by Dawn Ryder
The entire extended family was running around the park, kids chasing each other with squirt guns and babies being adored. The younger teens stood around in awkward groups trying to figure out who they were, their hands shoved deep into their pockets.
There were times Jaelyn felt like she was still at that age. All nerves and doubts. Confidence only a thing much talked about, yet still out of reach. She sighed and looked over the food. LeAnn wouldn’t be lending a hand to make sure no one came down with food poisoning. That left the sorting of potato salad and sour cream–based dips to her. She scooped up a few that looked past their prime and dumped them into the trash.
“Bram!” LeAnn suddenly let out a squeal loud enough to get Jaelyn to look back at her. In spite of the numerous guys sitting with her, LeAnn jumped to her feet and ran across the grass toward an approaching man.
He was a man, too.
Jaelyn couldn’t help but stare at his wide shoulders that were packed with muscle and truly were worthy of being called brawn. There was something about the way he moved that was downright sexy. His body didn’t move in the same way as the others surrounding LeAnn. He had more purpose and a lot more discipline. His gaze was keen. So sharp, Jaelyn felt it slice clean through the distance separating them. She’d never noticed what a brilliant blue his eyes were. Pristine, like a mountain lake. And you could feel the power of the water, like some sort of magical spirit cleanser.
Which was ridiculous, but that didn’t change the way Jaelyn felt her stomach tighten.
Bram Magnus stared straight at her, his long legs cutting a path across the grass toward her. For a moment, she felt locked into that gaze, transfixed like time had frozen and her entire world tilted off center. But LeAnn’s head interrupted when she flung herself into his arms.
Jaelyn looked down at the bowl of potato salad in her hands. Disappointment slammed into her. It was so strong she blinked back tears. It felt like he was being ripped off her.
Stupid …
Watching him like a thirsty hiker looking at a waterfall was idiotic to say the least.
Still … She looked up and had to fight the urge to cringe. LeAnn had her hands wound around his neck while her body wiggled against his, slowly and with a sensual motion that left no one guessing just how intimate their relationship was.
“Well, well, well,” her grandfather said as he abandoned his selected chair in the shade. “Welcome back, captain.”
Bram set LeAnn aside like a child. Jaelyn stared at the ease with which he moved her sister. It confirmed just how much strength he really had hidden beneath the fatigues he wore. Her sister looked unsure for a moment, her eyes slightly wide, but Bram didn’t spare her any attention. He focused on her grandfather and shook the hand offered to him with firm confidence and none of the awkwardness that many of the guys surrounding her sister so often displayed. He was sure and sound in his motions, confidence radiating from him.
And she was about to start drooling.
Jaelyn turned around and walked toward a large trash can. She dropped the overwarm salad in her hands into it without really remembering what she’d decided was wrong with it. She needed something to do, needed to keep moving before she turned around and stared back at Bram again.
Clearly fate had decided to give her a taste of what she wanted. She was tingling alright but the guy had gone straight to her sister.
So Bram was a dead end.
Picking up her pace, she headed for her car, intent on rummaging through the odds and ends that were still locked inside it. She’d refill the napkins or pull out a bag of chips or anything else, just so long as it kept her from acting like a fool and throwing herself at him.
Maybe she should try another blind date.
It beat drooling over a man who only wanted a hookup with her sister.
“Great day for a picnic.”
Jaelyn jerked her head up and stared at the man in front of her. He was wearing a bulky jacket that snared her attention because the weather was too warm for the garment. But he wasn’t sweating or even looking like he was suffering from the heat. The guy even had his hands pushed into his pockets and he looked straight at her with a focus that was eerie.
“Picnics are great.” Jaelyn tried to sound calm but her voice was slightly higher pitched than normal.
His eyes swept her from head to toe in a manner that made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. The weirdest sensation twisted through her belly because when she took a moment to look into his eyes, there was something lurking there that doubled her apprehension.
Crazy eyes.
That was how her grandpa had jokingly referred to people who looked like this. That sort of glee that glowed even in the bright light of day and warned you that there was something inside them which wasn’t quite sane.
“Jaelyn!” LeAnn said with a snort when she spied her and then propped her hands on her hips. “Grandpapa wants you. He sent me looking for you.”
Her sister was clearly annoyed by the request, but Jaelyn felt overjoyed to see her sibling, even if she was snarling at her.
Safety in numbers, she thought, except the guy was looking at LeAnn like a prime steak.
“Thanks, I’ll be right there.”
Jaelyn looked around but the weird guy was missing. She’d failed to notice him leaving and he’d done it silently. She scanned the area around her, somehow feeling like it was a good idea to keep tabs on him. Not knowing where he’d gone sent another tingle through her belly.
“Well … get going already before Grandpa thinks I didn’t do what he sent me to do and thinks I don’t hear what he grumbles about me beneath his breath. I like being a cheerleader, and making it pro isn’t just shaking my butt. It takes serious training. I am starving right now while everyone around me is stuffed. But there are weigh-ins on Tuesday.”
Jaelyn looked at her sister, but LeAnn only pulled her lipstick out of her pocket and set about touching up her lips. Raspberry gloss slid along her lips, renewing their perfect shape and glistening with the promise of passionate kisses.
