“So if I want anything, I just ask you?” The only thing he wanted was gone. Nadine was getting married to his brother, and Carole could never take her place.
“Pretty much.” She reached across the table for the tortilla chips and salsa, holding his gaze. “Satisfaction guaranteed.”
He smiled. She was a nice girl, just not the right girl.
“So you like being a fireman?” She bit into the chip, swallowed then licked the sauce off her bottom lip. She had pretty eyes—soft blue that looked sad too, as if they’d seen too much heartache.
“I do. It wasn’t the original plan, though. I was a career military man, did three tours in Afghanistan, from 2011 until 2014. They reduced the troops after that and I was one of those left behind to help train the local police and army. Place was a shit hole, and nobody could be trusted.” He took another drink, stating the facts. He wasn’t looking for sympathy—he’d made his choices, and stood by them. “The guy you thought you knew might be the one to knife you in the back. I was injured in a random IED attack on the base, and sent back home.”
She narrowed her eyes and looked him over with concern. “You seem fine now. How bad was it?”
“Thirty percent of my body was covered in burns, but we lost three men. All good men—during a training exercise. Anyway, it wasn’t my injuries that made me resign, it was my head.” He tapped his temple with his forefinger. “Just couldn’t wrap my mind around it anymore. Decided, with the help of a lot of head shrinks, that I’m better off saving lives than taking them.” Intensive therapy had given him back his life.
“Good answer.” She stood up, waving her empty glass. “I’m ready for a refill. Would you like one too?”
“No, thanks. I just got in a few hours ago. I’m going to unpack, maybe go for a run on the beach. It’s been nice talking with you though.”
He saw the disappointment in her eyes, but she shrugged. “Sounds like a plan. Let me know if you want to go snorkeling or out on Chase’s charter boat. I’m the go-to-girl for making reservations.”
“Thanks, Carole. Not sure what’s ahead of me. I’m the best man, so I’ll have to see what my brother has planned.”
“Enjoy your run. It’s going to be a good night for it.” She left to refill her drink, and he felt a little remorse. She was a nice woman and attractive enough. No reason why he couldn’t take her up on what she was offering, but something held him back. Ridiculous, he knew. No matter how much he’d have liked to reverse time and win Nadine back, it wasn’t going to happen. She was marrying his brother, whether he deserved her or not.
He and Michael were polar opposites. As much as Jeremy loved him, they didn’t see eye to eye. Never had and never would. Even as a high school jock, Michael had been a babe magnet and took what came his way. He’d always been popular, surrounded by friends, while Jeremy had been more of a loner. He was book smart, and woman shy.
They’d been brothers, but not friends, so it seemed perfectly natural that they hadn’t stayed close over the years. When Jeremy joined the military, Michael had attacked his decision, not understanding why he’d want to fight for his country and risk his own life to end terrorism so that people could sleep at night without fear. That disrespect left a sour taste in his mouth.
Funny thing was, his younger brother had always felt like there was a competition between them, and struggled to be better at everything. Jeremy hadn’t cared enough to try. He did his thing and let Michael worry about keeping score. It wouldn’t surprise him if he’d picked Nadine for his bride just to spite him. He didn’t want to see her hurt, but with Michael on the road all the time and the way women came on to him—combined with his recent success, it was a recipe for disaster.
But what could he do? He was here as the best man, not to try and save his ex-love from making the biggest mistake of her life. He owed it to Nadine to be there to pick up the pieces.
CHAPTER FOUR
After happy hour was over, and the food and drinks put away, Anna asked Kevin if he’d like to take a walk with her down by the beach. The sun had set, and a crescent moon had appeared in the evening hours. The weather was still warm, but down by the water it was pleasant, the waves lapping at their bare feet.
“You okay?” she asked, sensing his somber mood. His head was bent and his silver hair shone in the moonlight, but he wasn’t enjoying the walk—his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he wore a glum look upon his face.
“I am, but I’m not sure about my daughter. That was kind of a jerk thing Michael did to her. Or am I just old-fashioned? Being too hard on the guy?”
“Neither.” Anna had only met Michael a few hours ago, and really shouldn’t have any thoughts about him at all, but her instincts as a mother of three grown daughters couldn’t be smothered by a layer of politeness. “I happen to agree. I would have smacked him silly if he’d done that to one of my girls. But Nadine handled the situation well. Better to make a joke of it than fight this close to the wedding. She can talk to him privately about it, and I hope she will.”
He took her hand and gallantly kissed the back, not letting go. “Thanks. I’m glad you feel the same. They’ve been dating for about a year and a half, but they live in separate cities—how much time they’ve actually spent together, I don’t know. When did they have time to fall in love?”
“Sometimes you know right away,” she said, shooting him a glance. Already she knew that Kevin Thomas was a good man, and that the two of them were in sync.
“I’ve always trusted her judgment—guess I’ll have to again.”
“Well, other than the pool incident, Michael seems like a pleasant enough man. Charming, friendly, has well-mannered friends.” She swallowed her misgivings about him, wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not for his sake, but for Kevin’s. “Besides, he’s going to be rich and famous—quite a catch I’d say.”
