Loving Eden

by T. A. Foster

  “Yes, ma’am.” Mason was quiet. I had never heard him decline an opportunity to talk about his successes.

  “It might not be how you wanted it, and it might have hurt, but Mitchell wasn’t stupid man. I think your father knew who needed help and who didn’t.”

  I hadn’t looked at my phone in a few minutes and I was completely focused on the exchange, if anyone saw me now I would be busted. I was stunned by Renee’s confession about Pops. Did Mason’s mother give him bad information all of those years? Did her relationship go sour and she pinned it all on Pops? It was like listening to a soap opera unfold.

  “Renee, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’ve got a beautiful girl waiting on me.” He kissed her on the cheek and weaved through the crowd back to Taylor.

  I held my breath, waiting for Renee to rejoin the party. I didn’t know if what she told Mason would make a difference, if he even cared about it, but if I were him, I would need a stiff drink and a walk on the beach to figure it all out.

  Grey was able to slow dance as long as he didn’t put too much pressure on his recovering leg. We swayed to the music, my head resting against his chest. I loved being close to him like this. The lights started to flicker, and I could see the country club staff closing in from all the doors, flanking us like a military surge. It was after midnight, and they were ready for us to go. I couldn’t blame them. It was late.

  Reluctantly, the guests filed out of the main entrance of the ballroom and into the circular drive of the club. A few seconds later, Marin came bounding down the steps in a short cocktail dress, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Pick scooped her in his arms and lowered her over the side of the car into the passenger seat.

  “Y’all behave tonight!” someone hollered over the laughter.

  “I don’t think so,” Pick called back from the steering wheel, revving the engine a few times. Marin slapped him on the chest, but she was clearly happy. Her cheeks were pink, and she hadn’t stopped smiling all night.

  I saw Marin’s mother dab at her eyes a few times while her father held her next to him. Watching their first daughter drive off into married life must have been a bittersweet moment for them.

  Grey and I waved as the car pulled out of the drive. Marin and Pick would be on their way to their St. Croix honeymoon tomorrow. Tonight, they had the bridal suite at the Sun Resort, a gift from Marin’s boss.

  Everyone milled around for a few seconds, drinking bottled water. No one was ready to go home. Nights like that were hard to leave.

  “Hey, I think we should light up the bonfire.” Connor came up behind us. He had had a few beers. “A little after party is in order.” His wedding date was a few paces behind him. I met her during the reception.

  It seemed late to start one, and I wasn’t sure about taking my blue dress on the beach, but your friends didn’t get married every day.

  Grey’s hand slid along my back. “You up for it?”

  “Yes, I think it’s a good idea,” I answered. “It’ll be fun.”

  Taylor bounced over. “Are we going to the beach?”

  I wished I could read Grey’s mind. Would he be ok if Taylor and Mason tagged along?

  Grey answered, “Yep. Come on.”

  And just like that, Grey had invited Mason to the local bonfire. I didn’t know what to say. It was possible there was an impending apocalypse. I checked the sky, but all I saw was a brilliant October Texas sky littered with stars.

  I was impressed with how quickly the guys pitched in to stack the wood. Mason carried an armful of wood from Connor’s truck. I doubted he did much manual labor growing up, unlike Grey, but he was helping.

  I had managed to avoid Laura throughout the reception. Grey and I sat on the opposite side of the ballroom from her and her date, but here at the bonfire, the crowd was much more intimate. She was only ten feet away.

  I watched the sand flutter over my feet. If I stared at the grains bouncing over my toes, I could avoid Laura’s stare, and the jealousy that had planted itself in the pit of my stomach.

  “Do you see what I see?” Taylor danced over to me.

  “Uh, no. What are you talking about?”

  “Look at that.” She pointed to the fire. “They are actually working together.”

  I stared in disbelief. Mason was handing Grey logs of driftwood while Grey added them to the blaze. If I didn’t know better, I might classify it as teamwork.

