Chapter 9: Chapter 9

It felt like only seconds later when in the darkness a warm, moist sensation ran down his abdomen toward his shorts’ waist making his muscles tense in a really good way, in his dream-like state he pictured Emma running her tongue down his body and smiled. He could picture her doing exactly that as it felt much like he would expect a small warm tongue to feel. Moving south, the sensation twirled around his waistband and he squirmed sleepily.

God, she was good with her tongue.

He could picture her soft blue eyes looking up at him sexily and he was definitely getting hard with it. His waistband was tugged slightly, and he felt himself heating up with the dream, fucking her in his sleep was common but this was a new turn, never had he dreamed about her blowing him off and he sure as hell wasn’t about to stop it. He was aware that his brain was trying to wake him up, but he fought it to hold on to the pictures in his head. He didn’t care if he had a wet dream lying here, she had given him plenty in the past months and Daniel sure as hell wouldn’t laugh. All guys did it.

That hot, warm mouth moved lower, pulling his shorts down enough to get the tip of him free and connected with a suction that almost made him come right then. Suddenly realizing this was all a little too un-Emma and feeling a little too real had him sitting up with a start and blinking at his surroundings harshly. He looked down at the still warm sensation encircling his dick and scowled at the brunette with her face in his lap, before shoving her away hard. He sent Miracle, who was fully naked, sliding across the deck aggressively and unceremoniously.

Fuck!

“What the fuck are you doing?” he barked at her, pulling himself right and jumping to his feet. He felt dirty … like he needed a shower all of a sudden. “And put some fucking clothes on.” He snapped again, lifting the towel from Hunter’s lounger and throwing it at her as he saw the tears in her eyes. A look of complete shock and humility, not that he could blame her. Old Carrero would have been more than open to this little scenario only a couple of months ago. Hell, he would have helped it along and taken his shorts off and pulled her onto his lap impatiently.

God damn, Daniel!

This was Hunter’s idea of helping him? Getting his porn star sidekick to blow him off while he was asleep and, judging by the nakedness, she had intended climbing on top when he was turned on. The thought made him feel sick. If he hadn’t woken up, he would have fucked her. God, if his sleep condition had kicked in he would definitely have done it and not exactly in a good way. Like that he was aggressive and fevered and had been known to screw like a caveman with zero control.

Did she even have a goddamn condom with her? Or did she just assume climbing onto him bareback was fucking acceptable because she was a porn star who obviously used birth control?

The thought made his skin crawl, porn stars had never been his type. He liked his women with fewer air miles, so to speak. He wanted to lash out right now, find Hunter and beat him. He was so unbelievably pissed off.

The girl just sat cowering at his temper, clutching the towel across her breasts pointlessly, still as much on show at his unexpected reaction, he felt guilty and held out a hand to help her up when she just continued to stare at him.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay. Just don’t do shit like that. If I wanted to fuck you, then you sure as hell would know about it. I don’t. I’m here with Emma.” She hesitated, then let him pull her to her feet, using the towel a little more successfully and sniffing back a tear. Big doe eyes on show and his temper calming. Girls were hard to be mad at when they did all that vulnerable shit.

“Daniel told me to surprise you, said once I started, you would blow my mind.” She bit on her lip and he felt the rest of the anger dissipate at the childish mannerism Emma had too.

“Daniel’s a prick. You can tell him I said so.” Jake clicked his neck to release the tension and waved her away. Hoping to God she would never try this crap again. He would need to sleep with one eye open or just sleep beside Emma anytime he needed a nap if Hunter was hell-bent on curing his celibacy.

Wanker.

“Go, leave me to cool down and don’t bring this up again, okay?” He would be having some fucking stern words with Hunter; this shit was not on at all. He noticed how the sneaky bastard had never reappeared. With his woman up here, he was probably screwing the other slut down below. Not that he cared. Marissa had had more men than hot dinners in the last decade and Daniel would use and abuse her in any way he saw fit.

The more degraded the better.

“Pussy.” Hunter’s voice carried from behind, and he saw him rising up the ladder from the sea, asshole was swimming not screwing. Rare for him. Mind you, despite all his leering at Marissa he knew Daniel hated her with a passion, maybe enough to bypass sex.

