Identical Disaster (The Sterling Shore Series Book 8)

by C. M. Owens

  Frowning, I turn back to Bo. When I start to ask Cody what he said to her, he’s gone, and I blow out a breath while sitting down in one of the massive patio chairs. This is sadly the longest I’ve ever been around a girl I wanted without fucking her, but Bo isn’t aggressive like I’m used to.

  I’m used to girls who are ready for what I am and take control. I like those girls, because no games are involved. I feel like I keep waiting for all the pieces to fall into place on the board before I can make my next move with Bo. I’m not used to feeling like I’m chasing a girl.

  It’s… unsettling.

  “Hey,” Dustin says, grinning as he comes to sit by me. “Vince is fucking awesome. I take back what I said about Mick being my favorite.”

  I roll my eyes, because I don’t think Vince is awesome. I’m sick of seeing his ass cheeks hanging out of his man panties.

  “Bo’s great too. Lucky bastard,” Dustin goes on, watching her in a way that I don’t like.

  Why does it seem like I’m getting jealous so much? Really hate this feeling.

  “Eyes off my girl,” I tell him.

  He chuckles while shaking his head and looking over at me. “Right. I’ll just wait until you two part ways.”

  I bristle, but it’s so subtle he doesn’t notice. I shouldn’t be getting so pissed.

  “Since when do you pick up my leftovers?” I ask, trying and failing to keep the edge out of my tone.

  His eyebrows go up. “Since you got a smoking hot, super sweet, epically nice, and incredibly rich girl that I know you won’t keep. You don’t do the serious thing, and Bo is a serious kind of girl.”

  Rolling my eyes, I go back to watching Bo, but my hands are in fists when I look down.

  “You’re actually getting pissed,” Dustin says, sounding way too damn amused. “Maybe I’m wrong.”

  I flip him off, and he snorts out a laugh. “Fine. Fine. Give me the green light on your sister and I’ll keep my hands off Bo when you fuck things up with her.”

  “Way to be a friend,” I mutter dryly, causing him to laugh again.

  My lips twitch, because I know what he’s doing.

  When Bo looks back at me, she smiles that shy smile, and I decide to force the game pieces into place. Bo wants me. Time to do something about it instead of waiting on her. Otherwise, I might actually punch Dustin for making the move I should have already made.

  I’m sick of chasing. After tonight, she’ll be the one chasing me.

  Chapter 31

  BO

  I’ve found Jax’s flaw—he’s a cover whore. He drags all the covers over to his side of the bed little by little until I’m left without anything. Usually I’m curled up on his body, so I’m not sure why we can’t share a big huge set of covers in the middle of the bed.

  Most of the time, they’re on his side of the bed, wadded up in the floor. I have no idea how he manages that. Even more importantly, I have no idea why thinking about it makes me smile, or why I giggle every morning when I put them back on the bed.

  It may not be much of an issue tonight, since he’ll probably be up too late to worry about pedaling the covers to the floor.

  Jax is downstairs with his two friends while I finish up with my shower. I think Cody has a man crush or an actual crush. It’s one of the two.

  Regardless, I think it’ll be a while before Jax comes to bed, because I don’t see Cody relinquishing him too easily. Which is fine. The more I think about it, the more absurd a relationship with Jax seems.

  It’s just the intense situation we’re in. We’re practically in dating boot camp, and I’m the only girl here who’s available. We’re in the same house, same room—since his parents are still clueless—and together almost twenty-four hours a day.

  In the real world, we wouldn’t make it. Jax is just laid back enough to let this happen, and I’m too much of a puddle around him for me to stop it.

  But I need to stop it, because I don’t want to get more attached before we’re back in the real world. I can almost foresee things coming to a screeching halt when we’re away from the island, not in my house, and Jax has his clarity again.

  My phone buzzes, breaking my thoughts, and I wince when I see Ruby’s name appear. Again. She’s been calling a lot, but not leaving messages other than to call her back. Which means she knows what’s going on, and she’s going to chew my ass.

