Chapter 8

Grace held on to her ball cap as the Summerly zipped through the water. The wind on her face made it impossible to think. She could see why people loved doing this. Some chased their worries away by drinking—she’d seen that often enough working as a bartender at Dewy’s. Others let the wind clear their minds.

After a half hour, the boat slowed, bouncing on the wake of other boats in the water. It took a moment for Grace’s hearing to adjust to the absence of the engine and wind.

“This is where we’ll come on tournament day. It’s a favorite spot for us,” Jack said.

Grace lowered her arm, no longer needing to secure her hat. She stood, trying out her sea legs, as Jack had called them. “Then we throw our lines in the water and catch a fish?” she asked.

Jack and Noah shared a look, then burst into laughter.

“If only it was that easy, Captain. What exactly did my father teach you? You have to find the fish, lure it to your hook, and then somehow get that five-hundred-pound sucker on the boat. It can take hours,” Jack said.

“Don’t worry, though. All you have to do is steer and look pretty.” Noah bumped a featherweight fist against the side of her arm.

Grace swatted Noah’s hat off his head, loving how easily she’d slipped back into being his big sister. It was almost like they were kids again. The playful spirit between them was something she’d always treasured. She glanced over and caught the look on Jack’s face as she and Noah bantered. Jack’s jaw was locked. She couldn’t see his eyes through the sporty sunglasses on his face, but if she had to guess, the blue of them had darkened the way they did when he was upset. Jealous? She swatted his shoulder, too, surprised at the charge her body got from his. Playfully wrestling with Noah was a world different from sharing a touch with Jack. “You’ll let me do more than steer, right?” she asked, pulling her hand away quickly.

Jack lifted a brow under his shades. “You want to handle a pole?”

“Not on the day of the tournament, of course. I don’t want to get in the way. But I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at your favorite spot.”

His brow stayed up on his forehead. Yeah, referencing his favorite spot sounded a little dirty.

“Did you bring your rods today?” she asked, flustered. Her discombobulation grew as both of Jack’s brows lifted. She felt like smacking a hand against her own forehead. Who knew fishing lingo sounded so dirty? She pressed her lips together, afraid to say anything else.

Jack pointed to a screen on his dash. “This is a fish finder. Looks like the fish aren’t really here right now. None that we want to catch, anyway.”

Grace observed the screen of neon-green lines. “Isn’t that cheating?”

“It’s only cheating if the other guys don’t have it,” Noah chimed in. “And believe me, they all do.”

Grace nodded. “Okay. So no fishing at your favorite spot today.” She placed her hands on her hips and stared at the water for a long moment. “That’s it? This is what you guys do all day?”

Jack laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“So I work harder than you two, then? That’s it. I should get a raise,” she joked. The pay she got at Sawyer Seafood was better than anywhere she’d ever worked.

“Keep doing a great job in the office and we’ll talk to Dad,” Noah told her. He pulled off his shirt, revealing a taut, tanned chest. She could appreciate that Noah had a great body, but it didn’t do anything for her. It was kind of gross actually, because she felt like a sister toward him. “I’m going for a swim, you two,” he said.

Grace’s lips parted. “What about sharks?”

Noah and Jack shared another look. She was starting to hate that. Then Noah walked to the front of the boat and dove off with a huge splash.

Leaving Grace alone with Jack.

“We’ve been in the water since the day we were born. We’re not scared of sharks,” Jack said, his voice lowering to one that curled her toes inside her flip-flops.

She wished he’d take off those sunglasses. She wanted to see his eyes. She wanted to know if the desire that she’d seen before the other night was still there. Or if she’d squashed it when she’d pulled away. She wasn’t sure which outcome she was hoping for. “About the other night…” she began, pretty sure that Jack would stop her. He didn’t. Instead, he just watched her. And crap. She didn’t know what else to say after that. She didn’t have anything to say about that night. She didn’t even know how to feel about it.

She stepped forward and lifted Jack’s sunglasses, setting them on the top of his head. “There. I can’t talk to someone if I can’t see their eyes.”

