Chapter Eight
BY SATURDAY MORNING Jenna was fit to be tied. She hadn’t seen Pete since he’d stormed out of the library, and she’d spent Thursday and Friday vacillating between calling him to explain and feeling like what she did was none of his business. She’d pouted and whined and tried burying her feelings in sweets, but nothing calmed her nerves. Even talking it out with Bella, Amy, and Leanna hadn’t helped her figure out what she should do, or if she should do anything at all. Her phone vibrated and Charlie’s name appeared on the screen.
“Ugh.” Something was seriously wrong with her. Charlie was strong and sexy, interesting, and, probably by any other woman’s standards, a really good kisser. Most women would swoon over his looks and fall in love with his attentive nature—any woman except Jenna, that is. He’d called her several times while he was out of town, and Jenna had tried to remain focused on those calls, but her mind had drifted to Pete. She knew that was a horrible sign, and she should have uninvited him on the boat trip, but she wasn’t good at breaking up, and doing it over the phone seemed rude.
She answered his call, hoping he might cancel their plans.
“Hi, Charlie.”
“Hey. I just wanted to let you know that I might be five minutes late to the marina, but I’ll be there. Don’t worry.”
Did he have to be so considerate? “Okay, no problem. If you can’t make it, just let me know so I can tell Dane.”
“I wouldn’t let you down like that. I’ll be there.”
Of course you will.
After their call, she plopped onto the couch and closed her eyes. Why can’t I just feel something for him? Then this would be easier.
Darn Bella for being right. Pete was the man she loved, and probably the only man she ever would.
“Knock-knock,” Bella said as she walked through the door wearing a blue sundress over her bathing suit. She narrowed her eyes and pointed at Jenna. “Let’s see…You’ve got on your least-favorite bikini, your favorite cutoffs, and your favorite earrings. But your face tells me that the yellow bikini was worn for a reason and the other stuff was an afterthought. Does that mean you didn’t break up with Charlie?”
Jenna met her gaze but didn’t say a word. She knew she didn’t have to.
“Jenna! You promised you were going to do it last night.” Bella sat beside her on the couch. “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking that it would suck to be broken up with over the phone.”
“The man thinks you want to scale him like a mountain,” Bella reminded her.
“Climb him like scaffolding,” Jenna corrected her.
“Whatever. What happens after the boat trip when he’s ready to do you and you’re ready to dump him?” Bella exhaled loudly. “And what happens when you’re stuck on the boat with both Pete and Charlie?”
Jenna shot upright. “What?”
“Leanna told me this morning that Pete’s going. I didn’t remember him saying he was that night at the Beachcomber, but apparently, he and Dane swapped numbers to talk about boats and…” She shrugged.
“Bella, this is terrible. I can’t go. How can I even face Pete? It’s him I want to climb like scaffolding, and he stomped away when he saw me sucking face with Charlie.” Jenna paced. “This is bad. Very, very bad.”
“You could call Charlie and cancel. Tell him you’re sick or something.”
“I can’t do that. He just called and confirmed. Bella, I’m not cut out for this. I shouldn’t have approached Charlie in the first place. I should have come down here this summer and just ogled Pete for a few weeks, too chicken to let him know how I really feel, and let it go at that.”
“You guys ready?” Amy peeked through the screen.
“No,” Jenna snapped.
“She didn’t break up with Charlie,” Bella said.
“Cripes! Jenna.” Amy joined them inside the cottage. “You know Pete’s coming, right?”
“How come you both knew about him coming and I didn’t know?” Jenna asked.
“Leanna told me just now, but I don’t know how Bella knew.” Amy shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. How are we going to deal with this?”
“I’m not going.” Jenna plopped back onto the couch.
“You’re going,” Amy and Bella said in unison.
“Maybe this is all a coincidence,” Bella said with a softer tone. “Maybe Pete stormed out of the library because he forgot something.”
“Oh, that makes me feel better. So he’s not interested. I just imagined the whole, erotic, sensual whisper in my ear that made me practically unravel right on the spot. That must be it. I’m delirious.” Jenna covered her face with her hands and groaned.
