by Elks, Carrie
“Not in here. Out there.”
He looked out of the glass doors to the terrace and blinked. There was a bed on the deck, covered with a roof of sheets, tiny little lights surrounding it, blinking on and off. In the distance, the sun was going down, painting the sky a deep purple.
“Where did that come from?” He looked back at her, bemused.
“It’s your bed. A couple of friends carried it outside for me.” She rolled her lip between her teeth.
“And you made a fort?” he asked, walking across the living room to the open doors. The warm evening breeze embraced him, a hint of salt lingering in the air. “I haven’t seen one of those for years.” He loved that she’d made it for them. There was something so sweet about it that curled around his heart.
“I thought we could sleep outside tonight,” she said from behind him. “When I was a kid my dad used to let me do it sometimes, though it was in the hills and not by the ocean.” Her voice was soft, full of memories. “There’s something amazing about the sun waking you up so you can see the first light of dawn.” She paused for a moment, as she took a deep breath. When he turned his head to look, her expression was hesitant, as though she was expecting him to laugh at her. “Riley will be home tomorrow, and my elevator will be repaired the day after that. So it’s kind of our last night together. I wanted to make it special.”
Something in her voice made him stop short. A wistfulness that wrapped around him in a silken thread, pulling tighter until he was finding it hard to breathe. “Ally, I…” He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t their last night. It was only the beginning. But would he be making promises he couldn’t keep?
He hadn’t thought about what would happen when Riley came back. Hadn’t imagined where this thing between them would go. He felt his chest contract as he remembered Stephanie and her demands. One thing he’d learned – girlfriends and bereaved teenage daughters rarely mixed.
But after the last few nights they’d had together he couldn’t bear to let her go. Every time he looked at her his heart skipped a beat.
“Maybe we should try it out,” Ally said, as though she could sense his conflict. She followed him outside, and Nate kicked his shoes off, climbing onto the mattress and scooting across. A moment later she joined him, propping her crutches against the bedframe and lifting her legs onto the bed.
They both lay back and looked up. Close up he could see the roof wasn’t a cotton sheet at all; it was a semi-transparent curtain that made the sky above them shimmer. “This is just for some privacy,” she told him, nodding up at the fabric. “When we go to sleep we can pull it off so we can see the stars in our dreams.”
“Did you do this often when you were a kid?” he asked. The need to know more about her was like an itch right at the center of him. Impossible to scratch, but he was going to try anyway. He reached out to trace his finger down her bare arm, smiling as she shivered in spite of the warm evening.
“Not that often. But when we did I used to get so excited.” The corners of her lips curled up. “I can remember Dad dragging my bed out onto the grass, letting me set it up with so many cushions you couldn’t see the covers. We’d sit outside and he’d tell me all about the different stars. My favorite story was always that of Orion. The way he boasted about killing every wild beast on Earth.” Her smile widened. “I guess I learned from an early age that pride came before a fall.” She turned her head to look at him. “Did you ever sleep out beneath the stars with Riley’s mom?”
“Natalie? No, never. She wasn’t the outdoorsy type.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to Ally’s bare shoulder. “We weren’t together for that long anyway. Just a couple of years.”
“Can I ask you what happened?” Ally was hesitant and Nate could tell. He brushed his lips to the base of her throat.
“Of course you can ask,” he said, his voice thick. “But it won’t put me in the best light.”
“Did you cheat on her?”
“No.” He frowned. “Nothing like that. I just wasn’t there for her or Riley when they needed me. Too busy building up the business. At that point I was at the shop from seven to seven every day, and Natalie was at home with a tiny baby going crazy. I kidded myself that I was doing it for all of us, but looking back I was a selfish son of a bitch. Too young to understand what Natalie needed of me. Too stupid to realize I’d made this tiny beautiful human who wanted me around. And when she gave me an ultimatum, I was cocky enough to think she would back down. So I chose the business over my family.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, his lips still pressed to Ally’s throat. He could smell her shampoo – floral and light – and a deeper note of the perfume she sometimes wore. She filled him up in a way he’d never been filled before. Made him feel needy yet peaceful too.
“It turned out I made a much better ex-husband,” he said. “And I learned to be a better father. When Riley was a little girl I’d pick her up every Friday and keep her until Sunday. Those were my favorite days of the week.”
“You took her to work with you?”
“Sometimes. But we’d done a lot of other things, too. Go to the zoo, the movies, make crazy meals together like chocolate nachos.” He smiled. “And you already know about our beauty salon nights.”
“I do.” She grinned. “And while we’re on that subject, my nails could do with some fresh polish.”
He laughed, pulling her closer against him, feeling the warmth of her skin press against his shirt. “You’ve still got your tie on,” she murmured, reaching out to unknot it with her hands. She slid it out of his collar then unfastened his top buttons. “There, that’s better.”
Curling into him, Ally slid her hand under his shirt and pressed the flat of her palm against his chest, her head nestled into the crook of his arm. He could hear her soft breaths, matching the rhythm of the waves as they hit the shore. He closed his eyes, wishing he could keep this moment forever.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, her voice muffled by his chest. “I can make us something to eat if you are.”
