The Sex On Beach Book Club

by Jennifer Apodaca

  “I’m not taking chances with you and Kelly. I’ll find a hotel, book a room, and call you back. How bad is the car? Do you need a rental car?”

  “I don’t know. The car is in the ditch, they have to tow it out.”

  He could hear tiredness in her voice. “Honey, it’s okay. It was probably just an accident and I’m being a cautious old man.”

  Holly sat on the bed next to him. “Ask her to let me talk to the investigating officer.”

  Wes relayed the message then gave Holly the phone. In two minutes, she had established that the car was not drivable and that the cop would make sure Jodi and Kelly got safely to the Holiday Inn Ventura Beach Resort. She even had a phone number so Wes could make a reservation for the girls.

  He quickly made the reservation and arranged to have a rental car delivered to the hotel for them. Then he looked at Holly. “I need to leave as soon as I grab a quick shower.” Remembering he had a dog to think of now, he added, “Can you watch Monty while I’m gone?”

  She made a rude noise. “I’m not a dog-sitter. Besides, I’m going with you. Pick me up at my house.” She stood up and looked down at him. “I’ll call Rodgers and let her know the situation.”

  “My neighbor will take care of Monty.” Rising, he added, “You don’t think it was an accident, do you?”

  Although she had dressed, Holly had left her hair down and it swept her shoulders as she shook her head. “I don’t like coincidences. I think you’re the target of a seriously pissed-off killer.”

  “It was intentional.” Kelly’s blonde hair was wet from the shower. She wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a green T-shirt.

  Wes could feel her anxiety and put his arm around her. The two of them sat on one of the two double beds in the room. Holly sat across from them, and Jodi was perched a few feet away at a pressboard writing table.

  Holly had a pad of paper on her lap. “What exactly did you see, Kelly?”

  “I saw him following us in the rearview mirror for miles. I don’t know how long. I moved over to the far right lane ’cause Jodi and I were going to get off and find a Starbucks. The truck moved to the second lane next to us. Then he just suddenly veered right and slammed into us. I lost control of the car and we ended up in the ditch.”

  Jodi set a bottle of water down on the writing table. She had on a dark blue pair of loose-fitting shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “A witness told the police it looked intentional. And that once the guy straightened out his truck, he sped away.” She shook her head in frustration. “I didn’t see anything. I was navigating because I thought I remembered a Starbucks in the area.” She reached back and rubbed her neck.

  Wes narrowed his gaze. “Sore?”

  She smiled weakly. “The cops said we’d be sore but we’re not hurt.”

  “Maybe we should have you two looked at anyway.” Wes didn’t want to take any chances.

  Holly said, “I think they’ll be okay, Wes. They just need to take some Advil or Tylenol and get a good night’s sleep.” She turned back to Kelly. “Detective Rodgers will call the two of you in the morning. She said she may be able to get what she needs from you over the phone.”

  Kelly looked up sharply. “What kind of questions will she ask?”

  Wes rubbed Kelly’s shoulder to reassure her.

  Holly answered, “She’s trying to find out how the killer or victim got into the locked bookstore. Since you two both have keys, she’ll ask if you’ve given the key to anyone.”

  Kelly shook her head hard enough for Wes to get a mouthful of her wet hair. “I don’t give the key to anyone.”

  “Neither do I,” Jodi added.

  He started to reassure them but Holly cut him off. “That’s exactly what you need to tell her. Then she’ll probably ask you to think about who might have access to the key. We know you are both very careful, but maybe there’s something that you were sure was harmless? Like maybe you had to make a class so Cullen stayed behind to lock up for you?”

  “No.” Jodi had dark hair and very expressive eyes. “Wes warned us about Cullen. He didn’t want us in the bookstore alone with him, or to let him give us rides home or anything like that.”

  Kelly nodded her agreement.

  Holly looked at him.

  He shrugged, a little embarrassed. “The girls tease me about being overprotective. But I worry about them. I rarely let them stay alone in the store at night, that kind of thing.” He couldn’t help it, he had a little sister. That kind of protectiveness was in his DNA.