“I’ll be sure to let him know you found me, LeAnn.”
Her sister paused and turned to look at her. A hint of a genuine smile curved her lips. There was also a glimmer of the memory of the girls who had once snuck into the kitchen for hot chocolate well past their bedtime.
“Cool.”
LeAnn muttered the single word with a shrug of her shoulders. “He’s my grandpa, too, and all. I’m just not very good at talking to him like you are. He doesn’t like the same stuff I do.”
There was a touch of vulnerability in her voice that hinted at a need for approval from their grandfather, but LeAnn shook it off and lifted one hand to wave her toward the family camp.
“I mean it; don’t get him smoked with me. I can do that just fine on my own.”
“I just noticed something, LeAnn.”
Jaelyn watched her sister try to hide behind an annoyed expression. “You aren’t as much of a bitch as you put on.”
“Yeah, well, don’t tell the other girls on the squad. They are pure bitch and they like to eat anyone not tough enough to face them down. Even if they all swear they are my dearest friends. They’d smile while I went down and toast my demise with a bottle of chilled wine.”
LeAnn waved her off and looked back into the mirror while she picked at her hair. Jaelyn hesitated just a moment longer, watching the way her sister fluffed her hair. There was a skill in her hands that didn’t come from being a nitwit. LeAnn spent hours polishing her skills, and it seemed only fair that she gained what she wanted for all her effort.
But why Bram?
Jaelyn bit her lower lip and started back across the park. Disgust blossomed inside her but it wasn’t quite strong enough to drown the jealousy eating at her.
Oh yeah, it was the green-eyed monster of envy turning her disposition bitter. Bram had never been hers to lose. It was ridiculous to stew over it.
In fact, she needed to get a fucking gr
ip.
And everyone thought she was the good little sister, into family and all the things that made church ladies smile with approval. The truth was, she was rotten at the core because she was eyeing her sister’s man and there was nothing worse than poaching from your own blood. History was littered with examples of how often jealousy had ripped families to shreds. Shakespeare had made a good living writing about it.
“Your grandfather is as formidable as I recall.”
Jaelyn jumped, completely absorbed in her thoughts. Bram was too close in front of her and she recoiled as though the man could read her thoughts. Panic flashed through her in a split second while she flung herself back, away from his imposing body. She landed on the side of her foot and felt her ankle taking her weight at an angle that sent pain shooting up her leg. His hand shot out, his fingers curling around her upper arm faster than anyone should be able to react. With that single grip, he lifted her up enough to keep her from truly spraining her ankle, and set her straight.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
His voice was just as rich as a double espresso and packed with the same amount of caffeine-fueled punch, too. Her heart jumped, increasing its pace, while adrenaline started pumping into her bloodstream.
“I should have been looking where I was going,” she muttered.
Agreement flashed through his eyes, and with a hint of personal knowledge that sent a chill down her spine. His eyes were a summer blue. She’d never wanted to look into a man’s eyes like she did at that moment. It was a hypnotic pull that kept her staring at him while she became strangely aware of his grip on her arm. She felt every finger, where they bent to close around her bicep, and the heat of his flesh pressing against her own. It shook her. Without a doubt, she felt that single touch rippling down her body until her toes felt like they were actually curling. Her mouth even went dry. It was horrifying but it was also damn exciting.
Fucking, damn, hot, exciting.
“There you are, Bram.” LeAnn shattered the connection and Jaelyn actually cringed as guilt threatened to gag her. She jerked her head to the side, severing her ability to keep staring into his eyes. She hated doing it and that only filled her with more scalding guilt.
She was a rat.
LeAnn moved around her and cozied up next to Bram, taking advantage of his raised arm and slipping beneath it. His eyes narrowed, drawing Jaelyn’s gaze back to his face. His expression was tight, betraying the fact that he wasn’t as happy to see LeAnn as she was to see him.
You’re just seeing what you want to see …
LeAnn smiled at her but there was no missing the get-lost look in her eyes. She slid her hand along the length of Bram’s arm, her fingers gently stroking the hard ridges of muscle that his rolled-up cuffs revealed. She didn’t hurry, her touch a sensual caress that spoke of plenty of intimate knowledge. LeAnn captured his wrist and pulled it away from where his fingers were still wrapped around Jaelyn’s bicep.
“I missed you so much, Bram.”
LeAnn aimed her full attention up into Bram’s face while she twisted and pressed her body against his.
Jaelyn jerked back and turned quickly to avoid seeing any more.
Jealous …
It was so stupid but she couldn’t deny it. She scoffed at herself as she forced her feet to move faster and take her away from the root of her dilemma. She didn’t hear any footsteps behind her and that only sent a jolt of pain through her. Somehow, she’d failed to notice just how much she liked Bram Magnus. Countless conversations surfaced from her memory and she was filled with humiliation now that she noticed just how pathetically she’d been hanging on his every word.
Stupid. And the churning emotions twisting in her stomach were promising her the penalty for being so shortsighted was going to be steep.
Like climbing up the face of a rock wall.
