Gone Guy (Sand & Fog Series Book 5)

by Susan Ward

  She whirls and there’s a little added sway to her hips and the cutest grin on her face as she goes back to Dean.

  Fuck, it’s annoying as hell every time she spends two seconds where he can look at her. He’s been glued to her hip all morning at her work station.

  I start loading containers on the cart.

  It would’ve been nice if she’d asked Dean to do this.

  Then I’d be the guy standing beside her while we do whatever they’re doing over there.

  Pick up, stack.

  Pick up, stack.

  The containers are hot and it’s not long before I’m misted with perspiration.

  If only my family could see me now.

  Last container loaded.

  I wheel them toward the door.

  Not exactly my normal Sunday morning. Other than the hot sex. But it’s kind of a good feeling doing this for her. Seeing her turn all sexy kitten just from giving her a bit of help. Like I’d done something special for her or something.

  She’s the first girl I’ve ever met who’s everything I ever wanted. There’s no other girl like her. She’s a fucking intoxicating original in a world full of Xeroxes.

  I use my back to push through the door. My stare fixes on Dean laughing with Willow. The dweeb’s acting like he’s having fun doing this. What a sham. It won’t up his chances with her. Not while I’m around.

  When I’m done handing off the cart, I’m doing more community service. I’m grabbing Jade’s keys and volunteering personally to take Dean to the airport. I’ve had all I can take of the dweeb trying to make a move on Willow. Dude tried to cockblock me via text. Not cool. Time for him to go.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Willow

  I SIT DOWN ON THE barstool next to Jade’s and shove the fob across the counter to her. “Here’s your keys, Jade. I told you nothing terrible would happen if we let Eric borrow your car and take Dean to the airport for us. It’s parked in the garage, so you can take the cops off speed dial.”

  “Even a broken clock’s right twice a day,” my sister jeers, and Ivy laughs.

  “I’m not a broken clock.”

  “If only you were,” Ivy remarks, looking up from the napkins she’s folding. “It’d be better.”

  I shake my head. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  “Think about it. Clock broken. It’ll come to you.” Ivy laughs.

  It takes me a second, then I lean back against the bar determined to ignore them. Eric’s sitting at a table with Joey. Ivy’s brother isn’t hostile or suspicious of him. They’ve been talking music since he got back from the airport. I can tell by how he’s sitting at the table that Joey likes him.

  “He’s a great guy. I don’t know why you two can’t see it and have to try to ruin everything for me. I can feel it. He’s the one.”

  Ivy rolls her eyes. “You’ve known him only two days. You can’t know anything that fast.”

  “I know what I feel.”

  “You know what your problem is, Willow?” Ivy asks. “You’re in love with love. That’s why these losers can take advantage of you. Don’t you think it’s time to grow up and snap out of it? You’ve been this way since you turned thirteen.”

  In love with love? Maybe. But that doesn’t make me wrong about Eric. What girl doesn’t want to believe in happy endings? Isn’t that what we all hope for? Well, everyone except Ivy.

  “That may be true, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be the one.”

  Jade makes a harsh groan. “Give me a break. The one? The guy’s got nothing going for him. Just because he can give you an orgasm doesn’t mean he’s a great guy. The only thing you’re feeling is the afterglow between your legs.”

  “Orgasm?” Ivy’s face snaps up. “Who got an O?”

  Jade juts her thumb at me. “By the sounds of it last night, Little Sis got her first riding the squatter’s pogo stick. Keeping the theory true that it’s the losers that are always great in bed.”

  Ugh. “Pogo stick. Why do you have to be so crude?”

  “Lack of sleep,” Jade counters.

  “How did I not know this before now?” Ivy asks, then glares. “You slept with him last night? Willow, how could you fall for his garbage?”

  I try to ignore them, but I feel a flash of hurt because shouldn’t I be having the what was it like? and I’m so happy for you talk with my sister and Ivy instead of this? It was my first freaking orgasm…and the second and third.

