Chapter 14: Turning Point

Going back to the boat, Jake was disappointed to find the entire party following them, so they had no time alone.

The boat ride back had been eye-opening, though, with Emma standing between his legs as he perched on the edge of the side and her arms around his neck.

She had been about an inch from his face the whole time, talking about nothing specific. Her eyes had kept moving to Jake’s mouth longingly, and he had to curb kissing her about a thousand times even though his hands were on her hips and she was pulled practically into his groin.

One little inch forward and a tiny head tilt was all it would have taken. She was already mirroring his pose and screaming, “kiss me.”

He didn’t know if she had any idea what signals she was giving him right now or if she was subtly telling him to go for it. She was drunk and feeling more carefree, and it confused him as to what to do.

She was giggling, touching him, and if she had been any other girl, he would have high-fived himself as all the cues were there that he had scored.

But this was her, and she was innocent in all ways sexual. She trusted him, and he didn’t want to kiss her in front of these people, anyway.

If and when he did make a move, he wanted it private, so she could relax and decide without pressure if she wanted it.

He didn’t want to ruin anything between them, and that kiss so long ago in the hotel had made him wary of trying too haphazardly.

On the boat, he had left her to wander the deck with Leila and headed to the lounger. He would let her make the moves if that’s what she wanted.

Let her relax. Let her come to him and play it by ear.

It was the only way he could think of playing this where she was concerned, and that way, he couldn’t screw this all up by assuming it was what she wanted.

He kicked back and decided to let it go a little, drink more, and get as merry as her if he was going to stop overthinking all of this.

Maybe that was half his problem.

He was trying to stay sober so he wouldn’t make moves on her when he should be throwing caution to the wind and going with the flow.

That’s what she seemed to be doing tonight, and watching her dance, drink, and get in the party mood was definitely doing it for him.

“You’re in there, you know?” Daniel slid down on the lounger next to him and smiled his way, waving a bottle toward Emma and Leila on deck.

“She’s been giving you the come-on since she got to the restaurant, man. What are you waiting for?”

“You don’t know her as I do… She’s nothing like the women we normally chase, Danny. She requires a little gentle handling.”

Jake frowned his way and then back at Emma. She was laughing with Leila and falling over one another while trying to change the song on the stereo.

He smiled at just how adorable she was.

The normal Jake Carrero would have had that chick naked in less than three minutes, fucked, and back on deck to party within the first couple of hours on this boat.

“Man, by now, you would have fucked her a dozen times in every position and moved on to someone else… You really are pussy whipped.”

Daniel slumped back and shook his head at Jake, smirking uncontrollably. “Shut up… I don’t want to be that guy anymore.”

Jake mirrored Daniel’s pose and slid another beer from the table to cradle on his abdomen.

Both stared up at the perfect starry sky, contemplating things in general.

“No, you don’t want to be that way while your head is all invested in her. If she was out of the picture, you would revert to kind, mate.”

Daniel prodded him on the shoulder, and he flicked him away.

“Maybe she made me realize that doing all the shit I’ve done in my past isn’t enough; it was fun, but it was never fulfilling enough to make me happy. It’s why I hit it so hard and constantly… Looking for more and never finding it… Until her.”

Jake looked toward his best friend with a sigh. Daniel regarded him coolly.

“Bang her, spend the night making her fantasies come true, but know if a line is drawn, then all of this stops.

You go back to who you were, and you let that chick do her job.”

Daniel’s stern tone was not that of a guy being a dick but a best mate offering wisdom.

Jake had to agree with what he was saying despite it not being what he wanted to hear. Tonight was the turning point.

If he made moves, and she wanted it, he would go for it, but if she didn’t, he would stop it all.

And by ~all~ he meant all this celibate shit and pining for her and accepting it would never happen.

None of this was healthy, and he had no more energy for it. “I should stop! I think I’ve had enough.”

He could hear her protesting Leila’s advances with more alcohol.

Voices were coming their way, and Daniel raised an eyebrow at him before sliding off to join the twins dancing badly on deck with Marissa and Miracle.

“Hush now, we’re on vacation… party, party, party!” Leila was loud and obnoxious like her normally drunken ass could be.

“End up comatose or throwing up in my own shoes, you mean?” Emma sighed as she watched her grab the rail for support.

That perfect little body encased in that short floaty red dress and looking a little too divine. “Your loss, sweet cheeks.”

Leila pouted cheekily and turned toward the dancing group with a smile, swinging her hips and leaving Emma to either follow or not.

