4. Jake
Four
Jake
It’s a tough call on which suit to pick for her. Obviously, I’m seriously contemplating picking the smallest one possible because I want to maximize how much skin she has on display and my opportunity to totally check her out. I’ve got a pretty good idea how smoking hot her body is from the way she wears her captain’s uniform, but seeing it literally in the flesh is going to be a whole new ballgame.
But then there’s the whole pissed-off factor I need to consider and whether she might decide to scrap this spending the day with me thing because I pick something totally ridiculous. Arse floss as she calls it.
In the end, I compromise.
“Seriously?” Taylor calls from the changing room.
“What?” I ask, smiling. I’m already standing outside, waiting for her to make her appearance.
She huffs loud enough for me to hear through the door. “And to think I actually thought you could be trusted,” she mutters.
“I can,” I say, chuckling a little. “Quit stalling and get your arse out here, Captain.”
The door opens wide enough for Taylor to stick her head out. “I cannot believe you picked this suit for me,” she says, brows scrunched. “You don’t play fair!”
My grin widens. “Out,” I say, beckoning her with my fingers.
She rolls her eyes and reluctantly opens the door wider and steps out. I nearly cream my fucking shorts when she does. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the bikini I picked out for her would look that good. But holy shit does she know how to rock a few scraps of fabric and some string.
“Wow, you look good,” I say, grinning as I give her a wink. “Really fucking good.”
She exhales hard, her hands on her hips as she gives me a once-over. “And you’re an asshole,” she says, gesturing toward the board shorts I’m wearing.
I glance down at myself, laughing a little. “Yeah, I gotta say, I’m really glad you didn’t force me to wear a pair of dick stickers.”
“A pair of what?”
“Dick stickers,” I repeat. “Budgie smugglers, meat hangers…?” Taylor stares back at me as though she has no idea what I’m talking about. I point to the rack just outside the change room. “Speedos?” I try.
She glances over. “Ohhh,” she says, finally realizing what I’m talking about. “I should’ve picked you a thong,” she adds, scowling as she turns back to me. “You deserve it for this.”
My grin widens. “Well, to be fair, you do look smoking hot, Captain,” I say, blatantly running my eyes slowly down and then back up her body. When I reach her face, I can see she’s blushing, squirming almost. Chuckling, I reach into my changing room and grab the rashie shirt I also picked out because I knew she’d react this way.
“Here,” I say, holding it out to her. “I forgot to leave you this,” I add, winking.
After we’re done, we grab a couple of boards, towels and sunscreen and head down to the beach. The shop is close enough that we can walk, which is just as well considering there’s no way I can get two surfboards into my car.
“You really know how to surf?” Taylor asks as she walks beside me, awkwardly holding the board I’ve borrowed for her.
“Yep,” I reply. “Been doing it since I was a teenager.”
“How old are you?” she asks, glancing over.
I grin. “Yes, no questions only, remember?”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine, are you in your thirties?”
“Nope,” I reply, shaking my head. “Are you?”
Taylor exhales, running a hand through her now loose hair. “Yes. Twenties?”
I chuckle. “Yes.”
“Are there any sharks out here?” she adds, pointing toward the ocean.
“My turn for a question,” I reply as we head over the dunes and down onto the sand. I don’t ask it immediately, instead walking us down the beach until we’re a couple of meters from the shore. Lowering my board to the sand, I watch as she does the same before I turn to face her.
“That guy at the airport,” I start, watching as she pulls her lower lip between her teeth. “Does he mean something to you?”
Taylor shrugs and looks away, her eyes on the surf and the handful of people already out there catching waves. It’s a beautiful day–sunshine, blue skies and just enough wind to create some surf. It’s the kind of day that really makes me miss living in Australia.
“I’m not sure that’s a yes or no question,” she eventually says, eyes still on the horizon.
I reach over and turn her face to mine. “Fine, did it upset you to find out he was getting married?”
Taylor runs a hand through her hair again, eyes on her feet as she moves one of them through the warm sand. “Yes and no,” she eventually replies. “How about you?” she adds quickly before I have a chance to ask why. “Have you slept with any of the crew from this flight?”
I chuckle, shaking my head a little. “As of right now, no,” I reply. “But ask me again tomorrow,” I add, winking at her. “Might be a different answer.”