  This is a big event in a girl’s life. And we always do the morning-after shareathon when one of us has a first hookup with a guy. Only this time they aren’t begging for details, and it bugs me because I’m so happy my heart feels close to bursting.

  “Yes, she did,” Jade answers when I don’t.

  “Damn it, Willow,” Ivy says harshly. “You told me yesterday you hadn’t and promised me you wouldn’t.”

  That annoying snippet of text during my date with Eric flashes in my head. What kind of a friend texts you during a date with a guy you like and makes you swear not to sleep with him? The entire exchange had been insulting and dumb. I only promised Ivy I wouldn’t to get her off my back and stop interrupting my day with a ding every twenty minutes.

  They’ve been nothing but mean to me about Eric since I met him. I’ve had enough of it. I swivel toward Jade, purposely dewy-eyed. “I know you guys are right, that I shouldn’t have given in, but I couldn’t stop myself. He’s so good at putting the moves on a girl, and the next thing I knew we were in bed—”

  “Pleeease,” Ivy says over me. “I don’t need to hear this.”

  “—the voice in my head kept saying no, but I couldn’t resist him. He overpowered me with his tongue. He does this thing down there. And when I can’t take it anymore”—I grip the arms of my stool—“he holds me there, plundering me with his tongue until it’s like I’m having an out-of-body experience, and then—”

  I melt dramatically against the bar. Jade gives me a shove. “You read too many romance novels. Don’t be obnoxious. I don’t need a replay.”

  I laugh, because that info dump was for my sister’s benefit since I know very well Gary is Mr. Quick and Jade’s grumbled to me about how he doesn’t go down on her.

  “Don’t you want to know everything?” I ask with a pout. “He does the most amazing thing with his—”

  “I’ll pass. You’ve lost your mind and you’re tongue-whipped,” Ivy announces.

  “I’m putty for a guy who knows how to use his tongue. What can I say?”

  “As little as possible, please,” Ivy insists.

  I bust up again. “Fine. If you don’t want the dirty details, can I clock out? It’s not busy this afternoon.”

  Jade scans the bar. “Yeah. You can take off. But be back by six when Griff takes over bartending for me. Don’t forget. We’re going to see Dad at the hospital today.”

  “Yes, Mother, I won’t forget.” I rise and untie my black half apron from around my waist. “Have you talked to Dad today? I called him earlier. He didn’t answer.”

  “I talk to him every day, Willow.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Not as good as the doctors hoped. He’s thinking they’re going to keep him another week.”

  “There’s nothing new wrong, is there?” I ask, alarmed.

  “The circulation through his feet hasn’t improved how they hoped it would.”

  My stomach drops. Damn. “He’s going to be all right this time, isn’t he, Jade?”

  My sister stands up and gives me a hug. “He’ll be all right, Willow. But his spirits are low. So let’s make an extra effort to be upbeat.”

  “I will.”

  I hurry into the back. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Dad. He’s the only family I have other than Jade, and I love him. When he gets out of the hospital, I’m going to have to work as many shifts as I can manage to ease the load before I head for college.

  College?
Should I even go? If Dad’s as bad as Jade says maybe I should put it off for another year. I’m absolutely having that talk with Dad once he’s home.

  In the makeshift locker room, I hang up my apron and change my shirt. Grabbing my brush, I go to the mirror and take out my ponytail. After a quick run through to smooth my hair, I toss everything inside my cubby and head to the bar.

  As I near the table, Joey turns his head. “Hey, Willow.”

  “Hi.” I sink down in the booth beside Eric. “I’m off work. We can get out of here, if you want to.”

  Eric’s eyes flash with a wicked gleam that instantly fades. “Are you OK?”

  My mood’s gone flat since Jade told me about Dad. “Just tired. It’s been a long day.”

  Joey taps his knuckles on the table. “I’m going to cut out.” He slips out of the booth.

  “What’s wrong?” Eric prods.

