Page 14 of Hooked on a Feeling

Their dad waved a hand in the air. “Hocus-pocus. I’m in no hurry to leave. I don’t have anything to do and nowhere pressing I have to be. I can stay here as long as I need. John’s in no hurry to run the place. Are you, son?”

This was a conversation they’d had over and over. John’s fingers twitched to pull his own fucking hair out of his head. He clenched his hands and worked on keeping his voice steady. If he gave away too much, his father would use it to his advantage. If he didn’t, his father would accuse him of not caring enough. It was always a catch-22.

John patted his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. “I gotta take this. Judge, we’ll talk later.” He put the phone up to his ear, pretending to answer the call as he made his way down the hallway. Once he was safely out the front doors, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Fuck!”

* * *

Starr bit the inside of her cheek while she waited for the three brothers to get into their truck. They each had a specialty, and since she’d asked for a bid on various items, the three of them showed up to give her individual estimates. They were the last estimates she was getting. The oldest brother started the truck, and she waved goodbye.

She’d held on to the small hope that maybe the next bid wouldn’t be quite so high, but it was. And now she had one option left, and that was to sell the place. Lyle had given her a few names of some local Realtors, and unfortunately, Starr was going to have to call one of them. She had no other choice.

“Sorry, Grandpa. I don’t know what else to do.” Everything would be easier if her parents were more responsible and actually cared. That wasn’t to say that the marina would still be in physically good condition, but if they’d run it the way a business was supposed to be run, they would at least have the money to do cosmetic upgrades.

The bell dinged on the bridge, and she watched as it went back down. Her eyes went to the imposing Blue Horizon office building, and not for the first time that morning, she thought about John and wondered what he was doing. Why did the stars seem to align them so well together? Especially when the universe knew she didn’t belong there. It was a question Starr had asked herself over and over. Nothing was by chance or luck. Everything had a meaning and a reason, and her meeting John went beyond the casual meet and greet.

Her body was extremely attuned to him. Her body was very attracted to him. Her body craved him on a level she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She watched a few people cross the bridge, and her eyes landed on him. John walked at a brisk pace, and the angry lines on his face suggested he wasn’t happy about something, but good lord was he handsome.

She found herself walking toward him. He was headed in her direction, but he hadn’t seen her yet. Instead of staying on the path, he veered toward the harbor behind the marina. She quickened her pace to catch up to him. He was just about to stroll down the steps—which led to a small landing pad at the edge of the harbor—when she reached out to touch him. He startled, turned, and met her gaze. His eyes softened momentarily, and she kept her hand on his arm, enjoying the way he felt beneath her fingertips.

What would it be like to kiss him? The question was front and center on her mind, and the next thing she knew, John’s heady blue eyes were inching toward her, devouring her on sight. She blinked, not sure what he was going to do, but then he answered her unspoken prayers. He leaned forward, and his mouth landed on hers.

His hand gripped her hip and pulled her into his body. He kissed her like he was a man who hadn’t tasted a woman in forever. His lips were hard and demanding. Angry. He let out a low groan when their tongues met. Maybe that was her groaning. She couldn’t be sure, but the way their tongues tangled together had Starr wanting more. So much fucking more. She gripped the back of his neck and continued to kiss him. Damn, they needed this, no matter how strange it was to be kissing at the harbor for all the world to see.

He pulled away, and she opened her eyes. His mouth was glistening from her kisses, and his chest heaved in rhythm with hers.

“What was that for?” She wasn’t mad about it, but had they crossed into this kind of relationship already? Was she ready for it?

He pushed a hand through his hair. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

You think? Heat pooled between her legs. If he apologized for kissing her, she was going to walk away. She opened her mouth to tell him he could go to hell, but his finger came up and touched her lips. Gently but firmly.

“But I don’t regret one second of it. In fact, if you gave me permission, I’d do it again.”

The heat continued to pool. “You didn’t ask permission the first time. Why would you change tactics now?”

A throaty chuckle vibrated against her body, and his lips lifted into a very large smile, eliminating the anger that had been on his face five minutes ago. “Fair enough. If I were to kiss you again, I wouldn’t ask.”

She sucked in her top lip. “Was that kiss enough to make your anger disappear?”

“Oh yeah. Enough to make it go away and put another kind of feeling in its place.”

If she were staying in Emerald Port, now would have been the perfect time to invite him back to her place. She was long overdue for some fun that involved a man like John. Attractive. Funny. And he used his hands well. She glanced down at where one rested on her hip and the other on her forearm. “This might sound crazy, but do you want to go out with me tonight?” she asked.

“Like a date?”

“Hmm. A date sounds really serious. How about just like a get-together between friends?”

“Is that what we are, Starr? Friends?” His voice went down an octave, and his eyes dropped to her lips.

“Can you stop looking at me like you want to eat me? I can’t think when you do that.” She stepped out of his embrace before his hands could feel the warmth pouring out of her entire body. She was overheated. Everywhere. Especially between her legs… This—John—was too much to handle.

His chuckle was so melodic. So sexy. It brought her a sense of peace. Maybe he was an angel sent by the universe. She wasn’t sure, and she had no time to think when John pulled his phone out. “Put in your number. I’ll text you a time to pick you up.”

She did as he asked and tried not to think of it as a date. It wasn’t like that. They were just friends. She was slightly horrified that she’d even let the question come out of her mouth, but it was hard to feel too regretful when he was looking at her that way. “There. If you can’t make it, text me. I’ll understand.”

“I’m not going to cancel on you. I’ll text you to let you know I’m on my way. We can either walk somewhere or drive downtown. Up to you.” He shoved his phone back into his pants pocket. “I’ll see you tonight.” He gave her a wink that made her heart melt, and then he was off. She was left standing alone, asking herself if that had literally just happened.

Chapter Seven

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