Splashing Right In (Crescent Key Book 2)

by Nicole Highland

  “Look, I just wanted to talk. That’s all.” His gaze drifted to the ground, and Jenna felt the anguish in his words. “I hope this isn’t a bad time,” he added.

  She looked down at her pajamas, then back at Zach. A fresh wave of heat colored her cheeks as her mind flashed to earlier in the day and the sight of all that glorious muscle. Damn him. Why couldn’t she get him out of her brain?

  “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting a guest this evening,” she sighed. “And I certainly wasn’t expecting that guest to be you.”

  His heart squeezed at the irritation in her voice. “I know, and I’m sorry. I just wanted to talk. You haven’t answered your phone at all, and I was worried.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I wasn't sure what to think, and now that I see you standing here… I really don’t know what to think.”

  Swallow your pride, she thought. Just tell him the truth and own up to it.

  “Come inside. Let’s talk.”

  With a hint of reluctance, Zach sat down on the couch, and Jenna sat down in her chair.

  “You know how you texted me earlier, asking if I had stopped by?” she asked.

  Zach nodded, curious to where it would lead to next.

  “I did stop by,” she continued. “And, I’ll be honest, when I saw you with that woman, I was upset. So, I left. I know that sounds so stupid now, saying it out loud. But I wanted you to know the truth.”

  He stared for a moment, then shook his head. “No, no, no. You don’t understand. She’s my best friend’s girl, Natalia. Trust me, there’s absolutely nothing going on there.”

  Another wave of confusion smacked Jenna in the face. “Then why did you seem so chummy with her?”

  Now it was his turn to go on the defensive. “I wasn’t. Trust me, if you knew Natalia, you’d know that she is like that with everyone. And I literally mean everyone. Nor would I ever encroach on another guy’s relationship. That’s not my style.”

  She looked at him with questioning eyes. “You know, usually when people say ‘trust me,’ they’re usually not trustworthy.”

  Anger boiled in his veins. If only she knew how taken with her he’d been from the moment he saw her at the shelter. She’d been all he could think about, and he would've given anything to make her understand that. “Look, I don’t know what kind of people you’ve dealt with in your life, but when I ask someone to trust me, I’m asking them to do just that. Trust me. I’m sorry if you don’t believe me.”

  He stood, raking a hand in through his hair. Something about the way he ran his hand angrily through his hair was still sexy.

  And damn him for making her want him, despite being so flustered.

  “I’m sorry. It was a rush to judgment, and I shouldn’t have done that.”

  He held up his hands in a truce. “Apology accepted.” Deep down, a small part of him had been a little amused at her reaction. It was all the more proof he needed that she really did care about him on some level. And my God, that felt wonderful.

  He’d fallen for her. Hard.

  But he’d asked his question and said his peace, and now it was time to get out of her hair, even if he didn’t really want to leave. He’d stayed long enough. “Thank you for being honest with me. I’m glad we could clear things up.”

  Jenna stopped him as he headed to the front door. “I’m glad, too.” She stared up at him with a melancholy expression, feeling simultaneously sorry for being so stupid, but happy the situation had been resolved. She bit the corner of her lip, trying to ease the tension she felt knotted up in her chest. “I just feel like such an idiot,” she groaned, wrapping her arms around him and burying herself in his chest. Zach pulled her in closer, basking in the warmth of her body pressed against his.

  “You’re not an idiot. You were just looking out for me. For us.” The word had slipped from his mouth before he had a chance to stop himself.

  She pulled back, gazing up into his eyes. “For us?” she repeated.

  “Yes. For us. I’d be an idiot if I let you go. I want to see where this journey takes us.”

  The corner of her mouth twitched up in a smile, and he couldn’t fight back the urge any longer. With an adorable smile like that, he wanted to kiss her until he couldn’t see straight. Hell, he wanted to kiss her until she couldn’t see straight, either.

  He pressed his lips to that cute little half-smile, stealing her breath away as he did. She groaned with pleasure, threading her hands through his hair as her back pressed against the door.

