by Vi Keeland
I frowned. Not because he’d asked, but because I wanted to. I really, really wanted to.
“I can’t.”
“Have plans already?”
I shook my head.
“Too tired from your drive out and our walk?”
I shook my head again. “I’m sorry, Ford.”
He gave me a sad smile. “It’s okay. I’ll wear you down. I don’t give up easily. Goodnight, beautiful.”
Chapter 10
* * *
Valentina
I heard the music from my kitchen and assumed people must’ve come to the beach early today. Stirring my coffee, I found myself singing along as I went to enjoy the morning view with my cup of caffeine on the back deck.
A shirtless Ford held up a mug as I walked out. “Morning, neighbor.”
What a view, alright. I could get used to seeing that every morning.
“Good morning.” I forced my eyes back to the screen door to slide it closed and then turned to look out at the beach, shielding my eyes. It took me a minute to realize no one was out there yet, and the music was coming from next door. I squinted at Ford. “Backstreet Boys just happens to be playing this morning at your house?”
He grinned and waved for me to join him over on his deck. “Come have your coffee with me and listen to my new favorite band.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Come on. I downloaded two full albums.”
I laughed, but went to join the crazy man on his deck anyway.
Boy.
Crazy boy.
I walked down my stairs, took a few steps on the sand, and went back up his stairs to the deck. When I reached where Ford was sitting, he stood and took my mug from my hand, setting it down on the table.
“What was your favorite song? Wait…let me try to guess… ‘I Want it That Way’?”
“Nope. But I think that was their most popular song.”
The song ‘Everybody’ was currently playing—it had a disco dance rhythm to it, and Ford took my hand and led me into a twirl. I giggled when he then took a turn at twirling under our arms.
“I’m not a great dancer,” I said.
“No one’s watching, I promise.”
We fooled around dancing for the rest of the song. It felt really good. When the next one came on, he still had my hand.
My eyes lit up after the first few bars. “This is it! This was my favorite song. It’s called ‘Incomplete’.”
“Yeah? Well, then we definitely can’t stop dancing yet.” Ford tugged my hand, and I practically tripped into his arms.
Before I could give it any thought, he’d wrapped his other arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him. God, it felt good. It had been a long time since I’d been in a man’s arms, especially one with a body so firm—so, so firm. And he smelled incredible, too—woodsy, but clean, very masculine.
I took a deep breath in, and Ford pressed his hand against my back. Every muscle in his body felt so hard against my soft. He knew how to slow dance and was confident in his lead, which made my mind wonder if that skill might carry through to the bedroom.
Stop it, Val. Don’t go there…
Ford’s head ducked down, and he rested his cheek against mine. He sang some of the chorus—about being sexual and rocking your body, and I fully gave in to enjoying the moment. I knew it was dumb, but…did I mention how good his hard body felt? This was as close as I would likely get to feeling it pressed up against mine, so, hey…why not? I let myself get lost in him.
Which was why I didn’t hear anyone coming until the squeaky screen door of his house slid closed.
“Thought we had a no overnight guest rule,” Bella quipped.
I jumped out of Ford’s arms and stumbled back, almost falling on my ass.
Bella’s eyes widened as she caught sight of me. “Oh. Val, I didn’t realize it was you. It’s so early. I assumed he’d had a girl overnight.”
I was so flustered. “No. Just me.” I reached for my coffee on the table. “It was…Backstreet Boys…and…yeah….my favorite old band…and so…I should be going.” I practically ran from their deck. “Achoo!”
God damn it. Bella probably thought I was nuts, but I didn’t stop to look back to check.
Inside the safety of my own house, I leaned my head against the door. I was breathless from, well, everything—the way it had felt to be in Ford’s arms, getting caught red handed, running up the stairs to my house. What the hell had I been doing, allowing that to happen? I’d been so deprived of human contact, contact from a man, that I’d let myself get caught up in a touch that felt good.
