by J. S. Scott
“There will be sex and plenty of it,” Jason countered. “I’m not sure what game you’re playing, but you want this as much as I do,” he said in a sultry, low voice, but his expression was still cold. He lifted a lock of her hair and toyed with it. “Are you still a virgin, Hope?” His tone was gentler.
She snorted and batted his hand away. “Are you kidding? That was taken away from me years ago.”
“Obviously somebody did a pretty poor job of it,” he observed casually. “Stop fighting this, Hope. Stop fighting us. It’s going to happen. And it won’t be unwillingly. I’m not into taking women by force.”
“If you want me, you’ll have to,” she retorted sharply.
“We’ll see, Peaches. Two weeks is a long time. I expect you to do everything I want, short of fucking you. That will happen when you’re ready to admit you want me as much as I want you.”
Even infuriated, Hope was already ready to admit that, but it didn’t matter. “I want your promise that you’ll let me leave at the end of the two weeks, never expose me and never bother me again,” she told him abruptly.
She saw him flinch briefly. A wounded look crossed his face before it was gone. It had only been an instant, but she’d hurt him, and her heart ached because of it. No matter how big of a jackass he was at the moment, this wasn’t the Jason she’d grown up with. He couldn’t have changed that much. Somewhere in that complex brain of his, he thought he was protecting her.
“Agreed,” he said hoarsely.
“I’d like some time alone. I’m going to take a bath.” She needed to relax, give her body and mind a chance to calm without Jason’s presence. Her body still trembled with reaction, and she needed room to breathe.
“I have a better idea.” He took her hand and pulled her firmly back down the hallway toward the bedroom.
Hope went, her body tense, but trusting Jason enough that she didn’t think he was about to forcibly take her. They passed the master bedroom they’d slept in, continued to the end of the long hallway, and he pulled her into another guest room. She startled until he went to a sliding glass door and they exited the inside of the house and followed a rock pathway for a short distance before he stopped.
She recognized the rocky, steaming pool immediately. “Hot springs.” She sighed. The smell of minerals and the warm, humid air instantly relaxed her. It was a good-sized pool in a natural setting, large boulders that could be used as seats beside the water, and a mini waterfall where a person could sit on several levels.
“You’re familiar with them,” Jason guessed. The anger left his voice.
“We have a large hot springs not far from Aspen. I knew Rocky Springs was one of the largest natural hot springs, but I’ve never been here.” She looked longingly at the pool. “And I didn’t know they had private pools here.”
“I never got to try it last time I was here,” Jason admitted huskily.
“You should,” Hope confided. “It’s amazing.” It was starting to get dark, and the heat of the day in the mountains was over. It was a fantastic time to sink into the hot springs.
Jason unbuttoned his shirt. “Come with me,” he cajoled quietly.
Hope’s mouth went dry as he exposed his massive chest. “I don’t have a swimsuit,” she sputtered as she watched as though compelled while he revealed those perfectly formed abs and chest.
His blue eyes grew darker, more like sapphires, in the dim outside lighting, and they were persuasive and hot as they roamed her body. “It’s private. Get naked. It isn’t like I haven’t seen you that way before,” he reminded her smoothly.
Hope hesitated. Her eyes were glued to his nimble, strong fingers as he unbuttoned his jeans, a sexy happy trail revealed at an agonizingly slow speed. She held her breath, and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, he slipped out of the jeans he wore, and took the boxer briefs with them. Hope nervously licked her suddenly dry lips as Jason stood in front of her, gloriously nude. Not that he needed to be shy. Jason was...absolutely perfect, from his fuck-me messy hair and fathomless blue eyes, to his sculpted, ripped body that was covered in golden skin.
Oh God, I want to touch him.
He moved to the pool, and gave Hope a glimpse of his firm, toned backside that made her want to grope it just to see if it was really as hard as it looked.
“Are you coming?” Jason asked with false innocence.
He was completely aware of how he affected her—smug bastard. She watched as he immersed himself immediately, no waiting like he should have done, and emerged from the water with his skin shimmering from the moisture and his hair plastered to his head.
Oh. My. God.
He moved to the side of the pool closest to her and rested his forearms on the rock surface. “I’m not going to force you into anything or attack you, Hope. Come relax with me.”
He didn’t smile, but his expression had softened. Hope was torn. She wanted to climb into the water, let the seductive warmth soothe her. She was lonely, still torn up over David’s death, and she wanted company. Yet, she was still surprised by Jason’s earlier cold, nasty demeanor. Yes, she’d lied, but not directly to him, and they didn’t even really connect as friends anymore. Yes, they’d had that incredible New Year’s rendezvous. Still, his reaction had been pretty extreme considering the fact that they’d been distant before and after that night.
Maybe both of them were screwed up, neither one knowing the other anymore. Jason was uncovering all of her emotions, things she buried so deeply inside her that she didn’t think they were ever going to surface. He could fire her temper faster than any man on earth, including her brothers. Lord knew he had definitely ignited a sexual spark, an intensity she’d never experienced before. He was tender when she needed comfort, made her want to lean on someone for the first time in her adult life. He could make her laugh one moment, and make her want to cry the next. That range of emotions was exhausting, and she wasn’t sure where she wanted their relationship to go from here. Letting him touch her heart would be disastrous. He might want her for now, but she’d end up destroyed later.
