Just Between Us (The Kings)

I rubbedmy thumb over the black cat tattoo on my thigh like it was a phantom itch. That woman was getting under my skin, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Maybe another tattoo would help . . .

I sighed at myself. Numbing out and masking whatever was going on inside me hadn’t worked so far—as evidenced by the concerning lack of unmarked skin. In the end I knew it wasn’t going to do either of us any good . . . at least not in the long run.

Unreleased energy buzzed through my blood. It was the following Saturday night and getting late, but I couldn’t just sit around. I’d finished with my clients for the night, and I had sent Luna home early before closing the shop.

I needed to do something—anything.

What I wanted to do was demand Veda come to my house so I could have my way with her before making her dinner and snuggling up on the couch to watch the latest season of that historical romance drama my sisters couldn’t stop talking about.

Veda’s rules rolled around in my skull. Clear boundaries, clear expectations. I was fairly certain all the feelings that had come up lately would push against her rigid no strings attachedrule, which meant a quiet, low-key evening together was likely out of the question.

The Pulse app mocked me from my home screen. My inbox was flooded with unhappy messages about my lack of posting new content, and the unsubscribe notifications had been coming in droves. I’d taken a hit financially but couldn’t quite muster up the gumption to care. What had started out as a half-baked plan to fund a cushion to my business had morphed into something that had quickly lost its luster.

I’ll be waiting when you’re ready for the next shiny thing.

My father’s words rolled around in my head. He had spouted off different versions of it since I was a teenager—he never could stand my impulsivity, and I hated the fact he was right. Trouble was, I had been on my best behavior for a while, and I could already feel myself sliding off the rails.

I pulled up the group chat.

Let’s do something stupid.

Lee

I’m in.

MJ

Define stupid.

JP

I’m working.

Abel

Same.

One by one, Kings and Sullivans all chimed in, relaying their Saturday-night plans . . . everyone except for Veda. I clicked on her contact and directly messaged her.

*ahem*

Veda

Can I help you?

You’re ignoring my texts. Come out and play.

I’m not sure that’s a good idea.

No funny business, I promise.

That’s the problem. I think I might like the funny business.

I grinned at my phone and flipped back to the group chat.

It’s a starry night. We’re going dune diving.

Risking life and limb by jumping off the sand dunes and into the lake was reckless, and I fucking loved it.

The constant hum of anticipation pumped through my veins as I quickly dressed and headed toward the quiet stretch of beach inside of Van Buren State Park.

It was a secluded, hidden gem on the shores of Lake Michigan. The park’s beach wasn’t attached to any of the local tourist towns, so it was rarely crowded. Technically it was closed after sunset, but I was willing to overlook that small fact in order to have some fun.

I parked my truck along the roadway, not far from the hidden path where we could access the beach.

Lee and Annie rolled up in his truck, and I suppressed a smile. He was a turd but, like me, he knew how to have a good time. It still struck me as odd that Kings and Sullivans had morphed into some kind of strange blended family, but it made my sister Sylvie happy, and for me, that was good enough.

I walked up to Lee’s truck as it parked and opened the passenger door. “Annie.” I held out my hand. “You’re looking ravishing, as always.” I pressed the back of her hand to my lips and didn’t release her hand.

A vein in Lee’s forehead bulged, and I grinned at him. “Oh, hey, man. Didn’t see you there.”

Annie stepped down from the truck and tucked herself into Lee’s side. MJ pulled up in her car, and I grinned when I saw Veda sitting in the passenger seat beside her. I tried not to let it bug me that I had offered to pick Veda up and she had turned me down. The girls hopped out, and MJ and Veda joined us in front of Lee’s vehicle.

Veda’s dark hair was pulled back in a braid that draped over one shoulder. She wore black denim cutoffs, and her top was a see-through white linen. I could just make out the strings of her red bikini top. Dirty, delicious thoughts danced through my head at how fun it could be to take my time removing it with my teeth.

“Just us?” MJ asked.

“Looks like it,” I said, unable to tear my eyes from Veda. Her skin was luminous under the starlight.

Annie rubbed her hands across the backs of her arms as she looked at the towering dunes in the distance. “It’s so big.”

My eyebrows waggled at Lee. “Bet that’s the first time you’ve heard her say that.”

Annie and Veda laughed, but Lee rolled his eyes and tried to hide his smile. “You’re such a dick.”

“Come on.” I gestured through the trees toward a chain-link fence that lined the property. A No Trespassing sign was stapled to a tree, and I shielded it with my body. “We’ll hop it over there.”

“We’re hopping a fence?” Veda hissed at MJ.

My little sister raised her shoulder. “It’s fine. Definitely not illegal . . . I don’t think.”

It definitely was.

Under the cover of darkness, we crept through the brush toward the fence. There was a familiar opening where the chain link was pulled back.

I gripped it and stretched the fence wider as MJ slinked through. “Watch your noggin.”

