"I've only been on a boat a few times, and never one you can sleep on."
"You could sleep on any boat. You could sleep on a raft if you had to."
"Yeah, I guess," Hannah said. "But who would want to, right?"
Jason adjusted so that he was carrying both bags in one hand, and with his free hand, he reached over and took hers as they walked. He had a long stride, and Hannah did her best to keep up. It was all she could do to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. The anticipation flowing through her body was wild and left her feeling a little dizzy, and she vaguely wondered as they walked how in the world she ended up getting on a boat with that gorgeous stranger.
He looked back at her. "I already called the food in. I hope you don't mind."
Hannah smiled. "As long as you didn't get anything with meat or dairy or gluten," she said, extremely straight-faced.
"Seriously?" Jason said. "I thought you ate regular pizza the other night at 12th & Porter didn't you?" He glanced at the path ahead of them, and then looked back at her with a confused, slightly nervous expression.
She laughed. "I'm just kiddin'. I'll eat anything that doesn't eat me first."
Jason smiled back at her. "Don't tempt me."
She didn't quite know how to take that comment. Part of her thought it sounded a little like an innuendo, which made her extremely nervous. His level of experience terrified her, but being scared of him only served to make the whole thing more appealing somehow. Geez. She was in deep already.
The hostess opened the door for them as they approached the country club, and Jason pulled Hannah in behind him. It was Monday night and not too busy, but there were a few people around, and most of them spoke to Jason as if they were well acquainted. He knew a ton of people in Nashville and was great at carrying on a conversation, and Hannah loved both of those things about him.
They stood at the entrance of the restaurant, holding hands until the hostess brought out their bag of food. She put plastic utensils and napkins on the top before tying the handle and holding it out with a smile. Jason dropped Hannah's hand to reach out for it, but Hannah said she'd carry it since he had the other bags. She took the handles with one hand, braced the bottom of the bag with the other, and they headed for the door. He said hi to two more people on the way out.
The pair walked down the covered dock until they reached the extremely nice, but modest size yacht that Mack Lane barely took on the river anymore. Jason loved getting out on the water and did it as frequently as he could.
He stopped in front of the boat, and Hannah did the same, standing next to him. He pointed to one of the other boats, a few spaces down.
"There's a guy named Luke who lives on that boat right there. He takes care of some of the boats out here, including my dad's—just keeps an eye on them and tends to whatever might come up. Anyway, I had him pick up a few things for us earlier today in case we decided to stay."
Hannah gave him a little smirk. "But no pressure, huh?"
"No, seriously, no pressure. If you decide you don't want to stay, I'll just call the next girl on my list." He was trying to push her buttons, even though that didn't seem to work with Hannah.
She shrugged, unaffected. "You can just go ahead and call her now, if you want to make sure you have something in the bag."
"What if I want you in my bag?"
"I thought you said you have a whole list waiting to hear from you."
"That has nothing to do with the fact that I want you."
"You want me?"
"Something terrible."
She stared at his lips, gorgeous, full lips that she so desperately wanted to feel touching hers. His face was just about more than she could handle. She wanted to toss the food into the lake and rip off her clothes right there on the dock. She took a deep breath, reminding herself she needed to use her brain at least a little bit.
"I guess we should go ahead and get on," she said, smiling and taking a baby step toward the boat.
Jason threw the bags onboard before taking the food from her and stepping on.
"Let me set this down. I'll be right back to help you on."
Hannah waited for him to return, and when he did, she took his hand and stepped onto the boat. She started to lose her balance, and Jason reached out and took her into his arms to steady her.
She laughed. "I wasn't gonna fall," she said, squirming a little.
He gripped her tighter. "What if I want you to?"
Hannah wanted to ask him what a guy like him wanted with a girl like her, and tell him she had no business being there. She really wanted to tell him she couldn't be with him because she wasn't the type of girl who had casual sex and she knew that was ultimately all he could offer. She really, really wanted to say those things. But right in that moment, she couldn't think of a single reason why she was so dead set against trying new things.
"I'm trying to think of the reasons I shouldn't spend the night out here," she said, honestly.
"Because you want to leave?"
"Because I want to stay."
"Stay then. Just wait till we get out on the water, then you'll really want to stay."
Chapter 13
It took them about an hour to get the boat to the spot where Jason decided to anchor. He chose a secluded cove. Lush, green forest surrounded them on three sides.
Jason gave her the official tour of the boat, explaining all things nautical as he went along. They warmed up the food before sitting down at the small table.
"Can we just park here and spend the night?" Hannah asked.
"We can anchor anywhere as long as we're out of the way. You know, just not in the main channel."
You could clearly see the water and woods through all the windows, and Hannah gazed out through them, taking it all in. "I could get hooked on this," she said.
"I know. There's something about being on the water, isn't there? There's really something to it."
"I think it helps that the boat's so nice and we're nestled in here like Swiss Family Robinson or something."
"We can go onshore and explore a little tomorrow if you want. I know this section of woods pretty well."