His blue eyes sharpened, and her heart rode up in her throat. The desire was definitely still lit in their depths. Surprising her, he took a step closer. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. And despite her fear of starting something with him, there was nothing in the world she wanted more than to feel his lips brushing against hers. Especially with that new growth of hair that he’d neglected to shave this morning and probably yesterday, too. Instead of a kiss, though, he mimicked her actions and lifted her sunglasses off her face, perching them on the crown of her head. “Fair is fair,” he said, his stare unwavering. “You were saying,” he said in a low voice—the kind that belonged in the bedroom. Her bedroom.

She swallowed and decided to go with wholehearted honesty. “You were supposed to cut me off and say you don’t want to talk about the other night. That we should just forget it. Then I would agree and things would go back to normal between us.”

The corner of Jack’s mouth quirked on one side. “I missed the memo on that one, I guess.” He was standing so close to her. The space between them was nothing, and everything. “For the record, I think we should definitely not forget the other night. I happen to like remembering it.”

She swallowed hard. “You do?”

“Definitely.”

Her gaze slid into the distance where Noah was swimming, oblivious to the two of them.

The voices in her head were suddenly so loud. Her own voice, scared and afraid of another rejection down the road. Her mother’s voice telling her to find a man. Jack’s voice the other night telling her she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “I still don’t want to ruin this new chance with your family and Noah.” The space between them was disappearing as they drew closer together, like magnets unable to avoid the attraction. “And this tournament is important to me. I don’t want to risk this opportunity.”

“So we keep things quiet between us for now. My family doesn’t have to know anything until after we win this thing.” Both sides of his mouth were curving up now, poking dimples in his boyish cheeks. Those dimples were the only boyish part of Jack Sawyer.

God, she really wanted to kiss him right now. “What if we mess things up between us?” she asked, standing skin close.

“The only way we do that is if we don’t take the chance. If it doesn’t work, we can pretend it never happened then. We can go back to being friends.”

“Nothing lost,” Grace said, staring shamelessly at his lips. She wanted to believe everything he was saying—even though in her heart she knew that this was her last chance with Jack, and if it didn’t work, they’d probably never talk again.

“Nothing lost.” One of Jack’s hands anchored on her waist, reeling in her body flush against his. She was caught, hooked, and not even trying to slip away this time.

“Okay,” she said, suddenly dizzy from the rush of blood flowing away from her brain and down to other areas.

A splash caught both of their attention. Jack’s hand retreated and he took a step backward. “How about I come by tonight?” he asked, sliding his gaze to her.

She nodded, aware that Noah was swimming back toward the boat. “I’ll make dinner.” She took another step backward as the boat rocked under Noah’s weight.

“You two are standing in the exact same place I left you,” Noah noted, grabbing a towel and rubbing it over his face.

“We’re strategizing,” Jack said, eyes locked on Grace.

She pulled her sunglasses back over her eyes. “That’s right. We need a strategy.”

Noah grinned. “So serious. Fishing is supposed to be fun, you two.” He draped his towel over his shoulders. “The boat is running smoothly. We just need to change the oil before the big day and we’ll be good.”

Jack nodded. “I’ll handle that.”

“Great. Gotta get back, bro. I’m meeting Krista for a late lunch,” Noah said.

“My Krista?” Grace asked.

Noah shrugged. “Well, she’s my Krista at least once a week.”

“They’re just friends, though,” Jack noted sarcastically, standing behind the helm and sliding the boat back into gear.

“It’s true. We’ve been doing this since junior high. And she’s dating some douchebag right now anyway. I tried to tell her the guy’s a loser, but she won’t listen.”

Grace frowned. “I met Jeremy the other day. He seemed nice to me.”

“Yeah, if you like that sort. He’s not her type,” Noah said, frowning for the first time since boarding the boat at the dock.

“And neither are you, right?” Jack asked.

“Heck, no, man.” Noah shuddered. “She’s more like a sister than someone I’d—” He shook his head. “It’s not like that. That’d be like one of us dating Grace.”

Grace’s cheeks burned.