She rolls her eyes, shaking her head a little as she looks away. “So, you haven’t slept with Ali or Brigid?”
I reach for the sunscreen, squeezing a huge blob into my hand before handing it to her. “I’ll give you this one for free,” I say. “I don’t even know which one is which,” I admit. “Contrary to what you’re thinking Captain Patterson, I have not in fact, slept with the entire cabin crew.”
She nods but says nothing more as she squeezes out some sunscreen and starts to rub it into her long, already tanned legs. I have to swallow hard, force myself to look away, and imagine the feel of the cold ocean if only so my dick will calm down. At the same time, I’m almost regretting buying her the rashie because now I don’t have an excuse to rub sunscreen on her back. When she’s finally done, she looks up at me.
“Do me?” I ask, laughing as she scrounges her brow. “My back, you perv,” I add. “Although the other option is up for grabs too if you’re interested?”
Taylor takes a deep breath, squeezing out some more sunscreen before moving behind me. The second her hands hit my skin, I know I’m in trouble. It takes every single ounce of self-control I have not to turn around and pull her against me, show her exactly what her hands on my body are doing to me.
I knew spending the day with her would be dangerous from the second I walked up to her outside the crew lounge back in L.A. For me, it was an instant and strong attraction and nothing about that has changed, despite our initial hostility toward each other.
Now, alone with her, her hands on my body, it’s torture of the heaven and hell kind.
After we’re both done, I take her through the basics of surfing, including how she should attempt to stand when she lands herself a wave. I keep it brief because at this stage, I really need to get into the water and cool off. If I thought having her hands on me was bad, putting mine on her as I hold her hips and help her pop up on her board is pure fucking torture.
“Ready?” I ask, grabbing my board and holding it in a way that hides the huge boner I now have.
“Nope,” Taylor replies, shaking her head.
Laughing, I nod toward the surf. “Come on, let’s do this.”
As we walk toward the water, Taylor says, “You never answered my question about sharks.”
I grin. “Well, this is their territory,” I tell her, laughing as she immediately stops walking. “Don’t worry,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the water. “I’ve never actually seen one!”
It feels unbelievable being back in the Aussie surf, the feel of the cool saltwater as it breaks on my legs bringing back so many memories. With my hand still in Taylor’s, I thread our fingers together and pull her further in until we’re about waist-deep. After I get her sorted on her board, I tell her to watch me catch a couple of waves so she gets the hang of it when she needs to try and stand up.
I’m a little rusty on my first few, but I still manage to get up and ride the waves into the shoreline, each time paddling back out to where she sits on her board. She watches me as though her life depends on it, and when I finally encourage her to have a go, I can tell she is totally shitting it.
With my hand on her lower back, I quickly remind her of all the things she needs to do. She glances back at me, a terrified look on her face. I can’t help but laugh as I give her arse a quick smack before pushing her board as the next wave swells behind us. She paddles hard, standing up a little too late but still managing to stay upright for a few seconds before she eventually falls off.
When she paddles back out to me, though, she’s got a huge grin on her face. “So?” I ask as she sits up on her board beside me.
“Unbelievable,” she says, a huge smile on her face. “It’s so beautiful out here.”
Laughing, I reach over and squeeze her thigh. “I knew you’d like it.”
We stay out for an hour or so, catching as many waves as we can. Taylor manages to stand up a few more times and I have to give her credit for never giving up. Surfing is hard work, but no matter how many times she gets knocked down, she always paddles back out with me and tries again.
Makes me realize how determined she is, how much she fights when she wants something. Makes sense that she’s made it all the way to captain; she’s clearly someone who not only doesn’t take no for an answer, but will keep trying to make it, no matter how many times she falls along the way.
That kind of grit and determination on a woman, fuck, it’s sexy as hell and only adds to the whole attractive package.
Eventually, I grab her board, pulling her closer so our legs are brushing against each other as I hook my foot around her ankle. “Had enough?” I ask, eyes meeting hers.
She bites her bottom lip, her eyes staring back at me. “No, but I think I need a break.”
I grin, nodding as I say, “We can come back tomorrow if you want? Let’s go get some food.”