  Jodi cracked a smile. “When my parents call the store and I’m not there, Wes gives them an update on my life. I think they call him to check up on me.”

  “Mine, too,” Kelly said with a sigh.

  Wes grinned. “You both asked me to talk to your parents about this trip to San Diego and the concert. They weren’t too sure about it. Who talked them into it?”

  Kelly sighed. “Yeah, well, they only let us because you promised our parents you’d make us call you every day.”

  He looked at Holly and winked. “There are worse things then having parents who love you.”

  “So you’ve told us.” Jodi rolled her eyes. “So how long should we stay here? We have classes next week.”

  He needed to keep them safe, but they needed to get back to school. “I know. I’ll figure something out.”

  Holly said, “They can stay with me.”

  Wes cut his gaze to Holly.

  She went on. “We’ll figure it all out. But my brothers can hang around if I can’t. Between all of us, we’ll make sure nothing happens to them.”

  Kelly turned her body so she was facing him. “What about you, Wes? Are you in danger?”

  He could see she was tired. They were both worn out from the combination of the trip and the shock and fright of the accident. “I don’t want you worrying about me. I’m paying my PI to do that.” He glanced over at Holly, then at Jodi. “You girls get some sleep.”

  Holly stood up. “We’ll stay the night then take you back to Goleta in the morning. We can get whatever you need at your apartment, then set you up at my house. And tomorrow, after you’ve gotten some rest, think about how someone might have gotten the key and alarm code to the bookstore.”

  Wes hugged both girls and they left.

  In the hallway, he looked at Holly. She had worn her usual jeans and tank top, but she had added a brown suede jacket. When he’d shown up at her condo, her hair had been wet from the shower. Once it dried on the drive, she’d clipped it up and out of her face. “Thank you for letting the girls stay at your condo. You didn’t have to do that.”

  She turned away and walked toward the elevator. “You’re paying for it. Just like you’re paying for a couple more rooms tonight.”

  She was playing hard-ass again. His PI didn’t want his thanks, she wanted those girls safe. Admiration for her welled up in his chest. He knew she wouldn’t want that either, so he stopped beside her at the elevator and said, “One room with a king-sized bed.”

  The doors to the elevator slid open. Holly went in and said, “Are you cheap or horny?”

  Wes had refused to answer Holly until they were inside the room. Another thing he liked about her—she wasn’t a hypocrite. She didn’t once say that she couldn’t sleep with him. Or that it wouldn’t look right. Or that she needed her space.

  She was honest about sex. She liked it, wanted it. She just didn’t want him getting too close to her emotionally.

  While Holly dumped her suitcase and went in the bathroom, he looked around the room. Big king-sized bed in the middle of the room with a muddy green spread. Same color drapes, but they were open to reveal the lights of the city through the beige sheers. There was a low dresser with a TV on top and two nightstands. The usual generic hotel room. He took off his shoes and put them in the mirrored closet by the door and across from the bathroom.

  The bathroom door opened just as Wes shut the closet. When he looked into the mirror, he saw Holly’s image. “Holy
Christ.”

  She leaned against the door frame wearing another bra and panty set. This woman had some serious underwear issues. This set was red.

  Jesus. He swallowed.

  He couldn’t look away from the red triangle over her mound attached to red strings that arced over her hips. He was fairly sure that if she turned around, he’d see that red strip disappear into her ass and he’d probably drool. Her puckered nipples showed through her red bra—hell, it set him on fire. All the skin in between drove him crazy. Finally he was able to drag his gaze from the mirror long enough to turn around and face her. Even better.

  She said, “Cheap or horny?”

  His dick was so hard he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get his zipper down. There was no way he could look casual with a straining hard-on, but he made the attempt. “Haven’t decided.” He brought his hand up, stuck out his index finger, and drew a circle. “Turn around.”

  Her blue eyes dropped to his bulge. Her smile reminded him of a cat. But she turned around.

  Wes forgot to breath. There was a strip of red across her toned back from her bra. Below that, her back narrowed to her waist, then flared to her full hips, where her thong slid between her two rounded butt cheeks. He moved up behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, then slid them all the way down her back to cup her ass. Leaning close to her ear, he said, “Horny.” Her skin was smooth, firm, and God, he wanted to bury himself inside of her. Her shampoo smelled of some kind of tropical fruit.

