Brazen (Brazen #1)(65)

Her heart pounded furiously. There was only one way she’d return to Sweetwater, only one condition. He had to know that. To give her false hope was terribly cruel.

She wiped her hands down her jeans, unsure of what to say. Too afraid to give voice to her hopes. All she could do was stare, so hungrily.

Seth and Zane both moved toward her, their expressions softening with something that looked so much like love. They each took a hand and guided her toward the couch to sit.

“Cody was right,” Zane said grimly. “You look like hell.”

Her gaze shot to his, her hopes sinking fast. “Is that why you’re here?” she asked dully. “Because Cody was worried about me?”

“No,” Seth said, turning her chin toward him. “We’re here because we love you, and we want you to come home.”

Her eyes widened.

“Yes, Jasmine, you heard right. We love you. We want you to come home. We want you with us always.”

She glanced between Zane and Seth but if she thought to find doubt or disagreement between them, she found only calm acceptance.

“You changed your mind?” she said in wonderment.

“I think Zane’s has always been made up,” Seth said ruefully. “I was the hard-headed bastard. And I’m sorry that I hurt you so many times. I won’t hurt you again, Jasmine. I want this to work. I’m willing to do what it takes to make it work.”

She threw her arms around Seth’s neck and held him as tight as she could. Then she turned and did the same to Zane. She was in sensory overload. She wanted to crawl all over both of them, hugging, touching and kissing them. Finally she settled for pulling them close to her sides so she was held firmly between them.

“Zane?” she asked, looking up at him.

He put a gentle finger to her lips. “We’ve talked, Jaz. We can do this. Seth and I are good, I promise.”

The tears she’d been trying so valiantly to hold at bay trickled down her cheeks. And then more came and soon she was sobbing great big noisy sobs as each man held her, stroking her and murmuring soothing words.

“I thought this would make you happy,” Seth said with a chuckle. “We didn’t come all this way to make you cry.”

She kissed him, cupping his face in her hands. “I am happy. So happy.” And then she started crying again.

Zane laughed and pulled her onto his lap. “You have to stop, Jaz.” He squeezed her to him and pulled her hair away from her face.

She buried her face in his neck and clung to him, so very afraid this was all the product of too many sleepless nights and that she’d finally fallen asleep only to dream wonderful, impossible dreams.

“I thought I’d lost any chance I ever had of making you both love me,” she whispered. “I made so many mistakes. I handled things all wrong, and still, you’re here. I cannot even begin to tell you how completely and wonderfully happy I am right now.”

Zane pressed his lips to her hair, and Seth reached out to take her hand.

“Will you come back home with us, Jasmine?” Seth asked. “I promised Carmen before we left that we’d return her family to her. But more than that, I promised myself to bring back the one person who ties us all together. You.”

She reached out to touch his face. He nuzzled into her palm then reached up to take her hand, turning it over to kiss the soft pad of her thumb.

“Yes, Seth. Please take me back. Take me home.”

Epilogue

She entered the water with barely a ripple. Jasmine skimmed along the bottom of the pool, her arms fanning out as she propelled herself forward.

The water surrounded her, sliding sensuously over her body, and she felt light, at ease. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool caress over her bare skin. Here, she felt weightless, like she was flying.

Her chest tightened as she felt the twinges of her lungs, starved for oxygen. Almost reluctantly, she pushed herself upward, breaking the surface of the water. She sucked in a mouthful of air as her hands gripped the side of the pool.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a worn set of boots mere inches from her fingers. She looked up just as Seth squatted. He reached for her and pulled her from the pool and into his arms as he stood.

“I’m going to get you wet,” she murmured just as he closed his lips over hers.

“I don’t care,” he murmured back.

She melted into him. Her arms twined around his neck as he deepened his kiss. She let out a long sigh of contentment when he moved from her lips to her jaw and finally down the curve of her neck.

When he nibbled a path toward her breast, she grinned but made no effort to push him away.

“I’ve always wanted to f**k in the pool,” he said. He nuzzled aside her bikini top then ran his tongue over one taut nipple.

She groaned and arched more fully into his mouth. “You’re not dressed for swimming.”

She felt his lips turn upwards.

“Who said anything about being dressed?”

“My thoughts exactly,” she said.

Over the last year, her battle with the swimming pool would best be described as volatile. It hadn’t been easy, and it hadn’t been overnight, but Seth and Zane had been patient with her and never tried to push her before she was ready.

Now swimming was nearly a daily ritual. The water that had long been such an enemy was now one of her greatest indulgences.