“Oh, that’s okay. I can walk back to my house. Thanks for the ride.” I reached for the door handle, but Megan’s hand wrapped around my arm gently.
“Just come inside, Talia. Briggs won’t be the one to say it, probably because he’s scared, but he wants to see you.”
I let out a sigh and fell back into the seat. “Listen, I know you all love Briggs and you want him to be happy, but just because I’m here and he’s here, it doesn’t mean something has to happen between us. He’s been really nice to me, sweet even, but I’m not going to keep putting myself in his path hoping that he takes an interest.”
“But you do want him to take an interest?”
I could tell admitting that to Megan would be like releasing the hounds. She’d hunt and fight to prove her point, to get the two of us together somehow. But denying I felt anything for Briggs felt wrong.
“I’m only here for a few more days, we’re both just out of really bad relationships, and it would be a bad idea to let anything happen.” Right when I’d finished saying the words, the front door opened and Patrick appeared, followed by Briggs.
“Well, you can’t avoid him now,” Megan said with the devilish smile I was getting to know very well, then she opened her door and left me alone in her car.
I had no choice but to get out and be social, or else I’d look like a crazy person. Letting out yet another sigh, I braced myself for the effort of keeping myself away from Briggs.
Of course, he looked incredible. He wore a blue T-shirt, made darker by the pattern of sweat he’d worked up by all the construction happening inside, I assumed. He wore a tool belt and boots, as well. And the look totally worked for him. Patrick was wearing the same carpenter look and Megan obviously approved, kissing him fiercely as soon as he was within arm’s reach.
“Hey, firecracker,” Briggs said in greeting, a big and bright smile on his face. Perhaps spending a day with friends did the same for his mood as it did mine.
“Hi.”
He continued toward me, stopping when only a foot was left between us. “See any whales?”
“We did, in fact. A few of them. Right off the boat. It was spectacular.” He nodded, still smiling, and it was beginning to make me nervous. But that didn’t keep me from smiling back. “Get a lot of work done?” I nodded toward his house for emphasis.
“Cabinets are in, island is almost done, and we started the flooring.”
“Sounds like you had a productive day.”
“I did, in fact.” He grinned at me and I felt my stomach fall away and my heart forget a few beats. “Since my kitchen is more of a mess than it’s been in a while, I was thinking about going out for dinner. I thought maybe you’d want to join me.”
His invitation surprised me. Surprised me enough, in fact, that I muttered something that sounded like, “Oh, erm, uh,” and then paused, trying to find some real words. I could practically feel Megan’s gaze on us, could imagine the sneak smile on her face. My eyes dropped to my fingers, which were fidgeting in front of my belly. I took a deep breath and managed to say the words that didn’t reflect the way I felt, but instead represented what I thought was best for everyone. “I think after being gone last night and this morning and afternoon, my parents are really expecting me to be with the family this evening. But thanks for the invitation.” I looked up and watched his face, trying to read his thoughts. His smile faltered, but didn’t disappear completely.
“That’s understandable,” he remarked politely.
I wanted to stand there and look at him all day, listen to him talk, see him smile, but I knew I needed to leave. I was just torturing myself by being around him.
“Thanks, Megan, for a fun day. I had a great time.” I gave her a smile and then looked at Patrick and Briggs. “Have a good rest of your day, guys.” I gave a little wave and then turned toward the beach and headed back to my rental. It took every ounce of self-control I had, but I didn’t look back.
When I pulled the sliding glass door open, my mom was on the couch holding a baby, and Angela was coming down the stairs with the other.
“She returns,” Angela said. She was smiling, but I didn’t get the friendly, welcome home vibe from her. “We were beginning to wonder why you’d come at all if you were just going to leave for days at a time.”
“I’m sorry, did I miss something?”
“No, Talia, of course not,” my mother replied, her tone much nicer than Angela’s had been. “We were beginning to worry, that’s all.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I would have texted, but I didn’t think my going out was a big deal.”
“It’s not,” Mom said, giving me a wink. “Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah,” I said, relaxing a bit once I realized my mother wasn’t upset with me. I sat down next to my mother and held my hands out for Beckett, kissing his pudgy cheek once I had him in my arms. “The whale watching was awesome. We should plan to go next year. It was incredible. Then we had lunch at Molly’s.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“How did you meet all these people anyway?” Angela took the chair across from the couch my mom and I were sitting on.
“Well, Briggs lives next door and his best friend is Patrick. I went out with his wife, Megan, and her sister and friend.” I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, because it wasn’t. I wanted her to drop it. My day with those women felt like a gift and I didn’t want Angela ruining it for me by making me feel guilty for enjoying myself. “They just kind of latched on to me. They’re really nice.”
“I guess it’s just kind of weird that you’ve been spending so much time with strangers instead of your own family. It is a family vacation after all.”
“It’s okay,” my mother said, almost a whisper, as she patted my knee. “But since we’re all here now, let’s plan to play some board games after dinner. That would be a fun family activity.”
“Sounds great,” I said, thankful my mother wasn’t influenced by Angela.
