Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set (14 page)

Henry and Joe immediately hug Jared and then Jared makes introductions to Nathan who openly hugs Henry and Joe.

Approaching me, Henry holds out his hand and I shake it happily, “Good morning, Emma.”

“Good morning, Henry,” I return warmly.

My attention goes to Joe next, who can wear workout clothes as well as he wears a suit.

“Hi, Joe,” I initiate with the same smile I gave Henry.

“Good morning, Emma,” Joe returns with a full, elated smile as he reaches to shake my hand.

My lady parts tingle at his warm touch as he lifts my hand to his mouth again.

“Is it just the six of us,” Henry questions.

“For now . . . but we usually pick up a few more as the morning passes,” Nathan replies.

“Cool,” Henry acknowledges.

Joe nods in agreement.

“I’m on Henry’s team,” shouts Maggie.

I swear that Jared, Nathan and I all roll our eyes and shake our heads at the same time.

“Should we have the girls on different teams to make it fair?” Joe questions, which is immediately met with laughter from Nathan and Jared.

I deliberately choose to not respond which could work to my benefit.

“Sure,” Jared eludes in agreement. “We should definitely make it fair.” He and Nathan continue to crack up as Joe appears a little confused.

The air is still cool this early in the morning, but I decided to take my dark grey running jacket off leaving me only wearing a tight white v-neck cotton tee shirt, that makes my natural c-cup sized breasts pop, even in a sports bra, and dark grey spandex capris. I’m always barefoot when I play beach volleyball.

“Hey Joe! Do you want a front view or back view while we play?” Jared inquires loudly.

I glance over at them when I hear Jared’s remarks and spot Joe looking away. Was he just checking me out?

Nathan roars with laughter as Joe blushes a little. Joe
was
checking me out and I almost blush myself. Maggie and Henry seem too preoccupied in their own conversation to notice.

“You’re right,” Nathan agrees. “He’s totally into her. But, then again, what guy wouldn’t be?”

I shake my head in protest and mild irritation. I should be used to this by now from Nathan and Jared.

We divide up into our teams of three and begin playing. Henry, Maggie and Nathan are on one team and Jared, Joe and myself on the other. With one person up front and two in the back, we volley for the serve as I stand in the back left position. Jared is in front me and purposefully misses the ball when he and Nathan jump up at the net, letting Nathan win. Man, does he have it bad for Nathan.

Henry serves first in my direction. I pop the ball up for Jared who lobs it over the net.

“Come on man. Play the game. Stop flirting with Nathan,” I yell playfully, not letting my competitive nature out too quickly.

“What?!” Jared retorts.

I glare at him. “You know you’re getting laid tonight regardless, so you better play,” I chide with a smile.

Jared’s eyes look to Nathan who nods in agreement.

Maggie, Henry and Joe look at me a little in shock at my blatant announcement. I’m only this vocal when I’m surrounded by my friends and I seem to not care with two others present. Maggie’s only shocked because Henry is here.

“Emma,” Maggie scolds with embarrassment in her voice.

I smile proudly. Oddly, I find my gaze heading to Joe as I take my position to the left of him.

By the time I get to serve, it’s five to three and my team is losing.

“This one is for you, Dartmouth,” I shout to get Henry’s attention which is on Maggie.

I hurl the ball into the air and jump to hit it with my fist. The ball spirals towards Henry’s feet faster than he expects, causing him to miss the ball.

“Four-to-five!” I broadcast as I look for Joe’s response before the ball is returned to me for my next serve.

His smirk has returned.

“Be nice, Emma,” Maggie scolds.

“What?!” I reply. “I’m just playing the game. It’s not my fault if he’s not going to pay attention.”

She shakes her head at me.

“Fine,” I agree.

Aside from my competitive nature, my eagerness to get the tension out from the nightmare from this morning is going to need to be tempered a little.

“Let the torture begin,” Jared proclaims as he raises his arms above his head.

“Don’t encourage her,” Maggie warily shouts.

Nathan laughs and directs to Maggie, “You better bring your A-Game now, girl! This is no time to be all cutesy for a guy.”

Maggie’s face flushes a little as her eyes widen. Though she’s short, Maggie can play a mean volleyball game when she wants to. She’s nowhere near as competitive as I am, but she starts to get the look in her eye that she’s not going down without a fight.