  “Maybe I had too much champagne.” I blinked again.

  Taylor laughed. “No, it just means that they are getting along. It’s all going to work out, Eden. You want something to drink? Connor said there’s a cooler in the back of his truck.”

  I shook my head. “I’m good.” I lifted my water bottle. I had been taking it easy ever since our night at Pete’s. I wasn’t ever going to spend another night on our bathroom floor.

  I watched as she skipped toward Connor’s tailgate. Sure, it was nice for a change that Grey wasn’t plotting how to knock Mason on his ass, but I didn’t expect it to last. It couldn’t. They definitely weren’t chitchatting or slapping each other on the back, but they were loading the fire with wood. It was something I never thought I’d see. There were some deep-seated issues between them. What worried me the most was that Grey might wake up in the morning regretting his decision to sell the Palm. It was a beautiful fantasy to think we could ride off into the grad school sunset and live off his fortune while Mason demolished the Palm and built a high-rise on it. How would Grey live with this decision?

  “What’s going on in that head of yours, darlin’?” Grey stood next to me.

  “Is it that obvious?” I was trying to keep up with the party spirit, but there was too much going on in front of me: Grey and Mason, Taylor and Mason, and the enormous Laura elephant.

  His hands brushed over my shoulder as if I were wearing my hair down. “Did I tell you how pretty you looked at the wedding?”

  I turned in the sand so that I was leaning into him, chest to chest. “No, I don’t think you did.”

  “Don’t tell Marin I said this, but you were the prettiest girl in the church.” He kissed my neck. I felt little shivers cascade down my spine. His fingers laced through mine, drawing me even closer.

  I giggled. “You are not supposed to say that. Today was Marin’s day.”

  “But I mean it,” he growled against my ear.

  We stayed like that for a while, pressed against each other, the bonfire roaring nearby while our friends danced up a storm on the beach. I loved dancing, but I loved being held by Grey more. For as long as we were there, I never say Grey turn his head once in Laura’s direction. By the time the fire faded, so had all the jealousy in my stomach.

  “Grey?” I looked at his face, glowing with the last flames of flickering firelight.

  “Hmm?”

  “Take me to bed?”

  He smiled. “Do you think we’ll make it in the house?”

  I blushed, tipping my chin toward him, daring him to kiss me in front of everyone, although everyone was coupled off and I doubted anyone would notice.

  “Do you want to make it in the house?” I teased. My eyes locked on his. This shameless seduction had me burning up for him. I didn’t think he was serious, but I was completely turned on.

  “Why don’t we start walking back and you’ll find out.” He stood from the log we used as a seat, his hand extended.

  Every part of me started working in overdrive. My breath was rapid, my skin sensitive to his touch, my pulse surging rapidly. All I could think about was how tangled up we were going to get before we even walked through the door.

  I didn’t bother saying good-bye to Taylor or Connor. We disappeared into the shadows and followed the dunes to our cottage before anyone realized we had left the party. I started to climb the stairs when I felt Grey’s hands sliding along my bare legs. He was a few steps below me, and I kept a slow pace as I climbed to the next step, not wanting to lose his touch. I stopped, clutching the railing as his hand reached
between my legs, and over my backside, gripping the waist of my panties and guiding them down my legs. I closed my eyes, reminding myself I had to breathe and keep climbing the stairs. I stepped forward, allowing him to work them over my ankles.

  Thank God, we didn’t leave the lights on the ocean side of the house. I didn’t expect to arrive beachfront at the end of the night. I took another step. His hand was pushing the sides of my dress up as he eagerly fought to dip along my hot wet skin. I stopped until his chest was heaving against my back. I needed him to steady me, all the feelings were incredibly intense—the ones in my heart and the ones raging through my body.

  His mouth descended on my neck, and I reached behind me, grasping at the back of his head. The harder he kissed me, the more his fingers reached inside me. Twirling and spreading until I was craving every ounce of him.

