by Claire Adams
Casey's eyes filled with tears as she clung to me. "It hurts like a bitch. Check it and make sure my ankle isn't torn open."
Vivian moved up beside us and ran her hand down Casey's leg. "It's red but–”
"Ouch! That fucking hurts!" Casey screamed as Vivian jerked her hand back.
"It's okay. We'll get it fixed up. Just grind your teeth together and try and relax." I jogged toward the minute clinic and moved back as Vivian opened the door. Casey couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds, which was appreciated seeing that I was jogging through sand with wet feet.
We got Casey checked in and situated in the back before making our way back to the tiny waiting room. I sat down and let out a long sigh, realizing that our towels, clothes and room keys were still on the beach. My pretty cohort sat down beside me and ran her fingers through her hair.
"She's okay, right?" Vivian looked a little shaken.
"Yeah, just a jelly sting. They'll get the stinger out and give her a little bit of ointment. No big deal. Come here." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and tugged her closer on the cold bench seat. "You didn't get stung, did you?"
"No. I was too concerned with testing out your sock theory." She gave me a saucy smile.
"You wanted to. I knew it." I licked my lips playfully.
Her laughter warmed me, but her persona drove me to reach up and touched the side of her face.
"You have no idea how beautiful you are." I brushed my thumb over her lip as my entire body lit on fire.
"Easton. Please." She glanced down, but returned her gaze to mine. I could see a hint of the desire that pumped through me pumping through her as well. It was all I needed.
"Hush." I leaned in and pulled her face toward mine, pressing my lips to hers as our noses brushed by each other. She opened her mouth and moaned softly, inviting me in as her tongue slid past mine.
I wanted to dominate her completely, but I forced my desires back and returned her soft exploring kiss. Not wanting it to end, I moved closer and continued to kiss and lick at her pretty mouth until she pulled back. Her eyes were glossy, lips wet, and the soft pants that left her almost sent me over the edge of desire.
"Don't do that again," she whispered.
I pulled her back toward me, kissing her again for good measure. I cupped her face in both of my hands and worked my tongue in and out of her mouth, wanting her to suck on it so damn bad. As if she could hear my inner thoughts, she began to suck softly, and then harder. We emulated the sex that it seemed we both wanted, and the room grew faint as I gave myself over to her. I wasn't one to put on a public display of affection, but something about this girl had me breaking all my rules.
I pulled back as the room started to spin and I got a little light-headed.
"Fuck," I grumbled and brushed my fingers over my lips. "Don't you know that telling a dominant male not to do something is an invitation to have him do it? Do they not teach you girls these things?"
"Of course I do," she whispered seductively and got up, walking to the counter as if to check on Casey.
I leaned back against the bench seat and watched her as my body hardened. One night. Just one night was all I needed to convince her that maybe we could be a bit more than friends.
Wait. All you want is friends.
Right.
Chapter 13
Vivian
"I just wanted to check on my friend." I glanced up at the nurse at the front desk of the minute clinic as she scowled at me.
"She'll be out any minute. Have a seat, miss."
I figured as much, but needed a reason to break away from Easton. A large part of me wanted to crawl into his lap and forget that we were in public. It was a damn good thing that we were. His kisses were capable of breaking down my reserve fast.
Butterflies danced in my stomach as I turned and let my eyes move across him. The thick swell of his chest and stomach were beyond delicious. The bulge at the front of his shorts was bigger than it had been back at the beach, but after making out for the last few minutes, he'd better be turned on.
"You don't have to stay here. I'll be good just waiting on Casey myself." I stood in front of him.
He rose to his feet and ran his hands over my shoulders and down my arms. "I don't mind. Let's grab her and get her back to the hotel, then I can go back out to get our stuff."
"My room key was in the pocket of my shorts. I don't have an id or anything to get back to my room with." I tried not to enjoy the warmth of just having his hands on me.
"I'm well-known at the hotel, which should work in my favor today. We'll have them get you a new key, or you can just stay with me while I get your stuff." He squeezed my shoulders and looked past me. "There she is."
I smiled and turned, moving to wrap an arm around Casey as she hobbled toward us.
"How freaking embarrassing." She shook her head and turned to look up at me. "I'm sorry."
"About what? I would have done the same thing, but worse. I'd probably have asked Easton to pee on it for me." I gave her a goofy grin and she smiled in return.
"And I'd have done it too." He wagged his eyebrows playfully.
"Let's get you back to the hotel." I rolled my eyes at the sexy dark-haired man that was soon to steal my heart if I wasn't careful.
"That sounds good. The ointment should help a little with the burn. The doctor said I would be fine later tonight. It just stings like hell, but whatever." She shrugged and moved out of the clinic with my help. We took our time getting back to the hotel, making sure that Casey wasn't in any sort of pain.
Easton offered ten times to carry her, but she wouldn't have any of it. She was independent and wanted to prove it to both of us. The girl had more spirit than anyone else I knew. She would be back on her feet and ready to have a good time within hours.
"Let me go grab a key from the front desk and we'll get you settled." He moved away from us as I turned to Casey.
"You really okay? I'm worried about you." I held onto her narrow shoulders and searched her face for the truth.
