Shore Feels Right

by Annette Mardis

  “How’s your head?” she asked.

  “I’ll live. But I’m going to ache tonight. Those kids are ruthless. Maybe I can talk you into giving me a massage later.”

  They exchanged a look so steamy that Melanie fanned herself.

  “Whew! Is it hot out here or what? Excuse me a minute while I get the appetizers.”

  “Need help?” Monica offered, her gaze never leaving Cosby’s.

  “No, but thank you. Boys, come in and wash up. I’m bringing out some food.”

  They whooped and jostled each other as they ran toward the patio.

  “I guess I’d better wash my hands, too.” Cosby leaned over and kissed Monica just as his nephews burst through the screen door.

  “Eeeew! They’re sucking face,” Teddy bellowed. “Kissing girls is gross, Uncle Cosby.”

  “You won’t think so in about another seven years, pal,” Cosby assured him.

  “Yeah,” Adam interjected, “then you’ll be, like, slipping girls the tongue and everything.” He hooted as his younger brother pushed him, and a shoving match ensued.

  “That’s enough of that.” Cosby grabbed a wiggling boy under each arm and toted them into the house while Monica stifled a laugh. He stood over his nephews in the bathroom while they cleaned up and then marched them into the kitchen to gather up food, utensils, and plates.

  When they’d finished setting up their feast, Cosby rubbed his hands in expectation and grabbed a plate. Starting with Monica’s dip and tortilla chips, he savored every bite. Then he piled cheese and pepperoni on a handful of crackers while Melanie steered her sons toward the cut fresh fruit and juice boxes. They’d put a sizable dent in the appetizers when Gavin showed up with steaks for the adults and burgers for the kids.

  “Don’t spoil your dinner, boys,” their father warned. “Since when do you monkeys eat refried beans?”

  “Since Monica made the dip.” Melanie winked at the other woman.

  “We’ve always liked defried beans,” Teddy announced.

  “You don’t even know what they’re called, dufus,” Adam chided.

  “Do, too!”

  “Do not.”

  “Do, too. Daaaaad.”

  Gavin grabbed a beer and took a swig.

  “It hasn’t been a good day,” he told his sons. “Don’t try my patience because I swear I have none left.”

  “Did something happen after I took off?” Cosby asked.

  “Yeah, a couple of geniuses ran their boat out of gas about five miles out and I had to send somebody to rescue them.”

  “I hope you charged them double.”

  “We can’t do that.”

  “I know, but maybe people would be more careful if we did. I swear, if we had a no-morons rule, we’d have very few customers. I don’t know what happens to people’s common sense when they climb into a vehicle that floats.”

  “Probably the same thing that happens to idiots when they hop onto a motorcycle or get into a car,” Gavin groused. He drained the rest of his beer and grabbed another while his wife shot him a disapproving look.

  “What?” he retorted. She shook her head and walked into the house.

  Over the rest of the evening, Cosby noticed that his brother downed at least five more beers. Gavin didn’t act intoxicated but his drinking obviously upset Melanie, although she held her tongue. The tension mounted, and Gavin’s cutting comments didn’t help. They argued when he wanted to send the boys to bed at eight-thirty after Melanie had promised they could stay up a little later. He smirked when she ushered them inside at nine to make sure they brushed their teeth.

  “I’m sorry my wife can’t relax and let everybody have a good time,” Gavin told his guests.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cosby replied. “You’re the one who’s been a jerk all night, picking at her about every little thing.”

  “What crawled up your ass sideways and died, baby brother? Maybe you’d better leave if you don’t like my company.”

  “I think that might be a good idea. An even better idea would be for you to go easy on the beer. Since when do you drink a six-pack or more in one sitting?”

  “Since I went into business with you and my stress level shot through the roof, asshole.”

  “Stress? I’m the one who usually deals with all the imbeciles while you strut around like a self-important jackass.”

