Just This Night

by Mari Madison

  Beth shrugged. “She promised to make me sorry. Gotta say, she’s off to a terrific start.”

  I scowled, the situation all too familiar for comfort. Another day, another station. God, sometimes I hated TV news. I mean, here I was, on the opposite end of the country, reliving the same old drama I’d tried to escape from back home. I was beginning to realize that no matter where I went, the story was always going to be the same. For every reporter like Beth—who truly seemed to want to right wrongs and make a difference—there were dozens of grown men and women, reenacting their own version of the TV News Hunger Games, vying for just a few more precious minutes of airtime.

  I’d seen reporters like Stephanie too many times before. Addicted to the stress, the fast pace, the glory and the prestige. Falling victim to the idea that you weren’t anyone—if you weren’t on TV. And then, when that on-air identity was stripped for one reason or another, they crashed like drug addicts in detox, losing sight of themselves, chasing after the fleeting public persona like that was all that kept them glued together.

  If Stephanie was like the others—and I had no doubt she was—blue hair would only be the beginning. I just hoped Beth would be strong enough to handle it. Maybe if I was there to help . . .

  Then again . . . My thoughts drifted to another reporter who I’d once tried to protect. Victoria herself. But I hadn’t been able to save her from the rotten business. And, in the end, I was the one who became the true victim. Well, Ashley and I, that was. And I had no interest in repeating that little slice of history, thank you very much.

  No, it was better to stay professional. Stay aloof. After all, the last thing I needed was to get dragged down into more drama. Mixed up in another scandal. The whole Boston fiasco had nearly ruined me—and Ashley was still suffering from the shrapnel. I needed to put her first this time. Keep my head down. Not cause a scene. Stay on the sidelines and let Beth fight her own battles and remain uninvolved.

  It was for the best.

  But it was also going to be hard as hell.

  I realized Beth had risen to her feet and was pacing across the sand like a caged tiger, her hands still clutching the bottle of hairspray. “She wants to play?” I heard her mutter under her breath. “Well, I can play. I can—”

  “Take the high road?” I suggested.

  She whirled around, looking at me with scorn. “Why should I? She doesn’t deserve that!”

  “No. She doesn’t,” I agreed. “She deserves all you could throw at her and then some. But Beth, you’ll just be playing into her hands. Don’t you see? She wants you to be pissed. So pissed that you’ll do something stupid that will get you fired.” I shook my head. “You don’t need to stoop to her level. You’re better than that.”

  Beth winced and I could tell my words were hitting home. She looked up at me, her eyes pleading. “It’s just not fair. And I’m so mad.”

  “It’s okay to be mad,” I assured her. “You can bitch about it to me all night long if you want to. Just don’t let her win.” I gave her a sorry look. “Trust me, I say this from experience.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” she asked, sounding curious despite herself.

  But I only waved her off. It was the last thing I wanted to get into right about now. “Just . . . try to rise above and not let her get to you.”

  “What if she tries something else?”

  “I have no doubt she will. But we’ll get through it. Whatever it is.”

  She bit her lower lip. “We?” she repeated doubtfully.

  Shit. Did I say we? So much for all my good intentions of staying aloof. Mac, the idiot knight in shining armor, charging in, once more with feeling. I sighed.

  “Yes,” I assured her. “Like I told you yesterday, we’re a team. And I’ve got your back—no matter what.”

  She let out a choking sob and against my better judgment I found myself pulling her into my arms. She felt so small, so fragile cradled in my embrace, and I felt a fierce protectiveness wash over me, despite my best efforts. Mostly because she was right—this wasn’t fair. She had done nothing to deserve this and it killed me to just stand there and comfort her without promising to go forth and defend her honor, even though I knew it was the last thing in the world I needed to be doing.

  I’d tried that long ago. And look where it had gotten me.

  Okay fine, I couldn’t fight her war. But I could pull her closer to me, until her body was flush to mine. I could let her head rest against my chest. Could stroke her hair, rejoicing in the silkiness of each strand—and assure her that, in her case, blue was still beautiful.

