Back to Before

by Tracy Solheim

  “I’m going to Coastal Carolina in the fall,” Cassidy said behind her. Ginger was relieved to hear the girl’s footsteps following. She slowed down her own pace but didn’t make eye contact. This was Cassidy, after all, and Ginger had been burned by her acquiescence before. “Well, that should be fun,” was all she said.

  Cassidy snorted. “I’m not exactly the sorority, co-ed type.”

  “I’m sure there will be kids from Chances Inlet who go there. You’ll have a group of friends already made before you arrive.” Ginger hesitated at the steps of the veranda, reluctant now for their conversation to end. Especially since Cassidy was opening up.

  “I don’t have any friends,” Cassidy said softly.

  Sadly, her words didn’t surprise Ginger. Cassidy did her best to keep everyone at a distance. “Only because you act like you don’t want any,” she said, finally looking at the girl’s face, which was stoic in the twilight. “What about Kyle Preston?” she asked, suddenly remembering the conversation she’d had with the young man last week at the ballet studio.

  Cassidy eyed her stonily. “What about him?”

  Ginger was already in the deep, swimming without protection, so she decided to keep treading water. “He asked about you last week when he dropped Hannah off for class. He said he hadn’t seen you in school. It looked to me like he was worried about you.”

  A flush stained Cassidy’s cheeks. Ginger was unsure whether it was caused by anger or something else. Before the girl could answer, however, Lori made her way out onto the porch.

  “Hey, I picked up some fresh swordfish today. I’m grilling it with some vegetables if y’all are ready for some dinner,” Lori announced, looking questioningly between both Ginger and Cassidy.

  Ginger’s stomach growled. Diesel always raved about Lori’s cupcakes, but she was delighted that the inn’s maid/cook was also accomplished at making delicious, healthy entrées. Soon after she and Diesel had arrived, she offered to fix dinner each night and Ginger had been happy to pay Lori her meal per diem in exchange for the gourmet offerings she prepared. Lori explained that she wanted the practice for the day when she opened her own restaurant, but Ginger suspected the woman’s culinary skills had already been finely honed before she began working at the Tide Me Over Inn.

  “Grilled fish again,” Cassidy complained, throwing a malevolent look over her shoulder at Ginger as she clomped up the stairs. “Don’t you ever eat anything just because it tastes good?”

  Lori exchanged a look with Ginger as Cassidy slammed the screen door. Both women knew that despite her blustering, Cassidy would be downstairs for dinner later. The aroma of Lori’s cooking was too hard to ignore.

  “What’s with her?” Lori asked.

  “Well, I can’t say for sure, but I think our little girl might be crushing on a boy,” Ginger said, a smile teasing her lips.

  Lori laughed. “It’s about time.”

  * * *

  Several hours later, Ginger emerged from her shower feeling not as relaxed as she expected, but keyed up instead. The reason why would be arriving any minute. There had never been any doubt about whether she’d leave her bedroom door unlocked. She’d been on a crash course with Gavin since arriving in town and, after yesterday’s hot interlude at the mansion, she’d decided not to fight it anymore. Instead she was going to enjoy all aspects of her sojourn in Chances Inlet—including a secret sexy fling.

  Her body hummed with excitement as she smoothed some of the inn’s signature lotion over her skin. She had to admit that Patricia had great taste in the soaps and toiletries she provided for her guests. In fact, everything about the Tide Me Over Inn was elegant and refined. The Glasgow suite where Ginger was staying featured a lovely sitting area overlooking the inn’s vast garden, a comfortable four-poster bed and a cozy fireplace. The claw-foot tub in the large bathroom could fit two comfortably, she thought to herself slyly.

  A light knock sounded on her door, startling Ginger. She’d expected Gavin to simply slip in, keeping his promise to ensure their assignation remained secret. Her body quivered with need as she quickly pulled on her silk robe. Passing by the mirror, she licked her dry lips before heading for the door.

  “Ginger?” Cassidy’s voice came from the hallway. Ginger froze in her tracks. “Are you still awake?”

