4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

ANNIE

It was after an hour of intimate touches, kisses, and pillow talk that we finally dragged ourselves from my bed. I took another quick shower, pulling on my favorite pair of jeans and a flowy yellow top I knew Izzy liked for me to wear and then found a pair of yellow strappy sandals before pulling my hair back into a cute messy bun. All for her because it certainly wasn't for my comfort.

Jet grinned at me from where he was perched against my dresser, waiting, and held out his hand. "Ready, beautiful?"

My heart swelled. I'd missed him so much.

It was when we got back to his house that my stomach sank.

I was dying for time with Jet. Just him, and that time we'd just spent alone in my room hadn't felt like nearly enough after he'd been away. But as soon as we'd walked back to his house, he was inviting his cousin.

"I still don't see why we had to come out tonight . Surely, your friends know we're knackered from the trip," Nic complained as we pulled into the gravel parking lot at Breaker Ridge.

Lord, give me patience. I looked up to the roof of Jet's car as I rolled my eyes. I honestly didn't know how Jet was keeping a straight face.

"Because Tucker and Izzy are having a hard day, and we want to help them keep their minds off things," he explained again as he searched the parking lot for an empty space.

"Shouldn't the dance be distracting enough? Why do they need you?"

"Just trust me, they do. Plus, it's the end of spring break, and I haven't been out with Annie yet. You didn't have to come," Jet added at his cousin's scowl.

"There's Tucker's truck," I cut in before anything worse could come out of my mouth, pointing out the window to the lifted Chevy parked near the front doors.

"Looks like they got here pretty early, then. I'm shocked," Jet said with a grin as he continued down the rows of cars.

"No kidding." I grinned back. "I wonder how Tucker managed it."

"Threw her in his truck as is?"

"Threatened her favorite pair of dancing heels is more like it."

I caught Nic rolling his eyes in the rearview mirror and had to bite my tongue to not jump down his ass. He'd been in a shitty mood since I'd met him at the airport, and his attitude was really starting to grate on my nerves. I looked down at the diamonds on my finger and willed my patience to hold out. This was the first of Jet's extended family I'd ever met, and I did not want it to go to shit. It was possible there was more going on, but hell, meeting Nic was definitely going worse than I'd ever pictured it.

Jet pulled into an open space towards the back of the old, wooden building and glanced between us. "Y'all ready?"

Nic grunted. I just bit my lip harder. Really, why had he come?

Jet pulled his seat forward so Nic could get out from the back and then ran around to my side to get the door. I smiled, but then my head whipped around in surprise when Nic cursed.

"Argh. Would something a little larger have been out of the question?" he snapped, gripping the back of his head with an angry glare at the Mustang.

"I thought Europeans liked small cars," I snapped before Jet gave my elbow a soft squeeze, trying to ease my tension, and I clenched my teeth shut again.

"Don't diss the car, bro." Jet's fingers slid down my arm to take my hand, guiding me towards the doors. I felt Nic's eyes on our backs for several seconds before he followed.

A current pop song was blaring from the speakers when we stepped inside, and Nic's brow rose, taking in the scene, while I started searching the crowd for our friends.

"So, what do you think? Is it what you expected?" Jet asked, looking over at his cousin.

Nic shook his head slightly as his eyes moved around the room. "I didn't really know what to think. It's definitely different from the clubs back home."

"It's not exactly a club, but yeah, I'll bet," I commented, still searching the crowd as a country song started to play, and Jet chuckled at the look on Nic's face with the sudden, seamless change of dance style.

"I guess you don't really listen to country music over in London, huh?"

"No, I'd say not." His nose scrunched slightly in disgust. "Is that a bar over there?" he asked, already walking off.

"Well, that was abrupt." I frowned.

Jet shrugged and wrapped an arm around my waist. "Do you want to dance?"

Bracing myself on his shoulder, I searched the crowd on my tiptoes. "I was trying to find Izzy and Tucker, but it's so damn crowded in here tonight."

"I'm sure they're dancing, sweetheart."

I dropped back to my heels in disappointment. "You're right, but they want to see you, too."

"Not as much as you, I hope." He tightened his hold, nuzzling his nose behind my ear, and I gasped as his breath ran across my skin.

"Not even close." I smiled, turning to slow peck his lips.

"Come on." He pulled me out onto the dance floor with a sexy as hell smirk. "Just try not to trip."

ISABEL

I laughed as Tucker twirled me and pulled me back even tighter against him than before, the thrill of dancing running through me. How free it could make me feel. Especially tonight, when this was just for me, for us , without the threat of an audition and my regression hanging over me. Tucker's hand slid around my waist, and I looked up into those warm whiskey eyes, my heart swelling in my chest. He'd known just what I'd needed, my unwanted thoughts cast away once I was here in his arms.