“Yeah. It’d be just like that,” Jack agreed, eying her. Then he pushed the throttle forward and rocketed the boat back across the water.

Jack didn’t usually get nervous. But stepping up to Grace’s door later that night made his palms sweat. What if he screwed it up somehow?

The door opened before he could knock and Grace stared back at him. She was dressed in a soft flowing skirt and fitted cotton top.

“Hi,” she said with a smile. Then she stepped aside and gestured him inside her apartment.

The smell of something fried aroused the rest of his senses. “It smells good. What’re you cooking?”

“Well, I figure you get enough fish, so I’m making chicken Alfredo. It’s kind of my specialty. Are you hungry?”

Jack tried to keep his eyes on her face. He was hungry all right, but not for food. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” He watched Grace turn and head into the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. It’ll be done in just a little bit.”

“Can I help?” he asked, leaning against the countertop.

Grace grabbed a metal sheet covered with sliced bread. “You can butter these.”

“You expecting a crowd?” he asked, noting the eight pieces of bread.

“Just you and me.” Her gaze snagged on his.

“That’s good.” He lifted the butter knife that she’d placed in front of him. “Because I can’t wait to get my hands on you again.” He loved the way her chest and neck flushed when he lowered his voice and said suggestive things.

She cocked her head to the side. “Well, you’ll have to, because my specialty dish is best when it’s hot.”

“I can wait,” he said, slicing the knife through the butter and smearing it across the bread. “I’m a fisherman, after all. Or I was. I’ve been known to sit for hours without a bite. I’m a patient man.” From the corner of his eye he saw her squirm. “I wonder if you can wait, though.”

Grace giggled softly. He could hear the nerves laced in the sound. “A little presumptive, aren’t you?”

“I don’t think so. What we had the other night was pretty damn good.” He lifted his gaze from the bread. “But I’m confident I can do better.”

Her pretty pink lips rounded and she dropped the wooden spoon she’d been holding. Rushing to pick it up, her skirt slid up on her thighs. Teasing her was good foreplay. Watching her cook was good foreplay, too.

Jack finished buttering the bread and then carried the metal cookie sheet over to the stove. He laid the tray down and moved Grace over by her waist. “Excuse me, sweetheart. Don’t want you to get burned.” He opened the oven and slid the tray in, then turned and faced Grace. “Ten minutes till we eat.”

Her throat constricted as she swallowed. She was definitely feeling the buzz between them as much as he was.

Jack wrapped his arms around her waist. “If I kiss you now, I might ruin dinner. And that would be a shame.”

Her head tipped back to look up at him. “It would. I’ve worked pretty hard on my specialty dish.”

“Hard.” He nodded, unable to help the smile on his face.

She laughed, punching a soft fist into his chest. “I should’ve waited to cook until later.”

“Are you saying you can’t wait for me?” he asked playfully.

She pressed her body against him. He was sure she could feel exactly how much he wanted her.

“I’m known for my self-control. I’m eating first.” His eyes fell on her mouth. “Besides, I like watching you squirm. I might eat nice and slow tonight.”

Her eyebrows lowered. “You’re serious?”

“Always.” He stepped away, because while he had his fair share of control, he had a breaking point. He was going to savor tonight, though. After the other night, he’d thought he’d never get another chance with Grace. He was teetering on a fine line, knowing that she could push him away again at any moment. Her walls could come back up bigger and stronger. Life had done that to her. And part of that had been his family’s doing.

The timer for the oven beeped. Jack turned and grabbed an oven mitt, shifting uncomfortably against the swell in his jeans. This was going to be the longest dinner of his life.

“You’re going to eat every last bite, aren’t you?” Grace sat back in her chair and watched Jack fork the last few noodles left on his dish into his mouth.

“It’s that good,” he said. “I might need a nap afterward, though.”

Her lips pressed together until he grinned. “You’re joking.”

“I’m joking.” He slid his dish to the side. Then he stared at her, his gaze grazing over her like a slow, seductive touch. “I’m done. Now I’m ready for dessert.” He held up a hand. “And before you ask, you are my dessert.”

