Skin Tight (Skin Deep #4) (7 page)

“You don’t want to?” he asked in response, shutting off the engine.

“Didn’t say that,” I said, grinning at him. He smiled back and stood, removing his hat and sunglasses, dropping them onto the dash console before he yanked his shirt off, leaving him standing there in nothing but his low riding board shorts.

Ian and Brandon followed suit, and suddenly, Chloe and I were sitting there, looking at three half-naked, Grade-A Prime, tattooed, pierced, and
perfect
, hotter-than-hot, males.

“God, they’re pretty,” Chloe breathed beside me. I could only nod in agreement.

We looked at each other and grinned when Brandon cleared his throat and crossed his arms, commenting dryly, “We’re not just gonna stand here all day for you to ogle.”

T.J. turned away and opened the gate to the back platform, lowering the ladder into the water. Brandon followed him and jumped in with no hesitation, disappearing beneath the water as Chloe stripped out of her shorts and tank top, revealing a navy and white striped bikini.

I stripped down to my own blue, green, and white patterned bikini, feeling a pang of pride and relief at how at ease Chloe was with herself now. Last year, Chloe would never have worn anything revealing that would possibly show the scars left behind by her psycho ex, who’d abused her beyond belief, resulting in killing the baby she’d carried and almost Chloe. She’d gotten away, but he found her last year, and kidnapped and tried to kill her once more.

He ended up six feet under, and Chloe ended up with her happy ever after, which she deserved more than anything. Since then, Brandon had done wonders for her, shown her that she was beautiful, scars and all, which just endeared him to me even more.

Chloe moved to the back of the boat and looked for Brandon, who had surfaced a few feet from the boat. She grinned and jumped into the water, swimming directly into his arms once she broke the surface.

T.J. followed, diving into the water with precision and grace, leaving Ian and I along on the boat. I stepped toward the back, intending to follow them all into the water, but shrieked when Ian scooped me up in his arms suddenly.

“Ian…” I warned, “No. Don’t you dare throw me in!” I struggled in his arms, but knew better. His hold was too strong, albeit very gentle.

He chuckled. “You were about to jump in anyway, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s not the same as being thrown in. You love me, don’t you?” I cajoled in a saccharine sweet voice, batting my eyes at him.

“I do,” he replied, matching my tone. “But that’s not going to save you.”

He strode to the back of the boat, stood on the platform and kissed me quickly before he grinned…and tossed me into the water.

I swam up to the surface, glaring up at him. “You ass!”

“But you love me,” he said, still grinning unabashedly. Then he jumped in, sending a wave of water splashing up in my face.

Chapter 11

We played in the water, splashing and dunking like adolescents, enjoying the company and the freedom of the moment. After a while, I was done swimming, so I climbed back up into the boat and wrapped my towel around me, pulling my hair down from its knot and wringing it out over the side.

I piled it back up on my head and curled up on the lounger, watching Ian float by on his back, grinning up at me as I looked down at him over the side. I noticed that Brandon and Chloe had gotten quiet, so I chanced a glance over at them, only to smile when I saw Chloe wrapped around Brandon, his hands cupping her ass, faces close as they talked quietly to each other in the water, kissing every so often between words.

I felt the boat sway and looked back to see T.J. climbing up the ladder. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around him, plopping down on the other end of the lounger by my feet.

He smacked my leg playfully and asked me, “Have fun?”

I nodded. “Yep. Too bad you waited til the end of summer to get a boat,” I quipped, jokingly.

A weird look flashed across his face briefly, so quick I wasn’t even sure I really saw it, before it was replaced with a rueful half-smile. “It is too bad, isn’t it,” he stated in agreement.

“So you got a place over on Vineyard, huh?”

He nodded in response, but didn’t offer any information.

I glanced back down in the water, watching Ian cut through the water with sure strokes, like he was swimming laps, rather than floating like he had been.

T.J. and I sat in silence for a bit, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was companionable, because I’d been around him so many times before, but I still hadn’t talked to him very much. Most of the guys like Luke, Brandon, and Ian were the strong silent type, but T.J. made them seem like gossip mongers. And he really didn’t ask anyone for anything; he showed up, did his job, or whatever activity we asked him to do with us, and then he went home.