“Not necessarily. I’d rather she marry an average guy, rather than some hot shot. But that’s just me, being her dad.”
She understood his sentiment exactly. Money didn’t buy happiness. Love brought that and more. “How did she meet him?”
“On a flight. Nadine was working a stretch from Baltimore to Orlando, where he lives. They recognized each other right away.”
“She’d known him before? Or because of the golf circuit?”
He slowed his steps. “Well, this is a little awkward, but the truth is that she used to date his older brother, Jeremy, before he joined the forces. Did several tours in Afghanistan, and when he came back he had PTSD, couldn’t get his head on straight. They broke up, and she lost touch with him. I always liked Jeremy—but he broke her heart.”
Anna’s thoughts raced. How perfectly awkward indeed! “So, Nadine and Michael reconnected after years…and started dating? How did you feel about that?”
“I didn’t know at first.” He shrugged, and glanced up at the countless stars in the sky. “It was very casual, because of their jobs.”
Anna squeezed his fingers, bringing him back to earth. It had been a long, long time since she’d walked with someone, hand in hand, her hip occasionally bumping his, and she wanted to savor each moment.
“Well, romance could happen easily enough,” she said. She was in no position to judge the ways of cupid. “Since they started as friends.”
“Nadine and Michael had only met twice before. She had a layover that night, and they went for dinner—she said that he made her laugh. She started bidding for layovers there and when he wasn’t touring he came to Baltimore and stayed with her. Now, here we are.”
“Yes. Here we are.” She stopped walking to look at him. Such a handsome man. Caring and kind. “Well, I’m just glad you all decided to have your wedding here. Otherwise, I would never have met you.” She tilted her head back and smiled. “I’m sure Nadine will be very happy with Michael, but I do like Jeremy. He seems very mature. And kind. Like you.”
“I always liked him too, but you can’t pick your daughter’s husband.�
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Anna laughed. “Well, I kinda did. Let’s just say when they met the men they are now married too, I gave them a little push, realizing what wonderful men they all were. My youngest girl, Brittany still hasn’t tied the knot, but I expect she will soon.”
She felt a splash of water at her calf and pulled him to the shore. They’d been so busy talking they were wading ankle deep. “Ashley Chase was another guest of ours. He’s a playwright. He’d left his job in advertising, a big New York firm, to come here and write. Lovely man. I chose him right away for my Brit.”
Kevin pulled her closer to his side and gave her a long, searching look. “You are a fascinating woman. Tell me about your other daughters.”
Where to start? She had so many wonderful stories to tell, but she’d do her best to keep it short. When it came to her daughters, she was known to ramble on. They were her life, after all.
“Well, let’s see.” She glanced at the ocean and that gave her a place to start. “My eldest is Kayla—and her husband arrived on a sailboat. He’s a cardiac surgeon from Boston, who lost his own daughter to a rare form of leukemia. Very tragic. He came here for solitude, an escape, and my Kayla saw his pain right away. She refused to leave him alone, and her tender heart helped him heal.” Her eyes got a little misty, and she swiped tears away with her free hand, unwilling to let go of Kevin’s as they walked slowly through the sand.
“And Taylor is your middle daughter? She looks like you—but taller.”
They’d met briefly during lunch. “Her husband, Colt, runs the charter boat out of here and takes people snorkeling or game fishing. He was divorced with a ten-year-old boy, and now they are a family. I had to do a lot of nudging to get her to see that he was clearly “the one.” She’s very stubborn, but extremely happy. You’ll meet Kayla, and Colt and Jamie tomorrow. Sean has to work.”
“I look forward to it. My son will be arriving the following day, just before the wedding.”
“Good. We’ll send a car to pick him up.”
“Do you do all the airport runs?”
“No…just the important ones.” She gave him an impish smile. “I wanted to pick you up.”
“I haven’t heard that expression for many years.” He grinned. “I feel flattered.”
A carefree laugh escaped her mouth. “You should be.”
He stopped walking. “You ready to head back?”
She didn’t want the night to end. “Sure. If you are.”
“Just one thing I want to do first. If you don’t mind.” He faced her, a question in his eyes.
Heart racing, she kept her gaze locked with his. “What?” She hoped she knew the answer, and by the warmth in his eyes she had a very good guess.
“I’d like to kiss you. I haven’t met a woman like you—not—since thirty years ago.”
Oh my! Her heart squeezed. “You may,” she said and stood on tiptoe, leaning his way.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close. Softly, gently his lips covered hers in a chaste kiss. She accepted it for a few seconds, then broke it off. “A real kiss,” she told him, demanding more.
He smiled. And then he kissed her good. When they pulled apart, she was a little breathless and definitely flushed. “Now that was a kiss,” she whispered softly.
He laughed and hugged her. “I thought so too.”
She peeked up at him. “You think we could do more of that while you’re here?”
“As long as my daughter doesn’t catch us. You live alone, don’t you?”
“I most certainly do. My girls have their own places now. So it’s just little ole me. And I love company.” She teased him with an inviting smile. “Want to come back for some dessert? I have Key Lime pie, fresh from Taylor’s oven.”