  She pulled away then, looking up at me with large tortured eyes. My heart wrenched in my chest and I reached up, swiping away the tear that had slipped down her cheek. Her skin was so smooth—so impossibly soft.

  Her lips parted, as if she was about to speak. But suddenly I found I didn’t want her to. I didn’t want her to say all the sensible things I knew she was about to say. I didn’t want her to break the spell. I didn’t want to be forced to let her go.

  And so instead I did the dumbest thing I could have possibly done in a situation like this.

  I leaned down. And I kissed her.

  twenty-five

  BETH

  I startled as Mac’s lips came crashing down on mine, so swift, so unexpected that, in an instant, my brain seemed to short-circuit and I forgot everything I was about to say. Like a hard drive, erased by a heavy-duty magnet, I suddenly found myself a blank slate as his mouth covered my own. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t focus on anything at all except the heat that coursed through my body like a wildfire.

  His kiss was firm, yet soft. Demanding, yet inviting. And when I let out a shuddering breath, his tongue took advantage, plunging into my mouth as if in search of an even deeper connection between us. Soon my heart was hammering against my ribcage and I was forced to cling to him as my knees threatened to buckle out from under me. He smiled against my mouth and seemed to pull me tighter, one hand secured at the curve of my lower back, the other tangling in my hair. My breasts tingled, now squashed against his solid chest and my skin erupted into goosebumps.

  For one blissful moment there was no Stephanie. No News 9. No job in jeopardy.

  But it didn’t last.

  It couldn’t.

  And sure enough, a moment later, he pulled away, stumbling backward. The break in our connection caused a sudden pang of emptiness deep inside—like the phantom pain one feels after losing a limb. But I ignored it as best I could—what else could I do?—focusing instead on trying to still my racing heart and steady my breath.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” he said, pacing the beach with marked agitation.

  “Um, I didn’t ask you to,” I mentioned, feeling annoyance creep in amongst my unhappiness. This hot and cold thing he had going on needed to stop if I was going to retain any sense of sanity. “You kissed me, remember?”

  He raked a hand through his hair and groaned. “I know,” he said quietly. “And I’m sorry for that. You just looked so goddamned beautiful, I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m truly stunning,” I declared sarcastically. “A truly stunning Smurfette!” Flipping my blue stained hair, I broke into a little Smurf dance. “How did their song go again? La, la, la la la, la. La, la, la, la, la.”

  He groaned and sank down onto the sand, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Oh God,” he said. “That should so not be as sexy as it is.”

  I rolled my eyes and plopped down next to him on the sand. Then I cocked my head so I could peer into his eyes. “Mac,” I said, getting serious, “I think it’s time you tell me what’s really going on here.”

  He nodded slowly, giving me a tortured look. His eyes were red, I noticed. And he looked tired. As if he hadn’t slept a wink the night before. As if he hadn’t slept well all year.

  “Look, Beth,” he began. “You gotta understand. I never meant to drag you into my screwed-up lif
e. When I went to that club, I had no intentions of hooking up—I had sworn off women for good and was just there to get my brother-in-law off my back.” He sighed. “But then you walked in, stunningly gorgeous and clever as all hell, tricking that bartender with the tequila thing. And then when we started dancing?” He groaned. “I was like a drug addict fresh out of rehab and you were my perfect vice.” He gave me a rueful grin and I wrinkled my nose, trying not to feel pleased at the backhanded compliment.

  I drew in a breath. “No offense,” I said, trying to gather my courage. After all, we had to be honest with one another if this was going to work somehow. “But it’s not like you’re married, right? I mean, what’s stopping you from pursuing a relationship?”

  “Just the fucked-up mess I made of my last one,” he replied without missing a beat. “With Ashley’s mother.”

  “Oh.” I fell silent, my heart thrumming in my chest. “Right.”

