by DRAYER, GINA
"So, I'll take that as a yes to The Surf Shack?" Matt said. His lips curved into a full smile. Not the lopsided grin or mischievous smirk she'd seen so often. This one lit up his face, showcasing his strong jaw and displaying a set of dimples she hadn't seen before. Oh fuck, she was screwed. Beth had a thing for sexy men with dimples.
She placed a hand over her middle and shook her head with a giggle. "My stomach has spoken." Grabbing her oversized beach bag, Beth headed for the door.
He was quiet on their walk down and she couldn't think of anything to say to fill the silence. And here she thought by leaving last night, they could avoid the morning after awkwardness. It wasn't until they were seated and the waitress brought their meal that Matt finally warmed up.
"So," he said on a long exhale, as if steeling himself to the upcoming conversation. "I guess I should have asked before I told everyone we were dating. It's usually one of those questions that come up when you first meet someone and want to ask them out, but I guess our meeting didn't happen in the normal way. Even so, I should have at least asked before anything happened last night."
Matt shifted in his seat and wouldn't look at her directly. He was talking circles around whatever was on his mind and it was driving Beth crazy.
"As I recall we didn't do a lot of talking last night, so if you have something on your mind now, why don't you just say it?"
"Holly said something this morning that got me thinking. Kitty seems to know an awful lot about you. Probably because of your mother and the Senator. You know how people talk. Having a high profile family means very little privacy. I get that. It makes it easy for someone to find out about you because of your family."
"What are you talking about? What did Holly say?"
Matt looked down at his water glass and the way he wouldn't meet her eyes, Beth knew he'd heard about the wedding. Great. Now he felt sorry for her, and worse, he probably thought last night was all about Robert.
"Just ask whatever is on your mind already."
"You don't have a boyfriend or someone you're serious about back home, do you?"
Wow. That came out of left field. Beth wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or slap him. She was leaning more toward the latter. That he would even think she'd pretend to be his girlfriend in public, let alone sleep with him, while seeing someone else back home hurt. And it spoke volumes about what he really thought of her.
Schooling her expression, she set down her fork and removed the napkin from her lap. "That's what you think? Thanks for the lunch, Matt. but I'm suddenly not hungry." She dropped the napkin and stood. "I think it would be better if we stop now. I think the show yesterday afternoon convinced your family you're in a relationship. You don't need me anymore."
"Wait." Matt raced to block her path. A worried expression marred his face, making him look years older. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong. Hell, it was my fault. I took advantage of the situation. I knew you'd been drinking and you were obviously upset. I should have done the gentlemanly thing, but—"
"Shut up. Just shut up, before you make this any worse." Beth took a step back, and shoved her hands in her pocket. Mostly because they were shaking, but also to prevent her from wringing his neck. She couldn't believe what he was saying. She would have laughed in his face if she wasn't so disappointed. "You're right. I had too much to drink and my defenses were lowered. I shouldn't have slept with you. But not because I have a boyfriend or because I'm seeing someone else, which by the way, I'm not. I shouldn't have slept with you because I have more self-respect. I normally wouldn't sleep with man who obviously has such a low opinion of me. Now, I'm leaving before this becomes a scene."
"I'm sorry. That's not at all what I meant. I didn't have a low opinion of you. I really didn't think you would do that, but after the way you left last night. Fuck. I'm grasping at straws here, Beth." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, causing the ends to stand up. "I thought there was something there. But after… I don't know. You just left. You were cold and distant, and I thought it might have been guilt. I couldn't stop think about what an asshole I'd been putting you in that situation. Please. Sit down and explain what happened last night."
People were starting to stare, and Beth reluctantly returned to the table. She could see his point. She had been feeling guilty, but not for the reason he thought.
"Matt, you didn't take advantage of me. I'm sorry you thought that for even a second. If I recall correctly, I'm the one who invited you to bed, not the other way around. You have nothing to feel bad about. If it makes you feel any better, the last relationship I had ended well over a year ago. There hasn't been anyone serious since. So don't worry about some jealous lover finding out and hunting you down."
She picked up her drink and took a sip, giving herself a few more seconds to decide what to do next. It had just been one night and already things were getting complicated. She should end things now, but she wasn't ready. Not yet.
"As for last night, I left because it was the right thing to do. I understand what this is. You're not looking for a relationship and neither am I. Last night was perfect. Staying over would have just mucked up the waters."
The silence between them grew thick with discomfort. Matt seemed to mull over her words while picking at his burger. Finally, he spoke without looking up. "I understand. I wish we would have had this talk before anything happened. You didn't have to leave. It's not like I was going to kick you out of my room."
"I didn't think you would. But I did have to leave. It makes it easier. You know, I'm fine with it being about sex," she shrugged, hoping he bought her laissez-faire attitude, because she sure wasn't. But Beth wasn't about to let him know just how frightened she'd become at his tenderness. Matt was just the type of guy who'd try and make it all better. Perhaps if he thought she didn't care at all, he'd back off. "Neither of us went into this thinking we'd hook up. I had a great time, and I was hoping it wouldn't be a one-time thing. But it needs to be just sex. If you're not fine with that, we can pretend it never happened."
