The Set Up

by Kim Karr

  I know I can.

  Streaks of color cross the sky and I lean back to absorb the sounds of the Labor Day fireworks in the darkness of the beach. I watch the sky come alive with so many vibrant hues, starbursts of color, showers of light. And as ribbons of smoke blur the sky, I can say for the first time in my life . . . I am not broken.

  The water laps the rocks and I relax into the sand, letting it wash over me, my dress, my body, my soul.

  There’s a crinkle, a tickle, a tease on the back of my neck. I jump to my feet and slowly turn around. More than aware of what’s causing it. Or rather who.

  The colors in the sky begin to swirl and dance into flashes and bursts, but it’s my heart that is really exploding.

  He’s looking at me with those bedroom eyes.

  My pulse pounds at the sight of those long legs striding toward me. Even at a distance, I can’t stop my body from shuddering. Hair the color of milk chocolate lightened by the sun spikes forward over his forehead and feathers against his cheeks in front of his ears. Short and wispy in the back, it sticks up everywhere. He’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt and his boots to the beach.

  I laugh.

  So Jasper.

  And I love that I know that.

  He gets a little closer and the light of the moon highlights his gorgeous face. He’s so scruffy and delicious.

  His gaze slides over me with a warmth I want to hold on to forever. This might be it for us. Once I tell him about the baby, he might just turn around.

  I can’t tell him right now.

  Not yet.

  I want too much.

  Just him.

  And me.

  And the moment.

  Nothing else but the earth and the sky.

  “Hey, there you are,” he calls with a grin that melts me.

  My feet are moving, running, and I’m jumping into his arms. “How’d you get here so early?”

  Jasper twirls me around like I’m as light as a feather and made of air before setting me down. “I took a turbo chopper, but I think the better question is why’d you get here so late?”

  I don’t pull away to answer. I just keep my embrace around his neck and hold him tight. “A little setback.”

  He laughs long and hard into a spot he’s burrowed his face into at my neck. “I wouldn’t call your engine overheating a little setback.”

  “The mechanic told me it wouldn’t be worth fixing.”

  His mouth is licking up my neck. “That sucks,” he mocks.

  I toss my head back. “Yes, it does,” I say sternly.

  “Say it.” He bites at my earlobe.

  I shake my head.

  “Say it.” His lips are over mine.

  I give in. Easier than I should. Because I missed him. “You were right.”

  “What?”

  “You were right!” I shout.

  When I can’t stop laughing, he covers my mouth with his. Searches it. Explores it. Lips. Teeth. Tongue. His hands anchor my hips to hold me in place and he kisses me hard and harder still.

  I want it to always be like this.

  Suddenly, he’s emptying his pockets, and then he’s lifting me and tossing me over his shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” I squirm.

  “Teaching you a lesson, baby.”

  Before I can even protest, we’re both underwater and bobbing up in water that is chest deep. I push my hair back. “You did not just do that.”

  He raises his brow. “But I did.”

  With a frown, I try to playfully shove him to knock him underwater, but he is steady like a rock.

  He grabs my wrists, gentle but firm, and yanks me to him. “Come here.”

  This close, all I can smell is his cologne and his fresh scent. I feel intoxicated by it. Drunk on him. Us. What I hope will always be.

  His tongue slides over my lips and he kisses me again. Kisses me forever. And then his hands slide up my thighs, and with the hem of my dress floating around me it makes it easy.

  “What are you doing?”

  His hands move up to the curves of my breasts, as if he can’t touch enough of me fast enough. “What do you think I’m doing?” he whispers around his kiss.

  I start to laugh. “Out here?”

  The slide of his tongue on mine makes it impossible to think or care where we are.

  His hands slide down the wet fabric of my dress and disappear beneath the water to find my panties. He tugs them down and when they stick to my body, he tugs harder until he rips them off me, and then he lets them float away.

  I really don’t care.

  His fingertips circle my pussy beneath the cool water.

  Warmed by him, I’m thinking of the temperature, but I am thinking about where we are. I try to mutter a protest, but not really that hard. “Someone could see us. We should go back to the house.”

  He nudges my legs apart. “No one is going to see us out here in the dark.”

  He’s right. No one is.

  Then he’s unzipping his pants and I’m panting at the thought.

  Unable to wait, I reach for him. Take his full, thick, warm cock in my hand before his zipper is completely down. I pull it out. Stroke it. Hold it. Caress it.

  I want to feel him like this forever.

  “I need to be inside you.” His breath comes a little short. “Wrap your arms around me.”

  I do.

  “Now your legs.”

  I do that too.

  And then he pushes in me. Hard and fast. His fingers digging into my flesh as he holds me and fills me.

  Fireworks continue to light up the sky, but it’s Jasper who’s lighting me up.

  “Oh, fuck, I missed this.” His words blow hot over my skin.

  I push into him. He pushes into me. The water laps around us, but Jasper has us. I slide up his body a little; the change in angle allows him to go deeper.

  So deep.

  Groaning, he moves faster, faster still.

  In and out.

  Back and forth.

  His head is buried in my neck, sucking, licking, tasting me.

  I lick my lips.