  He was all hard lines and edges, and she was soft and delicate as a flower’s petal, combining like yin and yang and two synergies becoming one. He pulled back, resting his palm against the door as they regained their breath.

  “I wasn’t expecting that,” she breathed.

  Truth be told, neither had he, but enjoyed every delicious second of it, and he pressed his lips softly to hers once more. “So I caught you a little off guard, huh?” he whispered against her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer.

  “You did, but it was a very pleasant surprise.” Inching up on her tiptoes, she kissed him again, her mouth opening fully to take in his delicious taste. Her body arched into him, aching for the physical contact she’d craved for so long, and her head spun wildly as she savored this moment together. She didn’t dare think of how long it had been since she felt like this.

  Or how long it would last. This time, she would live in the moment.

  When at last they were both starved for air, he pulled back gently, brushing his thumb against her cheek. “Good night, and I’ll see you soon.”

  Note to self, she thought. Try to remember to breathe next time.

  Abundant rays of sunshine spilled in through the gap between the curtains, and Jenna’s eyes opened slowly, still heavy from sleep. A jolt of panic surged through her, and she sprang up in bed, grasping for her phone.

  Why didn’t the alarm go off?

  And then it finally dawned on her. It was Saturday. There was no need to be in such a haste. She slumped down, landing with a thud as she collapsed back onto her pillow.

  Relax.

  She heaved a sigh of relief and rolled over on her side. Large hazel eyes stared up at her from across the room as Toby waited patiently for his food, and as soon as her feet hit the floor, he raced to the kitchen, his tiny nails clawing against the hardwood surface.

  Small but mighty, she thought. He may have been only a kitten, but he had the appetite of a horse.

  “I’m glad to see you have so much more energy than I do this morning,” she mumbled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so deeply, so soundly.

  Grabbing a bowl of cereal, she flopped down at the table, scarfing down spoonfuls while Toby stared up at her. Two minutes was all it took for him to scarf down his own food, and he sat patiently, waiting for Jenna to play with him. She looked around the room, slightly horrified at how messy the house was. Toys were scattered everywhere, and the remnants of a ripped-up newspaper lay piled up in the corner.

  “You’ve made a real mess, you know that?” she asked Toby. He tilted his head, like a puppy acknowledging a mild scolding.

  “See, you know I’m talking to you.” He walked over to her, rubbing his furry body against her legs. “Yes, I know, you just want a little love and attention.”

  A quick peek at Toby’s water dish and she noticed it was bone dry. He pranced in circles as she filled the bowl, and water splashed onto the floor as he ran between her legs, nearly tripping her.

  “You need to learn a little patience, mister,” she said, rubbing behind his ears.

  Her phone pinged, adding a little spring in her step. Please be Zach.

  To her delight, his name appeared on the screen.

  Want to meet up at noon?

  She glanced at the clock. That gave her two hours to get ready, which would be more than enough time. She typed back a quick reply and dug around in her drawer for a fresh change of clothes. It was damn near impo
ssible to find anything. Every drawer had been crammed full of shirts of various shades, from one end of the rainbow’s spectrum to the other. Finally settling on a shirt and shorts, she rummaged around her bikini drawer, attempting to find the perfect suit to wear. It was a beach date after all, wasn’t it?

  She pulled one out, holding it up to the mirror. Too flashy. She pulled another one out, feeling a little embarrassed at how small it seemed. Then again, she’d had it over ten years. Of course, it wouldn’t fit the same.

  Still, she wanted to keep something to the imagination, at least. Finally settling on a purple bikini, she pulled it from the drawer. Toby chased the strings as they hung down and he followed her to the bathroom, in the hopes she would let him play with the strings again.

  “Sorry, but I need to freshen up a bit. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

  Closing the door behind her, Toby pawed at the door, crying and scratching, and even over the noise of the water and the fan, she could still hear his persistent meows.

