Page 31 of Embers of You
I turn to see Jameson, looking down at me with that sparkle in his eye and giant smile on his lips. I’m not sure how he manages to look even more attractive right now than he has any other time I’ve seen him, but he does. Maybe it’s because watching him race on that horse was hotter than I expected it tobe. Now, here he is in a flannel with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and jeans that hug him perfectly in all the right places. Don’t even get me started on the brown cowboy hat on his head that should probably be illegal.
He’s tall, large, and unreasonably handsome standing here next to me. All my hesitations about him seem to fade into the background right now because where I’m standing all I see are green flags.
“Try what out?” I ask, distracted by the sight of him in front of me; I hardly even remember where we are because all I see is him.
He nods his head slightly. “The game. Want to play me?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Go ahead,” Bailey suggests. “I’m going to head home, you enjoy.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine I’ll come back with you.”
“No, stay. Play a game or two,” she encourages.
“Yeah, Sutton, stay and play a game or two,” Jameson joins in.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Bailey waves, already walking backward toward the exit.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I turn to Jameson again who looks extremely proud of himself that he has me in this position.
“Fine one game,” I relent.
“If that’s the case, then we need to make it good.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if I win, you have to go on at least one ride with me.”
I grimace. “Please not the roller coaster, I don’t trust it.”
He laughs. “No roller coaster.”
“What about if I win?”
“What do you want?”
I think for a second, looking around and it may be a dumb request, but dammit I’m determined. “I want you to find me a strawberry here.”
“At the Amity Strawberry Festival? You should know, there’s none around.”
“Then you better win.”
He barks out a laugh, it’s deep and sends an unexpected shock between my thighs at how throaty it is. The man shouldn’t have the power of a sexy laugh and look like he does.
“Go ahead,” he instructs, and I do, managing to step ahead of him so I can stop being so distracted by every little thing he’s doing right now that has my brain melting.
I don’t need to become involved with him. Friends is fine, friends can play a game together. Friends can keep their hormones in check when the other looks the way he does.
Get it together, Sutton.
Jameson pays for both of us to play, even though I insist on paying for myself. He just gives me a look that has me rolling my eyes.
We take our positions behind our respective water guns, and the attendant starts counting down. Then we begin, both doing our best to aim our stream of water at the target. He’s immediately ahead of me, finding the center right away, while it takes me a few seconds to get the angle right.
Once I do, it’s too late and Jameson is already way ahead, so I attempt a distraction. Doing my best to maintain my own stream against the target, I lean over to shove at him to try and get his aim off.
“That’s cheating,” he scolds me, playfully.
