Craved Mate: Cybermates

by Ayers, Candace

Even while focusing on my descent, with my arms trembling and my legs quivering, I achieved a total-body blush each time I managed down a rung and his hard bulge brushed my backside.

  It was like foreplay—agonizingly torturous foreplay.

  By the time we reached the ground, I was breathless. My rescuer’s body heat vanished from behind me, but his hand remained on my back as he guided me off the ladder. Even his hand was an aphrodisiac.

  I groaned.

  A small crowd had gathered. Great. An audience to witness my mortification.

  “Next time you see a cute but deceptively demonic kitten, just give us a call. We’ll handle it.”

  My smile was feeble. “Got it, and thank you.”

  I was so hot that I was sweating buckets. I happened to glance at the edge of the crowd where the firemen were elbowing each other, snickering, and whispering while watching us.

  Could I have made a bigger fool of myself? I think not.

  A drop of boob sweat trickled down my cleavage. My head felt airy and light. I was a little dizzy. I recognized the symptoms and knew I needed to check my blood sugar. For a diabetic, a stressful situation could trigger a hypoglycemic episode.

  Slowly, I backed away. “Well… Um, thanks again.”

  My feet managed to trip over themselves, as if the whole tree incident wasn’t humiliating enough. I righted myself, turned, and raced off.

  My pace was a brisk walk for half a block and then, horrified and desperate to be away from the scene of my humiliation, I all-out ran.

  I cut down the first side street, heading straight for the beach. My small crossbody bag held my Flexpen and glucose monitor, which I retrieved as soon as I found a semi-secluded spot.

  My sugar level was too low due to exertion, so I popped a couple of glucose tablets before I called Ingrid on her work line.

  “Moro Insurance, this is Ingrid speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Oh my god, Ingrid. I just had the most humiliating experience.”

  She gasped. “Tell me everything, but make it fast. Norman and Mommy Bates will be back from a meeting at any moment.”

  My brain froze and I made a few stuttered sounds that weren’t actually words. Adam! Holy shit, I hadn’t even thought about him when I was ass-to-pelvis with the firefighter. I’d forgotten I’d even had a boyfriend.

  “Mel? What is it? Out with it.”

  I swore. “I forgot I have a boyfriend.”

  She made a fart sound. “’Bout time. Keep up the good work.”

  “That’s awful of me! I was stuck in a tree and this hot—and I do mean scorching—firefighter came to rescue me. He was… and he… I mean…” I blew out a breath and shook my head just remembering how it felt to be flush against the hard planes of the firefighter’s hot bod and feel the bulge of the firefighter’s hot rod.

  My cheeks heated again. The man was able to make me blush when I so much as thought about him. That was a first. “And, Ingrid, next to him I felt dainty.”

  “Stuck in a tree? You were stuck in a tree? Like a pussycat?”

  I groaned. “Don’t joke! It was mortifying. I flashed my undies to the entire island fire department.”

  She squealed. “Sounds juicy. I have questions. First, why a tree? Second, what’s his name? Third, when will you see him again?”

  I gave her the CliffsNotes of the incident but went easy on the sizzling attraction and my smutty carnal fantasies.

  “I didn’t get his name, and I hope I never see him again. Did you hear the part about the whole group of firefighters getting a peep show of my butt cheeks?”

  “Oh, I certainly did. I’m fanning myself. Girl, you lived out one of my wildest fantasies!”

  “Ingrid!”

  “I’m serious. That’s on my bucket list. In writing. And why didn’t you get his number? Just because he saw your arse? That’s a terrible reason. Besides, that can be a plus.”

  “A plus? I fail to see—”

  “Look at it this way, the tense, fidgety part of getting naked with someone for the first time is practically over. You don’t have to fret about what he’ll think of your cellulite dimples or lack of a consistent workout routine. He’s already seen your bum.”

  “Are you saying my ass is fat and flabby?”

  “What? No!” She laughed. “Of course not, but we’re no spring chickens anymore, are we? Actually, I think that was a little transference I did just then. I keep wondering if Pierce is ignoring me because I’m no longer a toned twenty-year-old.”