  She basked in the water's warmth, letting herself relax before diving into the day ahead. Her mind drifted, and soon she was there, on the beach, dipping her toes into the sand and letting the waves crash over her. Zach was there, too, with drinks in hand, wading his way through the thick, soft sand, and before she knew it, they were toasting to their life together.

  Together. She glanced down at her hand, at the sparkling diamond on her finger. Oh yes, that would be lovely…

  A sudden yowl at the bathroom door snapped her back to reality, forcing her fantasy to crash land with a thud. It had been such a lovely interlude.

  Too bad it hadn’t been real.

  She was back to the cold, hard reality now, and she’d been foolish to get the cart so far ahead of the horse. She shut the water off, hastily reaching around the shower curtain to grab the towel before the cool air could reach her. Taking a deep breath, she roughed the towel through her hair, wrapping it tightly around her body, and she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

  A few swipes of mascara and a bit of tinted lip balm would do the trick. No need to go overboard or fuss too much, considering they would be spending the day outside in the hot summer sun.

  She slipped into the swimsuit, throwing her t-shirt and shorts over it and opened the door. A wall of cool air hit her as she opened it, and Toby scrambled inside, happy to see her after what seemed like an eternity to him.

  “Did you miss me, little guy?”

  He meowed, and Jenna took that as a ‘yes.’ Excitement filled her as she checked her phone, reading the message Zach had sent.

  Don’t worry about lunch. I took care of it. :)

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  With his shades on and a cooler and an umbrella in hand, Zach trudged through the thick sand in search of the perfect spot to set up camp. His gaze scanned the horizon, taking in everything from the sounds of laughing children playing on the beach, to the gentle way the waves kissed the sand. Most of the beach was fairly crowded by this time of day and being that it was a Saturday, it was busier than usual.

  Off in the distance, a young blonde woman strode across the sand with a beach blanket, elegant as a crane. He lifted his shades, trying to get a better view of her. Her long hair flowed in the warm summer breeze, tangling around her face as she walked. Bikini ties peeked out from under her thin cotton shirt, and Zach’s eyes widened as she turned and met his gaze. No wonder the woman looked so familiar. It was Jenna.

  And God, did she look amazing.

  “Jenna!” He hollered in her direction, waving his free hand through the air. Her eyes brightened, and she ran through the sand as excitement took hold. Zach plopped everything on the ground and picked her up in a sweeping hug, lifting her off her feet.

  “Did you miss me?” he asked, letting her back down gently.

  “I did. I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome,” she breathed.

  “I know, I know. I tend to go a little overboard at times.”

  “A little overboard is good, sometimes,” she said, grinning. “Sometimes you have to splash right in.”

  “Well, shall we get camp set up?”

  Jenna unfolded the beach blanket, unfurling it on the sandy ground. With a flip-flop from each of them placed at every corner, she hoped it would be enough to keep the breeze from blowing the blanket around.

  But just as she’d feared, a gust of wind blew, and the corner folded in, sending one of her flip flops skittering across it. “Here, let’s put the cooler on top of it, too. Then it definitely won’t go anywhere,” she said.

  Zach hauled the cooler over, placing it on the corner. “That should do the trick, don’t you think?”

  “Perfect!” She flopped down on the blanket, wiping the sweat from her brow. “It’s amazing how hot is already.”

  “Yeah, I know. Good thing I grabbed an umbrella.”

  Zach busied himself with the umbrella, then pulled the food and drinks from the cooler. He stared with amusement as two children jumped around in the distance. What he would give to be a kid again, to have that kind of joy and freedom from responsibility.

  Then again, being an adult wasn’t so bad. Minus paying bills, at least. And it was even better with a smart, intelligent woman added to the mix. This had been the happiest he’d felt in a long time.

  Jenna’s stomach growled in anticipation as she took a seat beside him and grabbed a sandwich. “These look delicious.”

  “Thanks. I worked long and hard on these,” he teased.

