He was going to take the bait. “You go in and I’m going with you,” I said, jerking my shirt on and walking over to stand behind her.

The cop’s head snapped up and his gaze found mine. The lustful gleam in his eyes turned to annoyance real fast.

“This was my idea. You stay out of it,” Jess said, reaching out to squeeze my arm in an attempt to shut me up.

I looked down at her. “I climbed that gate and got in that pool with you of my own free will.” Her eyes went wide, but she didn’t say anything else.

“You don’t look familiar,” the cop snarled.

I had foiled his plans and made an enemy. Grinning, I lifted my eyes to meet his angry ones. “Jason Stone. I’m staying on the island in my brother’s vacation house.”

Normally, I didn’t use my brother’s name as a way to influence people. But right now I was pretty damn sure that was the only way I was keeping Jess from getting hauled in by the creep.

Understanding lit the cop’s eyes, and he looked back at Jess, who was still staring at me as if she couldn’t believe I was doing this. “You telling me you’re Jax Stone’s brother?”

“You want ID?” I asked, mimicking his annoyed tone from earlier.

He shook his head and stepped back from Jess. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll, uh, let the two of you go, but be wise and stay clear of this one. She’s full of trouble.”

My blood heated and I clenched my fist at my side. The son of a bitch had been molesting her with his eyes only seconds before. Now he was warning me off her. “I’m a big boy,” I replied, disgusted.

The cop turned to leave, then stopped. “Go ahead and get your clothes on. Then get out of here. I need to lock this back up.”

I tried hard not to watch Jess as she wiggled her wet body back into that little leather skirt, but damn, it was hard. She pulled her shirt back on and grinned at me. The amusement in her eyes made it hard not to return her smile.

“So you do this a lot,” I said, once I had my shirt back on.

Jess shrugged. “I do a lot of things.”

I didn’t miss the tone in her voice. She was doing it again. Throwing bait out there for me to snatch up. Normally, when a girl looked like Jess I didn’t turn her down. But the emptiness in her eyes bothered me too much. I liked it when her eyes were sparkling with excitement.

“I bet you do” was all I said in reply. Then I turned and headed out the private gate. The cop was sitting in his car, watching us, and I nodded to him as I passed. Once I got to the road, I glanced back at Jess, who was walking behind me. Her gaze was fixed on my back. She was thinking. I had confused her. It was all over her face.

I held my hand out. “Come on.”

She glanced at my hand, then at me, and frowned.

“Take my hand,” I said.

She raised her eyebrows. “You think I can’t cross a street by myself?” she asked. The edginess in her voice was hard to miss. She was ready to go off on me.

“I’m sure you can. But maybe I don’t want you to. Hold my hand, please.” I wasn’t sure why I was pushing this. It wasn’t like I thought she was going to get hit by a car. I just wanted to hold her hand. The lost, unsure look in her eyes got to me. I didn’t want it there.

“Why?” she asked, stepping up beside me. Her skeptical expression told me more than I needed to know. Jess wasn’t used to guys making small gestures. She was used to being used. It pissed me off more than I wanted to admit.

“Because I like having you close,” I replied, wishing I hadn’t said it quite like that. She didn’t need to get the wrong idea. Hurting her was something I wasn’t going to do, but I sure as hell wanted to teach her what to expect from a man.

“Oh,” she said, then dropped her eyes to stare at my outstretched hand. I watched her as she slowly lifted her hand and slipped it in mine.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I asked with a grin, to ease her tense expression. Jess could easily offer up her body to drive me crazy, but this simple touch made her nervous and unsure.

“No, it’s . . . nice,” she replied.

I wanted to say more but I decided against it. Instead I squeezed her hand gently, then led us back over to the parking lot of Live Bay and to the Hummer. It was enough for tonight. I needed to take her home.

We didn’t say much on the way back to her house. When we pulled into her driveway, I finally looked over at her. She had been sneaking peeks at me during the short ride here. “I’ll get your door,” I told her, then got out and went around to open her door and help her out. The T-shirt she was wearing was still damp from her body, but I didn’t let myself enjoy the way it clung to her very generous curves.

“Thanks,” she whispered softly.

I didn’t reply. I just walked her to the door. When we got there, I waited while she reached for the key hidden above the door, then unlocked it. She was going to ask me to come inside. I needed to say something before she did, because declining her was much harder now that we stood outside her house. So very close to her bed.

“Put your number in my phone,” I said, handing her my iPhone.

The startled expression on her face was brief, and the fake, flirty look was back. “You not coming inside?”

“Not tonight,” I replied.

The small glimmer of hurt in her eyes surprised me. What had I said to hurt her? I was using all my willpower not to hurt her. She reached for my phone and quickly entered her number, then handed it back to me. “I won’t hold my breath,” she replied with an annoyed smile before opening her door.

