by Steph Nuss
“Yeah,” Elly laughed. “I can’t wait to watch Carter attempt to surf. He’s never surfed in his life, but Justin said he’d try to teach him.”
“That should be funny,” Harper said.
“Yeah, it should.” I couldn’t imagine my brother surfing. Out of all the guys, the only one that looked remotely like a surfer was Justin. He had the long, lean body and dirty blond hair that looked like it’d seen a lot of saltwater. He kept it tied back in a short ponytail. I could imagine him as a surfer. Gazing over at Tessa, I nudged her. “You must enjoy watching them surf.”
“Yeah,” she said.
“That’s it?” I asked, in a teasing voice. She could go on about British guys and their accents, but she had only one word for the hot friend she worshipped. “I thought you’d be going crazy at the thought of watching Justin surf.”
“It’s not really as fun when the guy doesn’t notice you watching,” she explained, smiling ruefully at me.
I sighed and tapped my drink against hers. “Well, here’s to hoping he pulls his head out of his ass soon.”
She snorted and then let out a full-blown, belly-holding laugh that made the rest of us laugh. “I’ll drink to that!”
***
When the sun started to set and Cash was crowned champion of the badminton tournament, we all headed back into the house to get ready for our night out. Hungry but slightly drunk, I hurried up to my room, slipped out of my bikini and jumped into the shower for a quick wash. I kept my hair in a bun on top of my head and washed away the lotion and sweat from the afternoon.
Once I finished, I stepped into my white lingerie, smothered moisturizer onto my skin and swiped on some mascara and lip gloss. During the summer I liked a natural look, and right now I was too eager to go out to worry about fussing with anything else.
I slid the white dress over my head, pulling the stretchy, flowing material down my body. The dress was simple and short with a deep V-neckline that showed off the girls, and a smocked waist and cutouts down the sides. It was a dress I felt comfortable dancing in; it accentuated my curves and spurred my sexuality. I paired it with brown gladiator sandals and gold jewelry and then headed back downstairs to meet up with everyone.
When I rounded the corner and stepped onto the landing, my lungs collapsed. Standing alone in the living room admiring a picture on the mantel with his back turned to me was Fletcher, and just the sight of him and the idea of being alone with him took my breath away. He wore a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, khaki cargo shorts and brown sandals. He brushed his hand through his hair, and I prayed that I wouldn’t moan out loud at the gesture. I loved watching the way his head dipped as he swept his fingers through his soft, sandy locks, his biceps bulging with the movement. It reminded me of the way I ran my fingers through his hair when we were together, and his lingering scent in the room didn’t help deter those thoughts.
I took the last step quietly, hoping someone would join us soon so I wouldn’t have to be alone with him for too long.
He heard me and turned around, and I could see the shock register on his face as his eyes slowly took me in, running over every curve of my body, tactfully, almost as if he was memorizing me. “Wow,” he said, stepping closer. “You look . . .”
Earlier, I’d hoped we’d get some alone time, but now that we had it, I was terrified of doing something stupid with him. I smiled down at my dress and laughed softly. “What this old thing?”
At my nonchalant behavior, he took another step closer, still admiring me as he went, until he was standing centimeters away from me. Please don’t kiss me, I thought, as I breathed him in. If he touched me, if he did more than look at me, I knew the facade we’d been putting on for the last few weeks would break in a millisecond. His baby blues were as dark as storm clouds now, infused with arousal and need. At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, he swallowed hard and took a step back, sliding his hands into his pockets as he went. “I hope you’re having a good time.”
“I am.”
***
Fuck. It took everything in me to back away from her at the house, to not drag her up to my room, remove that pathetic excuse for a dress and fuck her into tomorrow. Throughout dinner, I struggled to keep my shit together as I watched her eat and engage in conversation with everyone except me. She’d smile at me and look my way from time to time, but I wanted more from her. The way Carter’s hands never left Elly, whether he was running a hand up her leg or draping his arm around the back of her chair and playing with her hair; I wanted that with Bayler. The way Maverick would lean into Harper and whisper things to her; I wanted to do that to Bayler. I hated that I was surrounded by people who made me want things with her that she’d never allow: things I never thought I wanted with a woman until now. We were each other’s dirty little secret, and up until now, I’d been fine with that.
Now, we were all at The Levee where I continued to drown my frustrations with Jack and Cokes, just like I’d done throughout dinner. Leaning against the bar, I waited for the bartender to make her way toward me as I took in my surroundings and kept an eye on the service. The owner was a friend of mine, and as a fellow club owner, I made mental notes regarding my competition. His bartenders were too busy flirting for tips instead of efficiently waiting on customers. It was Fourth of July weekend; they were already making bank because the place was packed, just like it was almost every holiday weekend since we started coming here. They’d make the place more money and get more tips if they waited on every customer in a timely manner.
As I watched a couple of women give up trying to get drinks and turn back to the dance floor, I made another note to talk to John about his staff. He was losing money and he didn’t even know it.
“Hey, man,” Maverick said, patting me on the shoulder. “This place is busy tonight.”
“Yeah, it is,” I said, nodding.
