Summer Fling

by Serenity Woods

  “Cool place, eh?” He looked up at the beach house.

  “Lovely. And what a view.”

  “Yeah. Imagine waking up to that every morning.”

  She glanced at him, startled to see him smiling at her. She blinked. Had he meant his comment to be as suggestive as it sounded?

  “You look beautiful today,” he said. “That color suits you.”

  The angel on her shoulder said, Ooh. He’s interested in you.

  Flustered, she looked away. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat. “Are you seeing anyone, Chloe?”

  Hey, at least he’s sane, the angel said.

  Still, she hesitated. Was she interested in dating him? His gentle gaze caressed her, and she imagined what it would be like to kiss him. Would he fire her up like…Garth? She frowned. She couldn’t compare every man she met to the jump instructor. Yes, she found his height and strength more attractive, but she shouldn’t pay him any heed.

  Didn’t you come here to see him though? the devil asked.

  “Um…” She pressed her lips together. “I’m single at the moment.”

  Nick nodded. His green gaze rested on her mouth, and he moved toward her. Was he going to kiss her? Alarmed, she stepped back and stumbled in the soft sand, lost her balance and gasped.

  Before she could tumble to the ground, someone wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up hard against a familiar, firm chest.

  “Caught you,” said her rescuer, and she didn’t have to turn to see who it was. She’d recognize that subtle sandalwood aftershave anywhere.

  Chapter Eleven

  Garth held Chloe tightly as she steadied herself. Her heart thumped beneath his hand where it rested on her ribcage. When she regained her balance, he loosened his grip but kept his hand on her hip.

  “Oops.” She smoothed her dress. “Sorry.”

  “No worries.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him, meeting his gaze, and he lifted his sunglasses onto the top of his head. The straw hat shaded her eyes, but they shone with surprise and pleasure. “Hi,” she said, and as usual, her cheeks flushed.

  “Hi.” He smiled. Her tiny cotton dress showed her fantastic legs and clung to her curvy figure. If he’d had any doubts about wanting her in his bed before, the way she looked now completely blew them away.

  She tore her gaze from his. “Oh, this is Nick Stewart. He owns Cocoa Heaven, the chocolate shop in town.”

  Garth kept his features carefully blank, although his heart hammered.

  He knew what Stewart looked like. After Jess’s death, he’d done vast research into the man who’d been driving the car, and he’d had Stewart under surveillance ever since. He knew what the man did from the moment he got up until he went to bed. Where he lived, where he worked, his friends, what he had in his life that he considered special. He’d researched the history of Cocoa Heaven and discovered the family history behind the business. And he knew the dire state of Stewart’s finances. When you had money, it was amazing who talked.

  But this was the first time he’d met the man. He hadn’t known Nick would be at the party, and when he’d spotted him talking to Chloe, for a moment he’d bristled like the Incredible Hulk. He hadn’t quite split his pants or turned green, but rage had burned within him and he’d clenched his fists. Still, he knew an opportunity when he saw one. He’d been planning to fake a chance meeting with the guy over the next week or two, so he might as well make it now.

  He cursed, though, that it had to happen with Chloe present. He’d wondered briefly whether he should just turn around and leave before she’d seen him. He didn’t want her involved at all with his other life, plus he hadn’t had time to prepare himself for meeting Stewart, and his stomach roiled like an ocean in a storm.

  Then he’d seen the way Stewart was looking at her, and there was no decision to make. Stewart would make a move on Chloe Jackson over his dead body.

  “Hi.” He held out his hand. “Garth Rowland.”

  “Hello.” Stewart shook it. “Good to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  “Garth owns Sky High,” Chloe said. “He jumps out of planes for a living.”

  Stewart raised his eyebrows. “Oh? That’s pretty crazy.”

  “Yeah, well, keeps me busy.” He kept his voice carefully neutral, but even so, Chloe glanced up at him, frowning as if she’d picked up an undercurrent beneath his words. She didn’t say anything, though.

