It’s Love, Dude

by Jenny Schwartz

  She touched her lips to his. ‘Yes.’

  ***

  Molly couldn’t sleep, which was okay. She didn’t want to sleep. She felt as if she’d never need to sleep.

  Bliss, that was the word for what she was feeling. Satisfaction, anticipation and sheer wonder that anything could feel this good. Imagine how good having Zane inside her would feel?

  She was shy and sex was intimate. She’d thought, she’d known, she’d need to take things slow. But then Zane had kissed her, stretched her out over him and the teenage kisses-and-fumbles party had become something adult and sensuous and she’d welcomed every bit of it. Tomorrow night…

  She sat up suddenly, the light covering of the sheet falling away. Could surfers have sex mid-competition? She’d read somewhere once that some athletes, or their coaches, believed that energy had to be conserved for sport.

  But if not tomorrow night, then the night after that was the formal dinner. Could Zane cut his appearance short? Not if he was there on his sponsor’s behalf. And after that, when was he flying out of Australia? There would be no time.

  She looked at the hotel room door, panicked. No, she absolutely could not go and knock at Zane’s door. He’d respected her, stopped because of the boundaries she had set. She had to respect his need for sleep.

  It was just that she hadn’t known she could feel like this. Pleasure plus a deep sense of connection and rightness. It left her greedy.

  ***

  Molly smiled as she heard the knock at her door. Outside, the sky had the weird silveriness of pre-dawn, but she wasn’t as much as yawning. She was energised and eager for the day, for Zane.

  She opened the door.

  He took one look at her in her bright blue shirt and white shorts, and entered, kicking the door shut behind him and backing her into the wall. He bent at the knees, fitting them together at the hips, making his hunger explicit as he kissed her carnally.

  She bunched the fabric of his t-shirt and held on.

  ‘Morning, Molly.’ His breath against her lips.

  ‘Morning.’

  ‘Want you.’

  ‘Mmm.’

  ‘Going to have breakfast instead.’

  Disappointing.

  ‘Gonna surf, do my thing, then tonight.’

  She held her breath.

  ‘Am I pushing?’ he asked. ‘I want you in my bed.’

  ‘I want that, too.’

  His arms tightened around her. ‘Thank freak.’ A swift kiss. ‘Think another night of being a gentleman might have killed me. I could handle it when I thought you were hot, but now that I know you are. Got to say, glad you’re having mercy on me, babe.’

  ‘I might still be nervous,’ she said because it was better to have her fears out there. He might be expecting a sex goddess. She wasn’t that.

  ‘Babe, as long as you want to be there, it’s up to me to make sure you enjoy it.’ Then he released her with a nudge towards the door. ‘I’m pretty focussed when I compete, just so you know I’m not ignoring you.’

  ‘I understand.’ And she did. This was his job and he did it well enough to be world champion. ‘Just so you understand...’

  He looked at her as they waited for the lift.

  ‘I’ll be slipping away to shop for something glamorous for tomorrow night.’

  He smiled, slow and appreciative. ‘Happy hunting.’

  ***

  Carly waited with Molly, her own heat yet to be called, while they watched Zane ride surf. Where the other woman could analyse the finer points of his style, Molly saw only the power and mastery. It compelled attention so that everyone on the beach watched, gasped in unison, knew it would be a perfect score.

  ‘What do they mean, 9.73?’ Molly demanded indignantly.

  Carly grinned at her. Then she transferred her smile to Zane as he loped up. ‘Your chick thinks you’ve been robbed.’

  ‘So I was.’ But he was laughing, too.

  Other people joined in, supportive or teasing. A journalist wandered up. Zane signed autographs and posed for photos. Teenage girls giggled. Teenage boys came perilously close to doing the same. He was their hero.

  Molly sat in the shade of an awning, enjoying the scene and linked into it by her interest and by the way Zane would catch her eye and smile. As intense as the competition was, the vibe of the crowd was friendly and welcoming.

  ‘This was a good choice for your first event,’ Carly said. ‘Low key. Friendly vibe.’

  ‘I like it.’ Molly stretched, enjoying the warm tingle on her skin from a morning spent on the beach.