  Adjusting my towel and smoothing my damp hair out of my face, I finally answer so I can get the ass-chewing out of the way. I don’t even give her time to speak before I start explaining.

  “Look, I know you’re probably pissed at me,” I say on a sigh, “but don’t be. And before you say it, it’s not Bora’s fault I’m here. Well, it is, but it isn’t. I came because of her, but I’m still here because of him. I sort of like him, even though I shouldn’t, and I can’t help but stick it out just to enjoy it while it lasts, even though my mind is screaming for me to get out while I can. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous. Yes, I know I’m an idiot. Yes, I know I need to stop handling Bora’s problems. But I’m happy I did this time.”

  I end the quick rant of an explanation and listen to the silence on the other end.

  “Ruby?” I prompt.

  She clears her throat, letting me know she’s still there, and finally speaks.

  “Start at the beginning,” she says, but she sounds… off.

  “Are you okay?” I ask her, feeling concerned now.

  “I’m fine. Long day. Start from the beginning and fill me in on every detail.”

  Unconvinced, I start to argue, but she senses it.

  “Bo, either tell me everything, or I’ll be forced to kick your pretty little ass when I see you again.”

  A smile tugs up and some of the worry slips away. Maybe she really is just having a bad day, and Ruby doesn’t talk about something until she wants to.

  “Fine.”

  I break down every last detail—minus the jerking-off catastrophe and the fire crotch disaster—and wait for her outburst.

  There is no outburst.

  “Jax Marshall, eh?” she asks instead, sounding amused more than anything. “I can picture that being an issue for you. He’s a good guy, from what the guys have told me. But I don’t picture him being the serious type. And we both know you’re not the type to be strung along.”

  “Which is why I’m on vacation—vacation from my usual self, too. I’m breaking the rules for once, but I’m not sure how good of an idea that is…”

  “Go with it. You never know until you try something. Just do me a favor.”

  “Anything.”

  “If he breaks your heart, let him go. Speaking from experience, it’s not easy to keep holding on and hoping the next time will be different.”

  There’s a sadness in her voice that I can’t dismiss.

  “What’s going on Ruby? Is everything okay with you and Corbin? You seemed high on life last time I saw you.”

  “Hurry home. I miss my friend.”

  “Oh no you don’t. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “It’s nothing, Bo,” she says, laughing. It sounds forced though. “Seriously. Deal with Jax. Then I’ll kick your ass for not calling me sooner when you get back.”

  She hangs up before I can argue, and I stare at the phone for minute. Corbin and Ruby had a rocky beginning, but they were so happy when I came out here. Her sister was just moving in with her, and Corbin proved he was finally serious about committing to her. Well, not a ring-on-the-finger committed, but still committed like a real boyfriend.

  Now…

  I try calling her back, but it goes straight to voicemail. As though she’s turned off her phone or ignored my call.

  Before I can think too much about it, Jax walks in, and his eyes drop to my body that is only covered by a towel. I expect him to apologize and duck out, but he slowly shuts the door behind him, and leans against it, not tearing his eyes off me even a little.

  Swallowing hard, I stand up and fidget awkwardly while c
lutching my towel tighter.

  “I thought you’d be downstairs a little longer,” I lamely state, trying to explain why I’m in a towel.

  He takes two long strides, and suddenly he’s right in front of me. The second I tilt my head back, he’s on me, pushing me against the wall so fast and hard that I almost drop my hold on the towel.

  His lips crush mine, and my blood turns to lava when fire figuratively shoots from his mouth to mine. Okay, maybe that’s a little too dramatic, but I really am burning up, and when his tongue owns my mouth, I start hoping I’m fireproof and forget to even hold the towel.

  My hands go to his hair, tugging him to be even closer. The kiss is hungry, as though he’s letting go of whatever he’s been holding back, and I moan into his mouth as his hands grip me at my sides and roughly jerk me to him.

  It’s a good thing he’s holding me up. Pretty sure my legs have become pointless.

