Rules of Entanglement

by Gina L. Maxwell

  Day 5: Thursday

  “Don’t I even get a hint?”

  Vanessa looked over at Jackson from the passenger seat of his Jeep. She held hair in one hand to avoid the inevitable snarl wars in her curls as a result from traveling in a vehicle with no roof. Or doors, for that matter.

  He spared a quick glance in her direction with what could only be described as a model-perfect smile. All gorgeous white teeth, laugh lines behind the dark shade of his stubble, and she’d bet laughing topaz eyes behind his dark wrap-around sunglasses.

  “Nope.”

  That was it. He wouldn’t say anything else no matter how many guesses she tossed into the wind. Considering she wasn’t fond of surprises—after all, one can’t prepare for what one doesn’t know is coming—it was utterly infuriating. And really sweet. Damn him.

  Finally giving up, she slid on her own sunglasses and let her head drop back. The late afternoon sun bathed her face and upper body, and she wondered how many new freckles she’d come away with by the time she flew home. She didn’t have any on her face like Kat did, but she sported some light ones on her arms and shoulders. It was a damn good thing she’d slathered herself in suntan lotion before they left. She’d have to remember to reapply later if they were going to be outdoors.

  Not that she knew if they were or not because someone wasn’t coughing up any answers.

  She sighed and thought about all that had transpired over the last several days. In a million years, she never would’ve guessed what the week had in store for her. Last night had been even more of a surprise. Not only did she actually punch someone in a fit of rage, she’d cried on Jackson’s shoulder to the point of exhaustion then let him take care of her until she fell asleep in his lap.

  She tried to think back to the last time anyone had taken care of her…and came up blank. Even as a child she’d been the one caring for herself and Kat. Hell, she’d even taken care of their mother when she was too far gone on God only knew what to perform the simplest of tasks.

  But last night had been completely different. She’d opened up to Jackson more than she ever had with anyone else. Even in her more vulnerable moments with Lucie, she’d still had a thin wall around herself, allowing a modicum of control. And Lucie, being the sweetheart she was, never pushed for anything more than Vanessa was willing to give.

  But Jackson had taken her thin wall and chipped away at it until he made a sizable dent. Then kept going until the dent became a crack and the crack became a gap, and that was all he needed to release the raw emotions he’d been looking for. The experience had been terrifying. And also cathartic.

  She spent a good deal of her morning wondering why he was so intent on breaking through her barriers, though. What was he getting out of it? It certainly wasn’t some sleazy way of making her vulnerable enough to get into her pants. Technically speaking, he’d had backstage passes to her pants for a full three days. And it sure as hell wasn’t because he was looking for some deep, meaningful relationship with her. They’d both agreed that this was a one-time-only fling.

  Yep. Nothing but some fun in the sun and then they were done, and all that other rhyming mantra crap. Little did she know she’d be haunted by the phrase “be careful what you wish for” as she tried to ignore the pang of sadness and regret on their last day together. So much for her women’s intuition.

  Maybe Jackson was just one of those rare guys who was genuinely sweet. Plus, she was his sister’s best friend, so he had an added incentive to be nice to her. At any rate, though they’d started off more than a little rocky, Vanessa was really glad for his company the last several days. She had fun with him, he made her laugh, he was playful and charming…and wicked talented in bed. And on the couch. And in the shower. And on Jet Skis.

  “What are you smiling about over there?”

  Vanessa pressed her lips together. She hadn’t realized her wayward thoughts had gone rogue with brain signals to her mouth. But since they had, there was no sense in letting an opportunity go to waste.

  Reaching across the short distance between them, she placed her hand high on his thigh and started tracing the inside hem of his shorts with a tip of her nail. His muscles bunched beneath her palm, and he groaned when her finger crept closer to his crotch then retreated without touching anything fun. She stifled her laugh.

  “If you tell me where we’re going, I’ll tell you what I was thinking.” Taking things a step further, she leaned over, pressed a moist kiss just under his ear, and whispered, “And even reward you with some in-the-car fun.”

