“Don’t, Mom.”
“I’m serious, Jase. He felt bad about how things went last time you were home.”
Jase shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “Let’s just drop it. I’m sure Avery doesn’t want to hear all the family bullshit.”
“Jase,” Cathy pleads.
I find his hand under the table and give it a squeeze. “It’s fine.”
I hate seeing Jase uncomfortable, and apparently discussing his Dad sets him off. I want to take the pressure off him, and feeling inspired by how open they’ve been, I take a deep breath and launch into the story about starting my search for my birthmom. Cathy leans forward, silently encouraging me with the soft crinkles around her eyes. The crease between Jase’s brows disappears. It’s the first time I’ve confirmed to Jase that I went ahead and completed the initial paperwork and he grins at me.
After that little sharing session, I focus on my meal, attempting a bite of the meatloaf. It’s horribly dry and I force the bite down. Across the table, Jase is doing the same, the lump of food lodged in his throat visible.
Cathy sets her fork down and frowns. “Sorry, I didn’t make any sauce or gravy, you guys. Is it too dry?” she asks.
“No, it’s great,” I lie.
She smiles apologetically, like she knows I’m lying but isn’t going to call me on it. Jase smirks and takes a gulp of his water to get the bite down.
* * *
“Sorry about that meatloaf from hell,” Jase says, slipping into the hot tub next to me. It takes a full minute for his words to register. His chest and abs are sickening. His entire torso is sculpted muscle and I’m a horny, hormonal mess. Crap!
“Hm? Oh, it’s fine,” I manage when I realize he’s still waiting for a response.
“She’s normally a really good cook,” he says, sinking onto the bench seat beside me. He finds my hand under the warm water and gives it a squeeze. Chill bumps rise over my skin, despite the heat vapors drifting lazily around us. “You’re already pruned.” His fingers skim along mine.
“You took forever to change,” I explain.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I went to say goodnight to my mom and wanted to ask again about how she was doing.”
“Oh.” Now I feel guilty, complaining I had to wait in a wonderfully relaxing hot tub while he took care of his mom, probably tucking her in and everything like a good son. A bad boy who loves his mom? Oh Lord, I’m done for. I shift on the bench seat, suddenly finding things a bit cramped with Jase’s large form stretched out next to me. There’s nowhere to look that isn’t his tan, smooth skin, nowhere to move where I won’t accidently brush against him.
His grip on my wrist effectively stops my squirming. “Hey, Whistle. Breathe for me, okay?”
Can he see the panicked look on my face? Hear the pounding of my heartbeat?
I pull a ragged breath into my lungs as Jase slides closer and tips my chin to meet his eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“You…”
“Me?” His smile falters.
“Not you…but you in swim trunks…”
He looks down at his naked chest, his gaze wandering down to the navy blue board shorts submerged underwater. A slow smile blooms on his mouth as he realizes that his half-naked form is what’s gotten me all flustered. “Babe, you in a bathing suit is a thing of f**king wonder, trust me. But I told you, nothing’s gonna happen that you’re not ready for.”
A tiny whimper escapes the back of my throat and my eyes slide closed.
Jase is going to think I’m crazy. Hell, I am crazy. I’ve warned him away from me numerous times, and now I’m ready to beg him to get closer. Far from the pressures of school, in a place where no one knows me and a beautiful man is looking at me with desire in his eyes? There’s no way I’ll be able to resist. And the thing is, I don’t want to. I just want to let go.
His expression is tense, his jaw working as he reads the emotions in my features. “Whistle…” His hold on my jaw remains, his thumb lightly stroking my cheek. “Stay still. Let me kiss you.” He moves closer, not waiting for my answer. It must be obvious on my face. His breath mingles with my own as he closes the distance between us. “Just once,” he whispers.
When my hands move from my lap, I’m not sure. But they tangle themselves in the hair at the back of his neck, and I use the leverage to pull Jase closer. His mouth presses against mine, warm and solid and grounding me in this moment. His lips begin to move, slowly devouring, slowly unraveling what I’ve worked hard to bury. His tongue glides along mine and a wave of heat tingles on my skin, pooling between my legs. One more soft caress of his tongue swiping against mine, and Jase pulls back to gauge my reaction.
My entire body is humming with pleasure, and I’m ready for more. “Still with me?” he asks.
I nod, obediently.
His jaw relaxes, and he slouches down into the bench seat, visibly relieved at my reassurance. With one hand still holding mine, he pulls me over to him, nestling me in against his body. Which is good, because without something solid to grasp onto, it’s possible I could drown in the three feet of water.
His fingers lace with mine and he releases a heavy sigh. “Okay…so you liked the kiss.”
I nod.
“And your body was practically begging me to continue…” His fingertips lightly graze my bare thigh. “Which means I’m completely confused.”