Beat of the Heart (24 page)

anytime soon, Mr. Resendiz.”

AJ held up his hands in surrender. “I was just trying to be affectionate.”

“With you, there’s always something lurking behind that affection.” Lowering my voice, I added,

“And it’s usually a hard-on.”

Choking on his hamburger, AJ snatched up his beer and downed half of it. When he recovered, he

cut his eyes over at me. “Damn, girl.”

“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” I questioned with a smile.

AJ chuckled before taking another bite of his hamburger. When he did, he left a glob of mustard

behind. “Ugh, you’re such a pig.” I reached over and swiped it away with my thumb. Before I could

move my hand, AJ’s tongue darted out and licked the mustard off my thumb. It caused an ache to burn

through my lower half. I shivered under his stare.

“Having the tables turned sucks, huh?” he questioned in a low voice.

“Oh shut up and eat your burger,” I snapped.

With a wink, he brought his free hand under the table to rest on my knee. When I glanced across the

table, Jake and Abby were smiling at us. I quickly focused my attention back on my plate and the

conversations floating around me. It was a rowdy and raucous meal, but it felt just like being with my

family at one of our weekly dinners. I felt happier than I had in a long, long time.

With our bellies full from the enormous meal and dessert, we left the picnic tables and headed over

to the lounge chairs by the crackling bonfire. Before he sat down, Jake flipped the switch on the

outdoor stereo system, sending music echoing around us. As I nursed a foamy beer, my head pinged

back and forth between the guys’ conversation—most of it was good-natured ragging on each other.

When the music switched over and Luke Bryan’s
Drunk on You
belted out of the speakers, I sat up

straighter in my chair. “Augh, I love this song!” I exclaimed.

“Seriously?” AJ questioned, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

I nodded. “You know I love country music, and I adore anything by Luke Bryan.”

With a squeal beside me, Abby gushed, “Really? Me too. You know we met him at the CMAs.”

She fanned herself and giggled. “He’s even hotter in person.”

“Oh my God, I would die. Did you actually get to talk to him?”

Jake and AJ glanced at each other and rolled their eyes at Abby and me acting like lovesick

teenage girls.

“Yeah, we did. He was so nice, too.”

“I would kill to meet him.”

Abby reached over and smacked my leg. “Next CMAs you’re coming with me then.”

“That would be awesome.”

AJ grunted. “Seriously, this dude has nothing on me.”

“You actually know the lyrics to this song?”

“Unfortunately yes.” At my continued skepticism, he added, “You want me to put my money where

my mouth is?”

Rhys groaned. “Please Mia, don’t get him started.”

Ignoring him, I grinned at AJ. “Come on, big boy. Give me your best shot.”

“My pleasure.” He sat down his beer and then rose out of his chair. He took center stage in the

circle of chairs. Cocking his head to the side, he waited to start in on a line of the song. While he sang

the lyrics, he mimed rolling down the windows, turning up the radio, and pouring some Crown in a

cup. Abby and Allison giggled at his antics while I couldn’t help smiling at him for being such a

goober.

When he got to the chorus, he pointed straight at me and bellowed over the song, “Girl, you make

my speakers go boom, boom—” Precisely in the moment, he whirled around to smack both of his ass

cheeks on ‘boom, boom’. “Dancing on the tail gate in the full moon.”

“Nice,” I replied as I clapped wildly.

Jake snorted contemptuously. “Don’t encourage him. AJ will use any excuse to shake his ass at us.”

“Don’t be hatin’ on my ass shaking skills. Mia’s a lady who appreciates rhythm—in and out of the

bedroom.”

Reaching out, I grabbed him by the belt loops and jerked him closer. I leaned forward to nip with

my teeth at one of AJ’s butt cheeks through his shorts. “I sure as hell do.”

“Easy now, you two,” Jake grumbled, motioning over at Allison.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I’m almost seventeen, not seven.”

AJ turned around to face me. With a grin, he held out his hand. “Come on, I want to take you to see

the waterfalls.”