“I guess. If we can manage to get both the babies to sleep at a decent hour. Otherwise I’ll have to sit out and take care of them while the rest of you play.”
Not able to take any more of her attention-seeking behavior, I stood up with Beckett and walked toward the stairs. “Let’s go upstairs and read you a story. How’s that sound?” I asked him, laughing when he placed a slobbery mouth on my chin. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Chapter Nine
Talia
Both babies went down fine, and it almost seemed like Angela was upset about it, as though she’d missed out on a chance to complain about something. Thankfully, after my mom had made her famous margaritas and we were a few good rounds into Trivial Pursuit, crabby Angela disappeared and the fun Angela I remembered came out to play.
Angela and Brody were extremely competitive, and half the fun was watching them argue with each other. In the end, Angela won—mostly because Brody let her—and I smiled watching the two of them walk hand in hand up the stairs.
“I think having twins totally took the fun wind out of Angela’s sails,” I said, putting the game back in the box, not really talking to anyone in particular.
“Kids will do that to you,” my dad remarked, taking glasses off the table and walking them over to the sink.
“Having one baby at a time is stressful. Two…well…I can’t even imagine.” My mom took the game from me and put it back in the closet. “We need to take that into consideration sometimes when she gets testy.”
It was true that before Angela and Brody had the babies, they were pretty much all fun, all the time. Angela and I were closer than we are now, and I hardly ever found myself irritated with her.
“When do you think the last time Angela took off for a day with her friends without any worries?” My mom was an expert at guilt trips incognito as regular conversation.
“Probably a while,” I said, my voice a little sullen. “But, in my defense, I didn’t force Angela to get pregnant, so I don’t think it’s t
echnically fair for her to be angry with me for having a life.” Clearly, I’d had a little too much to drink. I even annoyed myself with that last statement. And I didn’t really have a life. I’d had a day. Just one. And I didn’t want to give in to feeling guilty about enjoying it.
“No, you didn’t. But perhaps, in the future, you could have a little more understanding when it comes to Angela and her outbursts. I’m not saying she’s right, but I am saying she’s tired and probably missing a little bit of the life she had before the twins.”
“I’ll try,” I agreed. And I meant it. I didn’t like always having snippy thoughts about Angela, and more so, I didn’t like the new dynamic of our friendship. “I think I’m going to go to bed.”
“Good night, dear,” my mother said, hugging me.
“Night, baby doll,” my father said, kissing my cheek.
“See you tomorrow.”
I walked up the stairs with a smile on my face, thinking about my brother and Angela, hoping the twins gave them a peaceful night. I went into my room, changed into some sleep shorts and a tank top, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed.
As soon as my head hit the pillow I was thinking about Briggs. It couldn’t be helped. I’d only seen him for a few short minutes, but his image was burned into my brain. Remembering the way his dark hair was made darker by sweat, the edges of it wet and sharp, made me roll over and face the window, hoping a new position would bring sleep. It didn’t, though. Now I was looking at the ocean, and the ocean, more than anything, made me think of Briggs.
A few minutes later, my thoughts of him were interrupted by the sound of my phone vibrating against the wood of my bedside table. I’d received a text.
**I’m down on the beach again. If you feel like a late-night stroll, I’ll be here for a while.**
The number wasn’t familiar, but I knew instantly who it was.
Briggs.
I also knew that Megan had somehow slipped him my phone number.
I stared at the message for a moment, then the backlight went out, letting darkness fall over me again, and I turned to stare out the window.
There was a tiny voice somewhere in my brain telling me to ignore him, to stay in bed, to let it go. But it was so very small, it absolutely couldn’t compete with the other voices screaming at me to go to him.
I pushed the covers off, traded my sleep shorts for a pair of yoga pants, threw on a zip-up hoodie, and slowly made my way out of the house, hoping not to wake anyone. I made it off the porch, my bare feet hitting cold sand, and I walked in the direction of where his fire had been just a few nights before.
As soon as I made it past the dune I saw his campfire. At the sight, my belly flipped and my heart started pounding in my chest. All I could think about was that he was there and he wanted to see me. I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. I kept moving toward the fire, watching as his silhouette became more detailed. He was sitting on the sand again, this time his legs stretched out in front of him crossed at the ankles, arms behind him, propping him up in the sand.
Briggs bathed in firelight was beautiful to behold. I took a moment to try and burn the image into my brain, knowing one day I would want to remember what he looked like, sitting by a campfire, hoping I’d join him.
He must have heard my footsteps in the sand because he turned to look, a smile waiting for me.
“Hey, firecracker. I was hoping you’d come.”
My mouth went dry at his words and suddenly every part of my body felt alive. More than it had in months. Who was this man and why did he affect me that way?
“Here I am,” I said, lifting my arms at my sides a little, almost like an offering.
He stood up, saying nothing, and kicked sand onto the fire until its light was smothered. I heard him move, no longer able to see him clearly, and then felt his hand at my elbow. His fingertips slowly slid down my arm until his palm met with mine and he took my hand in his grasp.
“Come on,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.
