Gone Guy (Sand & Fog Series Book 5)

by Susan Ward

  Actually more. I shrug. “You can add it to the list of what I owe you.”

  “What makes you think I have enough money to pay that?”

  “If you don’t, then it’s back to my magic tongue skills.”

  Just as I hoped, her face colors darker.

  I go with my wine to sit on the edge of the wall. It’s only four feet high and it’s giving me a great view of Willow on that lounger with the vignette of the mountains behind her. Or rather looking at her from a small distance fills my head with how I plan to see her soon. Sprawled out naked beneath me. I didn’t just bring her up here for conversation. I’d love to see her naked in this setting, a place as beautiful as she is.

  “Are you going to tell me what you and Ethan really did up here?”

  I smirk. “What do you think?”

  “Snuck girls up here and got busy.”

  I laugh. “We were just kids when we used to do this shit.”

  “I don’t believe that good Catholic boy drivel.”

  “It’s the truth.” Well, partially, but I’m not one of those guys that tosses into the sharing cubby his experiences with other girls. I sip my wine and study her for a moment. “We used to write music and jam together. We created some epic music. Then we’d hold free concerts for the city.”

  She perks up, curious and interested. “Ethan’s a musician, too?”

  “A great musician. Almost as good as me.”

  I take the cigarettes I found hidden in a drawer in the apartment bathroom from my pocket, pull out one, and reach for the matches.

  “Is he as modest as you are?”

  “What do you think?”

  “He can’t be less modest.”

  Laughing, I light my cig.

  Willow frowns. “Where’d you get those?”

  Shit. They’re a weird off-brand I’ve never seen before. I should have expected her to notice them. I shrug. “Your bathroom.”

  “Damn it. My dad’s hiding cigarettes again and smoking them. He’s not supposed to because of his diabetes and circulation issues.”

  “Oh fuck, these are your old man’s? I thought they were Jade’s or I wouldn’t have taken them.”

  She chokes on a laugh. “Like if they were Jade’s that’d make it better?”

  “Yeah. Gotta respect your old man, you know?” I hold out the pack to her. “Take them back, hide them someplace, before I start jonesing for nicotine and forget to be respectful again.”

  She rolls her eyes. “It’s a little late now to be respectful, and my dad shouldn’t have them anyway. Smoke up.” She makes anxiously darting glances around the patio. “What are we supposed to do up here?”

  “Enjoy the quiet. Chill. Think of it like our own private park.”

  “Did you really used to sit up here and play music with Ethan?”

  Whoa, why is she suspicious of me again? I study her through an exhale of smoke then toss my cig. “Every time our dad stayed here for work.” I throw in the for work part so she won’t get that thinking I’m braggadocious syndrome again. I set down my glass and stand up on the wall. “Before we went back to our rooms I’d stand up here and scream ‘Thank you, Seattle. I’m Eric James and you’re going to love me someday!’ before I’d run off the stage.”

  Chuckling, because I can’t imagine why I’m telling her this shit, I look over my shoulder. Oh fuck, she’s white faced. “What’s wrong?”

  “Can you get down from there now? I’m not loving you. You’re scaring the crap out of me.”

  Oh. I start to walk on the concrete.

  “You think I’m going to fall before I get to use my magic tongue again.”

  “Not funny, Eric.”

  She really is upset. I should stop this. “Would you be sorry if I fell?”

  “Not half as much as your parents would be.”

  I smile. “I’ll get down even though I was shooting for I’d be devastated, Eric, if something happened to you.”

  “Get down!”

  “OK.”

  Then I wave my arms, totter on one leg, and fall backward. Her screams follow me over the edge, but by the time she’s at the wall, I’m lying with my legs crossed and my arms behind my head like a pillow.

  “Asshole.” Her breasts are heaving as she stares down at me.

  “Told you I’d been here before.”

  It’s only a four-foot drop to a cushioned landing on the lower level of the roof where the private pool and spa are located.

  “That wasn’t funny. I thought you fell.”