“Okay, okay. This is fixable. First, change out of the yellow,” Bella directed. “If Pete’s on the boat, you want him to want you, and everyone knows the yellow one is not your fave suit. Even Pete. So wear something that says, I’m psyched to be here!”
“You’re insane,” Jenna snapped.
“You know I’m right. What do you think every time Amy wears her hair in one of those awful headbands pulled back like a twelve-year-old?” Bella arched a brow.
“Hey…” Amy wrinkled her brow.
“A very sexy, cute, beautiful twelve-year-old,” Jenna said to Amy. “Who doesn’t want to do whatever we’re doing that day.”
Amy rolled her eyes.
“Exactly. Now go change.” Bella pushed her to her feet.
“What about poor Charlie?” Amy asked.
“That’s the part I’m not sure about. If Jenna won’t break up with him beforehand, then I don’t think there’s any way around this. She’ll have to just pretend everything is normal.” Bella paced.
“Oh, Pete will love that!” Jenna called from the bedroom.
“She’s right. Holding a guy’s hand isn’t exactly a turn-on to another guy. Besides, it’s mean to use Charlie like that.” Amy crossed her arms and tapped her cheek with her index finger. “I’ve got it. You should tell Pete. Call him and say something like, Hey, just wanted you to know that Charlie’s definitely coming today, but I wish he wasn’t.”
“Then Pete won’t show up. She just needs to be herself and let whatever happens, happen. We’ll be there to save her from anything too traumatic.” Bella gasped as Jenna came out of the bedroom in her jade bikini. “Holy moly. I’d do you in that bathing suit.”
Jenna pulled her shoulders back, put her hands on her hips, and turned sideways. “Good, right?”
“Barbie-doll good,” Amy said. “You make me look like an ironing board.”
“I think you have a great figure, Amy. These babies are not all that fun.” Jenna lifted her boobs. “There’s always a question in the back of my mind if a guy likes me for me or for my tatas.”
Bella rolled her eyes. “Both, of course. They are men. Come on. We have to leave or we’ll all miss the boat.”
DANE BRADEN’S FISHING boat moved swiftly through the ocean. They’d been on the water for more than an hour, and Pete regretted being there for most of that time. The first few minutes were cool, when Dane explained to Evan that the chair secured to the deck of the boat was called a fighting chair, used when reeling in a big fish or a shark. He explained how he strapped himself into it when they had a shark on the line, giving them better control and more power. Constructed of wood and metal, with a foot plate that allowed for more stability, the chair rotated with the movement of the fish. Since they weren’t going to fish for sharks today, Evan was perched in the chair, soaking up the sun in a pair of dark sunglasses and listening to his iPod.
Pete shifted his eyes around the boat. Lacy, Leanna, Bella, Amy, and Jenna were sunning themselves on the front deck of the boat in their bikinis. Jenna’s hair whipped around her face. She looked beautiful with the sun beaming down on her flawless skin. Their laughter carried in the wind, and Pete got lost in the sound of Jenna’s joy. He debated joining them just to be near her, but thoughts of last night with his father held him back. When Charlie joined them and sat down beside Jenna, Pete turned his attention to Kurt, Caden, and Dane, hanging out by the helm. He glanced back at Jenna a minute later, trying to convince himself that he was lucky for their friendship and he should leave it at that. She had Charlie, and he had his father to contend with.
But he still wanted much, much more.
“Who’s ready to chum the water?” Dane called to the women and Evan.
“I’ll do it!” Evan climbed down from the chair.
“Lace?” Dane waved her over. He was Pete’s height, with a body sculpted by years of deep-sea diving. Lacy smiled as she came to his side and caressed his shoulder. Dane’s powerful physique dwarfed her feminine frame.