  “Is that so?” Gavin slammed down his beer bottle so hard on the glass patio table that Monica flinched and Cosby was surprised nothing broke. Then Gavin stood and snatched his brother out of his chair by the front of his shirt until their noses nearly touched. “Just because you put up more money than I did doesn’t give you the right to talk shit.”

  Cosby’s face turned to granite. “Get out of my face, and get your hands off me.”

  Monica jumped to her feet. “Guys, come on. Knock it off.” She tried to pull them apart, but they glared at each other like two boxers before the bell sounds and ignored her.

  “Cosby, please. Let’s just go,” she begged, tugging on his arm.

  “Monica, I need you to let go of me and wait for me in the living room.” His gaze never left Gavin’s. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can. My brother and I obviously have something to settle.”

  * * * *

  She followed the sound of voices to Teddy’s room, where Melanie had her hand on the light switch. Monica gave her new friend an urgent look, and she closed her youngest son’s door and stepped out in the hallway.

  “Cosby and Gavin are having a terrible argument and I’m afraid it’s going to get physical, if it hasn’t already,” Monica whispered.

  She followed Melanie past Adam’s closed door and back out to the patio, where Cosby, bleeding from a cut below his eye, had his brother in a bear hug as Gavin kicked at him and fought to free his arms.

  “Stop it, both of you, right now!” Melanie ordered. “Cosby, let him go!”

  “Not until this son of a bitch promises he won’t punch me again.” That pronouncement made Gavin struggle even harder.

  “As soon as my feet hit the floor I’m going to kick your ass from here to the beach and back,” he threatened.

  “I’m giving you two seconds to knock it off or I’m taking you into the shower and sobering you up.” Cosby tightened his hold. “You don’t want your kids to see you like that, do you? Huh?”

  Gavin immediately stopped resisting. “Turn me loose. I won’t hit you again.”

  When Cosby let him go, Gavin rubbed his arms and looked his brother in the eye.

  “This isn’t over,” he promised and stalked into the house.

  “No, I don’t guess it is,” Cosby replied, almost to himself. “Will you be able to handle him?” he asked his sister-in-law. “I can stay if you need me to.”

  “Thanks, but we’ll be fine. He’s headed to the bedroom to pass out. He’s done for the night.”

  Cosby’s expression hardened. “What the hell’s going on? Has this become a habit? Does he hurt you or the boys? Because if he’s laid a hand on any of you, I’ll go in there right now and set him straight.”

  Melanie squeezed his arm. “We argue, but he’d never hurt us physically. I’m not afraid of him.”

  “Has he been verbally abusive?”

  “No. He gets aggravated with me and impatient with the boys, but that’s it.”

  “Melanie, we can’t just let this go. He was on the verge of losing control. That’s why I grabbed him and held on to him like that.”

  “It’s not like the last time, Cosby.”

  “No, it isn’t, because I won’t allow it to get to that point. Look, let me take Monica home and then come back and sleep on the couch. Or you and the kids can come to my place.”

  “No, we’ll be all right. Really. But I appreciate your concern.”

  “My concern? Damn it, Melanie.” Cosby dragged his hand through his hair, oblivious to the blood dripping down his face. “We’re family, and Gavin and I own a business togethe
r. This is my problem, too. Don’t shut me out. I want to help.”

  “I know. Come into the kitchen and let me look at that cut.”

  “Just give me a wet paper towel. I’ll be fine.”

  “Come on, Cosby,” Monica urged. “You might need stitches.”

  “He didn’t hit me that hard. Dumbass never did have very good aim.”

  “Now who’s being stubborn?” She took the paper towel from Melanie and dabbed blood off his face. “It doesn’t look deep. But you need a compress to stop the bleeding and some ice to keep down the swelling.”

  “Monica—”

  “Cosby.”

  Melanie grabbed a clean dish towel from the pantry, wrapped it around some ice cubes, and gave it to him. Cosby held the towel to his face and winced while he dug in his pocket for his car keys. When he pulled them out, Monica held out her palm.