  Wait? Is she really crying? “Willow, I was just goofing around. Didn’t mean to upset you. I wouldn’t have sat on the wall if I hadn’t known it was safe. I don’t have a death wish or anything.” I watch as she tries to collect herself. “I definitely don’t want to die now that I’ve met you.”

  That sort of mollifies her, but I think I’ve blown my chances of getting lucky up here. Fuck. Every other girl I hang out with would have laughed and known I was being stupid. But then Willow doesn’t know me. Crap, now I feel like an asshole.

  When I glance up she’s not at the wall. I scramble from the lounger, take the steps two at a time, and catch her halfway to the elevator. “No, no, no, don’t leave. I’m sorry, OK?”

  She whirls on me, her face tear-stained. “That wasn’t funny.” She’s choking back tears and can hardly talk. Crap, this seems extreme for a lame joke. I pull her into my arms and she sniffs. “My mom killed herself, OK?”

  Fuck—I didn’t know. “Jesus Christ, I’m sorry, love. You gotta know I wouldn’t have done that if I’d known.”

  She nods, rubbing her dripping nose against my shirt. Fine, use me as a hanky. It’s not like it’s clean or anything.

  “Some things I don’t have a sense of humor about, Eric.” She sounds upset and embarrassed now.

  “There are some things you shouldn’t. I’m sorry, Willow.”

  It takes a while for her to relax against my chest. Once she’s holding me in return, I bury my lips in her hair—God, her hair smells like wildflowers and her, and I get a semi because I’m sure that she washes her landing strip below with the same soap—and ask, “Can we start over? I wanted to show you something special to me. Give you a good time for a change.”

  She isn’t looking exactly agreeable to the plan, but she doesn’t resist as I lead her back to the lounger she was sitting on. I settle her there and go back for my wine.

  I stay put with the distance between us, this time leaning against the wall. She’s skittish still and hasn’t completely unbent toward me yet.

  “How old were you when your mom died?” Yeah, I’m a hit-touchy-subjects-head-on guy.

  “Ten.” Short, but at least she answered me.

  “Fuck, it must have been hard on you. Your whole family.”

  “Dad and Jade mostly. Dad had to work twice as many hours and Jade had to be my sister, babysitter, and mother rolled into one.”

  That explains why she’s so bossy and runs all over Willow. “It was hard on you, too. It’s OK to say it, Willow.”

  Her face snaps up, her eyes searching, and she nods. “It was hard on me, too.”

  “Did you ever just want to take off and leave?”

  “All the time.” Her cheeks flush, and it’s like she’s shamefaced to admit that.

  “Understandable. Families can be rough.” I finish my wine and grab the bottle on the way to sit beside her. “I used to want to run away, too. Sometimes.”

  “Really?” She looks intense again.

  “Yeah. I’ve got both my parents and an awesome family, but it gets hard even when things are good. And you think, if I disappear it’ll be easier.”

  Fuck—why am I telling her that? It’s shit I don’t admit to anyone.

  She turns onto a hip and scoots up until her head’s on the pillow of the lounger. “Why hard for you?”

  I should have known Willow isn’t the type of girl to blow that
off and move on. Still, her asking surprises me.

  I set my glass on the ground and stretch out beside her, copying her posture and facing her. “You’ve got to know my dad. He casts a pretty big fucking shadow. And sometimes it doesn’t feel like I’m ever going to be able to do anything that’s ever going to measure up to him.”

  Leaning in, she drops a light kiss on my mouth. “You don’t have to measure up. You’re wonderful as you are.”

  I laugh and snort simultaneously. If only she knew who my family was, she wouldn’t say really sweet and wrong shit like that.

  Then I realize it feels good being around someone who gets it, the junk I stopped saying to other people long ago.

  “You’re wonderful, too, Willow.” I lie back, fanning my fingers on her face and staring into her midnight eyes. How she gazes at me is sobering and real and scary as shit. There’s a prick of remorse mingling with all the good things she makes me feel. “Why are you being so kind to me? I’ve never met anyone like you. I can’t wrap my head around it.”

  “I like you.”

  “That can’t be the only reason.”

  She flushes. “Maybe it is. Or maybe I’m doing this for me.”