Eve was right. I really needed to get laid.
But at the moment, I really needed a cold shower.
***
“Knock, knock,” Bella called from my back door.
I got nervous, thinking she might’ve been coming over to bawl me out—tell me what a dirty old lady I was for what she’d walked out to see earlier.
I took a deep breath and slid the door open. “Hey.”
“What are you up to today?”
“Ummm. Nothing.”
“Wanna go to the art show in town? It’s outdoors under tents in the square.”
I let out the relieved breath I’d been holding. “Oh. I read about that. I didn’t realize it started today.”
“My mom and I used to go every year. They had some pretty cool stuff. If you’re not into art, they also have jewelry and ceramics, too.”
“No, I love art shows. Especially local ones like this. But…”
She smiled. “Ford left me a credit card and said I can get something for my new apartment. I’m moving out of the dorms next semester. We should go do some damage.”
“He left you a credit card…so he’s not going with you?”
She shook her head, seeming unbothered by my asking. For that matter, she didn’t seem to care about finding us dancing on the deck earlier either. “He went to the city for a meeting.”
“Is he coming back?”
She shrugged. “Tomorrow, I think.”
I didn’t have anything to do today, so I told Bella I’d go with her. It would be a good distraction from this morning, anyway.
Since Bella drove a small car, we took my Volkswagen in case either of us found anything big we wanted to haul home. After I got over the anxiousness I felt thinking Bella might say something about Ford and me, I actually had a good time.
We walked the aisles and stopped to look at each exhibit. Our taste in art turned out to be pretty similar. Bella bought a colorful print of a surfer riding a wave at Ditch Plains, a local surf spot. It had the most amazing sunset in the background that looked color enhanced, though it wasn’t.
While we were waiting in line to get a pretzel, a good-looking boy with sun-bleached blond hair struck up a conversation about the photo Bella was holding. They were still talking after we’d paid for our pretzel and waters, so I told Bella I was going to go back to a jewelry display we’d passed where I’d liked a ring.
Really I just wanted to give them some privacy because I thought there might’ve been a spark between her and the surfer dude.
I strolled a few aisles and heard the muffled sound of my cell ringing from inside my purse. Stopping to dig it out, I saw Mark’s name flashed on the screen. Since Bella was busy, I figured I might as well answer.
“Hey, Mark.”
“Hey, Valentina. What’s going on?”
I sipped my water. “Not much. Stuffing my face with a pretzel and walking around an art show at the moment.”
“In Montauk?”
“Yep. It’s a local show in town, but there’re a lot of great artists.”
“Mind if I join you?”
I stopped and looked around. “You’re here? In Montauk?”
“Not yet. But I will be soon. I just passed a town called Amagansett, so I don’t think I’m that far. I had an appointment out in Holbrook today, and as I was parking, it got canceled. Figured what the hell? I’m
halfway to Montauk already, and it’s a beautiful day…so why not?”
“Oh. Wow. Amagansett is close.”
He was only about ten miles away, and he’d already passed all of the spots that had heavy traffic. He’d probably be here in fifteen minutes.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about Mark being in Montauk. I’d invited him out, but I’d meant it as an invitation to the study group as a whole. But it felt awkward to say I was too busy now that I’d told him I was strolling around an art show. Besides, Mark was a friend—I shouldn’t feel weird about seeing him.
He must’ve sensed my hesitation. “If you’re busy, that’s okay. I just thought I’d give it a shot.”
I shook my head. “No, no. I’m not busy. Of course you’re welcome to join me. I’ll give you a tour of Montauk, if you’d like.”
“Sweet. That would be great.”
Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, Mark called and asked where he should park. Bella had finished up her chat with the surfer dude, so we walked over to meet him outside of the tents.
“Hey.”
We hugged.
Mark looked around. “This is really nice. I can’t wait to see the whole town.”
I grinned. “You pretty much just did. Well, the shopping and commercial part of it anyway. But that’s not what I love about Montauk.”
