by Jaci Burton
He saw that as a promising sign.
When they finally arrived Bash marveled at the perfect weather--hot with a nice breeze coming in off the water.
"This condo is fabulous," Chelsea said after they had set their bags down inside the front door.
It was a decent-sized place, but nothing stellar. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living area. What made it spectacular was the view, since it overlooked the water.
"And it has a balcony, too." Molly made her way outside, so they all followed.
Chelsea looked out over the railing. "This view is incredible, Bash. You didn't tell me it had a view of the gulf. Wow."
They were on the fourth floor of the condo building, high enough above the trees to have a great view, yet low enough to hear the waves crashing.
"Yeah, it's decent."
She pulled her attention from the water and onto him. "It's more than decent. It's spectacular. I could sit out here the entire week and be perfectly content."
He laughed. "I'm glad you like it. Want to see the rest of the place?"
"Sure."
They went inside and he grabbed their bags, leading her down the hall. "Both the bedrooms face the water. Want to flip for it?" he asked Carter, who was coming down the hall behind him.
"Hey, you invited us to come along. We're happy no matter where we stay. Take your pick of bedrooms."
He nodded at Carter and pushed into the bedroom on the left.
Chelsea walked in and immediately went to the sliding glass door. "There's a balcony here as well?"
"Yes."
"Amazing." She opened that door and stepped outside while he laid their bags on the bed. Then he walked outside with her.
"You like it, huh?" he asked.
"I'm telling you, Bash. I'm never going to be inside. Except maybe to take a shower."
"So, no sleeping these next few days?"
She eyed the cushioned chairs on the balcony. "These will do."
He put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. "And you said you didn't like camping."
She laughed. "This is my idea of camping."
"I can see how rough it's going to be for you this week." He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
She relaxed against him and sighed. "I'm willing to make that sacrifice to spend the week with you."
"You're such a trouper, Chelsea."
She laughed, then they went into the bedroom and unpacked. When he saw the hot blue bikini she pulled out of her suitcase, he grinned.
"I definitely want to see you in that."
She dangled the bottom by its strings. "What you're trying to tell me is that you're ready for the beach?"
"Hell yes."
"You'll see me in the bikini tomorrow. Right now I'm hungry, and it's too late for the beach anyway."
They finished unpacking and changed clothes. Chelsea put on a sundress, after she apparently consulted with Molly about what they were going to wear for dinner.
Bash chose shorts and a T-shirt, which was pretty much what he was going to wear all week. He didn't consult with Carter about what to wear, because guys didn't give a shit.
Chelsea looked like a knockout as always, with a flowered sundress and sandals.
"No killer heels?" he asked.
"No. We might end up on the beach, and my heels are not beach ready."
"Yes, we had to modify her shoe attire for this vacation," Molly said, equally gorgeous in a red sundress. "Though I'm certain she's got heels secreted away in there somewhere."
Chelsea shrugged. "Of course I do. I don't go anywhere without them."
Bash laughed, then slid his arm around her waist. "You wouldn't be you without those heels, babe."
Chelsea slanted a smug grin in Molly's direction. "See?"
Molly shook her head.
Bash held Chelsea's hand as they rode down in the elevator, not letting go of it as they walked out onto the street.
They found a little bar and bistro on the beach that served an eclectic mix of food, so they agreed to stop in there. Bash gave his name to the hostess, who told them there'd be a wait, so they headed to the bar.
"It's crowded in here," Molly said.
"Not a problem." Carter pointed out a table outside where a group of four was just getting up. They hustled over there and grabbed the table, which had a perfect view of the water.
"This is a breathtaking view," Chelsea said, turning her chair to face the gulf.
"Isn't it?" Molly pulled her chair next to Chelsea's. "I'm so glad we're here with you and Bash."
"Me, too. This is going to be fun."
Their waitress came by, cleaned up the remnants from the previous table occupants, and took their drink order.
The guys were talking car stuff, so she turned her attention to Molly.
