Page 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next day, Sean and Harper leave for San Francisco. Garret doesn’t want to surf alone so we’re spending the entire day together, which rarely happens. We usually spend the day with Harper or Sean or both of them.

We have breakfast out on the deck. It’s a beautiful morning, bright and sunny with a light breeze. I got up early and did laundry and cleaned so I wouldn’t have to do it later. Then I showered and dressed, all while Garret was still asleep. When he finally woke up, he made breakfast like he always does, but we didn’t get to have our morning tradition and now I’m really missing it.

He’s sitting next to me, shirtless and wearing the gray drawstring shorts he wore to bed. His hair is tousled and looks all hot and sexy. I have this urge to reach over and run my hands through it.

“Jade, you should learn to surf so we could go together.” He takes my empty plate and sets it aside, on top of his.

“No, thanks. I don’t want to be eaten by a shark. The news always shows people on surfboards getting eaten by sharks.”

He laughs. “So every time I out go out there, you think I’ll be eaten by a shark?”

“Nah, I don’t worry about you getting eaten.” I take a sip of my water.

“And why is that?”

“I just don’t think they’d find you appetizing. And obviously they don’t because they haven’t approached you all summer.”

He slides my chair closer to him. “I’m very appetizing. They just know better than to come after me. I intimidate them with my large stature and big muscles.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” I lean over and kiss him.

He pulls me out of my chair and onto his lap. “So I think we should discuss the honeymoon thing again.”

“We’ve already discussed it several times. It’s not a good idea. Like your dad said, you need to hide out for a while. Let people lose interest in you. Otherwise we risk having cameras following us around.”

“So we’ll go to Europe. You told me you always wanted to see a real castle. Europe is full of castles. We can see as many as you want.”

“Rich people travel to Europe. I’d be worried you might run into someone from the organization. Just seeing those men at Harper’s house had me in a total panic.”

He runs his hand up and down my arm. “That’s over, Jade. You can stop worrying about it.”

“I’ll never stop worrying about it. What if they change their mind and try to take you away from me again?”

“It’s not going to happen. They have no interest in me.”

“Then why were they bothering you at Harper’s house?”

“Because they know my dad. They were just saying hello.”

“They weren’t just saying hello. Those guys surrounded you and I didn’t like the looks they were giving you.”

“How about Italy? Or France?” he asks, changing the subject.

“Next year I’d love to go. But not this year. I just can’t do it, Garret. I want to be able to relax during our honeymoon, not be stressed out. We’ll go next summer for our one-year anniversary.”

He sighs. “Fine. I guess I can’t really argue with you about it since you’re the one who’ll be paying for it.”

“It’s not my money. It’s our money.”

“It’s still strange how you’re the one saying that now instead of me.”

“Hey, you just mentioned money so you know what that means. You owe me.” I adjust myself on his lap so that I’m straddling him.

He puts his hands on my butt and tugs me closer. “Whatever you want. I’m all yours.”

“I’m thinking a massage would be nice.”

“I can do that.” His hand moves behind my neck and he pulls me in for a kiss. “I love giving you massages.”

“Only because they lead to sex,” I say, kissing him back.

He talks against my lips. “I could skip the sex part if that’s what you want.”

“No, I definitely don’t want to skip that part.”

He brushes my hair aside to talk in my ear. “Maybe I’ll try something new. Spice things up a little.”

It drives me crazy when he talks soft and low in my ear like this. Crazy as in I-have-to-have-him-right-now crazy.

I sit back a little. “I’m kind of worried about this new stuff. Can we just hold off on that for a while?”

He laughs. “I’m not going to show up with whips and chains if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Good. ’Cause that’s not really my thing.”

“And what is your thing? What’s your fantasy, Jade?”

“I never thought about it so I don’t know.” I pause. “I guess I kind of always wanted to have sex on the beach. That’s really lame, isn’t it?”

“It’s not lame. Why didn’t you tell me this before? The beach is right here. We could do it right now. Well, maybe later when it’s dark out.”

“It’s too messy. I don’t want sand in all my . . . girl parts.”

“That’s your only fantasy? Sex on the beach?”