  He finds his way back to my mouth.

  Our rhythm doesn’t falter.

  I kiss him, my tongue flicking against his lips.

  Jasper kisses me harder, gasping and panting.

  With our lips still touching, our eyes meet and hold.

  Jasper quickens his pace.

  Harder.

  Faster.

  My eyes flutter closed with the satisfaction of him completely filling me. And then I start to shake, breathing hard, unable to catch my breath.

  “Charlotte, open your eyes,” Jasper demands hoarsely.

  I do.

  Jasper’s body surges, his cock thrusts.

  I hold his fierce gaze.

  He thrusts even deeper. “I want to see your face when you come,” he whispers.

  He continues to slide in and out of me.

  I move against his thrusts, my heart speeding out of control.

  “You feel amazing,” he grunts against my lips.

  “So do you.” I hold his demanding gaze and see him completely naked. I don’t mean his state of dress. I mean there are no walls up. He’s here with me. All here.

  I hope after I tell him about the baby, that doesn’t change.

  “Charlotte.” His grip on me tightens. His eyes blaze into mine.

  “Jasper,” I whimper. That slow, steady pressure I have come to yearn for starts to build.

  “Fuck.” He starts moving at lightning speed.

  I’m tipping over the edge. The feeling so quick, so intense, I pull his hair hard just to hold on, and he gasps.

  The air around us feels like it’s crackling. I cry out his name, my fingers digging into his skin as I clench around his driving cock.

  “Oh, fuck, oh fuck,” he shudders as he finds his own release.

  Slowly, he lets go of me and I slide down his body.

  He slips out of me and
I feel a loss.

  Our eyes still connected, I look at all of him. His mouth is wet. His hair is wet. His clothes are wet. But his eyes are bright.

  Bliss shivers down my spine.

  His smile teases my lips into a soft kiss. Ever so gently he takes my face in his hands, and then tilts it to look at him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whisper, without an ounce of hesitation.

  Triumph lights up his face.

  I should tell him now.

  I don’t.

  I’ll tell him in the morning.

  SINGLE LANE

  Jasper

  IN THE EARLY morning light, I breathe in her goodness. Swim in her warmth. Get lost in her perfect little body tucked up close to mine.

  Life.

  Love.

  It surrounds me in a way it never has.

  I brush my fingers through her mounds of curly blond hair, which in the silhouette of the morning light, looks like a halo.

  She’s an angel.

  My angel.

  Sent to save me from myself.

  I love this girl.

  I am in love with Charlotte Lane, the girl next door.

  And she’s in love with me.

  A soft snore slips through her parted lips as she sinks closer into the security of my hold. That little sound lights up every one of my nerves.

  Unable to control myself, I press my hard body against her soft one and hold her close.

  Feels so good.

  I am in love with this girl.

  And I’m never going to let her go.

  She burrows further against my chest.

  Unable to control myself, I slowly slip my hand down her side. I’m surprised when my breath catches.

  The way she impacts me still gets me.

  I rest my hand on her hip.

  Beneath my touch, Charlotte continues to slumber in the depths of sleep.

  Unable to control myself, I bury my nose in her hair and stay one with her.

  Ring. Ring.

  Fuck, the sound of my cell ringing on the table beside us is hard to ignore.

  I manage.

  Disturbed by the sound, Charlotte sighs and mumbles those cute, muddled sounds.

  I nip at her ear, coaxing her from sleep. “Baby,” I whisper low. I need to talk to her. Talk through all the crazy shit she told me when we came back to the room last night.

  Hank behind the plant explosion is insane.

  It’s a hard pill to swallow.

  The question is, can we trust that Allison is telling the truth?

  In my arms, Charlotte slowly rolls over to face me. Her eyes blink open. The intense blue taking my breath away again.

  “Morning,” I grin.

  A slow smile curves her perfect mouth. “Morning.”

  I’m hopeless against that look. My chest tightening, I lean over and brush my lips against her soft, full ones.

  “Mmm . . .” she moans.

  Yeah, mmm is right.

  The sound of her cell ringing is hard to ignore.

  Struggling to pull myself away, I blindly reach behind me and grab a phone. It’s mine. I check the caller log. It was Will who called me a few seconds ago. I reach again to grab Charlotte’s phone and see Will’s name flashing.

  Soft fingertips flutter against my jaw. “Answer it.”

  “You sure?”

  She shakes her head and moves across the bed.

  I watch her. The way she moves.

  The phone stops ringing.

  Affection flows through my veins.

  My phone starts ringing.

  Standing up, she glances over her shoulder. “You should answer that.”

  I reach across the bed for her and pull her down. “I will but you need to stay right here.”

  She rolls over and points to the phone.

  I hit accept. “Hey,” I answer.

  “There you are,” Will greets.

  My eyes sizzle down Charlotte’s body. “Yep. Here I am.”

  “Jasper, I’m sorry, but you need to get back here.”

  Ever the drama queen.

  Charlotte moves closer to me. I sweep my mouth across hers before getting back to the phone call.

  “What’s up, Will?”

  “Whitney came across some information in Alex’s office about Drew’s father.”