  “I’m driving.” Her tone warned him not to argue and he handed them over.

  “If you need me, you call me and I’ll come right back,” Cosby told his brother’s wife. “I don’t care what time it is.”

  “I will.” She kissed him on his good cheek, then turned to Monica. “I’m so very sorry the night turned out like this. I can only imagine what you must think of us.”

  Monica took her hands and squeezed them. “Don’t give that another thought. Just take care of yourself and those precious boys. And Gavin, too.”

  “I will.” The two women hugged. “He really is a good man,” Melanie insisted. “He’s just going through a tough time.”

  “If you need somebody to talk to, to watch your kids, anything, I’ll be glad to help.” Monica spotted a memo pad and a pen on the counter near the cell phone chargers and jotted her number. “Call me, okay?”

  Melanie nodded. “I will. Thank you.” She escorted them to the front door and stood there as they walked out into the night.

  Chapter 16

  “So what will happen next? Between you and your brother, I mean,” Monica asked on the way back to her apartment.

  “I intend to have a serious talk with Gavin tomorrow, whether he wants to or not.” Cosby leaned back in the passenger seat and held the towel to his injured face.

  “Haven’t you guys been getting along?”

  “He’s had a burr in his underwear lately, snapping at me and just about everybody else at work, but I had no idea he was that upset. I hope he doesn’t regret going into business with me. There’s too much money at stake. It’s one thing for me to lose what I put into it, but my parents…”

  “Could you run Nauti-Toys on your own if you had to?”

  “It wouldn’t be easy, but yeah, I could. I just won’t be able to take a day off until I find somebody I trust to be in charge in my absence. I’m not sure any of our current employees are capable of filling that role.”

  “What about your dad? Maybe if you asked for help, he and your mother would move here or at least come stay awhile.”

  “They probably would, but I hope it doesn’t come to that. It’s not fair to uproot them and expect them to solve our problems. We’re supposed to be grown men who can handle whatever life throws at us. Plus, it will be damned embarrassing if my father has to bail us out of a jam because we can’t get along. I just don’t understand it. I thought Gavin and I made a good team, but what the hell do I know?”

  Monica rubbed his shoulder. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did Melanie mean when she said this isn’t like the last time? Is Gavin an alcoholic?”

  Cosby sighed. “No, but early in their marriage he had a problem controlling his anger. He never hit her, but one night they got into a nasty argument and he punched a hole in the wall and broke some dishes and other stuff. Melanie called me, and that pissed Gavin off even more. As soon as I stepped from my car, he charged out of the house, tackled me, and punched the crap out of me.”

  That appalled Monica, and it showed on her face. “Why’d he attack you?”

  “Because he knew if he ever hit Melanie that she’d leave his ass in a heartbeat. I guess he figured he could take it out on me and I’d be pissed, but I’d still be his brother. Hell, we whacked each other around plenty when we were growing up. It was mostly stupid kid stuff, and we always got over it.”

  Monica huffed out an irritated breath. “Men!”

  “You mean to tell me you and your sister never fought?”

  “We argued, sure, but we never hit each other. My parents wouldn’t have tolerated that. Besides, I was the spoiled baby of the family, remember? Janene knew she’d be in major trouble if she ever laid a hand on me, and trust me, I took advantage of that many times. So how badly did Gavin beat you up that day Melanie called you for help?”

  Cosby laughed. “What makes you think he beat me up?”

  “You said he knocked you down and punched the crap out of you.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t say I lost the fight.”

  Monica shook her head. “You’re proving my point about men. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah, but you still think I’m cute.” He gave her a boyish grin.

  She tried to look stern but couldn’t pull it off when he showed her his puppy dog eyes next. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  Monica pulled into her apartment complex and parked his car. “Come in and I’ll take a better look at that cut and give you more ice.”

  “I’ll be okay. I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Quit being so stubborn. I want to take care of you, so let me do that, okay?”

  “Okay. I’m not used to women besides family doing nice things for me.”