"How long are you planning on staying out here?" she asked. "You're gonna be late for your Tuesday morning coffee if we don't get back to Nashville by nine."
"I'm not really concerned with my coffee," he said.
"What about work? I mean, I know you're a songwriter, but don't you have somewhere to be?"
"As far as I know, I just have to be right here, but if you're in a hurry to head back, all you have to do is say the word."
She studied his face for a second before taking in the view of the woods. "No," she said. "Right now, I don't really feel the urge to say that word."
Jason smiled. "Good."
They finished their meal, talking the whole time about their families. Jason's mother was an out of work actress and model that his dad fell in love with when he was in Los Angeles. She died in a car accident when Jason was two years old, and his dad married Candice, the lady who'd raised him all these years like he was her own. Mack and Candice had twin daughters when Jason was four, and he'd always been really close to and protective of his little sisters. Nobody kept it a secret that Jason had a different mom, but no one really talked about it either.
Hannah told Jason about her family too. She told him about her little brother and her parents, not even sugarcoating the fact that they cleaned up after other people for a living. She told him about her old job at the record slash comic book store, and Jason asked if that was where she started drawing. She told him she'd been drawing long before that, but being around all those comics definitely helped shape and solidify her style.
"Hey speaking of style, I wrote a new song and I want you to hear it."
Hannah made a slightly pained expression. "I have to warn you, I don't think I like country music very much."
Jason laughed. "I think I figured that out already, but you'll just have t
o get over it because that's what I do, and I'm good at it."
"All right, all right, I'm sorry, I'd love to hear it." She paused and cringed a little. "Are you just gonna bust out singing, or do you have it on your phone or something?"
Jason got up and disappeared into an adjoining room. He was holding an acoustic guitar when he came back into the main cabin. He sat down next to her on the couch that lined the wall, and propped it onto his knee. He started to strum and tune the instrument while she giggled and held her hands over her face like she was prepared for the worst.
Hannah was not expecting to like the song. She wasn't expecting him to have a bluesy vibe, or to have such a good voice, but he sang and played so sweetly that she went from embarrassed for him to obsessed with him within a matter of minutes.
The hook of the song, and the phrase that would likely be the title was, "You're dangerous," and Hannah thought back to that night at the coffee shop when she said that exact thing to him.
When he finished, he tucked the pick in between the strings and the neck. "Whatcha think?" he asked.
Hannah looked at him, a bit sheepishly this time. "I think I might have spoken too soon when I said I don’t like country music."
"Aw, you just like it because you inspired it."
"I inspired it?" she asked, playing dumb.
"Don't act like you don't know what you do to me, Hannah," he said as he propped the guitar up next to him. He turned to face her, and took her face in his hands. He'd been waiting for what seemed like a lifetime to touch his lips to hers, and he wasn't waiting any longer.
"I'm going to kiss you," he whispered.
"I'd like that," she whispered back.
He let his lips meet hers in what was probably the gentlest kiss he'd ever given anyone in his entire life. Their mouths barely touched, and still somehow the energy and electricity they exchanged was out of control.
He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. "Shit, Hannah, I'm really going to have a hard time holding back with you," he said. "I don't know what you do to me or how you do it. You make me freakin' crazy."
"I'm not feeling too intelligent right now either, if it makes you feel any better." She smiled. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but you have me wanting casual sex."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't want casual sex with you, Hannah. Is that what you think?"
She breathed a laugh with no humor and shrugged. "What else would I think? Two days ago it's Vegas. Now it's me. Next weekend it'll be someone else." She gave him a nonchalant smile. "But that's the beauty of it," she said. "I don't even care anymore. That's what I'm saying. You won. I'm coming around to the idea of taking whatever I can get—looking forward to it, actually."
His hands dropped from her face and he regarded her with a serious expression. "I wasn't with anyone in Vegas, and I'm not gonna be with anyone but you next weekend. And you sure as shit better not have your mind fixed on casual sex, because that's not what's going on here."
Hannah felt desire hit her like a Mack truck. It was hope and elation and excitement all rolled into one glorious skin-tingling sensation. Every cell in her body ached for him.
She stared into his eyes. The color of them against his skin almost gave them the illusion of transparency, and she felt like she could physically fall into their depths.
"I want you," she whispered.
He cupped her face in his hands again and breathed a sigh. "It's very important that you know I'm not going to hurt you, but I'm going to make love to you at least a few times while we're on this boat. I'm going to take you in ways and teach you things you've never even imagined. I'm going to claim you, Hannah."
Yes, yes, yes! Sign her up for this!
She wanted to be taken and claimed in whatever capacity he was talking about. She wondered what he meant by not hurting her, and assumed he meant physically, since he was talking about having sex multiple times, but part of her hoped he meant he wouldn't break her heart. She wanted to tell him he'd probably change his tune when they left the Swiss Family sex den and went back to the real world, but truth was she didn't care right then. She wanted him no matter how bad her odds of heartbreak were. How could she say no to the most beautiful boy she'd ever seen telling her he wanted to teach her things she'd never imagined?
