Light My Fire

3. Jackson

CHAPTER 3

Jackson

Watching my two best friends with this girl is very interesting. And very amusing.

I’ve known Wyatt since high school, but I’ve only been hanging out with Luke for a couple of years. Still, regardless of our differences in age and jobs, for some reason, the three of us just fit.

Luke’s a grump, no question, but that’s why he needs Wyatt and me. We make sure he kicks back and has fun. Luke is my voice of reason. He gives me advice and if I run an idea past him and he rolls his eyes or says flat out ‘don’t be a dumbass’—which he definitely will if that’s what he thinks—I change my mind.

Our time together is just easy. Our three personalities work together and no matter what we’re doing, things just click.

That’s why things seem off tonight. And the only new factor in this equation is Miss Brooke Wilder.

I get it. She is gorgeous, and has this sweet air about her that makes you want to ,hug her and, I don’t know, brush her hair or something, even while you’re imagining bending her over the breakfast bar and fucking her deep and hard from behind.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Except watching Luke stomp around the kitchen, and blatantly avoid even making eye contact with her, while Wyatt can’t seem to stay more than two feet away from her at any moment, I don’t think I’m the only one feeling something here.

“What the hell did you eat here this whole week while you were alone?” Wyatt asks her with a soft smile. “I haven’t found any evidence of real food. Please tell me it wasn’t just wine and Doritos the whole time.”

“Well…” Brooke says.

Yeah, that’s going to trip my best friend’s protective switch. He’s going to want to take care of her for sure. He’s an Acts of Service love language guy.

“Brooke,” Wyatt says warningly. “Tell me there was a vegetable at some point.”

Brooke laughs, the sound a light, happy noise that makes me smile. And even as I realize that’s cheesy as hell, I can’t help it.

“Carrots. They are both vegetables and real food,” she says.

He pulls a half-eaten bag of baby carrots from the fridge. “This is just sad.”

“I didn’t have time to cook. And I don’t really like vegetables,” she says, then gives him a little pout.

Oh, he’s a goner.

Wyatt gives her the goofiest smile in return. “I will prove to you that you like vegetables. At least when I make them.”

Jesus. I have never seen a woman wrap him around her finger so quickly. I am so making fun of him for all of this later.

“I ate soup. And sandwiches,” Brooke says. “Not just junk.”

“But lots of Doritos,” he says, bracing his hands on the counter across from where she’s sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar. “I found an empty bag in the trash and there’s the half-eaten bag you were working on when we got here.”

She nods. “I really like Doritos.”

He shakes his head. “Woman, we are feeding you tonight.”

She doesn’t protest. In fact, her eyes track him as he moves around the kitchen, gathering what he needs for the steaks and baked potatoes.

“How do you like your steak?” he asks.

“However you cook it,” she says.

Something in her voice makes me lean forward from where I’m sitting on the stool next to her and study her face.

She looks a little dreamy as she watches Wyatt.

Ah. The girl likes him too.

I know Wyatt and Luke met her previously at her brother's retirement party and again at his wedding. The way they told it before we all gathered in the kitchen is that they flirted with her a bit. Even Luke. I guess he had a few beers in him. Or something. He’s acting like he can’t stand her right now. But they didn’t get her number and haven’t been in touch since. Wyatt said he’s thought about her a lot though.

Wyatt looks over at her. “I’ll make it however you want.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t really have a preference.”

“So you trust me to make it good for you?”

There is definitely something in his voice. It’s gruff and I know what he’s thinking. It’s not about steak, that’s for sure.

I lift my brows, my eyes bouncing from one of them to the other.

She wets her lips and nods. “Yeah. I do.”

This is definitely interesting.

Wyatt hasn’t been into anybody in a while. He dates a little, but my friend has recently decided that he’s looking to get serious. He loves his job and in his mind, the next thing that happens in life is a wife and family.

He’s largely given up clubs and bars and has told me that he’s now waiting for the right girl to come along.

Does he think that Brooke might be that girl?

Huh.

Well, Wyatt knows me pretty well. There’s no way he thinks I’m going to let him flirt with and potentially date this girl without making a play myself.

Our bro code doesn’t work the same as many others.

The three of us thrive on competition with each other. It makes the spoils so much sweeter.

We can make eating brats while watching hockey into a cut-throat contest. We definitely make things like poker an intense battle. We’ve been tossed out of three ax-throwing bars. We can be a legitimate menace.

But we’ve never actually competed over a girl before, other than fun flirtations at a party or something. The last time Wyatt and I were both into someone, we just ended up sharing her for the weekend.

That was a ton of fun.

But I’m guessing Wyatt isn’t going to put a ring on a girl we double-team during a snowstorm.

So maybe I’ll just test how into Wyatt Brooke really is.

I lean in closer to her and fill her glass with wine. Again. This is her second glass since we got here, and it’s obvious she had been drinking before we showed up.

“I’m guessing Brooke is a hot pink center girl,” I say.

