Zoey didn’t need to bring a tent, since she would be staying with Chris. Jessie hadn’t gone camping in quite some time, and she’d never had to put a tent together. Her father or brother had always taken care of that, but she was confident that she could figure it out.
Chris pulled up in his dark blue SUV a few minutes late.
“Happy birthday,” Zoey greeted Chris as he walked into the house. They kissed sweetly as they embraced, both glowing in the light of new-found love.
Jessie rolled her eyes, made gagging noises and said jokingly, “Okay guys! Some of us are pathetically single. No need to flaunt your happiness in front of the less fortunate!”
They all laughed as Chris and Zoey disentangled themselves from each other.
“Damn, you are so fucking hot,” Chris told Zoey as he inspected her outfit of white shorts and yellow tank top. She beamed happily as Chris began picking up their gear and bags.
The drive to the campground by the river in West Virginia took about an hour and a half.
Chris and Zoey chatted happily. Chris steered with one hand, his other hand resting on Zoey’s bare thigh. Jessie sat in the back, joining in the conversation and feeling overwhelmingly happy for Zoey. Chris seemed like such a genuinely great guy.
When they arrived at the campsite, Chris went about setting up his tent, while Zoey organized the other supplies, including the portable grill.
Jessie began the task of setting up her own tent, which was much harder than she thought it would be. As she worked on it, more people arrived and joined their group.
Chris introduced them to his friends. There were some friends that Chris worked with, as well as an assortment of other friends that they hadn’t met before.
A girl named Tracy hugged Chris and excitedly introduced herself to Zoey.
“I’m Tracy. Chris and I have been friends since college. And this is my friend, Brittani. We work together.” Tracy introduced the brunette standing to her left.
Brittani and Tracy began setting up their tents on the other side of where Jessie was working on hers.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jessie noticed Jack’s black Jeep pull up, but she resisted the urge to glance over. Her heart did a little flip. She found herself annoyed and purposefully tried to ignore it. Despite her best efforts she just couldn’t shake this stupid crush on Jack.
“Damn, who’s that?” Brittani asked Tracy. Jessie heard her and looked up to see Jack walking toward Chris.
“That’s Jack,” Tracy answered her, rolling her eyes.
“He’s so hot.” Brittani noticed, unable to tear her eyes away.
“Yeah, everyone says that.” Tracy snorted when she laughed. “But he’s a total manwhore.”
“Hey,” Jack greeted Tracy, who hugged him briefly. “Talking shit about me again?” He laughed, not at all bothered by Tracy’s assessment of him. After all, it was true enough.
Jessie continued struggling with the stupid tent, trying to pretend she wasn’t listening to their exchange, while straining her ears to catch every word and sneaking quick glances. Her heart flip flopped when she saw Jack. Shorts and a t-shirt stretched across those muscles, his dark hair messy and his blue eyes lit up with amusement.
Tracy introduced Jack to Brittani. Tall and thin with huge fake boobs. She wore full makeup, even though it was the middle of the day and they were in the woods by the river.
Jack regarded Brittani with mild interest-long legs, hiking boots and extremely short camouflage shorts, large breasts falling out of a matching crop top. Brittani gave Jack a coy smile as he walked by them.
Jessie was still struggling with her tent when Jack walked by. He claimed the last spot on the side closest to the river, which just happened to be next to Jessie.
He nodded as he made his way passed her. “Don’t hurt yourself,” he laughed.
“Shut up, Jack,” Jessie said as she glanced at him.
She was annoyed with her inability to figure out how to put the tent together and not feeling especially friendly. She had also witnessed the looks Jack had exchanged with Brittani and it had irritated her.
A small smile played on his lips as he watched Jessie attempting and failing to properly set up her tent. He strolled over and enjoyed the view for a minute before speaking. She was on her knees facing away from him, bending over, and giving him an appealing view of her very enticing ass in extremely short cutoff jeans.
“Need some help?” he finally offered in a slightly teasing tone, amusement lighting up his eyes as Jessie whirled around, glaring at him resentfully.