"Tell me how things are going with you and Carter."
"Good. Busy with work stuff, but I'm having a great time. He gives me free rein to work the sales and marketing angle, which is a lot of fun. And then we get to go home together at night. What's not to love about that?"
"I'm glad the two of you reconnected after so many years apart."
"So am I."
Their waitress brought their drinks. Chelsea sipped her wine, already feeling herself relax into vacation mode.
"How is the wedding planning going?"
Molly sighed. "It's intense. I can't believe it's only a few short months away. I'm so glad Carter suggested we take a few days off. Who knew planning a wedding would be so stressful?"
"It is a lot of work, isn't it?"
"Oh my God, Chelsea. The guest list and the venue, and then catering, cake, flowers, bridesmaids, groomsmen. His family and my family and ... ugh." She waved her hands in the air. "I'm over it. We should have eloped."
Chelsea laughed.
"Seriously. Sometimes I think we planned this too soon, you know? But then we figured we were apart for so long, we wanted to just be married, so why wait? But now, as everything is coming to a head, I've realized I could use another year just to plan."
"You have Emma to help you."
"Emma just barely got through her own wedding."
Chelsea waved her hand. "Emma's fully recovered. The only one of us currently unavailable is Des, because she's out of the country filming. You have all of us. Me, Jane, Emma, Megan, Sam. You do realize you can call any of us for help. That's what we're here for, Molly."
Molly reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know. I'm a compulsive do-it-yourselfer. Carter said it's one of my worst flaws. One of my many flaws, actually." She laughed.
"You're going to have to stop thinking you have to do it all yourself. I have the entire summer off. I can jump in and help you in so many ways. You just have to tell me what you need."
"You're a lifesaver, Chelsea. Thank you. And I'm going to take you up on that offer."
Bash grasped her hand and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"Did I tell you that you look gorgeous tonight?"
A shiver skittered down her spine. "Thank you."
He leaned back. "So what had you and Molly talking so animatedly?"
"Wedding stuff."
He arched a brow. "What? You're planning to propose to me tonight? Damn, Chelsea, this is so sudden. I wish you had warned me. I would have dressed better."
Carter chuckled. Molly outright laughed. Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Not happening."
"It's because I'm not wearing a suit, isn't it?"
"Absolutely. My perfect man would wear a suit to the beach."
"I knew it. I'm doomed. I'll just drown my sorrows in this beer." He raised his bottle and took a couple of long swallows.
"He's amazing, you know," Molly whispered.
Chelsea stared at Bash and felt a flutter in the vicinity of her heart. "Yes. I know he is."
They finally called Bash's name, so they headed inside to have dinner. Chelsea had seafood pasta, which was amazing. It was fun to sit back and relax with her frie
nds without having to worry about work or anything else.
Teaching definitely had its stresses, but having summers off was the best perk of the job.
After they ate, they went back outside and hung out to drink and watch the sun set. It was a perfect day. Since they'd gotten up early, they walked back to the hotel, stopping at the store along the way for a few supplies. Important things, like beer, wine, and soda. And, of course, coffee.
They carried their bags up to the condo, put everything away, then congregated outside, chatting for another hour or so before Molly yawned and said she was ready for bed. Carter went with her, leaving Chelsea and Bash alone on the balcony.
"Pretty perfect here," she said, sipping from her bottle of water.
Bash didn't say anything for a minute or so, just took a couple of swallows of beer. Then, finally, "I'm glad you're here with me."
She smiled. "Me, too."
"Are you tired?"
"A little."
"Let's go to bed. We have a big day tomorrow."
She stood. "We do?"
"Yeah. Lots of sun, sand, eating, drinking ..."
She laughed. "Sounds intense. I'll have to go input all of that in my calendar so I don't forget it."
He put his arm around her. "You definitely should. You don't want to be late and miss it."