  He kicked at the sand with his shoe. “Trust me, I don’t need to go into the gory details. Let’s just say it almost ruined me. And it pretty much tore my baby girl apart.” He sank his head into hands. “I can’t risk putting her through something like that again.” He lifted his head, his eyes fierce. “I won’t,” he clarified. “She’s my priority now. To pursue anything beyond her—that would just be selfish.” He glanced over at me. “I’m sorry.”

  I gave him a sad smile, my heart aching at the pain I saw on his face. “I understand,” I said. “And it’s not something to apologize for. If anything, it’s admirable. Like father-of-the-year level admirable.”

  He snorted. “Uh, yeah. It may be a while before I win any trophies,” he said. “But I’m trying.” He paused. “In any case, I’m sorry again for dragging you into all of this. I wanted to tell you everything that first night—but I was actually kind of enjoying the fantasy of it all. The idea that I was, for once, totally free to do what I wanted to do—not what I was supposed to do.” He gave me a shy look. “It was a great night, Beth. Probably the best in recent memory.”

  I felt a blush creep to my cheeks. “I enjoyed it, too,” I admitted. “It was . . . special. Way more special, I guess, than a one-night stand has any right to be.”

  “Yeah, well, hopefully you got what you needed, too,” he said with a shrug. “Showed your ex or whatever.”

  “Wait, what?” I stared at him, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest. “Where did you hear about my ex?”

  He looked sheepish. “Your roommate said something about it as I was leaving. That you were trying to get back at him or whatever. That’s why you hooked up with me.”

  My cheeks burned and I turned away, too embarrassed to even look at him. “Oh my God. I am going to kill her,” I muttered. “I am literally going to kill her.”

  Mac put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay,” he assured me. “It’s just . . . I think we both needed something that night. And I’m glad we were there to give it to each other.”

  “Yeah,” I said thoughtfully. “Me, too, actually.”

  He opened his arm and I crawled to him, cuddling my head against his shoulder. For a moment, we just sat there, staring out into the ocean, focusing on the ebb and flow of the tides. The sounds of the children had faded in the distance and all we could hear was the crash of the waves against the shore. It should have been awkward. But it wasn’t. In fact, it was strangely peaceful. It felt right.

  Suddenly Mac blurted out, “Do you want to meet her?”

  I raised my head, turning to him in question, my adrenaline spiking in my veins. “Who? Ashley?”

  I could see his hard swallow. “Yeah,” he said. “I mean, if you wanted to, anyway. You could come over. I could order pizza.”

  “Are you sure you want me to?” I asked. “I mean, I don’t have to.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them, locking them on me. “Yes,” he said. “I’m sure.”

  The look on his face told me this was a big deal. A really big step for him—maybe one he hadn’t ever taken before. He was letting me in. For real, this time.

  “I would be honored,” I said.

  twenty-six

  MAC

  We arrived back at my place around 6 P.M. I showed Beth the shower so she could attempt to wash the blue dye from her hair, then called Sadie, letting her know she was free to drop Ashley off at any time. I could almost hear the evil grin in my sister’s voice as I added that she should let Ash know Daddy was having a friend over for dinner and she’d get to play with her. Thankfully, my sister didn’t tease me too much.

  I still didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Or if this was even a good idea. All I did know was that I’d been a real jerk—and it was time to man up. Beth had enough shit going on in her life right now, without having me complicate things further. If we were going to be coworkers—and maybe even friends—we had to sit down and talk like two adults. Figure out what was going on between us and figure out a way to stop it before it got any more complicated.

  Which means no more making out, I reminded myself. We’re talking pure friend zone from this point on.

  I groaned as my mind flashed back to the kiss on the beach. To the feel of her soft, sweet lips sweeping hungrily against my own. To the way she had clung to me, as if I really was some kind of superhero with the power to save the day. Instead of a burned-out photog with a kid in tow.

  In another life, in another world . . .

  I heard the shower turn off and sighed in relief. It’d been hard work, concentrating on not thinking about Beth in my shower. Not thinking about her running my bar of soap up and down her slick, wet, naked body. God, that soap was a lucky bastard.

