Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Hutch
“Rise and shine,” I say as I push open Jocelyn’s door. Dear God, why have I done this to myself?
Jocelyn is sprawled out on her bed. The blanket is down to her hips, revealing her torso, which is barely disguised in a nearly see-through cotton top.
I can just make out the dusky-colored skin around her pebbled nipples.
Her curly, dark hair is neatly braided. Her pouty lips are swollen with sleep. She’s breathtaking.
Her eyes open, and she looks around. A yawn escapes from her lips as she stretches her arms above her head, revealing tan, smooth skin.
Then she looks down and quickly grabs the covers, pulling them over her breasts and obstructing my perfect view. Her cheeks pinken, and she glances at me.
I hold up a cup of coffee. “Let’s go find some family members,” I state as I walk into her room and hand her the piping hot caffeinated beverage.
“You’re lucky I don’t startle easily,” she protests as she blows on the liquid before sipping it.
“Huh?” I manage as I try to erase the memory of my view just a moment ago.
“A Viking-sized man startling you awake could give a woman a heart attack, you know?” she teases.
I cross my arms, and she looks at my biceps, so, as any man would do, I flex them.
She rolls her eyes. “You just came from the gym, didn’t you?”
I nod. “And Kasen has his laptop set up, so come down to the kitchen once you put on real clothes.”
She bats her eyes at me as she throws back the cover and stands, coffee mug in hand. I try my damnedest not to look down, but fuck me, I can’t help myself. I glance at the tops of her breasts that are visible above the low, scooped neckline of the top she wore to bed.
“Stop ogling me. I’ll be down in a minute,” she says with a smirk.
“Friends can ogle friends that are beautiful and half-naked,” I grumble. “It’s in the friend handbook.”
She pokes her head out from the bathroom and looks down at my crotch.
I’m wearing lightweight gray sweatpants and a tank top made of that special, quick-drying material.
Then her gaze slowly travels up my torso until we’re staring at each other.
“And here I’ve been avoiding ogling you for months. Silly me. I’ll do better.”
And with that, she closes the door.
What the hell just happened? Were we flirting? No. No, absolutely not. Friends don’t flirt. That’s crazy. We were just…teasing each other. Yes, that’s it. Teasing.
I leave the room before my urge to walk into the bathroom grows into an action. Ava is already playing in the pool with Bray and Gray. They have a blow-up beach ball that they are tossing to each other.
“Can we play mermaid princesses now?” Ava asks them as I pass them on my way to the kitchen, and Kasen, who is sitting at the island, typing away.
“Uh, I can’t swim that well, but you know who can?” Gray says to her as he backs toward the pool’s steps.
“Who?” she asks.
“Bray. He loves mermaids,” he says as he looks at Bray. Bray grimaces and discreetly flicks him off before sighing and turning to Ava.
“Fine, but I’m a merman and I’m like the king of merpeople,” he protests.
“Cool. Mom! King Merpurple needs a queen. Can you come play with us?” she asks.
I glance at Carly, who is helping Cam with breakfast. She’s biting her lip to keep herself from laughing. Cam’s whole body shakes with silent laughter.
“How about in a little bit? I’m helping Cam,” Carly manages.
“OK,” Ava whines. “But…” She trails off and swims to the edge of the pool, pulling a tiara out of her bag. “Merpurple’s crown won’t fit. His head is too big.”
Cam loses it. She falls on the floor, rolling around laughing. Carly kicks her hip, but Cam just keeps on laughing.
Even Margie, Al, Piper, and Cornelia, who sit at a small table in the living room, are fighting back laughter. Fletcher walks over from where he sits with them and hauls Cam to her feet.
“Hey, Cam, I think my head is too big, too. Do you think you can help me fit my crown?” he teases.
Kasen, who has been sitting silently, bursts out laughing. “Yeah, Piper, want to see if my crown fits?”
Piper groans. “You guys are such children.”
“No, they’re kings,” Ava corrects, oblivious to the adult conversation occurring around her adorable antics.
“Maybe I should get out some bubbles to blow later,” Cam says as she wraps her arms around Fletcher’s neck.
“For the love of God, go to your room or finish making breakfast,” Roxy protests as she walks into the room.
Fletcher hauls Cam up over his shoulder. “You got this, Carly?” he asks as he slaps Cam on the ass.
Carly sighs. “I suppose I can pull stuff out of the oven in fifteen minutes.”
“Don’t wait any longer,” Cam calls out as Fletcher walks them upstairs.
Carly looks at me. “Find the music now and turn it way up, OK? No one wants to hear what’s about to happen.”
“What’s happening?” Ava calls out.
“Cam’s really loud when she’s helping Fletcher with his crown,” Roxy says, and Carly glares at her while everyone laughs.
“Oh,” Ava says, totally confused. She shrugs and throws the ball at Bray’s head. “Got you!” she yells and tries to swim away.
“Oh, it’s on, peanut!” Bray yells as he lunges toward her, and she squeals in delight.
