But Sam shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. We all know you were his favorite. For all you know, he left you everything.”
Her blue eyes went wide and she looked at Jake incredulously before looking at her brother. “Are you crazy? How much have you had to drink today?”
“Not nearly enough,” he said, finishing off his beer. “Look, maybe I’m way off base here, but you can’t deny that you and Pops were closer than any of us ever were. Everyone knows it.”
“They do not,” she denied. “Stop it. You’re crazy.”
Sam just laughed and looked at Jake. “Tell her. You know you spent a lot of time with the old man. You tell her how much time he spent with any of our cousins.”
When Mallory turned to look at him, Jake knew he looked more than a little panicked. The truth was, Sam was right. None of Zeke’s grandchildren or great-grandchildren spent the kind of time with him the way Mallory did and, on top of that, Zeke never talked about anyone else the way he did with Mallory. Still…he was no expert on the matter.
“You think Sam’s crazy too, right?” she prompted.
Letting out a long breath, he glanced at Sam and saw him nod before looking back at Mallory. “He’s right, Mal. You and Zeke were like…nothing else I’ve ever seen,” he said softly, watching as her expression went a little sad. Reaching out, he took one of her hands in his. “You were the one he talked about the most, the one he bragged most about, and…you were the only one who seemed to spend any quality time with him.” When he saw tears welling in her eyes, he knew he needed to lighten the mood. “Not that I think he’s leaving you millions or anything, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he left you a little something extra.”
She wiped away a stray tear and shook her head. “You guys are the worst!” she cried and then laughed. “I still think you’re both crazy and I don’t care what Pops left me or if he left me anything at all!”
Sam stood and walked into the kitchen to help himself to another beer. When he came back, he grinned at his sister. “We’ll see if you’re still saying that after he leaves you something fantastic.” He was about to say more but his phone beeped with an incoming text. Frowning, he sat down and quickly typed something out.
“Everything okay?” Mallory asked.
“Mason wants to go hang out. He said he needs to get out of the house and he already used me as his excuse.”
“Mason knows he’s a grown man, right?” Jake asked, chuckling. “Why does he need an excuse to go out?”
“Please, you’ve met his parents, right?” Sam asked, responding to yet another text. “As much as he annoys the shit out of me, it’s mostly because of his folks.” He shrugged. “He seemed a lot more tolerable today so maybe going out with him won’t be the worst thing in the world.”
“But we were already hanging out,” Mallory reminded him and the look Sam gave her bordered on hysterical. “What? What’s so funny?”
“We all know I’m the third wheel here and the two of you would like nothing more than to be alone, so…I’m leaving,” he said, walking back into the kitchen to put the beer back in the refrigerator. “I’m gonna go home and tell Mom what the plan is–I’m going out to be a good cousin, while you’re here doing…I don’t know…Jake.” He winked. “You two have fun!”
Jake knew he didn’t let out a breath until the back door closed and he saw Sam walk down the deck stairs from the living room window. “Well…that was…awkward.”
“Just a little,” Mallory agreed. “Ugh…why is my brother such a dork?”
Laughing, Jake shifted them until her head was on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t call him a dork, he’s just a little…”
“He’s a dork. Trust me. We’re twins and I’m allowed to say it.” She shook her head. “He’s going to be snarky about this until he leaves.”
“About what?”
“You and me. Us. The fact that he knows what we’re doing.” She groaned. “Now, every time I mention seeing you or doing something, he’s going to make some sort of doofus comment about how I’m doing you. I’m telling you, he’s the worst.”
But Jake couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t have any siblings so he didn’t understand the dynamics, but from where he was sitting, it was all pretty comical. The fact that they each other and had such obvious affection for each other was a pretty amazing thing. Maybe it was because they were twins or something. All he knew was that he hadn’t met many siblings with the kind of relationship Sam and Mallory had.
Plus, he liked knowing Sam looked out for her when he couldn’t.
And that one single thought had him going still.
This wasn’t going anywhere–this was about passing the time and getting her out of his system. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about his feelings or hers. This was temporary. They both saw the end before they started up again, so why was he suddenly feeling concerned about how Mallory was going to be when he wasn’t around?
“Jake?” she asked softly, looking up at him. “You okay?”
He nodded. Right now, he didn’t want to talk. Hell, he didn’t want to think either. All he wanted was to feel–feel Mallory’s body against his. Feel her skin under his hands. Feel her breath mingling with his.
Standing, he gently tugged her to her feet before plunging his hands into her hair and giving her a searing kiss. If she was surprised by the sudden change of events, she didn’t show it. If anything, she kissed him back with equal abandon.
So good, he thought. Kissing Mallory was always so damn good…
When he had invited her to come home with him earlier–before Sam showed up–Jake envisioned them coming in and talking and maybe sharing some lazy kisses before he seduced her into staying the night. But as Mallory pressed up against him and purred, he was pretty sure nothing was going to be slow and lazy, and that he was the one being seduced.
