Free The Keatyn Chronicles: Adore Me by Jillian Dodd Page B

up and yells at Damian. “I’m gonna grab some water. I’ll be right back.”
    “Grab me one too,” Damian says.  
    As Aiden runs up to the pool bar, Damian pulls the wave runner up into the sand, hops off it, and then plops down next to me.  
    “Jeez, when I said you should have some fun, I didn't mean you should accost the poor boy on the beach.”
    “Jealous?”
    “Totally. Peyton has the best ass. I want to own it. Explore it's surrounding areas.”
    I laugh. “You need to stay out of that part of town.” He laughs, although I’m pretty sure he’s completely serious, so I say, “Damian, if you really like her, shouldn't you want to take it slow?”
    “I am taking it slow because what I really want to do is wave one of your magic wands, make you disappear, and throw her across a chaise and fuck her until she can’t move.”
    “Damian!”
    “Come on, don't pretend like you don't want Aiden to do that to you. You two have so much chemistry if you don't do it pretty soon you may combust and kill us all.”
    That makes me laugh. “Maybe, but if she's really your future wife, you should wait a little. I mean, what would you tell your kids?”
    “I’d tell them Mom’s ass looked so good in her bikini I couldn't help myself. My sons will understand.”
    “And your daughters?”
    “We’re not having daughters if Inga’s palm reading isn’t total bullshit. But if we did, I’d tell them the love at first sight story. Perpetuate the future generation’s obsession with fairy tales.” He grins at me. “Maybe I’d even tell them she was a mermaid.”
    I smack him. “Very funny.”
    “Do you think your mom and Tommy waited?”
    “Ha. No. I’m pretty sure they did it on their first date. But, then, if a guy as hot as Tommy took me and my daughter on a private jet to a Russian ballet, I wouldn’t have waited either.”
    “You and Aiden remind me of them.”
    “What did you mean?”
    “When you aren’t obsessing about your lack of a future and let yourself have fun, you just glow. Hell, you both glow.”  
    “Do you like him?”
    “Yeah, Keats, I like him. But just as a forewarning, don’t plan on us hanging out tonight. I’m taking Peyton on our first date.”
    “Where are you going?”
    “We’re gonna take the jeep, drive up the mountain, and look for shooting stars.”
    “In the words of your father, So you’re taking her parking ?”
    He laughs out loud. “Oh my gosh. I about died when he said that to us in front of everyone. I’m sure I looked completely guilty.”
    “We both did. The funny thing is that never once crossed my mind.”
    “That’s because you were hell bent on acting out some script you were writing. Where they laid on top of a mountain, held hands, and made wishes on shooting stars.”
    “That seems like a long time ago.”
    “Things were just simpler then.”
    “Yeah, they were,” I say quietly, biting my lower lip.
    “No. No. No. Don’t start with the pout.”
    Aiden comes back, tosses Damian a bottle of water, and says to me, “Why are you pouting?”  
    “Because I’m taking your sister out tonight. She’s jealous.”
    “Jealous?” Aiden says, looking a little confused.
    “She loves looking at the stars.”
    “I’m sure we can find some stars of our own,” Aiden says, kissing my cheek before running back out into the water with Damian.

    Peyton comes wandering back out to our chaises with Sven in tow. She’s carrying a laptop and Sven has two of his wickedly strong hurricane drinks on a tray. He sets them on a side table next to us and then heads back into the house.  
    “These drinks are really strong,” I tell her.  
    “Perfect. I need to relax. I can’t relax around him. It’s like I’m strung out, waiting for the next hit. The next kiss.”
    “If you break into song about how his love is your drug, I may have to smack you.”
    She laughs, sipping and watching Damian on the wakeboard. “Wow, he’s good on that thing. Almost as