Holly was the baby of the family. She was only twenty-four, damn it. How had she been dubbed the Lawson family janitor?
Now, thanks to her siblings’ crisis, she was going to have to waitress an entire wedding without a bra. When she’d been getting dressed, she’d noticed that the bra strap was fraying a little, but there hadn’t been time to change because she was already running late. So she’d hightailed it out of her apartment, sped over to this wedding, and what happened twenty minutes into it? Her bra broke.
She hated her life. She really, truly did. She was sick of taking care of everyone in her family, sick of working as a waitress when what she really wanted to do was have a restaurant of her own, and sick of getting dumped.
Oh no, change brain direction now, Holly, before you think about—
Steve.
And yep, she was thinking about Steve,
She’d told herself she wasn’t allowed to anymore, but for the past month, thoughts of her ex had constantly floated into her head. It truly sucked when the person you were madly in love with broke your heart. She’d thought he was her soul mate. He worked as a sous-chef at an Italian restaurant, created his own recipes in his spare time, and rode a seriously sexy Harley. She’d envisioned the two of them working together, owning a restaurant, having sex on the back of his motorcycle, getting married, and moving out of state so she didn’t have to see her family.
Instead, she’d gotten dumped. And why? Because Steve didn’t like the fact that she had other responsibilities that didn’t involve, well, fucking on the back of his Harley. In no uncertain terms, he’d told her to choose—him or everything else in her life. The selfishness of his demand still grated. How could she have been so wrong about him?
Of course, one good thing had come out of the break-up, but she wasn’t allowed to think about that, either.
Nope. Because then she’d have to admit that the highlight of her sad, pathetic little life had been wild, sweaty sex in a closet with a complete stranger. And if that’s all a girl had to be proud of, she seriously needed a new life.
Straightening her shoulders, Holly finally forced herself to quit sulking. She glanced ruefully at the bra in her hand before stuffing it in the wide front pocket of her black apron. Then she sighed again, pushed her hair behind her ears, and headed back to the beach.
When she stepped onto the sand, the reception was already in full swing. Tables had been set up on the beach, the chairs occupied by wedding guests digging into the seafood spread Holly had spent most of last night preparing. Since it was a buffet, the guests were in charge of getting their own food, but the catering staff was responsible for serving drinks, so Holly quickly headed for the bar area.
The sun was only a sliver of pink and yellow in the horizon, but it was still hot out, hot enough to make her white shirt cling to her skin. Great, soon she’d look like a contestant in a wet T-shirt contest. The bride and groom would be thrilled.
“So, did you calm down?” Zoe asked, strolling up to the bar and loading her tray with glasses of champagne.
“If you mean am I happy about the fact that you can see my nipples through this shirt, then no, I haven’t calmed down,” she replied. “But I’ll deal with it, don’t worry.”
“Good.” Zoe grinned. “And you get to deal with it while bringing some beers over to the hottie table. Vanessa said I can’t serve them anymore, because apparently I spend too much time flirting.”
“Where exactly is the hottie table?”
Zoe’s blue eyes twinkled as she slanted her head to the left. Holly followed her coworker’s gaze. The hottie table indeed. Four ridiculously attractive men in Navy dress whites sat there, each one more handsome than the next. Like that blond one. Man, there was something unbelievably appealing about that chiseled, GQ face and broad shoulders and—
The color drained from her face.
“Oh my God,” she blurted out, nearly dropping the tray she’d just stacked with beer bottles.
Zoe giggled and tossed her curly hair over her shoulder. “I know, right? It’s like an orgasmic feast over there.”
Holly’s cheeks went from white to red. Oh shit. Was it actually him or was she hallucinating? Because what were the odds of running into her one-night-stand here, at a wedding she was waitressing at?
Obviously pretty good, because the guy’s head suddenly swiveled in her direction as if he sensed her presence, and then those deep blue eyes were fixed on her. All doubts flew from her mind. It was him. Her hunk from the Hot Zone. The guy she’d jumped four hours after Steve had dumped her.
“Male model, my ass,” she muttered, though a part of her wasn’t surprised to discover he was in the Navy. She hadn’t quite bought his model story anyway.
Zoe gave her a blank look. “Huh?”
“The guy. The blond.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Remember I told you about the guy I hooked up with a month ago, at the club? Well, that’s him.”
Delight lit up Zoe’s eyes. “Seriously?”
“Yep.”
Embarrassment heated her face as she thought about that night. She’d gone to the Hot Zone with Caroline, who’d dragged Holly out after finding her in her apartment crying over Steve. Holly hadn’t wanted to go, yet somehow her sister had convinced her they’d have a good time. But ten minutes after they walked into the club, Caroline disappeared with a tall, Latin heartthrob and Holly had found herself alone.
She’d stood in the shadows, trying not to think about Steve, trying not to cry, and that’s when she’d overheard those guys talking. About sex. About needing to get laid. Normally she thought those types of men were sleazy, but at that moment, she’d found herself wondering, what would be so bad about sleeping with someone she didn’t know? What would be so terrible about using another man to distract herself from how much Steve had hurt her?
