Mine Would Be You (34)

Nina lets out a sigh, but her shoulders lose some of the tension that appeared. And I know that I’ll never lie to her, never give her a reason to not believe me when I say something.

I tap her temple gently. “Hey, get out of there. You’re here to have fun, okay? That’s it.” I don’t give her time to fight it. “Now come on, let’s go eat.”

I step forward and hold my hand out, hoping she’ll take it and knowing I’ll keep trying if she doesn’t. But Nina reaches out and grips my hand in hers gently, and my heart soars.




Nina



The hot July sun beats down on my bare skin.

I’m spread out on the towel, buried in my book, letting the rays darken my already brown skin. Along with the ocean waves crashing into the shore behind me, where my toes are buried in the sand, there’s a low hum of music coming from the speaker Jackson brought and the occasional shout or squeal from everyone on the shore running in and out of the water.

I jumped in as soon as we touched the sand after breakfast, but since then, I haven’t really left this spot. Harper and Sloan are asleep on the towel next to me, and every once in a while, Roman will run up, scroll on his phone and show me a funny joke, or Jackson will plop on our shared towel and doze beside me. Last time I checked, he and Roman were throwing a ball with the guys from their jobs.

They showed up at breakfast, introducing themselves with names I’ve sadly already forgotten, and pulling out their own alcohol stashes, which instantly earned thumbs up from us. They’ve been chill all day, talking to us like they’ve known us forever and just having a good time. So far, the weekend is going better than expected.

The feel of shockingly cold water droplets landing on my back draws me back to reality, and I turn my head just in time to see Jackson shaking his curls out before collapsing on his back next to me. I roll my eyes as he grins at me, stretching one arm over the top of my book.

“Hey!” I frown, but then think better of myself. “Actually, stay right there. I can use you as a book stand.” Pulling my book from under his arm, I rest the spine on top of it.

“I can’t believe you’re just using me for my body,” he says, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

“Oh, please.” I tuck a lose strand of hair behind my ear. “You’d probably love that.”

He watches me for a second. “Yeah, you’re right. I’d let you use me anytime.” I shake my head, fighting a grin and trying to focus on the page at hand. “Come on, come swim with me. Please.”

My eyes coast slowly down his outstretched body, from his eyes to his lips quirked up into a smile to the freckle right under his left pec and the spattering of them on his right ribcage to the sand dusting his legs. I have no shame in the fact that I took my time checking him out, wondering all the places I could discover, not even when he raises a brow as I reconnect my eyes with his. I place my bookmark.

“Fine, but first you have to answer some questions.”

He raises a brow, amusement lighting up his face. “Is this an interview?”

“Maybe.”

He chuckles, his body shaking with it, and he adjusts, moving slightly closer to me, and our legs touch. “What do you wanna know?”

I rest my head in my palm, leaning on my elbow. “Anything. Your life, your job, what you like, what you hate, I don’t care. But you have to be honest.”

“All right, well first, I love my job. I love PR, love getting to help people show themselves to the world for whatever it may be. I got into it because it was a way for me to connect with people and often. Even in a professional setting, I love people, and I want them to be the best versions of themselves.” He never takes his eyes off me as he continues. “I hate burnt toast and when people eat greasy food on planes. Third, I’ll never lie to you. You don’t have to ask me to be honest, Nina. I will always be honest with you.”

He meets my eyes, and I inhale as he repeats the similar sentiment from last night. I want to believe him, and I know he doesn’t mean little white lies, since we all have those, but he seems so sincere, so open about it that it’s hard not to trust him. Because as of now, he’s never given me a reason to not believe him.

I sit up, leaning on the heels of my feet, and his eyes follow me as I stand and hold out my hand. “Let’s go swimming.”

Jackson’s eyes trail slowly down my body, taking in every inch of exposed skin and the red bikini. My skin burns from his gaze as he looks at me. They pause on the scattered ink on my skin, at least the ones he can see, before flicking back up to my eyes.

My breath catches in the hollow of my throat. The intense gaze sends a rush of heat that settles deep into my stomach and pulses with every breath. A playful smile graces his lips as he grips my hand and lifts himself. I step back, and he follows, not letting go of my hand, and my eyes narrow as his grip tightens.

“Jackson, don’t.”

The smile widens, both dimples appearing. “Don’t what?” He steps forward and holds so tightly that I can’t move and pulls me in and upwards, tossing me with ease over his shoulder, causing me to squeal.

He gives my butt a light pat, and my cheeks burn, and I just know he’s grinning from ear to ear as he rests his hand fully on my butt.

Dios mío, gracias.

I lean up, placing my hands on his lower back, his skin warm and soft and grainy from the sand, and I attempt to shout for my friends. “Harper!” She lifts her head, startled, and grins as soon as she sees me.