He twirled me skillfully around the dance floor, our movements perfectly in sync as the song was coming to a close, and he led me through the last steps before spinning me around and pulling me close in his arms. My thumb brushed along the line of his jaw, my eyes lost in his. This was everything. He'd done so much for me. For months, years really, he'd been the rock by my side. Sometimes, I felt bad about not being able to…

His brow dipped as my expression must have shifted, and I quickly doused the idea from my thoughts. Tonight, right now, was special. That was all that mattered. All that I should let in.

The faster beat of a pop song started to play, and I turned in Tucker's arms, his hand still splayed across my waist as I leaned against him to dance. My arms stretched up to touch his neck, and he had to adjust quite a bit for us to line up, but as soon as we did, it was like fire, my hips moving and grinding in sync with his.

There was electricity between us. A spark that flared to life, and Tucker was all in, his lips and teeth grazing along the back of my neck and my shoulder while I rolled my ass against his straining cock. A part of me flared to life, one that I still wasn't sure I was ready to trust, but I'd allow it for now. Here, like this. Except the tension between us had grown absolutely combustible by the end of the song, and I had to step away, placing a hand to Tucker's chest for space .

"I think we should take a break," I gasped. Fire stared back at me in those whiskey depths, longing swirling with temptation and desire, but it only took Tucker a beat before he nodded and blinked, the flames simmering back under control.

"Sure. Do you want a drink?"

"I'm okay for now. Oh, look, there's Emma and Mateo. Didn't you say we would help run interference for them tonight? Let's go say hi. I wonder who they're talking to," I mused aloud as I pulled Tucker over to our friends. "Hey, guys. Having fun?"

"Not as much as y'all just were." Mateo smirked, and Emma elbowed him in the side. "Oomph, uh, I mean—"

I held up a hand to cut him off. "Don't worry about it, Mateo."

"So, have y'all met Nic yet?" Emma asked.

"Who? Whoa." I gaped as I glanced over to what looked like an older preppy Jet. Like almost carbon freaking copy. It was so weird.

A dark brow raised as the guy extended a hand first to me, then Tucker. "Hi, I'm Nic. Jet's cousin," he greeted.

"I'm Isabel…Izzy." I corrected myself.

"Tucker." We took turns shaking his hand.

"Hey, guys. Miss me?"

"Jet!" I cried, spinning around to throw my arms around my friend. He squeezed me in a playful bear hug, my feet lifting from the floor. "Ow, ow sunburn!"

He laughed and let me go as I turned to greet Annie. "Oh, your top! I'm so proud!" I pointed to my matching yellow dress, and she beamed as I laughed, loving our accidental twin moment .

Jet reached over and clapped Tucker on the back. "Hey, how's it going? Everything okay?"

Tucker clapped him back. "Doin' alright. How was Greece?"

"Oh! Yes, please tell," I gushed, spinning back around to face them.

"Interesting." He grinned. "But I'll tell y'all about it later. You've met Nic?"

"Yeah, I don't remember you mentioning him coming, though?" Tucker gave him a curious look.

"It was really more of a spontaneous decision," Nic cut in, and I shook my head a little at hearing the accent again.

"Alright." Tucker nodded. "So, how long are you here for? Sticking around for a while? You're here just in time for the heat to start picking up."

"I'm not sure. Perhaps just a few weeks. Maybe a little longer. I'm not too rushed to get back." Nic's tone was dry, void of emotion, except for everything I could hear hidden underneath, and my brow furrowed slightly, something in his tone calling out to something within me. There was more to his story.

"Well, if you're staying a while, it would be cool if you made it through Jet's birthday," Tucker cut in.

Nic glanced at Jet. "May, right?"

Jet nodded. "Just a couple days before yours."

"Oh, that's cool." Emma beamed.

"My anniversary with Annie is first, though," Jet added. "Just a few weeks away."

"Sweet. We outta pull off another camp out like last year. Give you and Annie another night to celebrate." Mateo rolled his hips as he grinned. "At least one of us should be getting some."

"Not this crap again." Emma rolled her eyes and swatted him in the stomach, and Mateo flushed, immediately looking chagrined.

"I was just giving Jet his props, baby."

"Shhh…we're in public, and like hell you were."

Sensing the quickly mounting tension, I broke in between them, my body brushing temptingly close to Tucker's in the process. My hands lingered on his abs for just a moment before I cleared my throat. "Aren't we supposed to be keeping suspicion off y'all tonight?"

"Good point." Emma suddenly looked worried. "Tucker?" She held out a hand.

He ran a hand through his hair before answering, his body brushing against my back. His throat sounded tight when he replied, "I think I'm gonna go grab a drink first. Raincheck?"

"O-kay…" Her eyes followed him as he took off in the crowd.

I immediately felt bereft with him gone.

"I'll dance with you, Ems." Jet offered her a hand.

"Thanks. Do you mind, Annie?"

"No. Go ahead. Maybe you won't slow him up."

"Mateo?" I asked.

"Sure," he replied, letting me whisk him out into the crowd, leaving Annie off to the side with Nic.