Page 49 of Forbidden Kisses
“We’ll go pick Grace up—”
“No,” Jack said quickly. “She’s, uh, meeting us here.” He searched his room again. Had she gone home in the night? She didn’t have her car with her. “I need a few minutes to get ready. Feel free to make yourself some coffee. I’ll be right out.”
His father pointed a finger. “Don’t take too long. Those fish won’t wait for us.”
“Right.” His father had been saying the same thing since Jack was a child. When he was gone, Jack closed his bedroom door and started looking around. Under the bed. In the closet. He headed into the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain back to find Grace cowering in the tub. She was half naked, hair mussed, and absolutely gorgeous. If his entire family wasn’t waiting outside for them, he’d take her back to bed right now. That’s all he really wanted to do.
“Dad’s here,” he said.
She slowly uncurled her body. “I know. They can’t find me in here with you.”
Jack agreed. This wasn’t exactly the way to break the news of his relationship with Grace to the family. “It’s not just Dad. Noah and Sam are outside waiting, too. We have to get you out of this house.”
“How? I don’t have a change of clothes. I need to brush my hair and teeth.”
Jack grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste, laying it on the sink. “Here. Use my things. I think there might be some women’s clothes around here that will fit you, too.”
Grace’s brows furrowed.
He grinned. “My cousin came to visit early this summer. You remember her.”
Grace nodded slowly as she stepped out of the tub.
“She left some of her things accidentally. Come on. Let’s hurry. The guys don’t like to wait when it comes to fishing.”
Ten minutes later, Jack led Grace to the front door. “We’ll pretend like Joey dropped you off.”
“But Joey doesn’t work this early in the morning.”
“The focus is on fishing this morning. No one will catch on.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her body against his before she headed outside. “It’s going to be a long day keeping my hands to myself.” He kissed her. “Umm. You taste so good.”
Grace smiled against his mouth. “Being with you but unable to touch you will be torture. I’m actually kind of excited, though.”
He looked down at his shorts. “Me, too.”
She swatted him as she laughed. “Grow up!” she called as she walked away.
A couple of minutes later, Jack took his travel mug of coffee out back where his dad, brothers, and Grace were sitting.
“Even Grace got here before you, bro,” Sam called. “You’ve been out of the game too long.”
Jack flipped Sam the bird and took a sip of his coffee. Sam and Noah had driven theSummerlyto the dock behind his house, where he usually only kept his personal boats, a small skiff and a pontoon. Growing up on the coast, he’d collected water toys instead of the land ones that some men liked. Jack had never had use for motorcycles or fast cars, though.
He pulled a ball cap over his head and walked up beside Grace. “Good morning,” he said, as if they hadn’t already said their hellos. “Did that headache of yours go away last night?”
Grace was wearing a ball cap, too. Jack recognized it as Noah’s. “All better.”
“Good.”
She walked along the dock and he resisted helping her step into the boat. She was a big girl. She could handle herself. And those sea legs of hers were working just fine these days.
“I wasn’t expecting this to be a family event,” Jack said as they backed theSummerlyout onto the water.
Sam shrugged. “Our boat needed more repairs. That bump into the bridge’s column the other day is costing us big time. Plus, we heard Grace was going to be catching her first big fish today. Couldn’t miss that.”
Grace sat in a seat along the side. “I’ll be observing.”
“Oh no,” Jack said at the same time that Noah started shaking his head. “You’re bringing one in. If you’re going to be captain at the tournament, you need a fish under your belt.”