“Not for food, no.”
Her breath caught. “For something else?”
Yeah. Something else entirely. The only thing that left him empty and aching when he couldn’t have it. He inclined his head until his lips were almost brushing hers. Just a heartbeat away from tasting everything he wanted.
“For everything else,” he said, closing the distance between their mouths. His body began to pulse with that familiar rhythm only she knew how to play. He cupped her face with his hand, angling her so he could deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding against hers until she let out a tiny moan. “I want to taste every inch of you,” he whispered, dragging his lips across her jaw. “Then I want to do it all over again.” He lifted her tank top, pulling it over her out stretched arms and throwing it onto the deck beside them. He scooted down and pressed his lips against her belly, slowly making his way up to her perfectly rounded breasts.
God she was delicious. Falling for her would be as easy as breathing if he let himself.
It was the last night they’d be able to be this free and easy in his beachside house and Nate was determined to savor every moment of it. And from the sound of her sigh as he lifted her breast out of her bra and ran his thumb over her nipple, Ally was thinking exactly the same thing.
23
Ally pushed herself onto her elbows, frowning as she looked around her. Something had awoken her, but she couldn’t work out what it was. They were surrounded by darkness, and the air had cooled considerably. She pulled at the sheet that they’d kicked to the bottom of the mattress, tucking it around Nate who was sleeping soundly.
She had no idea what time it was. Her watch was in the living room. She didn’t have her phone either – it was somewhere in the house, forgotten thanks to an evening spent in Nate’s warm arms. Under him, next to him, even over him once or twice, with the help of his strong hands. Every muscle in her body ached deliciously, a reminder of how frantic they’d been.
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The stars were bright. She looked up, pleased that they’d removed the gauze curtain when they finally finished their love-making, and saw Ursa Minor twinkling back at her. Then heard the crash of a wave as it rushed its way to shore.
She was never going to forget this night. Bringing the bed out here had been the best idea ever. And thanks to Lucas and his friend Griff popping over earlier in the evening, it had been pretty simple, too. Ember had raised her eyebrows at the request, but said nothing, though her knowing look as she left the house led Ally to believe she’d be facing an inquisition in the morning.
Not that she cared. It was so worth it.
She turned on her side, propping her chin on her hand as she watched Nate’s bare chest rising and falling with his slow breaths. His lips were slightly parted, his dark hair messed up by a combination of her fingers and the pillow as he slept. Her chest felt tight when she saw how beautiful he was. Beneath the moonlight his skin looked like it was sculpted from stone, the ridges of his muscles enhanced by the shadows cast by the sky above.
It didn’t get any better than this.
A loud bang reverberated from the driveway, bringing her out of her sweet reverie. Her heart went from zero to sixty in seconds, and she sat straight up, clutching the sheet to her chest. The motion-activated lights came on, shining down on her and Nate, though he was still in deep sleep.
She reached out to wake him up when she heard a voice.
“Ally?”
Her racing heart stopped dead. Ally slowly turned her head, holding her breath without realizing it, and saw Riley standing only a few feet away.
For a moment she was paralyzed, not a single muscle moving. And then, as though somebody had flicked a switch, her heart started hammering all over again. Was this what it was like to have a heart attack? Her fingers tightened around the sheet she was clutching against her chest – the same sheet that was pooled around Nate’s waist.
Around Riley’s dad’s waist.
“Riley,” she said, her voice ragged. “We weren’t expecting you home until tomorrow.”
Nate stirred against her but didn’t waken. Ally wanted to shake him until he did, but then Riley would see Ally touching her dad and… oh God, this was terrible.
“Riley, honey? Are you okay?” Ally asked. Riley began to shake her head, her face crumpling as tears welled in her eyes. Riley continued to shake her head but said nothing, her lips parting to gasp in oxygen. She lifted her hands up, her palms cupping each side of her face. The way she was staring at them with wide, horrified eyes reminded Ally of Munch’s The Scream.
“It’s okay…”
“Huh?” Nate muttered, finally opening his eyes. He slowly pushed himself up, taking a sharp mouthful of breath as he saw his daughter standing there.
“What are you doing?” Riley said, her voice soft at first. Then louder. “Oh my God, what’s happening here?” Her eyes widened further as she took in the pile of clothes pooled at the side of the bed. “Dad… Ally,” she whispered, her mouth falling open. “I’ve gotta go.” She turned on her heel and ran back the way she came – through the gate that led out to the driveway.
Nate tugged at the sheet, pulling it from Ally’s grasp, then let it go as soon as he realized what he’d done. “Shit.” He clambered over the mattress, grabbing his pants and pulling them over his naked body, and slid his feet into his shoes.
“I need to…”
“Go,” Ally whispered. Her stomach was churning. It was only thanks to the fact she hadn’t eaten anything for hours that she wasn’t bending over and vomiting. Nate ran across the wooden platform, calling Riley’s name, the nighttime swallowing his voice. Ally grabbed her own clothes, taking longer than Nate to get dressed, thanks to her cast and the fact she couldn’t run around topless.
She heard the sound of an engine, followed by the screech of wheels. By the time she’d made it across to the gate on her crutches, Nate was turning back. “She’s gone,” he said, his voice short. “I’ll follow her in my car.”