  Stewart ran his gaze down Garth, sizing him up. Garth did the same. He topped Stewart by several inches. He resisted a smug smile at the thought that his powerful chest and muscular arms made the other man look positively scrawny.

  Nick looked pointedly at Garth’s hand on Chloe’s hip. “Are you two an item?”

  Chloe blushed and pushed his hand away. “God, no. I barely know the man.”

  “Oh, come on,” Garth said easily, “I wore the parachute. You could say I saved your life. That must mean we’re more than strangers.”

  Her lips twitched. “Practically engaged.”

  He laughed.

  Nick looked down at Garth’s empty hands. “You want a beer?”

  “That would be great, thanks.”

  Nick nodded and walked off.

  Garth’s gaze lingered on him for a second. His heart thundered and he bit back a swell of nausea. The man had ruined his life. He felt not an inch of guilt about what he had organized for the bastard.

  “So.” Chloe drew his gaze back to her. “What’s going on? You know him, right?”

  Astute little madam. He slid his dark glasses down over his eyes. “I’ve never met him.”

  She narrowed hers. “Hmm. What aren’t you telling me?”

  He decided diversion was the best tactic. “Have you recovered from your jump yet?”

  She hesitated as if wondering whether to press the matter, then appeared to give in. “Just. Took me a while to come down from that high. I don’t know how you do it several times a day.”

  He glanced up at the cloudless sky, following a seagull as it soared and dipped above their heads. “It reminds me I’m alive.” For a brief moment, the image of the cell flashed through his mind. His stomach clenched with familiar panic, and he forced himself to concentrate on the bright sky. The color of Chloe’s eyes.

  As the panic faded, he looked back at her. “Like you,” he said absently. “You make me feel free.”

  A frown flickered on her brow, and to his surprise, she reached up a hand and touched his face. He caught his breath at the pity in her eyes. She’d glimpsed the darkness inside him, and she understood.

  He froze, waiting for her to pull back, but she didn’t. The scene around them faded, and he could only think about Chloe and how he wanted to lose himself in her.

  He moved closer to her in the sand. Her lips parted, but she still didn’t move. Nor did she step back as she had with Stewart.

  Slipping a hand to cup the back of her head, he kissed her.

  Her lips were soft and slightly sticky from the lip balm she must have applied as sunblock before coming outside. As he moved his lips across hers, they peeled apart in such an erotic way that he hardened immediately. He groaned and slid his other arm around her waist to kiss her again.

  Chloe inhaled, and he took the opportunity of her open mouth to slide his tongue against hers as he tightened his grip and pulled her against him. The lip balm tasted of cherries, and she smelled of sun cream and hot summer under the stronger beach aromas surrounding them of barbecue and salty sea. She put her arms around him and melted into his embrace, and desire swept through him from his toes to the roots of his hair.

  He kissed her, demanding and yet tender at the same time, fighting the urge to possess her, to dominate, and not quite succeeding. Sliding his hand to the small of her back, he pressed her against him, wanting her to know how much she affected him, and how much he desired her. Would she pull away?

  But she didn’t. She moaned dee
p in her throat and pushed her hips forward, holding his face as she met each thrust of his tongue with one of her own. His heart thundered and blood surged around his body, centering in his groin. He wanted her—God, how he wanted her.

  Then he remembered they were on the beach in full view of everyone. What was he doing grabbing her like this in public? He released her, and she stumbled back, pressing fingers to her lips and looking up at him with wide, startled eyes.

  They stared at each other, the sand almost turning to glass from the heat that radiated between their bodies.

  Only when she glanced to her left and dropped her hand to reveal her mouth in an O of surprise did he turn to see Stewart watching them, a beer in each hand, his face full of dismay and unfiltered anger.

  Chapter Twelve

  Chloe’s head spun and her heart continued to hammer from the kiss. The look on Nick’s face confirmed his interest in her. Jealousy, pure and simple, carved his features.

  She glanced from Nick to Garth, surprised and unsettled to see a small smile on Garth’s face as he noted Nick’s glare. He’d told her he’d never met Nick, but she’d definitely glimpsed a hint of emotion in his face when she’d introduced them. Had Garth been aware of Nick’s presence when he kissed her? She narrowed her eyes. Was that why he’d kissed her?