  “Sorry, babe. No dice.” Jackson grabbed her roaming hand, kissed it, and then intertwined their fingers before resting them on his lap. He did a bang-up job of pretending he wasn’t affected, but the pulse in his neck told her it was his way of preventing any further threats of her handling his stick shift while he drove.

  Sitting back in her seat, she huffed from defeat and considered the phone conversation she’d had that morning with the only other person besides Lucie she felt she could go to for advice. Fritz, the grizzled owner of the local bar she and Lucie had frequented ever since their freshman year in college, was the closest thing Vanessa had to a father figure. He was the type to show his affection through the fine art of teasing and mock arguments. It was rare for the man to have any serious moments, but the fatherly affection he had for her and Lucie was obvious in every fake barb he threw their way.

  Vanessa had woken in Jackson’s arms that morning groggy and content. As she lay there, listening to his even breaths and the steady beating of his heart, she turned her focus inward and analyzed her feelings. Something she rarely allowed herself to do. What she found astonished her. Not only did she feel safe and cared for, but she swore there was something that felt an awful lot like…love.

  She’d given herself ten points for managing not to freak out. Instead, she’d suppressed her crazy and gone through their morning routine of drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Then he’d left to go run errands, and she’d frantically dialed the number for the bar, knowing with the time difference that Fritz would be getting ready to open.

  “We don’t open till four.”

  The surly, gravelly voice was like the beacon of a distant lighthouse in a blinding fog. “Fritz! It’s Nessie. Do you have a minute?”

  “Well, now, you know I’ll always have time for my favorite redhead, but ain’t you supposed to be in Hawaii?”

  “I am, but I need someone to talk to, and I can’t talk to Lucie about it.” She paused and then amended it with, “Yet.” One of the things she’d decided was that she was going to come clean with Lucie about the fling with Jax after her honeymoon was over. Vanessa didn’t think it would upset her friend, but in case it even bothered her in the slightest, she didn’t want it to ruin what should be the happiest week of her life.

  “That’s not like you, Red. What you got goin’ on? Someone givin’ you trouble, girl? You tell me who it is and I’ll set ’em straight when I get down there tomorrow.”

  “No, no, it’s nothing like that. Um…” She took a breath, closed her eyes, and spit it out. “I’m sleeping with Lucie’s brother, Jackson.”

  A slow whistle came through the cell speaker. “Keepin’ it in the family, are ya? Okay, so what’s the problem? He not giving you the cunny quakes?”

  It wasn’t easy to shock Vanessa, especially when it came to the outrageously hilarious things that often came out of the retired Naval rescue swimmer’s mouth, but that was definitely a new level of outrageous. The fun thing about her relationship with Fritz, though, was the smartass—and often crass and inappropriate—comments they tossed back and forth. It had caused more than a few bar patrons to look at them strangely over the years.

  She welcomed the smirk on her face at the familiarity of their banter. “Just because you have issues getting the ladies to scream your name, old man, doesn’t mean everyone else does.”

  “Hah! When I’m with a woman the sex is so good my neighbors need a cigarette
. So don’t you go accusin’ me of not satisfyin’ the ladies.”

  Vanessa busted out laughing and felt some of the tension leave her body. “All right, so we’ve established that both you and Jackson have no issues in the sack. Gee, I can’t tell you what a relief that is. Not to mention the spectacular imagery that gave me, thank you very much.”

  “At least you don’t sound like a scared little rabbit anymore,” he said with tenderness in his voice. That he’d sensed her anxiety over the phone and tried to quell it the only way he knew how truly touched her. He really was a big teddy bear at heart. “Now, tell me what’s really botherin’ ya.”

  She raked a hand through her hair and fisted a chunk until the sharp pain at her scalp forced her to relax her grip. Say it, say it, say it! “God, this is crazy,” she muttered. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this…”

  “Speak up, darlin’, my hearin’ ain’t what it used to be.”