"Just sex," he said as if testing the words. She watched as a myriad of emotions played crossed his face. Beth was fully prepared to hear his rejection, when he finally said, "Fine. Just sex."
After their talk, the lunch had turned from awkward to downright uncomfortable. Matt struggled to find a safe topic. He kept dancing around personal issues until the conversation completely died, so Beth went back to her uneaten lunch. With her appetite completely gone, she just picked at the fries on her plate, wondering if this little talk had put a death nail in their budding friendship.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he said out of nowhere. "I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to get anything right when it comes to you. I like you, Beth. And I really hope the jackass that comes out when I'm around you doesn't screw things up."
Beth smiled and took a drink. She hadn't expected his apology and it melted a little of the ice that had been forming around her heart. "Don't be so hard on that jackass, Matt. I'm quite fond of him actually. Wasn't he the one who accepted my offer last night?"
"So, you forgive me?" he asked, his eyes lighting up like a mischievous child's.
The man was disarming. With him looking at her like that, all she could do was nod.
"Good. But you need to let me make it up to you. How about dinner tonight at Sonnas?"
"I don't know. I did have too much to drink last night. I'm not feeling great and I'm beat."
"Why don't we make it a late dinner? You can nap and we can meet up later. I'll make reservations for around eight thirty."
"I'm don't think that's such a good idea," she tried again, still not sure if diner alone with him was a good idea. It felt too much like a date. "I'm not really one hundred percent. I think I'm going to work out and turn in early tonight."
"That sounds great. I didn't get a chance to hit the gym this morning," Matt said.
Sensing he wasn't going to let this go, Beth decided to give in a little. She wanted to keep it
casual, that didn't mean they couldn't spend time together. "Come along if you want, but I'm still skipping dinner. I have a feeling I'm going to need a long nap this evening." Remembering the cruise activities she'd picked out, Beth decided to throw him a bone. "We can always meet up after dinner. There are a few things on the schedule I'd like to do."
Chapter 9
Modern Girl Tip #5: Don't Make It All About Sex—Hang out. Hit the bars. Watch the sun set. A fling can be more than hooking up, so have fun with it.
When Matt decided to tag along, he had expected a lot of chatting and very little exercise, but Beth wasn't kidding when she said she was serious about her workout.
After she finished a fast and hard run, she moved on to the rowing machine, then the free weights. He'd barely finished his own run before she was asking him to spot her. How she had the energy for any of it was a mystery to him.
They worked out in a comfortable silence; neither one of them felt the need to fill their time with senseless gabbing. And much to his surprise, Matt enjoyed this time with her just as much as the other times they'd spent together. Beth was like a chameleon, constantly changing her color. It was hard to keep up, but he eagerly awaited her next move.
"Wow. I needed that," she said, moving to the mats in the center of the room.
The sight of her long legs extended as she leaned into a deep stretch caused his mouth to water. He didn't realize she was quite that flexible. And now that he knew, Matt had all kinds of things he wanted to try.
Beth caught him staring. And as if she knew exactly what he'd been thinking, she proceeded to lean over, pressing her breast against her thighs, and let out a breathy moan. "That feels good. I love a good stretch after a long night."
He nearly dropped the weight he was lifting. Deciding that maybe he shouldn't handle heavy equipment while she was doing that, he put the weight back on the rack and leaned against the wall. "I didn't think you'd be up to such a hard workout after last night."
"What? Can't handle your liquor?" she teased, switching to the left leg and going deeper into the stretch.
"I don't normally drink that much, but that's not what I meant. We were up really late."
She sat up and shifted into a near split and grabbed her toes, arching her back into the stretch. It was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. All his blood rushed southward, making him a little light headed. He needed to sit down if she was going to continue stretching.
"I don't need much sleep. I wouldn't be this stiff, if I hadn't slept so late," she said, standing up and walking to the towel rack. After wiping the sweat from her brow, a mischievous grin lit up her face. "Really, you're to blame. You wore me out last night."
He usually wasn't driven by his urges, but around her he lost all thought of proper decorum. That playful look in her eyes had him ready to toss control out the window. They were alone. All he'd have to do is lock the door, and he could have her there on the gym floor.
"So, about tonight," she said, interrupting that little fantasy. "I'm going to one of the clubs. I'll save you a seat, if you want to come."
It wasn't exactly a warm invitation, but it was something. She was trying to keep this casual. And even though hitting a dance club was the last thing he wanted to do with her, if that's what she wanted, he was game. "I'll be there."
Tired and sporting a serious case of blue balls, he reluctantly left her and went back down to his room to shower and get ready for dinner. While he understood why she didn't want to go out to dinner alone with him, Matt was more than a little disappointed she wouldn't even be joining his family.
Things still felt a little off after their conversation. And he really hoped she hadn't changed her mind about taking their relationship to a physical level. She had said she was okay with keeping things just sexual. No strings. Hell, she'd insisted on it.