I cocked my head at him. “Is that some code word for you to get me away from the group, so you

can ravish me out in the woods?”

Abby giggled. “No, there are actually some small waterfalls on the far edge of Jake’s grandfather’s

property. They’re only about twelve feet, but it’s really beautiful there.”

Eyeing AJ’s outstretched hand, I said, “
Just
the waterfalls. No funny business that might land me

with poison ivy on my ass, right?”

He pursed his lips in his signature smirk. “I’m not making any promises.” When I started to protest,

he held up a hand. “I can’t be held accountable if you accidentally take a tumble out there and happen

to roll through poison ivy.”

“As long as you don’t help me along in that tumble, I think we’ll be fine.” I then slipped my hand

into his, and he pulled me out of the lawn chair.

“Have fun taking in the scenery,” Abby teased.

I grinned at her before I let AJ tug me along behind him. He led me over to the barn where a Jeep

and several four-wheelers were parked. Instead of going for the Jeep, he slid onto a gleaming black

four-wheeler. Turning around, he then patted the sparse space behind him. “Hop on, babe.”

I swept my hands to my hips. “You can’t be serious.”

“And why the hell not?”

“For one, you’re saying that a city-boy like you actually knows how to ride one of those things,

least of all drive it?”

“Yes, Mia, as hard as it is to believe, this Mexican city dweller actually knows how to drive a

four-wheeler.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing at his tone. Instead, I continued to look skeptically at

him. AJ rolled his eyes “Listen, I’ve been riding them up here at Jake’s since I was fourteen. But even

before that, I was driving my uncle’s motorcycle along the streets of Guadalajara, which trust me is a

hell of a lot more dangerous than anything the backwoods can throw at you.”

“Okay, okay, I stand corrected.”

With a triumphant grin, AJ revved the motor to life. Hiking my leg, I slid across what was left of

the seat behind him. I was practically plastered against his back. My bare thighs brushed against his.

“Hold on tight, baby,” he called over the roar of the motor.

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I shouted back, “Trust me, you don’t have to tell me that

twice.”

“You got nothin’ to worry about. I wouldn’t ever let you get hurt.”

My heart fluttered a little at both his kind words and sincere tone. “Aren’t you just a sweetheart?”

“Yep, I am.” Glancing over his shoulder, he winked. “Now sit tight. I’m gonna give you the ride of

your life.”

I snickered in spite of myself. “Whatever.”

AJ released the brake and stomped on the gas, sending us careening forward over the gravel road.

A dirt storm kicked up in our wake, clouding my vision. As we gained speed, I gripped him even

tighter. His rock hard abs tightened beneath my hands.

With a turn to the right, we left the gravel road and began tumbling over uneven and overgrown

grass. Long before I could see it, I could hear the pounding roar of the water. I didn’t realize I had

been holding my breath until we reached the stream. AJ must’ve felt my anticipation because he shut

off the engine and pointed to the right. “See,” he instructed.

Shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand, I gazed to where he pointed and exhaled my anxious

breath. Looming up ahead, water cascaded over three separate jagged rock formations before it

pooled into a stream below.

“Like it?” AJ questioned, as I remained staring open-mouthed.

“Are you kidding me?”

He chuckled as he slid off the four-wheeler. As he helped ease me onto the ground, I replied, “I

can’t believe anything so beautiful is right here in the middle of Jake’s property.”

AJ reached out his hand for mine. “Come on, let’s go explore.”

Nodding my head, I slipped my palm into his. Conversation seemed to fail us as we strolled along

the river bank. Our clothes rippled in a gentle breeze, while wildlife hummed and buzzed all around

us. Squirrels scurried across treetops while birds cried out as they soared over our heads. I squealed

and jerked AJ’s hand at the sight of a doe and her fawn along the bank. But at the sight of us, they

darted away back into the woods. “Did you see that? The baby was just like Bambi with spots.”

AJ grinned at my enthusiasm. As I took in all the beauty surrounding me, I sighed with contentment.

