Nights at Seaside

by Addison Cole

  Relief washed through him. “For me, too, and I’m sorry that I was outside when you woke up, but if I had stayed beside you, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my hands off of you.”

  “That’s about the best reason I can imagine to be left alone. Actually, it was better. You gave me a chance to breathe. We skipped the whole awkward morning-after thing, and I got to see how clean you keep your bathroom.” She arched a brow. “Impressive.”

  “If a clean bathroom is impressive to you, wait until you see how spotless my gym is.” He expected her to laugh, but as her smile faltered and her eyes skipped away from his, he knew he’d struck a nerve.

  “You don’t like clean gyms?” he said to lighten the mood, knowing she was still wrestling with his career. She didn’t respond, and that worried him. “Sky, talk to me. If you can’t handle what I do for a living, please tell me.”

  When she looked up at him, he saw how conflicted she was and felt it like a kick to the gut. “Why did you sleep with me if you’re unsure?”

  “Because I really like you, Sawyer, and I guess I just pushed the whole fighting thing away. It doesn’t even feel real to me.”

  “Oh, it’s real all right, Sky. It’s very real.”

  “I get that, and I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve seen you play your guitar, and I’ve spent time hanging out with you. Heck, I saw you do yoga on the beach, and that’s about as passive as it gets.”

  “Yoga centers me.” He hated how frustrated he sounded, but he’d opened his heart for the first time ever. Sky was intelligent and sweet. She was creative and thoughtful, and she obviously put family first, just as he did. He’d never felt this strong of a connection before. She saw the world through the same lens he did—except with regard to his career—and he didn’t want to think about losing her because of his career.

  “Yoga is a way to come down from the high of my workout. Before you woke up, I did a hundred push-ups, two hundred sit-ups, a weight workout, and I went for an eight-mile run.”

  “And you punched the air,” she added wistfully.

  He looked at her in confusion.

  “I saw you on the beach. You were punching the air.”

  He pulled her in close and kissed her again, despite the string of doubt hanging between them. “You’re so stinkin’ cute, Sky. Shadowboxing. It’s a way to warm up, or in this morning’s case, to release energy.”

  She pressed her forehead to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, memorizing the feel of her. If he took her home and she decided that this was all they’d have, he wanted to remember everything about this moment. How she’d had such a big impact on him so fast, he had no idea. But he wasn’t about to pick it apart to figure it out. He soaked in her scent, the feel of her soft curves against his hard body, and he hoped—man, did he hope—that she’d come around and give him a chance.

  Chapter Eleven

  SKY FILLED MERLIN’S bowls with fresh food and water and crouched beside the kitchen counter to love him up. He purred as he rubbed against her. Sawyer had dropped her off a few minutes ago, and her head was still spinning from their conversation.

  “I know that he told me he was a boxer before we slept together, but that’s not the point,” she said to Merlin, who stared at her like she was talking to him about the virtues of cat food.

  “Ha!” Jenna said as she came through the screen door. “I told you she slept with him.”

  Bella and Amy followed her in, each of them wearing sundresses over their bathing suits, their go-to summer outfits.

  “Did the fact that I didn’t come home last night clue you in?” Sky asked with a laugh.

  Jenna bent down and petted Merlin. “Hello, baby boy. Did Mama give you all the details on her hot sex god of a boyfriend?”

  Bella snagged a pretzel from the jar on the counter and pointed it at Sky. “You have that freshly bedded look, but it’s rough around the edges, like maybe he wasn’t as good as we hoped he would be?”

  “I didn’t know we were hoping for good sex.” Sky flopped down on the couch with a loud sigh. “To answer your curiosity, he was a-ma-zing in bed, thank you very much.”

  Bella tapped her chin. “I remember a certain someone who said that when she fell for a guy, she was going to wait to have sex.”

  Am I falling for him? “I tried to wait, but…”

  “He was too big and strong and enticing?” Jenna suggested as she sat down beside Sky.

