Page 92 of The Jack*ss in Class

“Hey,” I called, jogging the last few steps.

Tempest turned, her smile breaking across her facelike sunshine. She wore a flowing sundress that accentuated her curves, her wild curls whipping slightly in the growing breeze. “Hey yourself.”

Without thinking, I pulled her into a hug, lifting her slightly off her feet. She laughed, and the sound did dangerous things to my heart rate.

“How’s your break been so far?” I asked, setting her down but keeping my arms loosely around her waist.

“Amazing.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Better than I could have hoped. How’s everything going with the Bandits?”

“Impressive,” I admitted, taking her hand as we started walking along the path toward the beach. “The facilities are insane. Gryff’s trying to be cool about it, but I can tell he’s impressed too.”

We reached the sand, both of us kicking off our shoes. The beach was emptier than I’d expected, especially for a nice evening, though a few determined couples and families still lounged on colorful blankets or splashed in the waves.

“Those clouds are moving in fast,” Tempest noted, looking toward the horizon where the dark mass had grown significantly since morning. “Maybe we should have picked an indoor activity.”

“A little water never hurt anyone,” I grinned, pulling her toward the waves. “Come on, live dangerously.”

She hesitated only a moment before laughing and running with me toward the water’s edge. The surf crashed around our ankles, cold and shocking against the warm evening air. Tempest shrieked as a larger wavesplashed higher than expected, soaking the hem of her dress.

“You trying to get me all wet?” she teased, eyes sparkling.

“Baby, I haven’t even started. You’re going to be soaked,” I challenged, reaching out to grab her up.

But she laughed and sprinted away. “Gotta catch me first, Kingman.”

What followed was utterly ridiculous, and more fun than I’d ever had with any woman before. The two of us chased each other through the shallow surf, splashing and laughing like children. She let me catch her eventually, breathless and beautiful with droplets of seawater on her skin.

“You’re mine now, Navarro,” I said softly, tucking a wet curl behind her ear.

Something shifted in her eyes then, vulnerability replacing playfulness. “Maybe I am. Maybe you’re mine. What are you going to do about it?”

The moment hung between us, weighted with possibility. I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs tracing the curve of her cheeks. “First, I’m going to kiss you. Because it’s all I’ve been thinking about for days.”

She smiled at that, a soft, shy thing that made my chest ache. “And then?”

“Then,” I said, lowering my head until our lips were a breath apart, “I’m going to figure out how to make this work, even if I end up in LA and you’re still in Denver.”

Her eyes widened slightly, surprise and something like hope flickering in their depths. “You’ve been thinking about that?”

“I’ve been thinking about nothing else,” I admitted, the confession easier in the fading light with the sound of waves crashing around us.

In the distance, thunder rumbled, but I barely registered it as our lips finally met. This was a real kiss, deep and searching, her arms winding around my neck as I pulled her closer. She tasted like salt and sweetness, like everything I hadn’t known I was looking for, hadn’t known I needed. Everything I’d denied myself for too many years.

A louder crack of thunder finally broke us apart, and we looked up to find the sky had darkened dramatically. The few remaining beachgoers were hurriedly packing up, casting wary glances at the approaching storm front.

“Looks like we’re in for some weather,” I murmured, reluctant to break the moment but increasingly aware of the strengthening wind.

From a nearby blanket, a portable radio crackled. “...unexpected storm surge warning for coastal Los Angeles. Residents and visitors are advised to seek higher ground...”

“Maybe we should head back,” Tempest said, though she made no move to leave the circle of my arms.

I nodded, pressing one more quick kiss to her lips. “Dinner first? I saw a cute place right up from the beach.”

She smiled, lacing her fingers through mine. “Lead the way, Kingman.”

Hand in hand, we trudged back up the beach as the first fat raindrops began to fall, each one a cold shock against my sun-warmed skin. The darkening sky and approaching storm should have felt ominous, but withTempest’s hand in mine, all I felt was possibility stretching out before us, as vast and deep as the ocean itself.

“I think,” Tempest said, peering out from under the restaurant’s awning at the sheets of rain now pounding the beachfront, “we might have a problem.”

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