The others joined them, and when Charlie draped an arm over Jenna’s shoulder, Pete felt a spear of jealousy. Ever since his conversation with Matt, he’d been dwelling on what he’d said. You’ve got to have a life, too, and taking care of Pop is no life. He was so torn over the whole situation. He wanted Jenna—in every way, not just as a friend, and even though the thought brought enough guilt to drown him, he was pissed over his father’s drinking and how it was standing in his way.
Dane whispered something in Lacy’s ear, and she reached for his hand.
“I’m okay,” she said quietly before turning to the others and explaining. “I get a little quivery around sharks, but I can always go belowdecks if I get nervous.”
Dane squeezed her hand.
Bella went to Caden’s side. “I was asking Caden this morning what I should do if I get nervous. Now I know.”
“Evan, come on over and let me go over a few things with you. First and foremost, when you see a shark, never try to touch it, lean too far over, or do anything risky, got it? They’re not dogs. You can’t hand-feed them.” Dane spoke with a serious tone.
“Yes, of course. I don’t want to go near them. I just want to see one,” Evan explained. “I promise, I won’t do anything stupid.”
Dane pointed into the barrel of chum while he explained to Evan how to chum the water. Pete’s attention was drawn to Jenna. She was listening intently, with her brows pushed tighter, her arms crossed over her narrow rib cage. Pete wanted to stand behind her and feel her back against him, warm from the sun. He wanted to whisper in her ear—something, anything, that would make her smile or blush. He wanted to be closer to her.
He wanted to love her. Publicly. Not just in his mind and in his heart. Every day brought the depth of his love to the surface, and he was doing all he could to keep from thrusting it upon her, and because of his father, he knew he shouldn’t.
An hour later, the others were gathered around the edge of the boat, watching the chum slick for sharks and listening to Dane tell stories about his shark-tagging adventures. Pete couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t spend one more second watching Jenna and Charlie. He went belowdecks to get a cold drink. He grabbed a soda from the fridge, flipped the tab, and took a long, icy swig.
“Would you mind handing me one?” Jenna’s voice was different. Stronger.
Pete turned, and Jenna closed the distance between them, her eyes locked on him. Heat rolled off of her and ignited with each step. She didn’t dart her eyes away. Her voice was confident and seductive, so different from the Jenna he usually encountered. He liked her. A lot.
“Actually,” she said, moving in front of him. “I can get it.”
She bent to retrieve the drink, giving Pete a clear view of her incredible rear. She’s better off without me. The thought came quickly but didn’t take hold as she opened the soda and took a sip, then dragged her tongue slowly across her lips. He set his soda on the counter, wanting to do so much more than lick her sensuous lips. He knew he shouldn’t, but he took a step closer, all of his senses on high alert. His heart thundered in his chest. She smelled of suntan lotion, and desire wrapped around them like powerful arms, drawing him nearer as she gazed up at him. He took the soda from her hands, his eyes never leaving hers as he set it aside.
“Shouldn’t you be with your boyfriend?” He shouldn’t ask. He shouldn’t care. But every fiber of his being wanted to kiss her.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She narrowed her eyes.
Pete wasn’t a game player, and if this was a game to her, he had to know. He’d had enough summer flings; he didn’t need to ruin their friendship for one. The lust in her eyes told him this was no game to Jenna.
Voices rang out from the deck and he shot a glance at the stairs, unwilling to move away. He stepped closer, brushing her thighs with his.
“Do you play tonsil hockey with all the guys who aren’t your boyfriend? If so, I must have missed the invitation.” He rested his palm on the wall behind her and leaned in close, testing the waters, his vow to remain in the friend zone forgotten.
“N-no.” She blinked several times. Her chest rose and fell as her breathing hastened. Her eyebrows drew together; then she set her shoulders back, just a fraction of an inch, but Pete noticed. He noticed everything in those quick seconds—the scent of her breath, the way her thighs tensed against his, the shape of her eyes.
She sucked in air. “You don’t need an invitation.”