She looked adorable and sexy to him in her pink plaid button up shirt, knotted in the front with a white lace cami underneath and a pair of pink Converse. Her hair was in a messy ponytail with a pink hair band and her pretty face was free of makeup. It wasn’t a look that usually attracted him, but right now Jessie appealed to him even more than Brittani, who was closer to his usual type.
“No, thanks,” she retorted ungraciously. “I can do it myself.”
She was determined not to let Jack help her. She wasn’t the helpless little woman who needed a man to do her work for her, after all.
“Suit yourself,” he said, walking back to his spot where he had set down his gear.
Jack shook his head and laughed as he started putting his own tent up, which he did easily and quickly. When he finished, Jessie was still working on hers and it didn’t appear that she had made any progress at all. Jack walked in the direction of the rest of the group, but Brittani caught him on his way.
“Hey.” She smiled, perky breasts in his face.
Jack smiled back and allowed his eyes to wander up and down her impressive body.
“Hey,” he said, stopping to talk to her.
Jessie noticed the exchange and didn’t want to hang around and listen to their conversation. She finally gave up on her tent and went to join Zoey at a picnic table, with the rest of Chris’ friends.
Jensen was a physics professor at the state university, quiet and studious. He was cute and tall, with dark hair. Sean and Nick, also both good-looking, were a bit rowdier, and had bodies that clearly saw a lot of time at the gym. Nick had served in the same battalion as Jack in the Marines. Sean had grown up in South Carolina with Jack and Chris.
Jensen sat down on the picnic bench next to Jessie. He made conversation about the camp site, the impending river tubing and asked her some general getting-to-know-you questions before launching into a description of the research project he was working on. Jessie was having trouble following him, but she tried to be polite.
Jack and Brittani walked over together to join the group. It was clear that Brittani had claimed him. He didn’t seem overly interested in her but he wasn’t trying to get away from her either. He was smiling slightly as she whispered in his ear. Jessie glanced at him and they made brief eye contact.
Jack noticed Jensen talking to Jessie and laughed a little. Jens was a nice guy. He was smart. Like over-the-top, genius shit. He had a tendency to go on long drawn-out dialogues about random technical topics relevant to his work that most people couldn’t follow very well. It amused Jack to see Jessie trying to be nice but obviously bored.
After lunch the group started to get ready to go tubing. Jessie slipped away and went back to her still unassembled tent. She changed into flip flops, untied the front of her shirt and then began to unbutton it. She took the shirt off and then lifted the white cami up over her head, adjusting her bikini top.
She noticed Jack watching her from the bank of the river, a beer in his hand. He was mesmerized, watching her take her clothes off. Nothing short of an explosion would have been able to tear his attention away. Damn she was cute. And that fucking body… so tempting that it actually pissed him off.
“Stop looking at me!” Jessie called to him, laughing and blushing as she slid her shorts off, revealing a pink bikini that she had been wearing underneath her clothes. He laughed and started walking toward her.
“Nice,
” he commented, smiling lasciviously at her while checking her out. Jessie swatted his arm playfully and laughed.
“Shut up. Better watch out. Your girlfriend’s gonna be mad.” She noticed Brittani watching them from the picnic table, daggers in her eyes.
Jack wore blue swim trunks and Jessie couldn’t help but admire how amazing his body was. She was curious about his tattoos, including the one on his right arm of some kind of scary looking skull on an arrow head. She shifted her attention to the tattoo on his chest, just over his heart. A pair of what she guessed were angel’s wings, based on the inked words winding through them in a fancy script, Fly to the Angels.
She also noticed that he had a small, round scar just to the left of that tattoo, and what she was pretty sure was a chest tube scar on his left side. He had another faded, thin scar on his right side, about three or four inches long. Jack without a shirt was positively a heart-stopping sight.
He raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Girlfriend? Yeah, right.” He tilted his beer back, taking a long drink. “Where’s your friend?”