We paddle back into the shore, and I grab the towels I also bought at the shop and throw one to Taylor. We dry off and then gather our things and walk up to the showers at the edge of the sand, behind the surf shop. Dumping our things, I hit the button and cold water gushes from the showerhead. I move under it, shivering a little as I rinse the salt and sand from my hair.
When I turn around, I see Taylor has taken off the rashie T-shirt and is standing under the shower next to me, the coldness clearly affecting her as her nipples stand at full attention beneath her skimpy bikini top.
The cold water does fuck all to calm my own body’s response, as my dick swells at the sight of Captain Taylor Patterson, under the water, body bent back as she rinses out her long blond hair, her tits and their hardened nipples on full display.
As she lowers her head, squeezing her hair out, her eyes meet mine. “What?” she asks.
I swallow hard, my eyes dropping to her breasts again before slowly moving back to her mouth and then her eyes. The question is out before I can stop myself. “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?”
She blinks, running a hand through her wet hair. “Is that one of your yes or no questions?”
I chuckle. “I think it’s a rhetorical question actually,” I say, my eyes dipping back to her breasts. “Because you seriously are sexy as fuck.”
She blushes now, reaching for her towel to dry off. I grab my own towel, subtly trying to readjust myself as I also dry off. When we’re done, I grab the bag of things and hand her a summer dress I bought, before pulling on the T-shirt I got myself.
She stands wrapped in her towel, dress in her hand as she stares at me.
“What?”
“Why’d you buy me this?” she asks.
I shrug. “For you to wear,” I say, gathering the rest of our things. “Come on, let’s go drop these boards back and get something to eat.”
After we ditch the boards, we jump in the car, and I pull out of the car park and onto the road. It’s only twenty or so minutes to our next destination and neither of us speak on the drive there, the sun and wind drying us off along the way.
“Another favorite?” Taylor asks as we head into the fish and chip shop, the smell of grease, salt and vinegar making me groan out loud.
“Yep,” I say. “You eat fish?” Taylor nods, so I point toward the drink’s fridge signaling for her to grab us something while I go and order.
Afterward, we head outside to the tables and chairs set up under some huge sun umbrellas, overlooking the beach. I unwrap the fish and chips, spreading it out between us, along with packets of salt, sauce, some vinegar and napkins.
We eat in silence for a while, both of us starving after our surf.
“Have you always wanted to be a pilot?” she casually asks, breaking the easy peace.
I nod. “Yeah, ever since I was a kid. You?”
“Same,” she replies. “Where’d you learn to fly?” I cock an eyebrow at her and she shakes her head at me. “Fine, did you go to flight school?”
“Nope. You?”
“Yes,” she nods. “Are you ex-military?”
Now it’s me nodding. “Yep, fighter jets.”
Her eyes widen. “Wow, like Top Gun ?”
I chuckle, reaching for another packet of sauce. “No, those guys are Navy. I was Air Force.”
“For how long?”
I glance sideways at her, and she rolls her eyes. “God, you’re a pain,” she mutters before asking, “Were you in the Air Force for less than ten years?”
I grin, ignoring her question as I ask, “You ever been married?”
She stops, pausing with a chip halfway to her mouth. I watch as she swallows hard, lowering it back to the paper before reaching for her drink. Twisting off the cap, she nods before taking a long sip.
“Yes,” I reply. “I was in the Air Force less than ten years,” I add when she gives me a weird look. “Are you still married?”
Taylor shakes her head now, her eyes down as she reaches for another chip. “No,” she eventually says.
I want to ask if the guy we saw at the airport is her ex-husband, which would explain why she seemed so upset when she found out he was getting married. But I don’t, because as much as it feels like she’s slowly letting me in, I don’t want to push too hard. I get the feeling relinquishing control and letting go is hard for Taylor. And I want to hold onto her for as long as I can without making her aware that that’s exactly what I’m trying to get her to do.
We finish up our late lunch, and I gather up the rubbish. When I turn, Taylor is standing behind me, her sunglasses on.
“So, what’s next?” she asks, a hand up to shade her eyes from the sun.
I grin, smoothing a hand across my chest as I look at her and say, “Well, that depends.”
“On?” she asks, head cocked to the side.
My grin widens. “How much you care what the crew will say if we don’t go back to the hotel tonight?”