  Hastily, she pulled a pair of panties out of the drawer and yanked them up her legs. “Uh, yeah, Cassidy. Just a minute,” she said, tying her robe more securely around her naked body and trying not to panic. Gavin could arrive at any moment. There was no plausible excuse he could give for showing up at her door at ten thirty at night, at least not one a sharp-witted teenager would accept. But, at the same time, she was reluctant to turn Cassidy away. Not when Ginger felt as though the girl was opening up to her.

  Despite her complaining about the menu, Cassidy had shown up for dinner. To Ginger’s surprise, so had Patricia. The innkeeper’s attitude toward her had also softened significantly during the past week and the four women had shared a lively meal together. She could only imagine what Gavin’s mother’s attitude would be if she got wind that her son was sneaking into Ginger’s bed. Her heart in her throat, she pulled the door open.

  “Took you long enough,” Cassidy said. The girl eyed Ginger from head to toe. “Gawd, you dress like that for bed? It’s a wonder you don’t slide out from under the sheets with all that lotion on your body.”

  Sighing, Ginger pulled the door open all the way to keep Cassidy from bowling her over as she pushed into the suite. Dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt two sizes too small, the girl was still wearing her full face of Goth war paint. She settled herself into one of the large wing chairs next to the fireplace, nervously shuffling a piece of paper between her hands.

  Ginger left the door slightly ajar, hoping that Gavin would hear them and be warned before barging in. Grabbing a soft throw blanket from the bed, she wrapped it around her legs and sat in the chair opposite Cassidy.

  “I’m flattered a smart girl like you would come to me for homework help,” she said.

  Cassidy snorted. “As if, Gidget.” But she didn’t add anything more, her fingers still toying with the piece of paper. Ginger did her best to tamp down on her anxiety about Gavin’s imminent arrival. If Cassidy had come to her room, something was definitely up with the teenager and, with her mother in rehab, the girl had few people to turn to.

  “Cass, I’m not as young as you. I need my beauty sleep,” Ginger softly prodded. “What’s up?”

  Cassidy stared at her hands. “Did Kyle Preston really ask about me?”

  Ginger worked to suppress her smile. “He did.”

  Flopping back against the chair, Cassidy heaved a sigh. “I think he wants to ask me to the prom.”

  “That’s awesome!” Ginger wondered why Cassidy wasn’t dancing around the room in excitement until she remembered that she wasn’t dealing with a normal teenage girl. “Isn’t it?”

  “Of course it isn’t,” Cassidy snapped. “He’s doing it on a dare so that they can all make fun of me.”

  Ginger sat forward in her chair. “What makes you say that?”

  Cassidy tossed Ginger the piece of paper that she’d been shredding in her hands. Curiosity and concern weaved through Ginger as she unfolded the now-damp paper. It was a Photoshopped picture of Cassidy riding a pig and wearing a tiara. Emblazoned on the bottom of the page: Vote Casserole for Prom Queen! It’s Time Swine Country Had a Real Ham for a Queen.

  Ginger struggled for breath and for words.

  “Still think high school is cool?” Cassidy asked.

  “I don’t understand,” Ginger said, but she didn’t have to go to high school to recognize bullying for what it was. This was a cruel joke at Cassidy’s expense and Ginger felt her stomach clamp up in anger.

  “What’s not to understand? I told you they don’t pick on me because they like me. They pick on me because they don’t like me.”

  “I really thought he was being nice,” Ginger murmured, disap
pointed that she had been so wrong about Kyle Preston.

  Cassidy shrugged her shoulders. “Nice or not, he’s in on it.”

  “How can you be so calm about this?” Ginger said, her voice rising with her fury. “This is despicable and something needs to be done about it.”

  “Oh, I’m going to do something about it, all right,” Cassidy said as she snatched the piece of paper back.

  Ginger suddenly started imagining all those horror movies where the prom queen wreaks havoc on the rest of the student body. “Like what exactly, Cassidy?” she asked, a little afraid of what the girl’s answer might be.

  “I’m going to that prom, Gidget, and you’re gonna help me. Unless you were just conning me the other day and you really didn’t mean it. The part about helping me.”