Jessie, still distracted by Jack’s naked and magnificent chest and arms, not to mention his sculpted abs, looked at him quizzically. “Huh?”
“You’ve been hanging out with some guy the last few weeks.” Jack struggled to remember his name. “Pete. Figured he would’ve come with you this weekend,” Jack asked casually, glancing over at Brittani but not making eye contact with her.
“Oh, him.” Jessie folded her clothes and put them in her bag. “He turned out to be a jerk.”
Her pretty blue eyes cast downward and long, black lashes rested against smooth skin for a moment before she looked back up at him.
Jack’s eyes met hers, but his face registered no expression. “Oh yeah? How’s that?” he asked.
“I think he was just after one thing,” Jessie replied lightly, glancing away. Then, with a touch of sarcasm, “He probably took a page out of your playbook.”
He laughed and took another drink of his beer. “Maybe,” he agreed.
Jessie had gone on a few dates with Pete, the cute guy she had met at Whiskey Rocks a few weeks ago. The first couple of dates had seemed promising. He was fun and interesting. But on their third date he had gotten really drunk and then been pissed off when she didn’t want to sleep with him.
Jessie hated sloppy drunk guys. Such a turn off. He had grabbed her and shoved his tongue down her throat which was completely revolting. Beer and onion rings were not a good combination. He had called the next day to try to apologize for his behavior, but she told him that she didn’t want to see him again and asked him not to call her anymore.
Jack gestured across the campsite where Jensen was applying sunscreen to his face and chest. “I noticed you and Jens were hitting it off.”
Jessie looked away. “He’s really nice but I don’t think he’s my type.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s exactly your type,” Jack replied, his eyes roaming distractedly over her body.
“What makes you say that?” Jessie asked, taking a defensive stance.
“I’d be willing to bet he’d be after more than just one thing, for starters,” he teased.
His eyes lingering on her various body parts as he talked to her thrilled and annoyed her all at the same time.
“You’re so gross. Is that all you ever think about?” Jessie blushed and rolled her eyes and he laughed.
“You have no idea,” Jack replied.
If she knew even half of the things he had imagined doing to her hot little body… well, Jack figured she’d be pretty shocked at the level of his perversion. He hadn’t been with so many women without figuring out how to read them sexually. He could definitely sense Jessie’s inexperience.
He was usually attracted to aggressive women, adventurous and ready for anything. The fact that he was even attracted to Jessie was perplexing. Not to mention irritating. He suspected she would be shy and nervous in bed, not exactly usual turn-ons for him.
“So did he get it?” Jack asked, his expression turning serious as she glanced at him, confused.
“What?” she asked as she turned around to face him.
“Pete. You said he only wanted one thing. Did he get it?” Jack repeated, his eyes trailing over her appreciatively.
He probably shouldn’t have asked her that, but he wanted to know if Pete had been granted access to that tempting little body.
“No, not that it’s any of your business,” Jessie answered him, blushing and irritated. She turned and walked away, feeling his eyes still on her.
Jack sighed as he downed the rest of his beer, watching her as she rejoined the others. He didn’t know why he cared whether or not Jessie had slept with Pete. It shouldn’t matter to him who she slept with. Even if they didn’t work together, Jessie was definitely not attainable.
It would take more effort than he was willing or able to expend to get her into bed. He doubted Jessie would ever be up for some no strings attached fun in bed. And yet, here he was, finding himself almost relieved that Jessie had not slept with that guy.
As they rejoined the others Jessie paired off with Zoey. Jack and Nick walked a bit behind them. Besides Chris and Sean, Jack considered Nick his closest friend. They had been through a lot of shit together in the Marines. They had each saved the other’s ass more than once. No one else could relate to some of the shit they’d had to see and do.
Jessie and Zoey linked arms as they walked, leaning close to each other, whispering and giggling.
“So what’s the story with the blonde?” Nick gestured toward Jessie. “I know Zoey is Chris’ new girl, but what do you know about her friend?”
