Sweet Heat at Bayside (Sweet with Heat

by Addison Cole

  Don’t worry, baby. I’m not going to cross any lines you don’t want me to.”

  “I love you. With us there are no lines.”

  As their bodies became one, his words played in his head—you’re the only woman I’ve ever said those three words to—and he knew she’d also be the last.

  A LONG WHILE later, they stumbled, sated and more in love than ever, over to Emery and Dean’s for breakfast.

  “I still can’t believe Emery wanted to host breakfast,” Serena said in a hushed whisper as they neared Dean and Emery’s cottage. Emery wasn’t teaching yoga that morning and had announced at the bonfire last night that they were hosting breakfast today. “She can’t boil water without setting off the smoke alarm.”

  It was almost the truth. Emery had set off the fire alarm at her and Dean’s cottage twice over the winter. The first time she’d forgotten to put water in the pot and burned it while taking a bath. But the second time, from what Dean had claimed, it was just as much his fault as Emery’s. He’d found her in the kitchen wearing only her panties while she was cooking eggs, and they’d ended up in the bedroom for a very long time.

  “Don’t worry, babe. I’d never let you go hungry. I’ve got plenty for you…”

  Drake pulled Serena closer, kissing her bare shoulder. He loved this particular sleeveless sundress. It was black-and-white and pattered like a bandanna. The top fit like a tube top from the eighties, clinging to her, while the rest was loose and short. She looked like she belonged on the beach, which was his favorite place to observe her. She was a beach girl at heart, and as he pondered that thought, he realized she hadn’t been out on the water in a while.

  “That doesn’t fill me up,” she said. “It only makes me hungrier for real food.”

  He leaned down and kissed her.

  “Hey, lovebugs,” Desiree called from behind them.

  They turned and greeted Desiree, Rick, and Violet. Desiree and Rick looked beyond happy, holding hands and smiling. Desiree’s hair was pinned up in a ponytail.

  “Don’t you mean hump bunnies?” Violet smirked. Her raven hair was wild and loose around her shoulders. She wore her typical summer duds, one of her many black bikini tops and a black miniskirt, along with her biker boots, of course.

  “Violet!” Desiree chastised. “Why do you always have to make something nice sound dirty?”

  “Who says dirty isn’t nice?” Violet shot back.

  “I’m with Vi on this one. Sorry, Des,” Serena said as they stepped onto Dean and Emery’s patio.

  “Hey, are we still planning to go tubing after the wedding tasting a week from Saturday?” Drake asked, thinking about getting Serena back out on the water.

  “Yes,” Rick said.

  “We’ll need it after all the wedding gushing I’ll have to listen to,” Violet added.

  Dean came outside carrying a tray of bowls. “How’s it going?” His hair was sticking up all over, he was shirtless, and he had a big red hickey on his shoulder.

  Emery followed him out, looking flushed and carrying several boxes of cereal. “This is the last time we host,” she said a little breathlessly. She dropped the cereal boxes on the table, set her hands on her hips, and said, “Hosting breakfast is way too much pressure.”

  Drake squeezed Serena’s hand. “Maybe my girlfriend should give you a lesson in planning.” He still couldn’t believe she’d not only set up the store and their usual grand opening while living hundreds of miles away, but she’d managed to book one of the biggest rock stars around and had kept it a secret.

  “Yeah, here’s a hint. Don’t give up sex to feed other people.” Serena looked around nervously. “Oh geez. For a second I forgot Matt and Mira were taking Hagen to the go-karts today. She has given me strict orders never to talk about our sex life around her.”

  They all laughed and began pouring cereal into their bowls.

  “Why don’t you two go finish your naughtiness and get cleaned up,” Violet said to Emery and Dean, who were standing at the other end of the table, kissing and whispering. As they disappeared into the house, Violet turned her attention to Serena. “What you did for Drake was beyond killer. I’m sorry you missed it.”

  “You’ve been there for everything big in his life,” Rick said. “It stinks that you couldn’t be there.”

