by Erica Breyer
“Here you go, darling,” Nat interrupted her thoughts. Cassie glanced over to where she was holding out a paper napkin. “You’re drooling, sweetie,” she said, grinning impishly.
“Oh, ha ha!” Cassie said drily, remembering she’d said almost the exact same words to Nat just a few weeks before.
“Fwoahr!” said Roxy beside her, nudging her in the ribs with an elbow. “I hope you don’t mind, Cass, but I’m going to use this image of your boyfriend in my next filthy fantasy!”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Cassie objected, but her voice was drowned out by Alessia, who had taken a spot beside her sister.
“Got enough batteries?” Alessia asked Roxy, who shoved her playfully.
“Don’t think I’ll need them. I’ll be gone in sixty seconds with that picture in my head!” She leered and winked at Cassie, who shook her head and laughed. “Anyway, what do you mean he’s not your boyfriend. You look pretty tight to me,” Roxy pressed.
“Shh, Rox, don’t be rude,” Alessia interrupted. “Maybe she’s just using him…for his body!” She waggled her eyebrows. “I bet he could set bedsheets on fire.”
“Guys! Cut it out! I’m not using him for his body! And I wouldn’t know about the sheets,” Cassie kept laughing.
“What! Why not?” Roxy was still gawping as Tyson ran his hands through his hair, shaking out seawater. “Please don’t tell me you’re not ‘tapping’ that!” His shoulder muscles and biceps flexed as he raised his arms. He could have been modeling for a sportswear ad.
“Give me a break, Rox. I’ve only known the guy five weeks,” Cassie said. Was it really only five weeks? It felt like her whole life.
“That would be enough for me,” said Alessia. “Hell, five minutes would be enough.” She was watching him too. He was wearing black swimming trunks that clung damply to his lean thighs. A ripple of muscles disappeared beneath the elasticized waistband at the top. “What’s that on his chest?”
“It’s a shark,” murmured Cassie. She’d traced it with her tongue the week before. “I think it’s Polynesian.”
“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” said Roxy. “A shark? Looks hungry. He could eat me any day of the week!” Cassie’s cheeks were flaming.
“Would you keep it down? He’ll hear you!” she tried to keep them in line. Tyson was almost within earshot. And then he was at the bottom of her towel, towering over her, blocking out the sun. She shielded her face as she looked up at him.
Cool…play it cool…
His smile could light up a city suburb. Saltwater droplets glinted against the tan of his skin. Cassie licked her lips, imagining how it would taste. Nat quietly tucked the napkin into her closed hand, and Cassie glanced over at her. The expression on her friend’s face was beyond priceless. ‘Drooling,’ she mouthed. Cassie shot daggers with her eyes. Nat just smirked and turned to speak to Andy.
Cassie cleared her throat. “Good swim?” she asked. Dammit, her voice was still hoarse. Roxy nudged her again. “The waves look great.”
“Oh yeah! The best!” he replied, putting his hands behind his neck and twisting at the waist, stretching. “I love the water.” ‘And it loves you too!’ she thought. She’d expected him to be different outside of the gym environment – less focused – and she’d been right. Relaxation suited him. He seemed like…a regular guy. Yeah, if regular guys were built like Greek gods. A ripple of muscle moved smoothly from his back, around his ribcage, and across his belly. She knew there was a name for those muscles…couldn’t think of it now. Who the hell cared? He twisted in the opposite direction. ‘Ahhhh…’ she exhaled.
“Bloody helllll!” Roxy said under her breath beside her. Alessia was equally absorbed. Thankfully, Tyson seemed utterly oblivious to their stares.
“Oh, Ty, any chance you could pass me my bag?” Alessia asked, pointing to a spot across the group.
“Sure thing, ‘Less,” he smiled. They were already using pet names, for Pete’s sake. He turned and strode to the spot, bending and reaching for the bag. Roxy and Alessia released a collective sigh.