“Garret, forget I even said it. I’m good with the way things are. I don’t need a fantasy. I don’t need you to spice things up. I’m completely happy. Nothing needs to change.” I run my hand through his sexy, tousled hair. “So what’s your fantasy?”

He gazes at me. “I’m looking at it.”

“What?” I glance around. “You mean me ?”

He smiles. “Yes, Jade. You.”

“I’m not a fantasy. I’m a person.”

“You’re my fantasy. I can’t get enough of you. Your eyes, your body, your hair, your voice. Everything about you turns me on. I thought the effect you have on me would diminish a little after all these months, but it just keeps getting stronger.” He stands up, taking me with him and carrying me into the house. “The more I’m with you, the more I want you.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’re wearing a sundress.”

“Yeah? So?”

“You in a dress is like two fantasies in one.”

He kicks the door shut, then backs me against it and hoists me up a little. He kisses me, parting my lips with his tongue as he slides my sundress up my thighs. He deepens the kiss as I loosen the drawstring on his shorts, letting them fall to the floor. He has nothing on underneath.

I secure my arms around his neck and tighten my legs around him. His one hand remains under me, supporting my weight, while his other hand pushes my panties aside to make room for him. He thrusts gently at first, making sure he’s not pushing me too roughly against the door. I stiffen my back and hold on tighter, giving him a signal to move faster and harder, which he does. He keeps going, his breathing heavy, his chest beading up with sweat until we both feel the release at nearly the same time.

I guess this is what he meant by something new. We’ve never done it against the door before. But I liked it. I liked it a lot. We’re definitely doing that again.

He sets me down and gives me a kiss. “So you want to go anywhere today?”

It makes me laugh. “That’s it? You don’t want to discuss what we did just now?”

“What’s there to say? We had sex. We have sex all the time.”

“Yeah, but not against the door.” I adjust my sundress, pulling the skirt back in place.

“I was trying something new. You didn’t like it?” The cocky smile appears. “Because it kind of seemed like you did.”

“I liked it. It was hot. Really hot.”

“See? It’s good to try something new. We needed a change of scenery. The bedroom was getting boring.”

I go over to him as he puts his shorts on. “You still owe me that massage tonight. You’re not getting out of it because of this.”

“I’ll give you a massage this afternoon if you want. And another one tonight, especially if you keep walking around wearing this.” He tugs on the strap of my dress.

His cell phone rings and he checks to see who’s calling. “It’s my dad.” He hands me the phone. “You talk to him. I’m gonna go shower.” He takes off for the stairs.

“Wait. He’s calling you, not me. He’s your dad.”

“He’ll be your dad, too, in a couple weeks. Just answer it.” He disappears up the stairs.

I hadn’t even thought about that. Pearce will be my father-in-law soon. Weird.

“Hi, Mr. Kensington. It’s Jade. Garret’s in the shower.”

“Hello, Jade. And I told you to call me Pearce.”

“Yeah, I forgot. Do you want Garret to call you back?”

“He doesn’t need to. I was just calling to tell you that Lilly and I will be out there this Saturday. I know it’s earlier than I’d planned but we’re going to stay at Grace’s house for a few days.”

“Grace who? You mean my—”

Pearce cuts me off. He always thinks people are listening to his phone calls and it’s probably true. Garret said the organization occasionally monitors the calls of their members. And none of them know my connection to the Sinclair family.

“Grace Sinclair,” Pearce says. “She’s a friend of the family. You’ve met her. She’ll be at the wedding.”

“Yes, I know Grace. I thought you meant a different Grace. So you’re staying at her house?”

“Just for a couple days. She’s lonely now that her husband is gone so I thought it’d be good for her to have some company. She’s excited we’re coming. She’ll love having Lilly there. She’s very good with children. Anyway, we’ll drive up to your place on Tuesday. We probably won’t get there until evening so we’ll just head to the hotel. I’ll send Garret the information for where we’ll be staying. Grace is staying there, too.”

“Why is Grace coming here so early?”

“She didn’t want to drive herself so I invited her to come with us.”

“Couldn’t you just pick her up the morning of the wedding? Santa Barbara isn’t that far away.”

