Page 40 of Hearts at Seaside
Jenna pushed at his chest. “Would you mind getting off of me?”
Her words sent a sinking feeling to Pete’s gut as he moved off of her and watched her scoot to the edge of the bed.
“Did I really misread you?” He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck—just in case it was the last taste of her he’d ever get.
Jenna hopped from the bed—literally—and turned to face him. Her eyes were wide, her smile mischievous, with every sweet curve on display, making him instantly aroused. “Who are you kidding?” She strutted to the bathroom. “Get your butt up. Let’s rinse off and get you fed. You’ve got a girlfriend to satisfy.”
He followed her into the bathroom, making her laugh as he swooped her into his arms and turned on the shower.
“Girlfriend? So you don’t mind that I’m a little possessive?” He kissed her neck.
“Little?” She arched a brow and dragged her eyes down his body. “There is nothing little about you, and I’ve been lusting after you for years.” She met his gaze again. “I’ve beenyoursfor years. It’s about time you owned up to it.”
“Man, I really like you, Jenna.”
“Fair warning. I’ll drive you crazy.” She held on to his waist and stared at him with a serious look in her eyes. “I’ll organize everything in your life, and if you think golden-brown marshmallows are a pain, you should see—”
He kissed her.
“I’ll take my chances.”
An hour later they were dressed and sitting on his deck, eating cheese and crackers and sharing a glass of wine, when Pete’s cell phone rang with his father’s ringtone.Are you kidding me?
“Excuse me.” He rose to his feet and grabbed his phone from the living room table. “Hey, Pop.” He eyed Jenna on the deck. She kicked her bare feet up on his chair and rested her head back.
“Where is she, Peter?” His father’s speech was slurred and slow. Pete’s heart ached. No one outside of his family knew about his father’s drinking, and just this one night he’d hoped to escape his father’s call. Sometimes he went days without calling. Of all the bad luck…
He turned his back to Jenna and rubbed his temples. “She’s gone, Pop. But you’re okay. Can you get into bed?” He knew his father wouldn’t be able to without stumbling, and the thought of him getting hurt worried Pete.
“Gone? What d’you mean gone?”
Pete turned back toward Jenna. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. Stay put.”
Jenna turned when he opened the screen door. Joey followed him out and rubbed against her leg.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He ran his hand through his hair and glanced over the bay. “I’m really sorry, Jenna, but I’ve got to go take care of something.” He did not want to end this night.
“Oh.” Her eyes filled with disappointment.
Jenna had woken up every part of his brain and body. He wanted to protect her, to love her, and the last thing he wanted to do was leave her. But she didn’t need to deal with his father’s garbage.
He reached for her hand. His jaw clenched tight, and he knew he was being quiet and withdrawn. It was unfair to Jenna that he was acting this way, but he was pissed—at his father, for falling into the bottle night after night, and at himself, for not forcing him into rehab.
“I’m sorry, Jenna. The last thing I want is to end our date, much less end it like this.”
“It’s okay. Is there anything I can do to help?”
He shook his head. There was nothing anyone could do. Once again he wondered if Jenna would be better off without him—and his father’s illness—in her life.
And he knew there was no way he’d ever let her go.
