“Jessi,” he suppressed an amused grin, “you’ll be gone a couple of hours. I’m sure killer and I can batch’ it for that long.” He winked at her, reveling in the way her blush deepened.
“Of course, I didn’t mean, well, I just...” She looked at him helplessly.
He threw his head back and laughed. “It’s all good, Jessi. Don’t worry. Go do what you need to, and then we’ll get you up on a surfboard.”
A FEW HOURS LATER, Jessi and the grandmother-to-be loaded the last of the gifts into the back of a huge black SUV. Back inside, the guest of honor sank into a chair at the head table.
“That was fun,” she said, “but I’m exhausted.”
Jessi smiled warmly. “I’m happy you enjoyed your day. You two head on home. I’ll take care of everything else. Congratulations again to you and your family.”
After they left, Jessi settled with the hotel and carried her supplies to her car. She was tired, too, but she felt a flutter of excitement. Throughout the party, her mind had drifted to the picture of Judd leaning over his surfboard. She couldn’t deny her attraction, but she felt silly at the same time. He was at least five years younger, and clearly, he dated on occasion.
Still, leaving romance out of the equation, she’d loved paddle boarding, and today she’d give surfing a whirl.
Undoubtedly, my children will be impressed, she grinned to herself.
As she pulled up to Judd’s again, the note was gone from his door, so she knocked lightly. A moment later, Judd opened the door, grinning broadly. “Hey, Jessi. How was your party?” He stepped back to let her in.
“Oh,” she sighed, “it went well. Everyone seemed to have a good time. And I got a referral for a bridal shower, so that’s always good.”
“Good.” He motioned with his head toward the back. Jessi followed him to the combination kitchen and den. Buddy lay curled on his blanket, eyes slammed shut and snoring loudly. “Killer wore himself out playing in the surf,” Judd laughed softly.
Jessi smiled affectionately. “I imagine he had a wonderful time.”
Judd nodded. “Now it’s your turn. Go get changed. The water is perfect.”
Using Judd’s powder room off the main entry, Jessi quickly changed out of her sundress and into the same blue tankini she’d worn paddle boarding. Hesitating, she held up the beach cover-up and decided against it—they were going straight to the beach, it seemed like a waste of time.
Returning to the den, she met Judd’s soft brown eyes, which sparkled with excitement. “Let’s go,” he said.
Jessi followed him through the glass sliders and out onto the patio. The red surfboard she’d seen earlier was now leaning against the wall. Judd tucked the board under his arm, grabbed a small red and white cooler, and headed out across the sand toward the aqua water of the Atlantic. Jessi picked up the folded towels sitting on the corner of the table and hurried to catch up with him.
Stopping short of the water, Judd lay the board on the sand, pointing it toward the townhouse. “Now, what you’re going to do is, you’re going to rest on your belly until we find the right wave. Then I’ll let go and you can ride into shore. After I let go, you can pop up on your feet.”
Jessi grimaced. “Eek! Are you sure I’m ready to ‘pop up’?”
Judd laughed kindly. “You’ve got this, little one. It might take a few tries, but I promise, this is something you can do.”
He had her practice a few times with the board on the sand, gently coaching her into the proper position.
Taking her hand, he helped her stand. “Are you ready?”
Jessi breathed out, absently wiping her palms on her suit. “Let’s do this.” She grinned up at him, a glint of determination in her eye.
“That’s my girl,” he said proudly.
Before they took the red surfboard into the water, Judd secured his GoPro to the front tip. “We’re going to get your first time surfing on video.”
“Oh, boy,” she replied, rolling her eyes.
When they were knee deep, Judd placed the board in the water and had Jessi lie on top. “The wax is what helps you stick,” he explained. “Normally, you’d paddle yourself out, but I’ll pull you for now.” He gripped the rail, guiding the board past the breakers. Now waist deep, Judd rotated the board so that Jessi faced the beach. Standing behind her, he held onto the back of the surf board. “All we have to do is wait for the perfect wave.”