  I furrow my brows. “What kind of information?”

  “Something that by association could harm our ability to not only recruit, but retain investors greatly.”

  I am just dipping my tongue in the sweetness of Charlotte’s mouth when I bolt upright. “You think Alex is behind all of this?”

  Charlotte’s eyes grow wide at my question.

  “I don’t know, Jasper, but it sure as shit seems that way.”

  I take her hand and lace my fingers through it, feeling like shit that I have to abandon our weekend. “We’ll be back as soon as we can,” I tell Will. “Before I do anything though, we need to figure out if it’s true. It makes no sense. Why would he want to sabotage the factory when he’s using it to grandstand his campaign?”

  “I don’t know, Jasper, man, but something isn’t right. This shit about Drew’s father, it’s bad.”

  “Has it been published?”

  “No, it’s just in note form. Someone’s trying really hard to dig up dirt.”

  I kiss Charlotte’s hand. “What does it say?”

  “That Drew’s father is a member of the Army of God.”

  I drop Charlotte’s hand and stand up. “Shit, a domestic terrorist group? Is it true?”

  “Drew doesn’t know. He says he remembers his father having a tattoo on his arm that he thinks could have been their symbol, but he doesn’t know. And he doesn’t want to know.”

  I pace the room. “Shit, fuck, shit.”

  “Listen, Jasper, I think we got ahead of this, but we need to put an end to whatever is going on.”

  I look at Charlotte who is heading into the bathroom. She looks a little pale. “Yeah, we do, and fast. Okay, let me see about getting that chopper out here to take us back to Detroit. I’ll call you when I’m close to landing.”

  “Yeah, I’ll come get you both. See you soon,” he says and hangs up.

  The bathroom door is closed. I rap on it.

  “Just a minute,” she tells me.

  I try to turn the knob, but it’s locked.

  She cracks it open.

  “I’m going to call for a ride,” I tell her.

  “What about my car?”

  In the midst of all this shit, I can’t help but laugh. “Sweetheart, I’m calling a towing company to haul it to the junkyard.”

  She sighs. “Yes, I guess you’re right.”

  I just nod, not in the mood to act triumphant.

  After that, we both get ready quickly and when I look over at her, she still looks a little peaked.

  I hate this for her.

  For us.

  She glances at the box of her father’s things that is sitting on the small table in the corner unopened.

  I grab it. “We’ll open it together as soon as we get this thing with Drew figured out.”

  She closes her eyes slowly.

  “Hey,” I say lifting her chin. “I love you.”

  “I love you,” she whispers softly and her eyes remain closed.

  “You okay?

  Her eyes open and she gives me a nod.

  I can’t help but feel she isn’t.

  REDUCED SPEED AHEAD

  Charlotte

  HERE’S THE THING about secrets . . . they eat you up.

  It’s Tuesday now, and I’ve known about my pregnancy for five days and not told a soul. Not told Jasper.

  At first it was timing.

  Now, I think it’s fear.

  Fear of how Jasper will take the news.

  What will happen to our relationship when he finds out?

  We flew back from Mackinac Island and Jasper, Whitney, and the guys have been hashing out th
eir thoughts in the loft for days.

  Nothing makes sense.

  The rain is back and it pelts against the windows. I stare out into it. Will just picked up Jasper and they are headed over to see Alex to confront him. I’m alone in the loft and I should be working, but instead I’m trying to figure out the best way to tell Jasper the news.

  ‘Hey, honey, surprise, I know we haven’t been together that long, but we’re having a baby.’

  Or . . .

  ‘You know how I told you I was on the pill? Well I was, but I missed one or two, and guess what? We’re having a baby.’

  Or better still . . .

  ‘I know you just told me you loved me, and I told you I loved you, well, now we have someone else to love, surprise we’re having a baby.’

  The thought that I still haven’t told him makes me sick and I rush to the bathroom.

  When I come out, I feel like I need to lie down. Inside the bedroom, I stare at the ceiling, the floor, and my eyes land on the box of my father’s things.

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

  I can do this.

  Unsealing the tape, I remove the lid. There’s an envelope on the top with my name on it. With shaky fingers I unseal it and read it. “My dearest Charlotte, if you’re reading this, I did what had to be done, for you. You need a stable environment. A place to call home. I can’t have you displaced again. You may never forgive me, but know you were the best thing that ever happened to me in my life. I will always love you, Dad.”

  Tears stream down my cheeks. He did leave me a note. I just never found it. I go to my knees and press my face into my hands.

  I grieve.

  I grieve for a man I lost long before he died.

  I grieve for the life we should have had.

  I break and shake and shatter.

  I come undone.

  And then I clutch the letter to my heart and feel myself healing.

  He loved me.

  He never forgot me.

  He never forgot me.

  He never forgot me.

  The rush and rise of my breathing begins to settle. I reach into the box, pull out its contents, and one by one look through the pieces of paper, discarding each to the side until I come across a fire inspection report with the word, “ARSON,” stamped on it.

  I read it. It clearly states the explosion at the plant was a result of human tampering.

  Oh my God, my mother wasn’t lying. Someone covered up what really happened at the plant twenty years ago.