Finally, the brunette with her tits practically falling out of her tight white tee came over to us. “What can I get you boys tonight?”
“Just a beer for me,” Maverick replied.
“A Jack and Coke, and make it a double,” I said.
“You got it,” she said, in her best flirtatious voice that was more of a turnoff than a turn on. She gave Mav his beer, and then she started preparing my drink.
“A double, huh?” Maverick mused, smiling at me. “What’s up with you tonight?”
I furrowed my brows and glanced over at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I mean, you’re usually chasing tail this weekend, and I haven’t seen you flirt with one woman since we got to the Hamptons. There’s something very wrong with that.”
I laughed, shaking my head, and before I could reply, the bartender tossed a napkin on top of the bar in front of me, pulled out a pen, and started writing down her phone number.
“Just in case you guys get bored later,” she said confidently, sliding my drink across to me. She pressed her tits together in a not-so-subtle move and winked at me.
Picking up my glass, I took a sip and nodded, surprised she could actually make a decent cocktail. She looked pleased with herself, but when I took the napkin with her number on it, wadded it up and tossed it back at her, the smile on her face disappeared. “If we wanted your number, we would’ve asked for it.”
She stomped away pissed, but I watched as she dropped the temper tantrum and started flirting with the next customer.
“Now that was hilarious,” Maverick said, raising his bottle to me.
I shrugged, smiling. “All I wanted was a drink and it took her long enough just to do that.” I took another long sip and turned my attention toward the dance floor, where I saw Bayler moving seductively to a Christina Aguilera song.
“I think you pissed her off,” Maverick said, referring to the bartender.
“Well, if she waited on customers more competently, she wouldn’t have to hand out her number to every guy in hopes of them leaving her a nice fat tip.”
“About what?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off Bayler. Arching her back, she tossed her hair back and threw her hands in the air, swaying her hips to the beat as she lip-synced the lyrics with Tessa. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two country-clubbers move closer to the girls, and my body immediately went on alert. Guys like them, the rich boys who grew up here in the Hamptons, were accustomed to getting whatever they wanted. They preyed on female vacationers like Bayler and Tessa.
“Have you heard a single word I’ve said?” Mav asked, eying me suspiciously now. “Seriously, what’s going on with you this weekend?”
“I don’t know.” Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair. I hadn’t heard anything he’d said because I was too focused on Bayler. If I was being honest, I knew what was going on with me, and it had everything to do with the blonde on the dance floor who was only mine behind closed doors. Maverick and I usually told each other everything, but I knew I couldn’t risk telling him how much it was killing me not to be with her in public. I’d certainly lose her if I told him what we were doing.
So, as he took a swig of his beer, I knew I had to give him some sort of answer or else he wouldn’t drop his interrogation. “I just want to spend this weekend with my friends. No pussy.”
“No women?” he asked, laughing now. “That doesn’t sound like the Fletcher Haney I know.”
“Yeah, well, this could be our last Fourth of July here,” I said, taking another sip of my drink.
“What do you mean?”
“This time next year, you’ll have a little girl, and you can’t bring her to places like this.”
Maverick laughed, pointing his beer at me. “You seriously think I’d miss our Fourth of July weekends? You do know there’s this thing called babysitting that my mom’s really excited about doing, right? I mean, she’s transformed my old room into a princess palace just for our girl. She’s serious about this grandma stuff.”
I laughed again. “I know.”
“Which means this isn’t my last Fourth of July with you guys,” he said, gripping my shoulder and raising his beer for a toast. “I hope, by the time we’re all settled down, we’ll still be spending time here together at the beach house.”
I clinked my glass against his bottle and took a drink. “I hope so, too.”
The song changed to a provocative Usher hit, and my attention immediately centered on the dance floor again.
“Who’s that dancing with Bayler?” Maverick asked.
When I found Bayler, I saw one of the rich boys with his hands on her, and anger flooded my veins, triggering every alarm in my body. He kept pulling her back to him as she tried to dance away from him without making a scene. “I don’t know, but he looks like a sleaze.”
His hands grazed up her thighs and before they could disappear under her dress, I pushed away from the bar, leaving Maverick behind as I stalked toward her, seeing red.
On the dance floor, the music grew even louder, escalading my rage to the point where I could practically feel my blood boiling through me as I walked up behind the asshole. “Hey! Take your hands off her!”
“Fuck off, man,” he shouted over his shoulder, his eyes never straying from Bayler. “We’re dancing.”
“Not anymore.” Grabbing him by the collar, I dragged him away from her and introduced him to my fist. “I guess you didn’t hear me the first time.” The pain from the first hit didn’t even phase me as I reared back and landed another right hook to his nose, causing more blood to spew from him. All I saw was his sleazy hands on her and I couldn’t take it. “I said, take.” Punch. “Your fucking hands.” Punch. “Off her.’”
“Fletcher!” Bayler shouted desperately, pulling me out of my furious haze just as I was rearing back for another jab.
Cash and Maverick grabbed my arms and lifted me off the asshole as a bouncer rushed over.
“Get him the fuck out of here!”
