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Marcus stood, brushing the sand off his pants. He muttered something, then swiveled to Nessa in the crowd and tapped her shoulder.
Brittany lunged off her chair to eavesdrop. Jack laughed and then joined her, lying at the foot end of his chair to watch the charade.
Marcus pointed to her and then said something about it being his birthday. Whatever he’d been attempting backfired, because Nessa—slightly inebriated by the looks of it—wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let’s dance.”
Jack snickered, and Marcus must have heard it because he glared back at him, then ducked out of Nessa’s grip.
“Go on, dance.”
That got Jack the bird. Marcus made up an excuse of going to the men’s room and hurried off the dance floor.
Brittany crouched next to him in the sand. “I’m telling you, Jackson, there’s something up with those two. Their ‘I hate her/him’ routine is just cover.” Brittany slurped the last of her cocktail for emphasis.
“Ya think?” His sarcasm earned him a smack to the back of the head.
“Don’t be a jackass.”
“Wow, great comeback, Brit. Haven’t heard that one before.” This time he avoided the swat. “Of course it’s just a cover. This is classic Marcus. Whenever he sees a girl he likes and isn’t sure she likes him, he does whatever he can to piss her off.”
Brittany shook her head, rolling her eyes dramatically. “What a brilliant mating ritual.” She raised her voice as another song started. “No wonder women don’t understand men.”
“Hey, I didn’t say all men do, just Marc. If she’s pissed off at him, he won’t ask her out. That way he can’t get shot down.” He shrugged. “I never said it was rational, just what he does.”
“This should be fun to watch, then. That girl is a female version of Marcus. They’re meant for each other.” Brittany leaned in even closer. “And the way they wind each other up—you can cut the sexual tension with a knife. So entertaining. Wanna bet she makes the first real move?”
The smile left Jack’s face. “Um, no. I don’t need to lose any more bets, thank you.”
Brittany laughed. “Yeah, good point.”
“What’s so funny?”
Jack looked up to find Vanessa standing before them. “Hey, Nessa. Nothing much.”
Brittany clambered back to her beach chair. “Private Marcus joke.”
“Oh.” Nessa sat with her, glancing between them. “In that case spill!”
“Sorry,” Jack said. “He’s my brother.”
“Is he really your brother? I mean, you’re so different.”
Brittany came to his rescue. “Marcus’s parents adopted Jack.”
“So how come you’re super nice and he’s a big lug?”
“Lug? Nah. Marcus is one of the good guys.” He forced himself to smile. “He got me through… it when my parents died. Without him I wouldn’t have made it.”
She bit her bottom lip, a small frown cutting her forehead. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again. She swiveled a bit as if to leave, then looked back at him. Curiosity and confusion glazed her eyes. “It’s just he’s always so snide and sarcastic around me.”
“That might go both ways, girl,” Brittany said.
Jack shrugged and pointed to said birthday boy threading his way through the crowd toward them. “Give him a chance. Maybe he’ll surprise you.”
And maybe… maybe the same could be said for Ed.
“I’ll hold my breath.”
Me too.
Chapter Fourteen
Ed snuck Jack into his house. They tiptoed through the dark hallway toward the basement. Warm light glowed at the bottom of the staircase, growing as they descended. The stairs creaked in the still of night. Jack cringed and looked over his shoulder. “I’m surprised you invited me here,” he whispered at Ed’s neck. “Bit risky, isn’t it?”
Ed paused, a slight stiffness to his shoulders. He turned slowly, uncertainty and frustration warring for dominance. His gaze skipped behind Jack and back again.
He pushed Jack up against the staircase paneling and covered his mouth, swallowing Jack’s surprised gasp. “I can’t think straight when I’m around you.”
Ed pressed tight against him, tongue probing into Jack’s mouth, needy and demanding. Shivers shot down Jack’s back, and his already hard cock strained against his jeans.
Jack grabbed Ed firmly at the waist, sinking one hand into the back of his hair as he flicked his tongue against Ed’s.
The groan Ed gave thrummed through his hard body, intensifying the shivers.
Jack pushed Ed against the opposite wall, using his hand to cushion Ed’s head. “Not fair.”
“Not… fair?”
Jack sucked the soft, tender spot under his ear, cock greedily accepting Ed’s responding buck. He should be slowing this down. When Ed had called close to midnight, suggesting he come over, Jack had almost said no. He was frustrated at Ed’s no-show at Studio 63. Had promised himself if he came over, they’d talk first.
Jack growled into Ed’s mouth and tightened his hold in his hair. “I waited for you last night. I hoped you’d come.”
He pulled back, a draft cooling his lips.
