Seeking Me To Find You (Finding You Series Book 1) (9 page)

Jackson

R
unning back into
the house, I nearly mow Ben down. “I need the keys to your car right now.”

“Where’s the fire, chief?”

“Don’t ask any questions. I need your car. She doesn’t have any food.”

“Who doesn’t have food?” Ben asks curiously.

“Grace had to bike downtown for breakfast this morning because she had no food in her house. I can’t have her go a minute more without food. Diminishing that cute ass and curvaceous hips would be a major crime.”

“Jackson, slow down for a minute. I thought you were showing her around, not solving her hunger problems, or should I say your hunger problems.” He looks at me while making is brows go up and down.

Reaching for his keys, I growl, “Give me your damn keys or I’ll hotwire the car right here and now. I’ll be back in a moment. I just need to get her the essentials.”

As I turn to open the door I hear Ben making a kissing sound, “Already kissing that ass.”

*

Knocking on her
door, I realize that I may have overstepped my boundaries. I don’t know what she likes or dislike when it comes to food. Hell, I don’t know if she is allergic to anything. Too bad, too sad! I will not let her go another day without anything.

Holding up some of the bags of groceries, I yell, “Surprise!” The look of disbelief is written all over her face.

Cocking her head a little to the side she questions, “What have you done?”

“You need to eat, I had some time to kill, and here I am.” Pushing my way past her I start laying the grocery bags on her counter. “You finish getting ready and I’ll bring in the rest.”

“The rest? Jackson, you just brought in ten bags. I live alone. I don’t eat much. I don’t know you at all so you shouldn’t be buying my groceries.”

I start ticking points back at her. “You may have guests. You need to eat more. And, I hope you will know me a lot better by the end of the day. Call it a house warming gift. Some people bring a food basket; I bring you enough food to fill your refrigerator and cabinets. It’s done. Get over it. I’ll be right back with the rest.” I start to push past her when I notice that she’s standing there with her mouth wide open. I lean towards her and say, “You better close that mouth before I am tempted to do something to it.” I start laughing when I see her snap it shut and take a big gulp. She doesn’t know who she is messing with.

I jog back out to get the rest. I’m in a hurry in case she decides to slam and lock the door on me. When I come back in, she has her back to me while leaning against the refrigerator. She doesn’t realize that I’m watching her. As she’s scanning the groceries that she’s just unloaded I hear her whisper to herself, “Unbelievable.”

“Is there something I missed?” I see her startle and turn towards me.

Holding up a package of maxi pads with a gorgeous smile she mutters, “Nope. Not a thing.” Tossing the maxi pads back on the counter she continues, “Why did you do this?”

“Why not? I have been in your position
many
of times. Going grocery shopping is a chore. I thought I’d relieve you of one less thing on your to-do list. If I missed something, you can go at your leisure to pick it up. Now let’s get everything put up so that we can enjoy the day. I have a schedule to follow and by my clock we have ten minutes to get things put up and head out on the road.”

We start putting things away, she tackles the pantry items while I handle the refrigerated ones. As I look over, I notice she organizes her pantry the way a Marine recruit is expected to organize his foot locker in boot camp. Everything is squared away.

Next thing I know, Thor is sitting outside her glass door with Ben running up behind him out of breath. I open the door and Thor comes rushing in. Ben is bent over with his hands upon his knees trying to catch his breath.

“Dude, the leash got away and this is where he came.”

Looking back, that damn dog is perched on her sofa.

“What the hell happened, man?”

Still trying to catch his breath, Ben coughs, “I needed to take out the trash so I thought I would take him with me. His ears alerted like someone was calling him and he just took off. I chased him here.” At that moment Ben look up, taking notice of Grace immediately. Walking up to her, he holds out his hand to shake hers. “So, you’re the person that has my friend and his dog in knots.”

Smacking him on the back of the head, I put Thor’s leash in his hand. “Grace, this is Ben, and Ben is just leaving.”

Scooting Ben and Thor out, I turn back to Grace. “You ready to get moving?”

“Whenever you are,” she says trying to stifle a laugh.

*

Driving down the
road, we have the windows rolled down. I glance over and notice that Grace is taking in the scenery as her honey locks are being gently blown. She reaches in her bag and pulls out something. She starts seductively drawing her hair back and my eyes are drawn to her neck. Her neck looks like creamy silk that I could nuzzle all night long. She tilts her chin up, closes her eyes and runs her fingers through her hair like a comb. She wraps her hair a sexy bun which makes me go instantly hard. Never has a woman made me feel so wound up in such little time. I have to pull my eyes back to the road before I find a secluded road to rectify this situation that I’ve found myself in.

Both of us stay silent as we continue our journey. Usually silence in this setting is very uncomfortable, however this feels natural. I feel as if I have known her all my life. She has her left arm propped up on the arm rest. Casually I reach over with my right arm and lightly take her hand in mind. Her hand tenses and she looks up me with an uncertain smile. With my eyes still locked on the road, I give a confident smile back. I catch Grace’s smile growing and notice it meets her eyes. She relaxes into her seat while her hand relaxes back into mine. We ride exactly this way until we get to the beach.

The beach is very busy. Anywhere in Southern California on a day like this would be crowded. I pull the truck down to the launch ramp and in unison we both get out and untie the kayaks. It’s obvious she has completed these movements many times. Automatically jumping up in the truck’s bed, she takes control of the back end of one of the kayaks. Continuing to anticipate each other moves, we unload the kayaks one by one. Most of my previous dates would not have jumped in like she did. Hell, most of them would not have been here. They would have wanted to spend the day shopping and would have met me for dinner and drinks later. I jump back in the truck, leaving Grace, along with the kayaks, by the water until I can find a parking space. As soon as I find one, I stow my belongings in a waterproof bag.