  His hands tighten around my waist, and he makes some tortured groan before picking me up. My legs dangle as he carries me, and he slowly lowers me to the bed, never breaking away from the kiss as his body comes down on mine.

  My mind is going a thousand miles a minute with so many contradictory thoughts that it’s maddening. I can’t listen to the part of my brain that is reminding me I don’t move this fast, because my body is in too big of a hurry to move faster.

  Primal instincts kick in, and I surrender to them when I start pulling his shirt over his head, forgetting how to be cautious. Our kiss breaks long enough for the shirt to come off, and he’s back on me, kissing me so hard that I’m surprised it doesn’t hurt.

  My hands freely explore all the lines of definition, feeling the lean muscle beneath my fingertips as they ripple with his movements.

  In one motion, he jerks my towel off and tosses it aside before pressing his body down against mine, pinning me down but not making me bear the full brunt of his weight. A small breath leaves my lips when I feel his skin touching all my skin, and my mind becomes a series of dirty, base needs instead of any logic.

  I hate his shorts, because they don’t feel so good on my skin.

  When I start kicking them off, he reaches between us, helping me out. Every bad decision I could make is eclipsed by the desire that has been building since the day I showed up at his apartment to dump him.

  It’s not a smooth motion to get his shorts off, because he won’t stop kissing me. Not that I’m complaining.

  The second something big and hard thumps against my stomach, I freeze, and he finally breaks the kiss while smirking down at me.

  “Don’t get scared now,” he murmurs, fingering a piece of my damp hair and moving it away from my face.

  I don’t get the chance to speak, because he dips his head and starts trailing kisses down my neck, nipping the sensitive skin and leaving a burning trail in its wake.

  My hands slide over his shoulders, gripping like I’m going to push him away, but I think I claw him closer instead.

  When that beast of a thing he calls a penis brushes against my thigh and starts pushing inside, my breath heaves out in a rush.

  “Condom,” I say, surprising myself. I meant to say something like slow down.

  He grins as he leans up. “I’m not fucking you yet. But I will be wearing a condom when I do. Don’t worry.”

  His head dips again, and I feel the tickle of his soft hair brushing against my chest. It’s the only warning I get before his mouth latches around one of my nipples, and I think I say something like Dij a kuiclildadsa liildn.

  What does that mean?

  I think it means please don’t ever stop in crazy girl speak.

  He slides his attention to the other one, and I continue to make incoherent noises like I’m a virgin or something.

  Heat sears through me, and I start doing the embarrassing whimpering thing I can’t seem to control around him. It just makes him more aggressive, and he starts working his way down my body, kissing trails that feel like fire is licking me down to my core.

  Again with the fire comparisons.

  My mind shuts down when he reaches a spot that has my eyes crossing and my body bucking off the bed.

  “Easy,” he says with a smile in his voice. My eyes are screwed shut because I’m too embarrassed to even look at him by this point.

  When his lips fasten over that bundle of nerves, going in for the kill, I clutch the sheet under me, forcing myself to remain on the bed and still instead of bucking like an eight-second ride under him.

  He clamps an arm over my waist, holding me in place, exercising far more control than I have, and I bite into my lip to stop the flow of gibberish. My stomach muscles contract painfully, and he gets more into it, making it impossible not to feel like I’m all he wants in this moment.

  Stars detonate behind my eyelids, and a strangled breath leaves my lips as warm ecstasy washes over me like a wave. I now understand why people talk about toes curling. Never had that happen before now.

  He tears his mouth away, and I lie here, breathless and too relaxed for words as I try to wrap my head around all the sensations assaulting me.

  The sound of something akin to foil or paper ripping resonates in my ears, and my eyes slowly open in time to watch Jax rolling a condom on. I don’t know when he bought them, considering the fire and all, but I’m glad he has them.

  His eyes are hooded and full of lust when he looks up at me. I’m almost positive no one has ever looked at me with such want or need, and it fills me with a sense of power I wasn’t expecting.