  “Neither is he! Besides, I’m not getting naked with the firefighter. I’m never seeing him again. Even if I do see him, it won’t matter. I’m with Adam.”

  “You’re with Adam like some people are with chlamydia. Get rid of it! There’s a treatment for that. It’s called a vacation fling with a sexy firefighter who makes you feel dainty.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t cheat.”

  “Yay! Brilliant! Even better. Then end it with Adam!”

  “I’m ending this conversation.” I started back toward the bed and breakfast. “I just thought you’d enjoy the fact that I’d completely demeaned, demoralized, and degraded myself.”

  “Oh, I enjoyed it. Thoroughly. Especially the part about the hulking fireman.” She lowered her voice and swore. “Bugger. Cruella and Carlos De Vil are back. I hate my life.”

  “Love you!”

  “Love you too. Do me a favor, though, shag a firefighter so I can live vicariously through you. Please. I’m on my knees here!” Before the line disconnected, I overheard Ingrid switch to the saccharine sweetness of her professional voice. “Why, hello, Mrs. Moro. I trust your meeting went well?”

  I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t breaking up with Adam. And I definitely wasn’t sleeping with a firefighter. Not that a firefighter offered. Which was good!

  That two-by-four in his pants was probably from adrenaline, the thrill of rescuing someone. Some men were like that.

  Weren’t they?

  6

  Mac

  “Jenny, it is too much for them. You can’t just dump your daughter off on them whenever you feel like it.” I scowled and leveled her with my most sinister evil eye. “Your father’s much too ill right now and your mother has enough on her plate. She doesn’t need the added stress. You’re a mother now yourself. You need to step up and take responsibility for raising your child.”

  My spoiled niece glared at me. “First of all, don’t mom-shame me. Second of all, I’m a grown-ass woman and you are not my dad.”

  “I’m not trying to shame you. I’m trying to get you to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around you. Your mother is going through an unimaginably difficult time. I hope you never have to deal with anything like that yourself, but she’s always been there for you when you needed help. It’s your turn to be there for her. And she needs your help now.”

  “My mother is fine. You’re the only one getting in my face and making a big stink about it.”

  “Heather doesn’t have the strength to argue with you, Jenny. She’s too exhausted. If you can’t see that, you’re even more self-absorbed than I thought.”

  “Go to hell, Uncle Mac.” Jenny dragged a pack of cigarettes from her purse, shook one out, and lit it, inhaling deeply. “Things were easier before you came, you know?”

  “For you. Yeah, I bet they were. You didn’t have anyone holding you accountable. But now you do, so I suggest you step up and grow up.”

  “I am grown up. I have a kid.”

  “You birthed a child. It’s not the same thing.”

  She took another hit from her cigarette, breathed it in deeply, and blew it back out in a long stream of smoke. “You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

  “Am I? Okay. I’m an asshole. Fine. I’ll be an asshole, but you’re nineteen years old with a child you don’t take care of and an ill father that you don’t seem to give two shits about. You don’t work, you don’t go to school. All you do is follow dumbass boys around, trying to get
knocked up with another baby that you won’t take care of. From the way things look, I’d say you’re pretty much deadweight around here. Your father may be dying, and if that happens, your mother could very well lose her will to live too. The grief of it could kill her, but what’s it to you? As long as they’re still able to stand upright and breathe in and out, they can shoulder your responsibilities for you, isn’t that right?”

  Heather came rushing out of the house, a pained look on her lined and weary face. “Hamish, no. Don’t do this, please. Not like that. Not right now.”

  Jenny threw her cigarette down and stomped it onto the pavement. “I’m fucking out of here.”

  Swearing, I turned back to my niece, my sister’s guilt trip already ripping a hole through my heart. “Jenny, wait. I’m sorry. I—”

  “Fuck off!” Her voice wavered and tears filled her eyes before she turned and took off down the street.

  Heather slapped the back of my head. “What the hell, Hamish? I know her behavior is atrocious right now, but shouting at her like that isn’t going to solve anything.”