Jack shrugged. “We work together at Drake.”
“No shit? She’s an investigator?” Nick looked surprised. “Lucky you. You nailed her yet?”
Jack glanced at him and shook his head. “No way, dude. Just told you I’ve got to work with the girl. Don’t need that aggravation.”
“So what? I met Savannah at work.” Nick was dating someone but she hadn’t been able to make it for the weekend.
“Oh, so you’ve gotten over her stripper side job, then? Doesn’t bother you anymore that she’s shaking her ass for other dudes every weekend?” Jack asked.
“I’m working on it.” Nick sighed.
“I’m not in the market for a girlfriend. You know that. I wouldn’t mind hitting it, but I’m pretty sure the path to that pussy includes at least a dozen chick flicks and more hours of useless conversation than I have patience for.”
“True. And I guess it could get weird at work if you banged her. You know, since you’re such a fucking dick.” Nick laughed. “She’s smoking hot though, dude. If I was single I’d be all over that.”
Jack made no attempt to deny Nick’s allegation that he was a dick. He just nodded and sighed. “Yeah. She’s definitely got a tight little body.” His eyes were glued to the back of her bikini bottoms and the perfect ass cheeks peeking out beneath.
They looked on as Jens sidled up beside Jessie. Nick laughed. “Poor guy. He’s totally out of his league there.”
Jack laughed with him. “Yeah, but it’ll be fun to watch.”
THEY ARRIVED AT THE RENTAL facility and picked up their tubes. The day had grown quite warm and the cool water felt good as they waded into the river. One by one they took their places in their tubes, clipped together with carabiners, and slowly began to float together downriver as a group. The water was calm and the sun warm on their skin. A floating cooler was attached in the middle, with plenty of beer and water.
Jessie was closest to Zoey, with Brittani, unfortunately, on her other side. Jack was a tube away, with Brittani between them.
Jessie took a long sip of her Michelob Ultra and glanced at Brittani, who was entertaining Jack with some stupid story. Brittani’s bikini top barely covered the nipples of her enormous boobs. Jessie, although decently-endowed naturally in the boob department, felt positively flat-chested next to her.
She didn’t like to be catty about other women and she usually wasn’t. But she got a bad vibe off of Brittani. Jack seemed oblivious to the girl’s snarkiness. He actually seemed to like her. Jessie guessed he was just interested in having sex with her, and probably didn’t really care much about her personality.
They had a blast tubing all afternoon. A few trips down the river and they were ready to head back to the campsite. As the tubing party neared the exit point on the river they unhooked from each other so they could climb out of their tubes and drag them onto the rocks and up a slight embankment. As Jessie climbed out of her tube, she clumsily slipped a little on the rock, pain twisting through her right ankle. Jack, standing to her right, offered his hand and she took it to help her regain her footing.
“Thanks,” she said, leaning against him briefly.
As her body unintentionally pressed against his, she could feel a spark of excitement ignite and rush through her. Nerve endings all over her body went on high alert and a pulse throbbed between her legs, leaving her dizzy for a moment.
Their eyes locked as his hands dropped to her hips and steadied her, resting there longer than necessary. She was tempted to reach her arms around his neck, kiss him, and allow her body to press eagerly against his, but she resisted, knowing it made no sense whatsoever.
“You okay?” he asked, looking down at her with a curious expression.
“Yeah, thanks,” she replied quickly, looking down at his strong hands still wrapped around her.
Awkwardly he let go of her waist and took her hand instead, pulling her up the embankment.
“Christ, Jessie, are you always so clumsy?” Jack joked, trying to lighten the moment.
Jack carried his and Jessie’s tubes up the embankment and returned them. He was pretty sure that the brief contact he had just had with Jessie had triggered an unreasonably strong reaction. He was also certain that he wasn’t the only one who had felt it.
He noticed Jessie pulling a shirt on over her bikini top and limping slightly as she made her way with the group.
Lit (Wrecked Hearts Series Book 1) Page 8
