Jackson (Wild Boys After Dark, #3)(10)
No one ever had.
He shoved his feet into his socks and then pushed them into his boots.
Laney giggled. He turned at the sound that never failed to make him smile.
“What?”
“You look like one of those hot-guy pics on Pinterest.”
He looked down at his naked body and the leather boots on his feet. Every muscle—and his junk—on display. When he lifted his eyes, he saw Laney had grabbed his camera and was holding it up to her eye.
“Laney,” he warned, and leaned for the camera.
She giggled more as her finger went tap, tap, tap, catching every shot as he took the camera from her hands and pulled her in close.
“Blackmail,” she said with a wicked grin.
“Except it’s my camera.” He slipped the strap over his neck, wanting desperately to kiss her again, but he knew he needed to start getting used to the idea of Laney being unavailable to him in that way. Might as well start now.
“Crap. Forgot that part,” she said, crinkling her nose adorably. Her body was still pressed against his. She looked down at his growing erection and said, “No wonder you’re never the one who has to go searching for wood.”
He scoffed and turned away, shaking his head. She had that effect on him, no matter what the circumstances. He didn’t even try to hide his hard-on as he looked downstream. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. If I don’t find our clothes quickly, I’ll come back. You should sit up on the rock so you’re away from the elements. Don’t try to get back to the campsite by yourself, okay?”
“Yes, mighty protector.” She reached for his hand as she walked up the boulder. He steadied her and then forced himself to go in search of their clothing.
“Don’t forget the rod!” she hollered after him.
He looked down at his erection and mumbled, “I think I’ve got that covered.”
Chapter Five
LANEY STOKED THE fire, sending flickers of sparks cracking into the night. Jackson had come back without the clothes, but with the fishing rod, which had gotten stuck on rocks downstream. He’d fished buck-naked until he’d caught enough for dinner, and then they’d made their way back to the campsite. They’d dressed and retrieved their cooking supplies and headed back down by the water to cook. They’d never run into any wild animals, but Jackson was always careful about not cooking near their site. They’d eaten dinner down by the water, washed their pan, plates, and utensils, and then came back to the site to chill.
She loved the smell of burning wood mixing with the scents of the earth and the thick aroma of pine. No matter where she was, those scents always conjured up thoughts of these camping trips. Memories of their camping trips carried her through some of her toughest days. She’d worked her ass off to make Wild Side successful, and there were definitely days when it would be easier to throw her hands up in the air and walk away. At those times she usually turned to Jackson, who was an expert at talking her off the ledge. He didn’t put up with her bullshit rants. He made her face the issues and pick them apart until they felt manageable. Sometimes he was even able to flip the situations around and make her see how handling the issues a certain way might bring her even more success.
Jackson was sharp as a tack when it came to all things business related, and the fact that he knew the fashion industry inside and out also helped. Most people thought his younger brother, Cooper, was the brains behind their amazingly successful photography studio, but Laney knew better. Jackson and Cooper were equally talented and sharp, but Coop was more methodical. He took his time in everything he did, made sure the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed, while Jackson’s mind spun in a hundred different directions at once. He was always looking for their next creative move, the most influential people they needed to bring into their studio’s fold. They were both responsible for their photography studio’s success.
Jackson was the one who’d pushed her to start her own magazine and had helped her put together a marketing plan, then made sure she followed through with it. He connected her with industry professionals that proved to be priceless in getting the magazine off the ground—and he put up the capital she’d needed to open the doors. Those who knew them thought that naming the magazine Wild Side had been a credit to Jackson’s assistance, but even though they were wrong, she’d never corrected them. She’d named the magazine Wild Side because with Jackson she could be who she really was at all times. She never had to worry about cushioning her thoughts or holding back sexually. With Jackson, she could show her wild side.
She watched him now, sitting on a blanket reading a few feet away, his long legs stretched out at an angle and crossed at the ankle. He was leaning on one elbow and wearing her favorite flannel shirt, the blue and gray one she’d given him a few years back. He’d worn it so often, it was deliciously soft and worn nearly all the way through at the elbows. She’d already bought him a new one and had it hidden at home for his next birthday.
Her mind shifted to her birthday dinner with Bryce. He was such a nice guy, and they never fought or annoyed each other, which was surprising, since most guys annoyed her in some way. Most guys were either too into sports, or threatened by her success. And then there were the guys who had jumped on the metrosexual train and seemed to have fallen into the clean-cut little-boy car. They shaved all their body hair and took better care of their skin and nails than she did. Bryce didn’t do those things. He worked out at the gym five days a week, and he cared about his appearance, but not in ways that made him effeminate. But he wasn’t superbly manly, either, like Jackson was. When she and Bryce had talked about her going camping this weekend, he’d seemed almost relieved that he wasn’t invited. She couldn’t picture him having sex in the water or trudging naked through the wilderness without a care about who might see him.