They headed toward the bedroom. Chelsea washed her face and brushed her teeth, then undressed and climbed into bed. Bash was waiting there for her and pulled her close.
"First night of vacation. You should probably ravage me before I pass out from exhaustion."
She rolled over and climbed on top of him. "Try to hold out on that passing out thing. I've got plans for you."
He gripped her hips. "See? Another good reason to come with me."
"And another good reason to not vacation in a tent."
He rocked against her, his erection evident. "We can have sex in a tent, too, ya know."
"Oh, but there's so much more room to roll around on a bed."
He did just that, rolling her onto her back. "You have a point. And no rocks on your back."
"Or bugs."
"Still, there's a lot to be said for being able to get up before dawn to go fishing."
"Needing a flashlight to use the bathroom in the middle of the night."
He framed her face with his hand. "I'm going to take you camping sometime, Chelsea. Trust me, you'll enjoy it."
"I highly doubt it. But you're welcome to try."
He kissed her, and she lost herself in the feel of his lips on hers. The debate about camping ended for the night, because she had much more pleasurable things to think about.
Chapter 31
While Chelsea and Molly soaked up the sun the next morning, Bash and Carter went searching out ATV rentals and other activities.
They ended up renting Jet Skis for the day and calling the adventure park to rent ATVs for the following day.
"Do you really think you're going to get Chelsea on an ATV?" Carter asked as they made their way back to the women.
"Of course. She's a lot more adventurous than you think."
Carter gave him a skeptical look. "Uh-huh."
"Okay, she's more adventurous than she thinks."
Carter laughed, then slapped him on the back. "Good luck with that."
They found Chelsea and Molly by the pool. Chelsea's bikini clung to her curves, and she'd braided her hair today. She looked damn gorgeous, and all he could think about was getting her naked--dangerous thoughts he shouldn't be thinking in public. So he focused on the subject of the Jet Skis.
"You all up to some Jet Ski fun in the water?"
"Sounds great to me," Molly said. "I'm baking here in this heat."
"I'm up for it as well," Chelsea said. "When are we going?"
Carter pulled out his phone. "We have a one o'clock rental. Which means plenty of time to grab an early lunch."
"Perfect." Chelsea got up and took Bash's hand. "Which means we can go get in the water together."
"Pool or ocean?" he asked.
"Either."
The pool was crowded, so he walked her down the sand and into the water. She had no objections, flinging herself onto his back and squealing about how cold the water was.
"I thought you wanted to cool down."
"I did. I'll get used to it in a minute."
Carter and Molly had come with them, so they all swam around, then got out to grab a snack and drinks before wandering down the beach to the Jet Ski rental place.
They put on their life vests, then Bash climbed aboard the Jet Ski, holding his hand out for Chelsea to climb aboard behind him.
She wrapped her thighs snug against him and put her arms around him, and then they were off. He started slow, until he got past the No Wake sign.
"Hang on," he said.
He goosed the throttle and they went flying across the water. Carter came up beside him, and they headed out at a pretty fast pace. It was exhilarating, taking the Jet Ski up in the air and slamming down into the water.
"You okay?" he asked Chelsea.
"Fine. Just keep going."
He grinned and gunned it harder, he and Carter racing around the waves, cutting corners and hitting it faster. He kept hearing Chelsea's laugh, and the sound made him smile.
Their time went by all too damn fast. They made their way back and parked the Jet Ski. He held on to Chelsea's hand as she slid off and into the water.
"That was so much fun," she said, grabbing on to him to plant a wet, salty kiss on his lips.
He kissed her back, surprised as hell that she'd had so much fun. He'd expected her to hang on, but not say much. She'd full-on shrieked with laughter, yelling across the waves at Molly. She'd talked to him the entire time as well.
"So, you enjoyed it?"
"Yes. It was fantastic. I haven't been on a Jet Ski in years. I'd forgotten how much fun that was. We should do it again."
He looked at her.
"What?" she asked.
"You surprise me."
"In what way?"