“There’s my Mags,” Jared coaxes her.

“It’s on,” Maggie confirms with determination.

I serve four more times bringing the score to eight-to-five with my team in the lead before we falter. Maggie sends a sharp serve over that causes Joe and I to almost collide.

“Call it!” Jared shouts.

Joe and I nod in agreement.

“Six-to-eight,” Maggie announces, pleased with herself before her second serve.

Nathan pops the ball up, forcing me to line the ball to the net for Joe to send over towards Maggie. The ball falls to the edge of the court, staying in play by a couple inches. Jared boasts as we win the point.

We continue playing until my team wins by one point, fifteen-to-fourteen. After Jared serves the winning point, I jump up on him with my arms and legs wrapped around his body, almost knocking him to the ground. Everyone has a good laugh at our celebration.

Taking a break, everyone starts hydrating and adds some natural suntan lotion to their exposed skin. Sadie eagerly greets everyone, looking for attention. I pour her some water and a few snacks into her mesh bowls.

Maggie’s team triumphantly wins the second game by two points. Getting ready to start our third game, all of the guys are shirtless. Trying not to directly stare, my peripheral vision allows me to enjoy the sight of Joe’s body. There’s not an ounce of fat on the man with his rippling muscles from his shoulders to his lower abdomen. For an East Coast boy, he’s got a slight tan and no sign of tan lines. His muscles sparkle as a hint of sunlight bounces off his sweat. Joe’s got a little bit of chest hair that tappers down into a happy trail all the way to the edge of his shorts. I feel an increase in moisture between my legs as a small gust of wind lightly swirls around me. Focus, Emma.

A group of four guys join us just as we take the court again, making it five people per team. The new teammates take their turns flirting with Maggie and me, but Maggie tries to ignore them. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoy the attention and flirt back, even adding Joe to the mix so he doesn’t feel left out.

My team wins again, by two points.

By the end of the forth game, Maggie’s team has won and we decide to call it a draw. The four guys who joined us are sad when our group explains that we are done for the day. I guess they were hopping to see Maggie and I bounce around a little more. They ask for my phone number, but I refuse politely.

“Henry and I are going for a walk on the beach,” Maggie discloses after speaking privately with him and folding up the beach chairs.

“Good idea. Wanna go for a walk, cutie?” Jared questions Nathan mischievously.

“Of course,” Nathan answers with a gleam in his eye.

The four of them head away as Joe, with an adorable smile, states the awkward and obvious circumstance we’re left with. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”

“Yep,” I confirm.

He helps me get the chairs, umbrella and coolers packed into Nathan’s car as Sadie bounces around us.

“I like your car,” Joe states.

“It’s not mine. It’s Nathan’s,” I reply.

“Oh, sorry. I just figured it was yours,” he says nervously. “That’s right, you don’t like cars.”

I wince a little at his words and he catches me.

“Sorry . . . I, uh . . . that didn’t come out right,” he stutters.

Joe seems sincere, so I let him off the hook. “It’s okay,” I say, hoping he doesn’t inquire why. I grab Sadie’s ball and look to Joe, “I’m taking her out to play a little?”

“Do you mind if I join you ladies?” he asks.

“Sure,” I return, not sure if it is a good idea.

We start walking in the opposite direction from the rest of our group. There are fewer people, so it’s easier to give Sadie more room to run and fetch. We walk quietly all the way to the water’s edge tossing the ball for Sadie each time she brings it back, staying far enough away from the ocean since it’s chilly.

“I didn’t mean to be rude earlier . . .” Joe starts as he scratches his head. “. . . when I was asking if we should split you and Maggie up for teams.”

“It’s okay. No big deal,” I reply.

It’s obvious that Joe means what he says. The trait of honesty seems fully seated in his personality and I appreciate that. This idea only bothers me since my attraction for him is more than I anticipated.

He continues as he still seems a little rattled, “I didn’t think you girl’s couldn’t play . . . I . . . .”

“Don’t worry about it,” I reassure him. “No hard feelings.”

This brings a relieved smile to his face as he nods.

I take a few more steps before saying timidly, “Please don’t think I’m . . . not a nice person.”

“Why would I think that?” he questions with his eyebrows raised before picking up the ball this time to throw if for Sadie.

