I didn’t expect that I’d spend the two months that followed hating him and missing the promise of the future we’d planned together in equal measures.
I certainly didn’t expect that I’d drive all the way to Cole Creek in hopes of finding something—someone—to take my mind off of the break-up.
But here I am.
And there he is.
“Hayden?” Jesse lifts a hand to shield the sun from his eyes, his bare chest and bulging biceps glistening from the lake water he’d been submerged in just seconds ago. “What are you doing here?” He takes a curious step forward as he pushes that same hand back through his light brown locks and shakes out the water.
“H-hi.” I offer a timid wave, my beach bag dangling from my arm while my toes dig into the warm sand. Coming here had seemed like such a great idea yesterday, but now that he’s standing just a few feet away, looking more intimidating than ever with those ocean eyes and miles of muscle, I’m not so sure. This guy could hurt me just as easily as he could heal me.
“Hey,” he says when he closes the distance between us, stopping when only a few inches remain. Our eyes lock and our breaths mingle for several drawn-out seconds in lieu of the hug I wish he’d give me. He won’t though, because as far as he knows, I still belong to someone else.
I smile, then bite my lip, which draws his gorgeous gaze to my mouth. A sign he’s still interested, I hope. “I ran into Jinx at the gas station. He told me I might find you here.”
“You were looking for me?” He lifts a brow as a cocky smirk comes to life amidst the scruff on his face. “Do tell, Miss Foss.”
This is the part that’s had my stomach in knots since I arrived in town, but Jesse and I have played at this game for too long to beat around the bush. “I’m on vacation and thought maybe we could hang out.”
“Is that so?” He takes a step back, letting his eyes slide down my body and back up again as if he’ll find the answer somewhere along the way. “You’re here with the family?”
I shake my head and he cocks his to the side.
“Your girls?”
“Nope.”
His eyes narrow. “Your boyfriend?”
I shake my head again. “I don’t have a boyfriend anymore.”
JESSE
Well, well, she’s finally free. And she’s here. With her eyes set on me.
“Is this a recent development or…?” I reach out and twist a lock of her glossy, golden hair around my finger.
“A couple of months.”
“Good to know.” Not that it matters. They could’ve broken up five minutes ago and I wouldn’t give a shit. It’s been more than a year since I’ve seen her and not a single day has gone by that I haven’t thought about her.
“I just… I needed to get away from the city for a while. And I haven’t been here all summer, so…” She gestures casually toward the lake, but there’s a hesitation in her dark eyes… an uncertainty.
Something tells me it has nothing to do with what she’s doing here and everything to do with whether or not I’m still game.
“I was wondering if I’d see you this year.” With nothing but summer air between us, my hands lift to her hips. It’s by far the boldest I’ve ever been with her, but I need to know. Is this what she’s here for? “Didn’t think it was possible, but you’re even prettier when you’re single,” I say, leaning down to her ear. “Smell good, too.”
She laughs nervously. “Thank you. I think.”
I grin as the tip of my nose trails along her sweet skin. “You’re really here to see me?”
She nods and, as much as I want to kiss the shit out of her and get this thing started, I don’t. I’ve waited too long to fuck this up.
“You in a hurry?” I ask, and she sucks in a shaky breath.
“Not at all.”
Thank God. Stepping back, I grab her hand and take her in once again. “Been thinking about you a lot, city girl.”
The prettiest blush colors her cheeks. “Not as much as I’ve been thinking about you.”
HAYDEN
“Oh my God, I’m starving.” I set the plates on the island as Jesse flips open the pizza box and the glorious aroma of cheese and pepperoni fills the air. I whimper, not even bothering to hide the shudder that slides down my spine.
“You okay?” he chuckles.
“No.” Sidling up beside him, so close that I can smell the coconut-scented sunscreen still lingering on his skin, I flash a grin. “It’s entirely possible something very naughty is going to happen the second this pizza hits my tongue.”
Dark lashes lower over light eyes as he stares down at me. “Is that so?”
“Uh huh.” And it’s not the only naughty moment I anticipate tonight, either.
“Do you want some time alone or…?” He thumbs toward the cabin door we came through not more than five minutes ago. After I found him earlier, we spent most of the day on the other side of the lake, hanging out and playing volleyball with his friends.
Sam invited us to stay for another beach bonfire like last summer, but Jesse declined, insisting he needed to feed me before I passed out. I like that he took responsibility for my well-being like that, but I suspect he had ulterior motives. Kind of like I do.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I tease, grabbing the bottom of his T-shirt to accentuate my point. “In fact, now that I finally have you to myself, I don’t plan on letting you go.”
He chuckles and turns toward me almost tentatively. I lose my grip on his shirt, but my hands find their way to his waist, which I like better anyway. He’s so warm and so big and so... everything.
“Tell me more about that,” he husks, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear, then trailing the backs of his fingers down the side of my neck.
His touch is gentle enough, but his skin is rough against mine and I shiver again, recalling vividly how he’d touched me so innocently that first night two summers ago. His big hand had swallowed mine when we pointed at the stars and I loved how small yet safe he made me feel in that moment.
His hands are rougher now. And somehow, they seem bigger. He seems bigger. Larger in reality than the secret places I’ve kept him hidden in my mind, wondering…curious…
“I’m here for a couple of weeks.” My hands drift over the ridges of muscle hidden beneath the soft white cotton of his shirt. “I was hoping we could spend some time together. If that’s something you’re interested in. Unless, of course, you’re seeing someone…” My voice trails off.
“I sure as hell wouldn’t be here if I were,” he rasps, his gaze narrowing down on mine. “And you know I’m fucking interested. But be real with me, Hayden. Spending time together… what does that look like to you?”
I’ve had weeks to think about this. Weeks to figure out what I would say when I finally got the chance, so I don’t screw it up and come off as selfish and promiscuous.
I want to explore the curiosity. Taste it and definitely touch it, because I don’t know if I’ll get another chance.