But she was going to do it because there was no way she was going to pine for him.
Nope.
Bring on the blind dates, she was ready.
* * *
Gideon ground his teeth together. His feet were moving and he didn’t bother to worry about where he was going.
He couldn’t think.
Emotions and thoughts whirled inside his mind like a tornado, flinging ideas wildly. They were impulses that he had to fight against acting upon.
Which one?
He stopped and stared at the photograph. His cock hardened instantly now whenever he looked at the picture, and standing close enough to smell her skin had been the sweetest torture he’d ever experienced.
God, he wanted that pain again.
His cock was still rigid and throbbing. Looking up, he gained his bearings and headed toward the flat he’d just bought. Perched on top of a new building, the hallways still smelled of fresh paint.
Quiet and still, with the newest in soundproofing for his windows and walls. Exactly the place to bring his pussycat once he caught her. He was going to make her into a pet there, where no one would be the wiser.
Pushing in the door, he engaged the high-tech security system with a press of his thumb against the panel before shrugging out of his jacket. Sweeping the empty flat, he forced himself to dig up some patience.
He wasn’t ready yet.
But he grinned when he looked at the bed he’d found a few days ago. Moving toward it, he reached out to grip the thick ironwork that made up the headboard. He gave it a jerk and it held firm. Now that was quality. Sure it cost a bundle but now that he was stateside, money would be the advantage he’d lacked in Afghanistan.
He’d watched that picnic long enough to know a gold digger when he saw one. Bram Magnus was about to get a front-seat view to his girl walking away from him.
His cock ached. Releasing the iron, he slid his hand down and opened his fly. His swollen cock made use of the freedom instantly, poking out toward the bed.
He was going to fuck her here.
He would enjoy the sight of her spreading herself out for him while the glory boys had nothing in their beds but the seconds. Prime ass like the one at the park always went to the guy with money.
Gideon had the money.
Gideon looked at the picture again, holding it in his left hand while his right one handled his erection. He gripped his swollen flesh, working it back and forth while he stared at the picture. In the park, she’d been even more of a succulent morsel than she was on paper. He was going to just watch her first, maybe use a dildo on her just so he could enjoy watching her without the interference of feeling his cock burning inside her snatch.
Excitement made his breathing rough and his hand moved faster. Lust fueled his motions and his balls tightened until they couldn’t contain their load anymore. Spurts of cum shot out onto the sheets that covered the bed, his fingers crumpling one corner of the picture as pleasure filled him until he cussed.
The hand with the picture landed on the bed, supporting him as satisfaction raced through the meat of his cock and he shuddered with it. The afternoon sun made the cum glitter and he laughed.
Pushing his cock back into his pants, he closed the buttons before replacing the picture in his shirt pocket.
He couldn’t wait to see her again.
In fact, he wasn’t going to wait. He was going to follow them home and discover what address to begin sending flowers to.
* * *
Cleaning up after a picnic was exhausting.
Which was sort of welcome, because Jaelyn needed to keep her mind off the fact that her sister was with Bram.
Seriously, she needed to drop her fascination with him.
Like … now.
The house grew quiet, but sleep felt a million miles away. She was a bundle of twitching nerve endings that didn’t seem to realize nothing wonderful was going to happen.
Live in the moment … before it was gone.
Yeah, she’d done that and wasn’t sorry.
LeAnn had disappeared and it didn’t take any more details to surmise just what sh
e and Bram—her boyfriend—were up to. The relationship worked for them.
Which just meant she needed to get on with finding her own man.
Headlights danced across the kitchen window along with the beat of a stereo turned up too loud for closed windows to filter out completely. The base beat pounded through the glass a few moments before the car turned off and she heard LeAnn close the door with more force than normal. Her sister looked furious, her lips set into a snarl as she stomped down the driveway and yanked the front door open.
“What’s this?” Milton sat up, glaring at his front door as it slammed shut. He wiped a hand across his face and shook his head. “What’s eating you, girl? It’s nearly midnight. Too late for slamming doors.”
LeAnn froze, looking as if she’d forgotten there were other people living in the house. For a moment her face retained its furious expression but she soon banished it.
“Sorry, Grandpa, I lost track of the time.”
Her sister offered her grandfather a look that almost appeared sincere, but when she noticed Jaelyn watching from the kitchen doorway, her face tightened instantly. “Can’t really blame me. Bram has that sort of effect on a girl.”
“LeAnn?”
Her sister turned her back on her and disappeared into the hallway. A second later there was a dull thud as her door shut.
Milton muttered something Jaelyn couldn’t hear before going down the hallway toward his bedroom.
Grabbing the trash, Jaelyn headed for the side door and the trash cans that were waiting out on the curb for pickup in the morning.
“You really shouldn’t be out this time of night, even if you think you live in a good neighborhood.”
Jaelyn jumped and the trash bag went smashing into the concrete of the driveway. A word rolled out of her mouth that sent one corner of Bram’s lips up.
He was leaning against the tree that shaded the front yard. The trunk was thick enough to hide his body, and somehow she got the idea he’d chosen the spot exactly for that reason. It was the darkest shadow in the yard because of the glow from the front porch light.