I introduced Bella. “This is my neighbor, Annabella. Bella, this is Mark—a friend from school. We were in a study group together, and we both just took our teaching certification exam last week. Mark has never been to Montauk.”
Bella shook Mark’s hand. “Did you just move to the area or something?”
He laughed. “Nope. Just never came this far east on Long Island.”
We made small talk for a few minutes, and then I said, “Well, we still have a few rows of the show we haven’t walked through. Do you want to check them out with us?”
Mark said sure, but Bella bowed out. “Umm…if you don’t mind, I’m going to skip the rest of the show. We saw most of it anyway.”
“Oh. Okay, I’ll give you a ride home.”
“No, enjoy yourself. I can get one from Freddie.”
My brows drew down. “Freddie?”
“The guy I was talking to in line.”
Oh. The surfer dude. My parent mode kicked in. “Do you think that’s a good idea? To get into his car? You just met him.”
Bella looked amused. “I’ll be fine, Mom. He’s a local.”
“But…”
She looked at Mark. “Nice to meet you. I’ll see you back at the house later, Val.”
Before I could plead my case, she started to walk away.
Mark shook his head. “Reminds me of my daughter. She thought I was nuts for being angry that she’d skipped a concert I’d bought her tickets to for Christmas. She hung out with one of the guys from the opening band instead. She was seventeen at the time.”
I had no experience with a daughter, having just Ryan, but I knew if I had one I’d want to lock her up until she was thirty.
“I was always kind of sad I never had a girl. Not so sure about that now.”
Mark and I walked through the exhibit. He’d tried to insist we just check out the artists I hadn’t hit yet, but I’d won that battle.
After the art show, we hopped in my car so I could give him a tour of Montauk. Our first stop was the lighthouse, followed by the fishing piers where all the commercial and party boats came in. A few had just returned from fishing trips, so we stood around and watched the mates filet their catches. After, we had a drink outside at the dockside bar. He ordered a beer, and I ordered a virgin strawberry margarita, since I was driving.
“So have you decided where you’re going to apply once you’re certified?” he asked.
“I’d like to find a leave-replacement job somewhere close to home, if possible.”
Mark’s forehead wrinkled. “You want a temp position? Not a tenure-track one?”
I sipped my frosty drink. “Yeah. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a year of experience and then doing a year in Italy teaching after that.”
“Wow. That’ll certainly make finding a position late in the summer much easier. Most people prefer something permanent.”
“It’s the first time in my life that I’m able to make choices for only myself. Ryan is away at college for three more years. I want to take advantage.”
Mark smiled, and his eyes roamed my face.
“What?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. I just find a woman who likes an adventure sexy.”
Not sure how to respond to that, I filled my mouth with enough frosty drink to get a brain freeze.
“You ready to get going?” I asked. “I’ll show you a few beaches before it gets dark. The parking is terrible by the ones the surfers frequent, but if you don’t mind the walk, they’re really pretty.”
“That sounds fantastic.” Mark stood and went behind my chair, waiting for me to stand so he could pull it out.
He was really such a nice guy, such a gentleman. When I’d pondered whether something could grow between us after he’d asked me on a date, I’d thought maybe if I saw him outside our regular setting where we studied, I might see him in a different light. But the few hours I’d spent with him today proved what I’d suspected—there was no spark. Or maybe it wasn’t the last few hours that had proven anything to me, but the hours this morning with Ford where the sparks had been so strong, I still felt the burn.
***
I’d shown Mark around pretty much all of Montauk, and it was dark by the time I drove him back to town to where he’d parked. I pulled up behind his car and left my engine idling.
“Well, this was a really nice surprise, Mark. And I’d totally forgotten how pretty some of the beaches we stopped by today are. I tend to stay on the beach right behind my house, but I’m definitely going to be revisiting a few of the local ones we saw. I needed this little tour today.”
“So your house is right on the beach, then?”
