Page 95 of Brewing Temptation

Hell, if I didn’t know better, he could have passed for Jameson’s. That thought brought an unwelcome rush of green to my vision and I swallowed it down, watching as preciously chubby little cherub fingers dropped stones into Jameson’s awaiting hand. My lungs stumbled over a breath. Not stones—sea glass. They were sifting around for sea glass. Hedging another few steps in, I spotted teals and ambers, greens and pinks, all collecting together, carefully cherished like precious gems in his broad palm. My mind spun with a sensation like a caffeine rush as it hit me with the image of my bedside table adorned with an enormous jar full of them. Had he found some of those with him?

“Hi,” the little guy chirped. “I know you! You’re—uh, you’re,uh…”

“Sterling, this is my friend, Noel.” Jameson stood as he introduced us, straightening to his full, glorious height as warmth bloomed in my chest. “Red, meet Charlie’s youngest, Sterling.”

I bent to shake Sterling’s adorably outstretched hand at his eye level. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“You’re sisters with Auntie Brex!?”

I giggled, squatting down as Jameson ruffled his shiny black hair. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Well, are you, oraren’t you? Because that’s what daddy said. He said you and Brex were sisters, and that’s why you gave her to Unca’ Rhyett.”

I flicked my gaze up to Jameson, whose lips were curled in gentle amusement, before meeting those little gray eyes again. They weren’t as blue as the Rhodes siblings, a sprinkling of amber pulling him toward hazel, although the uncanny resemblance remained. “Yes, I would say we’re sisters. In every way that counts.”

“What’s that mean?”

Kicking myself for not just saying yes, and leaving it be, I glanced again to that gentle smile and back. Jameson seemed equally intrigued about where I was going with this and amused with my predicament.

“Well, we grew up together, but we’re nottechnicallyblood sisters. But she’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and we love each other very much. Sometimes more than I love my own siblings, if I’m honest.”

Jameson spoke up, offering, “You know how Uncle Broderickisn’t technicallyyour daddy’s brother, bud?”

“Yeah.” His nod was reserved, eyes serious as he looked between the two of us expectantly. Jameson soldiered right along.

“He’s still your uncle, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Uncle Broderick is family wechosea long time ago, buddy, just like Uncle Max and Auntie Bells.”

Sterling narrowed those gray eyes on me for a moment before seeming satisfied. “You wanna see a starfish!?” He blurted out, turning before he had his answer. Chuckling, we watched him bound off down the beach. Jameson eyed me for a minute, warmth seeping from the expression before following in his tiny footsteps. Wordlessly, he held out his free hand in my direction, my heart faltering as I stepped up to accept the offering.

Warm and rough, tiny flecks of black sand clinging to thick fingers, his calloused palm melded around mine as we crunched our way after Sterling. When he said nothing, I asked, “How old is he?”

“Five.”

“You’re just hanging with him?”

“Yeah,” he said, voice soft but matter-of-fact.

“I thought you guys were heading out on the water today?”

“Later.”

“You happy to see me?”

“Course.”

I shook my head, a smirk stretching up my cheeks. “You’ve reverted to monosyllabic conversations, I see?”

A tug on my hand punctuated his soft chuckle, followed by another when I didn’t immediately heed it. Before I could even steady myself, he’d intertwined our arms behind my back, his free hand sliding up to spear through my hair, lips coming down on mine with enough intensity to rob every scrap of oxygen from my bloodstream.

When he traced my bottom lip, I opened for him, and Jameson swooped in, not hesitating to deepen the kiss. Heat spread through my body, desperate to taste every inch of this man, to lick up the hard lines of his abs, to memorize the sweat-slicked pattern of his tattoos beneath my fingers. At last, remembering how to breathe, I soaked up his glorious musk and wished more than anything I could have more.

A million and one questions buzzed through my brain.How long were they in the harbor for? When was he going to be back? Why had they stayed?Did his knees feel as vulnerable to collapse as mine did, or could he stabilize us both? Judging by the way he slid his palm down the length of my back to cup my ass, he must’ve been more stable than I was.

“Found one!!” a little voice declared, cutting off our wordless reunion. Blinking and a bit disoriented, I looked around when Jameson pulled back, satisfaction written over the subtle lines of a smile. Sterling grinned up at us, unphased by our embrace. I couldn’t decide if I loved that or hated it. Did he just see enough love in his life to think little of it, or was he just used to Uncle Jameson sucking face? Should I care either way, so long as it was currently mine he wanted to taste?

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