In Too Deep (A Texas Beach Town Romance 1)

“Ooh, fun!” cries out Rico, gawking excitedly at me. I only return his enthusiasm with a skeptical stare.

Kent is having none of it. “I’m not interested in your idea of a boys’ night out,” he says, taking the words straight out of my mouth, oddly enough. “I’m just fine hanging here with my new friend.”

“New friend?” Adrian chuckles. “I seem to remember it being me who brought him here.”

Kent comes right up to Adrian’s face. “Not everyone is just a toy to add to your fucking toy box.”

“Whoa, whoa, boys, boys, boys,” says Rico, as he puts himself between them. “There’s no need to fight over us like this. There’s enough of Jonah and I to go around for the both of you, y’know.” He adopts a suggestive smirk. “I don’t see why we all can’t win here.”

Kent backs off, coming out of his rage. He considers my friend for a second, then glances at me. Something sad washes over his face, making his eyes look beautiful for a second, before he lets out a huff and says, “Sorry, I gotta go,” then turns away and storms off up the beach toward the road. I’m left staring after him in a daze.

Adrian—who still looks genuinely confused, as if he actually doesn’t understand what Kent is so upset about—turns to us. “Don’t worry about him. He’s always been touchy like that since we were kids. He just needs to learn to let go and relax more.”

Rico has his eyes all on Adrian, like his man just won a great battle and looks as sexy as ever. “Yeah, he definitely does. I like your idea of a good time.” He glances back at me. “I can relate. My friend here thinks a good time is just sitting on the beach reading a book.”

I frown, still staring at where Kent stormed off to. “My idea of a good time just left. We were having a nice talk before you came up, and—”

“Really?” Rico cuts me off. “A nice talk? Jonah, did you even know there’s a nightclub on this island? El Amado? It’s down at the other end of this long street—Gould Street, whatever it’s called—and that sounds like a good time. I’m convinced you wouldn’t know a good time if it tore off all its clothes and sat on your boned-up lap.”

I stare at him in disbelief. “I’m not like you, Rico.”

“That much is obvious.” He brings his mouth close to my ear and lowers his voice. “Fine. Be that way. The hotel room’s all yours tonight, because it is very likely that my dreams are about to be realized with this man, and those dreams do not include a lame night in, nor do they include this bonfire, which is turning out to be just as lame.”

I glance off toward the road lined with beach houses in the distance, porch lights on. I can’t see Kent anywhere. It feels like my heart and all my purpose left with him.

Rico lets out a sigh. “Sorry for being harsh, but tough love seems to be the only thing that gets through to you. Look, Adrian and I are about to blow this bonfire off and hit up El Amado, and you are welcome to join us. I’m sure we can find you a yummy boy there just as cute if not cuter than that moody mood-killer who just took off.”

I shake my head, still staring toward the houses. “I … I think I’ll chill here for a while longer. I like the vibe.”

“The vibe …?” Rico sighs again. “You’re hopeless. But I love you anyway … even if you annoy me. Go ahead and hang out here for a while if you want. Or walk back to the resort, knock yourself out, get pampered like a doll. The world is a funhouse, but you gotta find that fun yourself. It won’t come looking for you.” He goes to Adrian, and without looking back, the pair of them head off, leaving me near the fire, alone.

Chapter 8 - Kent

The door almost cracks in half behind me as I shove into the house. I’m seeing red when I snatch a beer out of the fridge, chug, then slam it onto the counter. It’s just like last time, all over again—my fucking brother ruining it all. I go to my bedroom, grab my guitar by the neck like I’m strangling it, then head back to the couch where I drop down, place my fingers, and strum.

As the angry chords fill my ears, all I see is Jonah and the way he looked at me before I stormed off. We had a pretty nice thing going for a second, didn’t we? He was sharing his soul with me. I was doing the same without any regard. It was the first time in a very long time that I felt something exciting stirring around in my stomach. It’s the feeling you dream about when you go to bed. It’s the rush of possibility with another guy that’s so intoxicating, this weak-ass beer has no hope of competing.