Her back straightened as heat zipped through her, settling low in her belly. He stood and offered her his hand. “Shall we?”

Butterflies swam inside her. This wasn’t their first time together, but she was suddenly all kinds of nervous. What if the second time didn’t live up to the first? What if she did something wrong?

All her worries were silenced as Jack pulled her in his arms and kissed her mindless. Then her body took over, writhing against his, hungry for his touch again. She needed to feel his skin flush with hers. Her hand lowered to the mound at the center of his pants. “How did you sit there so patiently during dinner?”

“Years of practice growing up with you down the hall,” he growled, lifting her shirt over her head and sprinkling kisses up her neck. She moaned in pleasure, pushing him toward her bed. She wanted to straddle him and feel that hardness inside her. Dinner had been torture for her as well.

Jack sat on the bed, reached up, and unclasped her bra, lowering his gaze to her breasts. She froze for a moment, watching him as he took her in. Something about the way he looked at her made her feel gorgeous. He traced the skin around her nipple, making shivers rumble through her. Then he dipped his head and took one breast into his mouth. There was nothing hurried in his actions even though she could feel the urgency of his erection. His tongue flicked against her sensitive skin.

Grace pulled her lower lip between her teeth and bit down. “It was hard for me living with you down the hall, too,” she whispered, breathless.

His eyes opened and flicked up to meet hers before moving to the other breast. “Yeah?”

“Um-hmm.”

“Tell me about it.”

“What?” Grace could barely focus with Jack’s teeth brushing against her.

“I want to hear how much you wanted me.”

“You already know, Jack. I’ve always wanted you.” She’d wanted more than his body, though, and that’s what terrified her.

Jack lifted his mouth and met hers. Then he flipped her onto her back, taking complete control. She let him, trusting him more than she knew she should. He unzipped her skirt at the side and gave it a gentle tug down her body.

She didn’t wait for him to peel the last article of clothing off. She grasped the sides of her lace panties and pushed them down past her thighs, calves, ankles. They dropped to the floor below, leaving her naked.

A moan rumbled deep inside Jack’s throat as he looked at her body. “Gorgeous,” he whispered, sending a rush of goose bumps over her skin.

She wasn’t sure she’d ever had a man look at her this way, like he adored her, thought she was perfect. She sat up and grabbed hold of the button on his jeans. With a flick of her fingers, they came undone. “Take these off,” she said, looking up at him from where she sat on the bed.

Dutifully, Jack shed his pants along with his boxers, then retrieved a condom from his jeans pocket. It took only a few seconds for him to rip the package open and sheath himself.

Grace watched him, eagerly. She’d always told herself that size absolutely did not matter, but looking at Jack, maybe she was wrong about that. He was large by any standard, and he was all hers.

“Last chance to turn back,” he said. “We don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, yes we do. Make love to me, Jack.”

With a grin, he crawled over her body and connected his mouth with hers in a hot, toe-curling kiss. Then he used one of his legs to spread hers apart just enough and, doing exactly what she’d told him she wanted, he pushed inside her, filling her up so completely. She held on to him, memorizing exactly how this felt, so she’d remember after it fell to pieces.

Because everything in her life eventually fell to pieces. But maybe not this one time?

“You are it for me, Grace. My biggest fantasy,” he breathed above her. The feel of him, the sound, the smell. It all added to her building arousal. She could feel her breaths growing shallow as everything pooled just below her center. All her thoughts escaped her—the traitors—as her body took over. She’d never been a loud lover, but Jack had her moaning, chanting his name like some rock star groupie, and she didn’t care.

“Harder,” she pleaded, wanting a release so desperately. She was right on the edge, teetering, holding on to it, waiting for it to take her. As if knowing how close she was, Jack plunged harder, deeper until she cried out, her orgasm breaking all of her self-control.

And yeah, size definitely mattered.

A moment later, Jack moaned as he found his own release. His body went rigid against hers for a long moment. She pulled him in, wanting to give him whatever he needed. Then he softened, melting down on the bed beside her.