She’d never had a one-night-stand in her life, and if Steve hadn’t ended things so abruptly and left her so distraught, she might not have even considered it. But that night, it seemed like a good idea. So she’d walked up to the guys, asked one to dance, and before she knew it, she’d transformed into someone else.
She wasn’t responsible, stressed out Holly Lawson anymore. She was Jessica. Jessica, who didn’t clean up her family’s messes or work too hard or get dumped. Jessica did whatever the hell she wanted, whoever the hell she wanted, and consequences be damned.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t Jessica, was she? Nope, she was Holly. And in Holly’s life, there were always consequences.
Case in point—the man staring at her from across the sand.
“Holly, this is awesome,” Zoe gushed, jerking her out of her thoughts. “He’s so freaking hot, I’m getting turned on just looking at him. I can’t believe the two of you hooked up! Give me details, girl!”
Holly had no intention of revealing anything, and fortunately she didn’t have to, because Vanessa, the owner of the catering company, was signaling the two waitresses to get back to work.
Unfortunately, getting back to work meant having to deliver the tray of beers to the hottie table, where she’d have to look into the eyes of the man she’d fucked in a closet and explain why she’d run out on him.
Which only confirmed what she’d already accepted years ago—when it came to her life, she could never catch a break.
2
“Is it just me or can you totally see through that waitress’s shirt?” Ryan asked, his gaze glued to the brunette who approached their table with very reluctant steps.
Carson couldn’t tear his gaze from her, either. He still couldn’t believe she was actually here. Obviously she worked for the catering company, but a part of him couldn’t help wondering if fate was responsible. Hadn’t he just decided that it was time to seek out something more meaningful when it came to women?
Well, who better to explore it with than the woman he’d had the best sex of his life with?
“Oh, I can definitely see through her shirt,” Matt agreed with a grin. “And
I most certainly like what I’m seeing.”
“Hey…” Ryan squinted. “Shit, that’s the girl from the club.” He immediately stared at Carson. “Didn’t you—” He stopped abruptly as Jessica reached the table.
Although she was as pretty as Carson remembered, she looked nothing like the sexy seductress who’d rubbed herself against him on the dance floor. This Jessica seemed shyer, more wholesome, and his curiosity was instantly piqued.
“Hi,” she said, awkwardly standing in front of them with a tray full of beers in her hands. “Are you boys having a nice time?”
“We are now,” Ryan muttered, his eyes never leaving her chest.
Carson felt a spark of irritation. Yeah, you could see the outline of her nipples perfectly through that thin white blouse, but he didn’t like that Ryan was ogling her. Jessica deserved more respect than that.
He locked his gaze with hers and smiled faintly. “Good to see you again, Jessica.”
She swallowed, her cheeks reddening. “Um, yeah, you too…um…”
“Carson,” he filled in, bristling. She didn’t even remember his goddamn name?
“I remember,” she said, obviously reading his mind. Her hands trembled as she started lifting bottles off her tray and setting them down on the table.
Carson ignored the beer she placed in front of him, his eyes never leaving hers. Her nervousness practically radiated from her pores, and he could tell she was both embarrassed and uncomfortable. He wanted to say something, ask her why she’d hurried off that night, ask her if they could talk when the reception ended, but all of his friends were watching him curiously and he couldn’t seem to form any words.
A short silence fell, until Jessica finally cleared her throat and said, “Um, okay, so I’ll be back in a while to check on you guys.” Then she hurried off like a scared bunny.
Another silence.
“Well. That was awkward,” Will said dryly. He reached for his beer and took a sip. “What exactly happened at the club that night, man?”
“Nothing,” Carson muttered.
He hadn’t told any of the guys about the closet fuck. The encounter had totally messed him up, made him reevaluate his lifestyle, and he hadn’t wanted to talk about it with anyone, especially guys like Ryan and Matt, who were still so hooked on the notion of casual sex.
“Nothing?” Ryan echoed. “Then you won’t mind if I ask her out, right? Because, fuck, she is hot.”
Carson clenched his fists. “Don’t even think about it.”
“That’s what I thought.” Ryan grinned. “Nothing, my ass.”
* * *
He was watching her again. Holly could feel his eyes on her as she handed a glass of red wine to the mother of the bride. She had to force herself not to turn her head. Lord, that gaze was burning her up. Her skin felt so hot she was tempted to sprint toward the waves and dive in, but she doubted the cold water would lower her body temperature. He’d been sending those sizzling glances her way for three hours and she was past the point of cooling down. She was so turned on she could barely breathe.
She knew he wanted to talk to her. She could see it every time she delivered another tray of beers to his table. Each time she walked over there, he just stared at her with those killer blue eyes, a million questions on his face.
Well, she didn’t want to answer any questions. Wasn’t the point of one-night-stands that you weren’t supposed to make excuses? She’d been upset that night, she’d wanted to forget about Steve, so she’d propositioned a stranger and had sex with him in a closet. Then she’d crashed down to earth after a spectacular orgasm, realized what she’d done, become mortified and ran away. Why couldn’t they just leave it at that?