“Make him get something else!” Roxy prompted her sister. “That cooler bag looks heavy—”
“Will you two quit it!” Cassie said sharply, secretly trying not to giggle.
“Sorry, hon…but if you’re not going to take advantage of the scenery, we will!” They were remorseless. She was starting to wonder if her friends were convinced that their constant comic gestures were invisible to outsiders.
Tyson returned, handed Alessia her bag, and dropped down onto a towel on the other side of Cassie. He brushed against her as he settled, his skin a combination of body heat and coolness from the waves. Cassie shivered in spite of the sunshine.
“Ty! Fancy a Budd, bud?” Andy was speaking to him, clearly pleased with his play on words.
“Sounds good, Andy,” Tyson answered, deftly catching the can he’d tossed towards him. Serious bromance brewing. “How you doing, Cass? Can I get you anything?” Tyson turned to her.
“I could use a water,” Roxy cut in. Dammit, he’d just sat down. Roxy was looking for another excuse to check out his butt. He nodded, setting his beer down and rising to his feet in one smooth move.
“For you too, Cass?” She nodded. No sense in skipping a chance to hydrate, especially when she was working up a sweat just sitting next to him. He turned and jogged off down the beach to the small kiosk nearby. Did the man flipping run everywhere? Roxy and Alessia were sighing again. So was Cassie. By the time he’d turned to come back, Emily and Kent had joined the group.
“Hey, isn’t that—” Kent began.
“Yup,” said Andy. “That is Tyson ‘The Killer’ Killoran. We’re friends. Good friends. Buddies. Tyson ‘The Killer’ Killoran is my buddy.” Bromance? Heck, they’d be spooning by the end of the day. The man in question was jogging back down the beach, two bottles clasped in each big hand. Those hands… “Yo, Ty!” Andy called out as he drew nearer. “Kept your brew cool for you…it was getting hot in the sun.”
“Oh, can’t have that now, thanks, Andy,” Tyson replied, passing around water bottles and reaching for the can in Andy’s outstretched hand. Spooning? Cassie was going to have to arm wrestle Andy for time with the guy. Emily and Kent were still looking on in amazement. They made their introductions, and Tyson took his spot back at Cassie’s side. The conversation settled into an amiable patter, and Tyson slipped in with such ease it was as if he’d known everyone for years.
“You’re burning,” he murmured a while later, his eyes on her shoulders.
Burning? Was it that obvious?
Wait…that’s not what he meant.
“Shoot,” she looked down; her skin was a light shade of pink. She’d been so engrossed she hadn’t noticed. He reached for a bottle of suntan lotion and squirted a dollop on his palm, rubbing his hands together before slathering the sticky stuff over her back. ‘Oh lord, that’s it. If I die right now, I’ll go to heaven happy.’ Cassie thought she was going to purr.
“Crap, don’t look now!” Alessia suddenly warned. Of course, everyone turned in the direction she was looking.
‘Oh, great!’ Colin and Farrah were making their way down the sand toward them. He was in board shorts and an unbuttoned cotton shirt, and Farrah— Holy shit! If Cassie had been surprised at the woman’s previous outfit, she’d outdone herself now. The hotpants she’d worn before looked downright conservative compared with the skirt she had on. It was so short, the bright pink of her bikini bottoms shone beneath the hemline. A diaphanous peasant blouse did little to hide the matching pink of her bikini top. The cups were so tiny they barely covered her nipples
“What the hell is she wearing?” Roxy hissed out.
“Not much,” said Andy, averting his eyes.
“It’s a pussy pelmet!” Alessia volunteered, casually taking a swig from her water bottle. Alessia had the ability to drop bombshells with cool aplomb.
“Don’t be crude, Less! She’s at the beach; she doesn’t have to cover up,” said
Cassie, dreading how this was going to unfold.
“Crude? That’s me being polite!” said Alessia. “Just wait till I start getting crude.”
“Whose idea was it to tell them we were here, anyway?” Nat turned to the group. Kent looked distinctly uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry!” he said. Emily was giving him a death stare. “We were chatting at the office, and it just slipped out. Before I knew it, he’d invited himself.”