“I can see now why Jake loves this place so much.”

“I don’t know if I would call it ‘love’ or an obsession. It’s getting harder and harder in between

our breaks to get him back on the road.”

“Well, it does make sense he wouldn’t want to leave here. I mean, it’s part of his blood. Being on

the road has to be such a rootless existence that I’m guessing he’s super thankful to have such a

wonderful home to come back to.”

He nudged me playfully. “Listen to you sounding all wise like Yoda or some shit.”

I elbowed him back.
Hard.
“Please tell me you didn’t just liken me to some old and wrinkly, green

dude?”

“Hey, you
are
older than me.”

“Keep it up, Resendiz, and I see a weekend of just you and your hand getting off.”

Throwing his head back, AJ laughed heartily. “Come on now, don’t get so riled up.” He dropped

my hand, so he could slide his arm around my waist. Drawing me to him, his warm lips nuzzled

against my neck. “You know you’re the sexiest cougar in the entire fucking world.”

I wiggled out of his grasp and thrust a finger in front of his face. “You sir, are not redeeming

yourself. I’m a measly three and half years older than you. I’d hardly call that a cougar.”

“But thinking I’m your cougar cub gets me hard.”

Rolling my eyes with exasperation, I huffed, “Just the wind blowing gets you hard.”

AJ eyed me for a moment before roaring with laughter. His dark eyes danced with amusement as he

playfully cuffed the back of my neck. “Damn, Mia, what am I going to do with you?”

“Take me down to the water,” I commanded.

“With pleasure.” He held out his hand again, and I slipped mine into his. We high stepped our way

through the almost knee level grass towards the riverbank. When we reached it, I bent over, peering

down at the gently flowing stream. In my mind, I had pictured harsh rapids flowing from the

waterfalls, but this was so smooth. “Look how crystal clear that water is. You can see straight through

to the bottom.”

“If you think it looks amazing, you should feel it.”

In a flash, I stepped out of my flip-flops and started tentatively wading into the water. As I dodged

branches and other debris on the bottom, my toes squished through the silky sand. The refreshing

coolness lapped against my ankles, and I sighed in renewed contentment. “It’s warmer than I’d

thought it would be.”

“Wanna go swimming?” AJ asked from behind me.

As I glanced over my shoulder, I could see the wicked gleam burning in his eyes at the suggestion.

“Hmm, we seem to have forgotten our bathing suits.”

“Who says we need them?”

I shot him a coy smile. “Are you suggesting we go skinny dipping?”

“Now why would you automatically think I was insinuating a nude swim?”

“Because you’re a complete and total horndog?”

AJ laughed. “Now Mia, my mind wasn’t being so devious. I simply meant for us to swim in our

underwear.”

“Of course you did.”

Playing with the hem of his shirt, AJ questioned, “So are you game?”

The heat blazing all around me, singeing my exposed skin, made the water feel even more heavenly

against my ankles. I wanted nothing more than my entire body to be enveloped in the coolness. “Are

you sure no one can see us out here?”

“Nope. We’re too far off the beaten path.”

“Okay then, I’m game.”

“Fuck yeah!” he exclaimed, jerking his shirt over his head so fast I thought he’d rip the fabric.

I had barely gotten my shirt over my head when I noticed AJ was already stripped to his boxers and

stood watching me intently. “This isn’t a peep show, Mr. Resendiz.”

“You can’t fault a man for enjoying the view.”

My fingers hesitated on the button of my shorts. I hated AJ seeing me naked with the lights on. With

the sun beating against us and illuminating even the shady parts of the woods, he was going to see way

more than I wanted.

When I continued to stall, AJ sloshed into the water, bridging the gap between us. He walked me

back to the shore before his fingers replaced mine on my shorts. As he unbuttoned them, he stared

intently at me. “I know what you’re thinking, so I guess I need to repeat it once again. I love every

square inch of your body, including these fabulous round hips…” He trailed off as he pushed my

shorts over my butt and down to my feet. On his knees, he glanced up at me. “And it bears repeating