And that was just the way he wanted things. Matt hated all the drama and mixed signals that came with dating, so he couldn't figure out why he felt so out of sorts. Maybe a more relaxed setting like the club was just what they needed. Hopefully, after tonight, he'd know exactly what to expect the rest of the trip.
When he arrived for dinner that night, Bridget had to bring up his hasty departure and absence from the reception. He'd fully expected it to be the main topic of conversation, but what he hadn't expect was his mother skillfully diverting the conversation to another subject. Halfway through dinner she'd even shot him a wink, as though they'd shared some private joke. And before dessert was served, she was shoving him out the door to go meet with Beth. Not that he needed much convincing. It was obvious she wanted him to spend as much time alone with Beth as possible. And if that's what she wanted, who was he to deny her wishes?
It had only been a few hours, but Matt was anxious to get back to her. It was an odd feeling, this eagerness. He hardly knew her. Not enough to miss her. However, as he approached the nightclub area of the ship, he could feel his anticipation build and all he could think about was seeing her, touching her again.
So much so, he completely missed the change of scenery as he walked down the hall. The casually dressed passengers had all disappeared, and it felt as if he'd stepped into a time warp. A young woman with a spectacular afro and gold Lemay jump suit, that reminded him of the old James Bond golden girl, stopped him before he could enter the club.
"I'm sorry, sir. We have a strict dress code tonight. Can you dig it? But don't worry. I can help a groovy cat like you out." She then reached into a box and pulled out a white polyester blazer, holding it up to judge it's size.
Confused, all he could do is stand there while she draped the jacket over his shoulders and press a fake mustache above his lip. None of this made sense. Matt shrugged out of the jacket, sure he'd come to the wrong place. Or perhaps he was having a stroke.
"Obviously, I'm missing something here. I was just meeting a friend for drinks."
She leaned in and whispered. "It's theme night. You're going to need some kind of costume." Waving a hand down her metallic clad body, she smiled. "Just put on the jacket. Trust me, you'll have fun." Before he could question further she waved him into the club. "Catch you on the flip-side."
And just like that, Ms. Goldfinger was helping some other lost soul into a suede fringed vest with a large smiley face button. Not sure what else he could do, Matt wandered into the club. The house lights were up and he was able to find Beth sitting at a table on the edge of the empty dance floor.
Unlike him, she'd come prepared for the nights theme. She looked every bit the seventies flower child. Her straight black hair was parted right down the center with a white daisy tucked behind her ear. The raven tresses were held back with a leather strap across her forehead. But it was her dress that really completed the look. He thought the long sleeved frock was perfect for the seventies, but it wasn't until she stood up to waved him over that he got the full impact. The sight was so unexpected, Matt stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor.
The dress she wore was a riot of colors and fit so tight, it looked as though it were painted on. And it was so short, if she moved much everyone in the club would be well acquainted with what she had on under that skirt. On the one hand he wanted to cover her with the tacky white jacket he'd been given, but on a more base level, he, too, wanted to become better acquainted with what lay under that dress.
When he didn't immediately join her, she rolled her eyes and trotted across the floor in her bright yellow go-go boots to collect him.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." She gave him an assessing look. Without warning she leaned in and kissed him. Laughing, she rubbed her nose across his fake mustache. A huge smile broke out across her face and her eyes crinkled around. "Nice 'stache by the way."
"Did you know about this?" he asked, waving his hand around the room. Everyone was dressed in various degrees of authenticity. Some, like him, only had hints of period attire. While others were so true to the time, they could have just stepped out of a time mac
hine.
"It's just a theme party," she said with a laugh and trotted back to the table.
Matt followed her, feeling as though he'd stepped into an alternate dimension. "Where did you get that outfit?"
She shrugged, shaking her head, as if he'd just asked a stupid question. "I packed it."
"Why? I don't understand. That dress is extremely specific. It's not something you'd normally wear. Is it?"
"God no, I found it at a consignment shop back home. But tell me the truth, I rock the whole flower child thing, right?" She stood up and did an impromptu catwalk, complete with dramatic pose. She stopped just a few feet from the table, and shot him a suggestive look over her shoulder with a wink.
The motion caused the skirt to rise a fraction, and Matt's mouth went dry. She was definitely rocking that outfit. And those fucking boots. He was getting hard imagining her legs wrapped around him in nothing but those boots.
When she reached the table, her eyes were alight with laughter. "I wish I'd brought my camera. You should see your face."
"I don't think you realize how you look in that dress," he said, adjusting his position. He really hoped she didn't want to dance tonight, because Matt wasn't sure he'd be able to touch her without doing something that would embarrass them both. Shaking his head to clear the image, Matt focused back on the conversation. "You didn't answer my question. Why would you pack a costume?"
"It's not a costume. Well, not really. There's a great disco in Barcelona my cousin Ana promised to take me to. I thought it might be something fun to do while I'm there. Something, I usually don't have time for. The dress and boots were for the club. I had some help with the rest. When Palo told me about the theme nights, he helped me with hair and accessories. The staff has this huge box of stuff for people to use. Which is where I'm guessing that hideous jacket came from."