  “Tell me about it.” Serena poured milk into her cereal and pushed it around in her bowl. “But what really matters is that he got to experience it. Thanks again for all your help, for keeping the secret, and for all the pictures and the video. It wouldn’t have gone over so well without your help.”

  “Listen, what’s a small-town girl to do when things get tough and you’re working hard to get your fill. Don’t stop believin’, right?” Rick chuckled.

  “Absolutely,” Violet said. “You’ve got to hold on to that feeling.”

  “Otherwise it just goes on and on,” Desiree chimed in with a pleased-with-herself sparkle in her eyes.

  Drake laughed. “All right. I get it.”

  Serena belted out the chorus to “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and they all joined in. Drake scrubbed a hand down his face, trying to hide his amusement. He was so in love with her, and every playful thing she did made him fall even harder.

  Desiree rushed over and pushed a napkin in front of Drake, fluttering her lashes, and spoke in the breathy voice of a teenager. “Can I get your autograph, Mr. Rock Star?”

  “You guys are fools,” Drake said goodheartedly.

  Desiree hugged him. “Fools who love you, best soon-to-be-brother-in-law in the world.” She went around the table hugging each of them. When she got to Violet, Violet rolled her eyes. “One day you’re going to be the hugger and I’ll be the huggee.”

  “Don’t hold your breath. It’s going to take a long time for me to get over you bringing Mom out for your wedding.” Violet shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

  “You heard back from her?” Serena asked. “She’s coming?”

  Desiree gave her a deadpan look. “Just because she sent a postcard that said she’d be there doesn’t mean she won’t forget by the date of the wedding. I’m not getting my hopes up.” Their mother, Lizza Vancroft, was as flighty as a seagull.

  “I really hope she comes,” Serena said. “Mostly because it means she’s still making an effort. You deserve that, Des. But also because it’ll be fun to see Violet get all edgy and uncomfortable when she can’t take part in any shenanigans.”

  Violet scoffed. “Lizza is the queen of shenanigans. Where do you think I learned it?”

  “Well, people can change,” Serena said. “Remember, don’t ever stop believing…”

  Everyone burst into song, and Drake couldn’t help but join in, too.

  After Drake was called a teen heartthrob far too many times, he and Serena went to the Wellfleet Flea Market to see Leanna so Serena could thank her for lending them her van. Leanna made Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats jams and sold them at the flea market and in restaurants and stores. The flea market was held in the parking lot of the drive-in theater, hosting vendors from all over, selling antiques, clothing, jewelry, video games, and just about everything else under the sun.

  They walked hand in hand through rows of white vendor tents. It was a scorcher of an afternoon. The type of blistering heat that radiated off the pavement and reeked with humidity. If Serena didn’t have to leave soon, he’d take her out on the boat for the day, make love to her in the afternoon sun, and dip in the water to cool off. One day soon…

  Serena stopped to look at a pair of earrings. “Chloe’s birthday is coming up. She loves opals.”

  Drake just loved watching her do anything, which was seriously ridiculous, but as true as anything had ever been. He looked over the necklaces and found a pretty opal. “How about this with those earrings? From both of us?”

  “You have good taste, rock star. But then again, you’re with me, so…” She glanced up at him and said, “We already knew how good your taste was.”
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  He tickled her ribs. She squealed and tried to get away, but he hauled her in and kissed her fiercely. “I love you, you pesty thing.”

  “You chose me. What does that say about you?”

  “That I have incredible taste.”

  She grinned. “Isn’t that how this all started?”

  They bought the earrings and the necklace and moved on to a display of used paperbacks. Serena held up a thriller by Leanna’s husband, Kurt Remington. “Look what I found.” She opened it to the dedication and read it aloud. “For my sweet Leanna and my precious Sloan. You are my treasures.” Sloan was their little boy.

  She set the book down and gazed up at Drake. “His treasures. That’s so romantic. But I prefer being your Supergirl. That has always felt romantic to me.”

  He pressed his lips to hers and then he took her hand and they continued down the row. “Want to know a secret?”

  “Always. Secrets are sexy.”

  He looked at her out of the corner of his narrowing eyes.

  “What? They are. Think about it. Secrets are things you tell only to very special people. That alone makes them sexy.”

