Before You (Before You #1)(15)
Giggling, Katie put her hand around the back of Cam’s neck and whispered something in his ear. He smiled down at her as if she were the greatest thing he had seen in recent history.
If she didn’t know Katie had a thing for Jax, she would be tempted to throw the bags at her head, but right now flinging them at Cam would definitely be more satisfying. Instead, she dropped the two small overnight bags on the cream stone floor to the right of the door, enjoying the destructive sound they made.
Bre’s frustration disappeared when she stepped into the house and saw the wall of windows overlooking a rectangular infinity pool that seemed to merge into the deep blue of Pacific Ocean. Several drunkenly animated people danced to music near the pool. She paused, letting Cam and Katie go outside without her so she could take in her surroundings. She desperately wished Cam had introduced her to more people over the last few weeks. It was going to be a long night. Exhaling loudly, she stepped outside. Standing by the edge of the pool alone, watching everyone talk animatedly, she felt like an outsider.
A few minutes later, Cam handed her a glass of white wine and she took a long sip. It was dry and crisp on her tongue.
Cam took a drink of his beer and looked at Bre. “I didn’t think you liked beer. Does the wine taste okay?”
Bre took a small sip. “Actually, it’s really good. Is Jax’s family here?”
“No. The family rotates weeks throughout the year, and Jax always gets Labor Day weekend.”
“Does he have any brothers or sisters?”
“Nope.”
“So Jax gets some weeks and his parents get the others?” Bre asked, confused by the strange scheduling.
“No. Time at the beach house is split between his dad, mom, and him. Even though they’re still married, his mom and dad don’t really talk much, and the family situation is awkward, so no one comes here at the same time.” Cam took another sip of his beer. “Well, that’s not entirely true. Sometimes Jax and his mom are here at the same time, but his dad kind of lives his own life.”
“What’s the deal with that?”
Cam shrugged. “I don’t know. Jax never talks about it more than to say neither he nor his mom talk to his dad much.”
“Do his parents live together?”
“Yes, but their house is big enough that they don’t have to see each other if they don’t want to.”
Bre cautiously glanced around, watching all the beautiful California people play in the sun. She was tempted to take a few pictures and send them to Sara. She would laugh at the stereotypical scene. It was straight out of a movie.
Turning her head to the side, she saw Jax. He stood at the far side of the pool, his head bent to the side, listening to something Katie whispered in his ear. Bre’s heart made a small jump in her chest as she soaked up his handsome face; the sophisticated ease with which he subtly commanded everyone’s attention; the casual way he swirled his drink in his hand. Even though she hated herself for it, she noticed every little thing about him.
When his gray eyes connected with hers, her breath hitched and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. His gaze drifted from her face, down her short strapless lilac dress, and back up to her face again. Burning with embarrassment, she jerked her eyes away, and turned to face Cam.
“Alec and Marc are at the bar. I want you to meet them,” Cam said, softly rubbing her lower back.
Bre immediately located Alec and Marc. She remembered them from their performance. As they walked toward the bar, several people stopped Cam to pat him on the shoulder or to talk about the band. Bre wished Cam would introduce her to some of the people, so she didn’t feel as if she were Cam’s arm accessory rather than his girlfriend.
“Alec, Marc, this is Bre,” Cam said, tugging her in front of him.
Marc gave Bre an open if not overly friendly smile, followed by a hug. Alec merely nodded in her direction, not even bothering to smile. She found it amusing that Marc and Alec’s personalities matched their looks.
Marc was the complete opposite of Alec, physically and mentally. He had a loud, crude sense of humor that grated on her nerves most of the time. His light brown hair always looked mussed from the wind or other more intimate encounters.
Alec, on the hand, rarely spoke. He was dark in looks and personality, with his black hair and eyes and black tribal tattoos starting at his fingers and lacing up his arms to his neck. His quietness didn’t seem to bother women. They flocked to his dark brooding looks probably hoping they would be the one to melt his cold reserve.
Within a few minutes, Cam became absorbed in a conversation about band business with Alec and Marc, so Bre drifted down the stairs of the deck to explore the beach. On the beach, she was soon surrounded by a group of men discussing the pro and cons of surfing different beaches in Southern California. She joined the conversation, asking questions about surfing techniques, and after an hour and a half she had accepted an invitation to take an early morning surf lesson from a guy named Reed who was staying at Jax’s house, too.
Realizing that Cam was probably wondering where she was, she excused herself, saying she needed a drink. Walking around the side of the house and up the steep stepping stones toward the front of the house, she discovered a door propped open on the side of the house. She slipped into the room, pausing at the entrance to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting.
“What are you doing in here?” Jax said, announcing his presence.