by Autumn Reed
He straightened and turned to face me, a huge smile on his face. Good morning, I thought as my eyes grazed over his messy blond hair and bare chest, lingering on his incredible abs.
“Haley.” He whispered my name like a prayer.
Before I knew it, I was in his arms, and his lips brushed against mine, sweet and familiar. Unable to resist touching him, I skimmed my fingers along his sides.
“Haley, stop.” He laughed between kisses, attempting to pull his torso away from me.
“Stop what? This?” I feathered my fingers over his skin again, taking advantage of the fact that he was ticklish.
Chase grabbed my hands, holding them firmly behind my back and forcing us closer together. His blue eyes scorched me with their intensity, and I could feel the heat radiating from his bare chest as he pressed his lips to mine once again. This time, his kiss was intense, passionate, and I nearly gasped aloud.
“Definitely worth the wait,” he rasped. “That kiss was even better than I remembered.”
I bit back a smile as he led me by the hand to the couch.
“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here?”
His expression changed to one of uncertainty. “I live here.”
“Since when?”
“Since Kyle graduated in May.”
Thanks for the heads up, guys. While I loved the idea of seeing Chase daily, I worried things would get awkward with the four of us living together.
“Sorry to spring it on you,” he added quickly, “but I wanted to talk to you about it myself. Are you okay with me living here?”
His uncertainty made my decision for me. “Of course.” I was the last person to begrudge him a place at the loft. “So, what else have you been up to?”
“Let’s see,” Chase said, tapping his finger against his lips. “I saw an incredibly talented and beautiful girl perform at an open mic night.”
My cheeks heated, and I wondered if he realized I had been singing for him, to him, without knowing he was there.
“What did she sing?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer was.
“Our song.”
My breath hitched. “Our song? We have a song?”
“Ever since that night you slept over at my apartment. Although, that song has been playing in my head since the day we met.”
I laughed. “You mean the day we collided in the library?”
“I know, it’s kind of cheesy.” He scrunched up his face.
“I love it.”
“And I love . . . breakfast,” he said, jerking to his feet. “Let me grab a shirt, and then we can eat.” Chase sprinted upstairs, pulling a T-shirt over his head as he reemerged from his room.
“What else did I miss?” I asked when he joined me at the table. “What has your admirer, Melissa, been up to?”
“Not my admirer anymore. I heard she was dating some guy before she left Zenith for an internship.”
“Luke?”
“I don’t know. That sounds right, though.”
I laughed to myself, remembering how Melissa insisted they were just friends the night we went clubbing.
“What about Kara? Team Falcon?”
“Kara asked about you several times, and she seemed pretty suspicious. I think she was worried we locked you in the basement or something.”
“What did you tell her?”
“The same line we told everyone—that you took a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons.”
“Even Patrick?”
“No, Patrick knows everything.”
Everything everything? I was tempted to ask if that included the new dating arrangement, but I was probably better off not knowing.
“I’m sorry you had to lie for me. I’m sorry for leaving like that. I’m just . . .” I bit my lip, hating myself a little. “Sorry.”
His gaze pierced mine, and he nodded. “It’s okay, Haley, but I don’t understand why you didn’t come to me. I have skills, you know,” he added with a slight smile. “I could have helped you with Douglas.”
I reached across the table and took his hand. “I do know. At the time, the situation seemed impossible. It sounds silly now, but I wanted to protect you and the guys as much as myself.”
“That doesn’t sound silly at all.” He squeezed my hand, then went back to eating, clearly ready to drop the subject. “I know you just got home, but there’s a band I really want to take you to see this weekend.”
“Just the two of us?”
“Yeah.” Chase rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “You know, as a date.”
A date, my first date. I was tempted to do a happy dance until I remembered he wasn’t the only one who wanted to ask me out. Despite Theo’s promises, I found it difficult to believe that Chase, of all the guys, had agreed without reservations.
“It’s okay if you’re not interested.”
“No!” I took his hand in mine. “I want to go with you.”
“I’m sensing a but.”
“Honestly, I’m feeling kind of out of my depth.”
“And you don’t think I am, that we all are?”
“At least you guys have dated before. I have literally zero experience, and I’m dating all five of you at once. Wow,” I shook my head, “that’s the first time I’ve admitted that aloud.”
Chase grimaced, quickly covering it with a smile. “Let’s simplify this. If you ignore everything else and focus on the two of us, do you want to go out with me?”
“Of course,” I answered immediately.
“So, is that a yes to Saturday?”
I beamed. “Yes, Chase, I’d love to go out with you.”
“Awesome.”
My laptop chimed from down the hall, alerting me to an incoming call from Jess on Skype.
“Sorry, bad timing, but I need to take this,” I said to Chase before retreating to my room.
“Hales!” Jess’s smiling face appeared on the screen.
“Hi, Jess!”
“Where have you been?” I could see her eyes scanning the room behind me. “Wait, where the crap are you?”
“Is California enough of an answer?”
“It most certainly is not, Haley Jones.” She wagged her finger at me through the screen.
“Knox and Theo convinced me to come home.”
