Love Is Crazy (Love Is… #1) (30 page)

J
uliet did
greet Ian in her bikini the next morning. He had an armful of bags and boxes that he just put down the moment he stepped inside her house so he could swoop her up.

“Well good morning to you, too,” she said, giggling as he carried her up the stairs.

“Oh, I'll make it a good morning, alright.” Ian tossed her on the bed and went about doing just that.

Later, with her hair all mussed and her body all relaxed, Ian led her back downstairs and showed her what he'd brought—a whole kitchen's worth of pots and pans, plates and dishes, and an entire cupboard full of coffee mugs.

“I take care of the things that matter to me,” he said over her protests. “I even brought some stuff for Chopper.”

“I thought you didn't like Lulu.” Julz emphasized the dog's proper name.

“Of course I like her. She brought us together, didn't she?”

After taking the time to carefully arrange all the things Ian brought her, they headed back outside to start on the deck again. Juliet felt joyful as she worked. So joyful that she found herself humming time and time again and had to remind herself to keep quiet so as not to annoy Ian.

It was on the third day working out in the sun, their bodies glistening with sweat and sunscreen, that he asked her not to stop. “What’s that you keep humming?” he asked.

“Just something I made up when I was a kid. Sneaks up on me sometimes when I’m happy. Sorry,” she said, swiping a hand across her brow. “I’ll stop.”

“Don’t you dare. It makes me happy, too.”

That was four days ago and the thought still made Juliet smile. Another one of those real ones, the kind she didn’t have to create, the kind that simply showed up all on its own. This morning, she was out on the completely redone back deck, greeting the sunrise with Lulu. Standing on the freshly stained wood, satisfaction rolled through her. She had done this. She had helped pry away the rotting boards and replaced them with new, strong wood. Yanked rusted nails out and driven solid ones into place. She had rebuilt this, well, helped rebuild it. Ian had guided her through the process, giving clear instructions, laughing off her mistakes and helping her make them right.

It was way more symbolic than she could handle. The deck a not so thinly veiled metaphor for her life. And with Ian there? Helping her, so strong and kind. Telling her how to succeed...

It was dangerous. Dangerous enough that her heart yearned for him when he wasn’t with her in the evenings. And she wasn't supposed to yearn for anyone, right? She was supposed to be able to do this all on her own. But the more time she spent with Ian, the more she believed he was nothing but good for her.

She felt stronger. In all ways. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and after days working outside, physically, too. Her body was harder and darker while her soul was lighter and damn, if that didn’t feel good. The crunch of tires on her driveway brought another huge smile to her face. Ian was here and that sent her heart leaping out of her chest and those wonderful butterflies fluttering around in her belly. She ambled around the deck to greet him and frowned to see his M4 instead of the truck.

“Mornin’, hot stuff,” he said as he unfolded his long frame from the small car. “I hate to say it, but you’re gonna need to change.”

Confusion danced around in her head, the change in routine making her uncomfortable. Was something wrong? Was he about to drop some terrible piece of bad news in her lap now that she was finally starting to feel good and happy? “What’s up?” she asked, her hands coming to her hips.

The smile that blossomed on Ian’s face settled the concern a little. “It’s a surprise. Go change. No skirts. And wear sneakers.”

No skirts? Sneakers? What in the world did he have in mind? She opened the door and Lulu burst through, raced right past her and yipped happily at Ian’s feet. Juliet heard him chuckle and pick the dog up and couldn’t help but giggle to herself when he called her Chopper.

Her wardrobe choices were still pretty limited. Ian had kept her busy with the renovations and she hadn’t even started looking for a job, yet. She sighed. This little vacation from reality was going to have to come to an end sooner rather than later. She hadn’t had to dip into her cash envelope much, just for food, but knowing there was a consistent outflow of money without a consistent inflow made her nervous. But, as usual with Ian, now was not the time to think about that. She chose shorts and a tank top, checked the mirror and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, smoothing back the fly-aways and wishing she knew where they were going.

“I didn’t know what to put on,” she said as she rejoined Ian outside.

His eyes swept over her and the hunger in his gaze set the butterflies whirling again. “You’re perfect.”

They put Lulu in the house and locked the door. Ian pulled Juliet in for a kiss, his hands roving her body, their tongues slow dancing as they stood in her driveway with the sun blazing to life behind the house. He pulled her closer, pressed her hips forward and she moaned.

“I could stay right here all day,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

“Me too.”

“But we can’t.” He pulled away and guided her to the car, opening the door for her and closing it once she’d tucked her feet inside.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he pulled out of the driveway and headed in the opposite direction of Bliss.

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” Ian used what Juliet had come to think of as his Navy voice. It was firm and confident, slightly lower and colder than the way he usually spoke to her.

“If you killed me, we couldn’t have all this fun together anymore.”

Ian laughed, his gaze bouncing between Juliet and the road. “You make a good point.”

“I always do,” she said and gave him a little shrug of her shoulders.

The drive was long and winding and once again, Juliet found herself considering leaning across the seat and giving him a blow job while he drived. What was it about this guy? She’d never, not once, done such a thing and here she was contemplating it in broad daylight. For the second time.

“Talk to me, Goose,” Ian said, interrupting her thoughts with his favorite Top Gun quote. “Where’s your head?”

“In the gutter.” She gave him her best wicked smile.

“Right where I like it.” Ian let his eyes flicker over Juliet’s face. “Feel like sharing?”

“Not really.” Juliet said it but didn’t mean it. She just wasn’t sure she’d actually be able to say what was on her mind.  

“Well that’s not good.” Ian frowned. “I want you to feel comfortable telling me anything.”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

“And see? We’ve come full circle. If you killed me, we couldn’t do whatever it is your dirty little mind is working on right now.”

