“Oh, wow. This is absolutely stunning.” My eyes are trailing the entirety of the boat as my heart and mind try furiously to ignore the way Jason’s hand feels in mine.
He’s walking me aboard Acts of Grace, and thank god it’s breathtaking, helping to diminish the flutter I feel in my tummy just a little.
“Thank you. She’s a lot of fun.” There’s a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, and I’m dying to know what’s behind that.
Like a Mack truck to the face, my thoughts drift to orgies on the boat, the vision making my stomach sour.
He’s handsome, there’s no denying that. Who’s to stop him from partying hard?
I’m still lost in my head when Jason stops short, and I almost run into him—all six-foot-plus and hard as steel.
I’m about to ask him what happened, but my tongue gets tied up when our eyes meet. He’s frowning, and the intensity with which he’s staring at me leaves me breathless. “Why are you upset, Mila?”
His words have me blinking back to reality. “What? What do you mean?”
“Your face. It’s doing that thing.” His eyes narrow and my brows raise.
“What thing?”
He quickly looks away, avoiding my gaze. “I meant you pursed your lips to the side. Most girls do that when they’re pondering something or if they’re upset.”
I shake my head, clearing it of the fog he has me under. “Oh. I was just thinking of all the women and parties you must’ve had on board. So… pondering, I guess you could say.”
Flashing him a megawatt smile, I hope my explanation is enough to hide that my stomach still sours at that thought. Why? I have no clue. He isn’t mine to be jealous over. He belongs to my mother.
“Mila. Look at me.” Jason steps closer and places the pads of his fingers under my chin, lifting until my gaze is on his. “You are the first woman that’s been on this boat who isn’t family.”
His words soothe my heart that has no business feeling the flutters it does. Taking a step back, I put some much-needed distance between us. Not that I want it.
“You don’t owe me any explanations.” I gnaw on my bottom lip and watch as Jason’s frown returns. “I mean, it’s not like I’m Catherine.”
At my mother’s name, he clears his throat. “Right. Well, you seemed upset.” Jason drags a masculine hand across his face while letting out a sigh. “Anyway, we should get going. Have you ever been on a sailboat before?”
I quickly shake my head no. “This is my first time.”
Almost immediately, Jason’s pupils blow out and his nostrils flare. “It’s alright, sweetheart. I promise I’ll take it easy.” Holy shit. Is that….? Is he…? No. That can’t be.
“All you need to know is that’s the bow” He points to the front of the boat. “That’s the stern.” He points to the rear. “And this is the helm.” He grabs on to one of the massive wheels, all stainless steel and shiny.
Following his mannerisms, I repeat what I just learned. “Bow, stern, and helm.”
“Good girl.”
Jesus. His praise goes straight to my clit, and it takes everything in me to stay upright. I want this man like I’ve never wanted anything in my life.
This is bad. Very bad. Not only do I hardly know him, but he’s the ultimate definition of off-limits, making the sensual images running through my mind so very wrong.
I should probably get off this boat while I still can. I’m about to jump out and start swimming when Jason takes control of the conversation once more, putting a stop to any plans of escape.
“As soon as we’re out on open water, I’ll teach you how to steer. After all, you’ll be helping moor this baby.”
My jaw drops. “You can’t be serious. I don’t know what that means, but it sounds important. What if I wreck her?”
His eyes narrow on mine as he guides me to a bench seat, the new vantage point allowing me to openly stare while he steers us out of here. “As long as you’re not hurt, then nothing else matters.”
My throat gets caught on a swallow. Why does everything he say sound so intense? Like it’s all or nothing, all the time. Is he like this with Catherine too? It must be what drew her to him. His presence exudes alpha energy. You can’t help but feel safe when you’re near him.
How amazing would it be to be loved like that? I’m just his girlfriend’s daughter and he’s already so protective of me. I can only imagine how he’d be as a lover.
“Isn’t it beautiful? I could never tire of the evening sky.” Jason’s deep voice pulls me back to the present, and looking past his frame, I see the sky has turned a gorgeous shade of orange.
I’d been so lost in my head that I hadn’t noticed we’d already slipped out of the dock and headed towards the sea.
“I can see why. If I had a boat at my disposal, I’d be out here every night.”
Jason chuckles. “You don’t get it yet, do you? You already have a boat at your disposal. Whenever you want it. Just let me know.”