Kasen cracks his knuckles as Jocelyn walks out of the guesthouse in a sundress. The deep “v” of the neckline accents her breasts. I force myself to draw my gaze from them up to her eyes. She raises an eyebrow.
“Stop ogling me, you heathen,” she mouths.
I smirk and shrug as I walk over to make myself a coffee.
“OK, have a seat, Jocelyn. Let’s see if I can find your family,” Kasen states as he pats the stool next to him.
I find the speaker panel and start playing some music as everyone goes back to their conversations. Carly pulls muffins out of the oven and sets them out on a plate next to some fruit and little breakfast sandwiches.
I take a breakfast sandwich and sit down next to Kasen, watching as he clicks on his laptop, entering Jocelyn’s dad’s name into databases. He is completely focused as he works.
“OK, I have a few hits. Let’s let this system see what it can pull, and we’ll check on it later,” he finally says.
“What’s the game plan?” he says, turning to me. We’ve already worked out and had breakfast together. He knows the game plan.
“Beach, grilled fish for dinner, and bioluminescent bay, remember?” I remind him.
“Right. You know, I could use a nap,” he says, stretching his arms over his head. He stands and looks at Piper. She’s moved from the table in the dining room out onto a lounge chair, where she’s sunning herself. “You tired?” he asks her.
“I suppose I could use a nap if we’re going out later,” she says as she stands and pulls a see-through cover-up over herself. She takes Kasen’s outstretched hand, and they head upstairs.
“We should take a nap too,” Roxy says to Gray.
He chuckles. “Only if bubble blowing is involved,” he teases.
She elbows him in the ribs, and he grimaces. “Or just a nap,” he says, letting out a breath.
I walk out to the deck by the pool and lie down in a chair next to Jocelyn.
Carly is sitting on the edge of the pool while Bray plays with Ava, who I think might be living in the water now.
Jocelyn slowly flips pages in a book, while I steal glances at her while pretending to listen to a podcast about football.
The desire to touch her grows with each passing hour. How I’m going to keep my hands to myself for several more days is beyond me.
* * *
“I don’t think I can do it,” Cam says as she looks into the black-as-night water. It’s after nine thirty at night, and Roxy, Gray, Cam, Fletcher, Kasen, Piper, Jocelyn, and I are on boats in a calm bay. Nearby, we can see people jumping in and the water lighting up around them.
“Too bad Ava is asleep, she’d love this,” Piper says before jumping in alongside Kasen. The two of them swirl in the water, and it lights up like a thousand little lightning bugs are in there with them.
“What causes it again?” Cam asks.
“Dinoflagellates,” I explain.
One by one, each of us jumps in, except for Cam and Jocelyn.
“At least put your hand in, Cam,” Fletcher says as he splashes her and the spray of water lights up like fireworks.
She swirls her hand and laughs. “It is kinda cool.”
I look up at Jocelyn as I make snow angels, or I guess it’s water angels.
“You coming in?” I ask.
She bites her lip and leans over the edge so only I can hear her. “You don’t think there are like…lizards in there, right?”
I chuckle. “No, I think you’re safe.”
“Promise,” she whispers. I pull myself up on the edge of the small canoe, so we are face-to-face.
“On my life,” I whisper back.
She tosses off her top and jumps in next to me. The water lights up as she emerges.
She giggles, playing with making shapes in the water. “OK, yeah, this is really cool.”
I nudge her hip under the water. “Told you,” I say softly, our legs entwining as we move. I yank her against me with my calves. “I’ll protect you from the lizards that aren’t here.”
She laughs. “Actually, it’s probably the safest time to be in the water at night because nothing is coming near me without me seeing it.”
“Oh, for the love of God!” Roxy says.
“What? I had to…you know, try it out,” Gray says.
We look over at him. And I start laughing. “Dude, did you seriously just make shapes with your…” I trail off and look down where his dick is lit up under the water.
He tucks it away and laughs. “Couldn’t help myself. I guess these…what did you call them? Bring out the child in me.”
“Dinoflagellates,” I state, half annoyed with him for his unusual childlike behavior and half jealous I didn’t think of it first.
“Do guys always have to be touching their junk?” Jocelyn asks.
“Yes,” Kasen, Gray, Fletcher, and I say in unison.
The ladies groan. Jocelyn giggles. “You guys are ridiculous.”
“I mean, it’s either us or someone else playing with it,” I blurt out and then suddenly feel silly saying that in front of her.
“It’s definitely better with someone else,” Kasen grumbles.
“Of course it is, jackass. It’s why sex is better than masturbating," Roxy says, and I know she’s rolling her eyes without having to look at her.
“It’s been so long, I can hardly remember,” Jocelyn mumbles under her breath, but I hear it.
“What’s that?” I ask, pulling her back toward me from where she’s floated out of my grasp.
“Nothing,” she whispers quickly.
But I know what I heard. And something about her not being with another man makes me very happy, maybe too happy.