She turns her head quickly to look at me. “Wh–what?”

I reach up and brush a tendril of hair that has escaped her bun back behind her ear. “Your steak. Medium rare, I’m guessing.”

Her cheeks get pink as she studies my eyes, and then her gaze drops to my mouth.

Okay then. Yes, very interesting indeed.

“I don’t eat a lot of steak, typically. So… whatever you guys want to give me.”

Oh, fuck. My cock perks up a little at that and I can see Wyatt turn to look over at us out of the corner of my eye.

I hope she’s submissive .

I’m surprised by the thought that flits through my head.

I don’t need a submissive partner. That can definitely be hot, no question, but while I’ll get dirty and a little bossy in bed, I’m no dom.

Still, with Brooke…fuck. It’s the sweetness about her. Or the fact that she is slightly tipsy. Or that with her hair up in the messy bun, no makeup, and these baggy casual clothes, she seems much younger than her twenty-something. Or something.

She might be feisty as fuck. That’s great too.

But I can’t get the idea of ordering her around out of my head.

“How do you feel about loaded baked potatoes?” I ask her.

“I’m not sure I have any feelings about them at all,” she tells me. The corner of her mouth tugs up. “How do you feel about them?”

I reach over to where her hand is resting on the countertop. I run my finger over the back of her knuckles. “I’m pretty into the excess in all things and will always vote for having all the extra goodies,” I tell her. “I think that applies to everything from potatoes to life in general.”

Her smile grows. “I could get into that philosophy.”

I nod. “Yes, I really think you could, Brooke.”

Her gaze drops to my mouth again, but comes back to my eyes quickly. “What do you do, Jackson?” she asks. “I know Wyatt and Luke are firefighters. But you’re not, right?”

“I’m just rich, charming, and handsome twenty-four-seven,” I tell her.

She laughs. “I can see why that might keep you busy.”

“Lucky for me, all of those things come very easily, so I do have free time. Just so you know. If you would ever need me for anything.”

Wyatt turns away from the sink where he’s washing potatoes, but it’s not him that pulls my attention. It’s the loud whack of a knife against a cutting board.

We all look over to where Luke is slicing vegetables for the salad he’s making.

“Got an especially hard cucumber there, Chief?” I ask him.

He’s not looking at us, and he seems to be muttering to himself. “Are you going to be any help at all?” he asks me.

“I’m helping,” I say. I grin at Brooke. “I’m entertaining our guest. You find me entertaining, don’t you, sweetheart?”

Her lashes flutter, I’m sure involuntarily, at the endearment. She nods. “I do. But…” She glances at Luke, then Wyatt. “You’re really kind of my guests. It’s my brother’s cabin, and I was here first.”

I grin. “That’s true. I guess that means you need to entertain us .”

She smiles at that, but blushes prettily. Very prettily. The pink flush on her skin is so damned hot.

I hear another sharp whack against the cutting board and I have to bite back a laugh.

This is definitely going to be fun. Not only can I flirt with Brooke and tease Wyatt, but I can drive Luke crazy, too. Win-win-win.

“He accidentally got rich and now spends his days fucking around,” Wyatt says. He glances over. “That’s what Jackson does.”

Brooke’s gaze comes back to me. “Accidentally? Did you win the lottery or something?”

I chuckle. “Kind of feels that way. I invented an app that took off. Sold it a couple of years ago for a lot of money.” I shoot my best friend a look that I know he clearly reads as game on and then look back to her. “But I grew up in a working class family. Very normal. Bought my parents a house first thing after I hit it big. I also give a lot of money away to charity. Animals, kids, hospitals. You name it. I have a huge … heart.” I pause and watch her smile grow. “But I do enjoy life. And if you would ever like to take a spontaneous trip to New York or really anywhere, I’ll give you my number. I’ll answer for you twenty-four-seven.”

She looks at me for a moment, then starts laughing. “Has that ever happened?”

“What?”

“Have you ever said that to a woman, gotten her number, and then has she called you and you’ve whisked her off to Belize?”

I lean in, tracing my fingers over her knuckles again, and then up to her wrist. “I have never made that offer to another woman.”

Her gaze drops to where my finger is rubbing little circles on the inside of her wrist. Her lips part. “Oh.”

I love that the simple touch of my finger can take her from laughing to breathing a little faster. And I’m not just flirting. I’ve actually never made that offer to another woman. Even with the ability to charter a private plane on a whim, a trip to an exotic location is committing to at least a couple of days alone with the same person. “The only people I’ve ever whisked away anywhere are these two.” The only two people I could imagine hanging out with for days at a time.

Until maybe now with Brooke.

She looks from me to Wyatt and then over to Luke. “I know Luke and Wyatt work together. How do you know each other?”

“Wyatt and I went to high school together. We’ve been friends since ninth grade. And I met Luke through Wyatt. We’re the three musketeers.”

I can’t read the expression that passes over her face, but I really like her next question.

“So you all do a lot of things together?”

“Almost everything,” I tell her.