  With a shake, I try to clear my head. I don’t want to dump my problems on him. Worse, I can feel that if I start talking about my dad I’m going to cry. Guys hate it when girls have tearfests over their problems in front of them.

  I turn to face him, but can’t look him in the eye. “It’s nothing. What do you want to do this afternoon?”

  “I don’t want to do anything until you tell me what’s wrong.”

  “It’s my dad. Can we not talk about it? OK?”

  With his fingers, he turns my chin until our gazes meet. “No, not OK. You look upset, Willow. Did you get bad news from the hospital?”

  “Not any worse than usual, Eric. He’s sick and…” The words clog in my throat.

  “Shush, shush,” he says, wrapping me in his arms. “You’ll feel better if you talk about it. Everything’s less scary when you talk about it. Tell me what’s going on.”

  Curling into his chest, dammit, the tears start. All my vague hopes of keeping from him that my life isn’t any less messed up than his have been dashed. He’s not going to want to know me after he can leave here if I tell him everything.

  “There. Cry. Let it out, Willow. You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

  I take in a deep, steadying breath and try to get it together. My fingers curl in his shirt anyway. The way he holds me feels so safe, and I can’t do anything to stop the words and the tears pouring out.

  Eric climbs out of the car and holds the door for me. We’re at the El Encanto, the most expensive hotel in Seattle. Once I’d stopped crying in the booth, he said he wanted to take me somewhere and used my cell to call for an Uber.

  “Why’d you bring me here?” I murmur.

  “Willow…get out of the car. I told you I wanted to show you something.”

  I thought that was malarkey. He’s new to the city. How could he know about this place? “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I don’t think my bank balance is going to get us a room in there if you’re planning some big romantic afternoon.”

  He laughs, amused by my hesitancy. “This is my date. My surprise. It’s on me.”

  I’ve never been on the receiving end of a guy wanting to surprise me—all right, not in a good way. I’ve been surprised by guys in the wrong way more times than I can count. And how can this be on him? He doesn’t have any money.

  “Come on, love.”

  He said he wanted to do something to cheer me up after I told him about my dad, and he looks so excited. Why am I resisting? I scoot across the seat and climb from the car.

  “Thank you,” he says, slipping his hand into mine.

  He strides toward the door as if he owns the place.

  “We’re not really going in, are we?”

  “What would be the point of bringing you here if we didn’t? Haven’t you been here before?”

  I shake my head, melting closer into Eric as an impeccably dressed valet rushes forward to open the door for us.

  “Unbelievable. You’re a native and you’ve never been inside this hotel. It’s a landmark. It was design by Robert C. Reamer.”

  “Very believable, and how do you know that? Did you read a visitors’ guide before you came to the bar?”

  Soft rumbles sound in his chest. “Didn’t have to.”

  “And why’s that, Eric James?”

  “I told you I’ve been to Seattle before. Lots of times. I know this city as well as you do.”

  He had told me that during our date. I’d forgotten. “And you stayed here?”

  “Yes, with my family.”

  Inside the lobby my mouth drops.

  Holy hell.

  High vaulted ceilings of carved wood, ornate crystal chandeliers, and boldly colored furnishings that look like they’re from a movie or something. The interior is as quiet as a library except for the water sounds coming from an indoor fountain.

  My eyes rove every detail. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Yes, it is. But I didn’t bring you here to show you the lobby.”

  “No?”

  “I brought you here to show you the roof.”

  He’s got to be messing with me. “The roof?”

  “Yes.”

  So much for expecting to be romanced. That was dumb, Willow. Guys don’t romance girls anymore. Certainly not broke guys left stranded in a city by their friends. Maybe Jade and Ivy are right. I’m falling too fast for him and am overly optimistic about where this can go.

  I run my fingers through my hair, annoyed with myself. I do need to stop letting my imagination run wild. He’s an amazing guy but far from perfect, and he does have his share of flaws.

