In Love with My Brother's Best Friend: Complete Box Set Read Free

even cuter than the time before. It would just mess with my
head. That was another good thing about going away to college. There
wouldn't be a chance of running in Jackson anywhere. If I worked
things right, I would be able to avoid coming home much and could
avoid him all together.
    “ I'm
a big girl,” I said sarcastically. “I'll be just fine. I
doubt anyone is going to come out here to mess with me. I can take
care of myself.”
    He
didn't say anything back for a minute, but I hadn't heard him get up
and leave. Was he still there, I wondered? Slowly, I moved my head
toward where he had been sitting and opened my eyes and jumped when
his eyes connected with mine. Had he been watching me?
    “ I
thought you were gone,” I said.
    His
dark eyes were looking straight into mine. I felt like he could see
straight into heart and felt my body shiver. There was no way I
wanted him to know what I really thought of him. That was too scary
for me. The moon lit up spots of his dark hair that had grown a bit
beyond his collar. He was seeing too much. I pulled my connection
from him and let my eyes roam down his chest. He was wearing a tight
white t-shirt. Even with barely enough light, I could see his muscles
tug against his shirt. He'd always been fit, but he looked better
than ever. My eyes continued down to see he was wearing a pair of
basketball shorts and had nothing on his feet. When my eyes moved
back up his body, he put his hand under my chin and lifted so my eyes
were back on his. As soon as his skin touched mine, I felt something
intense. Sparks flew through me and warmed my body. It was something
I had never felt before. He had the biggest smirk on his face, and I
quickly pulled my face from his fingers.
    “ Nope,”
he said in a whisper. “I'm still here. What are you doing out
here by yourself, Tina?”
    It
was the first time ever that he had spoken to me without using that
stupid nickname he made up when I was a little girl. I was smaller
than the rest of my class and the class below me. He said it once,
and it stuck forever. I was only seven when it started, so of course
the only thing I could think of calling him was Jackie. That stuck
forever as well. I had never one time called him by his real name
either. Not to his face anyway.
    I
looked back at his face and noticed the scruff he had on his chin. He
was usually clean shaven when I'd see him. That scruff definitely
added a more manly touch to his perfectly sculpted jaw. Get it
together, I thought to myself. If I let him see me even the slightest
bit on edge, he would give me shit about and I knew it. I was waiting
for him to say something stupid as it was.
    “ I
just wanted to be alone and enjoy the sounds of the water. I'm not
one for tons of noise. Our room was getting pretty crazy. Some of the
girls had some guys with them from the beach earlier. There were too
many people, and I needed a break.”
    I
knew he would understand that. He'd known from being around our
family for years that I wasn't a fan of craziness. I was quiet and
kept to myself.
    “ Did
you leave your man in there with the rest of them?” he asked
with narrowed eyes.
    “ No,”
I said. “I didn't feel like dealing with all that today. I just
want to enjoy the freedom of being able to be my own person now,
without having someone always looking over my shoulder.”
    “ You
mean Tim?” he asked.
    “ I
don't want to talk about it,” I said. “He's probably
looking for you already. You better go.”
    “ He'd
do anything for you,” Jackson said. “You know that
right?”
    I
leaned my head back and closed my eyes, but I felt his eyes on me and
couldn't help the warm rush that ran through my body.
    “ Quit
looking at me,” I whispered.
    “ How
do you know I'm looking at you?” he asked. “Your eyes
aren't even open.”
    “ I
can feel it,” I said.
    I
heard him lean back against the sand.
    “ It's
so quiet out here,” he said.
    “ That's
the point,” I mumbled.
    “ So,
what are