Annie went next, and I gave Lee a break by not pretending to stare at her ass. He bumped my arm and threw a friendly head nod before he climbed under and joined the two women on the other side.

Veda was last. She stared at me with her arms crossed and a hard look on her face. Her guard was up. Arrogance and confidence rolled off her as she stood her ground. I’d come to learn that it was her way to believe that she always knew best and that her way was the right way.

I licked my lip. “You coming, Precious?”

Her nostrils flared. “This is insane.”

I glanced over my shoulder, noting our group had started walking toward the cliff. “Your tits look amazing, by the way.”

Her eyes went wide, and she looked toward the others. “You can’t say that shit to me,” she hissed. “Someone could hear you.”

My soft laugh broke through the sleeping forest. “Sure I can. I’m not afraid of you, and you love it.”

A smirk dragged across her face. She sighed and her hands fell, slapping against the bare skin of her thighs. I couldn’t wait to trace the hem of her shorts and feel the softness of her skin against my fingertips.

Veda ducked and stepped through the opening in the fence. When she was nearly through, I smacked her ass and she yelped. Maneuvering my large frame through the chain link wasn’t easy, but once I was past it, I tucked the fencing back into place.

I held my hand out to her. “Let’s go.”

Veda’s small hand slipped into mine, and I squeezed. Side by side we walked through the brush toward the main footpath. I could hear the voices of our group up ahead and knew as soon as they came into view, Veda’s aloof, detached demeanor would be back. I paused, stopping us on the crushed-limestone path. With a gentle tug, I pulled her body flush with mine.

Her jade-green eyes were smoky under the night sky. I smiled down at her, tucking a loose strand of her black hair behind one ear. “Hi.”

Her smile widened as she softened in my embrace. “Hey.”

There she is.

It was all I needed—the confirmation that the woman she hid below the surface, the one I was lucky enough to know, was still there.

We reached the cliff and Veda stood next to MJ, eyeing the drop-off and the black water that loomed below.

MJ looked over the edge. “Dang. I forgot how high it was.”

I slipped out of my shoes and stripped off my shirt. Anticipation tittered under my skin.

Annie clung to Lee. “So we just . . . jump?”

Lee looked lovingly at his woman and tucked her under his arm. “I’m shocked you’ve never done this.” He pointed down. “There’s an eddy just below us. The water pushes against the current, making it really calm. Once you dive in, we swim to the shore and do it again.”

She held his arm tighter. “I think once might be enough for me. What about rocks?”

“Think of it this way . . . ,” I offered with a shrug. “If you get crushed to death, you won’t feel a thing.”

“Dude.” Lee spread his hands and I cackled. “There aren’t any rocks below us either. Royal’s just joking.”

“One at a time or all together?” MJ asked.

Before anyone could answer, movement caught my attention, and a streak of black whizzed past me. I watched in shock as Veda ran straight for the edge and flung herself over the cliff without hesitation.

The four of us leaned over the edge to watch as she fell in a straight line, her toes pointed and her arms planted against her sides. The splash was barely audible, and I finally exhaled when she popped to the surface.

“What are you all waiting for?” she called from the water as she swam to the edge.

In a line, we gawked down at her swimming safely to shore in the dark water. As a group we took three steps backward. MJ grabbed Annie’s hand. Annie clutched Lee’s. Lee looked at me and smirked, holding out his hand.

I shook my head in disbelief but grabbed it.

As we all rushed forward, Lee looked right at me as we jumped. “Dude. You are so fucked.”

Together we free-fell over the cliff. I released Lee’s hand and crossed my arms in front of me as the water came rushing up. Cold water surrounded me as I kicked and pushed my way to the top of the water. I was panting by the time I broke the surface. Lee was swimming ahead of me, and when he reached the shoreline, he turned to pull Annie onto the beach. I scanned for MJ, who was also making her way to the shore in smooth strokes.

I hauled myself onto the beach. Water dripped down my chest and off the end of my board shorts as I met the rest of the group on the shoreline. Everyone was laughing as excitement mixed with relief.

“Veda!” Annie shouted. “I can’t believe you weren’t afraid. My knees were shaking.”

“You want to go again?” MJ asked, wiping water from her eyes and ringing out her long hair.

Veda was smiling, as relaxed and happy as I’d ever seen her. She’d never been more beautiful.

“Nah,” I teased. “Veda doesn’t like to break the rules.”

She popped a hand on her hip. “I think I’m starting to see that sometimes breaking the rules can be a lot of fun. I’m up for it if you are.”

“Let’s goooo!” Lee pointed at the top of the cliff and started walking toward the path back up.

I was drawn to Veda, my body calling to her side. “Race you to the top?” I whispered in her ear.

“I don’t know . . . maybe we—go!” Veda took off like a shot, her squeal echoing through the trees as I chased after her.

I laughed and called out: “Cheater!”

Her warm, easy laugh was a shotgun blast to the chest. When I heard the snap in my ankle, I was far more pissed about losing the race than about the sudden pain shooting up my leg.