him. I mean… I don’t love him. I…he’s like a brother. You know. We’re supposed to give each other a hard time.” She paused. For an articulate attorney who had a reputation for presenting compelling arguments in court, she sounded like an idiot. She sighed. “He gave me enough grief in our younger days, believe me, I owe him.”
Remi still gazed back at her with a worried expression. Damn. Remi was trying to protect him. Jase, the big guy, the fighter, the guy who’d protect anyone on his team, and that included the family team. Kyla’d seen it. She sighed. “Sorry, Remi. I guess you have to understand our families.”
Remi’s mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed a little. “Yeah. I’m just an outsider.” She lifted her chin. “But if you hurt Jase…” She paused as if she wasn’t sure what kind of threat to use. Kyla felt her lips twitch. The little pipsqueak wasn’t exactly scary. Kyla almost laughed, but inside she also felt a pang of…what was that? Envy? That Jase had someone looking out for him like that? Jase, the last person in the world who needed protecting.
Or…maybe… everyone needed someone to look out for them. It was kind of sweet. Which almost made Kyla roll her eyes. And also feel a little burn of jealousy deep inside.
Stupid.
She smiled at Remi. “Don’t worry.”
The guys were coming back, wading through the shallow water, hair dripping. Tag lifted both hands to his head to sleek his hair back and the pose showed off his perfect shape, wide shoulders and chest tapering down to narrow hips. His board shorts rode so low on his hips it verged on indecent and Kyla couldn’t drag her eyes away from there. Then Tag hooked his thumbs in the wet shorts and tugged them a little higher. She blinked.
Jase grabbed Remi and wrapped her in a big wet hug that made her squeal. “Oh my god, you’re cold! You’re getting me all wet.”
He laughed and picked her up and started walking back towards his parents’ cottage. Kyla watched them go, then turned back to see Tag, Matt and Logan exchanging glances.
“There they go again,” Logan said. “Besides Mom and Dad, they’re the only ones with their own bedroom.”
“Where’d Jess go?” Scott asked.
“She took Emily and Caleb back to the cottage. Caleb needed a diaper change.”
“Better go see if she needs any help.” Scott and Michael both headed for the cottage.
“I’m hungry,” Logan said. “Let’s go find some lunch.” He and Matt started walking down the beach too. “Coming, Tag?”
“Yeah. In a minute.” He held the towel in his hands and stood next to Kyla. “How’re you feeling today?”
“Good.”
They were alone on the beach. Around the rocky point that separated the public beach from the cottages, the public beach was probably filling up with people, beach blankets and umbrellas, but here nobody else was out yet.
“You coming skiing later?” He rubbed the towel slowly over his chest.
“Sure.”
“Mom’s planning a game night tonight at our place. You’re all invited.”
Kyla nodded. “Cool. Just like old times.”
“Yeah.”
She studied him, his tanned skin gleaming in the bright sun, remembering the game nights of the past, how competitive he and his brothers were. And how competitive she was and how they’d had cut-throat games of Monopoly and Rummikub and Trivial Pursuit. She watched a drop of water slide down the side of his neck, then lower, slowly trickling down his chest. She wanted to go up on her tiptoes and lick that drop of water.
Heat suffused her body, and not from the noon sun overhead. Flashes of her dreams returned, hot glimpses of Tag naked, underneath her, on top of her. She swallowed. She lifted her gaze to his face and the heat in his eyes had her breath stalling. Tension arced between them as they stood there eyeing each other. When he looked at her mouth, her eyes went heavy-lidded and her heart began to thud.
“Oh man,” he said. He swiped the towel
Remi still gazed back at her with a worried expression. Damn. Remi was trying to protect him. Jase, the big guy, the fighter, the guy who’d protect anyone on his team, and that included the family team. Kyla’d seen it. She sighed. “Sorry, Remi. I guess you have to understand our families.”
Remi’s mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed a little. “Yeah. I’m just an outsider.” She lifted her chin. “But if you hurt Jase…” She paused as if she wasn’t sure what kind of threat to use. Kyla felt her lips twitch. The little pipsqueak wasn’t exactly scary. Kyla almost laughed, but inside she also felt a pang of…what was that? Envy? That Jase had someone looking out for him like that? Jase, the last person in the world who needed protecting.
Or…maybe… everyone needed someone to look out for them. It was kind of sweet. Which almost made Kyla roll her eyes. And also feel a little burn of jealousy deep inside.
Stupid.
She smiled at Remi. “Don’t worry.”
The guys were coming back, wading through the shallow water, hair dripping. Tag lifted both hands to his head to sleek his hair back and the pose showed off his perfect shape, wide shoulders and chest tapering down to narrow hips. His board shorts rode so low on his hips it verged on indecent and Kyla couldn’t drag her eyes away from there. Then Tag hooked his thumbs in the wet shorts and tugged them a little higher. She blinked.
Jase grabbed Remi and wrapped her in a big wet hug that made her squeal. “Oh my god, you’re cold! You’re getting me all wet.”
He laughed and picked her up and started walking back towards his parents’ cottage. Kyla watched them go, then turned back to see Tag, Matt and Logan exchanging glances.
“There they go again,” Logan said. “Besides Mom and Dad, they’re the only ones with their own bedroom.”
“Where’d Jess go?” Scott asked.
“She took Emily and Caleb back to the cottage. Caleb needed a diaper change.”
“Better go see if she needs any help.” Scott and Michael both headed for the cottage.
“I’m hungry,” Logan said. “Let’s go find some lunch.” He and Matt started walking down the beach too. “Coming, Tag?”
“Yeah. In a minute.” He held the towel in his hands and stood next to Kyla. “How’re you feeling today?”
“Good.”
They were alone on the beach. Around the rocky point that separated the public beach from the cottages, the public beach was probably filling up with people, beach blankets and umbrellas, but here nobody else was out yet.
“You coming skiing later?” He rubbed the towel slowly over his chest.
“Sure.”
“Mom’s planning a game night tonight at our place. You’re all invited.”
Kyla nodded. “Cool. Just like old times.”
“Yeah.”
She studied him, his tanned skin gleaming in the bright sun, remembering the game nights of the past, how competitive he and his brothers were. And how competitive she was and how they’d had cut-throat games of Monopoly and Rummikub and Trivial Pursuit. She watched a drop of water slide down the side of his neck, then lower, slowly trickling down his chest. She wanted to go up on her tiptoes and lick that drop of water.
Heat suffused her body, and not from the noon sun overhead. Flashes of her dreams returned, hot glimpses of Tag naked, underneath her, on top of her. She swallowed. She lifted her gaze to his face and the heat in his eyes had her breath stalling. Tension arced between them as they stood there eyeing each other. When he looked at her mouth, her eyes went heavy-lidded and her heart began to thud.
“Oh man,” he said. He swiped the towel
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