“Yes, but she’s going to babysit Lilly for me while I attend to some business.”

“Oh. That’s too bad you have to work while you’re here.” I laugh. “As the owner of the company you should give yourself a week off.”

He hesitates, then says, “Yes, well, there’s always work to be done.”

From his tone I get the feeling that the work he’s referring to isn’t company work. It must be something related to the organization. What are they making him do? And does he have to do it a few days before my wedding? I don’t feel good about this. In fact I’m feeling really sick right now.

“Jade, are you still there?”

“Yes. I’m here.”

“Lilly wanted to say hi quick. I’m going to give her the phone.”

“Hi, Jade!” she says in her tiny kid voice. “I miss you!”

“I miss you, too.”

“I made you a picture of all of us in the pool with fireworks in the sky.”

“That’s great, Lilly. Make sure you bring it with you when you come out here.”

“I will. Dad says I have to go. Bye!”

Pearce gets back on the phone. “She’s excited about the wedding. She’s been practicing throwing flowers. I got her some fake petals.”

“Pink ones,” she yells in the background.

“I need to be going, Jade. I’m taking Lilly to her ballet lesson today because Katherine is out of town. We’ll talk soon. Tell Garret I said hello.”

“Okay, bye.”

I hang up, still not believing how much Pearce has changed. I wonder if it will last or if he’ll eventually go back to being his old self.

A few minutes later, Garret comes down the stairs. “What did my dad say?”

“That he’s coming out here this Saturday.”

“A whole week before the wedding?”

“Yeah, he’s going to Santa Barbara to stay with Grace for a few days.”

He looks surprised. “Really?”

“I know. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

He walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge. “I guess not. He’s known her family for years and he got to be good friends with Arlin last spring.”

“He said he’s bringing Grace to the wedding but that they’re coming here next Tuesday. Grace is babysitting Lilly while your dad works. But I don’t think he meant work for Kensington Chemical. I think he meant work related to the organization.”

“Whatever. I don’t want to know.” Garret starts rummaging through the fridge, moving stuff around on the shelves. “That’s his thing to deal with, not ours, and I don’t want you even thinking about it. He shouldn’t have even mentioned it to you.”

“He didn’t. I’m just guessing that’s what he meant.”

My cell phone rings and I see that it’s Harper. “Hey, Harper. Are you in San Francisco yet?”

“Not yet. We stopped to eat. Hey, can you make sure I locked the door to our place? I thought Sean locked it and he thought I did so now I don’t know if it’s locked.”

“Sure, I’ll go check.”

“Thanks. Oh, and my dad just called. He and my mom are driving up next Tuesday. He said they’re staying at the same hotel that Garret’s dad is staying at. My dad has to do something for work, so Mom and I are going shopping Wednesday.” I hear dishes clanging in the background. “Our food’s here, so I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, bye.” We hang up and I go stand next to Garret in the kitchen. “Harper just said her parents are driving up here next Tuesday and that her dad has to work while he’s here.”

Garret grabs his keys from the counter. “Yeah. So why are you giving me that look?”

“Don’t you think that’s strange? Both her dad and your dad have to work? And they’re staying at the same hotel?”

“No. They both work a lot and there aren’t many hotels in this town.”

“I guess.”

“Jade. What did I say about worrying about shit? Whatever my dad’s doing is not your concern.” Garret threads his hand with mine and pulls me toward the door.

“Where are we going?”

“To the store. We’re out of milk. Actually we’re out of a lot of stuff.”

Before I go to the car, I check Harper’s door to make sure it’s locked. It is, so I text her and let her know. She worries about stuff almost as much as I do. She didn’t used to, but I think the past few months my worrying rubbed off on her.

Garret and I get in my convertible and head to the grocery store. We never have a list. We just wander the aisles and toss whatever looks good in the cart.

I like grocery shopping with Garret. It makes me feel like we’re already married, just doing our normal routine. Last year, if I heard myself say that, I would’ve thought I’d lost my mind. Grocery shopping makes me feel married? And this is a feeling I want? It’s crazy! But now I wouldn’t have it any other way.