by Burton, Jaci
Carmen grinned. “Seriously. Congratulations.”
Tess put her hand over her mouth, and Carmen could see the tears well in her eyes.
“Do not cry. If you cry, then I’ll cry.”
Tess got out of her chair and flung her arms around Carmen. Carmen hugged her tight.
“Thank you,” Tess said. “This means everything to me.”
They hugged like that for a good minute, then Tess fell back in her chair. “I . . . don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. You earned this promotion. You’ll make a fine department supervisor, and I’ll miss you like crazy in the ER.”
“Holy shit. Wait ’til I tell George. He’ll die.”
Carmen grinned. “No, he’ll take you to the Caribbean.”
“He will, won’t he? Oh my God, this is just the best day ever.” It was. She loved that Tess was getting what she deserved. And that made their lunch together so much better. In fact, they ended up taking a bit longer to eat, which was even more fun.
Then they got back to work. Carmen did Tess’s evaluation that afternoon, which was probably the most fun she’d ever had doing an eval. They’d both grinned through the entire thing.
In two weeks, Tess would be moving up to the ICU, which meant Carmen would have to replace her in the ER. No easy task, and something else she’d have to add to her list of things to do. But for today? She was smiling.
And after work she would get to see Rafe. He was off today. They had a date tonight to see a movie. She didn’t want to see a movie. She wanted to talk to him about her grandfather.
She pulled out her phone and texted him.
Ok if we cancel the movie and hang out at your place tonight?
He replied a few minutes later.
Fine with me. Everything ok?
She texted back with: Just want to talk.
He sent a reply: Sure. See u tonight.
He added pizza and wine emojis at the end, making her smile. That’s what she needed. Rafe would help her make sense of all the questions she had in her head about her grandpa and his wanting to get married.
She was probably overreacting anyway.
But she ended up counting the hours until her shift was finished. She went home and changed clothes. Her grandfather had therapy today, and then he was going to Felice’s house. He’d called her earlier and left her a message to let her know they were going to dinner and bingo tonight. He said he’d text what time he’d be home, or he might stay at Felice’s tonight.
She’d ended up texting Rafe to let him know her grandfather was out, so he should come to her place, and she’d text him when she got home.
This way they could be alone in case Jackson and Becks and Kal were around.
She took a shower and slipped into a sundress. It was hot as the seventh level of hell out today, and the fewer clothes she had on, the better. The sundress had skinny straps and was cotton and short and just about perfect as far as minimal clothing went. Besides, it was totally cute with colorful geometric patterns over a white shift. Not that it mattered, since today she was going for comfort over pretty.
She texted Rafe that she was home, unlocked the front door, then went into the kitchen and poured herself a tall glass of wine. She cleaned potatoes and started slicing them to make fries, then made hamburger patties. She was chopping onions and tomatoes when Rafe came in.
“Something smells good in here,” he said, coming around to press a kiss to the back of her neck. “Oh, it’s you.”
She giggled as goose bumps broke out on her skin. “It’s the onions.”
He continued to kiss along her shoulder. “Beg to differ.”
She laughed. “How was your day?”
“Good. I got a summer lunch program finalized for the kids’ center.”
“You did? How did you manage that?”
“A few grants and some corporate sponsorship.”
“That’s fantastic, Rafe. What a wonderful thing to do for the community and for those kids.” The man was always busy. And what an amazing thing he’d done. She admired him for that.
“Thanks. How was your day?”
“Good. I promoted Tess today, and did her evaluation, which was fun. Other than that, it was a light patient load.”
“Nice. I’ll bet Tess was happy.”
“She was thrilled.”
“That’s awesome. So what can I do to help you?”
“I thought I’d make burgers and fries for dinner tonight.”
“And I thought we were ordering pizza.”
She shifted, leaning against the counter, and gave him a sweet smile. “Wouldn’t you rather have burgers, with gooey cheddar cheese and avocado, along with homemade fries?”
He arched a brow. “Okay, that does sound better.”
“Good, that’s what we’re having. Grab yourself a beer and go fire up the grill and put some oil in the fryer outside.”
“You’re so bossy.”
She laughed. “You like me that way, because you eat better when I’m bossy.”
“I’ll accept that.”
He fished a beer out of the fridge and went out back, so she finished slicing the vegetables and slipped those in the fridge.
She had to admit she appreciated having Rafe around to help her with dinner. She also liked how comfortable he obviously felt in her house. He never asked permission for anything, always offered to help, did dishes side by side with her and knew his way around putting things away in the cabinets.
Like now, when he came in and got the potatoes and burgers out of the fridge to take outside. It hadn’t taken long for Rafe to become an integral part of her life.
She got out the avocados and sliced those, then grated cheese to put on the burgers. She also decided she wanted a salad, so she chopped up lettuce, tomato, carrots, cucumbers and added in some walnuts and cranberries to give it a little kick. She made a vinaigrette and put it in the fridge to cool. By then Rafe had come back in with the fries and the burgers.
She put all the condiments on the table, along with the nice, soft buns she’d bought at the store.
