Page 57 of Dr. Brandt

“I’m going to take the trail down and go for a walk on the beach,” Jessa said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Hold up,” I called out. “I’ll head down with you. You want a beer or something?”

“That sounds nice,” she answered. “Maybe a blanket and a glass of wine would be better.”

She gave me a look that made my dick suddenly throb. Fucking hell. Of all the times my dick decides to come out and play, it’s when we’re stacked on top of each other in this house. I hadn’t responded sexually with Jessa since first seeing her at that resort, and now, when we’re all in this home like a bunch of fucking vacationers, the damn thing decides to finally give me a fucking pulse.

“Everything okay?” Jessa waved her hand as if trying to bring my mind back to earth.

Oh, just having an internal argument with my dick. All fucking good here.

“Yeah, I was just thinking…” I paused. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back with a blanket and some wine.”

“I was kidding,” she said with a laugh. “I wondered why you sort of blanked out just now.”

Because I suddenly want to fuck you under that blanket after we’ve had a glass of wine? Because I’m suddenly hornier than ever? And, most of all, because I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, and I was such a goddamn fool to leave you?

“Okay, cool. Be back in a sec,” I said, then turned to walk toward the house where Jacks was already fifty steps ahead of me.

“All right. The room’s up here, Champ,” I said, walking up two sets of floating pine steps to reach a loft where two separate rooms were situated.

“Champ?” Jacks said in a tired, humored voice. “Funny, that’s what Mom calls me.”

I smiled. “Yeah? She called me that in college too because I kicked ass, sort of like those Lakers are going to do this evening.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Jacks said when we reached the third floor, and I turned left to the room where he’d be staying.

“You just did, but please, do ask another,” I teased, raising my arm to admit him into the corner room. The view of the cliffs and the ocean was out of this world.

There goes that sex on the beach idea, I thought, realizing you could see for miles from this window. It was like a goddamn lighthouse or something.

“You and Mom?” he started, and his curious expression killed any sex drive that had possessed me from out of the clear blue sky minutes ago.

“Were good friends in college,” I said slowly, begging him with my eyes not to get it right now.

He scrunched his face up with a look that made my stomach knot.

Jesus Christ, kid. Please do not put it all together here and now, I thought, knowing he was worn-out but scared as hell I was about to answer for being the deadbeat dad he never cared to meet.

“I don’t know. I’m just tired,” he said.

Then he shook his head as if trying to rid himself of a question he was too afraid to ask. A question that I was too chicken shit to answer.

“You look it,” I smiled and ruffled his thick, black hair, another thing he’d inherited from his grandfather and me. “Get some rest, and hey, what’s your favorite snack to eat while watching the game?”

He chuckled. “I don’t know. I never got to chill out and watch a game like that before. I had to watch on my phone in my room because Warren was always watching the news. He hated watching games.”

Why does that not surprise me?

“Well, that sucks for him,” I said. “There’s nothing like eating chicken wings and chips and dips while drinking beers and watching the game in the luxury of your own home.”

Jackson’s face lit up. “I love nachos. Maybe I’ll be hungry for something like that later, but I need to take a nap first,” he finished. “You and mom enjoy your walk or whatever on the beach.”

“You’re a good kid. You know that?” I said, and I thoroughly meant it.

“Thanks. I think you’re a pretty good doctor, too. And thank you for helping me through the seizure today. Sorry I sort of ended everything early.”

“I am pretty fucking pissed that I couldn’t go back through that aquarium again,” I smirked.

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