  “I think that maybe…I mean, it’s possible…” Somewhere in the back of her mind Vanessa knew she was acting ridiculous. For shit’s sake, she was actually wincing as though the words dangling off the tip of her tongue could actually cause physical pain. “…that I might be—just a little—infatuated, in lust, or whatever you want to call it, with Jackson.”

  Her breaths ceased, remaining trapped in her lungs as she waited for a response, a guffaw, a something. But the only sound that came through was the rasp of his fingers running over the ever-present gray stubble on his jaw. She’d bet he had his elbows on the bar, one hand holding the receiver of the old rotary phone, the other creating the sandpaper noise that seemed to get louder with every passing nanosecond.

  “Fritz, say something,” she pleaded. “Tell me I’m crazy because I’ve only known him a few days. That getting involved with my best friend’s brother is asking for trouble. That I’m a hypocrite because he practically breaks every one of my Rules.”

  “Well now, Red, why would I have to say any of those things when you’re already thinkin’ ’em?”

  “See? I knew it.” She slumped forward on the couch and dropped her head into her hand. “Oh, this is bad. Bad, bad, bad.”

  “Now wait a minute. Just because I pointed out you’re already thinkin’ those things doesn’t mean I agree with any of it.”

  Vanessa swore she heard a needle screech its way across a vinyl record somewhere. “You don’t?”

  “Hell no, I don’t. Now you listen to me, and you listen good. You know I love you like my own, but Jesus Christ, yer the dumbest smart woman I know.”

  “Beg your pardon?”

  “I’ve watched you turn down more fellas in this bar than I can count. Now, don’t get me wrong, most of ’em weren’t worth the time it took you to brush ’em off. But some were mighty nice gentlemen, and all that stopped you was those damn rules.”

  “My Rules are solid. They keep me from getting involved with anyone who isn’t good for me,” she argued as she crossed the room to stare out at the bright blue water beyond the white sand.

  “Oh, that’s such horseshit. Your rules ain’t nothin’ more than a way of making sure no one gets close enough to hurt you.” She was about to contest that point when he said something that made her mouth slam shut. “If you keep goin’ as you are, Nessie girl, yer always gonna be alone. An’ I know that’s not what you want.”

  No, she thought sadly. It isn’t.

  “No one’s perfect, kiddo. Not even you, hard as that is to imagine.”

  A hint of a smile curved the edges of her lips at his mild jab, but the fear of contemplating all that he said kept her joviality at the baseline. Was she truly destined to be alone if she held every man she met against her Rules?

  Fritz added one last thought, holding back the avalanche of questions she was about to inundate herself with. “I’ve never met Jackson, but from everything our Lucie’s told me over the years, he sounds like a pretty good guy. After all, he practically raised her, so he can’t be all that bad. Maybe you oughta give him the benefit of the doubt and yourself a shot at being happy and see how things turn out. You might just be surprised.”

  “Since when did you get so smart?”

  His raspy chuckle warmed her heart and even made her a little homesick. Fritz’s Bar had been a huge part of her regular routine for the last decade of her life, and so had its owner. “Since always, but I try to keep it in check, ’cause I hate to see a pretty girl cry when she’s been outsmarted by an old-timer like me.”

  She’d laughed and then changed the topic with a bit of small talk about the wedding before hanging up and spending the rest of her morning trying to focus on her casework as opposed to her conversation with Fritz.

  “Where you at, V?”

  “Hmm?” Blinking, she looked over at Jackson to find they’d stopped.

  “You seemed miles away just now.” He stretched his arm over the back of her seat and leaned in as he shoved his shades onto his head. The golden brown of his eyes pierced through her flashback haze. “Where were you?”

  She gave him a confident smile. Or at least what she hoped was confident. “Trust me, it’s nowhere you want to be.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that, honey.” He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. When he pulled back, he added, “As long as you’re there, I’m thinking that’s exactly where I want to be.”