I nodded. “It’s up on stilts, so the backyard is the sand.”
“Wow. Would it be too much to ask to see it before I head back?”
I really wanted to just go home, shower, and climb into bed, but I felt funny saying no. “Ummm…sure. It’s not too far from town. Right down Old Montauk Highway.”
“I’ll follow you.”
“Okay.”
On the short drive to my house, I started to get antsy for some reason. I knew it was stupid, because Ford and I weren’t dating or anything. Yet for some reason, I didn’t want him to see me pull up with Mark. Not to mention, whatever anxiousness I felt, whether right or wrong, was ridiculous because Ford wasn’t even in Montauk tonight. Bella had said he planned to spend the night in the city.
Except he must’ve had a change of plans…
The moment my headlights turned into the driveway, they landed on a set of eyes next door. Ford was sitting on the front steps of his house drinking a beer. The looming bit of anxiousness I’d felt suddenly turned into full-blown panic.
I took a few deep breaths as I parked, telling myself I was being ridiculous and wasn’t doing anything wrong. I could drag Mark back to the house to sleep with him, if I wanted to. In fact, that’s probably exactly what I should be doing tonight.
In the rearview mirror, I could see that Mark had started to get out of his car, so I had to suck it up. My house and Ford’s were only about twenty feet apart. It wasn’t like I could pretend I didn’t see him sitting there.
Mark met me at my car door when I got out and closed it for me. We walked a few steps toward the front stairs, and my eyes locked with Ford’s. He didn’t say a word, just watched me silently as he drank his beer.
“Uh, hey,” I called, feeling totally awkward.
Ford nodded.
As awkward as I felt, I couldn’t avoid introductions. “Um, Mark, this is my…” Friend? Man making me take cold showers? Guy I met on Match? “…this is Ford.”
Mark
walked over and extended his hand. Ford didn’t get up, but shook it. It was quiet, and I tried to think of something to fill the uncomfortable silence, because it didn’t seem like Ford was going to be any help.
“Ford owns the house. He’s Bella’s brother.” I looked over at Ford, who still hadn’t taken his eyes off of me. The intense look on his face made my stomach do a nervous flip. “Mark met Bella today at the art fair in town.”
“Wow. Nice house for such a young guy.” Mark was being his usual, friendly self. “I have a daughter I’d like to introduce you to,” he chided.
I closed my eyes. I hadn’t thought it could feel any more awkward, but, yup, that did the trick.
Ford’s mouth was a straight line as he brought the beer to it and continued the silent treatment.
“Bella said you had a meeting in the city today and weren’t back until tomorrow.”
“Change of plans.” His eyes darted between Mark and me. “Something came up.”
I nodded.
While I felt the tension emanating from Ford, at least Mark seemed oblivious. “Nice to meet you,” he said.
My eyes caught with Ford’s as I started up the stairs. “Have a good night.”
The antsiness I’d felt outside continued when Mark and I escaped into the house. I gave him the grand tour in record speed, showing him the inside, followed by the back deck. The moon lit the beach enough to see the ocean in the dark, and the sound of waves crashing came with a gentle breeze. He marveled over the view. It would’ve been a magnificent night to sit here, but I was too frazzled. I didn’t even do the polite thing and offer him a drink or a cup of coffee.
Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Mark said goodbye ten minutes later. I walked him to the front door, curious to see if my neighbor was still around, but Ford had disappeared.
I should have been relieved that he wasn’t hovering around anymore. But instead, his absence filled me with an overwhelming anxiety that I didn’t quite know what to do with.
***
A good, long soak in the tub with a glass of wine helped take the edge off. Though, even after that, I still felt out of sorts and not ready for bed, so I headed down to the kitchen for a refill. I poured wine and stood staring outside the kitchen window that faced Ford and Bella’s house. The lights were on, and only Ford’s car was home. I knew Bella had to work tonight, so she probably wouldn’t be home for a few hours. Maybe I should go over and clear the air?