A faint trace of humor gathered in his eyes.
“I said swimming. Not skinny-dipping. I’ll make you breakfast after,” she bribed. “What’s your favorite?”
“Darlin’ I like it all, but pancakes are probably my favorite. Let me grab my trunks.”
“Pancakes are my brother’s specialty, but I make a mean eggs, hash browns and bacon.”
They ambled back to her house at 3:00am. JC changed into her cutest brown bikini and found Reed already in the pool when she came outside. He’d been covered in dust and refused to come inside the house. She was fairly certain he changed into his trunks behind a palm tree on the side of the house.
It took a half an hour for her to relax and stop thinking about the look and feel of his golden-tan wet skin. Unable to take his eyes off her, Reed seemed just as anxious. Their bodies casually bumped against each other, briefly touching as they swam and sat on the steps at the edge of the pool. They finally fell into a deep intimate conversation, both telling stories of how they grew up and the hardships they suffered losing their parents.
Reed opened up, talking about the loss of his only brother in Iraq. “My little brother was seven years younger than me.” He tossed JC a small sullen smile. “He was killed in a road-side bombing two months after his deployment.” Another look of morose curled at the edge of his mouth. “Andrew was an adrenaline junkie, competitive, athletic…he thought he was invincible. He saved two other soldiers before the second blast took his life.”
Though he spoke about his parent’s lives, he became uncomfortable talking about their deaths. Reed spoke quietly, saying only, “Momma, she died of a heart attack and Dad didn’t live long after she passed."
JC held his hand, gently manipulating the center of his palm for reassurance and understanding. Over the years, she spoke of her daddy often, but it was unusual for her to open up about the loss and heartache she felt when he died.
“My daddy died when I was a senior in high school. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him.” It’d been seven years, but grief and sorrow still leaked from her eyes uncontrollably. “He could do just about anything. Work hard and play harder, that was one of his many mottos. Well, that and always be truthful. He’d always say, ‘Nothing good comes from lying’. He was fun, yet stern. A big teddy bear.”
“He sounds like a good man.” Reed smiled softly giving her fingers a double-squeeze.
She nodded in confirmation. “He was the best. I miss him.”
JC continued to talk for nearly an hour. Sharing her sadness with Reed brought a deep sense of relief, her wall of self-preservation dissolving.
“What about Tom? Are you close to him?”
JC nodded quickly. “We’re super close. I definitely think of him as a second dad. My mom and dad were crazy about each other, so we didn’t think she’d ever date again. Even she never expected to date again, but when she and Tom met it was like…bam—” she slapped her palms together, “—fate. Something you’d see on the silver screen or read about in a book. And Tom, well, you know, no one ever expected him to get married.”
JC couldn’t help but feel like a barrier had been broken between them and within herself. Their attraction toward each other was blatantly obvious, but an intimate connection of friendship drew her closer to him. JC had never taken her time kissing a man, nor had a man ever taken his time pursuing her. If she was attracted to a man, she dated him. However, Reed had the patience of a saint and seemed to be in no hurry.
At dawn when the dark sky turned to gray, they hopped out of the pool. Reed went home to shower and change into shorts and a t-shirt. JC rinsed off and threw on a summer dress before starting breakfast.
Reed sauntered in through the back door into the kitchen. He stood behind her, watching as she laid strips of bacon into the pan. His strong hands lifted to her shoulders and coasted lightly down her arms. Searing awareness washed over JC, prickling her skin with heat. Her breath turned heavy and her lids fluttered shut relishing in the pleasure of his touch. Without any reluctance she tilted her head to the side exposing a vulnerable spot on her neck.
Nuzzling into her wet hair, he muttered something about her scent, but she couldn’t hear him over her pulse rampaging through her veins. She spun around slowly, staring at the affliction and desire hidden deep within his ice blue eyes. His arms went around her in a warm embrace as he dipped his head and she closed her eyes—
Bzzz bzzz bzzz!
JC’s heart lurched at the sound of her phone vibrating on the granite countertop. Glancing at the number, she panted, “It’s my sister. If I don’t answer, she’ll just keep calling.” Pulling her close, he stroked her hair as she huffed out a breath of aggravation answering the call. “Morning sis.”