“Gone? How? Where?”
“I don’t know, Ally,” Nate said, his voice short. “I’m not a fucking mind reader.”
She blinked at the anger in his voice. Her chest felt so tight it was impossible to breathe in the lungful of air she so desperately needed. “Whose car was she in?” she asked, trying not to wince at the darkness in his eyes.
“I’ve no idea.” He shook his head again. “Christ, I can’t believe she saw that.”
Neither could Ally. Her whole body shivered at the thought. How would she have reacted if she’d seen Marnie and her dad like that as a teenager?
Pretty badly.
He reached in his pocket and pulled his phone out, frowning as he looked at the screen. “I left it on silent after my meeting,” he told her, turning it so she could see the screen.
Ten missed calls from Riley’s teacher.
“Oh God,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. What the hell had happened? Her brain was too messed up to think straight.
Nate turned his back to her, his eyes as dark as the night. “I’ll call the school from the car. Stay here in case she comes back.” He pulled his shirt on, deftly fastening the buttons. “Call me if she does.”
“Okay.” There was so much more she wanted to say, but none of it sounded right to her ears. How sorry she was. How she couldn’t believe this had happened.
Somewhere deep inside was that tiny part of her that wanted to ask him why he was so angry at her, but she knew she could never ask him that.
Her hands were shaking as he walked back into the house. A few moments later she heard the slam of the door. She was still holding her breath as the car engine came to life with a roar, then the familiar sound of him reversing out of his parking spot drifted through the air. When she heard the creak of the main gates, she made her way back to the big glass doors, glancing at the messed up bed that had seemed like such a good idea only a few hours before.
Right now it felt like the worst idea in the world. She pressed her lips together, trying to stop herself from crying. What on earth had Riley thought, seeing the two of them naked beneath the sheets? The same thing she would have thought if she’d caught somebody she’d considered a friend sleeping with her own father.
Betrayed, disgusted, but most of all completely devastated.
And now Riley had run off to God only knew where – and it was all Ally’s fault.
* * *
“Riley? It’s me. Again. Call me back as soon as you can. We’re so worried about you.” Ally took a breath to try and calm down her pulse that hadn’t stopped racing since Riley had caught them on the terrace. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into the mouthpiece of her phone. “Please come home.”
She’d been calling Riley for the past half hour, but every time it clicked straight to voicemail. It was the middle of the night, it was dark, and Riley was all alone somewhere.
Please let Nate find her. Or let her come home. Ally squeezed her eyes closed for a second, sending up a silent prayer. Surely somebody had to be listening up there.
When she glanced at her phone again, she saw the notifications flashing at the top. She slid her finger to drag them up, and saw a voice message that had been received hours earlier.
From Riley.
It felt as though Ally’s heart had risen up from her chest and into her throat. Her fingers shook as she keyed in her pin. Why hadn’t she had her phone outside with her last night?
Because you were too busy, the little voice in her head told her. Too concerned about being in Nate’s arms to care about his daughter.
She closed her eyes as her voicemail connected.
“Ally?” Riley’s voice was tremulous. “Can you call me?” A tiny sob echoed down the line. “Please…” A loud click was followed by nothingness. How long ago had Riley tried to call? Ally quickly brought up her call log to see the message was left at nine the previous night. It was almost three-thirty in the morning now. If Rile
y arrived home at two–thirty, then she must have left Los Angeles almost as soon as she’d failed to speak to Ally.
She jumped when her phone rang out – loudly this time, thanks to the full volume she’d been sure to switch on.
“Any sign of her?” Nate asked as soon as she picked up the call.
Ally swallowed. “No. But she left a voicemail last night.”
“What did she say?”
She tried to ignore the impatience in his voice. He was just worried. “Nothing. Just asked me to call her.” She took a ragged breath in. “But Nate, she was crying. So upset.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, biting into it. “What’s happened to her?”
“The school realized she was missing around midnight,” Nate said. “After they couldn’t get ahold of me they got the police involved.”
She covered her eyes with the palm of her hand. “Do they know how she got here?”
There was a pause. “She stole her teacher’s car.”
“Oh shit.” Ally felt his words like a punch in the gut.
“It’s not the first time she’s been in trouble. I’ve just spent the last ten minutes persuading them not to press charges. The only problem is she’s still got the damn car somewhere. She could be anywhere by now.”
Ally was trying not to hyperventilate. The thought of Riley driving in the state she’d been in made her hands shake like crazy. She’d passed her driver’s test back in Seattle – that much she knew from Nate – but she was still a new driver. Anything could happen. Anything at all.
“So what do we do?”
“I don’t know,” Nate admitted, his voice tight. “I’m just driving around looking for a car that matches her teacher’s. Any friends she has here are still in LA. She’s not at the coffee shop or by the beach. I just drove up to the cliff where…” his voice faded. “Yeah, she’s not there either.”
“She’s not going to do anything stupid, is she?”
“She already has,” Nate said. “So many damn times I’ve lost count.” His words were so sharp she could almost feel them cut. “I don’t know where my daughter is and it’s fucking killing me.”