Juliet pretended to consider his point. “I’m not sure I’m brave enough to do what my dirty little mind is working on.” She was on the verge of telling him, looking forward to the shock that would play across his face.

“That’s why you’ve got me. To hold your hands through the scary parts.”

Something warm and welcome blazed through Juliet’s heart. How did he know how to make her feel so good? “But if you hold my hands, I won’t be able to do what I’m thinking about doing.”

Confusion pursed his eyebrows. Juliet had learned that Ian loved to figure things out. He didn’t want to be given the answer, he liked to find it himself. She waited while that quick mind of his worked through what she’d said and when realization dawned across his face, she dropped her gaze and smiled up at him through her lashes, a blush flaring hot and pink across her cheeks.

Ian smiled at her, an exhilarating mix of shock and pride. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Sure am.” Juliet sat back, filled to the brim with self-satisfaction. It looked like Ian liked her idea as much as she did and when she ran her hand up his thigh, stopping for a second to squeeze the strong quadriceps encased in his jeans, she got the encouragement she needed when she felt the hard bulge at his crotch.

Ian sighed and dropped his head back to the headrest, his hands clenched tight on the wheel. “As much as I’d love to see how far you’re willing to go here, you’re gonna have to stop.”

Embarrassment crushed the little flare of excitement in Juliet’s heart. Had she misread his reaction? “I’m sorry,” she said, snatching her hand back.

“Don’t be.” Ian rolled his shoulders and blew air out of his mouth. “I’m all for what you had in mind, you dirty little thing you, but we’re getting close to our destination and I can’t go in anywhere looking like I do now.” He glanced down at his jeans, the outline of his erection clear and distinct. “The things you do to me should be illegal.”

That sweet edge of satisfaction worked its way back into Juliet’s chest and she sat back in her seat with a sigh. “Ditto.”

“That’s all I get? Ditto? Dang. And here I thought I was rocking your world.”

“You leave me speechless. You’re lucky you even get a ditto.”

“And see, there you go, making another good point.”

Ian slowed and flicked on a turn signal. Juliet looked around, trying to get an idea as to what they were doing, but they were in the middle of nowhere. The tires crunched into a long driveway surrounded by wide open fields, but Juliet wasn’t looking at the fields anymore. She spun in her seat, eyes fixed on the sign by the road even after Ian drove past it. “Skydiving?” she squeaked. “We’re going
skydiving
?” She couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice.

Ian looked at her with a mix of enjoyment at the surprise and concern at her reaction to it. “Yep. You said you were curious. And for a woman who told me she’d be a bird if she could, well, there’s no doubt in my mind you’re gonna love this.”

“Ian! I don’t … I can’t…” Fear twisted in her belly. Sure, she loved the idea of skydiving, but the reality of it? She’d learned her lesson about the difference between fantasy and reality the hard way with Michael and she wasn’t interested in learning it again.

“Leaving you speechless again, am I?” Ian’s tone of voice was way too light for the panic that tangled up her thoughts.

“You don’t understand. I can’t do this.”

“Sure you can. You’re the girl who figured out how to make her own biscuits when she didn’t have a lot of money for food. How to drink coffee out of a bowl when she didn’t have the right mug. How to support herself when no one else would. You most definitely can do this.”

“Yeah, but what if I can’t? What if I get to the door and stare out into the sky and I just can’t?”

“Well, then we’ve found the one thing you can’t do.” Ian pulled into a parking spot in a nearly empty lot. “But listen. You can do this. I have faith in you.” Those words—
I have faith in you
—had a monumental effect on Juliet. They rattled around inside her and unlocked a bunch of feelings she wasn’t sure what to do with. Hearing him say that satisfied a need she didn’t even know she’d had and something hard and forgotten inside her started to soften.

Ian reached across the car and took her hand. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded, not sure she could trust her voice.

“I need to hear you say it.” Ian’s face was open and he held eye contact with her, calm and strong and totally willing to wait until she was okay.

Juliet took a breath. Found strength in his eyes. “Yes. I trust you.”

“Good. Then come with me, my friend. I promise, life will never be the same.”

Ian was a frequent flyer here and knew the owners well. Apparently, he’d called the day after their first date to block off an entire day so that he and Juliet were the only people going up. And coming down.

Holy shit, I’m going to jump out of an airplane!
As Juliet listened to her instructor, Dillan—an excited man whose trim frame wasn’t big enough to house his exuberance—her nerves began to transition into expectation. Doubt gave way to certainty. She was really going to do this.

“You’re not gonna get that roller coaster drop feeling. You know the one I’m talking about?” Dillan barely had time to see her nod before he started talking again. “It’s not like that at all. It’s comfortable. You’re gonna feel supported, like you’re floating, and the air’s gonna put just a little bit of pressure on your body. It’s the closest you’re ever gonna get to flying, girlie. There’s nothing like it.” Dillan bounced from foot to foot, waiting for her response that never came. She was still too nervous to trust her voice and responded with a curt nod.

Ian took her hand. “You’re gonna do a tandem jump with Dillan. He’ll literally do all the work. And lucky you, you get a crazy leprechaun strapped to your back, pulling the strings and telling you what to do.”

“What about you?” Juliet knew there was no way she could do this without Ian.

“I’m jumping solo, hot stuff. I’ll follow you out after a few seconds, but I’ll catch up quick. If you’re doing okay, I might even be able to take your hand for a bit and we can fly together.”

Staring into Ian’s excited eyes, Juliet found the strength to squash down her fear. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

The next hour or so was lost to a stream of information and instruction. Before she knew it, Juliet was on a plane, zipped into a jumpsuit, cruising about eleven hundred feet above the ground.