Bobbing up and down, Jessi held herself as Judd had prescribed—feet together, hands beneath her chest, head up. Anticipation pinged through her veins, her earlier tiredness forgotten.
“Okay, Jessi, this is the one,” Judd called. “I’m letting go.”
Jessi squealed as she rode the crest of the small wave all the way to shore. When she reached the shallow water, she jumped off to see Judd wading along behind her.
“You didn’t pop up,” he grinned.
“I got so excited, I forgot,” she laughed.
“Do you want to try again?”
“Hell, yeah!”
“Okay,” he turned the board around, “let’s do it again.”
For the next hour, Jessi tried wave after wave, attempting to stand and losing her balance, surfacing to splutter and cough, before trying again. Finally, after about a dozen tries, Judd let go and watched as Jessi pushed herself to her feet, and knees bent, rode all the way to shore.
“I did it! Did you see me? I totally did it!” Her expression was jubilant.
“I did see you!” Judd wrapped his arms around her, twirling her in a wide circle. “You nailed it!”
The pair sank onto a towel spread out over the sand. Lifting the lid of the small cooler, Judd offered Jessi a cool bottled water, taking one for himself as well. They drank thirstily, watching the waves continue to gently crash onto the sand.
After a moment, Judd turned to Jessi. “Want to go again?”
She shook her head. “I’d rather watch you do it the way it’s supposed to be done.”
He nodded happily, handed her his water bottle, and headed out into the water with the surfboard. As he paddled out, Judd realized that he wanted nothing more than for Jessi to watch him. The idea of impressing her thrilled him more than he could say.
On the beach, Jessi watched as Judd paddled himself out further than they had been. As he turned to face her, she shielded her eyes with her hand, squinting against the brilliant sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water. A swell approached him from behind and Jessi saw him paddle to catch it, popping up just as the wave broke. He cut back and forth across the white foam until the crest dissolved, and he twisted the board to head back out and wait for another wave.
Jessi hugged her knees, watching Judd’s surfing expertise over the next half-hour. Finally, board under his arm, Judd grinned as he returned to where she sat, leaning over her to shake water all over her.
They both giggled as he flopped down beside her. Jessi offered him another bottled water, and he accepted, chugging gratefully until the bottle was empty.
“That was amazing,” she gushed. “How long have you been surfing?”
Judd leaned back on his elbows. “I tried it as a kid. We’d come down to Florida from North Carolina on vacation, and I always tried to surf. But I didn’t really get into it until college. And of course, when I moved here,” he nodded at the townhouse. “I always wanted to live on the beach. Surfing helps me wind down after work.”
Jessi thought of the patients he’d mentioned, the horrible work week he’d had. “You work hard,” she observed softly. “It’s good that you take time for yourself.”
BACK INSIDE, JUDD SHOWED Jessi upstairs to his bedroom. He reached into the bathroom and switched on the light. “Towels are under the sink. Feel free to use whatever you need.”
“Thanks,” she answered shyly. “I just need to wash off the salt and sand.”
“No worries. I’ll start the grill and rinse off under the outdoor shower. I hope you’re hungry,” he said. “I have fresh m
ahi a buddy of mine gave me.”
“That sounds fantastic. I’ll be quick,” she promised.
He smiled kindly. “Take your time.” With that, he turned and left her alone, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Jessi set her bag on the bed, laying her sundress beside it. She couldn’t resist lightly stroking the white duvet as she glanced around the room. Three walls were painted a pale slate, while the fourth wall was a bank of floor to ceiling sliding glass doors. White sheers obscured the view of the ocean in the orange and pink light of the setting sun.
A grey chenille throw was tossed haphazardly across the middle of the bed, and square navy pillows accented the white bed pillows that leaned against the dark grey fabric headboard.
Shaking her head before her imagination ran away with her, Jessi slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. The masculine feel of the space continued into the bathroom, with grey slate tiles on the floor, coordinating with the white subway tiles and grey hexagonal accent tiles of the huge double shower that dominated the room. Floor to ceiling glass separated the shower from the rest of the space.