"I think it's an offer I can't refuse," she said.
This time she closed the distance between them. She leaned over and touched her mouth to his. She meant for it to be a quick kiss, but his hand came around the back of her head. He gripped the hair at the nape of her neck with one hand, giving it the slightest of tugs as he wound his hand in it.
She moaned, helpless to resist his kiss. He opened his mouth to her, letting his tongue tease her lip before he sucked and nipped at it. She had never tasted anything so good. The invasion of his tongue in her mouth made her experience a gut-wrenching need that had her wanting to sit on his lap, or unzip him and crawl inside—anything to get closer, anything to touch him.
Needing more of him, she reached out and put a hand on his arm. At her touch, Jason broke the kiss, straightened his posture, and in one smooth motion, he reached over and pulled her on top of him. Her knees dug into the couch on either side of him as she stared down at him. Straddling Jason Lane might just be the highlight of her whole freaking life. She took a second to appreciate the beauty that was beneath her.
"What are you smiling at?" he asked.
"I like my new vantage point," she said. She gave the slightest of wiggles on his lap, which caused him to grip her by the hips and pull her closer. They were still wearing clothes, but the way their hips began to meld into each other made it clear that they were both extremely aroused.
He looked at her like he was the hunter and she was his prey, and if she didn't sense his underlying gentleness, she might have actually been a little scared of him. There was definitely dangerousness in his expression—it was on a tight leash, but it was there.
"Have you ever been with anybody?" Jason asked. He knew she was young, but hadn't ever broached the subject.
Hannah was embarrassed by the question. She knew her lack of experience would probably be a turn off for him, but she wasn't going to be dishonest. "I was with one guy three times." She said, looking down at the couch next to them.
Jason had been with so many girls he couldn't even remember all of them, so he knew he had no right to be upset, but at that moment, all he wanted to do was find that one guy and beat him to a bloody pulp. He wanted to ask if that asshat had been good to her, but at the same time, he didn't want to know. He chose to act like it wasn't bothering him.
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't gonna be your first time."
"No, it's not." She paused and smiled shyly, still looking anywhere but at him. "But I'm not good at it. I mean, it was only three times, and they were all three really fast. One time I wasn't even sure if he got it in and he was finished."
Jason blinked, cringing almost imperceptibly at her words. He focused on her and turned her by the chin to meet his gaze. "I'd like for you to erase everything you know about sex before now," he said. "Actually, just go ahead and erase that guy from your memory completely."
Hannah closed her eyes really tight, pretending that she was concentrating on forgetting. She tilted her head to the side and tapped on her ear so it could fall out the other end. Then her dark eyes popped open. "Okay, it's gone," she said. "Clean slate."
Jason scanned her face and gave her a carnal grin that was a bit more like showing his teeth. "Do you have any questions about what's about to happen here, or are you okay with just trusting me?"
She giggled nervously. "What do you mean by questions? I mean, I told you I've done it before. What else do I need to know besides where the pieces fit?"
He smiled patiently at her. "I just want you to feel comfortable talking to me or telling me if anything we're doing makes you uncomfortable."
She gave him a guarded look. "Are you about to take some w
hips and chains out of the closet or something?"
One corner of his mouth raised in a sly grin. "No—I mean, at least not yet."
Her eyes got wide. "Are you serious?"
He lifted his shoulders in a carefree gesture. "I'm just saying, don't knock it till you try it. Don't worry about it right now, though. It's something we can talk about later, if you're into it. There's always time to experiment later if we decide to."
Hannah didn't know what to make of that. She had been kidding when she made the mention to whips, but the fact that he was actually open to it made her more excited than it should have.
"Baby steps," she said, talking as much to herself as she was to him.
"I'm all about baby steps, baby."
The word baby coming from his mouth and being directed at her was more than she could stand. This time, she grabbed him by the face. She pressed her lips to his once, twice, three times, four, then she put gentle kisses on his cheek. She kissed her way to his ear where she ran her tongue ever so gently along his earlobe. They were cheek to cheek, and she loved the feel of the stubble growing on his jaw.
"I'm just going to do what feels good. Follow my instincts. If I do something wrong, just tell me. I'd rather know now than be embarrassed later."
"You won't do anything wrong," he said.
"But promise you'll tell me if I do."
"I promise."
She planted her mouth on his and began kissing him with all the desperation she'd been feeling. The kiss deepened almost instantly to the type of kiss where their tongues moved in and out of each other's mouths. They continued the passionate kiss for several long seconds before Jason broke it and pulled back. They were both breathless, the urgency between them palpable.
Jason blinked. "Okay, Hannah. This is your last chance to say no."
"No."
"No?"
"I mean no to no. No to saying no."
"So that's a yes?"
She smiled. "Yes."
He stared at the ceiling for a second before focusing back on her face. "I'm more than happy to take it slow, hell we can make it last all night if you want, but you can't be kissing me like that, or I might not be able to control myself."
You're Dangerous Page 10