“We’re going!” Cash snapped, assisting me as I stumbled away from the scene unable to catch my breath. Maverick pushed the doors opened, and they led me out with the rest of our friends following close behind us.
I shrugged them off in an attempt to get a breath of the cool night air. Running both hands through my hair, I rested them on top of my head as I kept walking. I could hear them talking about what happened behind me, but I couldn’t really make out what they were saying. I didn’t know where I was going; I was just drunk and pissed off, and the only thing that could calm me down was her. But I couldn’t have her right now. Not in front of everyone like this.
I just wanted to go home.
“What the hell was that about?” Bayler asked, irritation evident in her voice.
“Fletcher was just looking out for you,” Carter said.
“Yeah,” Maverick agreed. “You don’t know the kind of assholes who live here, who think they’re entitled to whatever they want, especially when it comes to women.”
“I can handle myself!” she shouted back at them.
Ellyson caught up with me and touched my arm. “Fletcher, what happened back there?”
I stopped and gazed down at her. “I was just watching out for her. She’s new to this area, and the guys here prey on beautiful girls like her.”
“Is your hand okay?” she asked calmly, lifting my right arm.
My knuckles were cut and bloody and my hand throbbed, but as for pain, I felt none. “I just want to go back to the beach house.”
“Okay.” She nodding, smiling weakly, and looked back at our friends. “Then let’s call a cab because I’m not walking back in heels.”
“Thank you!” Tessa praised, sounding relieved. “I was five steps away from going barefoot.”
***
By the time we got back to the beach house, everyone quietly headed to their rooms and got ready for bed. No one mentioned the fight, and there was no more arguing from Bayler. I took one glance at her on the cab ride home, and I knew she was still pissed over what I’d done. Her nose was crinkled, indicating her anger. I’d said I was watching out for her, but in reality, I was just fucking jealous. I couldn’t stand watching another man’s hands roam over the woman I considered mine.
After grabbing an icepack from the freezer, I went up to my room, opened the balcony doors and stepped out. The chaise lounge to the left was calling my name, so I took a seat and stared up at the full moon with the icepack nursing my hand. I unbuttoned my shirt and let the cool breeze coming off the water cool me down. My heart still raced inside my chest, and I only knew one way to calm it down. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I contemplated texting Bayler.
I needed to see her, to touch her, to hear her voice. I’d never been in a fist fight over a woman before, but everything about her drove me fucking crazy. I needed her like an alcoholic desperately needed another drink, to the point where I obsessed about it. I couldn’t have just a sip of her here and there. No, I needed the burn of her like a smooth whiskey that traveled down my throat with a sting that left me wanting more just moments after it settled in my belly. Jack had always been my drink of choice, but Bayler was my woman, always leaving me with a hangover only she could cure.
Me: I need you. Please come to my room.
Setting my phone on the table, I stood up and leaned against the railing, praying she’d come. If she didn’t, I knew this thing we had was coming to an end, and the thought of that terrified me. I would rather take her in little sips than lose all of her in a heartbeat.
If she doesn’t come to me, I’m going to her. I felt so restricted when the rest of the gang was around, cock-blocking me and making it impossible to be near her. I was like a ticking time bomb, counting down the seconds until I could be with her alone, and I was about to explode.
Hearing the door to my room open, I turned to find her closing it behind her. Turning back, I looked up at the night sky and silently tha
nked whoever encouraged her to come. I heard her footsteps behind me, and I could actually feel her getting closer to me. When she wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my back, I felt like I could finally exhale the breath I’d been holding since I texted her. She didn’t seem as upset as she did earlier, but maybe that had just been an act for everyone else.
“Hey,” I whispered, covering her hands with my left. I had to touch her, to feel her soft, silky skin against mine.
“Hi,” she whispered back, placing a gentle kiss between my shoulder blades.
Ducking under my right arm, she moved to face me, settling between the railing and me. Smiling up at me, she cupped my face, her thumbs brushing over my day-old stubble. She covered my lips with hers for a slow, easy kiss.
She pulled back, her hands never leaving my body, as she pushed my shirt off my shoulders and let it fall to the ground. Wrapping her arms around my neck, her tits brushed against my chest, her nipples peeking through the thin material of her tank. I ran my fingers through her long blond hair and sighed. “I can’t stand seeing other guys’ hands on you.”
“I know,” she said, kissing my neck. “Just like I can’t stand bartenders giving you their numbers.”
“You saw that?”
“Yes,” she said, in a shameful voice. “I saw the waitresses eye-fucking you at dinner, and then at the bar, when I saw the bartender give you her number, I just lost it. I downed my drink and headed to the dance floor.” She looked into my eyes and fingered the hairs at the back of my neck. “I went out there to forget about all the women who want you and how crazy they make me feel. And when that guy started dancing with me, for a split second, I wished it was you, until he started getting grabby because you’d never grab me like that. You’d touch me in all the right ways because you know them.” She placed another kiss on the other side of my neck and looked back up at me. “It was never my intention to make you jealous.”
I settled my hands on the small of her back, fingering the waistband of her tiny shorts. “I guess we’re both a little possessive over one another, huh?”