Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis Page A

that’s it, you’re stupid. Is that it, Leah Marie? You’re fucking stupid?”
    Jack could still remember being flat on his back staring up at the ceiling, his hands fisted into tight balls, thinking that the wrong dad had died. It’d been the unforgiving, thoughtless wish of a grieving kid, but he’d never forgotten the fury coursing through him at what Leah endured.
    Or how sick he felt for her every time she’d crawl out of her window and into his. She’d stand there bathed by the moon’s glow, eyes filled with hurt, and he’d want to slay her dragons. He’d scoot over and make room for her, and she’d curl up on his bed, letting him hug her while she cried. And sometimes, much later, in the deep dark of the night after she’d finally fallen asleep, he’d cry too.
    He shook all that off now. He didn’t want to think of Leah as the skinny, mistreated, spitfire waif she’d once been. Nor did he want to think of her as his girlfriend, pretend or otherwise. He didn’t want to think of her at all. He wanted to be in bed with Danica, losing himself in the softness of her lush body.
    Instead he was here. Danicaless. And in spite of a very long shower, he still smelled like wine.
    The wind kicked up, and the temperature dropped. Not long now, he thought. Leah was tough as hell when it came right down to it, but she’d never liked to be cold.
    At his side, Kevin stirred, sniffing the air, glancing restlessly at Jack.
    “Yeah, she’ll come out soon,” Jack assured him. And then they’d deal with this mess she’d made. He wasn’t sure what he wanted more. To wrap his fingers around Leah’s pretty neck, or…
    And actually, it was the “or” troubling him now. Because he was having lots of odd and unexpected urges as it pertained to Leah, and he didn’t know what to do about them. Once upon a time, she’d been the only highlight in his day, the only one to make him smile. She was still that person, but there was something new between them, and he wasn’t sure if it was good. In fact, he was pretty sure he should be running like hell.
    Finally she swam in, and then she was standing up in the water, and he nearly swallowed his tongue. It’d been a damn long time since he’d seen her in a bathing suit. Maybe since high school, when she’d been a head taller than all the other girls and skinny as hell.
    She was still tall but she’d filled out in all the right places and then some. She wore a black bikini, nothing but a few straps low on her hips and two triangles over her breasts, and as a wave knocked her around a little, everything jiggled enticingly.
    And suddenly he went from slightly chilled to very overheated. Good Christ, she was…beautiful. It should’ve assuaged his simmering temper just looking at her, but instead it stoked it, making him tense as hell.
    Leah, on the other hand, was looking pretty carefree as she lifted her arms and shoved back her hair.
    At the sight, his brain utterly clicked off.
    She saw him then. He could tell because, from one blink of an eye to the next, she froze every single muscle. It’d have been fascinating to watch, except for the fact that she was freezing up over him . She’d never reacted this way before. He didn’t like it. And besides, he was the wronged party here. He was the one who got to be pissy.
    “You’re still here,” she said flatly.
    Kevin, who clearly hadn’t received the temper memo, bounded over to her, his paws going straight to her shoulders as he gave her the universal Kevin greeting—a lick from chin to forehead.
    “You big oaf,” she said, and then hugged him before pushing him off her.
    Kevin sat happily at her feet, panting, looking up at her adoringly.
    “Nice,” she said. “But I don’t have any doggie treats on me.”
    With a sigh, Kevin flopped all the way down.
    Leah met Jack’s gaze. “You scared me.”
    “You need to be more aware of your surroundings.”
    Dripping water everywhere, she crossed her arms over herself.