Beautiful Brute (Court University 3)

“You kids should have fun,” he’d said, the smile barely touching his eyes. “Anyway, it’ll help me make it up to Jax for all the work I have to do this weekend. It snuck up on me as you can see.”

I could see, his entire workload completely in front of him like we were at his office. It was so unlike him, to work when he’d put a priority out there. When my adoptive father scheduled time, he made sure to stick to it. No matter how busy he always was.

He hadn’t even been able to look at me when I’d left, and I’d noticed my mom had gone over to him. She’d said something to me without

actually saying something to me when I left. That I should leave. That the two needed space.

There were still so many questions going on here, still so many things up in the air that I didn’t know what to make of them. I just knew my stepbrother kind of sort of didn’t hate me but didn’t know he didn’t and my best friend was currently yelling at me on a nice ass boat. Turned out, she couldn’t have gone on the trip today even if she wanted to. She’d only called me after being in the bathroom again for an hour.

“I think I am losing my mind,” I said, twisting my hair. I’d pulled it out of the braid in my restlessness. Currently, I sat on the majority of it in my one-piece bathing suit. I’d had it since high school and just never replaced it. I probably should, though, since I’d filled out a lot since senior year. My boobs barely fit in the hunter green suit, but I couldn’t seem to let go of the thing since there was technically nothing wrong with it. I huffed. “I must be a glutton for torture.”

“Must be,” Kit said, but then a moan. She sounded completely exhausted, and I felt terrible. I mean, I knew her being sick wasn’t my fault, but I had dragged her along this weekend.

“You should get some sleep,” I told her. “I’ll be fine. His friends are doing a pretty good job of keeping me away from him.”

More than. I really hadn’t seen him since we’d boarded. He’d stayed on his side of the boat, and I’d been staying on mine.

Kit sighed. “Are you sure? Outside of all that with your crazier-than-shit stepsibling, I really don’t like you being out there. I mean… you know why.”

The same reason both my parents had been surprised when I’d mentioned sailing in the first place. Quite honestly, they’d appeared taken aback, which I think also contributed to another reason they ultimately wanted me to go sailing today.

Water and me… well, we were complicated, but I was okay. I felt safe and since there were plenty of guardrails, I’d been good. Big water really wasn’t a huge issue for me.

I stared out through the boat’s windows, the ocean waxing and waning behind the glass. I could still see the shore, which helped as well, and I could technically swim. It was something Mom had made sure I knew how to do years ago, and I’d done it despite my fear of water. It took a lot out of me, but yes, I did know how to swim, and if something happened, I’d be okay.

I’d be okay.

My concerns laid more with my stepbrother, and after assuring Kit I would be okay, I let her go and placed my phone on my beach bag. Everyone had placed their bags down here in the boat’s lounge area. The boat had several couches as well as a couple bedrooms down the hall. I hadn’t been in those, but I noticed one of them was occupied when I came down here. Considering I hadn’t seen Knight or Greer in a while since we anchored, I assumed why.

I guessed I wasn’t the only one hunkered away, but after a few moments of playing on my phone, I did decided to brave the hell up and go upstairs.

That door connected to the bedroom was still closed as I passed it, and I had a laugh at the few grunts and groans behind it. The room was definitely occupied, and shielding my eyes, I let the sun hit me when I graced the top of the boat. It seemed the party had moved to this side, because I noticed Billie and December lying out in their bikinis. They’d been chatting at the boat’s stern before I’d gone down.

December rose upon seeing my head pop up, waving me down in a navy two-piece with sunglasses on that covered half her face. They were big and white and very similar to Billie’s, who had a round set on her face. Billie really looked like a 1950s beach bunny in her high-waisted polka dot bikini, the epitome of Marilyn Monroe as she sunbathed next to December. Seeing me, Billie waved me over as well, and I started to go that way until my shoulder was clipped.

Jax stalked his way below deck, but his journey was cut off by me.

And hell, was he completely beautiful.

He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt he’d left half open, his golden chest stunning and perfect. He had dark hair chasing down his ab line until it disappeared completely into his shorts, and noticing I noticed, he smirked.

“Up here, Girl Scout,” he stated, his body completely crowding me in. There wasn’t a lot of space in the stairwell, and I shifted to come around him.

He didn’t let me.

Arms extended, he caged me, thick arms toned and hugging me between them.

“Back off,” I said, but he refused, his gaze dragging across my entire body. It lingered on my breasts, which were entirely too big for this bathing suit. I pressed a hand to his chest. “Jax…”

He took my hand, looping our digits. Then, with force, he grabbed me, mashing me up against his hard body. My heart rocked so hard against my chest, it hit his. He tugged me close. “I warned you about staying the fuck away from me, stepsister,” he said, pinching my jaw. He forced it up. “Just remember that.”

He let go so forcefully I almost fell, his flip-flops smacking the wooden stairwell on his way down. He disappeared below deck, and I tried not to appear as flush as I felt when I finally got my crap together and headed over toward the other girls. Without even stating, I was well aware they’d seen the whole thing.

I mean, they were both still looking in that direction.

As it turned out, they weren’t the only ones, LJ and Royal were drinking beers on deck only several feet away. They too had been looking in that direction, but it was Royal who shook his head before going back to his conversation with LJ. Greer and Knight weren’t in sight so I assumed, once again, that was them below deck. They’d been the smart ones, staying out of this drama.

I popped a squat on a beach towel by Billie and December. They had several out, and I took advantage. At this point, December had her sunglasses completely propped into her hair, her dark tresses still released and flowing freely off the tops of her fair shoulders. She raised her knees. “What did he say to you now?”