  Vanessa sat stone still, her brain analyzing at hyper-speed while a warmth like she’d never known spread through her heart. Could he possibly have feelings for her like she’d started having for him? Did he want more than what they’d originally agreed to?

  No, that didn’t make any sense. He must be referring to the here and now. Today was their last contractual day together, and he probably wanted to make the most of it, just as she did.

  “Come on, princess, get the lead out. We have a decent hike in front of us.”

  For the next half hour, they trekked through some of the most beautiful country she’d ever seen, even on TV. Seeing the jungle up close and personal as opposed to a two-dimensional picture was like the difference between seeing Jax in pictures (oh, he’s cute) and knowing what it was like to make love to him (oh my fucking God he’s heaven). No contest.

  Jackson led the way, making sure he held the brush aside for her as she trailed behind him or held her hand to steady her when they went over a slippery area. Little by little the sounds of rushing water grew louder. At last she caught sight of the light at the end of their foliage tunnel. Anticipation bubbled in her chest at what she would find. Maybe surprises weren’t so bad after all.

  “Here we are,” he announced, taking her hand and leading her out into the clearing. “Welcome to Maris Falls.”

  “Oh, Jackson!”

  A clear pool of water surrounded on three sides by high cliffs dressed in lush greenery, and in the very center, a majestic waterfall draped itself over the edge, ending in a spectacular show of white spray and rainbows from the refracting light of the sun.

  She turned to look at him. “This is your favorite place on the island.”

  “Yeah. I come here to think, relax, contemplate existentialism. You know, the norm.”

  She laughed and gazed back at the scene before her. “I’ve never seen anything so breathtakingly beautiful.”

  “I have.”

  At the husky sound of his voice, she found him staring at her, his meaning obvious in his heated gaze. Normally she’d throw out something saucy like, “Flattery will get you everywhere,” but suddenly her throat was dry and her wit seemed to have taken a hike up a different mountain.

  “Um, so…” She cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Now what?”

  “Now,” he said, shucking the heavy backpack from his shoulders and setting down the small cooler he’d carried, “we set up camp and go for a swim.”

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Give me the pack,” she said, holding out her hands. “I’m an excellen
t camp setter-upper.”

  “You are, huh?”

  “Yep. It was my minor in college. I’ll have us in the water in no time.”

  “I have a better idea.” He dropped the pack behind him and stepped in front of her, grabbing her hips. Her hands gravitated to his pecs like magnets, the solid muscles fitting the curve of her palms as his full lips distracted her. “Why don’t you hop in the water and cool off. I’ll get stuff situated out here and join you in a minute.”

  She bit the corner of her lip and glanced over at the cool, clear pool beckoning her, then back up at Jackson. “You sure?”

  A huge smile split that glorious mouth right before he bestowed her with a searing kiss. “I’m sure.”

  She couldn’t bring herself to argue any more. The humidity of the jungle they’d trudged through had definitely taken its toll on her during their hike. Sweat and grit covered her skin, and she felt truly disgusting. Allowing Jax to be so close to her while feeling so grimy shot way past her comfort level, but for some reason when it came to him, she found herself acting out of character a lot.

  Vanessa wasted no time in stripping off her shorts, T-shirt, tennies, and socks until all that remained was her cerulean string bikini. It was her personal favorite. The suit was basically a collection of triangles: two that barely covered more than her nipples, leaving cleavage and side swells exposed, and two skimpy inverted ones to form the bottoms, which were joined only by strings tied in bows on her hips and showed plenty of ass. It left pretty much nada to the imagination.

  “What in God’s name is that?”

  “What is what?” Fearing he saw some sort of dangerous jungle animal, her heart leapt into her throat as she spun to see what he’d found. But he was staring at her. Air whooshed out of her lungs, and she took a few steadying breaths. “Don’t do that! You scared the crap out of me.”

  “That is not a swimsuit.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course it is.”

  “No,” he said, his gaze trapped between her shoulders and her thighs. “That’s a torture device. Do you wear that thing in public?”