And why wouldn’t her clit stop throbbing, damn it? It was getting hard to walk with that ache between her legs.
Mercifully, the party was dwindling. Most of the guests had wished the bride and groom well and headed out. Even the happy couple had left. The only people who remained were a few couples laughing over wine, and the four SEALS.
Zoe walked over to her. “Vanessa said to start packing up.”
“Thank God. My feet are killing me.”
They headed over to the buffet area. Holly spent the next twenty minutes wrapping up the leftovers, gathering empty bottles, and making countless trips to and from the catering van. When she finally finished, she was relieved to find that everyone was gone. The tables on the beach had been folded up, the guests had taken off, and only catering staff remained.
Her sexy SEAL was nowhere to be seen, which obviously meant he didn’t care enough to question Jessica and had decided to call it a night.
That should have been a relief, and yet a part of her was a little disappointed. Carson was probably the best-looking man she’d ever met in her life. Definitely the best lay of her life—not that she had a lot to compare him to. She’d only slept with two other men—Steve, and a boy she’d dated in her senior year of high school.
She shouldn’t care that Carson had left. They were nothing more than a couple of strangers who happened to have sex one night. She didn’t know him. He didn’t know her.
But…
Damn it, she’d liked the way she’d felt that night with him. She’d liked being Jessica, not thinking about how much she disliked her life, not worrying about having to take care of anyone but herself. She’d been in control, lived for the moment, seized the pleasure.
Tonight, with Carson sitting at that table watching her all night, she’d felt that way again. She’d forgotten about being late for work, about her stupid broken bra, about everything but the fact that a really sexy man was undressing her with his eyes.
Oh well. She was foolish to think he could actually have been interested in her. She was too short, her boobs too small, her personality too sarcastic. Normally it didn’t bother her. Because along with all those other irritating toos, she was also too busy cleaning up her family’s messes and helping them with their even messier love lives to care about her own.
“I’m heading out,” Zoe called. “You coming?”
Holly walked over to her friend. “I think I’ll stick around for a bit longer. I have a feeling if I go home I’ll find a dozen SOS messages on my machine from the delinquents.”
Zoe sighed. “You’ve got to stop letting your family dominate your life, Hol. You’re twenty-four. You should be having fun, enjoying your hotness and screwing tons of guys.”
At the moment, everything Zoe said sounded like pure and total heaven. Too bad it wasn’t going to happen. With her job, her family, and the culinary course she was taking, it was tough enough finding time to eat, let alone screw.
“You going to be okay out here alone?” Zoe asked, gesturing to the deserted stretch of beach.
“I’ve got my cell and my pepper spray. I’ll be fine.”
Zoe leaned forward and gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you Sunday at the Grier wedding.”
Holly watched her friend disappear up the steps leading to the lot, then turned around and walked toward the shoreline. She kicked off her sandals, dug her toes into the sand and breathed in the warm night air. She loved the ocean. Nothing relaxed her more than the sight of the waves lapping against the shore and the sound of gulls squawking as they soared over the calm, turquoise water.
But tonight, not even her favorite view could make her feel better. She should’ve pulled Carson aside and talked to him. She’d served his table all evening. She’d seen him staring at her. Seen the undisguised interest and curiosity in his eyes. The lust. And instead of doing something about it, she’d kept walking up to him like a robot, handing him a beer and hurrying away. No wonder she had no luck with men. These days a woman needed to be proactive, not scurry away like a skittish animal whenever a hot guy looked at her.
The sound of footsteps put an end to her self-pity party. She figured it was someone from the catering company who’d forgotten something, but when she turned around, her gaze collided with a pair of sexy blue eyes.
Carson was back.
He strode up to her, his muscles rippling beneath the dress whites he wore. What was it about a man in uniform that never failed to make a woman’s heart pound?
“You’re still here,” he said, then winced as if he hated that he’d stated the obvious. “I was waiting for you in the parking lot. I got worried when you didn’t show.”
Holly’s pulse sped up. “You were waiting for me?”
He raked a hand through his dirty-blond hair. “We never got a chance to, um, catch up. And I was going to offer you a ride home.”
“I have a car.” I have a car? That’s all she could come up with? How about, I’m sorry I left you in a supply closet after you gave me the best orgasm of my life?
“Okay. Then let’s just do the catching up then.” He offered a small smile. “So how’ve you been, Jessica?”
Jessica. Now there was a nice splash of reality if she’d ever heard one.
“That’s…um…kind of not my name,” she confessed.
“It’s not your name,” he repeated flatly.
“No.”
“You lied?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” he demanded.
“I…” She released a long breath. “I wasn’t in the best state of mind that night. I’d just gotten dumped by my boyfriend, and then my sister dragged me to a club, and I was upset and tired of my life, tired of me.” She gave a rueful shrug. “I guess I just wanted to be someone else for the night.”
“Do you do that often, pretend to be someone else?” There was a touch of sarcasm to his voice. “How many other guys have you seduced and then deserted?”
Out of Uniform Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 8