“Oh, thank god. You finally saw the light. And, home would be where, exactly?”
“Their loft in Santa Cruz.” I gave her a virtual tour of my room.
“That’s your room?” she asked, slack-jawed with surprise. “No wonder you went back—awesome room and super-hot guys. Wait, did you just tell me your location?”
“Maybe.” I grinned. “Hang on a second.” I glanced down at my phone to find a new text message from Jackson.
Jackson: Penny wants to see you. Come over at three and bring your swimsuit.
“What are you smiling about?” Jess interrupted before I could respond to the message.
“A text from Jackson.”
“Mhmm. So, are you going to tell me what’s going on? I thought you couldn’t go back because of the evil blackmailer and the Ethan-Chase-Liam situation, and—”
“The blackmailer is not a concern for the moment, and the Ethan-Chase-Liam situation is, well, let’s just say it’s complicated.”
“Hmm, I’m intrigued.”
“I thought you might be.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me more?”
“Maybe, but not right now. Chase is down the hall eating breakfast.”
“What? It wasn’t enough to live with two hot guys? You get Chase, too? This is so not fair.”
If only she knew.
Sun-Kissed
Standing in front of Jackson’s charcoal gray front door, I set my tote on the ground and wiped my clammy hands on my shorts. I didn’t like not knowing what to expect, and I was at a total loss as to what Jackson wanted. His instructions to bring my swimsuit along suggested that I wasn’t here to be reprimanded for my
disappearing act, but when it came to the formidable team leader, there was no telling.
It didn’t help that I’d essentially agreed to date Jackson without even speaking to him about it. Although I hadn’t discussed the issue with Liam or Chase before making my decision, it was different with them. They’d both made their interest in me obvious before I left Santa Cruz. Jackson, on the other hand, often made me wonder if he merely tolerated my presence. Admittedly, things had improved between us, but I was still having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that he wanted something more than friendship.
The door swung open and Liam stood there with a smile so big there were creases in his cheeks. “I couldn’t wait any longer for you to knock,” he said, gathering me into a tight hug.
He backed away quickly and gave me a once-over, his gaze lingering on my hair, which was in waves around my shoulders. “I’d seen the video surveillance, but I still can’t get over you with black hair. You’ll dye it back, right?”
Not giving me a chance to respond, he ushered me into the house, tote and all. “Sorry, come in. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever to see you, and now I’m mucking it up. Let’s try this again.”
He placed his hands on my shoulders to hold me in place, then backed up a few steps. I couldn’t help but notice he was wearing what I considered a typical Liam outfit—slim-fitting navy slacks, a light blue dress shirt, and expensive-looking shoes. He’d shed his tie, and several buttons were undone at the neck, providing a glimpse of the smooth skin under his shirt. In other words, he looked amazing.
After a long pause, Liam strutted toward me, his smile back in full force. “Hello, gorgeous. Welcome home.” Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me in close and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek.
Attempting to hide my surprise, and slight disappointment, at his restraint, I returned his smile. “Hello, Liam. I didn’t realize you were going to be here.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to keep him away if I tried.” Jackson appeared at the patio door with Penny at his side. Unlike Liam, he’d already changed and looked relaxed in a pair of boardshorts and T-shirt. I soaked up the sight of him, my eyes drawn to his messy black curls and ever-present five o’clock shadow. After months without seeing him, and perhaps due to the awkwardness of our altered relationship, I found his perfection more intimidating than ever.
Penny ran to me, and I knelt to pet her, relieved at the momentary reprieve from both Liam and Jackson. “Hi, girl,” I cooed, scratching under her chin and behind her ears. “I missed you.”
“I hate that I’m jealous of a dog right now,” Liam grumbled.
I looked up at him, and he shrugged. “What? She’s getting a more enthusiastic greeting than I did.”
“You startled me, that’s all.”
“I told you to wait for her to knock,” Jackson said smugly, still standing by the patio door. “Haley, do you want to go down to the beach? The water is almost tolerable this time of year.”
“Sure.”
“Do you need to change?”
“Nope, I’ve got my suit on under my clothes.”
“Okay, come on out whenever you’re ready.” He whistled for Penny and she trotted after him.
Liam slowly approached, a glint in his eyes. He tugged on one sleeve of my top, revealing my shoulder, then ran a finger over the strap of my swimsuit. “The striped one-piece. I approve.” His eyes told me he remembered every second of our encounter the last time I’d worn this suit. I did too. His hands on my bare flesh, our first kiss, my legs wrapped around his waist . . . I’d relived it many times.
“I’m glad.”
He stroked my shoulder, the skin tingling under his touch. “I’m truly happy you’re home.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
Abruptly, he withdrew and headed toward the study. “I’ll see you outside.”
What was that about?
After a brief internal pep talk, I made my way through Jackson’s living room to the glass doors leading outside. He was reclining on a lounger, appearing as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but I could still feel their intensity when I settled onto the chair next to him.
I scanned the mostly deserted beach, watching a surfer in the distance as he wiped out and then again. Though there was a breeze, the August heat was almost stifling, and I had to admit that the water looked inviting. Maybe if I just walked in up to my knees, I wouldn’t freeze.
