Chapter 6 #3
"Yeah." I roll my shoulders and move to stand beside her, looking out to the ocean. "I've spent my whole life being responsible. Being the one everyone leans on. So… I thought if I came here, it could be my turn to just… coast. Me. Not anyone else. For once, I wanted to put myself first."
She studies me, her gaze searching. "And has it worked?"
I let out a bitter laugh. "You tell me. You're the one who's been trying to get me to care."
"I'm not trying to get you to care. I'm trying to get you to try."
"What's the difference?"
She steps closer, and my heart starts hammering again.
"The difference," she says, her eyes burning into the side of my face, "is that caring means you're afraid of losing something. Trying means you're willing to fight for it."
I hold her gaze, the air between us thickening.
"And what are you fighting for, Josie?"
But she doesn't answer me.
Instead, her eyes search mine, and I can see the war happening behind them. The walls she's trying to keep up, the vulnerability she's trying to hide.
It's the same look I remember from Breakers on that very first night.
This mystery woman, so confident and amazing, yet somehow shying away from taking the spotlight she truly deserves.
"You know… I haven't stopped thinking about you," I admit, my voice rough. "Not for one fucking second."
Her gaze drops to my mouth, then back up.
"What part? The endless fighting? Or… the night before?"
I inch closer.
"All of it. But mostly the part where you looked like you knew exactly what you wanted when you walked into that bar."
She startles me with a shocked laugh. "I didn't know what I wanted. I was terrified."
"You didn't look terrified."
She swallows hard, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress.
"Because I was pretending. That whole night, I was pretending to be someone I wasn't."
"You want to know what I remember?" My voice drops low. "The way you walked into that bar. The way you kissed me first." I lean in even closer, whispering, "The way you dropped to your knees without me asking."
Her cheeks flush deep red, but she doesn't look away.
"I'd never done that before," she admits, so quiet I almost miss it.
I frown. "Done what?"
"That. Any of it." Her eyes meet mine, vulnerable and raw. "Of course, I've done it. I'd had sex before. But I'd never… gone down on a guy before that night."
A rush of heat races through my body.
"Josie—"
"You made me feel like I could," she continues, her voice shaking. "Like I wasn't weird. Or wrong. Or too much. You made me feel… confident."
"You were incredible," I say, and I mean every fucking word. "And that night? I don't think it was pretend. That was you."
Her eyes flutter closed, and she lets out a shaky breath.
"I've been terrified since I got here," she whispers.
"Well don't be." I take breath, watching her closely. "You did good today. At The Yard. You've already done amazing things since you got here."
She turns, surprise flickering across her face.
"That's… big, coming from you."
"I mean it." I pause, choosing my next words carefully. "You're actually making a difference to the team. I can see it already."
She lets out a breath, something unreadable crossing her features. "I'm just doing my job."
"And that's what scares me the most." I shake my head. "Because you're good at this. Really good."
Her gaze drops to my lips, then shoots back up like she's afraid I'll catch her. "Why are you being nice to me?"
I push off the railing, taking a step closer.
"Because I was an asshole. And because I've been thinking about what you said. About that night."
"I told you. It didn't mean anything."
"Maybe not to you."
Her eyes drop to my mouth again, and this time she doesn't look away. My hand moves before I can stop it, fingers sliding along her neck, thumb brushing the corner of her lips.
She leans into the touch and our eyes lock.
"Tell me to stop," I murmur, giving her one last out.
She doesn't.
I close the distance between us, my lips finding hers.
The kiss is soft at first. Tentative. Like we're both testing the waters, seeing if this is real.
But then she makes a soft, desperate little noise…
And I'm gone.
My hands slide into her hair, tilting her head back as I deepen the kiss, my tongue sliding over hers as I crowd her against the rail. She melts against me, the warmth of her body incredible as she opens her mouth wider, letting me in.
Her fingers grip the front of my shirt like she's afraid I'll disappear. She moans into my mouth and the whole fucking world falls away.
The ocean, the mansion, the chaos of the day… all of it fades.
We finally break apart, and she looks up at me, her lips swollen, her eyes dark.
"I should go," she says, but she doesn't move.
"You should," I agree, but I don't let go either.
She laughs, a breathless, shaky sound. "Really. I have work to do."
Finally, she pulls back, her fingers lingering on my chest.
"Thank you," she says softly, biting her bottom lip like she's savouring the taste of me. "For today. For being a good sport. For… this."
"Don't thank me yet, Josie. I'm just getting started."