  “He was too tasty of a morsel?” Amy asked with a wiggle of her brows.

  “No, you guys. This is Sky. Our earthy girl. I think it has more to do with who he is as a person than any of those things.” Bella narrowed her eyes. “We know he says really sweet things, so I can only imagine what came out of his mouth when you guys were all hot and heavy.”

  Sky rested her head back on the couch and sighed dreamily. “He’s…gosh, you guys. I think romantic things just flow directly from his soul. Bella’s right. It’s who he is.” She couldn’t suppress her smile. “And all those other things you guys said, too.”

  “So why did you have the long face a minute ago?” Amy asked as she sank down beside her on the couch.

  “Because I finally meet a guy who isn’t a jerk or dumb as a doorknob, and he’s a boxer. A fighter. He takes pleasure in beating the stuffing out of other people.”

  “Five bucks.” Jenna held out her hand to Bella. Bella took it and set it on top of her little baby bump with a sly smile.

  “My own sister-in-law bet on me? Did you bet on me having sex or on me freaking out about him being a fighter?”

  Jenna pointed at Bella. “She said you wouldn’t sleep with him because he was a boxer, so I said you would because the way he looked at you last night was like you were the only person on the entire beach.”

  “And everyone knows we women melt when we’re looked at like that,” Amy added. “She really meant it in the best way.”

  “I’m sure she did. You guys, what am I going to do?”

  Merlin pawed at Sky’s leg, and she lifted him into her lap. He purred as he settled his chin over her leg and closed his eyes.

  Sky sighed and said, “Why can’t he be like Merlin, just—”

  “Furry with a motor you can turn on and off?” Bella asked. “That pretty much describes every man I know.”

  “Caden isn’t very furry,” Amy said as she rubbed her belly. “He’s got hardly any chest hair at all. Like my man. The perfect amount of fur and a motor that revs up with a kiss.”

  “Okay.” Sky set Merlin on Amy’s lap and rose to her feet. “You guys are totally not helping, and I need to go get some work done at my shop before it gets any later.”

  “Wait.” Amy pulled her back down beside her. “You can’t just leave us in limbo like this. So how did you leave things with Mr. A-ma-zing?”

  “I don’t know. I told him that I needed to think about everything, and then I kissed him.”

  “And now you can’t see straight.” Amy threw her hands around Sky’s neck and hugged her. “It’s okay, Sky. You’re supposed to feel all dizzy and not be able to think straight when you’re falling for a guy.”

  “I’m not falling.” She pushed to her feet, hating her indecision and annoyed with herself for not thinking through Sawyer’s boxing before she allowed herself to get closer to him. His voice was already ingrained in her mind, his touch still lingered on her skin—and she needed to get the heck out of there before her friends saw it written all over her face.

  An hour later Sky was standing on a stool outside her shop, painting a coat of bright yellow on the columns between the windows, when her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and saw her brother Matt’s handsome face. She’d wondered when the news of Sawyer would reach him.

  “Hey, Matty,” she said.

  “Hi, sis. How’s everything going?” Matt’s tone was patient, whereas her other brothers always seemed in a bit of a rush.

  “I’m sure you already know the answer to that.” She smiled
when he laughed. “So tell me what you really want to know, and you might as well butter me up with a promise to be at my grand opening.”

  “You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Sky.”

  She saw Matt so rarely that when they spoke it made her miss him even more. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. Just tell me everything’s cool with you and this boxer guy I’m hearing about. Is he treating you well?”

  She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yes, of course.”

  “And are you happy?”

  “Do I sound happy?” she asked.

  “You always sound happy, but are you happy inside? I’m too far away to know.”

  “Yes, Matty. Very happy. If you’d move back here you’d see just how happy.” Matt was a professor at Princeton, and most summers he took on summer courses, leaving him little time to visit or take vacations.

  He was silent for a beat, and Sky wondered if she’d annoyed him. She asked him to move back practically every time they spoke.

