by Megan Ryder
“I don’t know. I only know that I’m still attracted to her. I still want her. I might need to get her out of my system, have the closure I never had.”
“She’s like a wounded bird right now and you love riding to the rescue. Be sure you’re really ready for the consequences. She could bail on you again or you could both be hurt if you’re not in the same place.” Wyatt stood and stretched. “Just be careful.”
Ethan also stood. “I can handle it.”
“Maybe. But can she?” With that last statement, Wyatt headed off for the shops and coffee, leaving Ethan hearing the echo of his words with every step of his feet on the wet sand as he jogged back to the house.
Chapter Eight
The day was spent in groups; the girls having their bachelorette party at the Whitby Island Resort and Spa being pampered and beautified with massages, waxing, and facials. The guys spent the day golfing and drinking beer on the links, of course. Delaney’s face still burned, and she walked gingerly down the stairs to the dining room. She didn’t miss waxing and the pain. Damn, waxing hurt, especially down south, and all she wanted to do was sit in the cool Gulf of Mexico to soothe the burn between her thighs. Whoever invented that form of medieval torture should be dipped in a full vat of wax and have it ripped from their body. Repeatedly.
The rest of group had already gathered. The scene was one from many a junior high school dance—boys on one side of the table and girls on the other, all trying vainly to not look at each other, yet unable to resist darting glances. Anna drummed her fingernails on the white table, darting black looks at Wyatt, who seemed unconcerned as he sat across from her. Brigid was scribbling notes on a legal pad, probably still working on the legal case she swore she couldn’t take a break from. Grady stretched out across from Brigid, hands folded on his chest, eyes closed. Ethan was already there too, and he quirked an eyebrow at her, looking up and down, probably noting the careful way she walked.
He had gotten some sun that day on the golf course, and he looked comfortable, muscles loose and jaw relaxed in a smile as he laughed at something someone said. She took the remaining seat across from Ethan, maintaining the status quo of girls across from guys. But her attention was drawn to the object in the middle of the table. A garish red lamp that belonged in a whorehouse, not a French Countryside cottage, was perched in the center of the table. The gold tassels swayed gently under the fan’s movement of air and the red velvet of the lampshade definitely had seen better days.
Caroline walked into the room, to the head of the table, and put several sheets of paper on the table in front of her. Matthew slowly followed, with a solemn look.
“I thought you threw that monstrosity out years ago,” Anna said, lip curling in disgust.
“And throw away a piece of our history? Never.” Caroline’s eyes glinted with amusement. “We never got to finish our last game to decide who won the lamp.”
“Don’t you think we’re a little too old for games? Besides, no one is going to want that in their house now,” Delaney said.
“No one ever wanted it in their house. That was the whole point,” Brigid replied.
“True. But it comes with a monetary prize as well. We had already anted up our fall prize money that last year. I saved it all and added to it. The winners receive one thousand dollars and the loser gets the lamp.”
“I’ll pay you a thousand dollars to throw that piece of shit away,” Anna grumbled.
“I think it would look lovely in your house, Anna,” Delaney replied.
Anna glared at her. “Maybe you should display it for your next Fine Home magazine spread. Oh wait, they don’t do apartments.”
Anger rose quickly, despite Delaney’s earlier vow to remain calm.
Wyatt was her knight in shining armor again. “Anna, it would be perfect on the set of your show, don’t you think?”
The conversation went downhill from there as voices rose and tempers flared. Matthew slammed his hand on the table, cutting everyone off mid-sentence. They all looked at him.
“You all agreed to be in the wedding. This is part of your duties.” Matthew scanned the table, resting a firm gaze on each person. Satisfied that everyone agreed, he nodded to Caroline.
“Yes, Dad.” Ethan grinned.
Mathew shot him the one-finger salute.