Jogging back down to the ramp, I notice she is putting on her life jacket and assembling the oars. What she doesn’t notice is that there are three men watching her every move. As I am coming down the hill I see things unveil pretty quickly. One guy gets her attention, while the other two come up close behind her, which startles her. One guy behind her flips her hair, while the one in the front runs his hand down her cheek. I can’t get to her fast enough, but notice that she quickly positions herself slightly out in front between them, while taking a defensive stance. One guy takes a step forward and I see her pull something out of her pocket and point it at them. I get closer and see she is holding a can of mace.
That’s my girl.
The guys look at her, then at me, and take off.

The next thing I know she has turned around and thrown her arms around my neck. She is shaking uncontrollably.

“Shhhh. I’m right here. Look at me.” Pulling back her eyes meet mine. There’s moisture welling up in them. “You did good. Shhh. I’m here.” A single tear escapes her eye. As she pushes it away, I decide to lighten the mood. “Damn girl, was that mace waiting on me?”

Laughing as a sob chokes out, she says, “No. It’s something that my dad told me to always carry. I automatically put it in my purse or pocket if I am going out.”

Wiping away the stray tear and placing a stray hair behind her ear, I lean down and place a gentle kiss upon her soft lips. God, she tastes like sun ripened raspberries with a twist of mint. Her senses surround me and I pull her deeper towards me. She lets go and her tongue flirts with mine. Pulling back just a little, she gently nips my bottom lip.
Holy hell! I must have her.

Suddenly she pulls back. The immediate loss leaves me needing to have her close again.

“What’s wrong?” I have to feel her skin again so I take her by her hand. Her hand is soft as silk and I want to kiss the inside of her wrist, nipping my way up to her neck.

She smiles shyly back to me. “Let’s not let this ruin today. Let’s get these kayaks in the water.”

She carries the front while I handle the back. We do this again with the second. Finally, Grace and I are off for our afternoon adventure hoping to leave this one hiccup behind.

Grace

I
’m trying to
regain my composure as we glide into the water. Not wanting to let what just happened damper my spirits, I take three deep cleansing breaths.

“Grace, are you okay?”

Looking back over my shoulder, I see him leaning forward with great concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine. Just trying to get acclimated to this kayak. It’s a little longer than the one I have back home and the wind is pushing it a little more than I would like.” I hope this eases him a little.

“Wait right there until I can pull up alongside of you. There are more people than I anticipated out enjoying the day. I want to maneuver out to the jetty and follow it around to the harbor. This will allow us to mingle more with the people kayaking than the paddle boarders and surfers.”

Glancing out over the area, I’m taken in by the sheer beauty. To my left I can see that the beach holds many options for visitors. There’s a massive lawn in which people can enjoy a game of volleyball or just relax and have a picnic. There’s a small campground with tents right up to the beach. Farther up the shore, people are already lining the beach ready for a fun filled day in the sun. There is a group of surfers in a circle having a casual chat. Every once in a while they will look back, scanning the horizons. To my right, on the other side of a jetty, I see a beautiful harbor filled with expensive and stylish boats. On the docks, I can barely make out a few harbor seals sunning.

Suddenly I feel a bump. Turning with a jerk, I’m met by the most breathtaking smile.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you
sure
you are okay?”

“I’m fine. I was just engrossed in my surroundings. Thank you so much for inviting me today. I know that I’m going to really enjoy this.”

He starts rummaging through his water proof bag. “Before I lead you around the jetty, I want to take the opportunity for us to reapply sunscreen. I believe with the clear skies and sun beating down on the water, we’re going to get more reflection than usual. Also, it’s a little windy so you may want to put on your parka or have it at least ready in case you need it. I’ll hold you still so you don’t feel like you are being jostled around.”

Usually I am turned off by guys telling me what I need to do, however the way he speaks to me feels different. His voice is filled with comfort and concern. Not an ‘I know what is best for you, so do it’. Being in uncharted waters, I let down my guard a little and start to relax. The silence that falls between us is again comfortable, not awkward.

I allow Jackson to lead as we go around the jetty. This area is not as congested as the area in which we came and the wildlife is abundant. Just below the surface of the water, I can see fish swimming by. In the distance, I identify two brown pelicans dive bombing into the waters trying to rummage up some lunch. More Salton Sea birds are perched upon the jetty waiting for just the right time to make their move.

Jackson’s strong voice interrupts our silence. “So, tell me the truth. Did you bring your mace because you were afraid I may end up being a weirdo?”

I chuckle, “No. It’s out of habit. Growing up on a Marine Base my stepfather was constantly worried. I was the type of person that always enjoyed the outdoors. I’d rather play a pickup game of flag football then play dolls with the girls on the playground. I was always getting scraped up or bloody. They boys in the neighborhood would always play rock, paper, and scissors to see which one would follow me home to show my parents. When I joined my middle school track team, I started running. Not in front of my house, but miles around the base. He told me that he knew what young boys were interested in and he was not going to have me go out without protection. That afternoon, while he was out, he bought me an air horn. He told me that if someone tried to get me, to kick them in the balls then blow the horn directly in their ear. That was also the day he signed me up for Judo. When I was in high school, he upped it to mace because he said that he knew what young Marines had on
their
minds. Even though the legal age to carry was eighteen, he didn’t care. He said that
he
would deal with any consequences if they ever arose.”