  “Then you obviously haven’t dated the right women.”

  “Looks like I’ve reversed that trend.” He shot her another lopsided grin. When he looked at her like that and said such things, she found it difficult to be upset with him about anything.

  She took his hand and led him into her apartment and straight to the bathroom, then directed him to sit on the closed lid of the toilet seat.

  “I’ve been hurt worse, you know.” He set Melanie’s bloodstained dish towel on the vanity. “I’m not a big baby the way some men are when they’re sick or injured.”

  “Good to know. Now brace yourself, macho man.”

  Monica wet the towel and cleaned his face as he winced but said nothing. Then she took first-aid supplies out of the medicine cabinet, washed her hands, spread antibiotic ointment on a bandage, and gently placed it over the cut.

  “If that doesn’t stick, I can put some waterproof tape over it.”

  In answer, Cosby pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her.

  “I’m sorry you got involved in this whole mess,” he told her.

  “And I’m sorry your brother hit you.” She pressed a gentle kiss below the bandage and then, seeing the lingering pain in his eyes, moved back to his lips.

  What started as a kiss of comfort quickly escalated into something far more. Cosby ran his hand up under her shirt and caressed her back as his tongue explored the recesses of her mouth. Her breathing quickened, she shifted in his lap to straddle him, and their kisses became more insistent. Monica fisted his hair as he cupped her behind and fit her more snugly against him.

  She moaned, and he nipped her earlobe and kissed his way down the side of her neck. His hands shook slightly as he struggled with the clasp on her bra until she pulled back and yanked her shirt over her head. She dropped it on the floor and her bra followed. She’d been waiting for this, fantasizing about it night after sweaty night, and she ached to have him touch her. Everywhere.

  For a moment, Cosby just stared in candid appreciation. His gaze turned molten when she removed his shirt and placed his big hands on her breasts. His thumbs began tweaking her nipples.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  “So are you.” Monica ran her nails lightly across his taut belly as he sucked in a breath. She felt invincible in that moment, fully aware of the power she held over him but determined
to give him as much pleasure as she knew he’d give her.

  “Men aren’t beautiful,” he corrected.

  “Okay, you’re beautiful in a manly way. How’s that?”

  His lips quirked. “Much better. Speaking of which…”

  Cosby leaned forward and took first one breast, then the other in his hot, moist mouth. As he lavished them with attention, she dropped her hands to his belt and unbuckled it. She went to work on the top button of his jeans next and then his zipper. When her fingers found their way inside his briefs, he raised his head.

  “That feels great, honey, but you’re getting way ahead of me.” She gave him a gentle but firm squeeze. “But I’m not complaining.” He tried to return the favor but his fingers fumbled with her zipper. “I don’t know why I’m so clumsy tonight.”

  “Let me help you.” She stood, kicked off her sandals, and slid her capris down her legs. Many men might’ve imagined those shapely limbs wrapped around their waist, but only a handful actually had experienced it. Some who knew of her past indiscretions wouldn’t believe that, but it was true. As much as she liked sex, she preferred to be selective.

  Monica wore only the siren-red silk thong she’d paid entirely too much for but now was glad she had. Never taking his gaze off hers, Cosby dispensed with his shoes and socks in record time before his pants and briefs joined her clothes on the bathroom floor.

  She led him to her bedroom and giggled as he scooped her off her feet and deposited her on the bed. Leaping in after her, he pressed her body down into the soft mattress, and she reveled in the feel of him. He started with her mouth and kissed his way down her body as his fingers drew tight circles over her most sensitive spot at the apex of her thighs. When his lips reached the waistband of her thong, he peeled off the skimpy undergarment and tossed it with a flourish over his shoulder, making her laugh again.

  She opened her legs wider in invitation, and he cradled her bottom with his hands and set about driving her wild with his mouth.

  “Oh, God. That’s…keep doing that.” She closed her eyes, rubbed her nipples, and arched her back.