As she turned on the water, Jessi didn’t bother to stop her thoughts as she envisioned Judd there with her, showering under the jet on the opposite wall. She lathered up with his masculine-spiced shower gel and closed her eyes, picturing the pair of them making love in the big bed overlooking the ocean. God, she wanted him.
Downstairs, Judd was battling his own imagination. Ducking under the outdoor shower, cold water ran over him, washing away the traces of salt and sand from their surfing adventure, but his thoughts were on Jessi, currently naked and in his shower. He’d spent the afternoon drinking in the sight of her perfect ass as he held the surfboard for her. Not like he hadn’t had his hands on it before, but always with the barrier of clothing.
His misadventure in dating had done nothing to slake his libido which was currently doing a floor show in his swim trunks. All he wanted was to unleash his inner beast on a woman who could not only take it, but would enjoy it. Was it wrong to think of Jessi like that? Could that possibly be what Graham had had in mind all along? His thoughts drifted to the last conversation he’d had with his friend.
“I swear, Judd, I want Jessi with every fiber of my being. Once I gave her a safe space in the context of a Dom/sub relationship, she bloomed sexually. She’s so sexy and uninhibited.” Graham shook his head sadly. “Truth is, I can’t keep up with her. Things don’t...work the way they used to. I’m too old for her. Always was. Hell, she was eighteen when we met. I’m a selfish fool.”
Turning off the water, Judd sighed deeply, dried quickly with a towel, and headed into the house to prep the fish for the grill.
He was humming softly as Jessi came downstairs. He still had on the black board shorts, and he’d pulled on a white t-shirt. She was wearing the same pink and green Lilly Pulitzer sundress she’d worn to the baby shower, but she’d scrubbed her face clean of makeup, belatedly realizing that she’d forgotten to toss her makeup into her bag, and she’d towel dried her hair as much as possible, leaving her red waves to dry the rest of the way on their own.
“Hi! What can I do?”
Judd turned, started to reply, and stopped, mouth open. Without makeup, Jessi looked ten years younger. And he’d never seen her hair when it hadn’t been straightened. It was drying in sexy waves around her face.
“You look—“
She rolled her eyes. “I know. I forgot to pack my makeup.”
“I was going to say, you look very pretty. Is your hair naturally wavy?”
“Yeah,” she blushed, “I usually blow it out straight, but...”
Judd shook his head. “I don’t know why you do that. It’s beautiful the way it is.”
Jessi blushed a deeper shade of pink and clasped her hands together in front of her. “Anyway... What can I do?”
“Well,” he said, picking up a plate of fish fillets, “I just seasoned the mahi. Rice pilaf is going on the stove. If you wanted to throw together a salad?” He raised his eyebrows.
She nodded firmly. “Salad. I’m on it.”
They enjoyed dinner on the patio, the sky shifting from the orange and pink Jessi had noticed upstairs to a deep indigo twilight, the stars blinking on over the gentle swells of the ocean. The teak table was lit with a pair of citronella candles against the odd mosquito, and Judd had built a fire in the pit just off the patio.
Conversation over their grilled mahi dinner and sauvignon blanc centered on their adventures over the past couple of weeks. The mood was light and happy, and Judd, for one, was glad for Jessi’s company. Her face lit up as she recounted her surfing attempts and the pair laughed easily.
Buddy devoured his bowl of kibble and promptly passed out again. Judd and Jessi carried their dishes into the house, quickly restoring order to the kitchen. Jessi glanced at her watch and decided that she should be leaving soon.
“Do you have to go?” Judd asked, noticing her checking her watch.
“Oh, you know, I should probably head home.”
“We haven’t had dessert yet.”
Jessi chuckled. “I’m so stuffed from that delicious dinner. I don’t think I could take another bite.”
“Come on, Jessi, there’s always room for dessert,” he coaxed. “Wait til you see.” Judd opened a cabinet, removed a few items, and placed them on the counter.
Watching curiously, Jessi had to laugh. “Chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. S’mores?”
Judd nodded proudly. “S’mores. You can’t resist s’mores. Nobody can. It’s a known fact.”