  “Maybe I’ll consider that,” he finally said. “Hold on. Someone’s here.” She heard him open a door, and a female voice rang out. There was a heated exchange, and Matt got back on the phone and said, “Sis, I’ve got to run. I love you. Call me if you need anything or want to talk.”

  “Love you too, Matty.” She hung up the phone, wondering what that was all about, but as she glanced down the street at all the people and the town she loved, she let that worry fall away.

  She watched a mother carry a young boy into Puzzle Me This, and just beyond, a couple was kissing in front of Shop Therapy. She loved the graffiti-style paintings that ran from the roof to the sidewalk and brought Shop Therapy to life. She turned and looked over her shoulder at the Little Shop, a small cottage-style shop painted bright red, and her eyes were drawn to the bright yellow café, Blondies & Burgers, beside it. Commercial Street was so vibrant and alive. A gentle breeze carried the paint fumes away, and every so often the scents of baked goods wafted up from the Portuguese bakery.

  This was where she belonged. She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted—needed—to put down roots after she’d lost her mother, but she already felt more grounded than she had in years. And as laughter and commotion filled the air from passersby, she grew even more excited about her impending grand opening. She imagined Sawyer sitting on the stoop by the front door playing his guitar, and her smile faltered a little. Why couldn’t coming to grips with his fighting be as easy as knowing she’d put up her shop in the right place?

  “Hi, sweetie!” Lizzie shaded her eyes from the sun and smiled up at Sky. “I just got these in and wanted to bring you some.” She held up a vase full of colorful flowers.

  “Thanks, Lizzie. Those are beautiful.” Sky climbed down the ladder and followed Lizzie inside to set the flowers on the coffee table.

  “We’ve got spray roses, daisies, button spray chrysanthemums, Monte Cassino asters, and of course, Limonium. Always Limonium.” Lizzie sighed as she glanced around the shop and set her hands on her hips. Limonium was used in many bouquets, and Lizzie always said if there was ever a flower she could tire of, it was that one. Sky thought it was pretty. “Look at this place. It’s really coming along.”

  “I know. I’m so excited. I’m hoping to do some shopping later and pick up a few more chimes and maybe a chair. Want a soda from the back?”

  “No, thanks. I can’t stay. The store has been crazy busy, but I wanted to drop those off to brighten your day—and see how things with Sawyer are going, of course.” Her eyes widened with curiosity.

  “He’s amazing,” Sky said as they walked back out front. “He’s coming to the grand opening and he agreed to play his guitar. I really like him, Lizzie.”

  “That’s awesome. I Googled him. Sky, he’s totally hot.” Lizzie peeked into her store.

  “Do you need to go?” Sky picked up the paintbrush again.

  “In a sec. There aren’t any customers. Everyone seems to like Sawyer.”

  Sky climbed the ladder and began painting again. “Everyone?”

  “I saw Blue when he was working on your shop earlier and he said your brothers met him and that everyone thought he was a good guy—and crazy about you!”

  “What else did he say? Did he tell you he had him checked out?”

  Lizzie laughed. “No, but it doesn’t surprise me, the way he hovers around you.”

  Sky rolled her eyes.

  “Sorry, but he does. Anyway, he said Sawyer didn’t shy away from their inquisition, which I wouldn’t imagine was a whole lot of fun for him.”

  “Inquisition? Sawyer never said anything to me about them questioning him.”

  “They’re just watching out for you.” Lizzie gazed with interest at a group of hot guys walking by.

  “I can take care of myself,” Sky said with frustration. “I’ve always paid my own way and I make my own living. I don’t need to be taken care of.”

  “Oh, Sky. Everyone needs taking care of.”

  Why was it that when Lizzie said something like that it felt real and important? And, she realized, for all her fighting about her brothers being overprotective, it validated what she felt when she was with Sawyer.

  “Most important,” Lizzie said. “What do you really think of him? Beyond the surface stuff.”

  “I like him a lot. He’s smart and kind, and he’s so good to me. He seems to really love his family, and you know that’s important to me.”