“Fuck off … What the hell was that?” Jake moved at him angrily, temper reigniting at his presence and Daniel feigned a submissive position. Flapping hands like a woman.

“Please don’t hit me, big boy.” He whimpered in a girly voice with fluttering lashes, kissy lips on top of it all.

Jesus, why was this moron his friend?

“Prick.” Jake dove in, grappling Hunter around the waist and pulling him into a wrestling hold on the deck floor. Hunter was quick to fight back and soon they were knocking lumps out of each other and rolling around like idiots. Jake got Hunter with an elbow to the jaw, a muffled grunt before the twins appeared.

“Get a room, pansies,” Vince smirked as he stalked by, dodging the leg that came out to kick him.

“Jealous much?” Daniel pouted from the headlock Jake had him in before Jake shoved him away and punched him in the shoulder a little forcefully. Asshole needed to learn some manners.

Daniel threw him a glare and tried to flick him in the face, Jake dodged easily with his lightning reflexes and jumped to his feet as Richard climbed the last rung onto the boat too.

“Lovebirds at it again?” Richard smirked at his twin and he nodded back. The two of them were like a double act, not a funny one though just a couple of assholes. Jake turned to Hunter with a frown.

“Don’t ever pull that shit again … If I wanted a blow job I would go down and demand one,” he fumed, but both twins just broke into huge grins.

“What have we missed here? Hunter, did you finally embrace your Jake love and try to give the man a BJ?” Vincent burst into hysterical laughter and Daniel only shook his head.

“Ha funny ha, fuck off … He turned down Miracle … Laugh it up, dickheads.” Daniel stuck his fingers up at the pair, lifting a towel from the bed and throwing it at them.

“Why would he want your cast-offs when he has that tight assed little thing looking all fuck-me-now wandering around? I would tap that ass over Miracle any day.” Vincent grinned but Jake’s temper flared.

“Knock it the fuck off … Don’t speak about her like that. Ever!” Jake was growling, full-on fierce protector and he didn’t want them talking about her like she was some piece of meat. He didn’t want them even breathing her way, let alone thinking of touching her.

“Ahhhhh … Jake’s in lurve.” Richie threw a beer toward him and he caught it mid-air. A grip that almost caused it to explode on impact.

“Jake’s not fucking impressed with this conversation so can we just drop it?” He glared at both of them, opening his can while Hunter had the sense to wander off and collapse on a lounger, getting the bed damp with the water still clinging to him.

Jake was not in love … Okay, maybe Jake could be in love, but he shouldn’t be because this was going nowhere and had heartbreak written all over it.

“What’s she like in the sack?” Vincent threw a look his way, but Jake only growled in response. All tension returned, body prickling and ready to start boxing for real.

“Leave him alone, can’t you see he has zero sense of humor when it comes to Emma?” Daniel cut in and the warning look he was throwing off matched Jake’s. He may be a twat and a half, but Daniel didn’t like anyone else giving his best mate a hard time. It was his job alone. Jake was relieved to see the twins take the warning, one thing about them was they respected Hunter’s word. Jake wasn’t with the twins often enough anymore to have the same hierarchy with them that Hunter did, he was losing his edge and getting soft according to them nowadays. He should beat the shit out of them and show them he was still as much Alpha as Hunter was. Beat them for even daring to mention Emma in a derogatory way.

“I think everyone should just chill the fuck out and crack open the beer.” Daniel lifted an eyebrow his way and Jake softened. Drinking was a sure-fire way to calm him down right now and he was game. Emma would be hours yet and if he slept before she came back he would be sober enough to withstand her.

* * *

Being sober at some point had been the plan but as the day had worn on the men had kept on drinking beers, they had swum, headed to the private beach he’d taken Emma to and played a little netball, ran around like kids for a while, and they had pretty much eaten nonstop most of the afternoon.

He had kept checking his watch, wondering what she was doing and hoping she was having a good time with Leila. Not that he should worry, Leila was a good time girl and sweet enough to make Emma feel right at home. He just wished she was here right now, he missed her.

