“You’re swimming on the clock. Isn’t that against the rules?” Rules he’s been pounding into my head since the day I started. Rules that give me a headache. Don’t touch that, Emerson. It’s expensive equipment. You don’t get to drive. You’re not experienced enough. No texting while on the clock, Emerson. You could get me or yourself hurt if you’re not paying attention.
The guy never fucking stops.
“It’s hot,” he says with a shrug, and I think my brain may malfunction. Because that’s it? He’s willing to break the rules because it’s hot? No shit it’s hot, but I can’t imagine Kelly is fine with him stripping off and going for a nice swim right now.
I open my mouth to argue more—I mean it’s one of my favorite pastimes in this hellscape—but then Jasper turns awayfrom me again, pushing his briefs down and exposing the perfectly shaped ass he was apparently hiding under those briefs, and I nearly swallow my damn tongue.
No ass has ever looked that good, I don’t care who it’s attached to. The skin is smooth and paler than the rest of his skin but stretched tight over what I have to assume is firm, firm muscle. His ass is sculpted into a beautiful peach that makes my mouth water.
I don’t know what the hell is going on with me, but I don’t stop staring until he steps completely out of the briefs. He sinks into the murky pond water, only his waist and above visible now.
Then he wades further into the water, dipping his head back and getting his entire body wet, dragging the water over his head before he turns to face me. We’re enemies. That was established from day one. The guy hates me, and the feeling is mutual. I’m sick of him bossing me around, but my throat is dry, and my pants feel uncomfortably tight as I stand there like a creep, just watching him in a daze.
He’s absolutely beautiful. His skin is kissed by the sun, and he has a bit of a farmer’s tan going on. But he’s mostly the same shade all over, and now I know why. Jasper—the totally uptight pain in my ass farmhand—loves to go skinny-dipping on his boss’s property.
“What’s your problem?” he asks, thankfully making me snap somewhat back to reality.
“Really? Your junk is out.” I wave toward him, feeling off-kilter and not sure what’s going on with me. Maybe I’m having a heat stroke. It really is fucking hot out here.
His eyes roll, and he shakes his head. “No, it’s not.” He looks down pointedly. “Myjunkis actually underwater. And stop thinking about myjunkin the first place.”
He emphasizes the wordjunkeach time he says it, like he finds it an amusing choice of words. “I’m not thinking about it,” Isay defensively, and I’m not. Not really. I mean, I didn’t even get to see it. Not that I wanted to see it or anything, but that’s beside the point.
“What’s wrong with you. Are you having a stroke?” he asks, mirroring my thoughts from earlier, which makes me pissy and even more defensive.
“You’ve been on my ass since day one about doing my job and only my job while I’m here. And here you are, just swimming away on a workday. Like it’s perfectly fine for you to get naked and swim around.”
“You’re really focused on the naked part,” he says, sounding far too amused. I don’t want him to be amused. I want him pissed off.
I purse my lips, irritated that he has me frazzled for once. It’s supposed to be the other way around. “Look, I’ve been behaving this past week.” For the most part. “I haven’t mentioned your family since you told me not to. I’ve done what you told me to. Hell, I didn’t even go in to town on my day off to ask Lucy out on a date like I had planned.”
There’s the pissed off look—that scowl that makes my dick even harder. It’s not a sexual thing. It’s not. It’s just—adrenaline. I love seeing him worked up, his nostrils flaring and the veins in his neck pulled tight. He looks like a feral animal right now. “It’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
I smirk, unable to pull my eyes off him. Every muscle that’s visible right now is taut—pulled tight with aggression. “Very caveman of you. You don’t own her.”
I watch as his neck muscles tighten even more. His teeth are gritted, and his Adam’s apple bobs along his throat. “Stay away from her.”
This leaves me feeling much, much more grounded. This I can handle. Thinking he looks beautiful in the water? That—yeah, I can’t explain that. Nor can I really explain why I haven’t asked Lucy out.
I’m a sexual guy. I love sex. Have since I discovered it when I was probably way too young to be having sex, but still. Love it. And I haven’t had sex since the day my mom kicked me out of my home. It’s clear Lucy is interested in me. I could very likely talk her into bed at least once before she realizes what a prick I am and that she should stay far away. But I haven’t had any desire to actually do that.
Making Jasper think I might? Fun. Actually doing it? Not even on my radar. I don’t really know what that’s about either. Sex is sex. Getting laid is just that. No big deal. But for some unknown reason, I know I won’t actually cross that line.
“Relax,” I say, when I realize how tense he still is. “Why are you breaking the rules today?” I try to change the subject, bored with the whole Lucy thing. Honestly, it’s just too easy anyway.
“I’m not,” he says, still seething. I wait for him to continue, and finally, he does. “Kelly couldn’t care less about me going for a swim as long as the work gets done. Which it always does.”
“You won’t even let me text, and yet you can go for a swim?”
“Yup.” He’s infuriating. The way he says it so simply without any explanation makes me want to scream. “You can go swimming too. If you want.”
My whole body runs hot with his words, and I feel unsteady on my feet, swaying for a second. Is he really suggesting I strip down and join him. My eyes lock on his, and I swear for the briefest of moments, I see a flicker of something that shocks me to my core.Lust.Want.For me.
But he quickly buries it, his scowl back on full display when I say, “I thought you weren’t gay.”
“What the hell?” His voice rises a whole octave. “I didn’t... I’m not,” he sputters, his cheeks turning pink for reasons otherthan the sun beating down on us. “I just said you can go swimming. How the hell is that gay?”
“You’re naked,” I say, my eyes dragging over his impressive torso. I note the spattering of blond hair between his pecs and defined abs I’ve had only the briefest of glances at before. His abs muscles with rivulets of water sliding down them. And my mouth is watering again.