  Ginger was taken aback by Cassidy’s quiet determination. “I meant it,” she said. Knowing that Cassidy’s friends were few and far between, she was determined to help. “What exactly do you need me to do?”

  Cassidy squirmed a little in the chair. “Were you lying when you told that coven of dance moms that ballet will get you in shape?”

  “No, I wasn’t lying,” Ginger said. “But it takes a lot of dedication and hard work.” She could see where Cassidy was going with this now and, while she didn’t doubt the teen’s ability, she was a little worried about her motives. “When is the prom?”

  “Graduation week, right after Founders’ Day weekend. Chances Inlet never deviates from tradition and the prom has been held that weekend for seventy-something years. It’s a pretty lame way to do it, actually, but no one in this stupid town ever bothers to mess with custom.”

  Essentially, Ginger had the full complement of her sixty-nine days left to turn Cassidy into a swan. She felt a trace of sadness, though, that she wouldn’t be around to see the end result of Cassidy in a prom dress; she and Diesel would leave for New York immediately after the wrap show scheduled for Founders’ Day weekend. Still, Ginger was thrilled that the girl had come to her for help. Surely that meant she was being accepted in this town. If it meant that she had to work out with the girl forty hours a week to make sure Cassidy had a successful prom, Ginger would do it.

  “I’m not doing this so those other kids will like you, Cassidy. I’m doing it so you’ll like yourself a little more,” she said.

  “Suit yourself, Gidget. But I’m subjecting myself to your ballet boot camp so I can walk through that door on prom night and make them all regret their words.” Cassidy rose from her chair and Ginger followed her to her feet.

  “Yeah, okay, that works, too,” she said with a laugh before holding out her hand to Cassidy. The teen eyed it warily. “My boot camp, my rules, Cass. It’s all or nothing. Shake on it.”

  For a moment, Ginger thought the girl would change her mind and take back her request for help. Just as quickly, Cassidy gripped her fingers in a firm handshake. “I’m pretty sure I could still take you if I had to, Gidget, but it’s gonna be more fun to watch you try to keep up with me while we work out.”

  “Save the trash-talking for tomorrow night, Cassidy. It’s going to take more than just words to defeat me.” Ginger grinned as the teenager shuffled back down the long hallway toward her own room. It felt good to be needed by not only Audra, but Cassidy, too. Finally, her skills were serving a purpose. Smiling in satisfaction, she slipped out of her robe, crawling beneath the cool sheets to wait for her next visitor.

  SIXTEEN

  Moonlight streamed through the window as Gavin sat with his back against one of the posts at the corner of the bed where Ginger slept. His dinner meeting had run late and after stopping by the loft to take care of Midas, it was midnight by the time he reached the inn. But she’d left the door unlocked. Too bad she was totally zonked out.

  Gavin’s body was screaming at him to pull back the comforter and cover her obviously nude torso with his own, but he didn’t have the heart to wake her. It was late. He was late. Instead, he’d decided to watch her sleep for a moment before heading back to the loft for a long cold shower.

  She was elegant and graceful even in slumber, her delicate features relaxed and peaceful. This woman had captivated him from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Even after finally having her yesterday—multiple times—his body still ached for more of her. Today, when he’d secured the last piece of the puzzle, the means to return to his life in New York, all he could think about was being here with her tonight, naked in her bed.

  He smiled to himself thinking that at least now, whatever this was between them could continue in New York if they both wanted. She’d be beginning her work as a choreographer at the same time he’d be resurrecting his career as an architect. As much as his body was complaining about not getting its way right now, Gavin knew there’d be endless nights between the sheets ahead. Shifting slowly, he moved to get off the bed.

  “Gavin.” Her soft word was like a caress stopping him in his tracks.

  He reached over and brushed a piece of hair off her face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she said.

  “No, it’s my bad,” he said, his jeans growing tighter with each one of her breathy words. “I couldn’t get Kerry to stop talking.” He let out a painful sigh. “It’s been a crazy day and you’re tired.” Still, he was obviously taking directions from the wrong body part because he made no move to get off the bed and leave her room.