  ‘You fit the casual scene.’ Carly hesitated, then she said what she’d clearly been working up to. ‘When Zane’s really competing, when the results count to the championship, there’s a tougher vibe, more pressure on competitors and on everyone. Just so you know. For him, this is a holiday. I like you, Molly, so I’m not being a bitch. I can see Zane’s really into you. But what you need to know is that his life normally isn’t this. He’s hot property and getting hotter. Accepting that is part of being with him.’

  Molly’s warm, relaxed feeling fled as she recalled the celebrity media scrum in the hotel foyer. She drew her knees up and rested her arms on them, watching Zane interact with the kids.

  ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.’ Carly followed her gaze. ‘Zane’s smart. Since he invited you, he must know you can handle it. Forget I said anything.’ She stood and brushed the sand off her shorts. ‘Are we still friends?’

  ‘Of course.’ Molly couldn’t be mad at someone who cared about Zane, but she was glad for her sunglasses while she forced her mouth to smile. ‘Zane has great taste in friends.’

  Carly smiled back. ‘He’s not a bad one himself. Honestly, forget I said anything. I shouldn’t meddle.’

  Molly shrugged a shoulder, dismissing it. Apparently, her pretence of cool worked as Carly let herself accept the reassurance and went to join her boyfriend Gavin under an umbrella. Both Molly’s shoulders slumped. She hugged her knees.

  Zane hadn’t asked her to join him at the event. Her presence on the Gold Coast was entirely her idea. Did he think she could handle his celebrity status?

  Working for a local MP was way different. Then, it was all she could do to get media coverage for Greg. With Zane, journalists crawled out of the bushes.

  He had asked her to glam up for the big dinner. So he must believe she could handle it — unless dressing up was a test? Did he want to know if she could match him in the glamour stakes?

  No. She rested her chin on her arms. The nice guy listening to a teenager wouldn’t be testing her.

  He saw her watching, said something to the kids and came over to her. ‘You good?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  His eyes narrowed on her before he flicked down his shades. ‘Too much sun?’

  He’d read her body language and expression.

  She straightened. ‘I’m thinking that I have to leave all this to go shopping.’

  ‘My heart bleeds for you.’ He relaxed into a grin. ‘I thought women liked shopping.’

  ‘Not all of us! But I do. I just…’ She leaned her head a moment against his shoulder. ‘I’m feeling lazy.’

  ‘Would an incentive help?’ He took off his shades. His eyes were greener than tropical seas. ‘I appreciate you sacrificing the beach to glam up for me. Let me show you how much.’

  The kiss was hot. Zane’s hand firm at the back of her head.

  Not that she was thinking to escape.

  The teenagers exploded in giggles and cat calls.

  ‘Don’t eat the girl.’ And that was Oliver.

  Zane sighed. He touched noses. ‘You get a dress. I have to bury Oliver’s body.’

  Huge laughter from Oliver.

  A grin from Zane.

  Molly sat there dazed till he jumped up and pulled her up after him.

  He dusted the sand off her.

  She blushed and slapped at his caressing hand. ‘Kids are watching.’

>   ‘It’s all G-rated.’

  ‘No way.’ What she was feeling was R-rated, for sure. ‘I’m going to buy that dress.’

  ‘Knock me out.’

  ‘I will!’ She marched up the beach, hiding her embarrassment in mock anger.

  But her bravado melted as shopping for the perfect dress proved far harder than expected. After showering off the beach sand and sunscreen, she’d started the hunt confidently. Then the prices of the gowns in the hotel lobby boutique gave her chills and her credit card palpitations. So she ventured further. Unfortunately, most clothes shops were of the casual tourist trade or resort wear. After an hour, Molly’s feet were sore and she was seriously thinking of dressing up plain black trousers with a sparkly top.

  Glam-R-Us. She wrinkled up her nose. Maybe it would have to be the over-priced hotel boutique. Except that all its dresses looked the same. She’d be a cardboard cut-out piece of arm candy.

  Hmm. She’d never thought of herself as arm candy. A smile flickered. Zane would definitely want a taste.