  “I guess you’re right, because this one is about my sexy girl. I used to wonder what it would be like to bring you to the drive-in. I’d picture the normal stuff, you know, making out in the back seat and all that. But because I was wicked jealous of every guy I heard about you going out with—”

  “What? Even when we were younger?”

  “Darn right.”

  She pressed her body against his side and kissed his cheek. “I love knowing that about you. Tell me more.”

  “It was torture, and even worse now that you’re grown up. Anyway, I thought about how proud I’d feel to strut around here with you on my arm, making all the other guys jealous. Like I am now.”

  “You see me differently than anyone else does. I doubt any guys are looking at me that way.” She pointed to an older man with a protruding belly, sitting in a lawn chair beside a table of antiques. “Except maybe him.” She waved to the man, and he nodded.

  “Right.” Drake turned her by the shoulders and said, “Ten o’clock, dark-haired guy stealing glances, and just beyond him, that bald guy was checking you out the last two times we stopped walking.”

  “The dark-haired guy isn’t bad,” she said playfully.

  He pulled her against him, glaring at her even though he knew she was kidding.

  “Kiss me, you proud peacock. Claim your woman.”

  And he did.

  Ravenously.

  They finally found Leanna’s booth, where she was surrounded by a crowd of customers who were tasting and buying jams. Leanna talked animatedly to each person, spouting off ingredients and flavors. She was perhaps the messiest person Drake knew, and also one of the sweetest. She was always in a constant state of disarray, with jam on her clothes and tousled hair, while her husband was the neatest, most organized man on the planet.

  “Hey, you two!” Leanna finished helping the customers, then came around and hugged them both. “Oh gosh. Sorry.” She tried to wipe jam off Drake’s sleeve, where she’d accidentally smeared it.

  “No worries. Hagen got me worse last night,” Drake assured her. “How are you?”

  “I’m great.” Her gaze moved between him and Serena. “How are you guys? Together, huh?”

  “I’m a lucky guy,” Drake said proudly.

  “Darn right you are, and don’t you forget it. Serena’s a catch.”

  “Thanks, Leanna, and thank you for all your help with the opening,” Serena said.

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Oh gosh, anytime. We came by after the flea market, and there were so many people. It was wild! And, Drake, I always knew you could sing, but holy cow. You’re a YouTube sensation. You sounded awesome.”

  “Thank you. Luckily Boone’s voice drowned mine out.”

  “Hardly,” Serena said.

  “It was pretty crazy. I still can’t believe Serena pulled it off without me even having a clue.” He draped an arm around Serena and kissed her cheek.

  “Actually,” Serena said, “Leanna’s the reason I was able to get Boone to come. She hooked me up with Kurt’s sister, Siena, who is married to Cash Ryder. Cash is Trish’s brother. That’s how I made the connection. And they were all so nice and willing to help me connect with Boone.”

  “From what I’ve heard, they had a blast,” Leanna said. “Trish said they’re hoping to come back to the Cape in the fall and meet up with you?”

  “I hope so,” Serena said. “I really want to meet them in person.”

  “Let me know if you guys put something together. If we’re back in the city, we’ll come for the weekend.” Leanna and Kurt lived on the Cape during the summer and in New York City the rest of the year. “I’d love to see them, too.”

  They talked for a while longer, and Leanna sent them home with a few jars of Sweet Heat, Strawberry Spice, and Frangelico peach jam, their favorites.

  On the way back to the truck, Serena asked, “Do you want to stop by the music store?”

  “Only if you’d like to see it. Carey texted earlier. They’re pretty busy today.”

  Serena was quiet for a moment, and when they reached the truck, she said, “As much as I would like to see it, I’d rather go someplace and hang out. Just the two of us. I feel like my life has become a mad dash, running from one place to the next. Not that I mind, and I know I did this to myself by moving to Boston, but I really want some downtime with you, without any pressure from other people or work or anything.”

  That sounded perfect to him. “I’ve got just the place.”

  “I JUST HAVE to grab something really quick,” Drake said when he parked in front of the office of Bayside Resort. “I’ll be right back.”