He was too drunk to drive the speed boat ashore when the day drew on and had the ship’s crew taxi them instead, Emma had been gone all day and he had quelled the urge to call her and text her a dozen times. The merrier he had got the stronger the urge to just have her right here in his arms, beside him with that intoxicating little face and perfect smell.

Smell? Jesus, he really was in trouble … Knowing her smell was pretty much admitting in neon lights to himself that he was in love with her. What guy associated a girl with how she smelled and actually ached for it? Fuck.

He was in so much trouble with her.

Miracle kept her distance on the boat ride, but Marissa was borderline humping his leg much to the un-amusement of her date. Vincent was watching her with a face that just yelled “Tramp” at her. Poor guy should have realized this would happen, there was a reason all their trips had a “No Marissa” rule and he had stupidly broken it. She was like a dog on heat whenever she got within a fifty-mile radius of Jake, had been for years.

Apart from one drunken fuck-up that he had no memory of last month, he had never gone down that route and never would again. Even if she hadn’t broken his heart years ago, she was a coldhearted manipulative bitch that he would have seen through eventually. She was the exact opposite of Emma in every way. Not just in looks but in body and soul. Emma was pure and good in every way that Marissa was dark and nasty. He shrugged her away and moved forward enough in the hopes that they would get ashore before he let go and threw her overboard.

The restaurant was nice and private, it had a beach theme and little palm leaf roofs over each table that made it quirky and relaxed. The tables spilled out onto the sand near the shore and were strung with fairy lights now it was getting dull. Not that Jake cared, his mind was on one thing only. Jake couldn’t help but keep watching for Emma’s arrival, he’d text them when they were on the way here knowing a phone call would only have his so-called mates crooning in the background. He was missing her crazily, it felt like she had been gone for days already and a part of him was nervous that he would hate her new hair.

He swore, not one of them better say anything about the day’s conversation.

Marissa was making a hell of a play at trying to get him into some eye on eye action, he had no idea what was with this chick. No patience for the way she was trying to catch his attention when they all picked seats, so he decided to stay on his feet as far from her as he could manage. Last thing he needed was Emma arriving and seeing Marissa eye humping him when he really wanted to avoid all talk of her.

Daniel stayed upright too, coming to his side as the twins ordered in the first round of drinks at the bar. Miracle was sitting next to Marissa, avoiding him at all costs and obviously still embarrassed about earlier, it was obvious the two didn’t exactly get on but were making conversation out of boredom. Marissa was still watching him a little too hawkishly. He wished she would just fuck off.

The twins came back with trays and started dispersing glasses and bottles all over the table, Jake was handed a beer, Daniel already unsteady on his feet was a sign that maybe he should stop drinking. Daniel had the same tolerance as him, and they had pretty much stayed level in the amount they had drunk all day. If he could see signs of it in Hunter, then he was sure he was probably worse than he realized too, and drunk Jake would be no good at behaving himself around Emma. She was too much of a lure for wandering eyes, hands and mouths.

Jake pushed Hunter playfully as he swayed closer and banged into him for the third time.

“Jesus, man … stop trying to cuddle up to me.” He smirked at him and Daniel just shoved him back.

“You’re the one who’s trying it on with me, all this lack of playtime has you thinking bro sex is acceptable.” Hunter just smirked right back cheekily at him as the two twins decide to stay standing too, the four of them forming a little group on the side of the table and ostracizing both women.

“Never, ever would that be acceptable.” Richard cringed, and Jake just shook his head at him.

“Says the guy who slept naked in a womb with another bloke for nine months and most likely a bed for the first few more.” Jake pointed his bottle at him with a cheeky smile. Jake had no problem with gay men, he knew and liked a few of them but his immediate circle of friends right now was obviously not as comfortable with it.

“Yeah, I reckon Vince is the big spoon and Richie here takes it like a trooper … Brotherly love and all that.” Hunter laughed, amused by his own jokes. Jake smiled too, taking a swig of his mellow beer and watching them closely.

“Shut the fuck up … I am not that way inclined!” Richie made an effort at putting on a manly pose and grabbed at his package crudely. “I’m all horny male for tits and ass.”

