“Jump.” He held his arms out to receive her body.
He doesn’t realize what he’s asking, how unlikely I am to ever trust someone to catch me.
“Where’s your sense of adventure, Peaches?” he asked lazily.
He challenged her, and she knew it. Unfortunately, she had a really hard time ignoring provocation.
She jumped.
And Jason caught her easily and confidently.
With a firm grasp around her waist, he let her body slide slowly down the front of him, ever so slowly, until her feet finally hit the ground in chest-high, pleasantly hot water. She spun herself out of his arms and immersed herself in the pool. The stress of the day slowly seeped out of her body. “This is amazing.” Her head popped back up and she swept the hair from her eyes.
“Maybe I should get one in my penthouse in New York City,” Jason said teasingly.
“I think the best you’re going to do is a Jacuzzi,” Hope answered with a laugh. Her heart raced as she took in the small, devilish grin on his face. Moisture beaded on his chest and shoulders, and made her want to slowly lick off every drop. “I don’t think you’re going to find natural hot spring pools where you live unless you get out of the crowds, city boy.”
“I already have a regular hot tub,” Jason replied with a mockingly petulant look.
“Aw, poor little billionaire. Find something you actually can’t have?” She scooped up a handful of water and splashed him with it.
The sun had set completely, and as Hope looked up, she could see the stars appear. Distracted, she never saw Jason coming. He wrapped a steely arm around her waist and pulled her under the water, and kept her imprisoned after she surfaced. Sputtering, she tried to retaliate, and hooked her ankle around his legs to try to take him down. Unfortunately, he was ready for it, and he barely moved. With a booming, low laugh, he picked her up and sat them both down on one of the wide, rock ledges; he pulled her between his legs, her back to his front, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “When are you going to learn not to start something you can’t finish, Peaches?” he asked in a husky baritone.
Feeling lethargic from the water, and tired of fighting, she leaned her head back against his shoulder. She could feel the probing heat of his erection against the small of her back, but it wasn’t disconcerting. His body was relaxed, his head resting against the natural headrest on the stone pool.
“Tell me where you’ve been, Hope, what you’ve been doing.” He sounded resigned and curious.
The water lapped against her chest. “I’ve been just about everywhere. India, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Hawaii…anywhere that there’s been extreme weather or natural events, I’ve been there. During the spring and summer, David and I teamed up and tracked super cells, mostly around Tornado Alley. This time of year, I’m mostly getting ready to start tracking hurricanes here in the US and I was chasing storms with David.” Her voice cracked with despair, and Jason’s arms tightened around her protectively, reflexively, in silent comfort.
“When are you home?”
“Almost never,” she admitted. “Mostly in the winter.”
“For the avalanches and blizzards?” Jason asked ironically.
“Mostly for the skiing,” she answered cheekily. “And the Bronco games.”
“Seriously?” Jason sounded falsely outraged. “You switched your loyalties to the Broncos? What happened to the Patriots? You’re a Boston girl.”
“I’m fickle,” she answered teasingly. “The Broncos stole my heart.”
“They haven’t won a Super Bowl in fifteen years,” Jason grumbled into her ear.
“Broncos fans are loyal. They’ll win eventually. There’s always this year.”
“I can’t believe I’m married to a woman who isn’t a Patriots fan,” he replied unhappily as he toyed with the ring on her left finger.
Married.
For a brief period of time, she’d forgotten, completely relaxed in Jason’s arms. “Good thing it’s not permanent,” she replied lightly. “I don’t think I could be married to a Patriots fan either.”
He was silent for a moment. “Do I want to know how close you were to some of those tornados? Do I want to know about every close call you’ve had? I’ve seen the pictures, Hope, and I already know how close you came to dying with your friend. I’m so f**king grateful that you had to plan for Vegas.” His voice wavered as he mentioned her close call. “You’re incredibly talented, but I want you to reconsider what you’re doing.”
“I do have telephoto lenses. I can bring the images far closer than they really are.” She smiled weakly, her body limp from the warm water. Even though it wasn’t exactly a compliment, it felt good to hear Jason say she had talent. She’d never really needed validation, but it was nice to have someone she knew, someone who was close to her brothers, know about her career. The only person in her life who’d supported her was David.
“But you know the dangers,” he rumbled.
“David’s death hit close to home for me. I do know, and I’m not chasing tornados anymore, Jason.”
“And what about the hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons?”
“I’m as careful as possible. I try to stay on high ground because of the storm surges, and I base myself in a building that should be able to withstand the wind speeds,” she told him carefully.
“Should be?” he grunted.
Hope shrugged. “Nothing in life is guaranteed, Jason. Anything we do has risks. Just getting into a vehicle every day is risky. But we do it.”
“The vehicle is usually moving away from danger, not toward it.” His voice was graveled and raspy.
“Can we just call a truce? Just for tonight? Tell me what you’ve been doing since you finished school…other than making a ton of money and becoming one of the hottest bachelors in the world.” She wanted to know what Jason’s life had been like, where he’d traveled. She also wanted to know whether there had been any important women in his life, even if it was none of her business. They were separating soon, but she was still curious. “How’s your mom?” Hope had always liked Jason’s mother.
“She’s good. It took her a long time to get over my dad’s death, but she’s doing well now,” Jason answered warmly, the affection he had for his mother clearly evident.