  “No wonder you were busy all morning.” She shoved another bite into her mouth, savoring the flavor. “They really are delicious, though. Do you enjoy cooking?”

  He took a gulp of water before answering. “I do. I couldn’t cook worth a crap before I lived on my own, but once I taught myself, I learned to enjoy it. I like coming up with new recipes.”

  She playfully rolled her eyes. “I wish I could say the same. I hate to say it, but if it doesn’t come pre-made or pre-cooked, or it isn’t easy to make, I’m not bothering.”

  Laughter filled the air, and the conversation flowed easily as the afternoon wore on. As every hour passed, the beach quieted a little more. Families had packed up to head home, and soon couples would make their way back down to the beach, awaiting the view of Crescent Key’s vibrant sunsets.

  “You know,” she said, “I used to come down here all the time, taking photos.” She paused for a moment, letting her thoughts drift as she watched the waves. “I would sit here and take random shots of the birds, the people… there’s just something magical about being down here.”

  “So, why did you stop coming down here?”

  Jenna frowned. “I don’t know, really. Life got busy, I guess. It’s always been a hobby for me, but I just don’t have the time to come down here like I used to.”

  Zach leaned in a little closer, wrapping his arm around her. “You should make time for it. You’re phenomenal. I mean, I’ve seen some of the photos you have up at the gallery. They’re amazing.”

  Even in the late afternoon heat, his compliment was enough to make her feel flushed and tingly all over. “You really think so?”

  “I don’t think so. I know so.”

  She contemplated for a moment, watching the water retreat from the shore. “I just don’t know when I’d have the time.”

  “Well, lots of things in life require time. But, if it’s something you really feel passionate about, you’ll make time for it.”

  “You’re right.” An idea pinged in her mind, sending an excited thrill through her. “Think you’d be up for a little photoshoot with your pride and joy?”

  Zach beamed, not needing a single moment to think about it. “I think I could handle that. Just make sure to get my good side, you know?”

  Jenna nearly spat out her drink from laughter. “I’ll try, but I think the subject matter is pretty easy to work with already.”

  There were about two hours until the official sunset, but still so much was left to do before th
e impromptu photo session. Toby climbed up on the bed as Jenna pulled the camera from the drawer and hooked it up to the charger.

  “Be a good boy, and don’t chew this cord,” she warned. “I mean it. Or Zach will be very upset with you.”

  He curled himself into a ball, ready to settle in for a nap, and Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment, she wouldn’t have to worry about yet another cord being destroyed.

  And thank goodness for that.

  She dug the tripod out of the closet, dusting it off with a cleaning rag. It really had been a while since she’d used any of her equipment. She hadn’t realized it, but it was like she lost herself one day, not consciously aware of how or why it happened.

  True, she didn’t have the leisure time she used to, but she still had a little free time. Why had she lost touch with her passion for art? She’d been so caught up with selling other artists’ works that she’d forgotten all about herself instead of zeroing in on her craft and feeding her inner creativity.

  The hour finally drew near and Jenna kissed the top of Toby’s head before heading out the door. “I’ll be back later tonight, and then we can have all the cuddle time you’d like.”

  It felt good to breathe in the salty air as she walked down to the boardwalk. Vibrant shades of pinks and golds illuminated the sky as the sun dipped low against the horizon, and she scanned the street in front of the boardwalk, looking for the sleek black Mustang, but it was nowhere to be found.

  Jenna sat the bag down on the ground and leaned against the railing, taking in the view before her. How blessed she was to live in a place with such beauty and such fantastic sunsets. She wouldn’t trade it for the world.

  But even as lost as she was in her reverie, the rumble of an old muscle car behind her sent her head whirling around. Zach had finally arrived, and the Mustang looked as sharp as ever.

  A fresh coat of wax made her shine in a way that made Zach proud to show her off to the world. To him, no matter what car he would ever buy, she’d always be the favorite and the crown jewel of them all. Jenna hurried over to his car, mesmerized at how great it looked.