Page 26 of Love You Like This

I’m not sure what I was expecting from Stephen’s beach house, but it definitely wasn’t the home built right next to the beach tucked away from all the sprawling resorts. It’s much smaller than the Beverly Hills house but no less spectacular. The living room and kitchen are open concept taken to the next level with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that slide into the walls creating a seamless indoor outdoor living situation. Gauzy curtains float on the cool breeze coming off the crashing waves of the Pacific.

“Xander, can you take Jade to her room?” Stephen asks.

“Sure.” Xander gestures for me to follow him down the hall to the left after he grabs my suitcase. When we come to the first door on the right, he gestures for me to enter. “This is your room. We share a bathroom, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh no, the horror.” I grab my chest dramatically. “How will I ever survive?”

He gives me an amused smile and sets my suitcase on the bench at the end of bed. I can’t help but wonder if his lips feel as good as they look.

I need to stop.

He’s my stepbrother.

“I’ll let you get settled in,” he says, stepping toward the hall.

“Okay. Do you know if your dad has anything planned for us today, or can I put a bikini on and lay out by the pool?”

“We always just chill the first day we come down. A chef will usually be by to prepare a meal for us.”

“Thank you.”

He tosses me a grin and a nod of his head as he closes the door behind him. Before pulling out my swimsuits, I take myself on a little tour. There’s a walk-in closet with more than enough space. I’m obviously not leaving any clothes here, although it would be so nice to just travel between the homes carrying light luggage like Xander.

The bathroom we share is definitely large enough for both of us. Mosaic glass tiles line the walls in all shades of blue, mimicking the way light filters through water. There’s only one sink, but there is a built-in vanity which I’ve always wanted. The shower has a waterfall shower head as well as two coming from the wall.

The door to Xander’s bedroom swings open, startling me. I jump and slap my hand over my chest.

“Shit, sorry.” He chuckles. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, it’s fine. I was just looking around. I’ll let you do whatever.” I wave my hand around awkwardly.

I walk back into my bedroom before I make an even bigger fool of myself. Unzipping my suitcase, I dig until I find the bikini I want. It’s my favorite, a mossy green with white polka dots string bikini. I quickly change and forgo a cover-up since it’s just us at the house. Hopefully Mom has sunscreen because I forgot to grab mine.

Xander steps into the hall at the same time as me. He’s wearing a pair of low-slung board shorts and no shirt, clearly having had the same idea. You wouldn’t think he’d be so cut by looking at him in regular clothes. He’s tall and lanky with the type of subtle muscle that comes from being a musician. Then you see him shirtless and realize it’s just an illusion. Planes of muscle cover his body from his shoulders all the way to the divots leading in a V-shape to his shorts.

“Looks like we have the same idea,” he says.

“As long as I can find sunscreen. I forgot to pack mine.”

“Oh, we’re stocked. I’ll show you.”

He leads me to a closet at the end of the hall and pulls open the door. Stacks of turquoise and white stripped towels line the top shelves. He grabs two and then pulls out a basket of different tanning oils and sunscreens. I opt for the highest possible mineral SPF and grab it. There’s no way I’m trusting this tropical sun with my glow-in-the-dark skin.

After he grabs a bottle of what I assume is his preferred sunscreen, we walk side by side out to the living room. The sound of muffled, rhythmic bangs against the wall filters down the hall from the other side of the house. It takes me a second to catch on, but when I do, I look up at Xander.

His face reflects the same disgusted look as mine. “Gross.”

“Eww,” I say at the same time.

We both break into laughter as he wraps his hand around my arm and pulls me outside to the patio. I head for the lounge chairs as far from that end of the house as possible. He lays the towels out on the chairs. I start rubbing the thick lotion onto my arms and chest.

“I don’t know what’s brighter, the sun or your skin,” he teases as he rubs fucking tanning oil into his skin.

“Don’t come crying to me when you get skin cancer at thirty using that shit,” I volley back at him. I finish applying it all to everywhere I can reach. “Can you get my back?” I hold the bottle out to him.

After the slightest hesitation he takes it and puts a little in his palm. I turn and give him my back. His hands are warm and strong as he starts rubbing the sunscreen between my shoulder blades. They move to my lower back and continue to work the lotion in.

“Can you make sure to get some under the string, too?” I ask, noting how he avoided that area. “You can just slide your hands under it.”