EXCERPT
โIโm gonna grab a beer,โ he said. โYou want something?โ
โIโll take a beer, too.โ
He chuckled. โIs it bad that I had to think for a second whether youโre legal to drink? It feels wrong giving you alcohol, for some reason.โ
โYouโve dropped me off at the damn bar! How could you think that?โ
โI know. Itโs fucked-up.โ He laughed as he walked backwards into the house. โBe right back.โ
A minute later, Jace returned with two chilled bottles of Miller Lite. He popped one open and handed it to me.
โThanks.โ I took a long sip that felt great going down.
We polished off the rest of the food, and by the time I finished the beer, I felt pretty tipsy. Between the soft breeze blowing Jaceโs scent my way and the buzz, I was on cloud nine.
Jace took it upon himself to clear our wrappers and napkins, stuffing everything into the paper bag. As he went back into the kitchen, he asked, โWant another beer?โ
โIโd love one.โ
When he returned, he set the bottle in front of me and sat back down. He put his feet up on an empty chair and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
He sighed. โThis is exactly what I neededโฆto chill at home.โ
That made me happy. โGive your head a break tonight. You can always worry about work tomorrow.โ
โYeah. I think Iโm gonna take your advice on that.โ
While his eyes were closed, I was able to enjoy staring at his profileโhis strong, angular jaw and slightly cleft chin, his perfect nose and kissable lips, the way the sun brought out a reddish tone in his otherwise black hair. Jace was even more beautiful with the sun shining on him.
I eventually closed my eyes as well, enjoying the breeze that offset a little of the heat. My eyes opened suddenly when I heard his chair skid against the cement.
โFuck it.โ He got up. โIโll be right back.โ
My heart raced a little. What is he doing?
A few minutes later, Jace returned in his swim trunks. They were blue with tiny anchors, a nautical pattern. Not that I was looking closely at his lower half or anything. Iโd just started to make my way up to his chest when he dove into the pool, his gorgeous, hard body disappearing under the sky blue water.
He emerged and shook his head to clear the water from his hair. โYou cominโ in or what?โ
I got goose bumps. I hadnโt planned to, but I couldnโt resist the invitation.
โSure.โ I got up from my seat and unwrapped the towel.
Jace watched as I entered the pool. But what was he thinking?
I dove in and swam toward him, feeling more comfortable in my bathing suit now that I was submerged in the water.
He flashed a mischievous grin. โWanna race?โ
I splashed him. โWhy? You think you can beat me just cuz your legs are longer?โ
He cocked a brow. โThereโs only one way to find out, right?โ
Over the next several minutes, Jace and I swam in tandem from one end of the pool to the other. Sometimes heโd beat me to the other side, and a few times, I beat him.
Eventually, we got into a water fight. The next thing I knew, he was chasing me, then lifting me up and tossing me in the water. He did that several times. It was the most fun Iโd had in a long time. I hadnโt a care in the world.
Then he lifted me up again, and I was certain he was going to toss me into the water, just like all of the other times. Instead, though, he just held me. Our eyes locked as my legs wrapped around his waist. He was going to have to drop me, because I sure as hell wasnโt climbing off him willingly. As he continued to hold me, the world seemed to stop. I could see the reflection of the palm trees in his gorgeous eyes, made luminescent by the sun. Those eyes then dropped to my lips. I could see his chest rising and falling. He swallowed hard. Holy shit. Something was happening. My heart was going a mile a minute.
And thenโฆ
โWhat are you doing?โ
Jace dropped me like a hot potato at the sound of Nathanโs voice. My body hit the water with a loud splash.
What the hell is he doing here? My voice was shaky as I wiped the water from my eyes. โWhaโฆwhy are you home? I thought you were driving to meet that girl.โ
โShe canceled on me, so I came back after the job interview.โ Nathanโs eyes traveled between Jace and me. He seemed suspicious.
โOh.โ I exhaled, moving a strand of hair out of my mouth. โHowโฆhow did the interview go?โ
โIt was okay. Too hard to tell if theyโre gonna call me back, though.โ He looked straight at Jace. โYou guys seemed to be having fun. Didnโt realize I was missing out on aโฆpool party.โ
Jace was silent.
I felt the need to chime in. โJace decided to take his debut dip in the pool. We were just playing around.โ
Nathan looked between us again. โI see.โ
Jace finally spoke. โWell, itโs hot as all hell today. Soโฆโ
โYou guys down if I make some dinner?โ Nathan finally asked.
โWe actually already ate,โ I told him. โJace went to Checkers.โ
Nathan turned to his friend. โSince when do you eat dinner this early?โ
Jace cleared his throat. โI was starving.โ
โWe didnโt think you were going to be home,โ I said. โOtherwise, we wouldโve waited.โ
โI guess Iโll give you that.โ
Jace got out of the water and dried himself off. He then laid out on one of the loungers, displaying his gorgeous, tanned body in all of its glistening glory. His feet dangled off the end of the chair.
Nathan snapped his fingers in front of my face. โI asked if I got anything in the mail. Earth to Farrah.โ
Jesus. I hadnโt even heard him the first time.
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