“Well, I haven’t tasted that in a long, long time.”
Her stomach fluttered. “Then what are we waiting for?”
Picking up the pace, they hurried back to her cabin. Looking down the garden path they made sure they were alone before she let him in. Closing the door behind him, she let out a sigh of relief. “All safe.”
“You might not be safe with me.” He pulled her roughly into his arms. “The pie can wait.”
She gulped. “I wasn’t in the mood for it anyway. The bedroom is that way,” she indicated down the hall. “I’ll grab us a drink and meet you there in a minute.”
“Cabernet?”
“I’ll get you anything you like.” Excitement budded inside of her, and her skin prickled with awareness when his hands roamed over her bare arms.
“Condoms or not?” He nuzzled behind her ear.
“I have no need. Do you?”
“One woman in the last thirty years. So no.”
“Guess that’s a go then.”
“Want me to help with the wine?” He was unbuttoning his shirt as he spoke.
“Okay.” Her mouth watered at the first glimpse of his chest. “You choose the bottle, and I’ll freshen up.” She wanted to be clean and nice smelling for him. It wasn’t often she had a man in her bed and she planned on enjoying every minute.
* * *
Nadine rolled over, her cheek resting on Michael’s fine chest. Her fingers stroked his arm, and she wrapped a leg through his. “I’m sorry I was upset with you before, but I just wanted our night to be perfect.” She kissed his chest, happy now that they were alone together.
“It was perfect. But I don’t know why you got mad. I was just fooling around.” His hand groped her breast, playing with her tender nipple.
“I know, that’s why I jumped in. But it was a little embarrassing in front of my dad and people we just met.”
“Oh, you’re too sensitive. I’m sure Melody or Ashley would have thought it all in fun.”
“They are my friends, and no, they wouldn’t.”
“Want to bet?”
“No, of course I don’t want to bet.” Why did he always have to prove himself right, and make it out like she was wrong? This wasn’t a freaking contest. She sighed, not willing to fight. “Just saying, you could have taken me for dinner and then we’d still be here in bed.”
“We can go out now if you’re hungry. Maybe Taylor’s is still open. If not, I saw a few restaurants down the street.” He lifted his head, and plumped up the pillow behind him. He stroked her hair. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“No, it’s all right.” She shifted, so her head was on his pillow too. “We have a cheese and fruit tray we can pick on. And the champagne.”
“We can have a picnic, and then go at it again.” He gave her a wicked smile and tweaked her nipple.
She laughed. “Okay. You win. But you always win.”
“That’s what I want to hear. Who likes losing?” He nibbled on her neck, and his hand slid down to her crotch. “You’re making me hungry again.”
“You want to eat me or the strawberries?” She wiggled against him.
“Both. You first.” He raised the blanket and slid down between her thighs. “Open up, baby. Here I come.”
Michael was a very good lover, and liked to take his time. But she couldn’t help thinking that if he could be as attentive out of bed as he was in it, their life would then be perfect.
Even as he shuddered and came inside her, she knew that as his wife she’d never completely own his heart. Michael loved many things, golf, his fans, his fame, himself, and her, in precisely that order. Was that enough?
CHAPTER FIVE
Anna left the bathroom wearing a light robe, a dash of perfume and a smile. Kevin was sitting up in bed, the pillows plumped behind him, with only a sheet for cover, which did nothing to hide his erection. Seeing it, knowing it was for her, made her heart feel lighter. Two glasses of cabernet sat on the side table, and he handed her one.
She took it and sat down on the edge of the bed, bending to give him a kiss. It felt as natural as if she’d known him for years, not only hours. “Did you miss me?” she asked with a soft chuckle.
“I did. Can’t you t
ell?” He shifted over and she shimmied into the bed beside him.
“I couldn’t miss it.” She put a hand on his chest. It was thick with soft, gray curls, and still firm for a man his age.
“I like you, Anna.” He kissed her, a soft kiss that promised things to come.
“I like you too.” She nestled her head into his neck, happy to be there, wondering how long he could stay.
They were not in a rush. They drank their wine and kissed a lot, and it was some time before his hand slipped into her robe to fondle her breast. He put her wine glass down, then took his time caressing her breasts, licking the nipples to hardened peaks. She melted at his touch.
He kissed her tummy and her insides jumped. “You’re beautiful,” he told her.
“No. You are,” she said it and meant it. His frame was perfect. Lean, with wide shoulders, narrow at the hip. A man of sixty something with a near flat belly, and a hard on for her. She stroked him and loved the way his dick jumped under her fingers.
He made a gravelly noise in his throat and she knew he was totally turned on, and fighting it. But she didn’t want to fight it any longer. “Oh, Kevin.” She put a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes, trying to convey what she felt—that she wanted him inside her, filling her as much as he wanted to be there.
“I’m ready when you are,” she whispered, kissing his shoulder.
He pushed her down on the pillow, got rid of the sheet and straddled her, looking directly into her eyes. “You’re the first woman I’ve had since my wife past.”
Right Man/ Wrong Groom: Paradise Cove Series - Destination Wedding Book 1 Page 4