  Heather was ten when I was born, and she’d assumed the role of second mother to me. She was the only person who ever called me Hamish, my given first name. To everyone else, I’d been Mac since I was six years old.

  I growled. “Someone needs to say something. She’s a delinquent.”

  “Yes, well, she’s having a difficult time too. Like you pointed out, she may lose both her parents.”

  I closed my eyes and rolled my head back releasing a sigh. “I didn’t mean that, Heather. Neither of you is dying. Warren’s a fighter and he’ll pull through. I was just trying to get through her thick skull.”

  “Give her some space, okay? I know she’s not handling this in a very mature way, but she’s still a kid herself. I’ve been trying to convince her to let me set her up with a therapy appointment. So far, she’s balked at the idea, but I haven’t given up.” She sighed. “If you get tired of caring for Amethyst—”

  “I’ll never get tired of her! Don’t worry about that. Ame is a blessing. I’m very attached to that drool-dlebug, and you’ve got enough on your plate. I got her.”

  I’d purchased the condo next door to my sister and brother-in-law so I would be handy when Heather needed me to help with Warren. Lately, when I wasn’t on shift at the station, I’d also been keeping Amethyst overnight, since Jenny was making it home fewer and fewer nights these days, and Heather and Warren needed all the sleep they could get.

  Being woken up by an infant in the middle of the night didn’t bother me one bit. I’d been a firefighter for eleven years, since I was twenty-two. I was used to having to hop out of bed, alert and ready, whenever duty required.

  “We’ll be fine, little brother. Stop worrying so much.” She grinned. “You need to have your own life too, you know. So you stress less about mine.”

  My own life? My mind drifted, like it had for the five hundredth time in the last five hours to a tall, willowy, hazel-eyed beauty.

  Who would be perfect, if she weren’t human.

  7

  Mel

  Breakfast at Rise and Shine was a total-body experience. The dining room served fresh cinnamon rolls that melted in your mouth. And bacon—I hadn’t eaten bacon since 1997. My thighs might suffer later, but my belly was in heaven. I’d forgotten how orgasmic high-fat food could be. The freshly squeezed Florida orange juice was the topper. I could drink a pitcher of the stuff. And I would have, if I didn’t have to carefully monitor my glucose level.

  Since I’d arrived, I’d shot Adam a couple of short texts but avoided his calls. I’d spent the rest of the day yesterday, after my tree incident, lying on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and enjoying a delicious dinner at a place called Tuna’s Seafood House. Then, with a glass of wine in hand, I watched the sunset while soaking in my private jacuzzi. Embarrassing tree incident aside, so far my vacation was turning out better than expected.

  No place was ever this enjoyable with Adam around.

  Jacob sat at my table and talked to me while I ate breakfast. He was a nice kid and pleasant company, and he shocked me when he called me Melody Manes. The kid had put two and two together. Frankly, I was impressed that a kid his age had ever heard of me. Or should I say that he’d ever heard the one song that was my claim to fame. Yes, I was a one-hit-wonder.

  Not that I had any sour feelings about descending from a chart-topper to an everyday nobody. It had been my choice to secede from the limelight.

  Jacob asked me to sing a couple of times, but I didn’t want to interrupt anyone’s breakfast. Before he had a chance to implement persuasive tactics, a small woman with purple hair, tattoos, facial piercings, and a baby on her hip strolled in and spotted Jacob.

  “Jake! Your mother told me you’d replaced me, but I didn’t believe it. Where has the time gone? I remember when you were two-feet tall, picking the wedgies out of your butt crack, and eating your boogers.” She sniffled and wiped an imaginary tear from her eye.

  Jacob grimaced. “Don’t embarrass me, Parker.”

  “Fine.” She hip bumped him out of his seat and sat in his place. “Your mom wants you back up front. She said break’s over.” The woman turned to me conspiratorially and sighed. “He used to think I was the best thing since sliced bread. Now I’m an embarrassment. How quickly they outgrow their childhood crushes and move on.” She tore off a piece of cinnamon roll and handed it to her baby on her knee before focusing her attention back on me. “You’re just the person I was looking for. I heard about you.”

