Page 101 of Jesse's Girl
“Jesus. Renee, avert your eyes,” Marcus jokes.
“Very funny,” I throw over my shoulder before taking a running leap off the dock. Cold hits me like a wall of ice and, when I come up for air, I shout, “Fuck!”
Well, that was a fitting punishment for my genitals.
I tread water and will myself to adjust.
“Did you forget this river is glacier fed?” Marcus asks, settling into one of the camping chairs and cracking open a beer of his own.
“Not exactly,” I reply. Clearly, remembering the cold and experiencing it are two very different beasts. “It’s just been a while.”
Renee peers over the edge of the dock at me. “I don’t think I’m going in. I like the heat, anyway. I’ll just stay here and paint my nails.” She wiggles the fingers of one hand and holds up a little glass bottle of pale pink polish in the other.
“Aw, come on,” I say, still treading water and trying my best to stop my teeth from chattering. “You’re missing out. It’s in-in-invigorating.”
I last another minute before I climb back up the ladder, shivering as rivulets of water snake down my chilled skin. I grab my towel and press it into my face, inhaling its clean scent. I’m still toweling my hair when Ada’s car pulls up beside her brother’s, and I pause. Quickly catching myself, I look away, focusing on maintaining a seriously neutral facial expression. No one has ever been as focused on drying off as I am right now.
I tug my shirt back on and take another sip of beer before slumping into my chair in my still-wet trunks, suddenly finding every piece of lint or stray thread on my clothes very interesting.
“Hey, sis,” Marcus calls out to her. “You got the sandwiches?”
“Yeah, but hold onto your impatient ass for a sec,” she grumbles. “Lemme put my stuff down.”
I risk glancing her way as she slings her purse and beach bag down—and I have to catch my jaw before it hits the dock.
She’s wearing a bikini top and the shortest pair of cut-off jean shorts I’ve ever seen. Two triangles of skin-tight fabric hug her full breasts, and her ass cheeks peek out from her shorts when she turns. A hint of a smile shines in her eyes when she catches me staring.
This woman is trying to kill me. Dead man gawking.
“Aw, fuck, yes!” Marcus exclaims. “You went to the deli?” He peers into the plastic bag Ada set down, clearly oblivious to my reaction to his sister’s outfit. “I’m starving.”
So am I, all of a sudden.
“Hey, Jess.” Her voice is soft when she says my name.
She was moaning it this morning.
Nope. Not the time or the place.
“Hey,” I reply with a cautious smile, still struggling to play it cool. I tear my gaze away from her, rubbing my forehead with my fingers. I’ve seen this woman naked several times now, but this is the first time I haven’t been able to touch her when so much of her body has been on display. If I were rating this feeling on Yelp, it would get one star: do not recommend.
“Your bikini top is cute!” Renee says to Ada.
“Thanks. It’s hot as balls today,” she replies with a sigh, sitting down next to Renee on the dock.
I’m busy praying Ada makes no further mention of balls when Marcus hands me a sub, and I’m eternally grateful to have something to distract me from ogling his sister. The paper wrapper bears the Riverside Deli logo, and I’m instantly hungrier than a moment ago—this time for actual food. I unwrap it and look up.
She remembered?
“Is this the same one I got last time?” I ask her, careful to keep my focus north of her neck. “After we went shopping?”
“Yeah,” she says. “Why, did you want something different?” She holds up the sub Marcus has just handed to her. “’Cause we can trade if you?—”
She cuts herself off as I let out a groan of anticipation before taking a massive bite. I might have a small foodgasm as I chew.
Fuck, this sandwich.
She snorts. “Jeez, buy it a drink first.”