"I'm good. It just burns, but no big deal. I'll get over it." She glanced toward the front desk. "I like him. He would be really good for you. Really."
"I know." I followed her line of sight and let my eyes move across his thick muscular back as my body ached for more of him. "I'm just scared. We just met him. If I could assure myself that nothing but a friendship could come of it, I would be okay. I just don't think that's the case."
"I understand that, but wouldn't you rather limp your way across the finish line of life having loved a million times and lost than to never have really experienced the exhilaration of being in love at all?" She gave me a soft smile.
"Yeah, I think so, but this guy...he's different." I turned my attention back to her. "I don't want to focus on men right now, Case. I want to focus on me. My career is about to start, and I don't want to miss out on any of the moments coming up because I'm heartbroken from the latest bullshit some dude wants to put me through."
"Viv."
"No, I'm serious. A night with him would be magical, a week – heaven." I shrugged. "Anything more, and I'm sure he'd soon discover what Jackson figured out."
"And that is?" Her voice tightened as she narrowed her eyes on me.
"Okay girls." Easton stopped beside me and lifted his eyebrow. "Wow. Looks like a catfight is about to start. Should I get in the middle or move back fast? I can pop a mean bowl of popcorn too."
"We're good." I reached for the key he offered. "I'm going to take her back up to the room. If you'll wait for me, I'll run back to the beach with you to get our stuff."
"Sounds good." He turned to Casey. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks for your help today. You're my hero." She blinked her eyes rapidly, making her impossibly cute.
"Come on, love bug." I put my arm around her shoulder and moved us to the elevator without giving Easton another look.
"You're wrong, Viv. I never step in the middle of your business, but I
really think you're off about this guy. He lives in New York. He does something like what you want to do. He's crazy about you, obviously." She hopped to the back of the elevator and leaned against the wall. "Maybe he's the guy that's supposed to get you over Jackson."
"What if I'm not ready to get over Jackson, Case? He was my boyfriend for ten years. It's been a month. If I was with Easton it would simply be a rebound, and I'm not that kind of girl. I'm a love over lust any day of the week type of person, remember?" I put my hands on my hips, wanting so badly to get her to move to my side for the first time in our lives. I always moved to hers. It was my turn.
"He's not a rebound, and you fucking know it." She pointed at me. "He's a next step. You're passing up an opportunity here. Let down your guard just a little and see what happens."
The door opened and I helped her out. "And you're going to hold me when he breaks my heart and leaves me with no choice but to change companies in two or ten years?"
"I'll always be here to hold you." She hopped to the door and reached back for the key. "Get downstairs and get to know him better. If you still feel the same way in a week or so, then let it simply be a spring break fling. If not, he deserves a spot in your life."
"What makes you think he wants it?" I stopped by the door and pressed my hand to the doorframe as she moved inside.
"You know he does. So do I. Now, get out of here and do something about it." She moved in and let the door close in my face.
After taking a shaky breath, I took the elevator back down and walked around the lobby looking for him.
"Over here, Viv." He walked back into the lobby from the main door, his arms full of clothes and towels. "I decided to just go grab the stuff for us. No reason to drag you all the way back down there."
"Thanks. You're too good to us." I took my shirts and shook them out before pulling them back on and doing the same with my shorts.
"I'm almost wishing I hadn't gotten the stuff. You in that bikini was a treat and a half." He pulled his own shirt over his head.
The cocky grin on his perfect lips stole my thoughts, and I contemplated asking him for the penthouse tour just to see how good we would fit together.
"She really okay?" He asked, nodding toward the elevator.
"Yeah. She's a beast. She'll be good." I reached up and tugged my hair down, loving the way he watched me so intently.
"Hey, about the kiss..." He glanced down at the floor and back up toward me. "I shouldn't have done that. I know you're just getting over someone, and I'm really not looking for anything more than a friendship right now. I told you how crazy my shit is. You seem like a great girl. I just don't want to do anything that might–”
"It's all good. We don't need to go through this awkward conversation." I forced a warm smile as my heart contracted painfully in my chest. Of course he was pulling back. I'd almost decided to step forward. "We're just friends. The kiss was nice and deliciously hot, but just part of the high emotions of what happened. I'm good."
He nodded, not looking too sure of himself. "You wanna grab a drink or something?"
"Naw, I'm going to get back up to Casey. I'd hate to think she needed me and I wasn't there." I bent down and picked up the cards, the I.D.s and my phone from below him. "Today was fun. Thanks for coming. I'm not sure I could have carried her, even if she is small."
"How about dinner? I'll take you guys to a great pizza parlor down the strip. We can drive?"
I stood up and realized what he was doing. Protecting me. He thought I was crushed by the kiss and subsequent pull back. He was working to save face. Was I really that pathetic?
"I'll text you later. Let me see if she's up for it." I tucked the cards in my pockets and patted his arm like I would a mere acquaintance. "Okay, well, see you around."
Without another word, I turned and walked toward the elevator as I chided myself. See you around? What the fuck was that? See you around?