That’s why I was caught off guard when T.J. broke the silence with a question.

“Chloe said you used to cut hair. Will you cut mine for me?”

I blinked in surprise, but answered quickly, “Yeah, sure. When do you want to do it?”

“Can I come by tonight?” he asked, hesitantly.

“Of course! Just swing by after you drop the boat off at home. I’ll have my stuff ready for ya.”

“Cool. Thanks.”

We both looked back at the dip of the boat to see Ian step up off the ladder. I jumped up and reached for his towel, tossing it back to him.

He caught it with a wink. “Thanks, babe.”

He dried himself off and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine in a quick kiss before he moved past me to take a seat up front, just as Brandon and Chloe made their way into the boat.

“Let’s get some grub, man. I’m starving,” Brandon called, his voice muffled under his towel as he dried off his hair.

We all seconded that, so we headed back to the dock and helped T.J. load and tie down the boat while we discussed what we were going to do for dinner.

“We can hit up the little grocery store and go cookout by the water in the park, or check out one of the restaurants around here,” T.J. said. “I’m up for whatever.”

It didn’t take long to decide just to stop somewhere and eat before heading home. When we were finished, Brandon and Chloe took us home and T.J. stopped by his house to drop off the boat before he came over.

As soon as we got home, while we were waiting for T.J., Ian and I jumped in the shower to wash the lake water off of us. We’d just gotten out and I was getting dressed when the doorbell rang. Ian, who’d already donned a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, went to answer while I pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, grabbing my case with my stylist supplies.

In short order, Ian was sitting at the kitchen table, and I had T.J. sitting in a chair with a cape snapped around his neck to keep the hair off him, running my fingers through his hair as I asked what he wanted me to do with it.

“I don’t know. I think it’s just time for a change.”

His hair was a long mohawk that he usually spiked up, and it was dyed black, red, and yellow, so it looked almost like flames. His hair, paired with his whiskey colored eyes, only enhanced the striking look of him; seriously, there was no denying that the man was H.O.T.

“If I cut it shorter, you’ll have to dye it again, because I’ll end up cutting most of the lighter colors off. You’ll probably just have the red and black left,” I told him, pulling his hair up and measuring with my fingers.

“You know what? Just cut it all off,” T.J. said decisively.

“Are you sure? How about I just cut it short, that way you can still keep the ‘hawk, just shorter.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

He didn’t say anything else, so I took it that it was decided. I grabbed my clippers and buzzed the sides down, then took my scissors and cut the length off the rest until he was left with a three inch long mohawk on top. Most of the color was gone; in fact, his hair was black, with just the tips barely showing the red.

He and Ian had talked a little while I was cutting, mostly about the tattoo shop, Skin Deep, that T.J. was now part owner of with Brandon and Luke, but they’d lapsed into silence the last few minutes.

I was running my fingers through his hair, checking to make sure the length was even when he spoke again.

“Thanks for doing this,” he said quietly.

I brushed the hair off the back of his neck and unsnapped the cape. “You’re welcome. It’s no trouble, really. Next time you need it cut, just let me know.”

He stood and reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?

Ian laughed and shook his head. “Dude, don’t. You’re just gonna piss her off.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong. I stood with my hands on my hips, glaring at T.J. “I don’t want your money. You’re a friend, T.J., practically family. You asked for a favor, I helped you out. I did it because I like you. Get it?”

He put his hands up in front of him defensively. “All right, all right…down killer,” he soothed jokingly, his lips curled into a cute little half-smile.

I dropped my hands and smiled back. “You know, you should smile more often,” I told him, then cursed myself when his smile disappeared. “I don’t get you, T.J. Conley. You’re so serious all the time, but you let your guard down with us every now and then, just for a second before you slap that baby right back up.”

“Leah…” I heard Ian warn softly behind me.

“No,” T.J. interrupted him. “She’s right. But Chloe’s really the only one who calls me on it. She reminds me of my sister in a way, even though they’re totally different.”

I sighed. “See? I didn’t even know you had a sister.”

He gave me that ghost of a smile again. “Well, I do. But I don’t talk about family.”

I shook my head at him. “You don’t talk about anything.”

