, I couldn’t just whip my shirt off. He had no problem doing that, roping the wet fabric behind his neck like a towel. He whistled the same song Hunter had played as we walked hand-in-hand back to the bonfire.

  “Whoa. What happened to the two of you? A little midnight swim?” Hunter baited. All Chase’s company smirked. My face heated. All we did was kiss. He didn’t even try for second base or press his hips into mine. And I was more than interested in feeling his package.

  “Daisy chased a tennis ball into the surf. The tide was going out. We both jumped in to save her.”

  “Liar,” he breathed, tucking me into his side. “Come on. You can borrow something dry before I take you home.”

  No one mentioned that the dog was bone dry as I followed Chase into the house. “That was awkward. They all think we went skinny dipping.”

  “We will. Eventually.” He flashed me that cocky smile as he led me into the laundry room. He opened the dryer, handing me a soft gray DUKE T-shirt. It was still warm as he placed it in my hands. The threads thinner and worn as if he had it a long time.

  “It’s my favorite.”

  Next, he handed me a pair of basketball shorts but at least it had an elastic waist and drawstring. I went into the downstairs bathroom to change. The laundry smelled of him mixed with a familiar detergent. It was warm on my skin. I hadn’t worn any mascara so there was no makeup streaking down my face. But my skin glowed. He made me glow and we hadn’t even gone far yet. I turned off the light, balled my wet clothes and went into the kitchen.