  The old me might have taken advantage, slipped into the bathroom, dropped trou, and made sure she didn’t miss any of her 2000 parts. First with soap, then with water.

  Then, if all went well, with my tongue.

  The new me? Well, he would evidently content himself with breaking out in a cold sweat, while simultaneously breaking the cork in the bottle of wine he was trying to open.

  Oh yeah. I was hot stuff, that was for sure.

  This isn’t a date, I reminded myself for the thousandth time. She’s about to meet your daughter, for God’s sake. Not exactly time to get your shower sex on.

  Besides, Beth had a lot more to deal with without having to worry about being licked head to toe by her horny coworker. She had been cruelly sabotaged. Her job almost put in jeopardy. Not to mention she still didn’t have a place to live. Right now, she needed a friend. And I was determined to fill that role.

  Even if it ended up killing me.

  I gave the corkscrew a tug. The cork gave way and the wine burst out with it, succeeding in splashing all over my shirt. Awesome. By the end of the night I was sure to be leading contender for Bachelor of the Year. Sighing, I set down the wine and headed back to my bedroom to grab a new shirt, only to smack into Beth in the hallway.

  Beth, who was clad only in a towel.

  “Oh!” she cried, startled, losing her grip on the towel in question. Only for a split second, mind you, but it was enough. Enough for me to glimpse the swell of her perfect breasts, the rounded flare of her full hips, the dark thatch between her legs. And just like that I was thrown back to the one night we’d shared. When my hands had wrapped around those hips, pulling her tight against me. When my mouth had suckled those breasts, my tongue swirling around the tips. I could almost hear the soft mewing cries that had escaped her lips as I thoroughly ravaged her without apology.

  And . . . so much for friend zoning.

  “Sorry!” I cried, trying to garner up all my strength to turn away and pretend to be a gentleman. “I was just . . . I didn’t know you were . . .”

  “I forgot to bring my clothes into the bathroom,” she stammered, her face bright red as she clutched the towel tight to her body with white-knuckled fingers. It was then that I realized I was still standing in her way.

  “Sorry,” I said again, angling so she could move
past me. I could feel my erection pressing hard against my jeans and prayed she didn’t look down. Thankfully, she kept her eyes averted as she pushed past me to enter the spare bedroom, closing the door and clicking the lock behind her. I let out a heavy groan, then retreated to my own bedroom to change.

  Had this been a really, really bad idea?

  After donning a new shirt, I headed back to the kitchen, grabbing the bottle of scotch from the counter and treating myself to a decent pour. Liquid courage and all that. The rate that things were going, I was going to need it.

  A moment later Beth emerged from the bedroom. The towel was gone, but what had replaced it did little to calm my libido. From the emerald green tank top that clung to her breasts and accented her flat stomach, to a free-flowing skirt made out of some kind of filmy material that swished against her hips as she walked. God, it wasn’t fair. Though, truth be told, I was pretty sure she could have stepped out wearing a garbage bag and I would have found myself just as aroused.

  “You clean up nice,” I teased her, desperate to lighten the mood.

  Her cheeks took on a rosy glow. “Thank you. I got a few things at the mall this morning before my shift. Most of my regular clothes are pretty trashed thanks to you know who.”

  I gave her a rueful look. “Well, you did good,” I assured her. “The green really brings out your eyes.”

  “More than the blue?” she snarked. Then she sighed. “I guess I should be grateful she didn’t decide to use something more permanent.” Reaching down, she grabbed the glass of wine I’d poured her and took a long slug, then plopped down onto the couch.

  For a moment, silence fell over the room. But strangely, it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. In fact, it felt weirdly peaceful, just sitting side by side, not saying a word. Victoria had been such a talker, always bitching about how someone had done something that she found offensive; I ended up tuning her out half the time. And now I had Ashley, who I loved more than life itself, but seriously never shut up.

  The doorbell rang. Speak of the devil.