  She moved into the bathroom and said, “I can feel that, book boy. Take off your clothes and we’ll discuss solutions to your horniness.”

  Wes looked past her to the mirror on the wall of the bathroom. It was a large, floor-length vanity mirror. To the right was the long counter with the mirror over that. He ignored the toilet and shower to his left. “Is this about me taking control of sex earlier?”

  “You make it sound like a power struggle.” She smiled, then ran her hands from the undersides of her breasts over her flat belly.

  “I’m inclined to let you win.” His voice sounded hoarse in his own ears. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it toward the bedroom.

  Holly had moved a few steps into the bathroom while he stood just outside the door. She ordered, “Pants.”

  He looked up at her. A light flush stained her nose and cheeks, and spread over her chest. He wasn’t the only one who was horny. Keeping his eyes on her, he unbuttoned his pants and said, “See how hard I am for you? Are you wet enough to take me?” He slid his pants and boxers down his hips.

  Her flush deepened and she moved toward him. “I’ll need a closer look.”

  Wes kicked his pants away and forced himself to stand perfectly still. He’d let her think she was in control.

  For a while.

  He knew she wanted to keep control so she could have herself a nice little orgasm without too much threatening intimacy. But he had gone too long without intimacy. Without the give and take that took sex to the next level. He wanted to know about this woman whose body he was possessing. He wanted to discover every mark on her and learn the story behind it.

  Her blue eyes now had wisps of smoke gray and her smattering of freckles stood out against her skin. She wrapped one hand around his cock, and slid the other between his legs to cup his balls. Wes slapped his hand against the wall as pleasure rolled through him.

  “You look very hard.” She lifted her gaze to his. “Very excited.”

  He had to swallow before he could remember the thread of the conversation. He moved his free hand to touch her through the strip of red panties. “Hot and slick.” He lowered his head to kiss her.

  But she ducked him, dropped to her knees, and ran her tongue over the head of his cock. He shuddered and braced himself with both hands on the doorjamb. Baseball. Try to think about baseball. But all he could think about was the feel of her tongue, her mouth. “Holly.” He moved his hands to her shoulders. “Come here.”

  She rose into his arms. He pulled her close, lining up their bodies and kissing her. Connecting with her. Finally, he looked down into her smoky blue eyes. “You are beautiful, exciting, and I love the way you hide sexy underwear beneath your street clothes.” He didn’t think she knew how much that told him about her. His tough PI had a soft side she kept hidden. It made him feel hot and protective of her at the same time.

  She looked a little annoyed. “Can you stop talking and do it?”

  He smiled, knowing his words made her mad because they meant something to her. “No. I’m going to tell you exactly how much I want you as I make love to you. Over here.” He pushed her toward the counter. Meeting her gaze in the mirror over the sink, he asked, “Okay?”

  She didn’t answer, but slid her panties down to the floor and stepped out.

  He moved up behind her, enjoying the feel of her bottom against him while he reached around to unhook her bra at the front. Kissing her shoulder, he looked into the mirror. “I want to see all of you.”

  She shrugged off the bra.

  He palmed her breasts then gently squeezed the engorged tips. She responded by arching her head back. He could feel her muscles going taut with need. He dropped one hand from her breast to slide it between her legs and feel her slick, wet heat. Even though she was ready, he still pressed two fingers deep inside of her just to feel the most intimate, sensual part of her. She moved against him, her gaze watching him in the mirror.

  His need ramped up to desperate. “Bend over, Hillbaby. Let me in.” When she did, he bent his knees and guided his dick into her. He buried himself as deep as he could.

  Then he looked in the mirror. She was braced on her arms, looking down with her dark blond hair falling around her face. He wanted to see her face as he thrust into her. “Holly, look at me. Let me see you.”

  She canted her hips to take him deeper inside of her. Then she lifted her gaze to him. “Touch me.”