And he loved every minute of it.
Without breaking the kiss, they maneuvered across the room and down the hall, stopping once so he could back her against the wall and grind against her. She tore her lips from his and sighed his name like a plea. Reaching down, Jake lifted her until her legs wrapped around his waist and it took every bit of self-control he possessed not to take her right then and there. Her dress was bunched up at her waist and the barely-there panties would be gone with only the slightest of tugs…
“Bed,” he growled against her throat even as he continued to rub against her. “I want you in my bed.”
“Then take me there,” she said breathlessly.
Easier said than done, he thought, forcing himself to walk the last ten feet to his room. At the side of the bed, he simply let himself fall and kept Mallory in his arms. They laughed and rolled until they were comfortable and then he sank back into the kiss.
Mallory tugged at his shirt and once she had it pulled free of his trousers, her nails scraped up his back and it gave him chills. Sitting up quickly, he ripped the shirt off–buttons flying in every direction.
“Wow,” she panted. “That was incredibly sexy.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, his own breath coming out roughly. “How do you feel about this?” His hand snaked under her dress and he tugged her tiny panties off–the sound of the fabric ripping seemed insanely loud in the room.
“Oh!” she cried as her hips bucked off the bed. Jake knew what she wanted and he was more than happy to give it to her. In a flash her dress was off. He peeled her bra off with his teeth as she writhed beneath him. “Jake…”
Once he had her completely naked, his self-control completely vanished. His mouth and hands were everywhere. While he licked and suckled at her breasts, his hand was ruthlessly teasing her between her legs. Watching Mallory lose control was one of his favorite pastimes and as he urged her on, he knew it would always be this way. She cried out his name again and again and again and each time it ratcheted his own arousal up more and more.
He hated to move away from her even for a second, but he still had half of his own
clothes to discard. Mallory reached for him as he moved away and he smoothed a hand across her stomach. “Soon,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Hurry…”
Suddenly he felt like he was all thumbs. His belt wouldn’t come off, then he seemed to get tangled up in the pants legs as he tried to kick them off. By the time he was naked, Mallory pushed him onto his back and straddled him.
And what a glorious sight it was.
She smiled down at him right before she leaned down to kiss him. Anchoring his hand in her hair, he knew neither of them were going to get any sleep tonight.
And neither of them seemed to care.
They were sipping coffee the next morning out on the back deck and all Jake could think of was how it felt damn-near perfect. It was a beautiful day already–the temperatures were cool and he was a little sore and tired from the night, but he was sitting next to the most beautiful girl in the world. Everything was as it should be.
Except…
It was like the first night he saw her out on the pier. Right now everything seemed ideal, but it was just a mirage–there was no happy ending for them. At least…he didn’t think there was.
Glancing over at Mallory, he saw the look of total peace on her face. She was smiling up at the sky as she cradled her coffee mug in her hands. She was wearing one of his shirts and her bare legs were crossed. She looked sexy as hell.
Down boy…
What would it be like to wake up like this every day? To know he could start his day looking at her face and go to sleep every night with her in his arms? Six years ago, he wasn’t ready for that reality. There were too many things he wanted to do with his life and Mallory had plans of her own as well. The timing wasn’t right for either of them and now that emotions weren’t running quite so high, he knew they could both agree on that. While it was true he hadn’t handled things in the best of ways–had insulted her and deliberately pushed her away–but it was for the best at the time.
Now? Well, now it was a completely different story and Jake sat there wondering why they were holding themselves to their past when there was a possibility of a future for them.
Of course, he was only thinking for himself. He had no idea what Mallory was thinking where the two of them were concerned.
Clearing his throat, he figured there was no time like the present to feel her out on the subject. “So…last night, you and Sam talked about your job,” he began casually. “Sounds like big things are happening for you there.”
Slowly, she shifted in her chair and looked over at him, her peaceful smile still in place. “They are,” she replied. “I always envisioned myself working on exciting new programs and being at different companies all the time, but what it turned into was me being stuck at the same places for long periods of time working on systems that aren’t particularly challenging and trying to convince people to upgrade. It was mentally exhausting and my hours were killer.” She paused. “But all that is finally behind me because I got a promotion and I’m going to have a lot more freedom while working fewer hours.”
He nodded and took a sip of his coffee. “Sounds great.”
Hopefully he didn’t sound as disgruntled as he felt.
“I hope it will be. I love technology and learning about all the new systems and apps…” She paused and sighed. “It was a lot more taxing than I thought it would be. I’m hopeful this new position will still be challenging even if it means I’m not out in the field as much.” Another pause. “Either way, it is what it is. This is the career I chose–the one I got my degree in–so…”
“Mal, you’re allowed to do something other than what your college diploma says,” he argued lightly. “I mean…not that you’re even suggesting that, but…still…”
“I know, and for a while I considered it–especially if I didn’t get this promotion, but…it would make me feel like a quitter or like I couldn’t handle the job.”