Caroline smiled, with a forced expression. “Thank you. As I said, the grand prize is a thousand dollars and the decision of who gets the lamp. Now, in the past, the rule was you had to display the lamp in your house for the whole year. Back then, it was a source of pride. Now, well, we can all admit it’s a bit overdone. As this will be the last year for the Whitby fall challenge, you may dispose of the lamp as you see fit.”
She walked around the table, laying a piece of paper and an envelope at each woman’s place. “This event is a scavenger hunt. Each team has a list of items you need to get, along with an allotted budget. You must produce a receipt for everything on your list, except one thing, and you cannot go over your budget. Oh, and no cars. You have until ten tonight. Grady, I assigned you with Brigid. Any questions?”
“Why am I stuck with Grady?” Brigid asked.
“Because you’re in the wedding together and you need a partner.” Matthew spoke up. “Consider this event a way to get to know each other.”
“I think I know him well enough already,” she grumbled.
“Gee, thanks, darlin’. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.” Grady drawled, the flash of hurt covered by the sarcastic words.
“Shut up, Grady,” Matthew said mildly.
Delaney scanned her list of items. She raised her hand. “Do we all have the same items?”
“No. I selected your items carefully, items or tasks that mean something to you or said something about you. You cannot use anything you brought with you, and you must prove the provenance of every item. You are allowed one item that’s not paid for but must prove that you got it here on the island tonight. A picture or video will suffice as proof.”
Delaney squirmed in her seat. The competitive fire was simmering inside. She ducked her head but caught Ethan’s grin. He was gearing up for it too. For the first time in a long time, Delaney felt alive, excited, and hopeful. Nothing like a good challenge to kick some ass.
“Wait a minute. How are we going to figure out who wins? A point per item, right? But who was in the lead before?” Ethan asked.
She frowned and consulted her paper. “Um, I think it was Ethan and Delaney. But Anna and Wyatt were close behind, by a couple of points.”
He grinned at Delaney and winked.
Anna scowled. “You’re going down, Winters.”
Delaney narrowed her eyes. “You’ve never beaten me yet, Costado.”
“We’ll see.”
“Save the trash talk for the competition. Time’s ticking.” Ethan held up his wrist with his watch displayed.
“Exactly. Are you all ready?” Caroline asked.
Delaney glanced at the other girls, who nodded. “Not quite. We assumed your plans when we saw this thing. So, we have our own counter-challenge for you.” She pulled a folded sheet out of her pocket. “Here is your list, for you and Matthew.”
Matthew was already shaking his head, a frown evident. “I have work to do. I don’t have time for this.”
Brigid slid the legal pad across the table. “The motions are done, depositions complete. It’s your wedding week too, Matt. No excuses.”
Caroline scowled as she scanned the list. Delaney held her breath. They owed Caroline so much, the one woman who’d brought the group together, held them together, and supported all of them, no matter what. “We’re not letting you off the hook.”
Ethan snagged Matt and Caroline’s list from Delaney and scanned it. He arched an eyebrow at Matt. “Do you really want to lose?”
“If it means giving one of you that damn butt-ugly lamp, hell, yes.” But Matthew’s words were belied by the competitive set of his jaw. He didn’t become a lawyer to get along with
the world.
“Fine. We’ll meet back here at ten with our booty.”
Delaney and Ethan walked out the front door. Ethan grabbed their list out of her hand and scanned it. “No sweat. We should be able to get this done in an hour or so.” He strode toward the small shed next to the garage.
“Really? With forty dollars? Dinner alone costs more than that.” Delaney hurried after him. “Where are you going?”
He opened the shed door. “Perfect. We beat everyone.” He wheeled a bike out. “Grab this and hide behind the shed.”
He bent down next to another bike wheel.
“What are you doing?” She leaned over him, hand on his back for balance.
He glanced up and scowled. “You’re in the light. Take the bike and the other one and hide it. I’ll be right out.”
“You’re letting air out of the tires! We can’t use the bikes.”
He sighed. “She said no cars. Bikes are not motorized and are not cars. I would use the truck, because it’s not a car, but I think I might lose that argument. Matthew is a nasty lawyer and he can out-argue me.”
