much older. Only six years.”
“Jamie, that’s illegal!” he shouted at me, causing me to flinch. “Have you even hung out with him outside of the few hours at the station?”
I shook my head, realizing how silly I was for thinking I could be in love with someone I hardly knew.
But wasn’t that how love worked? It would hit you hard and out of left field, completely blindsiding your heart and dissolving your perspective on what’s right and what’s wrong.
“You need to be careful,” he said gently. “Older guys only want one thing.”
I looked out the window, not wanting to meet his eyes. I know he was just being protective of me, but him figuring out I’d given away that part of me felt awkward.
“I know, but Rod’s not like that. I promise.”
Chapter Nine
Jamie. Age 17.
“Are you sure the beach will be a safe spot?” I asked skeptically as I squirted suntan lotion into my palms. “I know we’re forty-five minutes away from home, but Boynton Beach is pretty popular.”
Rod pulled a cooler from his trunk along with a bag loaded with beach supplies. “It’s not as popular as Palm Beach, where I originally wanted to go,” he muttered, setting the cooler down by our feet.
He crossed his arms as he stared down at me. His floppy blond hair was waving in the wind, and I couldn’t tell if he was frustrated with me or not. This was our first outing in public.
“You wanted to come here, so this is where we are. I’d appreciate it if you’d quit being so nervous and relax.” His teeth were clenched at first, but a slow grin formed on his mouth. “Besides, I’ve been anxious to see you in the bathing suit I bought you.”
A flush formed on my cheeks as my head dipped down at my feet. Rod chuckled, his hands finding my sides underneath my tank top. “You sure are cute when you’re embarrassed. Come on, let’s go find a place to sit.”
“How’d you get today off anyway?” I asked while following him to the sand. My feet flinched at first from the heat, but with a few steps I got used to it.
“I have my ways,” he said slyly, looking over his shoulder and giving me a wink. I couldn’t help but grin back at him. He gave my stomach the best butterflies.
The beach was packed, from families with teenagers to college kids. I felt uneasy with so many people around. I was bound to run into someone I knew.
“Let me get your back.” Rod dug through the beach bag for the sunscreen as I took off my tank top and skirt. The bathing suit he’d gifted me the previous night at work was bright white with rhinestones throughout the hip and a triangle shaped top. There wasn’t much to the suit, when I’d first observed it in the mirror, I was embarrassed by how much skin was showing, but I wanted to please him.
When I faced him, his eyes went wide with excitement, causing me to grin. His hands massaged the sunscreen deeply into my shoulders and back, then underneath my bottoms.
“Rod,” I scolded, swatting his hands while wiggling from his reach. He chuckled, then slapped my ass, causing my face to turn bright red from the mother of three who was watching us intently.
“There are people everywhere. Can you not?” I grumbled, finding my place on the blanket.
The wiggle of his eyebrows irritated me. “Who cares? You don’t know who they are. Do me now,” he demanded, sitting down next to me and handing me the sunscreen.
I snatched it from him, loading my hands so I could rub it across his broad shoulders and back. My annoyance faded as my hands caressed his bare skin. He’d always kept the majority of his clothing on while we were together. Having his flesh under the pads of my fingers was arousing. The dips in his back where his muscles flexed were hot, allowing my mind to ease about the crowdedness of the beach.
“So where are you from?” I asked, clearing my throat and attempting to change the path of my thoughts.
He casually laid back on the blanket, making
“Jamie, that’s illegal!” he shouted at me, causing me to flinch. “Have you even hung out with him outside of the few hours at the station?”
I shook my head, realizing how silly I was for thinking I could be in love with someone I hardly knew.
But wasn’t that how love worked? It would hit you hard and out of left field, completely blindsiding your heart and dissolving your perspective on what’s right and what’s wrong.
“You need to be careful,” he said gently. “Older guys only want one thing.”
I looked out the window, not wanting to meet his eyes. I know he was just being protective of me, but him figuring out I’d given away that part of me felt awkward.
“I know, but Rod’s not like that. I promise.”
Chapter Nine
Jamie. Age 17.
“Are you sure the beach will be a safe spot?” I asked skeptically as I squirted suntan lotion into my palms. “I know we’re forty-five minutes away from home, but Boynton Beach is pretty popular.”
Rod pulled a cooler from his trunk along with a bag loaded with beach supplies. “It’s not as popular as Palm Beach, where I originally wanted to go,” he muttered, setting the cooler down by our feet.
He crossed his arms as he stared down at me. His floppy blond hair was waving in the wind, and I couldn’t tell if he was frustrated with me or not. This was our first outing in public.
“You wanted to come here, so this is where we are. I’d appreciate it if you’d quit being so nervous and relax.” His teeth were clenched at first, but a slow grin formed on his mouth. “Besides, I’ve been anxious to see you in the bathing suit I bought you.”
A flush formed on my cheeks as my head dipped down at my feet. Rod chuckled, his hands finding my sides underneath my tank top. “You sure are cute when you’re embarrassed. Come on, let’s go find a place to sit.”
“How’d you get today off anyway?” I asked while following him to the sand. My feet flinched at first from the heat, but with a few steps I got used to it.
“I have my ways,” he said slyly, looking over his shoulder and giving me a wink. I couldn’t help but grin back at him. He gave my stomach the best butterflies.
The beach was packed, from families with teenagers to college kids. I felt uneasy with so many people around. I was bound to run into someone I knew.
“Let me get your back.” Rod dug through the beach bag for the sunscreen as I took off my tank top and skirt. The bathing suit he’d gifted me the previous night at work was bright white with rhinestones throughout the hip and a triangle shaped top. There wasn’t much to the suit, when I’d first observed it in the mirror, I was embarrassed by how much skin was showing, but I wanted to please him.
When I faced him, his eyes went wide with excitement, causing me to grin. His hands massaged the sunscreen deeply into my shoulders and back, then underneath my bottoms.
“Rod,” I scolded, swatting his hands while wiggling from his reach. He chuckled, then slapped my ass, causing my face to turn bright red from the mother of three who was watching us intently.
“There are people everywhere. Can you not?” I grumbled, finding my place on the blanket.
The wiggle of his eyebrows irritated me. “Who cares? You don’t know who they are. Do me now,” he demanded, sitting down next to me and handing me the sunscreen.
I snatched it from him, loading my hands so I could rub it across his broad shoulders and back. My annoyance faded as my hands caressed his bare skin. He’d always kept the majority of his clothing on while we were together. Having his flesh under the pads of my fingers was arousing. The dips in his back where his muscles flexed were hot, allowing my mind to ease about the crowdedness of the beach.
“So where are you from?” I asked, clearing my throat and attempting to change the path of my thoughts.
He casually laid back on the blanket, making
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