  “Grey, we’re outside.” I moaned. It wasn’t the first time we had made out by the beach, but the way he was escalating things, I could tell he wasn’t about to stop.

  “Keep walking.” He bit my ear.

  I did as he commanded until I was at the top of the stairs. The sliding glass door was in front of me, and I could see our beautiful new couch, but Grey twisted me toward him, catching my mouth with his passionate lips. He walked backward until he was leaning against the railing. I grasped at his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss, knowing I was abandoning any sense of reality. His tongue lashed against mine with lightning strikes that had my head spinning.

  I heard his pants drop to the deck, and his belt buckle clang against the wood. He hiked my dress up over my hips and brought my one leg to the crossbar on the railing. I realized exactly what he was doing. His fingers dug into the small of my back as I climbed onto the frame with my other foot, this time with certain purpose. I planted a kiss on his mouth then sank with all my force onto him. I began to rock against him, taking us both to new heights on the deck, high above the ocean, in the dark, far from the bonfire on the beach, but knowing we were igniting something in each other we could never extinguish.

  He braced himself against the railing as I brought us closer together, and then worked to the edge of us dying to be connected again. He groaned as I slid against him. The wind whipped over my face as my head reeled back. I had never felt such total abandon, yet complete connection with another person. I smiled when I saw him bite down on his lip. I was driving him beyond crazy.

  “Don’t hold back, baby.” He met my eyes with hunger. “My leg’s fine.” He clutched my bottom, driving me harder and deeper against him. “Don’t stop. Whatever you do, don’t stop.” He moaned in my ear.

  “Oh my God, Grey.” I thought we might burn the house down, starting with the top deck.

  “You feel it? Everything between us?” His teeth raked over my shoulder until he was bearing down on my neck.

  I nodded against his chest before I called his name, needing him to release me, to keep me like this forever, to hold me tighter, to let me fall.

  The strength in his hands rocked me higher and deeper than I anticipated. My hands reached for the railing on either side of him. But just when I thought I could keep the intensity going, keep giving him this part of me, keep making him feel all the love I had for him, my body began to break and shatter from the inside out. I folded in his arms, breathless and hungry for more.

  “Take me to bed, please,” I begged. “I need you. More. I need more.” It wasn’t enough. Reckless insane outdoor deck sex wasn’t enough.

  Grey didn’t say a word. He wrapped his arms around my back and carried me straight to our bedroom where I fell in love with him even more.

  I wondered what Marin felt like waking up married. Was she overwhelmingly happy and satisfied? Did the world look different through a bride’s eyes? I woke up Sunday feeling as if I had made some kind of vow to myself last night. I smiled as I stretched my naked body under the sheet. My perfect Carolina blue cocktail dress was on the floor somewhere. I didn’t care. All the wrinkles would come out at the dry cleaners. I pulled the sheet against my chest and sat forward. There was a note on Grey’s pillow.

  I love you.

  Grey

  I looked at if for a minute before sliding it into the nightstand drawer. Yes, it was true that I thought I was in love before. I mean, I did fall in love with Grey during spring break, I had been loving him all summer and since we moved in together, but now I knew what it meant to take all angles of life and accept them together. Our life wasn’t about dividing problems and handling them alone. It wasn’t about keeping the messy stuff from each other. We were all in. I walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

  I washed my hair. Anthony had sprayed the heck out of that perfect chignon bun, and sometime during our night in bed, Grey had loosened a few bobby pins. It looked like a sad ballerina’s bun. I washed the hairspray out and toweled off.

  Grey and I hadn’t made plans for Sunday. I would need to run to the office and check on our guests at some point. Sunday’s weren’t big check-in days, and I didn’t have anyone scheduled. I assumed he was skimming the pool and making the rounds at the Palm. There was an endless to-do list at that place.

  I tucked one towel around my chest, and a second one I wrapped around my hair. I walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. I couldn’t believe I had slept until eleven, but after the night I had, I had barely slept. I giggled to myself, not sure if all night long with Grey was enough.