Desire surged forward, chasing worry, friendship, and hesitation until they bound together and scrambled away, and he lowered his face to hers, their lips a second apart. His hand slid down the wall, and he clutched the back of her neck. His other hand found her lower back and pressed her body to his. They were both breathing hard. Jenna’s body trembled against him, and man did she feel good. He slid his lips to the corner of hers, grazing the edge of her mouth and then further still. His cheek rubbed against her silken skin, and she sucked in air again. He was savoring the moment, because once their lips met, there was no turning back. He pressed kisses along her jaw, and her head lolled back, her lips slightly parted, her eyes closed. She grabbed the waistband of his jeans, holding him against her as he trailed openmouthed kisses down her neck. Her skin was hot from the sun, salty, and so darn sweet, he didn’t want to stop there. He could only imagine how blessed sweet the rest of her tasted. He ran his hand up her ribs.
“Holy Moses…” she said in one long breath.
He tightened his hold and nipped at her earlobe. “When you’re with me…” He kissed the back of her neck. “How about if mine is the only name coming off your lips?” Her breathing quickened again. He pressed both hands to her cheeks, hard, his thumbs against her jaw—a last chance for her to beg off. He wanted to be gentle, but gentle left the boat the minute she said he didn’t need an invitation. Indecent thoughts he’d tried to stop himself from pairing with Jenna raced through his mind. If he was going to be with Jenna, really be with her, he needed to know she could handle—and wanted—him before he tasted that sweet mouth of hers.
But when he looked into her beautiful eyes and felt her eager body, it struck him like a ton of bricks.
She was there with Charlie. She wasn’t his to claim. No matter how much she felt like she was, or that he was practically salivating at the thought of kissing her, she wasn’t his to enjoy. Pete did not want to share Jenna.
He forced himself to bring his mouth to her ear again.
“When you’re done with your boy, Jenna, and you want me. Just me. You let me know.” His voice sounded rough and gravelly, laden with frustration.
Releasing her was the hardest thing he’d ever done, until he took a step back and unfurled her fingers from his jeans, breaking their connection altogether. Jenna let out a loud breath, panting, her eyes slowly refocusing on him.
“Wha—? Why?”
It was a fair question, and the anger in her beautiful eyes was fair, too. He wanted to take her in his arms and devour her, but he wouldn’t. Once their lips touched, she was his. And he was hers. All Pete had to offer her was the truth.
“I don’t share well. Not you, Jenna. I can’t share you.”
He felt her hot stare follow him as he stepped away; then her hand clutched the back of his jeans and she yanked him back. Pete was a formidable presence against her petite frame. He turned with her efforts and Jenna threw her arms up, coming up short of his neck, which almost made him laugh because she was so stinkin’ cute, all hot, bothered, and ready to devour him. But laughter wasn’t on his mind as he gripped her waist and lifted her easily so she could do what she pleased. He was powerless to resist the love he felt for her. Jenna’s arms circled his neck as he backed her against the wall and sealed his lips over hers in a hard, deep crash of a kiss. She met stroke after insistent stroke of his hunger. She buried her hands in his hair, her nails digging into his scalp as they deepened the kiss. Her legs wrapped around his waist, holding her up, freeing his hands to grope. Her body was supple. Sheer perfection. She could darn well handle him, and now he knew she wanted him, too. Just him.
With one powerful arm around her waist, the other feeling her up—yes, feeling her up, because there was no other way to describe the way he took what he’d been wanting, what he’d tried to ignore for too long—he turned with her in his arms and lowered them both to the padded bench behind them. It was all he could do not to take her right there. She rocked her hips against him, and he grabbed a handful of her sweet behind, holding her tighter, until he could barely think.
“I’ll see where she went.” Bella’s voice sailed around them as they made out like horny teenagers.
Footsteps descended the stairs, and Pete knew he should pull away, but Jenna was intoxicating, grabbing his hair, kissing him like he was the very oxygen she needed to survive. He wanted to stay right there, kissing her, loving her.
“What?” Bella’s voice again, coming closer.
Nooooo.
He tore himself from Jenna, leaving her gasping for air, sprawled across the bench. He lifted her to a sitting position and then plopped down beside her, hoping his arousal would somehow magically deflate, and knowing there wasn’t a chance it would.