Emma turned his way, looking at him in a way he knew meant she wanted to be beside him right now. ~She wants this… Take her cue, Jake.~

“Come, ~bambina~!” Jake’s eyes met hers, a look between them that he couldn’t mistake.

Years of those same looks from women meant that, even on her, he could recognize it.

Emma was most definitely finding him attractive enough tonight to want something more than just platonic touches.

With a little beckoning finger wiggle, he patted the lounger beside him suggestively. ~She wants you.~ ~She wants this!~ ~Relax and go with it.~

His heart had upped its beat, and his body felt clammy, nerves kicking in and telling him he should drink a lot more.

Jake never got nervous around women… Ever.

She pushed herself off the rail without hesitation, and with a sultry look pasted on her face, chewing her lip, she made her way toward him on unsteady legs.

She got within a foot of the bed and fell ungraciously on top of him. Luckily, even drunk Jake had fighter’s reflexes and caught her soundly.

Okay, maybe in some awkward places his hands shouldn’t have strayed, but he pulled her to the side of him and wrapped an arm around her quickly to avoid drawing attention to the hand that had fully palmed her breast.

~She has amazing tits.~ “Crap.”

She breathed through a giggle that made him only want to pull her closer; her skin was a little cool from standing up on the deck all night, and he wrapped his warmer body around her to cocoon her in his own heat.

“Bit drunk there, Miss Anderson?” He laughed at her, enamored by that twinkling set of eyes and the precious smile stuck in place.

Trying to erase the feel of her breast from his hand, she said, “Of course not,” and then looked immediately confused.

Jake just cuddled her more, too goddamn perfect for words. He had it bad, and he knew it.

Everything she did had him weak for her, and even something as simple as the cute slurring of words had him wanting to squeeze the life out of her.

“Glad to see you letting go.” He smiled, almost nose-to-nose with her. “I think falling on top of your boss is more than letting go.”

She laughed, relaxing in his arms and regaining control of her vocabulary once more. “I’m not your boss for the next two weeks.”

He winked suggestively, plying on the hints thickly that he was completely on board with however she wanted to play this.

Full flirt mode coming out but being played low. “Okay, I shall rephrase … Falling on top of your temporary, not-boss, is overdoing it.”

She giggled again, the breeze blowing her hair up around her face suddenly, and he reached out to smooth it back so he could continue to stare into those cool blue pools of perfection.

Her eyes had always drawn him. From that first time in his office, those baby blues had captured him and haunted his mind always.

She could unravel him with one look.

“Do you need me to put you to bed?” he asked, hoping that if he got her away from watchful eyes and maybe alone, they could further explore what this was tonight.

He also hoped she was picking up the subtle hints in that question. ~Gentle handling, Carrero.~ ~Listen to her, read her signs.~

“Do I not need to put ~you~ to bed?” she slurred again, and he couldn’t help but laugh at that suggestion. ~If only.~

“I’m sure I can handle way more alcohol than you, tiny.”

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He joked, keeping a firm hold on her body and slowly letting his hands trail down her back toward her ass. She wasn’t stopping him, anyway.

All signs indicated that he wasn’t reading this wrong at all. “I’m not so sure. I haven’t seen you walk yet.” She pointed at him in the universal drunk air jab.

Too goddamn adorable for words, and her mouth was most definitely getting closer to his, her body moving slowly toward him.

“I’m sure after seeing you make an attempt at that, it proves you’re worse than me.” He shifted to move his groin away from her a little.

She was getting too close for comfort, and unlike most women who liked to feel the effect they were having on him, he knew Emma wouldn’t.

She wasn’t like any girl he had ever known, and this game of seduction was nothing like any he had played.

The ball was in her court, and he was playing along with whatever she was allowing. He wouldn’t scare her off by moving in all Carrero panther-like.

“I like your dimples when you smile.” She prodded his face.

Focusing on his features a little too closely, distracted by them, it seemed, and licking her lips as her eyes moved to his mouth. He all but groaned.

~She’s giving every prompt and signal unknowingly, innocently … Fuck.~ “And there she is.”

He grinned, trying to deflect just how horny she was making him right now.

“There who is?” she asked in confusion, a frown creasing her forehead and her eyes coming back to his.

“Drunk Emma … How are you doing? I missed you, baby.” He smiled, although, truth be told, she had been drunk since the restaurant.

“You missed drunken Emma?” she asked, blinking suspiciously. “I did.” He smirked as that little jealous twinkle hit her eyes. All good signs for him.

“Why? … Do you like her more than me?” She pouted with sad eyes, not even smiling when he laughed at her and shook his head. Too sweet for words.