“You and I are going to have words when we get home, dude,” Emily said. “You could’ve warned us!”
“What difference would that have made?” he asked, and then threw a glance towards Tyson. “Oh, shit.”
“Am I missing something?” Tyson asked. He’d been following the exchange in silence.
Nat stepped in to explain. “Colin is Cassie’s—” Before she could say ‘ex’, the couple arrived at their picnic site.
“Hey, all!” Colin said breezily. Farrah had her hand linked through his elbow. She aimed a smug look at Cassie and smirked.
“Hey, Colin. Hi, Farrah,” Cassie broke the ice. She was not going to be the one to turn this into a showdown. There was a chorus of greetings from the others. Colin looked over at Tyson, a flash of shock on his face before he masked it. Tyson rose to his feet, a hand extended. He managed to make even that look sexy.
“Good to meet you, Colin…Farrah. I’m Tyson,” he said, shaking Colin’s hand and sending a brief glance at Farrah. Cass could see Andy from the corner of her eye. ‘Tyson The Killer Killoran,’ he was mouthing. ‘Groupie,’ she mouthed back. Colin was doing a poor job of acting nonchalant, and Farrah’s mouth was hanging open.
“Hi, Tyson,” she drawled, stepping away from Colin slightly. She flicked her hair, her sleek black bob swinging along her jawline. Overlong lashes framed eyes that narrowed in on him.
“She’s gonna catch flies,” Roxy said out of the corner of her mouth.
“Nah,” Alessia replied equally quietly. “Even flies have standards.” Nat snorted muffled laughter. Cassie was thankful the introductions had taken up the couple’s attention because her friends weren’t being particularly subtle. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Kent eased the tension.
“Why don’t you two grab a patch of sand?” he said. “We were just deciding if it was time to eat.” Colin nodded and the two unbundled beach towels and took a seat on the far side of the group.
Tyson was back at her side, resuming his application of sunscreen. Cassie’s discomfort over Colin’s arrival evaporated like the water on Tyson’s skin in the sunshine. She sighed.
“Good?” he murmured, still sweeping his hands silkily even though the cream was long gone.
“Mmmm…” she responded. “Heavenly.” His hands were moving in lazy circles over her back.
“That hip’s tight,” he added, pressing against a spot on her lower back. She winced slightly. A week without training, and it was if her body had seized again. Hours stuck in meetings hadn’t helped. “Here, let me loosen it up for you,” he continued, shifting to settle behind her, his thighs framing her hips.
‘Loosen?’ she thought. ‘Not a chance.’ Everything in her was tightening. Tingling. The conversation had resumed, and the cheerful chatter swirled around her. The light dusting of hair on Tyson’s thighs brushed against her skin, and she had to fight to hold down a happy little moan.
The weeks of training had developed new firmness to her body, and she’d finally built up the courage to wear a bikini. It wasn’t a daring one, but for the first time in ages, her back and belly were bared to the sunshine. Warmth soaked into her. It was building up inside too. Those hands…
“No! What the hell is she doing now?” Roxy’s voice broke into her reverie. Cassie looked up. Across from them, Farrah was making a show of adjusting her towel. She was on all fours with her ass in the air. The phrase ‘leaving nothing to the imagination’ would have been an understatement. Her skirt was hiked up to her hips, and her bikini bottoms had slid into the crevice between her thighs. Cassie stiffened and looked away. If she turned her head, she’d be looking straight down— Ugh! Colin was chatting with the others. If anything, he seemed pleased about the attention she was drawing.
“Ack! I can’t look,” said Nat. Andy had turned his back to the display. Behind her, Tyson continued running his hand over Cassie’s back.
“I think tomorrow we need to bring in a few more side lunges,” he was saying. She felt his hair brush her shoulder blades as he leaned forward, eyes focused on her lower back.