  She shivered. Tonight.

  A small store between a shoe repair place and a bookshop caught her eye. It had a retro feel, though the clothes looked new. She stared at a silver miniskirt. She didn’t wear miniskirts, and this was way mini, but could it be made to look like she’d dressed up?

  ‘Cute skirt,’ the sales assistant said. Or maybe she was the manager. She was the only other person in the shop besides Molly. ‘Great for clubbing.’

  Molly winced. ‘Actually, I need something for a formal dinner.’

  The woman glanced at the skirt, then back at Molly. ‘You could make it work.’ She sounded dubious.

  Molly agreed. Someone with more confidence could carry it off, strut around with an equally abbreviated top and killer heels. Molly needed the clothes to help her, not the other way around. ‘It might have to do. The dinner’s tomorrow night and I promised Zane I’d find something today.’

  ‘Zane? Zane Carlton?’

  The manager was a few years older than Molly. Maybe 30. Zane’s age.

  ‘Do you know him?’

  ‘The name, yes. The man, no. Are you really accompanying him to the dinner?’

  ‘Yes.’

  There was a weird moment of silence while the woman scowled at the miniskirt.

  Molly thought maybe she’d edge to the door and get out while the going was good. If the woman whipped a 1970s vintage caftan out of the back, she’d run.

  ‘My name’s Andrea.’ The woman extended her hand.

  ‘Um, I’m Molly.’

  They shook hands. Totally weird.

  ‘My sister’s a designer. Mostly we stock stuff people can afford and can wear. Casual gear, some retro funk.’

  Molly nodded, cautiously.

  ‘But if Tanya, that’s my sister, is to move to the next level, she needs to get her name known. She’s got a couple of gowns in the back room. I’ll call her. She can do any alterations. You pick a gown, wear it tomorrow night, tell anyone and everyone that it’s a Tanya Starr design and that she’s local. Benefits all of us.’ Andrea looked aggressive and hopeful all at once.

  Molly understood the concept. Designers did it with televised award ceremonies, but this was a simple dinner and she wasn’t a celebrity. ‘That would work for me.’ Her credit card cheered. ‘But I’m not glamorous. I don’t think your sister would get much out of it.’

  ‘Will you tell people her name?’

  ‘I would, if I wore her gown, but I really think your sister should find someone else. Someone more…dazzling.’

  ‘Will you be on Zane Carlton’s arm?’

  ‘Yes.’ Okay, Zane was a celebrity. This could work. Ack! What was she thinking?

  Andrea caught her elbow and pulled her towards the back room. ‘At least look at the gowns.’

  While Molly stared, Andrea stood in the doorway, keeping her there, and phoned her sister, who arrived in ten minutes flat. And two minutes after that, decided which gown Molly would wear.

  ‘No,’ Molly said in horror.

  The two sisters advanced on her, the gown between them. ‘Your skin tone, your figure. You’ll look like a Hollywood goddess from the 1950s.’

  ‘They had censorship back then,’ Molly said. ‘I think they had more fabric in their bikinis than is in that dress.’

  ‘It stretches,’ Tanya said.

  Molly doubted it stretched that much and the fabric was an eye-catching gold, patterned like a jungle with scattered ruby red flowers.

  ‘Accessorising will be a cinch,’ Andrea said. ‘Gold sandals, gold jewellery. You got any rubies?’

  Molly’s jaw dropped.

  Andrea and Tanya laughed, excited. ‘Doesn’t matter.’

  She found herself bullied into a change room and wriggling into the gown. It didn’t so much stretch as cling. Complicated lacings held it to her front and left a lot of her back bare. She tugged down the short skirt.

  ‘Well, let’s see.’

  Molly stepped out uncertainly. She couldn’t wear this. She didn’t have lingerie this revealing and sexy and —

  Tanya had tears in her eyes.

  Hope, pride and desperation. Reading all that, Molly couldn’t say no. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said.

  In the next hour, Tanya and Andrea helped her find the perfect heels as well as gold bangles on a massive sales reduction. Since she wasn’t buying the gown, she bought the bangles although she preferred silver jewellery. They also insisted on purchasing make-up to match the drama of the outfit.