  Her words were hoarse and honest. And her eyes were locked onto his in the mirror, just as he’d asked her. His balls drew up and the need to climax gathered in unbearable pressure as he pressed himself inside of her. He kept one hand on her hips so he wouldn’t ram her into the counter. With his other hand, he used his index finger to find her swollen clit. Swirling around that nub of flesh, he felt her body tighten around his dick. He saw her mouth fall open, her face soften, and then her gaze lose focus.

  “Wes…”

  Her climax triggered his orgasm. He plunged farther in, needing to ejaculate as deep inside of her as she could take him.

  Holly woke up Friday morning to the phone ringing and a naked man in bed with her.

  “That your cell?” Wes’s voice was sleep-husky in her ear. He was curled around her back.

  “Uh, yeah.” She reached for the nightstand and picked up her cell. The readout told her it was Detective Rodgers. “Hillbay.”

  Rodgers didn’t waste time. “Turn on the TV. Bradley Knoll has called a news conference.”

  “You’re shitting me.” Stunned at the name, Holly grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and started flipping channels.

  Wes sat up. “What’s going on?”

  Rodgers sighed loudly into the phone. “Sleeping with the enemy, Hillbay?”

  She ignored Rodgers and Wes as she found the channel with Bradley. The sight of him ripped open her old wounds. He looked like Mark Harmon in a designer suit, but she knew he had the soul of a jackal. She shoved her emotions aside and focused. Bradley stood at a microphone with four women behind him. She recognized Helene and Nora. To Wes, she confirmed, “That’s Maggie on the right?”

  “And Bridget on the left.”

  “Hell.” She shut up and listened.

  Bradley waited for complete silence, then announced, “We are filing a civil suit for unspecified damages against Wes Brockman and the Books on the Beach bookstore for sexual harassment. He clearly used his book club to lure women for sexual purposes. And after the murder of Cullen Vail, Mr. Brockman hired a so-called private investigato
r, one Holly Hillbay, to stalk and harass my clients. These women are victims. First of Wes Brockman and his sex games. Then, after Mr. Vail was murdered, by the County of Santa Barbara, who harassed them all over again by forcing them to relive, over and over, their sexual encounters with the deceased. And at least one of these women had to describe fighting off Mr. Brockman.”

  “Bullshit.” Wes threw back the covers, climbed over Holly, and snatched his cell phone off the dresser.

  Rodgers said in her ear, “Holly, this thing is exploding. Either you get Wes and his two store clerks to the police station ASAP, or I’m arresting all of you.” She hung up.

  Bradley called an end to his news conference. She watched him, thinking that he looked the part of a rich philanthropist these days. Bradley loved the camera because it didn’t show the money-hungry shark beneath the smooth executive’s clothing. The last time she saw him in person, she’d still been groggy—

  “Do you know him?”

  Holly dragged her gaze from the TV. Wes stood five feet from her, naked and furious. There was no reason not to tell him the truth. “I dated him a long time ago.”

  He moved closer and sat on the edge of the bed to face her. “How long ago?”

  She didn’t see why that mattered. “About three years. Rodgers wants you, Jodi, and Kelly at the police station right away. You’d better call your lawyer.”

  He watched her carefully. “Already did.” He reached out and took hold of her hand. “I never dated, or tried to seduce, any of those women, Holly.”

  The job, she had to focus on her job. Not sex, not feelings, not the need in Wes’s green eyes, but her job—to find out who murdered Cullen Vail. She took her hand from his.

  “It’s not me you have to convince. Bradley will file the lawsuit, which will further damage your reputation. Let’s get dressed and get on the road.”

  Since Wes sat on top of the covers, he had her trapped on the bed. “I want you to drive the girls to Goleta in the rental car. I’ll take my car. I’m going to meet with my lawyers before talking to Rodgers.”

  Was he running? He’d run before. Damn Bradley—seeing him had stripped away her self-confidence and the ability to trust her own gut. And she hated that she let him. She wasn’t being fair to Wes—she’d seen his reaction to Jodi and Kelly’s hit and run. He had been concerned about them and immediately took care of them. Wes wasn’t running, he was dealing with tough problems. “Are you going to tell Rodgers the truth about who you are?”