There he goes again, being all intense. He hasn’t taken his eyes off the horizon, but I feel the veracity in his words from where I sit.
“Well, thank you. I’m not used to all this, so you probably won’t get many requests from me. I’ll just enjoy the view. We definitely don’t have this back home.”
Jason chuckles. “Yes. Open waters are pretty hard to beat, but mountains and fresh air have a draw all their own.” He turns back toward me, his brows dropping slightly as he assesses my face. “What do you miss most about being back in Colorado?”
“Mel, my roommate. Hands down.” I throw my head back and laugh, remembering her crazy antics. “She’s the life of the party wherever we are, and that includes our tiny home.”
Silence. Dead silence has me lowering my head and searching out Jason’s eyes. Shit. I wonder if I fucked up. Did Catherine tell him a different truth?
“Your roommate?”
I roll my lips in and nod but don’t dare speak another word, knowing this little slip up will have pissed off Catherine enough. I’m not a fan of her tall tales, but I also don’t want her baby daddy so upset that he leaves her and the baby.
Growing up without a father figure takes a toll on a child, and that’s something I’ll fight tooth and nail to avoid for my little brother or sister.
Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t look like Jason is dropping it. “So, you don’t live with Catherine?”
I shake my head no, but verbalize nothing, hoping that he’ll move on.
“You just turned eighteen, Mila.” He turns his head, eyes locked on the horizon. “Since when have you lived on your own?”
I don’t answer. Hell, I’m barely breathing.
If I tell him the truth, there’s no doubt he’ll judge Catherine, me, or both.
“Answer me, Mila.” Jason turns from the helm and walks toward me until he’s standing between my thighs, his deep gaze locked on mine. “Don’t lie.”
That makes my eyes narrow and nose scrunch. “I don’t lie. Ever.”
His hand cups my cheek so reverently it makes my heart stutter. “Then answer me.”
I dart my eyes to the side, all the while he keeps his palm pressed to my cheek. I don’t dare break contact, even though it soothes me far more than it should. “Fifteen.”
Jason sucks in a sharp breath before asking, “Why?”
The one word comes out so harsh and full of anguish, it has my eyes pulling back toward his. They’re bouncing back and forth between mine, trying to find a truth I’m not sure I’m willing to share.
“I met Melissa in school. She was going through some stuff with her family and she’d asked me if I wanted to move out with her. She was my best friend, so I said yes.” I gnaw on my bottom lip, deciding how much of my truth I should let him have. “I didn’t really have anything keeping me at home and she couldn’t afford the rent all on her own, but between the both of us, we could make enough to rent out this adorable little tiny house.”
My eyes light up as I think of the small cabin we’ve called home for the past couple of years. Yes, it’s miniscule, and yes, we’ve found jobs that pay more and can get us another pad, but that would sort of feel like a betrayal to the place where we set our dreams free and gave them wings.
I’ve been so caught up in memories that I failed to see the deep scowl that’s now formed on Jason’s face.
“And Catherine was okay with this? Did she help with your part of the rent at least?”
I’m holding stock still, harboring this irrational hope that if I stay quiet long enough, he’ll drop it. But of course, that’s stupid. He’s not moving on.
“Mila, so help me god… if you don’t answer me, you’re earning yourself a spanking.” He’s growling down at me and oh my god why did that make my lady bits clench?
I clear my throat, hoping it’ll rid me of my wayward thoughts. “Melissa and I bussed tables at a diner, since it was the only place that would allow us to work that young. That or sacking groceries, but the diner let us make a little more.”
Jason’s face is turning a deep shade of red, making me panic and blurt out whatever I can to make his discomfort go away.
Holding both palms up, I try to downplay my childhood. “But hey, it’s okay. We make more money now, and even bought our own car. Don’t even have to wait on the bus to take us into town.”
My eyes go wide, realizing what I’ve done once more. Jesus. I really need to keep my mouth shut.
Jason’s eyes have shut and his breathing is coming in through shallow bursts. I’m about to say something when his hand drops to the back of my neck and squeezes, the one action rendering me speechless.
Why do his hands on me feel so good?
“And where was your father through all of this?” His eyes are still closed, but his hand has never left me, his fingers digging into the column of my neck.
“Um. He’s never really been in the picture, aside from the obligatory monthly call.”
This makes Jason’s eyes flash open, his piercing hazels drawing me in and sinking me deeper into this fog of lust and adoration I’m in.