  He gave Serena a chaste kiss, and she watched him jog up the steps and disappear into the office. The scents of the sea and the sounds of families brought life to the otherwise-still air. She closed her eyes and tipped her face toward the sun. It was warm without the breeze rushing in the open windows as it had been when they were driving. She thought about how much her life had changed. She had almost always spent at least some time at the beach each day, whether she and her friends were taking walks, sitting around a bonfire, or lying in the sun listening to the water kiss the shore. She missed eating lunch on the dunes and kicking off her sandals after work to go down to the beach with Mira and Hagen or with the girls. Sand between her toes had been a daily occurrence, and she’d taken it for granted. Had she done the right thing by moving away? While she’d always had dreams of working in a big design firm, she hadn’t been one of those people who disliked the Cape and wanted to escape it. She just wanted to do her own thing, to move forward and make her mark.

  She heard the office door close and opened her eyes. Drake was descending the steps with a blanket draped over his shoulder, carrying his guitar case. His shorter hair gave him an edgier look. His scruff did that normally, but the close cut made his jaw seem sharper, his eyes more cutting. He opened his door and set the blanket and guitar behind the seat.

  “Now that you’re a rock star, you can’t leave home without your guitar?”

  He scoffed. “Would you expect anything less?” He reached over, unhooked her seat belt, and hauled her across the bench next to him.

  “What took you so long?”

  He kissed her. “You look beautiful in my truck.”

  “As opposed to outside of your truck?” she said sassily.

  “There, too.” He slid his hand beneath her hair, gazing at her like she was a precious jewel he couldn’t believe he’d gotten his hands on. “All the little things I’ve thought about for so long are finally coming true. This is going to sound cheesy, but every time I see you looking a certain way, or in positions where I never thought we’d be, you look even sexier to me. You’ve been in my truck a million times. But coming out of the office and seeing you smile when you notice me and being able to openly enjoy that feel
ing? That’s pretty frigging incredible. And this? You and me?” His lips came tenderly down over hers. “Pure perfection, Supergirl.”

  Serena felt like she was riding on air as Drake drove down to Hyannis and parked on a side street. Serena knew exactly where he was headed, and she was touched so deeply, it was all she could do to watch him as he grabbed the blanket and guitar and reached for her hand. He led her down the overgrown trail toward the creek she’d frequented as a kid, and all the worries and questions in her mind subsided. Her beautiful man knew exactly what she needed.

  Drake lifted branches for her to duck under and held her hand as she climbed over rocks and around fallen trees. A pungent, marshy smell greeted them when they stepped into the grassy clearing near the edge of the creek. The rickety old dock was still there, slanted as ever, missing decking in the same places it had been when she was young. He took his guitar out of the case, and she realized he’d brought the first guitar he’d ever owned, from when they were kids.

  He reached for her hand again and said, “Come on. Backstreet Boys are calling us.”

  “Ohmygosh,” came out with a squeal. “Are you kidding?”

  A coy grin slid across his face. “You know I’m not. You and Mira made us listen to that stupid CD all the time.”

  “Oh geez.” She went with him onto the dock, holding his hand as she stepped over the missing slats. She kicked off her sandals and sat on the edge, her feet dangling over the inky water.

  Drake remained on his feet and began strumming the tune to “I Want It That Way” as he kicked off his flip-flops and sang, “Yeah-eah.” He winked and sang, “You’re my fire, Supergirl. My only desire.”

  He changed the lyrics and sang about how they weren’t two worlds apart and how he could reach her heart when she told him what she wanted.

  Moved by his humor, his voice, and his generous, loving soul, she jumped to her feet and danced as he sang. When the song ended he went right into “Larger than Life,” once again changing the lyrics to speak of them, and then directly into “When I Come Around” by Green Day and then “What I Got” by Sublime. She sang with him, both of them dancing as he played. He parlayed that song into “Little Red Corvette” and then about a dozen more songs from their youth, fast, slow, funny, romantic. She danced and sang until her cheeks hurt. And later, breathless and happy, they sat on the dock for a long while, talking about their childhoods and their current lives and everything in between.