Miracle kept her distance on the boat ride, but Marissa was borderline humping his leg much to the un-
amusement of her date. Vincent was watching her with a face that just yelled “Tramp” at her. Poor guy
should have realized this would happen, there was a reason all their trips had a “No Marissa” rule and
he had stupidly broken it. She was like a dog on heat whenever she got within a fifty-mile radius of
Jake, had been for years.
Apart from one drunken fuck-up that he had no memory of last month, he had never gone down that
route and never would again. Even if she hadn’t broken his heart years ago, she was a coldhearted
manipulative bitch that he would have seen through eventually. She was the exact opposite of Emma in
every way. Not just in looks but in body and soul. Emma was pure and good in every way that Marissa
was dark and nasty. He shrugged her away and moved forward enough in the hopes that they would
get ashore before he let go and threw her overboard.
The restaurant was nice and private, it had a beach theme and little palm leaf roofs over each table that
made it quirky and relaxed. The tables spilled out onto the sand near the shore and were strung with
fairy lights now it was getting dull. Not that Jake cared, his mind was on one thing only. Jake couldn’t
help but keep watching for Emma’s arrival, he’d text them when they were on the way here knowing a
phone call would only have his so-called mates crooning in the background. He was missing her
crazily, it felt like she had been gone for days already and a part of him was nervous that he would hate
her new hair.
He swore, not one of them better say anything about the day’s conversation.
Marissa was making a hell of a play at trying to get him into some eye on eye action, he had no idea
what was with this chick. No patience for the way she was trying to catch his attention when they all
picked seats, so he decided to stay on his feet as far from her as he could manage. Last thing he
needed was Emma arriving and seeing Marissa eye humping him when he really wanted to avoid all
talk of her.
Daniel stayed upright too, coming to his side as the twins ordered in the first round of drinks at the bar.
Miracle was sitting next to Marissa, avoiding him at all costs and obviously still embarrassed about
earlier, it was obvious the two didn’t exactly get on but were making conversation out of boredom.
Marissa was still watching him a little too hawkishly. He wished she would just fuck off.
The twins came back with trays and started dispersing glasses and bottles all over the table, Jake was
handed a beer, Daniel already unsteady on his feet was a sign that maybe he should stop drinking.
Daniel had the same tolerance as him, and they had pretty much stayed level in the amount they had
drunk all day. If he could see signs of it in Hunter, then he was sure he was probably worse than he
realized too, and drunk Jake would be no good at behaving himself around Emma. She was too much
of a lure for wandering eyes, hands and mouths.
Jake pushed Hunter playfully as he swayed closer and banged into him for the third time.
“Jesus, man … stop trying to cuddle up to me.” He smirked at him and Daniel just shoved him back.
“You’re the one who’s trying it on with me, all this lack of playtime has you thinking bro sex is
acceptable.” Hunter just smirked right back cheekily at him as the two twins decide to stay standing too,
the four of them forming a little group on the side of the table and ostracizing both women.
“Never, ever would that be acceptable.” Richard cringed, and Jake just shook his head at him.
“Says the guy who slept naked in a womb with another bloke for nine months and most likely a bed for
the first few more.” Jake pointed his bottle at him with a cheeky smile. Jake had no problem with gay
men, he knew and liked a few of them but his immediate circle of friends right now was obviously not
as comfortable with it.
“Yeah, I reckon Vince is the big spoon and Richie here takes it like a trooper … Brotherly love and all
that.” Hunter laughed, amused by his own jokes. Jake smiled too, taking a swig of his mellow beer and
watching them closely.
“Shut the fuck up … I am not that way inclined!” Richie made an effort at putting on a manly pose and
grabbed at his package crudely. “I’m all horny male for tits and ass.”
“Notice he said ass … Not pussy?” Daniel frowned Jake’s way, they clinked beer bottles across the
neck with nods of agreement. Riling your mates was the best amusement a guy could get.
“Busted, little brother, now bend over and take it like a good little bitch!” Vince tried to push him forward
but was only met with a flustered and almost angry Richie slapping him away.
“Shut up or I’ll tell them about that tramp you let use a strap-on up your ass.” Richie spat at his brother
and then laughed when Vincent turned crimson. Only reinforcing the fact he had done that. Both Jake
and Daniel grimaced at the thought and looked at one another as if to say “Yeah … just NO.” As kinky
as both of them were when it came to sex even they drew the line on some things. Anal on a guy was
one of those things, although he was pretty sure if Emma was ever up for that sort of thing he would do
it to her.
Mind out of the gutter, Carrero … She’s too pure for that shit.
Jake glanced in the direction of approaching blonde hair for a moment, some inner sense to turn that
way, then did a double take when he realized that small blonder wavy-haired girl was in fact Emma.
And she looked fucking amazing.
Holy hell.
Her hair had been cut to above shoulder length, somehow the waves had only gotten wilder and sexier
being shorter, blonder highlights which lightened her honey-blonde and framed that perfect face in a
way that just made every single nerve in his body react impulsively. She was beyond stunning.
Man, he wanted to fuck her right now. Badly.
He quelled the urge to groan, reeling back in the five thousand filthy thoughts running through his head
right now and walked toward her. She was locked on him visually, smiling softly and completely inviting.
For a second, he could have sworn she had missed him too if her expression was anything to go by.
Without even thinking, he was drawn straight to touching that hair, pushing back a strand from her face
and reveling in how soft it felt between his fingers.
How soft she looked, how she smelled.
God, he had missed her like crazy and right now she was like some perfect vision of angelic beauty
captivating him and knocking everything else out of focus around them as she smiled up at him almost
adoringly. The urge to kiss her was killing him. He ran his hand through that touchable hair and
concentrated on staying in control as much as he could. Realizing just how close to her he had gotten
and cooled his heavy breathing so she wouldn’t see how much he was unraveling. He really needed to
sober up if he was going to stop himself.
“I like this. A lot!” He said softly, his eyes heavy with lust and intoxication and knowing being this drunk
this close to her was a bad idea, he was fighting with every piece of his strength to not just lean down
the rest of the way and kiss her. Her mouth was just calling to be kissed right now, soft, pouted and free
of makeup and achingly inviting. He could almost reach her, taste her and he knew she would taste as
good as she smelled.
“Thank you.” She smiled, sexy soft-voiced and pulled the hair from his hand, tucking it back with the
rest of her short waves shyly. Eyes flooring him in that way she sometimes looked at him that almost
convinced him he stood a chance with her. She looked so goddamn adorable when she was like this
and he had zero control. He leaned down almost losing the battle to stop himself from kissing her and
at the last moment caught it and redirected it to her cheek.
Close, Carrero … So, fucking close.
He needed to have more control than this, he needed to sober up a little if he was going to have to look
at her all night in that dress and new very fuckable hair. He had been wrong about her cutting it, as
much as he had loved it the way it was this somehow was more her. Made her a hundred times more
appealing even though he had never been one for shorter hair. It was softer, sexier yet still angelic and
he loved it.
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