I started to reach out and grab her arm to stop her, but I knew I would have her back up against the same door with my hands on her tempting body if I did that. So I let her go. She didn’t look back at me when she closed the door in my face.

The girl had a temper. It only made her sexier. Grinning, I walked back to the Hummer, knowing that her bat was still tucked safely inside. She’d need to get that from me.

Chapter Five

JESS

A knocking at the door woke me. I glanced at the clock beside my bed. It was a little after one in the morning. Momma wouldn’t be home for another two hours. I thought about ignoring it, but the fear that something could have happened to Momma had me jumping up and heading for the door.

I opened it up only to realize too late that looking out the window first would have been a smarter decision.

There wasn’t much about Hank I didn’t know. I could read him so easily. Without him opening his mouth, I knew he was drunk. I counted myself lucky. I could beat him easier with my bat if need be.

“Hey, baby,” he drawled, and leaned against the door frame as his eyes took a lazy stroll down my body. His dark hair had been cut shorter recently, and I had to admit I liked it better than the long shaggy thing he had been doing. Closing the door in his face was the smart thing to do. Unfortunately, when it came to Hank I lost every bit of my good sense.

“What do you want?” I asked.

His green eyes finally met mine, and he smiled. “You’re wearing my shirt.”

I glanced down at the T-shirt I had grabbed to sleep in. It was his. But then, most of my oversize T-shirts were his. We had been a couple since we were fifteen. I shrugged. “Didn’t notice,” I replied honestly.

Hank’s pleased grin turned into a frown. He almost looked pained. “Don’t say that, Jess. It hurts.”

“It hurts”? Really? That was what he was going with? He had knocked up another girl while we were together. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “You know nothing about what hurts. Don’t go there,” I warned him.

He took a step inside and I moved back. I didn’t want him getting close. “I never loved her. I told you that. We were fighting and I cracked. She means nothing to me. It’s just you, Jess.” These were familiar words. Words I had fallen for after the birth of his child.

I held up my hand. “Don’t. You’ve had too much to drink. This is pointless and you know it. I forgave you over and over again. Even after you had a kid, I forgave you. We tried, and you still couldn’t keep it in your damn pants. You canceled on me with a lie that you were sick. But you were out with another slut. I’m finished. Over it. Over you. Now go on home.”

Hank growled and ran his hand through his hair before slamming it against the wall. “No! Don’t say that shit. It ain’t over. It won’t ever be over. I adore you, Jess. You know that. Hell, baby, I’ve worshipped you since we were kids. I made a mistake, and I’m sorry. I even understand why you beat the shit outta my truck.”

“A mistake? You made thousands of fucking mistakes. I’m done. Go worship someone else. And I didn’t touch your damn truck,” I yelled, and I shoved him back but not hard enough. He was still inside my house.

Tears glistened in his bloodshot eyes. “I wanted you to marry me. You wouldn’t marry me. I got mad and I acted out. You know I do that, but you push me anyway. Why wouldn’t you marry me, Jess? I love you. You’re mine. Always been mine.”

I was his once. And when he had begged me to forgive him I had crumbled. Those days were over. This last time something inside me had shattered. I didn’t love him anymore. He’d made sure of that.

“Hank,” I said, stepping closer and grabbing his face with my hands. “It’s over. We’re over. I deserve more than you’re willing to give me. I want more.”

Hank reached up and grabbed my wrist and squeezed. “I won’t fucking let you go. This ain’t over, and it won’t ever be.”

The rage in his eyes warned me I had pushed too far. I was normally more careful with Hank’s temper. I knew he was still pissed about his truck, but Hank wasn’t exactly stable at times, and when it came to getting me back he could forget easily.

“Easy, I’m just reminding you of how things are now,” I said in a soothing tone. I really didn’t relish the idea of having to explain a black eye for a week.

Hank eased his grip and pulled me against his chest. I let him. “Let me stay with you tonight. I need you, baby,” he whispered into my hair.

“Momma would use you as target practice and you know it. Go home, Hank.” I left out reminding him that us sleeping together would never happen again.

“No one gets me like you do. I feel so alone. Only you understand me,” he said as he ran his hand down my hair as if it were me he was consoling and not himself.

Once, words like that had made my heart melt. The chain-link tattoo around his arm was ripped in two with the name Jess holding it together. I had cried the day he got it because I’d thought that his permanently putting me on his body meant we’d be forever. I’d been so stupid. He had cheated on me two weeks later with the girl who now was the mother of his child.

“It’s not my job to hold you together anymore,” I told him, and his arms only tightened around me.

“I’m fucked up, baby. You know that. You know why. But you always understood and forgave me. Why did you stop forgiving me?” The emotion in his voice tugged at my heart. I did remember the young boy who was beaten by his mother’s countless boyfriends and stayed in trouble because he was begging for someone to care. But that boy was gone now. The man he had become was someone who didn’t know how to cherish anything or anyone.