  She smiled like a temptress. “It has been a crazy day.” She took his hand in her smaller one, bringing his fingers to her mouth. Gavin’s cock jumped when her pink lips brushed up against his fingertip.

  “I should go and let you sleep,” he said, his body protesting loudly at his words.

  “Stay.”

  He wanted to resist her, but the quiet determination in her voice was all the convincing he needed. Standing, he reached behind his neck with one hand, pulling his shirt over his head, while he emptied out his pockets with the other. His shoes and jeans were next to go and Ginger’s sexy sigh at the sight of his erection made him even harder. She smelled like mint and felt like silk when he finally crawled in between the sheets next to her.

  Cradling her face with his hands, he brought his mouth down to hers. “I don’t think I can make it another moment without kissing you, Ginger,” he whispered against her lips.

  She seductively traced her fingers up the sides of his torso. “Then what are you waiting for?” she asked, nipping at his bottom lip.

  Without further thought his mouth was eating at hers, those little sounds of need escaping the back of her throat making him grow harder and their kiss more urgent. She rocked her hips against him and he fisted his hands in her hair, trying to wrestle back some control. Yesterday, while incredibly satisfying and fun, had been an afternoon of hurried sex. Tonight, Gavin was determined to take his time and show her some finesse. Unfortunately, Ginger wasn’t cooperating. Her foot rubbed along his leg as she tried to bring their bodies closer, and Gavin groaned as the warm crease of her body rubbed against his arousal.

  Breaking the kiss, he breathed against her neck. His crotch grew even tighter when she licked his ear. Trying to tame her restless desire, he slid lower down her body, wrapping his lips around a nipple and teasing it with her tongue. Her breathy sigh filled the room and Gavin smiled against her belly as he moved even lower.

  “Gavin.” She breathed the hoarse plea while tangling her fingers in his hair and pushing his head farther down until he was between her legs. She was damp and musky and Gavin was having trouble reining in his own desire after the first flick of his tongue. Writhing beneath him, she whispered sexy words of encouragement as he took his time pleasuring her, her release finally convulsing through her with a silent cry.

  Slowly, he crawled up her languid body, stopping every few inches to kiss her smooth skin, now flushed and warm from her climax. Shining eyes and a contented grin were waiting for him when his lips reached her jawline, and a keen sense of satisfaction rolled throu
gh him. His fingers teased her nipple. “I’m going to make you come again,” he whispered in her ear. Gasping, she rolled her hips against him. His fingers found her opening and she jerked around his hand. “Let me take you there again,” he coaxed as his thumb stroked her. “I want to watch you.”

  Ginger wrapped her own hand around his wrist to better guide his thrusting fingers in and out of her warm body. Her breathing fractured and Gavin grazed his teeth over the skin on her arched neck. “Go for it,” he commanded, his own body growing agitated in anticipation. She came in a rush, her muscles clenching around his finger as she cried out his name like a prayer.

  Flipping her over onto her belly, Gavin nipped at her shoulder as his body covered hers. With his tongue and his mouth, he pressed kisses over her back while her breathing returned to normal. Ginger began to stir, but he began whispering in her ear words that were naughty and explicit in their meaning, explaining exactly what he was going to do to her next. She quivered beneath him when he drew his cock along her wet seam. Unable to stand it anymore, Gavin quickly sheathed himself with a condom. He folded her up on her hands and knees before wrapping his body around hers. Kissing the bumps from the bottom of her spine to the top, he brought his lips to her ear, allowing his tongue to trail along her pulse point, which was now beating wildly.

  “Third time’s the charm,” he said just before sliding into her. She answered with a lusty sigh and Gavin couldn’t hold back any longer, moving in and out of her at a demanding pace. Ginger met his rhythm and their bodies grew slick with exertion. His own breathing was now erratic as her warm muscles closed around him. Reaching a hand around her lower belly, his finger found her trigger point and she jerked against him. One stroke was all it took and she threw her head back against his shoulder and breathed a strangled sigh. Gavin grunted as she climaxed around him, bringing him to his own powerful release.