My back straightened. Did I just hear—?
“We broke up, Knox. I know you slept with Madison while I was gone. Go find her. You two looked super cozy at the carnival anyway.” Yep, that was Jillian’s voice. I would know it anywhere.
I turned, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from before I realized they were only a few feet away from me. Shit, if they walked any closer, they would trip over me if they weren’t careful. I didn’t want Jillian or Knox to think that I was stalking her.
Knox barked out a malicious snicker. “You really like that fucking creep, don’t you? That’s kind of sick if you ask me. He’s messed up in the head, but if that’s what you’re into...”
The sound of Jillian crying out in agony had me on my feet before I could even think about it. “Back off.” Both their heads turned toward the sound of my voice. When Knox didn’t move, I took a step forward. “I said, back the fuck off,” I growled.
“I heard what you said, mute, but I don’t have to listen to you.” Knox had both of Jillian’s arms pinned to her side, and we both knew it wasn’t a fair fight. He had to outweigh her by at least a hundred pounds. She was dressed in a black one-piece bathing suit with a pair of shorts pulled on over it, her brown hair pulled back from her face into a ponytail. They must have come from the party I heard at the house next to the beach because there was no one else around.
Tonight might be my opportunity to rearrange Knox’s face.
“Are you alright?” I asked Jillian, but when she shook her head, I balled my hands into fists at my side.
“Unless you want to spend the rest of the evening picking your teeth out of the sand, I suggest you let her go.” It was probably the most I had ever spoken to Knox, but he had to realize I wasn’t scared of him tonight. Not when it came Jillian Robinson.
“You really think that I’m afraid of you?” Knox grinned at me. “Out of all the people in this town, you’re at the bottom of my list...Fuck! You bitch!” he cried out, and I watched as he dropped to his knees, cupping his dick in his hand.
Jillian kicked sand in his face. “If you touch me again, ever, I will do more than just knee you in the balls, you piece of shit,” she warned him in a deadly tone. Then she took off running down the beach without saying a word to me.
“Jills! Wait!” I took off after her. Even as unsteady on my feet as I was, I was able to catch up to her with my long legs. “I need to talk to you.” I touched her arm, but she whirled around as if she might kick me next. “I surrender!” I held up my hands.
Jillian shook her head. “I have nothing to say to you, Hutch. You made it perfectly clear how you feel about me.” Her nostrils flared slightly as another round of fireworks began to go off above our heads.
“About that...” I pinched the back of neck nervously before I reached down to cup her face with the palms of my hands. “I was wrong.”
“Wrong?”
I nodded.
“What do you meanwrong? You told me that we weren’t friends, and then the way you acted when I came to visit you at your work...I thought you hated me.” Jillian stared at my mouth as she licked her lips.
I leaned forward so that my face was inches from hers. “Negative,” I whispered before I slammed my mouth over hers. God, she tasted like fucking heaven on earth. Her taste was sweet, soft, and perfect for me. Her soft, plump lips opened slightly as she wrapped her arms around my waist, and I felt her fingers grip my shirt as the kiss grew longer. “Fuck,” I murmured as she let me slide my tongue into the warm concaves of her mouth and swept it around, looking to twirl it around hers. I groaned softly when I made contact, my dick jerking to attention when Jillian’s nails clawed into my skin. I wanted, no, I needed more, but this was already getting out of control. When I pulled away, Jillian’s face was flushed, her eyes wide, but it was the smile on her face that told me I did something right.
“Where did you learn to kiss like that?” she whispered, reaching for my hand, and laced her fingers through mine. “Because that...that was the most amazing kiss I have ever had in my entire life.”
I ran the fingers of my free hand over her lips. “Yeah?” I was sure she was only trying to be nice.
“Jesus Christ, Hutch, yes.” Jillian squeezed my hand. “You kiss all the girls like that?”
“Only the ones I like.” I had kissed two girls in my life. My first girlfriend, Mya, and now, Jillian. “Listen, about the other day—”
Jillian shook her head. “I already forgot,” she assured me. “Why don’t you walk me home, Hutch?” She stood up onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss against my chin. “Then you can kiss me goodnight like that again at the front door.”