“Notice he said ass … Not pussy?” Daniel frowned Jake’s way, they clinked beer bottles across the neck with nods of agreement. Riling your mates was the best amusement a guy could get.

“Busted, little brother, now bend over and take it like a good little bitch!” Vince tried to push him forward but was only met with a flustered and almost angry Richie slapping him away.

“Shut up or I’ll tell them about that tramp you let use a strap-on up your ass.” Richie spat at his brother and then laughed when Vincent turned crimson. Only reinforcing the fact he had done that. Both Jake and Daniel grimaced at the thought and looked at one another as if to say “Yeah … just NO.” As kinky as both of them were when it came to sex even they drew the line on some things. Anal on a guy was one of those things, although he was pretty sure if Emma was ever up for that sort of thing he would do it to her.

Mind out of the gutter, Carrero … She’s too pure for that shit.

Jake glanced in the direction of approaching blonde hair for a moment, some inner sense to turn that way, then did a double take when he realized that small blonder wavy-haired girl was in fact Emma. And she looked fucking amazing.

Holy hell.

Her hair had been cut to above shoulder length, somehow the waves had only gotten wilder and sexier being shorter, blonder highlights which lightened her honey-blonde and framed that perfect face in a way that just made every single nerve in his body react impulsively. She was beyond stunning.

Man, he wanted to fuck her right now. Badly.

He quelled the urge to groan, reeling back in the five thousand filthy thoughts running through his head right now and walked toward her. She was locked on him visually, smiling softly and completely inviting. For a second, he could have sworn she had missed him too if her expression was anything to go by. Without even thinking, he was drawn straight to touching that hair, pushing back a strand from her face and reveling in how soft it felt between his fingers.

How soft she looked, how she smelled.

God, he had missed her like crazy and right now she was like some perfect vision of angelic beauty captivating him and knocking everything else out of focus around them as she smiled up at him almost adoringly. The urge to kiss her was killing him. He ran his hand through that touchable hair and concentrated on staying in control as much as he could. Realizing just how close to her he had gotten and cooled his heavy breathing so she wouldn’t see how much he was unraveling. He really needed to sober up if he was going to stop himself.

“I like this. A lot!” He said softly, his eyes heavy with lust and intoxication and knowing being this drunk this close to her was a bad idea, he was fighting with every piece of his strength to not just lean down the rest of the way and kiss her. Her mouth was just calling to be kissed right now, soft, pouted and free of makeup and achingly inviting. He could almost reach her, taste her and he knew she would taste as good as she smelled.

“Thank you.” She smiled, sexy soft-voiced and pulled the hair from his hand, tucking it back with the rest of her short waves shyly. Eyes flooring him in that way she sometimes looked at him that almost convinced him he stood a chance with her. She looked so goddamn adorable when she was like this and he had zero control. He leaned down almost losing the battle to stop himself from kissing her and at the last moment caught it and redirected it to her cheek.

Close, Carrero … So, fucking close.

He needed to have more control than this, he needed to sober up a little if he was going to have to look at her all night in that dress and new very fuckable hair. He had been wrong about her cutting it, as much as he had loved it the way it was this somehow was more her. Made her a hundred times more appealing even though he had never been one for shorter hair. It was softer, sexier yet still angelic and he loved it.

Grasping her hand to ground himself back to reality he looked back at those perfect baby blue eyes which only somehow seemed bigger and softer with all the layers around her face. Jesus his girl was probably the most breathtaking woman he had ever known, and it was taking the strength of a hundred men not to lift her up around his waist right now and devour her. It was almost painful to just take her hand when every fiber of his body was aching for more.

“Come on.” He entwined her small delicate fingers in his, happier than hell to have her back with him again and led her proudly to the table. She was the most beautiful woman in the bistro and he would be damned sure no one else was going to get a look in at her. He wouldn’t be held liable for having to endure some other guy making a play for her, she would see a violence come out of him that would probably send her running for the hills. Emma followed obediently, tightening her hand in his snugly and making him feel like the only thing that mattered right now was that tiny little set of fingers wrapped in his. She felt like home.