She laughed. “Sabotage? Brilliant!”
She pushed around him and rummaged in the back of the shed.
“What are you doing?”
“Hiding the pump.” She tucked the air pump in the rafters. “Now they’re really screwed.”
He shoved a bike in her hand. “We’re going to kick their asses! Let’s go before they catch on.”
She hopped onto the bike and pedaled down the driveway quickly until they were out of sight of the house. He pulled off the side of the road and Delaney stopped next to him, laughing and breathing heavy. “I can’t believe we just did that.”
“You want to win, right?”
“Damn straight. Now what?”
He pulled out the list and read it out loud. “Boardwalk. We can get most of these items there.”
She nodded and they pedaled down the street toward town.
Chapter Nine
They pedaled into town, only to encounter blocked roads and swarms of people walking on the streets. They pulled off at the Rusty Anchor and stashed the bikes in the back and walked to the boardwalk. Signs for the Fall Extravaganza were displayed all over the place. As they approached the fenced-off area, Ethan realized it wasn’t going to be as easy as he had first thought. The amusement park was wall-to-wall people, lines for rides, food, and games. The first three items on the list were going to be a lot more challenging than expected.
Dinner receipt
Picture on the roller coaster
Prize from the boardwalk
Delaney sighed next to him, apparently coming to the same realization. According to the rules, they had to stay together, no separating for any task. While no one would probably know, it was a matter of pride to win by the rules, even if he bent them once in a while.
He turned to Delaney and put his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, here’s the plan.”
“Wait. Why do you get to set the plan? Why can’t I come up with the plan? Women can come up with plans too, you know.”
He closed his eyes, resisting the urge to shake her. “Delaney, we don’t have time for this. Do you have a plan?”
She looked indignant. “Not exactly. I’d like to be consulted.”
“I am consulting you. Do you want to beat Anna or not?” He played the strongest card he knew. “Besides, any time you came up with our plan, we lost. Badly. We’ve already lost thirty minutes and, trust me, none of those lines will be short. So, we don’t have time for you to be stubborn, okay?”
She sniffed, folded her arms across her chest, and looked away. “I’d just like to be a partner. You never saw me as a partner but as someone who did everything you said.”
He stared at her. Was she seriously having a relationship discussion now? “Jesus, Delaney. You really are the queen of bad timing. You never said you had a problem with it before.”
“Maybe you never asked.”
He rolled his eyes and counted to ten mentally. “How about I outline my plan and you tell me what you think?”
She pursed her lips and glanced over at him then nodded.
“We grab food, hot dog or something quick and handy. Eat in line for the roller coaster for pictures. Then we can scope out games to win.”
“I hate roller coasters.”
“Take it up with Caroline. We both do it or we lose. Your choice, princess.”
She nodded. He grabbed her hand and tugged her into the park entrance. They bought tickets for food and rides, tucking the receipt in Ethan’s pants. Then they stared at the food row. Delaney curled her lips and Ethan smiled.
“Not fancy enough for your palette?”
She darted a devilish glance at him. “I’m not the fancy vintner, with your fancy wines and big events. I’m worried that this might be a little too unrefined for your usual tastes.”
“Fancy? This coming from the woman who wouldn’t even drink bottled water unless it was a specific European brand?” He snorted. “Honey, I spend more time digging in dirt than eating fancy food. I’m a farmer, not a desk jockey. Not anymore.”
She eyed him, almost as if seeing him for the first time, her heated gaze roaming down his body in a considering look. “I can see that. You look good, Ethan. Real good. You sure you want to spoil that with a po’boy? Because that’s what I’m having.”
He smirked. “Remember, we have to get on that roller coaster after eating. And a po’boy could be messy. You think you can handle the mess?”
Uncertainty crossed her face as she watched the screaming people on the wooden roller coaster. “Maybe we should eat after.”