He grabbed the salad and dressing, and now it was time to eat. She was so hungry.
Rafe was obviously hungrier.
It always entertained her to watch Rafe eat. The guy had an appetite. When she invited him over, she knew he’d eat well, so she’d made sure to buy extra. By the time she’d finished her burger, he’d already gone through two, plus a rather large serving of fries and salad.
“I see you’ve worked really hard on slowing down,” she said with a teasing smile.
He glanced over at her. “I did. I only ate two burgers.”
She laughed.
It made her wonder what it would be like to have kids with him. What if they had all boys? What would it be like to feed three or four boys with appetites like his? She could only imagine what their weekly grocery bill would be like.
Still, she could well imagine cute little boys with thick heads of Rafe’s dark hair and his soulful brown eyes.
Yeah, that giant grocery bill would be totally worth it.
“What?” he asked, startling her out of her fantasy.
She straightened. “Oh. Nothing. I was . . . thinking.”
“About?”
Caught in the act. Now she’d have to come up with something. And she knew what she wanted to talk to him about. “My grandfather wants to propose to Felice.”
“Is that what he wanted to talk to you about the other night?” She nodded. “He sat me down and asked me what I thought about her, and then he said he loved her and wanted to marry her.”
He dipped a French fry in ketchup and shoved it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed, then washed it down with a swig of beer. “And what did you say?”
“What was I supposed to say? Felice is wonderful, and it’s obvious she loves my grandpa. If she makes him happy, what more could I want for him?”
“So you gave your blessing?”
“Actually, no. I was kind of shocked. It’s all happening so fast, you know? I think I might have mumbled oh, really? a lot at him.”
“That’s not surprising. But if you love someone, how much time do you need?”
Interesting observation. “I guess. But I called him today after I got off work. I didn’t want him to think I disapproved, so I told him he should ask Felice to marry him. Life is short, and it’s not like the two of them have another fifty years or anything. They should enjoy their lives together.”
“That’s sweet. And you’re right. People who love each other should be together.”
“Yes.” She looked down at her plate, suddenly unable to eat any more. She didn’t know what was wrong with her other than everything suddenly seemed as if it was changing. She’d been so comfortable here with Grandpa. And now he and Felice would get married and then . . .
And then she had no idea what would happen.
Nothing was certain anymore.
Rafe laid his hand on hers. “What’s wrong?”
“I feel . . . unsettled. Like my whole life is changing.”
“Because of your grandpa?”
Her unsettled feeling was only partly because of her grandfather. It was also because of her feelings for Rafe. Feelings she was still holding on to, because she was still afraid to tell him how she felt. She hadn’t been in love since her ex, and that had been an epic disaster. She was afraid to fall again, afraid if things went wrong she’d never recover.
She felt as if she was balancing on the edge of a cliff, unable to take a step back and unable to take the leap that could mean a possible amazing future—or utter catastrophe.
So instead, here she stayed. Hovering.
“Yes, because of my grandpa,” she said, knowing she was lying to him but still unable to admit her feelings. “His decision changes a lot of things about my life.”
“Do you know what you need?” he asked.
“No. What do I need?”
“You need some nighttime skinny-dipping.”
She arched a brow. “In your pool?”
“Nah. Jackson and Becks are home tonight. I’ve got something else in mind.”
“Really. And what might that be?”
“Let’s clean up the kitchen first, then I’ll take you on an adventure.”
“Okay. Definitely yes.” She needed an adventure, something fun to take her mind off all of her serious thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to be serious.
It was time to get out of her head—and see what Rafe had up his sleeve.
CHAPTER 28
RAFE COULD TELL CARMEN WAS ALL UP IN HER HEAD about something. Maybe her grandpa and his plans to marry Felice. And maybe it was also something else. He didn’t really know, and at the moment, his only intent was to get her to relax and have some fun.
He pulled into the out-of-the-way parking spot and turned the engine off.
Carmen turned to him. “I have no idea where we are.”
He grinned. “That’s the point.”
“I don’t even see a beach. Just a forest of bushes.”
“Trust me, it’s there.”
She gave him a dubious look. “You aren’t going to kill me and bury my body where no one will ever find me, are you?”
“I bring you to a secluded beach, and that’s the first thing you think of?”
She shrugged. “I watch a lot of true crime shows.”
He shook his head. After grabbing a couple of beach towels, he got out of the truck and came around to meet Carmen in front.
“It’s so dark,” she said. “And I don’t see lights anywhere.”
“I found this beach a few years ago. It’s small, but there’s enough sand that we can wander out and get in the water. And it’s safe. Our local lifeguards know about it and said it’s fine for swimming.”
She looked over at him. “In other words, your lifeguards also come out here.”
He grinned. “That’s how I know it’s safe.” He took her hand and led her through the bushes that kept the beach opening hidden from the public. It wasn’t a wide opening, but fortunately, Rafe knew the way. It wound around like a maze for about fifty feet, but then it opened up and they were at a clearing that was nothing but private beach and ocean.