“No one’s saying that.” But part of him felt guilty because there was a time when he was the one accusing her of running away from her problems rather than dealing with them.
Probably not the time to remind her of that.
She gave him a small smile but turned her attention back to her coffee and looking out at the Sound.
Then he figured he’d throw something else out there for her to think about.
“You used to talk a lot about living here in Magnolia,” he said carefully, making sure he was looking out at the water and not at her. “I remember you telling me how you used to beg your mom to move here. Well, she’s here now and you could be too.”
Jake could feel her eyes on him and he fought the urge to look back at her. His heart was hammering like wild in his chest because he knew what he was trying to say without saying it. He didn’t want to spook or scare her, but this was something he wanted her to start considering.
“I can’t just pick up and move, Jake. I have a job and a home and…”
Now he did look. “People change jobs and move all the time, Mal,” he countered.
She didn’t immediately respond, but he did notice that her expression was no longer sweet and relaxed.
Maybe he shouldn’t have brought this up yet.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly, still not looking at him. “I mean, why now?”
Frowning, he looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“We talked about this…”
“Briefly,” he interrupted.
A loud sigh was her immediate response. “You know what I mean, Jake.” Now she did look at him and the look on her face made him ache. “We said no promises, no making demands on each other. That was only a few days ago and now…” Another sigh. “You’re just thinking like this because of the sex.”
“No!” he said adamantly. “No, it’s not that.”
“It’s okay,” she replied calmly. “Right now is…it’s kind of like our summer. It’s temporary, but it’s easy to get caught up in. Can’t we just enjoy the week?”
“Mallory, this is nothing like our summer…”
Only…it was.
Before she could argue, he had more to say. “The timing back then sucked. We knew we were on borrowed time and were looking at a long-distance relationship if we wanted to keep seeing each other.”
She gave him a very neutral look.
And he didn’t take it as a good sign.
“A lot has changed since then. We’re both older…”
“And more mature,” she added with a hint of sarcasm that he totally knew wasn’t a good sign.
“Yes, we’re both more mature,” he corrected. “I think we have something good here, Mallory, and it’s not just about the sex.”
“But it helps,” she murmured.
With a sigh, he hung his head. This was not going the way he had hoped. And one of the things he learned with his maturity, was when to fight and when to pull back.
This was definitely a situation where he needed to pull back.
Doing his best to seem like all was right with his world, Jake shrugged. “It was just an idea. No big deal.”
She didn’t look like she believed him but luckily she didn’t argue either. And that was fine with him. Let her think what she wanted because he had one week to prove her wrong. He was going to remind her of all the ways they worked and made sense, and how there was a time when they were in love.
He was going to remind her of it all. And as he took a sip of his own coffee, he hid a smug smile.
Let the wooing begin.
7
Something was up.
Mallory couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the next day as she went about her business, everything seemed different.
Or maybe she was just paranoid.
No matter how much she tried to downplay her conversation with Jake, the bottom line was that she couldn’t stop thinking about it. He wanted her to stay? Was it just because he was concerned about her as a friend–or a friend with be
nefits? She immediately pushed that option aside because it seemed crazy. Was he looking to pick up where they left off so many years ago? And was it crazy how just the thought of that had her heart beating a bit faster?
And all that aside, it was everything else around her that left her confused.
When she got back from Jake’s yesterday morning, she ran into Sam who was acting all squirrelly. She’d asked him if everything was okay, but he avoided giving her a direct answer.
Which was an answer in and of itself, whether he realized it or not.
Knowing him, he and Mason had gotten into some kind of trouble on their night out and were hoping no one found out about it.
They would.
This was a small town and nothing stayed secret for long. Hell, it seemed like almost everyone in town who came to Pops’ funeral remembered something Mallory had said or done over one summer or another. Granted, most of the things they remembered were very sweet, but where her brother was concerned, he seemed to attract trouble simply by being himself. He dated half the girls in town and got rowdy with half the boys, so…there was no doubt that the town would know about anything he and Mason did.
Then, there was Susannah. Ever since the call about Pops came, they both knew Mallory was only going to be here for two weeks. But suddenly, her mother was hinting at things she wanted the two of them to do together after she was supposed to go home. She mentioned that things were so hectic because of the cleanup and the funeral so it would be nice to simply go to lunch together, but it seemed more like an excuse. Something about it all just felt like there was more pressure than usual, particularly when she mentioned going furniture shopping to replace the items destroyed in the storm and needing help with updating the space.
It was something the two of them had often talked about – updating Pops’ house – and now here was the opportunity and Mallory was going to miss it.
“Oh, and I made an appointment with Barb over at Barb’s Beach Buys to see what she has in stock, too. You know she always has the best pieces,” her mother had added, like adding insult to injury because that specific place was Mallory’s favorite.
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