  “Grr…don’t talk in riddles, not now after our heavy sharing moment. It bothers me that I can’t figure out what’s in this for you. You know, being with a guy who’s a broke-ass loser.”

  “You’re not a loser.”

  Giggling, she tucks her face against my chest. Her arms tighten around my neck. We’re quiet for a while and I can feel she’s pensive.

  “Don’t laugh at me,” she says hesitantly, peeking up at me, and I nod. “Did you ever see the end of the movie Pretty Woman? I figured you must’ve with that wall stunt.”

  I nod, not sure where the chick flick reference is going.

  “The scene where Richard Gere drives up to Julia Roberts’s apartment, standing up through the limo sunroof, holding flowers, then scales the fire escape because he loves her. And he asks her what happens after the guy rescues the girl. And Julia says she rescues him right back.”

  She waits, expectantly.

  “Yes, I know that scene.”

  “It’s exactly how I’ve dreamed love should always be. But I got tired of waiting for someone to climb the fire escape to rescue me.” Her face is a wash of emotion. “I decided to take matters into my own hands. I figured it didn’t matter which way the rescuing went. That maybe it worked both ways. If I rescue someone, they’ll rescue me right back. Get it?”

  My throat’s so tight I can’t breathe. “How’s that working out for you, Willow?”

  “It hasn’t”—her dazzling smile spreads ear to ear as her lips lower to mine—“until now.”

  Her fingers claw my shirt.

  Her eyes meet mine and her lips part for my tongue, making me desperate to fuck her this second.

  I pull her body against me and kiss her deeper, harder. Her body bows, her hips pressing up against my erection, and it’s like she’s begging for me. Nothing new having a girl beg for me, but even in the fog of her tastes and smells, I know this is different. It’s not hard to know; she’s different.

  She shudders as she rocks against my hard-on and I yank off her shirt. I start kissing the slope of her breasts above her bra as I work my hands between our bodies to unfasten her shorts.

  I slip my finger underneath her panties to feel her clit. So fucking wet. So fucking sweet. It’s too much. I need her naked and me in her.

  Last night was about exploring the treasure garden. Today is raw, hungry need.

  Then I’ve got her naked, lying there how I’d imagined her as her clumsy hands try to help me strip.

  Like that, out of nowhere, she’s got every cell in my body buzzing for her. Her fingers brush my cock as her hands roam while I shed my jeans.

  I reach into my pocket. Rip the foil. Thank fuck I grabbed a condom. I need her on her back, staring up at me while I sink into her.

  Before I get the skin in place, it’s like she’s read my mind. Only in her own unique Willow version, eyes wide and sunlit, arms open with everything she’s feeling this moment written all over her beautiful face.

  I must have nodded off after we fucked. When I open my eyes, Willow’s dressed and tidying up the patio. The half-finished bottle of wine and glass are gone.

  I push my hair from my face. “Fuck, how long did we sleep?”

  She checks her phone. “A couple hours. We’ve gotta get out of here. I was supposed to be back at the bar by six to go with Jade to the hospital.”

  “Damn. I’m sorry.” I sit up and start to dress. “I didn’t mean to give Jade another reason to be pissed at you.”

  “Jade doesn’t need a reason to get annoyed with me, or haven’t you figured that one out yet?” She sinks on her knees, butt on her heels, and kisses my back. “And I’m not sorry. It was a great afternoon. This has gotta be the most unexpected date I’ve ever had. And don’t worry. I texted her to leave without me and that I’d meet her there.”

  Unexpected, huh? We fucked on a rooftop patio. I’m pretty sure I’m not the first guy to think it or want it.

  I pull her into me for a fast kiss before I reach for my shirt. “Tell me that later after you get your ass chewed out.”

  She stands while I lace up my shoes. “I called an Uber. I can get dropped at the hospital then catch a ride home with Jade. You can take the car back to the bar. We keep a key for the apartment on top of the doorframe.”

  “How late do you think you’ll be?”

  We hold hands hurrying toward the elevators.

  “Not late. A couple hours. Dad can’t take more. We can go out to dinner after I get back.”

