Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Okay, he’s used it twice now, and I really hate that nickname more than all the rest of them.
“You’re going to have to.” I cross my arms over my chest—or try to. The task is much more difficult with the lift vest in the way.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he tells me, then gives Ian a look that would have me kicking him in the nuts if this was real.
“No, we will not.”
“We will.”
“We won’t.” I glare at him, then my eyes widen when he drags me forward by the straps on my life jacket.
“We will.”
“We will not.”
“Will.” He ducks his head and presses his mouth hard against mine, and I inhale a startled breath that causes my lips to part. Lifting my hands, I press them against his chest to push him away, but his hand moves up to wrap around the nape of my neck, holding me hostage.
I tell myself that this is for show, that it’s not real, as I melt into the kiss. Then the tip of his tongue touches my inner bottom lip, and I reach out with my own and taste him. He tastes like mint and sunshine, and his hard chest feels good against my soft body. So good that a whimper of need escapes, and he groans in response.
Oh God.
My eyes that had fallen closed spring open in realization, and I push away from him, panting for breath while my heart races.
Glancing quickly over at Ian, I know I messed up, because he doesn’t look any more convinced. Actually, he looks confused as he glances between Jace and me. Like he just witnessed something he shouldn’t have.
“We… We should go.” I step toward Jace and close the awkward distance between us, and as our eyes lock, I realize he looks just as stunned as I feel. Like he wasn’t planning on that happening either.
“Yeah.” His voice is gruff as he focuses on his cousin. “We’re gonna head out. We’ll have a beer tonight.”
“For sure,” Ian mutters.
I latch the clasps on my life jacket and get on the jet ski, half-tempted to just take off on my own. To get as far away from this situation, from Jace, and the memory of that kiss as I can. But of course I can’t do that without looking like I’m running, so I wait for him to get on the seat in front of me.
Chapter 15
Appropriate PDA
“Hold on,” he orders, pressing the throttle, and I grab onto him as we shoot out of the boathouse, then quickly remove my hands from his waist and latch onto the seat behind me. “I said hold on,” he barks over the sound of the engine and water shooting out behind us.
“I am.”
“Hold on to me.”
“I’m fine!” I yell back and hear him curse before the jet ski begins to slow to a stop. When he woke up this afternoon, he told me that we were going to a food truck that took up residence on a dock near the head of the lake. But I can still see the house and everyone from where we are.
“What are you doing?”
“We need to talk.” He cuts the engine, and my heart that had started to go back to a normal speeds up. I want to tell him that we don’t need to talk, but after that kiss, a serious conversation is in order. “Come here.” He reaches back for me, and I shake my head.
“I’m good.”
“Penny, don’t be childish,” he clips, and for the first time since getting on the plane with him, I remember what a jerk he can be.
“I’m not childish.”
“Then come here.”
“I’m right here. If you want to talk, start talking.”
“I’m not going to break my neck to have a conversation with you.” He stands, and I hold on for dear life as the craft tips to the side. Then my breath catches when he straddles the seat facing me, locking my legs in with his knees.
I glance around. Once again, I’m trapped with him and have no way to escape. “You keep kidnapping me.”
“Jesus, I didn’t kidnap you,” he growls, and I look around.
“I’m stuck on a small object in the middle of a lake. Where am I going to go?”
“If you wanted to get away, you could swim.”
“Or I could just shove you into the water and take the jet ski back to the dock.”
“You could try,” he taunts, and when I let go of the seat, his eyes flash. “I dare you.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Christ, you make me insane.” He scrubs his fingers through his hair, looking as annoyed with me as the day we met. “Now, about that kiss.”
Heat spreads up my neck to my cheeks at the mention of it, and I shake my head again. “That kiss should not have happened. I get why it did. I mean, a normal couple might kiss like that when bickering. But we are not a normal couple, and it’s more obvious now than it ever was before that we need boundaries.”