I let him lead me by the hand toward the water while I tried to analyze exactly what it felt like to have Briggs hold my hand. His hand was rough, but not uncomfortably so. As dumb as it sounded, the only word I could think to describe it was manly. Masculine. Everything about him screamed male. And everything about him made me feel exquisitely female.
He led me to the water’s edge, where the waves lapped at our feet and then disappeared into the night again. “I’ve been thinking a lot the last couple days,” he said finally, breaking the silence that was both serene and electric. I felt completely at ease sharing the dark quiet with Briggs, but there was also that underlying feeling of anxiety, wondering what wasn’t being said, or what would eventually come out.
“Oh?” I managed.
He still held my hand and I wanted to wrap my other hand around his bicep and lean my head against his arm. Whatever level of contact we were sharing, I couldn’t help but want a little bit more.
“For months, I’d been trying to figure out why I was staying here. Why I couldn’t bring myself to sell the property, or rent it out, and get the hell out of this place.”
I didn’t know how to respond, and it didn’t seem like his thought was complete, so I stayed quiet.
After a few moments, he continued. “I saw you sitting on the beach and, I swear, it was the first time I’d noticed a woman in months.”
There he went again, stealing my breath.
“I don’t want it to sound like I’m just interested in your body, because I’m not, but that first look, Talia, you’ve got to know, it got my attention. I saw you, in the red bikini, and I was instantly attracted to you. You were sexy as hell, but more than that, I wondered who you were and why in the world you were sitting on the beach all by yourself.” His free hand came up and I heard it run through his hair. It was so dark, the only thing I could really see was the moon and the stars. If I turned my gaze back toward the shore, to the city, I could see faint lights from houses perched up on the hills, but the darkness around us was thick. “I had this urge to go to you, talk to you, find out anything I could about you. But I pushed it away because I thought it was ridiculous. Not only was I a stranger, but surely there had to be a man in your life. I could have never fathomed you were single.”
He stopped walking, his hand tugging on mine, and I found myself standing in front of him, my eyes trying desperately to see every part of his face, even though the darkness was so overpowering.
“Then you showed up on my doorstep, wet and alone, and ever since I’ve been fighting to keep my distance.” He tugged me a little bit closer and I lost the will to stay away. I leaned into him, let him bring me closer. His hand that still held mine wrapped around my waist, resting at the small of my back, while his free hand cradled the side of my neck, his thumb brushing gently at the skin of my jaw. “Tell me I’m not alone in that battle,” he whispered.
“No,” I managed a ragged whisper. “You’re not alone.”
His face inched toward mine and instinctively my eyes drifted closed. I couldn’t breathe, the anticipation taking up too much space in my chest. I had never felt more willingly out of control, had never just given myself over to someone like I did in that moment. I handed myself over to Briggs.
His lips touched mine in the slightest of brushes, gently and softly skimming his lips over the surface of mine. At the contact, his arm drew me closer and my free hand came to rest against his chest. His mouth was tentative against mine, kissing me slowly, barely touching. He pulled away slowly, but I could feel his mouth still hovering just above mine.
“Is that enough for you? Is one kiss enough? Because if I kiss you again, it’s going to be bigger and deeper. I want that, but only if you do too.”
“Show me.”
His mouth collided with mine again, tilting at just the right angle to take all of me. His hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, all the while his tongue swept across my lips, asking for entrance.
>
There was nothing to do but let him in.
I opened my mouth just barely, and with a groan Briggs invaded.
His tongue licked at me, invited my tongue to dance with his, and his arms pulled me in even closer. In the distance, I could still hear the ocean, still feel the waves meeting our feet every few moments, but all I could pay attention to was Briggs and the growly sounds he made as his tongue pushed into my mouth, or the sound of his breath as he captured my bottom lip with his teeth.
Pulling his hand free from mine, it came to my hip, squeezing at first, then moving around, his fingers cleverly finding their way under the edge of my hoodie and tank top. When his fingers met my bare skin, it was my turn to moan. The sound spurred him on and almost instantly his entire masculine hand was splayed over the small of my back, inching up toward my neck.
His hand reached my shoulder blades and with a grunt his mouth tore away from mine. I heard him swallow hard as his fingers moved over my bare skin.
“You’re bare under your shirt,” he said a moment later.
It took a moment to realize what he meant, but finally, I understood. I hadn’t put a bra on before I left the house. I nodded even though I wasn’t sure he could see me. My hands were resting on his chest and I could feel the quick and steady rhythm of his breaths.
“I want to touch you.”
His voice was a soft whisper, as though he were afraid to say the words too loudly that the ocean might hear. But even though his words were soft, they hit me like a tidal wave. Need rushed through me and I’d never needed anything more than I needed Briggs to touch me.
“Yes,” I said with more confidence than I felt. Somewhere inside I knew Briggs’s touch would eclipse all others, that his hands on me would be a pinnacle.
His forehead came to rest against mine, his breaths brushing over me as his hands moved to the front of my hoodie. He slid the zipper down and my lungs were working overtime. With each breath, my breasts pushed against the cotton of my tank top, growing heavier with every moment of anticipation. He spread the hoodie open and my eyes closed again. I couldn’t take it anymore.
Never With You (The Never Series Book 6) Page 9