Laughing again, Jessi followed Judd back outside. “I haven’t had s’mores since... Well, probably not since that time I took the kids camping.”
“Then you’re long overdue. This stuff is left from when my sister and niece were here.” He took two steel barbecue skewers, placed two marshmallows on the end of one, and handed it to Jessi.
“One, please. I just want one marshmallow.”
He grinned, sliding a single marshmallow onto the other skewer, and they traded. “Lightweight,” he teased. “Now, let me show you how it’s done.” He held the marshmallows a distance away from the flames, allowing them to slowly begin to warm.
“Careful there, you might accidentally roast those guys,” Jessi jibed. She poured more wine for him and for herself.
“Kid if you must,” Judd replied, “but these bad boys are going to be perfection.”
Jessi sipped her wine, watching as the marshmallows began to slowly expand while remaining pristinely white. “I have a different method,” she commented.
“Oh, you do, do you?”
“Yup.” She prepared a graham cracker, breaking it into two pieces and placing a square of chocolate on one of them. “Watch and learn, fire boy.”
Taking her skewer, she fixed him with an arched eyebrow before plunging her marshmallow directly into the flames. When she pulled it out again, the round white confection was engulfed in blue flame. Gently, she blew out the fire to reveal a charred marshmallow.
“You burned it,” Judd observed.
“It’s crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside. Pure perfection.” She lay the marshmallow on top of the chocolate and used the other graham cracker to slide it off the skewer.
She waved her hand over the top of her dessert with a triumphant flourish. “Tah-dah!”
By this time, Judd’s marshmallows had tripled in size and were just beginning to turn a toasty golden brown. “See, this is how you make a s’more.” Carefully, he carried his marshmallows to the table where Jessi had prepared his graham crackers and chocolate. He slid the marshmallows off the skewer and pressed the top cracker on, gooey marshmallow running over the sides.
Judd motioned for Jessi to sit, and he perched on the stool at an angle to her, their knees just brushing under the table. He lifted his s’more and held it out to her. “To adventure!”
Jessi picked up her own dessert and touched it to Judd’s, l
aughing lightly. “Adventure.”
He continued to watch her thoughtfully as she nibbled her s’more. “Thank you, Jessi, for such a great day.”
In the candlelight, his eyes flickered and Jessi felt the tingle in her belly. And lower.
“It was fun. It really was,” she murmured, hoping the dim light hid her blush.
Judd bit into his s’more with gusto, leaving a trail of marshmallow down his chin that dripped onto his shirt.
Jessi giggled happily. “I knew that was too much for one s’more.”
“It was just the right amount,” Judd returned, sweeping the errant goo off his shirt and licking it off his finger. “The graham cracker just couldn’t hold all the awesomeness.”
Jessi laughed again, pointing to his chin.
“What?”
“You missed a spot.”
He cocked his head, trying to see his chin. He aimed his tongue at the corner of his mouth. “Now?”
She shook her head and slid off her stool. “I’ll get it.” Stepping closer, she swiped her finger up his chin, removing most of the white confection. Without thinking, she popped her finger into her mouth, but she didn’t miss the heat in his eyes.
Impulsively, she leaned forward and lapped at the corner of his mouth. He tasted of chocolate, marshmallow, salt water, and sin. A low groan emanated from Judd’s chest. Jessi leaned back to look him in the face.
“Little one,” he whispered.
Stepping deliberately closer, she straddled his right knee and leaned in again, planting light kisses where the marshmallow had been.
Judd placed his hands on her hips and moved her back a bit. “Are we crossing this line?” His voice was soft, hopeful.
Jessi blinked and nodded. “Yes. Please.”
He didn’t wait for further permission. He wasted no time in claiming her lips, devouring them as he pulled her closer, raising his knee to meet the warm needy place between her thighs.
Jessi gave herself over completely to his kiss. She’d craved it for longer than she was willing to admit to herself. She’d loved Graham. But Graham was gone. And he’d given her permission to move on. It was time she gave herself permission.
For Sparrow (The Dream Dominant Collection Book 3) Page 14