Don’t overthink it, Hope. Do what you want to do.
Hope wanted to stay, to sink into the warm water, and enjoy not being alone. Jason was right about one thing: he had seen her body before. Being shy around him now didn’t make any sense. She tore her clothes off quickly anyway, to expose herself as little as possible. Her body flushed as she felt the heat of his eyes on her.
“Jump.” He held his arms out to receive her body.
He doesn’t realize what he’s asking, how unlikely I am to ever trust someone to catch me.
“Where’s your sense of adventure, Peaches?” he asked lazily.
He challenged her, and she knew it. Unfortunately, she had a really hard time ignoring provocation.
She jumped.
And Jason caught her easily and confidently.
With a firm grasp around her waist, he let her body slide slowly down the front of him, ever so slowly, until her feet finally hit the ground in chest-high, pleasantly hot water. She spun herself out of his arms and immersed herself in the pool. The stress of the day slowly seeped out of her body. “This is amazing.” Her head popped back up and she swept the hair from her eyes.
“Maybe I should get one in my penthouse in New York City,” Jason said teasingly.
“I think the best you’re going to do is a Jacuzzi,” Hope answered with a laugh. Her heart raced as she took in the small, devilish grin on his face. Moisture beaded on his chest and shoulders, and made her want to slowly lick off every drop. “I don’t think you’re going to find natural hot spring pools where you live unless you get out of the crowds, city boy.”
“I already have a regular hot tub,” Jason replied with a mockingly petulant look.
“Aw, poor little billionaire. Find something you actually can’t have?” She scooped up a handful of water and splashed him with it.
The sun had set completely, and as Hope looked up, she could see the stars appe
ar. Distracted, she never saw Jason coming. He wrapped a steely arm around her waist and pulled her under the water, and kept her imprisoned after she surfaced. Sputtering, she tried to retaliate, and hooked her ankle around his legs to try to take him down. Unfortunately, he was ready for it, and he barely moved. With a booming, low laugh, he picked her up and sat them both down on one of the wide, rock ledges; he pulled her between his legs, her back to his front, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “When are you going to learn not to start something you can’t finish, Peaches?” he asked in a husky baritone.
Feeling lethargic from the water, and tired of fighting, she leaned her head back against his shoulder. She could feel the probing heat of his erection against the small of her back, but it wasn’t disconcerting. His body was relaxed, his head resting against the natural headrest on the stone pool.
“Tell me where you’ve been, Hope, what you’ve been doing.” He sounded resigned and curious.
The water lapped against her chest. “I’ve been just about everywhere. India, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Hawaii…anywhere that there’s been extreme weather or natural events, I’ve been there. During the spring and summer, David and I teamed up and tracked super cells, mostly around Tornado Alley. This time of year, I’m mostly getting ready to start tracking hurricanes here in the US and I was chasing storms with David.” Her voice cracked with despair, and Jason’s arms tightened around her protectively, reflexively, in silent comfort.
“When are you home?”
“Almost never,” she admitted. “Mostly in the winter.”
“For the avalanches and blizzards?” Jason asked ironically.
“Mostly for the skiing,” she answered cheekily. “And the Bronco games.”
“Seriously?” Jason sounded falsely outraged. “You switched your loyalties to the Broncos? What happened to the Patriots? You’re a Boston girl.”
“I’m fickle,” she answered teasingly. “The Broncos stole my heart.”
“They haven’t won a Super Bowl in fifteen years,” Jason grumbled into her ear.
“Broncos fans are loyal. They’ll win eventually. There’s always this year.”
“I can’t believe I’m married to a woman who isn’t a Patriots fan,” he replied unhappily as he toyed with the ring on her left finger.
Married.
For a brief period of time, she’d forgotten, completely relaxed in Jason’s arms. “Good thing it’s not permanent,” she replied lightly. “I don’t think I could be married to a Patriots fan either.”
He was silent for a moment. “Do I want to know how close you were to some of those tornados? Do I want to know about every close call you’ve had? I’ve seen the pictures, Hope, and I already know how close you came to dying with your friend. I’m so fucking grateful that you had to plan for Vegas.” His voice wavered as he mentioned her close call. “You’re incredibly talented, but I want you to reconsider what you’re doing.”
“I do have telephoto lenses. I can bring the images far closer than they really are.” She smiled weakly, her body limp from the warm water. Even though it wasn’t exactly a compliment, it felt good to hear Jason say she had talent. She’d never really needed validation, but it was nice to have someone she knew, someone who was close to her brothers, know about her career. The only person in her life who’d supported her was David.
“But you know the dangers,” he rumbled.
“David’s death hit close to home for me. I do know, and I’m not chasing tornados anymore, Jason.”
“And what about the hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons?”