“I know. It’s better that way. Maybe one day…just not now. But, like I’ve told Brandon, Chloe, Luke, and even your sister, Emma, -who by the way, tried her hand at cracking me open, as well- you guys have opened your lives to me and given me back something that I didn’t think I’d ever have again. Friendship, caring…a home.” He glanced over at Ian. “And you’re good people, all of you. The way you guys take care of your women, your families…it warms my heart. And that’s also something that I thought would never happen again. Ever.”

Ian stepped up and clapped him on the back. “You’re good people, too, man. We all know it. And we’re all here for you, regardless of your past, even if you never talk about it.”

I watched T.J.’s shoulders relax just a bit, just beginning to realize that he’d tensed up when I’d started to pry. Wanting to lighten the mood again and, honestly, just wanting him to smile once more, I said lightly, “And you’re so damn pretty, too. It’s no hardship to have you adding to the view.”

I capped it off with a saucy wink that made Ian growl playfully before he reached out and pulled me into a hug, and we all ended up laughing, effectively breaking the tension.

Ian released me and I grabbed the broom to sweep up the mess on the floor, but didn’t get far with it because T.J. deftly moved in and took it from me. I shot Ian a
did-you-see-that?
look, but he just waved me away.

T.J. had the floor swept clean, the chair pushed back into the table, my case packed up (neatly, I might add), and the broom put away in the blink of an eye, leaving me gaping at him again.

“Damn, you’re quick,” I quipped as he leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms like he hadn’t moved.

“Only when I need to be,” he drawled, his lips twitching up in a sexy little smile as he winked exaggeratedly, being deliberately suggestive.

I flushed, unable to help it. “I…uh…okay. You guys want a beer?” I asked, stammering a little, making both Ian and T.J. laugh at me. Without waiting for an answer, I went to the fridge and grabbed two out, twisting the caps off automatically and handing one to each.

“You flustered her,” Ian chuckled, nudging T.J. with his shoulder as they stood side by side, leaning against the counter like they didn’t have a care in the world.

“It happens.” T.J. shrugged and gave me that maddening half-smile again.

“Grrrr…” I growled at him, glaring. “I can’t get you to hardly string sixteen words together before tonight, you barely ever smile, and now you’re sexy smiling
and
winking at me? What the hell?” I threw my hands up in frustration, ending with my legs apart and my hands on my hips as they both just smirked at me.

I gave up and crossed my arms, content just to glare at them when T.J. send a sideways glance at Ian and said, “She’s a feisty one, isn’t she,” and Ian just nodded slowly, his eyes warming with glee. “Yes, she is, T.J. Yes, she is.”

“Assholes,” I muttered, stalking out of the kitchen and throwing myself onto the couch, smiling to myself when I heard them laughing behind me. I wasn’t really mad. How could I be? T.J. laughed and smiled…and opened himself just the tiniest bit.

There’s a story there. And Chloe and I would figure it out eventually.

The guys made their way into the living room, T.J. perching on the edge of the recliner, his half-empty bottle of beer dangling from his fingertips between his wide-spread knees, and Ian picked my legs up and sat down, arranging my thighs across his lap, one of his hands curling possessively around my upper thigh while he traced his other one slowly up and down my shin.

I glanced at the clock, noting that it was only eight o’clock.

Ian pinched my thigh lightly as he broke the silence, asking, “You over your fit?”

I ignored him, instead addressing the room in general. “Wanna watch a movie?” I hit the button on the remote to go to the pay-per-view new releases and scrolled through to the comedy listings, popping them up on the screen.

Nothing caught my eye, so I dropped the remote and snuck a look at the Ian and then T.J., noting that they were both still smirking at me.

“Are we going to watch something or not?” I asked them, more to make them stop staring at me then anything.

T.J. chuckled and shrugged, then drained the rest of his beer.

“Want another?” I asked him, looking to see if Ian needed one, too.

He shook his head. “Nah, gotta drive home after the movie.”

“Want something else?”

He shook his head again, so I looked at Ian and got a negative shake of his head, as well. I reached for the remote again, but Ian snagged it and turned it immediately onto one of the new shoot-‘em-up/bang-‘em-down movies that had just come out. Not my favorite but…whatever.

So it was totally not my fault that I was asleep within the first half hour.