He hadn’t told me where we going, only asking that I pack shorts, a bathing suit and lots of nudity. I liked the way his mind worked. I’d managed to include a few fun pieces of lingerie, and under the short cotton sundress I was wearing now, I had on a very small pair of sexy panties and a matching lacy bra. I was prepared for any possibility.
“Hey, babe.” Owen wrapped me in his arms the minute I opened the front door. “God, you’re gorgeous.” He cradled my head in his hands and leaned down to kiss me, hard and fast. “Care to come away with me for some fun and adventure?”
“If the fun includes naked time, take me away.” I snuggled into his arms. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”
“That might be a dangerous promise.” His voice was rough, and I felt the hard outline of his cock pushing against my stomach.
“I trust you,” I murmured, running my hand down the muscles of his back. “Now let’s go. I want you naked and on top of me as soon as possible.”
Owen took my bag and held my hand as I locked the door behind me. He’d just popped the trunk of his car to toss in my suitcase when a familiar car pulled into the driveway. I squinted over my shoulder as my brother jumped out and stalked over to us.
“Oh, this can’t be good,” I breathed, glancing up at Owen. “Let me handle him, okay? This is between the two of us—Kade and me.”
Owen looked as though he was going to argue with me for a minute, and then he nodded. “I’ve got your back.”
“What the hell, Jacey? What do you think you’re doing? Sneaking out of the house like a guilty teenager the minute my back is turned?” Kade’s hands were on his hips, and his chest was heaving. His jaw was clenched. Over his shoulder, I spotted Leah, mouthing an apology to me from the passenger seat of the car.
“First of all, I’m not sneaking anywhere. I’m going away for the night with my boyfriend. I’m twenty-six years old, Kade. I’m not fifteen, I’m not a kid, and I’m not your responsibility. I’m a grown woman. Secondly, you’re acting like an idiot. You’ve alienated your friend, and you broke your promise to me—the one where you said you wouldn’t interfere with my relationship with Owen.” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. “Why are you even here, anyway?”
He shrugged, looking away. “I forgot my wallet. I guess it’s a good thing I did, or we wouldn’t have known where you were when we got home. Did you even think about that, Jacey? When you were being all grown-up and shit? Did you stop to consider other people’s feelings?”
I rolled my eyes. “Leah knew what was happening. I would have been happy to have told you, too, but you were too busy acting like a horse’s ass!” I threw up my hands. “God, you’re just impossible, Kade. Did you ever stop and think that what you’re doing is making me less and less happy about my decision to move out here? I was excited to come help you and Leah. I love Emma, you know that. But I can’t keep this up. If you’re going to behave like a jerk whenever I spend time with Owen, I won’t stay here. I’ll move out.”
“Is that a threat?” A tic jumped in Kade’s cheek. “You’re threatening me that if I don’t let you go out carousing with this guy you just met, you’re going to run away from home? Real mature, Jacey.Realmature.”
“I’m not threatening anything, Kade.” I was suddenly tired of this. Tired of fighting my brother, tired of having to convince him that I was capable of running my own life. “I’m not carousing. I’m going away with my boyfriend, not running off on a drunken weekend with a bunch of men. And Owen isn’t just someguy.” I swallowed. “He’s the man I love. I want to go spend a night alone with him because we’re in love, Kade. If you can’t accept that—accept us—then yeah, I’ll have to find alternate living arrangements. I don’t want to do it, but I will if you force my hand.”
Kade stared at me, frowning. His forehead wrinkled. “You’re in love with him? With Owen?”
“She is.” Owen stepped closer to me, snugging my back against his solid front. “I love Jacey. We’re together, and if you can’t accept that ... well, that’s kind of sad. I’d like to think you could be happy for your sister and a man you call your friend.”
Kade blinked, but he didn’t say anything.
Owen closed his hand around mine. “C’mon, honey. Let’s go. We’ll talk with Kade when we get back, but tonight is our time, for just us.” He guided me to the passenger side and opened the door to let me in. After he’d shut the door again, I watched in the mirror as he rounded the back of the car, pausing by Kade to lay a hand on his shoulder before he joined me, sliding into the driver’s seat.
“You okay?” He examined me closely, twining our fingers together and bringing my hand to his lips.
“Better than okay, as long as I’m with you.” I smiled. “Let’s go.”
* * *
For the first hour of our drive, I tried to guess where Owen was taking me. Teasing him to get hints took both of our minds off what had happened with Kade; I was determined that I wouldn’t let my brother steal our joy in each other.
We took route 460 East, but it wasn’t until the road morphed into Interstate 264 and I saw some road signs that I realized what our destination had to be.
“Owen ... are you taking me to the beach?” I bounced up and down in my seat. “Seriously? Oh, my God!”
He grinned, clearly pleased by my reaction. “Where else would I take my California girl but the beach? It won’t be exactly the same as what you’re used to, but Virginia Beach has got sand, an ocean and sunshine.”
“As long as it’s got you, I couldn’t be happier.”
I could barely contain my excitement as we pulled up to a high-rise hotel right on the beach. Owen took our bags out of the trunk and tossed the keys to the waiting valet. After a quick stop at the registration desk to check in, an elevator whisked us up to our suite.
The room was perfect. Wide floor-to-ceiling windows gave us an expansive view of the beach, and every thoughtful touch, from the gleaming wood furniture to the plush robe in the large bathroom, exuded luxury. But what caught my interest most was the king-sized bed that beckoned me.
I turned to Owen, fitting my body to his. “This is the most perfect place I can imagine. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“You’re very welcome. I’d do anything for you, babe. Anything that would make you happy. I hope you know that.” He rubbed small circles over my back before he brushed his hands lower to cup my ass, urging me even closer. “God, Jacey. I feel like a kid about to lose his virginity. I can’t think of anything but wanting you.”