  I waited for the coffee to brew. There were a few missed texts from Taylor. She had to fly out tonight, so she could make it back for her Monday classes. She wanted to meet for lunch.

  I sent her a text, asking when and where. At least I was already showered. Maybe she would be interested in brunch. I could go for some bacon and pancakes.

  I hurried to my closet and tugged on a pair of jeans, tank top, and the boots Grey gave me. She texted back:

  I’ll meet you in twenty minutes at the Pancake House.

  Ok. See you then.

  I picked up the blow-dryer to dry my hair and dabbed on a little bit of makeup. It was nothing compared to the work Lulu had done yesterday, but I thought I looked a little glowy anyway.

  I headed to the door to grab my purse, when I remembered to shoot Grey a text.

  Headed to brunch with Taylor before her flight. Can I bring you something?

  I jogged down the stairs and cranked up the car when Grey wrote back.

  Just bring some more of last night. Have fun.

  I smiled. This feeling was incredible.

  The Pancake House was my other favorite spot on the island next to Pete’s. A girl’s got to have a go-to coffee spot. This wasn’t Chapel Hill with a coffeehouse on every corner. The waitress showed us to a booth. We slid across the red vinyl seats and ordered a large pot of coffee.

  “I had so much fun at the wedding.” Taylor poured us both a cup.

  “Me too.” I wondered if I looked as different as I felt.

  “I still can’t believe Mason flew me here for one night. What do you think that means?”

  “Has he said anything?” I studied her.

  She shrugged. “Not about feelings. He says we have fun together.”

  “And do you?”

  “Yes, I have a blast with him, but I don’t want to get wrapped up in the same thing I had with Jesse, you know? I don’t want to just be the good-time girl. I want more than that.”

  “And you think that’s all Mason’s interested in? Fun?” I stirred a heavy dose of creamer into the porcelain mug.

  “I can’t tell. You’ve known him longer than me. What do you think?”

  I almost choked on my first sip of coffee. “I don’t know him like that. Our relationship has been slightly contentious.”

  “Ok, I need you to be my friend right now and not Grey’s girlfriend.” She twisted her lips into a pout.

  This didn’t feel like the right time to tell her that I couldn’t separate him from my life like that. That no matter what, Grey was permanently ingr
ained into my being. She didn’t need to hear that.

  I dug deep into my girlfriend roots. “All right. Well, guys don’t usually buy plane tickets for no reason. Let’s face it; he’s pretty damn cute. He could have gotten a local date, but he didn’t. He wanted you here with him, and he didn’t have to see you when he flew to Charlotte. You were over two hours away. He definitely could have come up with an excuse not to see you on that business trip.”

  Taylor smiled. “Keep talking. It’s working. I’m starting to feel better.”

  “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it’s not really fair to compare Mason to Jesse. Mason’s twenty-seven. He knows what he wants in life. I think part of that is having a good time, but he’s obviously smart and extremely successful. He didn’t get that way by being an undependable loser. He has to have some follow through ability. He’s no Jesse.”

  Taylor’s shoulders relaxed. “You’re right. He is successful and driven. That’s a good point. I shouldn’t worry. Just because we don’t have plans to see each other again, it doesn’t mean we won’t.”

  I took a big sip of coffee. “You’re in the beginning of a relationship, which is sometimes the scariest part. Give him a chance.” I sat back against the vinyl seat. “The guy does have a lot going on—the Palm, all this crap with his dad. It’d be a lot for anyone to take in.” If I hadn’t heard so much inside scoop from Mason and then Renee, I might not have been as sympathetic, but it was true. Mason needed a break.

  “Did Grey tell you he was going to sell? That was a bombshell last night.”

  “I had no idea. It was news to me, but he seems resolved with it. At least they won’t be fighting with each other anymore.” I hoped this meant the beginning of a peaceful coexistence. Although, I didn’t exactly picture us all cutting the turkey together over Thanksgiving.