“You don’t need to feel uncomfortable around me.” Jackson’s words broke the silence, and I jerked my head to look at him, but his gaze was trained on the ocean.
“What?”
“As soon as you arrived, I could tell you were dreading seeing me.”
“I wasn’t dreading—”
His chuckle interrupted my disagreement. “There’s no point denying it. You stayed in the car for a good ten minutes before finally making it to the door and stalling there as well.”
I bit my lip. Why did he have to be so observant?
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little nervous.”
He stood and stripped off his T-shirt, tossing it carelessly on the chair. “There’s no reason to be. Treat this like any other day at the beach. No expectations, no pressure.”
His words barely registered as I stared at his torso. As always, Jackson’s skin had that healthy, sun-kissed hue I loved. And, his build was just right. Not too slim or too bulky, but sleek and cut.
I cleared my throat. “Okay, I can do fun.” Avoiding his gaze, I pulled off my top and shimmied out of my shorts. After folding them neatly and sliding them in my tote, I grabbed my sunscreen and began applying it on my arms.
“Do you need help with that?” Jackson had removed his sunglasses and was watching me with a smirk.
Pretending annoyance, I snorted and continued applying the lotion. “Don’t tell me you’re resorting to the oldest line in the book.”
“Assisting you with responsible skin protection is nothing but common courtesy.”
“Is that so?”
He took a couple of steps toward me, and my breath hitched. “Indeed, it is.”
Taking the bottle from my hand, he moved behind me and brushed my hair over one shoulder. He caressed the lotion into my skin, under the straps at my shoulders and across my back. His movements weren’t overly sensual, but they weren’t as innocent as they could have been, either.
“For the record, I’m happy you’re back.” He stood back as if to inspect his handiwork. “You’re good to go.”
I let out an exaggerated sigh to hide my pleasure at his small admission. “That’s a relief.”
Jackson grabbed a couple of towels, then placed his hand on my lower back as he steered me to the stairs leading down to the beach, Penny following behind. “If you’re being a smartass in an attempt to push me away, it’s not working. I happen to like your smart mouth.”
How did he see through me so easily?
Deciding that my mouth was already getting me into enough trouble, I didn’t respond, instead relishing the feel of my toes sinking into the sand and the sound of the waves rolling to shore. Being back in Santa Cruz made me happy, and not only because of the guys. I had every intention of soaking it up.
“You planning on staying way up there?” Jackson asked, already knee-deep in what I knew to be frigid water.
“No.” I took several small steps until my feet were covered. This isn’t so bad. Then, a wave sprayed water over my legs and I jumped back. “Holy crap!”
Jackson laughed as he waded in even deeper. “I never knew you were such a wimp.”
“I am not a wimp,” I protested. “It’s freezing!”
He shook his head sadly. “Gidget would be so disappointed in you.”
I gaped at him. “You watch Gidget?”
“I have trouble sleeping sometimes, which means I’ve seen a lot of old TV shows.”
“Well, then you should know that she lived in Southern California. Big
difference.”
“Actually, the water is only about ten degrees cooler here.”
“Then, this shouldn’t bother you,” I said as I kicked my foot, splashing him in the face, although I’d been aiming for his chest. Oops.
I immediately braced myself for retaliation, but instead of dousing me, he picked me up and carried me farther into the water. Laughing and squealing for him to put me down, I latched onto his neck, hoping he wouldn’t dunk me all the way under.
When I finally stopped struggling, he placed me on my feet and held onto my hips. The water almost reached my waist, but it didn’t feel nearly as cold with so much adrenaline pumping through my veins. And, it probably didn’t hurt that my body was plastered against Jackson’s.
“Truce?” I asked hopefully.
“I could be persuaded . . . if you agree to a surfing lesson.”
“I don’t know, Moondoggie, will there be a wetsuit involved?”
“As fun as it would be to torture you, yes, I will get you a wetsuit.”
I removed my arms from around his neck and backed toward the shore and a barking Penny. “We have a deal, then.”
Stretched out on beach towels, the sun quickly drying us, Jackson explained some of the basics of surfing. I doubted that his instructions would be very helpful without a demonstration, but I was grateful he was filling the silence rather than drilling me about my time away. Apparently, it was possible to turn off his “team leader” mode after all.
As we walked back up the stairs to Jackson’s house, I was surprised to see Knox, Chase, and Theo seated around the patio table and Liam standing at the grill. Only Ethan was missing, something I tried not to dwell on.
“What are you guys doing here?”
Theo stood and gave me a hug. “You didn’t think we’d deny you a welcome home dinner, did you? Cute swimsuit, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Skittish from all the eyes on me, I said, “I guess I’ll, um, go change.”
Inside the house, I decided it was time for another pep talk. I hadn’t prepared myself for the possibility of facing the guys together so soon, and I didn’t know how to act around them. One-on-one, I felt reasonably comfortable, even with Jackson. But, dinner with all five? How could that be anything but awkward? Would we overlook the humongous elephant in the room?