  “Me?” I wondered if she’d heard about my ass-baring incident. I knew how fast news spread in small towns. I grew up in one just outside Syracuse. I should say I grew up in one until I hit my teens and became a slave to the recording studio for a decade or so.

  “You’re Melody, right? Melody Manes, the one who’s singing at Arden and Flynn’s wedding?”

  I nodded. “Guilty. Only, Melody Manes was my stage name. That was another lifetime ago. It’s actually Cameron, Melody Cameron”

  “Don’t listen to anything she says about me, Mel.” Jacob cast one last worried look at Parker before leaving.

  “He thinks I’m going to tell you that he’s crushing on you, but I’m not because I’m sure you already know.”

  I laughed.

  “The boy wears his heart in his eyes.”

  I nodded. “Agreed. He’s a nice kid. He’s going to make some girl very, very happy one day.”

  She looked after him and tapped her chin. “I might have someone in mind, actually.”

  I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not until she leaned forward. “Call me crazy, but I have the perfect man for you too.”

  I blinked. “Okay, crazy.”

  She tossed her head back and laughed. “I asked for that. Literally. Let me introduce myself. I’m Parker Pettit. I’m the island matchmaker with a tremendous success rate, and I really do have the perfect man for you. His name is—”

  “I have a boyfriend.” I did not deem it necessary to add that rather than enjoying a vacation with my boyfriend, I was enjoying a vacation from him.

  “Oh. Is it serious?” When I hesitated, she grinned. “I knew it. No need to explain, we all make mistakes. Well, I’ll let you terminate Mr. Wrong. Meanwhile, let me tell you about Mr. Oh-So-Right.”

  I stared at her. “Who?”

  “Your dream guy. The one I intend to match you with. Free of charge, I might add, all I ask in return is a testimonial for my website, and it would help if you used your stage name. Celebrity endorsement, you understand. Anyhoo, he’s beautiful. He’s also kind, selfless, and a man’s man, if you know what I mean.” She winked. “Plus, he has a great sense of humor. How often do you find a total package like that?”

  If you were me, never.

  Her promises sounded way too good to be true, and I knew better than to take a gamble I could lose. Best to stick with a sure thing. “I’ll pass, but thanks anyway.”

 
Her eyes narrowed. “We’ll see. Either way, I’m excited I got the chance to meet you.”

  I sat flabbergasted as she started singing “Alive in Your Eyes,” my one and only chart-topping hit single, way too loudly.

  “The beat of your heart…the words on your lips…your love for me always…alive in your eyes…”

  I looked around the dining room, hoping no one recognized me.

  “Oh, I love that song! We’re so lucky to have you on the island and singing at the wedding.”

  Fortunately, from what I could glean from the sly glances I shot anxiously around the room, Parker was the one attracting all the attention. No one even seemed to recognize me. “Well, actually, it’s my band that will be performing. I haven’t done a solo gig in years. And I haven’t performed that particular song in even longer.”

  “God, I’m not kidding about this guy being perfect for you. I have a sixth sense about these things. Too bad you have to clear up the whole boyfriend mess first.”

  I laughed. “As a forty-one-year-old woman, I am glad I have a boyfriend.” She could continue to delude herself with the assumption that I was clearing up or terminating something.

  “Well, I have to skedaddle, but I’m so glad I ran into you. By the way, we’re having a party at Mimi’s Cabana tonight. You know the place? I was hoping you’d join us.” She grinned. “I mean…if you haven’t had enough excitement climbing trees.”

  I groaned. “You heard. Of course you did. The whole town must know by now.”

  “Not at all. I just happened to run into—well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll pick you up at Rise and Shine tonight at seven.”

  Before I could refuse, she was gone and I was left sitting at the breakfast table, mouth agape, in awe of her persuasive skills.

  Hostage negotiators could learn a thing or two from the woman.

  8

  Mac

  “Why are you smiling?”