“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Raven extends her hand graciously. She motions to me with the hand that Blake is still holding. “Jonah mentioned you the other day.”
My eyes burn at their connection. I try to figure out a way to get him to let her go without breaking her hand in the process.
“Raven. Why haven’t I met you before?” Blake’s gaze leaves Raven to narrow on me.
Raven shifts at my side. I spear Blake with a glare. He gets the message and lets her go. Smart man.
“Raven’s helping me with my Impala.”
Blake throws his head back, roaring with laughter. Raven stiffens at my side. I drape my arm over her shoulder, and she presses softly into my hold. Her body feels so small and delicate under my arm. The intimacy of her bare shoulder against my shirtless torso has me gathering her deeper into my side. Her mild fruity scent combined with the comfort of her body calms my nerves. I resist the urge to bury my face in her hair.
“Dude, you have a smokin’ hot mechanic. What the hell?” He’s back to looking at Raven, and as his eyes dance up and down her body, I thank God she’s still in her cover up. “Gives a whole new meaning to the term body shop.” His eyes settle on her legs. “Nice legs, what time do they open?”
“Watch your fuckin’ mouth.” My jaw locks down. A warm, familiar buzz stirs in my head. My hand squeezes Raven’s shoulder on reflex.
Silence hangs thick in the air as everyone stares between Blake and me. Even the Stripper Sisters have ceased their obnoxious babbling.
Blake focuses on me, his eyebrows low and questioning.
A soft giggle breaks the silence. In unison, all eyes move to Raven.
“Thanks for the compliment, Blake.” Raven rolls her lips between her teeth, her face red with withheld laughter.
The buzz in my head retreats.
“Jonah didn’t tell me you were so funny.” She loses the battle, a burst of laughter escaping her lips. The melodic sound further calms my temper.
Small talk erupts all around me, but I don’t hear a word. I’m stuck analyzing what the hell just came over me. I never get possessive over girls. I was half a second away from giving my best friend a beat down.
Raven and Eve go back to the lounger, and I throw Blake a chin lift. He responds in true Blake form, cocky smile and the middle finger salute.
The Stripper Sisters saunter to one of the lounging areas and whisper back and forth to each other. I relax seeing they’ve decided to sit on the opposite side of the pool from Raven and Eve who are back to their loungers by the bar.
Damn, I need a beer.
I walk behind the bar where the guys are camped out in front of the television.
“What the hell was that about?” Blake shoves a handful of popcorn in his mouth.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“You almost flipped the switch on your boy for spewing the kind of shit he says to every girl he meets.” Rex laughs and rubs the back of his neck. “One more word and I’d have been pulling your ass off him.”
I nod and grab a beer. No doubt in my mind I would have beaten Blake for disrespecting Raven.
“Never thought I’d see it.” Owen’s back from settling down his wife and caught up on recent events. “You got it bad, my man.”
Dress removed, I’m staring at a bikini-clad Raven. She’s not covering or sucking in her stomach. No bashful body language that would expose her insecurities. Her olive skin glistens in the sun as she laughs and talks with Nikki and Eve. She looks so natural and at ease in her own skin in my backyard, hanging out with my friends, as if she’s been doing it for years.
“Hey, Jonah.” Owen calls my attention away from the girls. “She’s one fine piece of a—”
A growl rumbles deep in my chest.
The guys explode into laughter.
Owen smacks me on the back. “Yep, you’re hooked, brother.”
*
Raven
The murmured voices and rhythmic thumping of rap music lull me into semiconsciousness. I close my eyes and relax, soaking up the last warmth from the sun before it drops behind the mountains. Male laughter erupts. I turn and watch Jonah with his friends, his dimples highlighting his bright smile. I slide my sunglasses down my nose for a better look. He’s stopped laughing, but still smiling as he engages Owen.
I track his movements while he walks around the bar to sit on a barstool. His back muscles flex powerfully, as he brings his drink to his mouth. Brightly colored tattoos decorate his arms from his wrists to his shoulders with one flowing over and onto his chest. I want to get a closer look, run my hands along his arms as I study his body art. I wonder if his skin is as soft as it looks. If it tastes like he smells. Citrus and spice.
“This place is sick, Rave.”
I jump at the sound of Eve’s voice. Shoving my sunglasses up my nose, I pat my cheeks to bring down the heat. Eve is on the lounger with me, a gossip magazine resting against her thighs.