  She walked past them toward the house, irritated and more than a little hurt. She was not going to be the ammunition that Garth used to get back at Nick for something. He didn’t want to tell her how he knew Nick? Fine. That was his prerogative. But that didn’t give him the right to treat her as if she were a piece of rock he could pick up and hurl in Nick’s direction.

  She entered the house and paused inside, shaking from both anger and the remnants of the desire that had raged through her when he kissed her. She should have slapped his face. That would have shown him.

  “Are you okay?”

  She jumped as Garth came in the door, unaware he’d followed her up the path. “Go away.”

  “I’m sorry.” He raised his glasses onto the top of his head. His eyes shone with sincerity. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I couldn’t help it, though. You looked beautiful standing there with the sun in your hair, in that sexy dress.”

  Good Lord. How could she berate the man when he gave her such an unexpected compliment? She shook her head as he smiled, refusing to fall for it.

  “No, you shouldn’t have.” She took a step back from the door, wanting to put some distance between them. If she got too near to his tanned arms with the scattering of light brown hair, she’d touch him. “You smirked at Nick. You only kissed me because you knew it would annoy him.”

  “I really didn’t,” he said, amused. “I didn’t even see him there until afterward.”

  She lifted her chin. “So why did you kiss me then?”

  Immediately she realized her mistake as his smile grew wider and a naughty twinkle appeared in his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  Ooh! squealed the devil. Yummy.

  She glared at Garth. “Don’t tease me. I’m not your sort of girl. I told you, I’m not like you. I’m not looking for a cheap thrill, for a brief distraction. I’m sensible, practical, and cautious.”

  And dull, the devil yawned.

  “I’m not dull,” she protested.

  “I know.” Garth’s gaze rested on her lips. “Your kisses certainly aren’t boring, anyway.”

  “Kiss, singular,” she corrected him. “The first time was a peck when you tried to distract me. It was hardly a passionate smacker.”

  “It worked though.”

  “A slap around the face would have worked just as well.”

  He grinned. “Ah, but that wouldn’t have been as much fun.”

  She bit her lip. The man was irrepressible. He was also looking at her as if she were covered in ice cream and he’d decided to lick it all off. Eyes wide with alarm, she backed up to the window and met it with a bump as he advanced and leaned one hand beside her on the glass, studying her with hot eyes.

  “What?” She tried to press herself into the window.

  He frowned, clearly puzzled. “What it is about you that gets me all...” His voice trailed off as he studied her thoughtfully.

  “All...” She couldn’t help asking.

  His gaze skimmed down her body, then back up, lingering on her breasts before reaching her eyes again. “Riled up.”

  “I’m not doing anything,” she squeaked. Being this close to him was a mistake.

  “Hmm.” He didn’t sound convinced. His gaze settled once again on her lips.

  “Don’t,” she said faintly.

  “I’m not doing anything,” he murmured. But he was obviously thinking about kissing her again.

  “Hey.”

  They both turned. Stella stood there, eyebrows raised. Chloe sighed with relief, even though the little devil yelled, Damn, damn, damn!

  “Hi,” Garth said, moving back.

  “Did I interrupt something?” Stella’s cheerful grin told Chloe that her best friend knew exactly what she’d interrupted.

  “Not at all.” Garth smiled. “I’m going to get a drink. Can I get you two ladies anything?”

  They declined, and he walked outside, shooting Chloe one last hot glance.

  “Oh my God.” Chloe closed her eyes. “I need to lie down.”

  “Ooh,” Stella said, “what’s going on? Sparks were practically flying between the two of you.”

  “He kissed me on the beach.”

  “He what?” Stella’s eyebrows nearly shot off the top of her head. “Again? Jeez. Looks like tonight might be your lucky night.”

  Chloe nearly hyperventilated. “Oh, don’t say that. I might need oxygen.”