“I’m as careful as possible. I try to stay on high ground because of the storm surges, and I base myself in a building that should be able to withstand the wind speeds,” she told him carefully.
“Should be?” he grunted.
Hope shrugged. “Nothing in life is guaranteed, Jason. Anything we do has risks. Just getting into a vehicle every day is risky. But we do it.”
“The vehicle is usually moving away from danger, not toward it.” His voice was graveled and raspy.
“Can we just call a truce? Just for tonight? Tell me what you’ve been doing since you finished school…other than making a ton of money and becoming one of the hottest bachelors in the world.” She wanted to know what Jason’s life had been like, where he’d traveled. She also wanted to know whether there had been any important women in his life, even if it was none of her business. They were separating soon, but she was still curious. “How’s your mom?” Hope had always liked Jason’s mother.
“She’s good. It took her a long time to get over my dad’s death, but she’s doing well now,” Jason answered warmly, the affection he had for his mother clearly evident.
“I never got to tell you that I was sorry about your dad. He was a good man.” Jason had lost his father just as he graduated from college, and she hadn’t seen him during that year because she was in her first year at the university. Unfortunately, she hadn’t even heard about his father’s death until the funeral was over; Grady informed her during one of their routine phone calls.
“He was a very good man,” Jason agreed. “But he wasn’t a great businessman. When I took over his company, it was nearly broke.”
“How?” she asked in a shocked voice. Jason’s family had lived close to hers, right down the street in a mansion just as big as their own. His dad had been as wealthy as her father. “He was rich.”
“He wasn’t,” Jason confessed roughly. “He was trying to keep up the façade, but he had some bad investments, sunk a lot of money into companies that didn’t fly.”
“Oh, God. I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Did my brothers know?” Hope knew any one of her brothers would have stepped in and helped Jason out.
“Nobody knew. You’re the only person I’ve ever told other than the upper management of his company. Even my mother never knew. I couldn’t bring myself to let her know that my dad didn’t leave her with much,” he confessed reluctantly. “I just tried to pick up the pieces after he died. I did some risky things, took some calculated bets that paid off. Then I did it again and again.”
Hope was willing to bet that they weren’t all that risky. Jason was brilliant, had a sharp mind for investing. If he thought a company would fly, he had reason to believe it. “So you rebuilt the company and became wealthy all over again. By yourself.”
“I got lucky in a few areas, but yeah. Then I started my own investing. I found out I was damn good at making some money into more money. A lot more money.”
“Have you ever had a bad investment?” Hope was now awed by what Jason had accomplished. She’d thought he was a rich boy who’d gone on to become a richer man.
Jason shrugged. “Rarely,” he said without any false arrogance. “If I do, I cut my losses quickly and move on. That’s one thing my father didn’t do and it nearly ruined him.”
“How do you know if an investment is good?”
“It’s mostly analysis,” Jason answered nonchalantly.
It was more than that, and Hope knew it. If it could be done strictly by analysis, a hell of a lot more people would be rich. Jason had a gift for sniffing out good investments, an excellent gut instinct combined with that analysis. “You have a talent, Jason. I think you’re incredible. What you’ve accomplished is almost impossible, yet you did it.”
He was silent for a moment, almost as if he didn’t know how to answer. After a few minutes, he rose and took her with him.
“I think we’re both waterlogged,” he grunted. He placed her gently on the side of the pool so she could get out, and hefted himself out behind her.
“I need a shower,” she muttered. “If I don’t, the minerals irritate my skin.” She stood and quickly opened the doors of a mini closet next to the pool. One towel she tossed to Jason; the other she used to quickly dry her hair. She wrapped the fluffy material around her body, and then snatched a bottle of water from one of the shelves. After she drank half of it, she passed it to him. “
It’s not cold, but it’s hydration.”
Jason chugged the rest of the bottle quickly and tossed it into the nearby trash. He ran the towel over his body roughly and then wrapped it around his waist.
“A shower sounds good,” Jason said abruptly. He grabbed her hand and hauled her toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Hope nearly lost her towel as she was hurtled forward to follow in Jason’s wake.
Jason had always considered himself a thinker, a man who calmly considered his options before he made a decision. Rarely was he short-tempered or was his mind muddled. However, Hope Sinclair—Hope Sutherland, that was—slowly and thoroughly made him completely lose his head.
Slowly, his perception of her morphed in his mind, but his dick felt the exact same way about her as it always had: beyond ready, completely willing, and so damn able to be inside her that he was ready to snap.
He had so many reasons to be angry with her now:
She’d lied to everybody—check!
She was a completely different person than he’d thought she was—check!
She was independent and stubborn—check, and check!
The problem was, she was still Hope: still the funny, sweet, and bighearted woman she’d always been. She was also talented and ballsy, which he admired. Honestly, he had to admit that if he only passively looked at the situation, he could probably understand why she’d wanted to pursue her career anonymously and not tell her brothers. She was right. They would have wanted to protect her, and they definitely would have made pursuing her career difficult for her because of those protective instincts. The problem was, he didn’t look at the whole situation indifferently, and he wanted to physically restrain her from ever doing anything risky ever again.