  ‘I’ll bring the gown back to you first thing Monday,’ Molly promised as she hugged her new best friends. ‘And I’ll tell you about everyone’s reaction to the gown.’

  ‘We’ll make sure our website is up to date and that a photo of the gown is front and centre,’ Andrea said, planning out loud. ‘Maybe we’ll call it Jungle Love.’

  Molly winced.

  Tanya hugged her again. ‘Thank you.’

  So as scary as the dress was, Molly felt excited and hopeful about the dinner and her appearance. Besides, if she got overwhelmed with shyness, Zane was big enough that she could hide behind him.

  Although there’d be nowhere to hide, tonight.

  Molly smiled as she walked into the hotel foyer. Tonight it would be just her and Zane.

  She hung the gown in her room and hurried back to the beach. She spotted Zane by the crowd gathered around him.

  He’d changed out of his wetsuit and into casual clothes, which meant he was free for the rest of what was left of the afternoon.

  She waved.

  He saw her and said a few final words to the teenagers and their parents before crossing to her. He put a hand at her waist, standing close and intent, so that his attention felt like a caress. ‘Looking at the smile in your eyes, I’m guessing you found a dress.’

  ‘The smile’s for you.’

  ‘Babe.’

  ‘But the dress is cool. Scary, but cool.’

  ‘Scary?’ An eyebrow went up.

  ‘I look sexy.’

  ‘You look sexy all the time. So this must be off the scales. I’ll brace.’

  She wet her lips. ‘You do that.’

  He leaned in.

  ‘Zane!’

  He sighed and looked around. ‘Damon.’

  Molly recognised the organiser of the event and Zane’s friend. He was a bit older than them, in his early forties, and great looking even now when he seemed harassed.

  ‘Zane, I forgot to ask that favour of you.’

  ‘What favour?’

  ‘We had a charity auction a few weeks back. A local kid who needs some help with his medical treatment.’

  ‘I can throw in some money,’ Zane said.

  Molly could read his tone though. It was a throw of the dice that he didn’t believe he could win. Nor did she. Damon was after something other than money.

  ‘Mate.’ Damon smiled. ‘I knew you’d be here for the event. You keep your word. So I volunteered you for a dinner
date.’

  ‘You didn’t,’ Zane growled.

  ‘Tonight.’

  Molly gasped, just a little.

  ‘We have plans,’ Zane said.

  Damon’s eyes shifted between them. ‘I get that. But two women bought you between them. Bought dinner with you,’ he corrected himself hastily as Zane’s hand dropped from Molly’s waist and he stepped forward. ‘They’re in their seventies, Zane. This is something fun for them, something special.’

  ‘Two grannies?’

  ‘They used to surf, back in the day. Still do.’

  ‘Surfing grannies?’ Zane asked, dumbfounded.

  Molly giggled.

  He looked down at her. ‘This is your night ruined, too, babe.’

  ‘I know.’ But when she’d heard two women had bought him, jealousy had flooded her in an ugly, cramping wave. Hearing that the two women were reliving their youth and planning on a fun evening out, well, she couldn’t help but giggle.

  ‘So you’ll do it? Great. I’ll text you the details.” Damon did a fast disappearing act.

  “I’ll kill him.’ Zane glared after his friend.

  Molly caught his hand and leaned into him. ‘It’s kind of cool that he knew you wouldn’t let down the two women. You’re a nice guy.’

  He frowned at her. ‘I had tonight planned. Room service, early night, you.’

  She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. ‘Sunday night, after the formal dinner. It’s even better in some ways because then I won’t have to worry about tiring you out before the competition.’

  He laughed.

  ‘I meant that you’d need your sleep.’

  He wrapped both arms around her and rocked her side to side, still grinning. ‘Sure, babe.’

  ‘Huh.’ She hid her red face against his throat and smiled.

  Chapter 10

  ‘Woohoo!’ Molly stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled ear-splittingly in the way she’d mastered as an eight year old. She hadn’t used that trick in ten years.

  Up on the podium, Zane raised the trophy high and grinned at her.