  Stella laughed. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes gleamed. “Aren’t you excited about the thought of some beach nookie with your Shakespearean hero?”

  The thought both terrified and excited Chloe at the same time. “I couldn’t. Could I? No, I couldn’t. Stel, I was with Ethan a long time. In the end, he proved to be an idiot, but he’s the only man I’ve ever been with. I can’t just fall into bed with the first person I meet. I’m not made that way.”

  “I know.” Stella kissed her on the cheek. “Just remember that having a boyfriend or two doesn’t mean you’re turning into your mother. All normal people spend time working their way through the box of chocolates before they find their favorite.”

  “Are you quoting Forrest Gump at me now?”

  “I just mean that it puts a huge amount of pressure on a couple if you start off thinking it has to work or else it means you’re a huge failure. You’ve come out of an intense relationship that didn’t end well. You’re defensive and cautious—rightly, too, I hasten to add—but maybe you need to spend a bit of time getting to know a few men. Go on a few dates. Have sex. Experiment before you dedicate the rest of your life to them.”

  Chloe stared at her in horror. “I couldn’t.” The very idea filled her with panic.

  “Try it,” Stella said mildly. “There’s, like, a hundred men here today, most of them single. Talk to some of them, flirt with them. Nobody’s going to think badly of you, and it doesn’t mean you’re turning into a tart. You need to loosen up a bit though, or else you’ll be so tense when you do find Mr. Right, you’ll scare him off with your clipboard full of questions and rules.”

  Chloe’s throat tightened. “Can’t I just grab a kebab and a glass of wine and hide under one of the palms?”

  Stella took her arm and steered her toward the door. “No, you can’t. Come on, get a couple of drinks down you, and then maybe you’ll start to feel relaxed enough to take off your girdle and throw caution to the wind.”

  A few hours passed. More guests arrived, and alcohol and music flowed. People spilled onto the sand, alternating between taking a swim and coming up to the house for food and to refresh their glasses.

  Chloe kept on the periphery, joining in occasionally with the conversation, but most of the time she was content to sit
and listen to the talk around her.

  To her surprise, Garth kept his distance. Occasionally he talked to Mat, but usually, like her, he stayed on the edge of groups and listened rather than acted as the life and soul. His easy manner suggested a familiarity with social situations, but after the look she’d seen on his face when he’d told her she made him feel free, she remained convinced something caused him to seek solitude where maybe once he’d been more sociable.

  Due to the way Garth rarely took his gaze off her every time she spoke to Nick Stewart, she also remained convinced the other man had something to do with it.

  Although he’d seen their embrace on the beach, Nick continued to move from group to group with her, clearly interested in getting to know her better. He followed her into the water and splashed her playfully to make her squeal, fetched her drinks and food and offered her sun lotion. He was very pleasant, and she appreciated the attention, but all the while she was aware of Garth’s eyes on her, and her heart rate remained at an all-time high.

  The sun sank lower in the sky and some of the guests moved inside to escape the growing number of insects attracted by all the bare flesh. Nick joined Chloe when she sat on the sofa, and she tried not to be annoyed at his constant presence. Garth stood over by the wall, leaning on it and sipping his beer while Nick related an amusing story to those seated around them. Garth had taken off his sunglasses, and his eyes were cool as he watched them. She tried to ignore him. It wasn’t her fault Nick had sat next to her.

  Then Nick put his hand on her leg and squeezed her knee.

  Her cheeks flamed at the possessive and familiar gesture. Jeez, she barely knew the man. What made him think he could do something so intimate? Stella’s eyebrows rose by an inch, and a couple of the others looked mildly surprised. Embarrassed, she glanced over at Garth, but he’d turned away to talk on his phone. Had he seen it?

  Annoyed and frustrated with herself for caring what he thought, she uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them the other way, moving very slightly out of Nick’s range so his hand slipped off her knee. He continued to talk, seemingly undeterred by her delicate rebuff. Perhaps she should have been more overt and asked loudly what the hell he thought he was doing. But that wasn’t her way, and she’d learned long ago she had to deal with things the best she could.