“You are drunken Emma…” He soothed, shifting his knee between them a little to keep that wriggling body of hers from getting back into his groin as that was the way she was heading.

Aware of it or not, she had inched herself right against his chest and abdomen and caught her feet in his; she was trying to get as close as possible, and it was taking all his willpower not to flip her on her back and stick his tongue in her mouth.

He was almost certain she wouldn’t refuse it, but the voices of the others on deck were killing this.

He wanted it a little more special than making out in front of them, especially Marissa and her wolfish eyes that had been undressing him all night.

“No. I’m not… I’m just Emma… Drunken Emma is…” She looked flustered, and he could only laugh.

“Why are you laughing? I’m being serious!” She subtly pulled her hands across her chest between them, but it only made her more appealing.

He prodded her nose playfully. “You’re cute when you pout.” He prodded her in the face lightly again before pinching her nose.

He could touch her all day and never tire of it.

“Why do you like her more?” She slapped his hand away sulkily, more pouting and the saddest eyes he had ever seen.

It just made him want to laugh all the more. ~God… adorable personified.~ ~Jesus.~

“How can you not love this version of you?” He wrapped his arms tighter around her, now that she had taken them from her chest, back to her previous close position and planted a kiss on her cheek.

He snuggled his head into the crook of her neck and maneuvered her body to mold into his a little better.

If he weren’t in direct line of that luscious mouth, he would be less likely to pounce on her, and down here, he could at least inhale that sweet skin and perfume to his heart’s content.

~Jeez, she felt good.~ “Pffft … I don’t love her then.”

She tried to wriggle free huffily, and he had to lift his head to see that wounded expression, which was all but killing him.

She really had no clue how freaking awesome she was. “Because I do?” He smiled at that adorable frown. “Yes!” “That makes no sense.”

He jested, stopping the urge to poke her in the face.

Playground flirting techniques were not normally his thing, but she seemed to bring it out in him.

“Yes, it does … If you like her so much, she must be a leggy bimbo.”

She sulked and looked away from him, all hints of childish green-eyed monster on show. ~Interesting.~

“I already told you, I don’t actually like leggy bimbos, Emma.” He lifted his head more to stare at her fully, nose to nose.

He instantly thought about stopping that sad little face with a kiss.

He was close enough, sure enough, that she wanted him to, yet he didn’t want to do it this way. Not here.

He inched close enough, eyes fully locked on the target, and didn’t take the shot. ~What the fuck is wrong with you?~ “I don’t believe you.”

She almost gulped at the slight reaction to his near kiss, another hint that she was into this. He just had to stop being a pansy and do it.

Stop worrying about fucking things up and kiss her. He had built this moment up in his head so much that now he had too many nerves to try.

She couldn’t throw any more signals at him if she tried. “Well, that’s your prerogative.” He smiled softly this time, willing himself to go for it.

Moving in slowly once more, pushing his crazy scared shitless self aside and forcing himself to kiss her.

The scrapes and shifting noises on deck snapped his attention guiltily away as though his mom had just walked in and caught him trying to fuck someone in his room, and he looked toward them.

It was obvious by the way Daniel was maneuvering Miracle’s dress off that sexy time was about to get underway, and Daniel wasn’t exactly shy about fucking in front of others or letting them join in.

~Shit.~ “Time for bed … I know what Daniel’s like. Showtime equals go time!” He didn’t like that Hunter was doing this with Emma here.

He would never expose her to that sort of degrading show. Emma wasn’t that kind of girl.

“What’s he like? What do you mean ‘show-time’?” She looked at him questioningly as he effortlessly pulled her up in his arms.

He was getting her below deck before she saw anything that made her uncomfortable.

“He likes kinky sex, he’s an exhibitionist, doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, he’ll try to pull you in; he has no qualms about fucking in front of an audience.”

He frowned Daniel’s way, knowing no way in hell would he ever let any of them touch his girl. Jake caught sight of Leila getting up to leave too.

She had never been into that whole scene, and being Hunter, she didn’t want to hang around to see. Richard was following her.

“Will you join in?” Emma squeaked at him, a completely crestfallen look on her face, thinking he might want to.

His heart was warming slightly at the obvious upset, thinking he might. He had her. ~Fuck no … She was far more alluring than that shit.~

“No, it’s not my thing, Emma.” Not anymore, not in a long time, especially when he had something better to be a different guy for.

“You said you did it on your dad’s boat when you were younger … group … stuff.”

She accused him softly, obviously thinking back to old conversations from when he was stupid enough to believe they would stay friends.

He regretted being so open about his past, wondering if it made her look at him like she was at Daniel—disgusted. ~Fuck.~