“Gosh, that’s so nasty!” Nat said. “Is she saying something? Better not be badmouthing Cass again. I’ll deck her.” Cassie winked at her and took a drink from her bottle. Her mouth was dry, and it had nothing to do with the sun.
“Dunno what she’s saying. I can’t read lips,” said Rox, sniggering.
“I can,” Less piped up. “She’s saying ‘Open for Business’!” Cassie choked on her water, spraying it over her feet in the sand. Farrah’s bikini bottom was so pulled tightly over her crotch there was flesh protruding. She felt Tyson move behind her, shifting closer and peering over her shoulder to follow the conversation.
“Sheesh, talk about trading down,” Andy said. “I can’t believe he left you for that.” Cassie frowned, and Nat jabbed him in the ribs.
Colin had left her for Farrah? She hadn’t even known there was someone else.
“Umm…” Andy fumbled. Cassie turned questioning eyes to her friend, who shrugged.
“Sorry, darling, I didn’t know until recently. And what good would it have done then?” Nat said.
“Okay…coming in at the tail-end here,” Tyson’s lowered voice joined the conversation. Farrah was still fussing with her towel. How long could it take her to straighten the stupid thing? Her knees were now hip-width apart, and she was in danger of catching a chill down there.
“So I’ve gathered that Cassie dated Colin?” Tyson was saying. Andy nodded. Cassie was staying out of the conversation. “And he left her? For Farrah?” As if hearing her voice, Farrah had turned and looked back at them.
“Well, it wasn’t public knowledge until just now,” Nat spoke, sending a gentle look at Cassie, who sent a tight smile back. Tyson’s chest was resting against her, and his skin was warm…so warm. Farrah had spread her thighs wider, still looking back. She raised a hand and put a finger in her mouth, staring straight at Cassie, who recoiled.
Tyson curled an arm around her belly and pulled her closer up against him. Farrah wasn’t looking at Cassie. She was looking over her shoulder.
At Tyson.
Bitch! Cassie felt her blood rise. In some deep, hidden place within her, a ripple of possessiveness unfurled and took root.
“What an ass,” Tyson’s words brushed past her ear. His hand was splayed over her abdomen, swirling more of those lazy circles. She reached down and twined her fingers through his, shooting a look of cold fury at the other woman. Farrah finally gave up and planted her butt back on her towel, but left her knees splayed open.
“Hey…I’m not complaining,” Tyson went on, oblivious to the display. “Look what it got me.” He nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck and inhaled. Cassie melted. Who cared why Colin had left her. If he hadn’t ended things, she’d be stuck with him now. She’d never have met Tyson. She’d never have…
What did she have?
She didn’t care. She couldn’t remember when last she’d been this happy.
Roxy had risen to her feet and was moving over the sand past Colin and his girlfriend. She dusted sand off her pert haunches and snapped the elastic of her bikini bottom before looking at Colin coolly. She peered down at her taut belly, then over at the man.
“Yo, Colin…getting a bit squishy around the gut there, dude?” she said pointedly.
Colin blinked and glanced down, then pulled the sides of his shirt together over his belly, forcing a chuckle. Cassie bit her lip to hide a smile. Now that she was looking more closely, he was getting ‘squishy
’. Or maybe he always had been.
She leaned back against Tyson’s chest, pulled his arms more snuggly around her, and met Farrah’s eye.
‘Fuck you,’ she thought. Farrah looked away.
✽✽✽
The tension finally eased when Colin turned his attention to some of the others in the group, and Cassie was grateful they had an extensive crowd of friends. It didn’t pass her by that he’d suck in his gut or stand a little taller every time Tyson was anywhere near him. Tyson, on the other hand, seemed entirely at ease. Made sense. The man had nothing to prove. After a couple of hours, the couple said their goodbyes.
“Sundowner session,” Colin said smugly, “with the partners.” Kent rolled his eyes. Cassie sincerely hoped Farrah would get dressed first. But hey, not her problem. After they’d gone, the banter naturally focused on their arrival.