His gaze followed hers. “It’ll take more time.”
“It’ll take more time if we get sick,” she pointed out. “So? Can you handle a change to the plan?”
He shrugged. “Fine by me.”
They walked toward the roller coaster. She slipped her hand in his, surprising him with the strength of the grip. Was it strength or fear? He couldn’t remember a time when she rode any of the rides, except for the carousel, and barely that. God forbid she was ever not in control of herself. Ethan remembered Delaney’s mother lecturing her often enough about decorum and, their last year on the island, Delaney even spouted the same words when he tried to get her to go on one of the rides, saying a Winters should never be seen screaming like one of the ordinary citizens. Especially if a picture was taken at the end. She had sounded so much like her mother, so repressed and controlled. It was chilling and had made him wonder what the rest of their lives would be like. Then everything went to hell and he never found out.
He had forgotten that moment, that little warning sign that maybe things weren’t all so perfect in their little world. Yet here they were, back at the same place, and Delaney seemed willing to take that chance and be someone else. What else had she changed in the past five years?
Standing in line, she shifted back and forth, never releasing his hand from a death grip. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the ride and the tension in her body was increasing at a rapid rate. Her pulse pounded in her wrist, and her hand was growing clammy and cold. Her face was paler than usual, and her breathing grew shallow and fast, sure signs of a panic attack. Things were going downhill. He had to get her on that ride and her mind off of it.
He slowly lifted her hand to his lips and brushed his lips across the knuckles. She drew in a shaky breath but was not sufficiently preoccupied yet. He nipped the bend of her middle finger then licked it quickly, soothing the sting. She looked up and sharply inhaled, eyes widened with surprise. He smothered a grin. Mission accomplished.
She tugged her hand, but he gripped it tighter. “We’re on a date, sweetheart, remember?”
“We’re on a scavenger hunt. This is not a date.”
“I love when you get all prim and proper.” He leaned close, his lips at the edge of her ear. “Remember, I know you, Delaney. I know your sounds, your moans, your ticklish s
pots and your sexy spots. You can’t fool me.”
She huffed out a quick laugh of disbelief. “You think I’m turned on? I’m terrified out of my wits right about now, and it has nothing to do with you.”
He inhaled deeply, not willing to step away from her, smelling the sweet vanilla of her soap. He nuzzled behind her ear, planting a soft kiss on her neck. She shuddered in his arms, her breath coming shaky and shallow, but not from fear, not this time.
“You can say whatever you want, sweetheart, but I know you want me.”
She jerked back and glared at him through narrowed eyes. Then she stepped forward, her hips against his, where the evidence of his arousal pressed against her. “And you want me. Now what?”
Blood roared in his ears as it pooled south, leaving his brain completely blank. His hands settled on her hips and tugged her closer. Her lips parted in anticipation of a kiss. He lowered his head, needing to taste her, feel her, possess her. Sounds from the amusement park faded to the background, screams from kids echoed the pounding of his pulse, the demand of his body to take her, now, there, immediately. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his kiss, her lips brushing his. He slid his hand up her back to tangle in the chin-length strands and hold her in place.
“Sir?”
A tap on his shoulder interrupted his train of thought, but he shrugged it off, deepening the kiss, fully absorbed in Delaney. She pulled back, wiggling her head to the side until his lips were next to her ear. A flash of light blinded his eyes and he blinked.
“What the hell?”
“Ticket, sir?”
Shit. He hadn’t lost control in public since college. Oddly enough, Delaney had featured in that event too, in much the same way. He glanced at her. Her face pinkened and she studied the ground as if she’d never seen dirt before. She tried to step back but he held her in place, needing the human shield. The pimply-faced high school kid leered at them, his eyes greedily checking out Delaney in her white shorts and sleeveless top. Jealousy reared its head, and Ethan stepped between them, blocking the kid’s view and forcing him to look at Ethan. He set his face to its most threatening and the kid stepped back, stammering an apology.