Page 13 of Messy Match

“The best things in life are worth the risk,” Levi adds, and something in his tone makes me glance up. He’s got that knowing look he gets sometimes, the one that reminds me he’s more perceptive than we give him credit for.

“It’s not that simple,” I argue, even as his words resonate deep in my chest. “First, she’s Brock’s little sister, and let’s be honest, with my reputation…” I trail off, glancing at my best friend.

Brock snorts. “Please. You like to pretend you’re some kind of player, but when was the last time you actually slept with a woman? Last year?”

Damn, he’s right. It’s been six months, at least. For a long time after I met and lost Charlotte in less than four hours, I triedusing other women to get the irresistible beauty out of my head. But after a while, the distraction lost its appeal and the thought of being with anyone else felt hollow.

Before I can respond, the terrace door opens, and the women reappear. My heart stops cold when I spot Charlotte wearing my jacket, the one she never returned after check-in. Something primal stirs in my chest at the sight. It hangs loose on her curvy frame, revealing her long bare legs, and for one insanity-inducing moment, I think she might be naked underneath.

“We’re heading down to the hot tub,” Maya announces, unwrapping her fluffy white robe to flash a glimpse of a navy bikini at Mack, who whistles low and tugs her into his lap for a lingering kiss.

Zoe crosses to perch on the arm of Levi’s chair in her emerald green swimsuit and mesh cover up. Without hesitation, he plants a possessive hand on her hip.

I catch Brock’s scowl as he watches the couples. He stands as Libby approaches, pulling her close and burying his face in her neck.

“Any chance you’re rethinking this whole separate rooms tonight thing?” Brock grumbles against Libby’s skin.

“Trust me,” she purrs, pressing a lingering kiss to his jaw that has Brock’s hands tightening on her waist. “The wait will be worth it.”

I turn to Charlotte only to find her gray eyes on me. The offer hangs silently in the air between us like kindling waiting for a match. I glimpse a dark bikini against her skin through the opening of the jacket as she moves and can’t help the blood that rushes south, causing my shorts to tighten uncomfortably.

“Any chance we can join you, ladies?” Mack asks, tucking a strand of Maya’s hair behind her ear.

“Sorry, babe, girls only,” she replies, extracting herself from Mack’s embrace with obvious reluctance.

I’m on my feet, tugging Charlotte out of the earshot of the group, before I lose my chance to at least talk with her for one second. To confirm she really meant what she said and I didn’t imagine the entire conversation.

“Don’t worry,” Charlotte says in the sarcastic tone I know so well. “I promise not to drown without your watchful eye.”

“That’s not—” I start, stopping when I catch sight of the way she’s rolling her eyes. “Look, I know you can take care of yourself. I’ve always known that.”

She stills, clearly not expecting this admission.

“But I’ll never stop trying to protect you, Charlotte.” I turn to face her fully. “Even if you hate me for it. Even if you don’t need it. It’s not because I think you’re weak. It’s because I can’t help myself when it comes to you.”

“Jake—”

“And right now?” I erase the distance between us, not caring what the others might think. I’m too focused on how her pupils are dilating. “I’m the one who’s not safe.”

“So you’re considering my offer?” Her voice wavers slightly.

“Considering?” I choke out. “I’mconsideringwhether I can make it through this weekend without losing my mind. I’mconsideringhow you’ve always gotten under my skin in ways no woman ever has. I’mconsideringhow one night could ever be enough.” My fingers find her hip, thumb pressing into soft flesh. “But your offer? That’s not something I need to consider.”

“Oh.” This time, there’s no sarcasm, just a soft vulnerability that makes my chest ache.

“I’ll always want to protect you, Charlotte. But tonight, when you unlock that adjoining door…” I lean down, close enough to feel her uneven breath on my skin. “I’m the one who’ll need saving.”

She bites her lower lip. And fuck me if I don’t want to bite it, too. I step back before I do something stupid like kiss herright here, right now, with an audience who wouldn’t let us live it down. Her eyes meet mine, and beneath the heat that flares in their depths, I see understanding dawn. Maybe, for the first time, she realizes this thing between us was never just about saving her or proving a point. It’s about how thoroughly she undoes me.

Chapter nine

Charlotte

Thedropsofwaterfrom the hot tub, running down my legs onto the plush carpet of my hotel room, barely register. Instead, Jake’s words from the terrace over an hour ago run through my mind. Again.I’m the one who’ll need saving.

His jacket hangs from my shoulders, now smelling of chlorine instead of his unmistakable scent. It may cover my black bikini, but I feel more exposed than I did in the hot tub with the girls. The adjoining door between our rooms is the only thing standing between us. Behind it, I can hear Jake moving around. And somehow, the slab of wood seems more like a lifeline than a shield.

Zoe’s knowing smirk when I made excuses to leave early a few minutes ago still burns in my mind.

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