"I don't know. You seem like ... fancy clothes and high heels and makeup. Not wild hair and Jet Skis and water in your face."
She laughed. "You have a lot to learn about me, Bash. Just because I said I don't like camping doesn't mean I don't love the water--and everything having to do with the water. And just because I wear makeup and high heels doesn't mean I can't let loose and have fun."
Apparently he had Chelsea all wrong. He had a lot of things wrong.
His stomach tightened at the realization that she was everything he'd been looking for in a woman. Or maybe he hadn't been looking for her at all, yet here she was, a part of his life, despite his best efforts to avoid a relationship all these years.
"You're right. You're definitely a lot of fun."
She grinned and squeezed his arm. "Of course I am. Haven't you been paying attention?"
As she wandered off to catch up to Molly, he stared at her and realized two things.
One, he was in love with her. And two, he was in deep, deep trouble.
Chapter 32
They ate dinner at an amazing seafood restaurant overlooking the bay. Chelsea had decided she was going to get her fill of fresh seafood while she was here. Tonight she had amazing Chilean sea bass, cooked to perfection, along with the most delicious grilled vegetables she'd ever tasted. The restaurant also served knock-you-on-your-butt margaritas, and she'd had two of those.
"I think I want to live down here--forever."
Molly slanted her a smile. "I'm sad this isn't one of the places I ever chose to live and work. How could I have missed it?"
"I don't know," Carter said, "considering you've lived almost everywhere else."
Molly stuck her tongue out at Carter.
Bash laughed. "It is pretty idyllic. There's so much to do here. But all vacation spots are like that. Very little to do with reality, right? I mean, eventually we all have to go back to reality."
"Shh," Chelsea said, holding her hand palm out toward Bash. "You're ruining my fantasy future, where I live on a boat, catch fish all day, cook and eat it, and don't have to work for a living."
"Sounds ideal to me," Carter said. "Let's make it happen."
"I'm with you two."
"Sure," Bash said. "I'll call your assistant manager and let him know he can take over all your stores. And their profits."
Carter shot Bash a glare. "Buzzkill."
Chelsea took another swallow of her margarita, then slanted a slightly cross-eyed look over at Bash. "Really. Where's your sense of adventure?"
"My sense of adventure doesn't pay the bills."
"Pfft. Who needs to pay bills?"
Bash looked over at her margarita. "How many of those have you had?"
She shrugged. "I dunno. Nine."
He laughed. "You haven't had nine."
"They're very strong. It feels like nine." She had a good buzz going and was having a great time. Which was all that mattered.
"Tomorrow we'll be bouncing around on ATVs. Not sure you want to be doing that with a hangover."
She waved her hand at him. "I'm totally fine. And I'm a pro with ATVs."
He arched a brow. "Really. I didn't know that."
"Trust me. You'll be eating my dust tomorrow."
"You mean sand?"
"Sure."
He leaned forward. "I can't wait."
She'd never been on an ATV in her entire life. But she wasn't about to tell Bash that. He could just think that maybe she'd been riding a time or two.
How hard could it be?
Chapter 33
Her head hurt. And she was dizzy.
Damn those margaritas. But she was dressed in her shorts, tank top, and tennis shoes and standing--or trying not to weave, anyway--while the instructor went over the operation of the ATV and the safety rules. She was glad she'd opted for several cups of coffee, followed by a few glasses of water to hydrate.
"Are you doing all right?" Molly asked.
She nodded. She was fine. Just ... fine. After the instructor finished his safety speech, she looked over at Bash. "It's really hot out here already."
"Are you sure you want to do this? It's fine if you sit this one out."
She lifted her chin. "No way. I'm pumped."
He slanted her a look. "I don't think you're pumped. You look a little tired. Maybe hungover?"
"I am not hungover. I'm very excited about riding."
He grabbed her hand. "Seriously, Chelsea. You have nothing to prove. You don't have to ride."
She put on her helmet. "Let's do this."