“I know I can seem a little gruff and mean, and I wasn’t very nice when we first met and . . . .”

Cutting me off, Joe turns towards me to respond, “Not at all. I can see that you’re just protective of your friends. I admire that.”

My eyes soften under his gaze. “Thanks.”

Aside from my sexual attraction to Joe, I actually feel very comfortable with him. It’s a similar comfort I felt with Jared and Nathan when I first met them, though I know Joe is not gay. What is happening?

We decide to sit in the sand after a little bit as Sadie bounces into the water chasing the waves on occasion and then runs back to us. Anytime there is silence between us, it isn’t awkward for me and it doesn’t appear that way for him.

“No interrogation for me today,” he teases as he bumps my shoulder.

I get the feeling that he wants me to question him. “No . . . not now, anyway,” I reply with a smile, aware of the bait he’s laid out for me.

“Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

I inwardly cringe at the thought, but relay an expression as if I’m considering it.

“Nothing too intrusive. Just a few little questions,” he nudges gently.

“I guess . . .” I say with my voice trailing off as our eyes meet.

He hesitates for a moment, considering on what question to ask first. “Henry is like one of my brothers. I only want to see him happy. So, I guess . . . I was just wondering, from your perspective, what does their relationship mean to Maggie?”

I’m shocked at his question. He seems protective of Henry like I am of Maggie. I like that a lot, but feel defensive of Maggie at his subtle implication.

“She’s not a heart breaker or a gold digger, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Bashfully, he responds, “I wasn’t trying to imply . . . .”

I cut him off before he can continue, “It’s okay . . . Maggie is the type of girl who falls for guys easily just to have her heart broken.” After another beat, I add, “I can see there is a connection between the two of them. A connection I’ve never seen her have with any other guy. . . .” My thoughts and where they are leading cause me to stop short of saying them out loud.

“Good. I mean . . . I’m sorry. That came out wrong,” Joe replies while trying to recover.

He really is trying to be respectful towards both of them. It’s sweet and I find myself liking him more.

“Relax,” I say with a little chuckle which seems to ease him.

I’m excited to hear we both feel the same way about our friends.

After a few more minutes of quiet, Joe asks, “So, should I be worried about your boyfriend seeing us talking. If he’s the jealous type?”

He just went there and the funny thing is that I’m not really surprised or offended. “No. No boyfriend.”

“Really?” he declares with awe. “I can’t believe for one second that a woman as beautiful as yourself doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

He’s totally hitting on me and I’m enjoying it more than I should.

Trying to control myself, I reply, “Really?!”

“Well, I’d ask about a girlfriend, but that was ruled out at New Year’s by Nǎinai,” he jokes.

Carefully considering how I want to answer, I glare at him with a grin before responding. “Do you really think flirting with me will help your case?”

“Is it working?” Joe inquires with a large smile.

He’s clearly not afraid to hide it.

“No,” I sternly reply, holding my ground. “Besides, I don’t date.”

“Must be your pleasant personality when people first meet you,” he teases, bumping his shoulder into mine again.

“I’m not going to respond to that,” I declare as I shake my head and push his shoulder away a little.

Yep, definitely all muscle. Yum.

He sits laughing under his breath at his little victory as I look away, trying not to smile. I can’t let him see that he’s gotten to me. I oddly find myself more turned on.

Sadie bounces back from the water to us, staying close while we sit in silence, and on occasion I swear I can hear Joe laugh when I don’t look at him. Our eyes meet for a moment and his gaze captivates me.

Joe’s eyes suddenly dart up, and before I can respond, Jared wrestles and pins me to the ground. Jared’s temporary victory doesn’t hold me long as my reflexes from the years of training kick in. Within just a few seconds, I’ve got Jared pinned in a Jujitsu move that I know he can’t get out of.

“Shit!” Jared whimpers.

Jared has been strong since we first met and is the person who introduced me to self-defense. Though he had about a year on me in training, I caught up pretty quickly. Jared was always willing to practice at home, and we’d spend a lot of free time sparring. We finally reached a point where the skill was thoroughly engrained in us and everything became instinctual. It was like breathing. We just do it. However, I continued to train. I loved to learn new things aside of my compulsion to feel safe and secure. Jared knows as much as I do, because whenever I learn something new, I show him. The only difference between us is that I practice more often.