Bella was looking behind her, up toward the deck. She turned, her eyes darted between them, and worry shifted across her features. “Oh. Shoot.”
There was no way for them to hide the urgency of their need. He was sure it dripped from their pores. Jenna’s hair was a tangled mess, her cheeks were flushed, and he was pretty sure he looked the same. Pete ran his hand through his hair and turned his attention to Jenna. He wasn’t about to try and explain to Bella. She knew exactly what was going on, but he didn’t want Jenna to be embarrassed, and the last thing she needed was for Charlie to find out. Charlie. Pete bit back his distaste that Jenna had come with Charlie and that now he’d have to relinquish her to him again. He ran his fingers through her hair until she looked more kempt, then cupped her cheeks and stared deeply into her eyes.
“Jenna,” he whispered, and rested his forehead against hers.
“Holy moly.” Bella took a step toward the stairs, then turned back.
Pete waited for Jenna to say something, and when she didn’t, he kissed her cheek and took her hand in his. “Go out with me tomorrow?”
She nodded, a slight smile on her lips, and in her eyes was pure, unadulterated desire that snuck inside him and softened his rough edges. Only then did he realize what he’d been too thick to see for all these years. Jenna didn’t need words. She didn’t need to be aggressive like the women he was used to, telling him that she wanted him, staking claim to him in a way that left no doubt. There was more want in her eyes, more real emotion, than any woman had ever verbalized. How could he have been so blind for so long? Jenna was the perfect combination of confidence and sweetness, and tomorrow could not come soon enough.
JENNA FELT LIKE she’d sprouted wings and jumped from the top of a tower. She was soaring, weightless, among the clouds. Pete placed her hand on her thigh and covered it with his own, and then he smiled. Oh, how she loved his smile. His lips. The man could kiss—and hold, and touch, and, Oh gosh. I like you. I like you so darn much.
“Are you okay?” His voice was tender and caring.
She nodded, or at least she thought she did.
“I don’t want you to have trouble with Charlie, so I’m going to go up to the deck, but, Jenna, I need you to know that leaving you is the last thing I want to do.”
“Maybe so, but go. Please go,” Bella urged as she shot another look up the stairs. “You two look like…Forget it. You know what you look like.”
Pete’s eyes never left Jenna. She felt protected and cherished in a way no man had ever made her feel with nothing more than a kiss, a touch, and a thoughtful tone.
“Okay?”
She forced herself to nod. When he rose to his feet, he took her next breath with him and she longed for him to return.
Pete stopped beside Bella. “You know I don’t want to leave her.”
Bella pushed him toward the stairs, her eyes frenzied. “Yes. I know. Now get up there before she gets in trouble.”
He turned back, his eyes locking on Jenna again. Her breath caught in her throat. “I didn’t want to do this when you were here with another guy. I’m sorry, Jenna. It wasn’t my intent to make you uncomfortable.”
“Oh for crying out loud.” Bella rolled her eyes. “She knows. It was passion. You guys couldn’t help it. Whatever.” She gave him a hard shove toward the stairs, and his lips curved into a smile.
“It was so much more.” He shifted his gaze to Bella. “But you can minimize it if it makes you feel better.”
He disappeared up the stairs, and Jenna let out a loud breath. Bella rushed to her side and grabbed her hand.
“Oh my gosh. What happened?” She snapped her fingers in front of Jenna’s face. “Hello? Jenna?” Each word was a harsh whisper, a reminder that Jenna had become unhinged and she needed to fix herself. Now.
Jenna breathed deeply. She trapped her lower lip in her teeth and clenched her eyes shut, wanting to remember every second of being in Pete’s arms: the brush of his stubble against her cheeks, the way he held her tightly, like she was his, the way he kissed—goodness, the way he kissed. She felt as though she might burst. When she opened her eyes, she met Bella’s concerned gaze.
“You know what you said a first kiss should be?” Jenna asked.
“Yes.”
“This was a million times better.”