  We cross the main floor toward a corridor. “We can only get to the roof on a staff elevator. It’s closed off to the guests. So if anyone looks at us funny, act like it’s all right we’re doing this.”

  “You know this because?”

  “Because I know this.” Outside the elevator he hits the button. I cross my arms and wait for him to explain. He sighs, shaking his head at me. “My brother and I used to sneak from our room at night and hang out on the roof when we stayed here.”

  “What’s your brother’s name?”

  “Ethan.”

  “How old is he?”

  “My age. We’re twins.”

  “What’s he like?”

  “The exact opposite of me. He’s at MIT getting a degree in engineering.”

  “MIT. Wow. He must be smart. Are you close?”

  For some reason that question changes his expression, and I frown. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to talk about his brother, which is strange because wouldn’t bringing me here to do something he used to do with Ethan sort of prompt that discussion?

  A ding precedes the elevator doors opening. It’s empty when we step in, and Eric taps the R button on the panel before settling beside me against the far wall.

  Some of his buoyant mood is gone, and I don’t know why. But I make a mental note to follow up later as to why his brother makes him sad.

  Chapter Twenty

  Eric

  NOW THAT WE’RE HERE, I’m wondering if this is a little too dorky. A dweeb move like Dean would do. But Willow’s all about family, she was so darn sad after talking about her dad, and I kind of thought she’d get off on this.

  It’s hard to read her expression, and I’m wondering why I’m nervous and shit when I hardly know the girl. It’s just a lark. Something to do. If she likes it, she likes it. If she doesn’t then no fucking loss.

  It’s the best I could come up with on the fly seeing as my pockets are empty: my favorite childhood spot in Seattle where I used to hang with my brother. Besides, it was time to get out of that bar, away from Ivy and Jade. Those girls work like hell to turn Willow against me.

  “What is this place?” Her eyes are round, just staring.

  “A Japanese garden,” I explain, going down the steps. “It was designed by some famous landscape architect—don’t remember his name—for the owner. Ethan and I always thought it was kinda cool.”

 
When I turn back she hasn’t moved. She’s where I left her just outside the elevator. “Cool? It’s amazing. Let’s get out of here.”

  I shake my head, raking back my hair as I laugh. “Why? Afraid to get in trouble?”

  “Yes.”

  That makes me laugh harder, both her voice and how Willow looks. “Well, don’t be. I’ve got a magic tongue. I can talk myself out of anything.”

  Now her cheeks are pink—yeah, I heard her breathe that last night when I’m pretty sure she didn’t know she said it aloud. “That’s not going to work unless the owner is female,” she points out.

  “It’s not. It’s a man.”

  “Then we should get out of here.”

  I sprint up the steps and take her hands before she can hit the call button for the elevator. “Willow. Let’s hang out here. You can see all of Seattle. It’s fun being naughty.”

  One inky brow jerks up. “They probably have security cameras up here. There’s not going to be any naughty.”

  I grin. “I’m willing to risk it if you are.”

  She yanks her hands from mine and darts away. But that’s fine by me. She’s down the steps near the stained-wood awning where there are cushioned double loungers with a fully stocked minibar tucked behind the door of a traditional Japanese cabinet.

  She sinks down on a lounger, plops her chin atop her fists, and watches—worried—as I rummage through the bar. “What’d you and your brother do up here? Swipe beers and get loaded?”

  “Me? I’m a good Catholic boy. Or I used to be.”

  She giggles. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  I hold up a bottle of white wine in one hand and a beer in another. “Which do you want?”

  “Neither. I want to get out of here before we get busted.”

  I opt for wine when I’d prefer beer. Maybe after she figures out security isn’t going to barge in on the scene any moment to arrest us she’ll loosen up. I’m thinking she drinks white wine when she drinks. She seems that kind of girl.

  “The view’s spectacular,” she says.

  I remove the cork with a screw. “You should see it at night.”

  “You know we’re going to have to pay for that if we get caught. It’s probably a hundred-buck bottle or something.”