“Wow.” Carmen stared out over the small stretch of sandy beach and waves. “This is amazing.”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen any part of the beach unoccupied like this. I mean, sure, at night, but there’s always buildings and hotels and lights. Here there’s . . .”
“Nothing.”
She lifted her gaze to his and offered up a knowing smile. “Yes. Nothing. No lights, no people around. It’s perfect, Rafe.”
He knew she’d like it. He led her down to the sand where he toed off his tennis shoes and dropped them on top of their towels. He dug in the sand and hid his keys, just in case someone should happen to walk by, though it was unlikely.
“Let’s get naked,” he said.
“Are you sure?” She gave him a hesitant look.
He pulled her into his arms. “We could always lie down on the towels and just make out.”
“You would be happy doing only that, wouldn’t you?”
“I’m always happy to kiss you.”
She looked out over the ocean. “It’s beautiful tonight.”
The moon was half-full, enough to highlight the water, but not enough to put them out in full view of anyone who might happen to come by. Not that they’d be seen. Rafe made sure of that.
When she turned back to him, she said, “I’ve never skinny-dipped a day in my life.”
He smoothed his hand down her back. “You don’t have to tonight, either, if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Nothing about being with you makes me uncomfortable.” She took a step back and lifted the dress over her hips, then off, letting it drop to the towel. She hadn’t worn a bra, so she was left wearing a very pretty shade of coral underwear. She shimmied out of those and took his breath away standing in the silvery moonlight naked.
He shucked his board shorts and pulled off his tank, adding his clothes to hers.
“You look amazing naked in the moonlight,” she said.
He laughed. “Babe. Nothing compared to you.”
“Well, I’m hot and sweaty, and happy it’s dark. Let’s get in the water.”
He took her hand, and they walked to the water’s edge. The water felt cool as he waded in to his waist, but Carmen dove right in, then came up laughing.
“This feels amazing.” She dipped back under the water, coming up right in front of him, smoothing her hair back with her hands.
He drew her against him. “You look like a mermaid.”
“Yeah? You think I’m here to tempt you out to sea?” She wrapped her legs around him.
“Maybe.”
He kissed her. She tasted salty, like the ocean, but her kiss was damn sweet on his lips. He cupped his palm around her neck and dug his feet in the sand to hold them in place as the waves washed over them.
He saw lightning flash off the horizon. He knew it was far enough away not to be concerned, but he also knew a storm could roll in pretty fast, too.
Carmen pulled her lips from his. “Storm’s coming in.”
“Yeah.”
She rubbed her fingers across his jaw and rocked her hips against him. “I guess that means we should get out of the water.”
“Soon . . . ish.”
She smiled, then pushed away from him.
They splashed at each other, diving in and out of the water and laughing so hard that Rafe felt like a kid again. It was perfect to be there with Carmen, isolated and free to do whatever they wanted.
He wanted her to play for a while, to let go of whatever tension was tying her up in knots. He wanted her filled with joy, and God, he wanted to keep hearing her laugh.
By the time they walked out of the water, the wind had picked up, whipping all around them,
and the lightning was moving closer. Clouds were coming in, too, obliterating the moon. But it was still humid and hot on the beach, so they didn’t even need to dry off. They collapsed on the towels, and Rafe lay on his back. Carmen came down on top of him, her nipples rubbing against his chest.
“Cold?” he asked.
“Not at all.”
“Your nipples are like tight nubs against me. I thought you might be cold.”
“No. I’m hot. Very hot.”
She leaned in and kissed him, and suddenly he was hot, too. Very damn hot. He slid his hands down and grabbed a handful of her butt to draw her body along the length of his cock. She whimpered in response and rocked against him. He wanted to rub her pussy, but his hands were covered in sand.
He rolled her off of him. “Come on.”
They stood and grabbed their clothes. He shrugged into his board shorts and dug his keys out of the sand while Carmen put her sundress back on. They made their way to the car where he had a cooler and several large bottles of water shoved in ice. He opened one, using it to pour over his hands and to scrub the sand off their bodies.
“That’s so damn cold,” she said, shivering.
“Need to get the sand off so I can touch you.”
They climbed in the truck and he started the engine, cracking the windows open, then pushed the seat all the way back so she could come over and straddle him.
Thunder cracked loudly outside, and lightning splintered the sky a brilliant white. But all he could focus on was the warm, beautiful woman sitting on top of his hard cock. He grabbed a condom from the center console and pulled his shorts down while she lifted her dress, revealing her smooth, sweet sex to his view. He swept his hand along the softness of her pussy, watching the way she threw her head back and writhed against his questing fingers.
“Your fingers are cold,” she said. “And I’m so hot.”
“Too cold?”
She looked down at him, her eyes blazing hot with passion. “No. It’s perfect. Your hand feels good, Rafe. Touch me.”
Somewhere in the distance he heard a phone buzz. Maybe on the floor of the car; he couldn’t be sure. It stopped, then started up again.
“Yours?” he asked.
She rested her hand on his shoulder and rocked her sex against his hand. “Don’t care. Make me come.”