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She’d always been so pale in her teens, even when they’d spent the better part of the mid-morning out of the beach, soaking up the sun, walking and talking. But she’d always been slathering on sunscreen.
He’d once teased her about it, and the look that had come over her face had made him realize it wasn’t vanity or some predilection for burning easy, despite her fair complexion—it had something to do with her dick of a father.
She no longer worried about letting the sun kiss that fair skin. She was all peaches and cream and he wanted to lick her up.
Just then, her gaze met his across the table and the connection was electric.
He saw her throat work as her breath caught, watched her cheeks go rosy and her eyes darken.
Blood drained out of his head, traveled south.
Fuck, he wanted her. Like he wanted his next breath.
“Stop it,” she mouthed silently, as an echo of his need flared in her eyes, darkened them to the shade of a forest as a mist settled over the trees.
He gave her a slow smile, watched those eyes darken a fraction more. Then, before he eroded his control anymore, he looked at the quiet boy sitting next to him. “How are you settling in, Jacob?”
“Fine, I guess.” Jacob jerked a shoulder in a shrug as he answered, not even looking up from his plate.
A real talker, Travis mused.
“School going okay?”
Jacob did look up at that, his lip curled in a sneer. “Oh, it’s fantastic. I’ve been moved around so much, I’m behind in half the shit, and ahead in the rest.”
“Watch your mouth, Jacob,” Isabel warned.
He snorted and focused back on his food. Shoveling a bite of mashed potatoes in, he swallowed, then darted another look at Travis. “Anything else you think you need to ask? Show me a little more interest so maybe she’ll fuck you because you were nice to all of us?”
“Jacob!”
Jacob flinched at her voice, then straightened his shoulders and tossed Isabel a cold look. “What ... it’s not like I’m lying. That’s all guys like him ever do.”
“Jacob,” Travis spoke before Isabel could. “It’s bad enough you’ve got to insult a woman who’s been nothing but decent to you, but you’re also insulting yourself.”
That had Jacob whipping his head around to glare at Travis. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Guys like me ... I’m assuming you mean because I’ve got a decent-looking face and I’m spending time with Isabel. Well, you’re not ugly. So I assume when you get older, that’s how you plan to treat women?”
Jacob shoved back from the table, eyes hot on Travis’s face. “Listen, you dickless wonder, just because I might look like my dad doesn’t mean I’m anything like him.”
“Okay.”
Jacob opened his mouth, closed it.
Travis picked up his glass of wine and took a sip before looking back at the kid. “That woman over there can see through a man trying to pull one over at her quicker than you can tie your own shoes, and she’s been doing it longer than you’ve been alive. So, either you can learn to start respecting women—and trust them—therefore showing you reallyaredifferent than your dad, or you just disrespect them in another way. Up to you.”
Jacob gave him an ugly look then spun on his heel and stormed out.
The taut silence lingered over the room in his wake, Isabel covering her face with her hands.
Brooklyn piped up, “Is Jacob going to be in trouble for saying one of the D words?”
Isabel made a sound that could have been a strangled groan, could have been a laugh.
“That’s Ms. Bella’s business,” Storm tugged teasingly on Brooklyn’s hair. “You going to finish those mashed potatoes? You said you wanted them, but you barely touched them. If you don’t plan on eating them ... ”
Brooklyn snatched up her fork and gave Storm a challenging look before scooping up a monster bite to shove into her mouth.