  Lizzie smiled at a family as they passed. Then she crossed her arms and her voice turned serious. “Sky, it takes a certain type of person to step into a ring and fight.”

  Sky’s pulse quickened with the urge to defend Sawyer—even though she wasn’t sold on his fighting either.

  “And? What’s your take on it, Liz?”

  Lizzie shrugged and said, “That you’re a big girl and you’ll figure it out.”

  “That’s your advice?”

  “You just finished telling me that you can take care of yourself, and I have faith in your ability to make sound decisions. You always have before.”

  “Not after Mom died.”

  “Oh, Sky. Yes, you did. You didn’t go out and get blitzed or turn to drugs or anything like that. You curled up for a while in your safe little nest.”

  “And needed Pete to rescue me.”

  “No, Sky. You didn’t need rescuing. You needed someone to be there for you so you could find your way past the loss of your mother. The more I get to know Pete, the more I think that he needed to take care of you. That was part of his grieving. You said that you two have always had a give-and-take relationship like that. He protected you, and you gave him reasons to. But I’ve noticed that since your dad got out of rehab Pete no longer takes on that role with you.”

  He had eased up—that was for sure. It wasn’t Pete who had wanted to check up on Sawyer, but Grayson. Did that mean that Grayson hadn’t moved past their mother’s death?

  “You’ve both grown,” Lizzie pointed out. “You’ve shown him that you can handle difficult situations, and he’s left behind the need to be everyone’s savior. He has Jenna to take care of now.”

  “And what about Grayson? He’s gotten more protective of me.”

  “Gray? He’s been protective of you for as long as I’ve known you guys. But he’s also been eclipsed by Pete’s big shadow.”

  “Is life really that complicated, Lizzie?”

  Lizzie laughed softly, put her hands in the pockets of her cutoffs, and said, “It’s that complicated and that simple.”

  When Lizzie went back to her shop, Sky wondered if she was making life more complicated than it had to be. She put away her paints and was washing out her brushes when Blue came downstairs from the apartment.

  “Hey, Sky. I’ve got that hole all patched up.”

  “Thanks. I’m leaving for a while. I’ll hang the Closed for the Morning sign out front.”

  “Is everything okay? Do you need more paint? Because I can run down to the ha
rdware store and grab it if you don’t want to break your stride.”

  She dried her hands on a towel and said, “Actually, I think I’m going to stop by the fight club and watch Sawyer train.”

  “Really? You okay, or do you want me to go with you?”

  She drew in a deep breath, thinking of what Lizzie had said and wondering about the roles that everyone played in her life—her brothers, her father, her friends, Blue—and the role she played in theirs. “I’m okay, but thanks, Blue. I appreciate the offer.”

  “Hey, Sky?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I just want you to know that you looked really happy with Sawyer last night, and I’m happy for you.”

  Maybe life really was that complicated, and that simple.

  STEP INTO THE ring strong and step out stronger. That was what Roach had taught Sawyer since the first day he’d begun training him. Roach didn’t believe in saving strength or strategizing the best time for a fighter to give his all. He’d made it clear to Sawyer and anyone else who would listen that they were either in it to win the whole way through or they were in it to lose. Period.

  Sawyer was never in anything to lose.

  “You’re a powerhouse today, Songbird.” Roach paced beside the ring, eyes stern, arms crossed.

  Adrenaline coursed through Sawyer’s veins. He’d been so wound up after Sky’s confession he’d come straight to the gym. He’d gone eight rounds on the heavy bag, four rounds on the double-end bag, five rounds of skipping rope, and by the time Roach came in, he was geared up and ready to spar. He was on his fifth round sparring Tanner Delroy, a professional sparring partner, and he had no desire to slow down.

  “Come on, Delroy,” Roach hollered. “Get back in there and give it to him.”

  Sawyer sneered around his mouth guard at Roach as he stepped into the ring. Roach was responding to the belligerent attitude Sawyer couldn’t seem to shake, and it only made Sawyer’s blood boil more intensely as he finished the round.