“That’s very interesting,” she tells me, her voice softer now.

And I’m suddenly very interested in what she means by that.

Luke comes stomping over with a bowl full of greens and vegetables just then. He sets it down on the counter with a thunk . Then he leans over, grabs the glass tumbler in front of Brooke and turns to fill it with more ice water from the fridge. He sets it back down in front of her. “You need to drink more water,” he says shortly.

She blinks at him. These are some of the few words he’s said directly to her.

I don’t know if she’s noticed, but I have made a note of the fact that Wyatt and I have continued to fill her wine glass while Luke has been pushing water on her for the past hour.

“Thank you?” she says, though it comes out as a question.

Wyatt has slid the potatoes into the oven and has the steaks seasoned and sitting on a plate ready for the grill.

“I’m going to my room for a minute,” Brooke says, sliding off her stool. When her feet hit the floor, she wobbles just a bit, and I catch her elbow.

I can’t feel her skin through the thick sweater she’s wearing, but I can feel her body heat. And when she looks up at me from this close proximity, I can’t look away from her mouth.

So, maybe this isn’t just a flirtation to tease my friends. Maybe this isn’t just about finding out if Brooke is truly interested in Wyatt.

I would definitely take this girl to Belize and keep her there for a solid week. And I don’t think we would actually see much of Belize outside of the hotel, as a matter of fact.

We all watch her leave the room.

As soon as the door shuts down the hall, I turn to my friends. “What the hell is going on?”

Luke hits me with a scowl. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Me? I’m the one being totally normal. I’m flirting with a gorgeous girl, who we’re stuck with for the next two days.”

“How am I not being normal?” Wyatt asks.

“You could turn it on a little bit more. I can tell you’re interested in her. But you need to be more direct.”

He narrows his eyes. “If you’re interested in her, why do you want me to make sure she knows I’m interested?”

“It’s her choice,” I say, as if it’s obvious. It is.

I would happily keep Brooke warm this weekend, but if she chooses Wyatt, good for him. Good for her too. No one knows what a great guy Wyatt is better than me.

“You’re flirting with her to mess with me? Or do you like her?” Wyatt asks.

“Both,” I tell him with a shrug.

“She’s not a game of cornhole for fuck’s sake,” Luke says.

I can’t help but laugh. “You had to choose a game with holes, didn’t you?”

He glowers at me. “Not everything has to be a goddamned competition around here.”

Wyatt and I both look at him.

I’m pleased when Wyatt says, “Why not?”

I nod. “She seems great. We’re all stuck here together until Sunday, anyway. We want to get to know her. Why not see who can flirt with her the best?”

“How about you be her friend?” Luke asks. “Why do you both have to think with your dicks all the time?”

Wyatt is frowning, but I’m not taking this seriously. I lean in. “If you want in, Chief, just say so.”

Wyatt's eyes narrow as he looks at Luke. “Wait a second, you might want in? You wanna flirt with her, too?”

“No. I fucking don’t. She’s too young, she probably wants a boyfriend and you both know I don’t do that shit, and she’s our friend’s sister.”

Yeah, he’s given this too much thought for not being interested. “I barely know Blake,” I say. I definitely don’t consider the hockey player a friend.

Wyatt lifts a shoulder. “I mean, he’s a good guy. But I’m not sure I would give up dating Brooke for him.”

“So it’s just out of the question that you’re both gonna keep it in your pants?” Luke asks.

“Not out of the question,” I say, looking at Wyatt. “If that’s not what Brooke wants, we’re not gonna push it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make sure she knows she’s got options this weekend.”

Wyatt nods his agreement. “We’ll just be with her. Maybe offer to cuddle if she gets cold.” He gives me a grin.

I return that grin. I love our little games. “Exactly. Toast her marshmallows if she asks.”

Luke gives a low growl.

“For s’mores,” I say. “Obviously.”

“Quit trying to get her drunk,” Luke says, picking up her wine glass, taking it to the sink, and dumping it out.

“Hey,” I protest. That feels like Brooke’s choice to make, not his. “Let’s not overreact. Neither of us is the type to take advantage of a girl when she’s drunk.”

Luke takes a deep breath, grips the edge of the sink and lets his head drop. Then he turns. “You’re right. Sorry. I’m just a little?—”

Brooke comes back into the kitchen, cutting him off. “You’re just a little what?” she asks.

Luke just frowns at her.

I roll my eyes. Jesus, he needs something, or he’s going to have an aneurysm by Sunday.

She looks confused. “Are you okay? Are you sick?” she asks him.

I snort. Her thinking Luke’s grumpy face makes him look like he’s sick is hilarious.

I know exactly what’s wrong with Luke, and I’m guessing Wyatt does, too.

Luke has a thing for Brooke. Maybe a bigger thing than I thought.

But Luke doesn’t think he should have a thing for Brooke.

And now Luke knows that he’s stuck in this cabin watching his two best friends try to win over the girl he wants.

And here I thought the snowstorm was going to ruin our weekend.