“Now you listen to me and listen to me good. I’m your daddy now. Anything you want and need, you come to me.” One dark brow raises as his eyes sear into mine. “Do you hear me, baby girl? You’re not alone anymore.”
Oh, fucking hell. I think I might’ve died and gone to some twisted part of heaven. One where I get to call this man Daddy and have him make all my filthy dreams come true.
Snap. Out. Of. It.
He doesn’t belong to me. He belongs to my mother.
“I appreciate that. I really do. But it’s not your job to be there for me like that.” I roll my lips in and bite, stopping myself from taking my words back like I really want.
“It is my job, Mila. From the moment you stepped through my door, you became my responsibility, and I’m not taking that lightly.” He steps away and I instantly miss his touch. This is bad. So bad. “Now, get your ass up here. You’re about to help me moor this boat.”
My brows shoot up. “I’m what?”
“You’re helping me moor. You’ll steer us toward a buoy, and I’ll tether our boat to it.”
I suck in a deep breath and stand, walking toward his outstretched hand. “Steer. That’s like driving. I can do that. It’s not like we’ll be going fast, right?”
Jason smiles, the action making his dimples pop and melting me further. “No, baby. We’ll be taking it real slow.”
He takes my hand and places it on the wheel, all while the butterflies and tingles never cease, despite the repetitiveness of our touch. So much for my theory of becoming desensitized.
Jason points toward a round bobbing object in the water up ahead. “Just steer us toward there. You think you can do that?”
He’s standing behind me, both arms caged on either side of me as his front presses into my back. Right now, feeling his heat against my own, I think I could do or promise just about anything.
Unable to form words, I just hum and nod. “Mhm.”
Jason takes in a deep breath, and I might be losing my mind, but I swear I felt him scent me.
“Good girl,” he whispers into the shell of my ear before he drops his hands from the big metal wheel. “Just keep her steady and if anything goes wrong, turn the engine off by pushing this button here.”
I’m nodding, lost in all these new sensations when I see he’s leaving for the front of the boat. He’s bending down to pick up a long pole, and Jesus does his ass look edible in those shorts.
I’m still staring at his rear when he shouts something from the bow. “Okay, steady. Steady. Hold.”
Hold. Yes. I’d like to hold those hard cheeks in my hands…
“Mila, kill the engine!”
Dammit, I wasn’t paying attention. “What!?”
“We overshot the buoy. Kill the engine.”
“Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, baby. We’ll catch the next one. Just kill the…”
There’s a sputtering sound and the engine cuts out right along with my heart. Oh god. I messed up his boat. I don’t know how I did it, but now it’s dead.
Jason is rolling in his lips, his chest heaving as if trying not to cry or laugh. Shit, I hope it’s the latter.
“Oh, god. I’m so damn sorry!” I’m trying to figure out what the hell to do as our boat turns backward and I panic. “We’re drifting! We’re drifting out to sea!”
Meanwhile, Jason quickly navigates back toward the helm, taking me in his arms and pressing his lips to the top of my head. “Shhhh, it’s okay, sweetheart. But I need you to calm down in case we need to radio for help.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I press my face into his hard chest and breathe him in, letting his masculine scent center me. “God, I’m so sorry.”
“Baby, look at me.” He’s holding onto my arms but gives us enough distance so I can look up into his eyes, so full of warmth and… love? “I meant it when I said as long as you’re okay, nothing else matters. Not even this boat.”
“But—”
“No buts. As long as you’re okay, nothing else matters.” He quickly looks away, and I’m left wondering if he’s hiding something. “And as for the boat. Don’t worry. It’s just a fouled prop. It happens plenty.”
“Has it happened to you?” I tilt my head to the side, waiting for his answer.
“No, but it did happen to Hunter, my brother.” His chest starts to rumble and his eyes dance with mirth. “Damn, that was hilarious.”
I blow a raspberry. “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up at the expense of us poor land lubbers. I bet he was just as clueless as I was, wasn’t he?”
Even as I say that, I doubt he’d been distracted by the same thing I was. Biting my lip, I quickly avert my gaze and hope my cheeks aren’t giving my thoughts away.
“Fair enough. I’m probably not the best teacher if I’m down two-for-two.” Jason drops his hold on my small frame and sighs. “We better get her untangled, and if we’re lucky, the prop is still in working order.”
With my teeth still sunk deep into my bottom lip, I nod. Lucky. I don’t think I know the meaning of the word.