  He crawls up me, taking his time, and he pushes my legs farther apart to nestle in the space he’s created. He doesn’t even give me any warning before thrusting in, sinking deep and burying his face in the crook of my neck. He shudders against me, and that sense of power seems to grow.

  My breath catches in my throat, and I forget all the fears I had about that thing not fitting. It almost pisses me off when he pulls back, but when he thrusts forward again, burying himself all the way inside this time, I lose myself to the way it all feels.

  “Fuck,” he murmurs against my neck.

  “Please,” I whisper.

  A throaty chuckle escapes him, then I realize why and internally curse myself.

  His hips rock again, and a breath hisses out of him.

  “This won’t last long like this,” he groans.

  He spins quickly, dragging me with him, and suddenly I’m on top, staring down at him as he slaps my ass from underneath to get me to move. I don’t need a second prompting.

  I brace my hands on his chest, lift up, and slowly sink back onto him. His eyes roll shut, and I start moving just as he opens them again. Our eyes lock, and I can’t look away.

  His hands grip my hips, trying to slow my rhythm, but I refuse to be slowed.

  “Bad idea,” he murmurs, gripping me tighter. “I should have stayed on top. Too fucking good.” His words end on a groan that vibrates me to my core, only adding to how good it feels to me.

  Yeah, pride swells inside me, and it definitely fuels my rhythm, but when that second wave of euphoria begins to tighten in my core, my head falls back as I chase it, grinding harder and harder.

  Jax takes over, throwing me under him again, and he becomes a possessed man on a mission. It’s almost explosive when my second orgasm hits, and I cry out while digging my nails into his shoulders, holding on as he owns me.

  His mouth finds my neck, muffling the guttural sound he makes when he goes still inside me. All I can do is feel. My mind is too numb for thought.

  And everything I feel is… scaring the hell out of me.

  Chapter 32

  JAX

  Bo untangles herself from my body, and I slide out of her for the fifth—yes, fifth—time since last night. She struggles to get up, and if I had an ounce of energy left, I would pull her back into bed.

  Instead, I watch a little smugly as she wobbles to the bathroom on legs that don’t seem to be much more consistent than rubber.

  I h
ear the water running after she shuts the door, and I toss aside my latest condom. Should have bought more. At this rate, we’ll be out of condoms a lot sooner than I predicted.

  Grabbing my phone is actually hard to do, because my arms are about as useful as Bo’s legs at the moment. The sink is still running, and I finally grab my phone, pulling it toward me to shoot off a quick message to Dustin.

  ME: Grab me some condoms when you go to town.

  It doesn’t take but a second for him to respond.

  DUSTIN: They make them small enough for you?

  ME: Magnum, bitch boy. Get them.

  DUSTIN: *cough cough* Bullshit.

  I don’t text back because Bo walks out with her shy smile and just-fucked hair that is too sexy for me to ignore. She isn’t shy in bed. That’s for damn sure.

  “What’re you thinking?” I ask around a yawn as she glances around at the carnage of the room. Pretty sure we fucked on every surface last night, and now it looks like a fight took place instead of sex.

  Talk about being shocked by Bo.

  “That it’s dangerous for me to get back in bed,” she says, battling with herself to not look so pleased.

  My own smile spreads, and I let my gaze rake up and down her body that is only covered by my shirt. “Probably right. Let’s find out.”

  I pat the bed beside me and she laughs while shaking her head.

  “I’d like to be able to walk today, so let’s take a break and go to the beach instead.”

  Frowning, I silently question my own ability to walk. Bo wasn’t kidding about taking yoga. She’s definitely bendy, and I think I turned her into a few forms of a pretzel last night. It was like having a secret porn star. Never saw that coming.

  A lady in the street but a freak in the bed… Those lyrics start playing over in my head, and I catch myself smiling bigger.

  “What are you thinking?” she asks, echoing my own question as she studies me.

  Clearing my throat and trying not to expose my very immature thoughts, I say, “I’m really going to add those yoga classes to the gym.”