I turned when I got into the elevator to find him watching me intently. I glanced down at my nails, picking at them subtly until the door closed. Tears instantly filled my eyes, much to my dismay. He meant nothing and it would be bliss to tell Case that she was wrong. She was never wrong, but it would seem she was this time.
Checking my phone, I noticed that my mother had called twice. She didn't leave a message, of course, because that would be too convenient.
I got off on the floor before mine and walked to the end of the hall, pushing the exit door and moving out onto the balcony that overlooked the ocean. The wind whipped around me, and the desire to be needed, to be wanted pumped through me, but I ignored it. It would lead to more tears.
After dialing my mom's number, I moved up to the rail and leaned against it.
"Hey, baby. How is your trip going?" My mom's voice was thick as if she'd been crying.
"It's alright. Casey got stung by a jellyfish an hour ago, and I met a really cute guy who isn't interested in anything more than what this week has to offer, but other than that..."
"Oh, Viv. That's not good."
The sound of my mother’s sympathy always did me in. Tears blurred my vision and I pressed my teeth into my bottom lip as they spilled over onto my cheeks.
"I really just want to understand why," I murmured through my tears.
"Oh, baby. Are you crying? Don't cry or I will too." Her voice thickened even more.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I hate being a cry-cry head. I just wish I could understand why Jackson felt the need to cheat on me. Ten years, Mom. Ten fucking years."
"Watch your language, please. I'm so sorry. There is no excuse for what he did. He's a man, and men are pieces of shit. Plain and simple."
I didn't believe that for a minute, but after the last few months I could see why many women did. My father was a good man, as was Casey's dad and my brothers.
"That leaves me no hope for a good relationship, Mom. I'm thinking if I could just figure out what I did wrong, or what was missing for Jackson, then I could stop it from happening again." I brushed my tears away angrily.
"This isn't the time for me to do this, but I was calling to tell you that your father and I are filing for divorce."
Ice water raced through my veins as I stood up, shocked being an understatement. "What? Why? You and dad are like the most loving couple in the world."
"We were. A couple of years ago I walked in on him sleeping with his secretary. I guess his late nights weren't always about scoring the right kind of business deal. He's a cheating bastard." Her anger bled through the phone and left my heart aching.
"What? Two years ago? Why didn't you say something?" I pressed my hand to my chest and rubbed softly as I moved through memories to see if I could see the signs better. They'd hidden it well. Too well.
"I really thought I was one of those women that could get over it. Your dad and I are so damn good together on so many levels that I wasn't willing to simply give up my claim to him." She let out a shaky sigh. "I think he's been faithful over the last two years, but there isn't a moment during the day that I don't wonder if I'm still playing the fool. I'm so angry, Vivian. I'm so far beyond angry that it's destroying whatever was once good between us."
I nodded. "I understand that. I couldn't forgive Jackson for sleeping around on me, and we've been together ten years, not forty. And we weren't even married."
Pain laced me, but I locked it up as a cute couple walked out on the balcony with me and moved to the far end to snuggle each other.
"I had no idea." I wrapped my free arm around myself.
"No one does. How does a man that has everything feel the need to take the one thing he didn't think he had and exploit it? I was so good to your father for all of these years, supporting his dreams and aspirations because I just knew my turn was coming. He's a spineless asshole. They all are." She barked into the phone just before her voice cracked.
The sound of my mother lamenting over the loss of a forty-year marriage broke my heart in half. She had to be asking the same questions I
was, searching for the reasons and answers to somehow validate all that had happened to us.
"Mom... what can I do? You want me to come home?" I couldn't stop the flow of tears as memories moved past my vision. There were so many good times that we'd had as a family and they were suddenly washed away by my father's infidelities.
"Just promise me that you'll be careful. I wanted to tell you all of this when you called crying about Jackson, but I couldn't. I just couldn't hurt your hopeful heart, baby. I'm not trying to hurt you now either, but please... please be careful."
"Okay," I mumbled and sunk down to a squat as the air rushed from my lungs. "I need to go. I'll call you later. I love you."
I dropped the call and sat the phone down as I worked to reign in my emotions. I'd almost gone off the deep end with Easton only having known him for a day.
Was I that desperate to belong to someone?
Yeah. I guess I was.
Chapter 14
Two Days Later
Easton
The kisses at the clinic had been too much. The way she tasted and felt beneath my hands was overwhelming. I had no doubt that it had more to do with me not being intimate with someone and less to do with the silly idea that fate had put her in front of me. I hated to pull back from her, but after helping her with Casey, I realized that I was going to dive in deep, and in my fear, I pushed back. She'd taken it well.
"Too fucking well," I grumbled as I lay on the large king-sized bed in one of the nicer single rooms. I'd moved around the hotel for the last two days in a fog, praying that I would run into Vivian, and yet not seeing any sign of her.
By Thursday, I was going stir crazy. Stopping by the front desk, I gave the college-aged girl my best smile and tapped the marble-top desk between us.
"Hi there. I have a new friend that's staying with you guys, and I haven't seen her for a few days. Her friend had a pretty nasty run in with a jellyfish a while back and I helped them out. I don't need a room number, but just wanted to make sure they were still here." I slipped my hands in my suit-pants pockets. "Her name is Vivian."