“I’m glad you changed your mind about giving us a try,” he said.

Grace tried not to put too much meaning into the word us. Jack was just living out an old fantasy. He’d said as much. By the time the tournament rolled around, the thrill would be over. She was well practiced at saying goodbye. First, her biological father. Then the Sawyer family. She was getting a second chance with the Sawyers, though, and she wouldn’t let whatever this was between her and Jack jeopardize it. When it was time to say goodbye to whatever was between them, she would, she promised herself.

“Me, too,” she said, curling into him.

He kissed her softly—a match striking dry tinder—igniting their passion once more.

Unable to resist, because this moment was all she was promised, Grace rolled on top of Jack, aligned her body with his, and they made love again.

Grace blinked at the soft light spilling into her window the next morning. She glanced over at the empty spot in her bed, vaguely remembering Jack getting up and kissing her lips before slipping out. Her secret lover.

Her phone buzzed beside her. She held it up and read the incoming text from Krista.

I have to be at work in one hour. Grabbing a muffin at the café. Care to join me?

Grace broke into a yawn and glanced at the clock. She had to be at work in an hour, too. She could shower, dress, and be on her way in ten minutes, though.

Sure. See you in fifteen? she texted back.

Sounds good, Krista responded a moment later.

Grace hurried toward the bathroom, taking in the soreness of her body. Jack had done that. And she was hoping he’d do it again very soon.

Fifteen minutes later, Krista waved as Grace entered the Blushing Bay Café. The town’s favorite café was only a few blocks from the Sawyer Seafood Company and Blushing Bay Memorial, where Krista worked.

“I already ordered you a coffee and raspberry muffin,” Krista said, pushing it across the table as Grace sat down.

“This was a great idea. Saying I have an empty fridge right now would be an understatement.” Although, at least Grace was making enough money now to actually buy groceries.

Krista laughed, taking a huge bite of her own muffin. Krista’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was dressed in aquamarine-colored nursing scrubs with the Blushing Bay Memorial logo printed on the front pocket. “I woke up ravenous. I usually stop in and eat alone, but I wanted more scoop.”

“More scoop?” Grace nearly choked on the bite of muffin in her mouth.

Krista stared at her. “Yeah, you know, about your new job,” she said slowly.

“Oh.” Grace exhaled and pulled her coffee toward her.

“You thought I was talking about something different.” Krista raised a dark eyebrow, inspecting Grace across the table. “Something else has happened between now and when we talked on Saturday. Another lunch date maybe?”

“What? No.” Grace tried to offer a straight face as she hid behind her coffee. Tried and failed.

Krista cocked her head to the side. “Don’t try to play it off. Tell me.”

Grace swallowed. “Well, the job at Sawyer Seafood Company is still going well. Noah is actually talking to me now, which is good. And I spoke to a new prospective customer yesterday. They’re opening a restaurant in Blushing Bay and need someone to supply their fish. The guys are thrilled.”

Krista licked a crumb from the top of her mouth. “You had a huge crush on Jack growing up.”

“Hmm?” Grace asked, glancing around the café, hoping her face wasn’t revealing anything.

“It was so obvious,” Krista confirmed. “Everyone knew. I’m guessing that maybe”—a wicked grin spread across her face—“you still have a thing for him now.”

Grace laughed nervously. “That’s crazy.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh wow. I should get going. I don’t want to be late.”

Krista frowned. “What? You just got here. You have twenty minutes before you have to be at your desk and the guys are complete pushovers.”

“If you’re not early, you’re late,” Grace chimed, collecting her purse and coffee.

Krista bagged the rest of her muffin. “Right. Well, we should definitely finish this conversation later. How about tonight?”

Grace pushed her chair back under the table. “I, um, can’t. I’m actually staying in tonight. I sort of have…plans.”

Krista grinned, her dark eyes lighting up. “Okay. Tomorrow morning, then. Same time, same place. And if you don’t spill the beans over breakfast tomorrow, then we’ll both be late for work, because I’m not leaving here without it.”