  I hit the button. “If you’re sure you want to.”

  She smiles. “I’m sure I want to.”

  The doors open, and I push her inside until she’s flat against the wall. My mouth claims hers and she tries to pull away. Against her lips I whisper, “So suspicious. I only put one rubber in my pocket. You’re safe. I’m just kissing you until we reach the ground floor.”

  Her laughter vibrates down my throat and I moan. No girl has ever tasted as sweet as her. I get high off those lips and her body.

  She twists away. “Eric.”

  “I’ve got it under control.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  She’s staring at the bulge in my zipper area. I’m always ready to fuck, but how intense he’s inflating so quickly with Willow shocks even me.

  “Keep your hands to yourself and think of something else,” she chides, but she’s still watching him.

  Ah, that’s not helping.

  “Fine, I’m trying to get it under control. Don’t look at him that way. You’ve got the nastiest little gleam in your eyes. I know it’s because you find this funny, but he’s not thinking that’s why. Stare somewhere else for a while.”

  “But—”

  “Now. We’re almost to the lobby.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Willow

  Crap, Jade got to the hospital before I did. I hurry past the reception desk into the elevator and up to the fourth floor where Dad’s room is. It’s only a little after six, but Jade will have a hissy-fit anyway because I’m late.

  I know I’m in for it. In the Uber I got a one-word text from her. Waiting.

  I hate the smell of hospitals. On Dad’s floor the stench, poorly masked by disinfectant, gets stronger. Illness smells a lot like death. It never fails to remind me of the day we came here—not this floor, but the basement morgue—because of Mom. Jade and I being left on a bench in an icy, dimly lit corridor while Dad went in to make the identification.

  I’ll never get over how Dad looked after he returned to us. I’d never seen my dad cry before and that’s when I knew it was real, the phone call we’d gotten. Mom was dead. I wonder if Jade thinks of that, too. If that’s why she’s always her snappiest worst at the hospital.

  Ja
de wants me upbeat tonight. I need to think of something other than Mom. Eric and the rooftop of the El Encanto. The memory makes my body tingle and I smile. That’s better. And even better is knowing he’ll be at the apartment waiting when I get home.

  I weave around a nurse pushing a cart and turn the corner into another narrow passageway. Jade’s sitting outside our dad’s room on a chair. Her posture warns I should brace myself; she’s ready to jump on me.

  When she sees me, she springs to her feet. “How irresponsible can you be, Willow? You promised not to forget about the hospital tonight. You’re late.”

  “Only ten minutes. Why are you sitting in the hallway?”

  Her fingers bury in her dark red curls. “There’s a nurse in there drawing blood or something. She asked me to leave.”

  So my being late really didn’t matter. Score one being-petty point for my sister.

  “How’d Dad look tonight?”

  She brightens up. “Good. Better than I expected with how he was talking this morning. I spoke to his doctor. He might get discharged Saturday if he keeps improving.”

  Six more days. That means Eric has to hit the road for home by then. He’s not like Cole, a neighborhood boy with nowhere to go. Dad would never tolerate Eric staying with us. Not even on the couch where Cole camped until he could find a place to bounce.

  “If the doctor’s talking about when he’s releasing Dad, that’s good, right? I’m so relieved. Maybe it’s not as bad as Dad thinks it is.”

  “I hope so. Gary and I can’t stay much longer. Another week, that’s it. If Gary doesn’t show up for his first day at his on-campus job he could lose it. It’s in the computer science development lab. It’ll look good on a resume when he graduates.”

  She drops down on her chair and I slouch in the one next to her. Jade talks as if Gary’s the ultimate priority in every Birch family issue. And just because he has to go back to Virginia for work doesn’t mean Jade has to go with him.

  “I can manage things on my own if I have to. It’ll be all right, Jade. Dad and I will work together to get things done like we always have.”

  “You’re too young to run the bar on your own, Willow. And you don’t know how to bartend.” She makes a heavy sigh. “Dad should sell the bar. He can’t keep working the hours he does, and in a few weeks you’ll be in college, too.”