Just One Sip Read Free Page B

tiny bungalow. With his lips pressed against mine, he asked hurriedly, “When will your mom be back?”
    I knew he needed exact numbers inside that head of his, so I answered the best I could. “She’ll be home from work in two hours and fifteen minutes.”
    He paused outside the door to my bedroom, pulling his lips away from mine. Ice blue eyes that had darkened with desire, a gaze that only I had ever seen, held my brown gaze. He tilted his head to my bedroom with a clear question. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
    My lips lifted. They felt puffy from his rough attention. “I’m always ready for you, Jet.”
    “Hmm.” His lips lifted in the most carnal grin I had ever seen—so full of the pleasure he was about to impart. He stepped inside my bedroom and bumped the door shut behind us. “You’re mine, Lucy Plume.”
    I tried to breathe. “And you’re mine.”

July 4, 1999 – Age 8
    I slammed my fists onto my hips. “You’re cheating.”
    “No, I’m not,” Jet stated patiently. He pointed with his croquet mallet to where he had sent my pretty red ball spiraling. “If you want me to help you find it, I can—”
    “Shut up, Jet Mak. Just because my mom made me wear this stupid princess dress doesn’t mean I’m a girl that’s scared of the dark.” At least, I could pretend I wasn’t. I hid the shiver that trickled down my spine as I stared at the trees lining the immense backyard of the Mak mansion. I kicked my own mallet with one of my shiny white shoes before picking it up and stomping past the tiki lights making the backyard shine with an iridescent light.
    The sparkles from the flickering flames were perfect for our game. I loved Mrs. Mak. She always knew how to make our playtime extra special. It wasn’t her fault Jet had more muscle than I had and could make my ball disappear. Squinting into the darkness where the trees lay, I spotted my red ball half under a dark green bush. “Found it!”
    Taking a deep breath, I glanced left, and then right, and raced into the darkness. The trees with their fat leaves blotted out the moon’s glow, shadowing even the grass to a deep evergreen. I shuddered as I hit a spider web. I didn’t scream as the sticky web grabbed onto my left arm.
    Instead, I gritted my teeth as I bent down, peering under the bush.
    My mom would have been proud of me.
    The hem of my white dress brushed against the dirt, and I glanced up when I heard a crunch behind me. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
    “Sorry,” Jet murmured, then bent down next to me. He peered under the bush, examining how my ball lay. He finally decided, “You’ll need my help to get it out of there in one swing.”
    I grumbled quietly. He was right. My best friend was always right. It was annoying sometimes.
    Like now.
    “Won’t that be cheating?” I muttered, glaring at the ball.
    Jet looked up at me, his lips curved and his dimples showed. “I won’t tell.”
    I turned my glare on him. “Pinkie promise?”
    He rolled his eyes as he stood straight. “Pinkie promise. Though, I think that’s stupid.” He pointed the tip of his mallet at my nose. “If I say I won’t, then I won’t.”
    “Whatever,” I grumbled, and then stood. “Hold the shrub back for me.”
    One of his black brows rose. “Manners?”
    I huffed. “Please, hold back the shrub for me.”
    With great dignity, he nodded once. Taking great care not to get his tuxedo dirty, he used his mallet to hold back the creaking limbs of the bush. “Ready.”
    Settling my white shoes into a comfortable foothold, I positioned myself just right. I cracked my ball as hard as I could. It flew off the ground…and came to a rolling stop back into the light of our gaming field. I grinned and threw my arms around Jet’s shoulders, hugging him tight. “I did it!”
    His chuckle was soft as he patted my back awkwardly, still holding the bush back with one hand on his mallet. “Good job, Lucy.”
    I pulled away from him and glanced