“You won’t. There’s too much riding on it for me. ‘Scuse the pun.” His eyes found mine.

I held Jack’s eyes a moment before he winked and looked back at Joey.

My brother flushed. “If I win, you can stay on this damn island alone.” He glared at the stable hand who was standing next to them as the Race Starter. “When you’re ready.”

My eyes roamed down Jack’s bare torso to a tendril of black ink sneaking out over the waistband of his underwear that was visible above his worn blue jeans. The tattoo that covered his scarred skin caused by his father. His hands were curled into the mane, his biceps flexing. His powerful leg rested on the side of the chestnut horse, ending in bare feet and the tattoo of the beautiful little sea turtle. Jack had marked his body four times … once to cover his painful childhood memories, once to celebrate the leap in his career to megastar, the thin chain of ink on his ankle I’d never asked about, and once … to remember me.

I didn’t get a chance to think on that further as a loud, “Hah!” rendered the air and both horses were smacked on their rumps and took off.

Jack immediately leaned in, gripping the horse with his entire body, muscles rippling. But Joey was on a much faster horse, and what Joey lacked in style as a rider was more than compensated for.

The black horse looked to be pulling into the lead. Joey threw a look over his shoulder at Jack, his blond hair whipping into his eyes.

Jazz mewed next to me. “Go, Joey,” she yelled, her phone pointing straight ahead.

“Are you seriously cheering for me not to get laid tonight?” I laughed incredulously. “Go on, Jack!” I screamed out.

“Didn’t realize you were ready to ride the horse again, so to speak.” She giggled.

“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.”

“But seriously, this is like the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

We both looked at each other, and then screamed and cheered for our respective guys.

Joey reached the end of the first sprint and turned the horse into the water. It waded into the surf. On the turn, however, Joey had slipped down the side of the horse and was now battling to get himself righted. Jack came in after him. They made it around the buoy, the horses almost to their flanks. I don’t know why I hadn’t taken a picture before now, but I slid my phone out of my back pocket and aimed it at Jack, taking a shot just as he pulled into the lead ahead of Joey.

He leaned down close to the horse and dipped his head in the water wetting it. And then stayed down urging the horse on as it emerged out into the shallow surf and then the sand. With a squeeze of Jack’s now waterlogged and dark blue thighs, the horse took off again as soon as it hit dry sand.

Joey was out of the water too now, and his horse was gaining. Joined by a couple of spectators from the stable and Devon, who’d just sauntered up, Jazz and I yelled and jumped up and down.

I was impressed with Joey’s riding actually, he’d done some growing up and had a job at a stable one summer, but I didn’t think he’d actually be able to pull off bareback racing.

And Jack? There were no words for how I felt about what I was witnessing. It was a purely physical reaction.

Joey got within a head of Jack, and I screamed louder, my voice breaking as I jumped up and down. They crossed the finish line in front of us, Jack narrowly keeping his lead.

A cheer went up from everyone just from the sheer joy of the spectacle.

Both Jack and Joey slowed their horses a ways further down the beach and slid from their mounts, panting and grinning as they grabbed each other in a hand shake, and then bumped shoulders with a back slap.

Their joy and exhilaration was written all over their faces. All wagers and tensions forgotten.

As I watched, grinning like an idiot, they sauntered back, talking. Jack grabbed Joey’s hand again, and as the stable hand led the horses away, pulled him in, saying something in his ear. Joey nodded, flicking his eyes to me, before shaking Jack’s hand and clapping his shoulder again.

Then Jack turned to me and just pointed. His eyes were dancing, his dimples fully deployed, and I ran. I ran to the sound of catcalls and whistles and launched into Jack’s arms.

“Oof,” he croaked then groaned as my legs wrapped around him and I hugged him tight. We hugged like that for several long minutes, the briny smell of surf and Jack’s warm body permeating all my thoughts.

“That was incredible,” I said finally. “It’s safe here right? To hug you? I mean this place is isolated, and I’m not sure the locals are going to be posting pictures to the Web.”

“Yeah,” he murmured in my ear. “That’s why I want to stay here with you tonight. That okay?”

“I suppose,” I said coyly. He pulled back to look at me and I quickly added, “Yes.”

“We don’t have to do anything.” He bumped his nose against mine. “I just want to be with you for a night and not have you worried about anyone seeing us. The boat can take everyone back, and return in the morning to get us back before your lunch shift.”

I hugged him tight again and unwrapped my legs. He lowered me to the ground, and we headed back to join the others. None of us raced like the boys had, but we all took turns riding along the beach and walking in the waves. Jazz and I agreed it was without a doubt the coolest day ever. Jazz looked like a gypsy princess with her long print shirt hiked up to her thighs as she rode and colorful bands around her ankles and wrists. To my satisfaction, Joey couldn’t keep his eyes off her. I looked up from the horse I was riding in the surf with a huge grin and caught Jack taking a picture of me with his phone.

All was fair I supposed.

After the horses, we went back out on the boat. Changing into swimsuits, we ate our sandwiches and explored the perimeter of the island. We stopped as close as the boat could get to a small sand bar that had emerged with the low tide, and after much persuading and cajoling from every one else who’d already jumped over board into the frigid water, I did the same.

“You realize there are tons of bull sharks around here, right?” I said, my voice all wobbly as we made it to the sand.

“All kinds of sharks,” Joey said, shaking his head. “And dolphins and stingrays and whales.”

“And snapper and cobia and flounder,” added Jazz, cuffing Joey on the knee. “Doesn’t stop her being afraid of sharks. Idiot.”

Jack took my hand, and we all flopped on the sand. I shifted and laid my head on his leg. His fingers stoked my hair. I sighed contentedly.

I could feel Joey watching us, as he had all day, and wondered what he thought, and what exchange had taken place between him and Jack after the race. He also seemed perturbed that Jazz kept up constant conversation with Devon, asking all sorts of things about the movie business and the ins and outs of production and basically ignoring my brother.

“Are we staying in the hotel here?” I murmured to Jack, wishing I could kiss his lips.

Jack shook his head. “A cottage.”

“What do we do about food and overnight stuff?”

“That’s all been taken care of by the company handling the resort cottage rentals. They brought stuff over this morning, I think. And I asked them to buy overnight stuff, too—toothbrushes and what not.”

“Wow, you thought of everything.” I smiled and closed my eyes. The thought of what lay ahead for us kept a steady drum beat of anticipation in my veins as the afternoon slowly ticked by.